Over the next few days the ceiling above my bed became much more familiar than I’d ever expected. The school had expressed interest in giving things a few days to settle down before I returned, which Mom had no problem with. She immediately confiscated all of the hero gear from my closet and locked it in an old trunk in the attic. Still not content, she followed through on her threats to revoke my phone and computer privileges, leaving me bored and restless in my room. She attempted to ask again if I understood why she was punishing me. Instead of answering her, I pulled the blankets around me tighter and blocked the rest of the world out. 

During that first day, I tried to replicate the glitching that had caught me off-guard the previous night, but couldn’t seem to get it to recur despite numerous attempts. Otherwise left to my own devices, I ended up shifting back to my default form and collapsing on the bed. Seeing Gabrielle in the mirror hurt too much. Her face was a constant reminder that I wasn’t allowed to be me, not if everyone else had their say.

The only times I shifted back was when Mom made an appearance, peeping through a small crack in the doorway. She’d hesitate for a moment before calling me by my name—my real name—but it always felt forced and unnatural. She’d ask if I needed anything, and each time I would shift back into my alter form to show her… I don’t know. I wasn’t sure what I was trying to prove. It just felt important that each time she saw me it was as the daughter she was helping suppress. I wanted her to know how she was hurting me. Without fail, my blood would boil when I saw her, when I was reminded of the new rules governing my existence. Who gave them the right to decide what I can and can’t be? 

Of course, when the door closed and I eventually saw myself in the mirror again, reality would rush back to fill the void, leaving me gaping desperately at the situation in which I found myself.

I gripped onto my pillow and muffled a sob into its fabric. Completely overtaken by wave after wave of emotion, I was a wreck. It wasn’t fair! I wasn’t allowed to be me in public outside of the house, and I wasn’t allowed to be me except for specific circumstances in school, so what was the point of pretending I was anyone but Gavin McArthur? There would always be someone who said “Okay, ‘Gabby’, time to change back into your real form. Enough playing around.” No matter what I did, there would always be a time limit on my happiness, my ability to be Gabrielle. Even for me, the fastest girl in Crescent City. The irony in that was painful.

Dinner that second night was quiet and awkward, a marked change for us. I poked at my food, feeling no desire to eat. Jules and Parker had noticed my recent sour mood and apparent disregard for school attendance and were peppering Mom and me incessantly with questions.

“Gav—honey,” Mom corrected herself and defaulted to a neutral name. She was keeping Parker and Jules out of my secret for the time being, until she could ‘properly introduce them to the idea,’ she said. “Aren’t you hungry?”

“No,” I said, my voice small but firm. Mom frowned.

“It’s your favorite, chicken and dumplings. I know you go wild for this, just take a bite,” she encouraged. Parker and Jules exchanged a confused glance and looked between us, unable to follow the subtext of the conversation.

“I said I’m not hungry.” I shot her a wounded look.

“Well, tough.” She took another bite of her food. “You’re grounded, and that means you clean your plate when you’re at the dinner table. You know the rules.”

“Wait, Gavin’s grounded? For what?” Jules asked. Mom and I both ignored her.

I pushed my plate away and stuffed my hands into my hoodie pockets. “Great, more rules,” I mumbled.

“Gavin! Eat your food already. If I have to ask again, you’re going to be doing the dishes for us tonight, too.” Mom glowered at me.

“Fine. You want me to eat my food? Okay,” I smiled mischievously. I didn’t need to reach for the energy, it was already within grasp. Moreso now than ever before, my muscles sung as weight and fear and anxiety slipped away like a veil in the wind. Light enveloped the room in a bright flash. Parker and Jules were staring at me wide-eyed, both grasping for words before devolving into stammering messes. All of the muscles in my neck and shoulders loosened and the tension within me seemed to exit my body through a long exhale. Despite the performative circumstances, this felt right. Even under my now baggy clothing, my body felt like a perfect fit. It felt like this was my default form, not the bulkier facade I used to hide behind.

 Before anyone could react, I began to speed-eat all of the food on my plate. Not content to simply meet expectations, I quickly pulled more dumplings from the pot between us and downed those too. Before long, the only remaining food at the table was on their plates, all in under ten seconds. New record. “Done,” I replied through a smarmy grin.

“Gav—Gab,” Mom stuttered for a moment, but Jules spoke up first.

“Gavin’s powers!” she exclaimed “You look different then I thought you would.” I rolled my eyes and scooted my chair back. “Wait, no, hold on! What’s your power? It’s not teleporting, is it?”

“Wh-what the fuck is happening?” Parker sputtered.

“Shut up, Parker!” Jules batted at Parker before turning back around. “Seriously! Maybe you eat really fast? At least tell me it isn’t teleporting.”

I turned on my heel and, deciding to put on a show for them, I quickly unzipped my hoodie and let it fall to the floor, revealing my t-shirt and it’s poor attempt at hiding my chest. “It’s not teleporting,” I winked.

“Gabrielle!” Mom hollered. I could feel her stomps on the floor as she began to rush after me. Sparks trailed behind me as I picked up my pace and sped up the staircase.

“Wait, ‘Gabrielle’?” Parker chased behind Mom with Jules tailing closely behind.

“Wait, Gavin’s a GIRL?” Jules nearly screamed in delight. “And it’s not teleporting! Parker owes me five bucks!”

Parker continued, “You had powers and you didn’t tell us?” He turned to mom. “Wait, you knew too?” As my foot reached the top step of the stairs, the doorbell rang. Mom stopped her pursuit of me and opened the door with a frustrated groan.

“Is everything okay, ma’am?” I heard a deep voice ask in an authoritative tone. I squeaked and hid behind the wall.

“Yes, sorry, just family stuff,” I heard Mom answer in a reassuring tone. She cast a wayward glance in my direction, and I saw the opaque shape of the no-cape do the same through the glass in the door. Before anything else could be said, I slammed my bedroom door shut. I kept the lights off and shifted back to my default form for the rest of the night just in case my stunt had caused some sort of trouble. Mom and Jules both attempted to talk to me through the door later on, offering sympathetic apologizes and asking questions, respectively. When I didn’t reply, they eventually retreated away from my door. Curiously, I didn’t hear anything from Parker that night. He probably saw the abysmal success rate the others had had and gave up. Either way, more quiet for me. At least, that was, until a small knock sounded on my window. 

Confused and tired, I crept over to the window and looked around. Nobody was outside, at least as far as I could see. Scratch that, no-capes were out there, despite my inability to pick them out. I had to give it to Mrs. Bekker, they were more inconspicuous than I’d thought they would be. Another knock reverberated on the glass below my eye-line, making me stumble back in shock and fall onto my butt. I still didn’t see anything.

Wait. I squinted harder and saw a small shape no larger than a mouse with multi-colored hair hugging the window frame.

Kayden? I squatted down facing the bottom of the window and opened it up a few inches, well past their head. 

“Gabby!” they squeaked in an adorable little voice. “You haven’t answered any of my texts or calls! I was so worried!” They looked around the room nervously. “Your mom isn’t here, is she?”

“Nah, she’s not here.” I held my hands out for them to step into and held them up to my face. They gingerly took a few steps forward on my hand and gripped onto my thumb. I had to bite my lip to keep from giggling at the tickling sensation of their feet on my hand. “And yeah, I’m fine, Kay.” My stomach began to churn and groan. “Though maybe for not much longer. God, too many dumplings.”

Kayden waved their hand in front of their face. “I was wondering what that smell on your breath was.”

I made a show of rolling my eyes. “Topic change. Why are you so small?”

Kayden glanced over their shoulder. “Because you’ve got, like, five people shadowing your house; this was the only way I could get in here without them seeing me.”

“And what was so urgent you needed to execute a B-tier spy movie plot to tell me about it?” I giggled.

 Kayden frowned. “Because I care about you, Gabs. I wanted to know how you were, what’s going on…” They looked me up and down. “...and also, why you aren’t in your alter form? Everyone knows already, don’t they?”

I looked away. “I… I don’t feel comfortable being me right now.”

“Why?”

“Because… well…” I trailed off. 

“Gabby?” Kayden pressed.

“What’s the point? They’re just going to make me turn back later,” I said in a glum tone.

Kayden cocked their head to the side. “Is that it? Gabs, that’s a pretty shitty reason to deny yourself happiness.”

“What? No, Kayden it’s just—you don’t get it.”

“Of course I do. Do you think this is my default form?” Kayden gestured to their body. “Gabby, there’s a reason why when I’m not couch surfing I’m crashing in a stored-away cot in a scrapyard.”

“Wait, you’re homeless?” I asked. “Why haven’t you told me this before?”

“I mean, technically I guess, but that’s not important.” Kayden’s brow furrowed.

“Yeah it is, that’s sorta one of the most important things when it comes to your friends.”

“Listen,” Kayden said in a stern tone. “This isn’t about my living situation. This is about how sometimes we’re born into families that will either accept us or won’t. Your mom is scary as hell, but it’s also super clear she cares about you. She’s even using your actual name, or I guess trying to anyway. The point is she cares about you and she’s not purposely being a dick; I think she’s just out of her depth.”

“So… what should I do then?” I asked in a quiet voice.

“I think…” Kayden thought for a moment before continuing, “I think you should prioritize what makes you happy. You’ve earned that.”

“Prioritize what makes me happy? But what about when they want me to change back?”

“Focus on the next time you get to be you, dingus,” Kayden smiled. I paused. Was it really that simple?

I nodded slowly. “Huh. Yeah, I can try it?”

“Of course it’ll work, I’m very street-smart.” Kayden crossed their arms over their chest.

“Okay, ‘street-smart’, I’ve got a question for you,” I laughed. “How’d you find my house?” Kayden’s bravado vanished as shame crept onto their face.

“Er…” they stalled.

“Kayden?” I pressed. 

They dropped their head. “M-Mel gave me the address after I bombarded her with a hundred texts…” they shamefully admitted. I rolled my eyes and shifted back to my alter form.

“You dork.”

“Hey! Warn a mini! Those flashes are killer on the eyes!” Kayden cried in mock-exasperation. 

 

* * *

 

Kayden departed shortly thereafter once I promised to clean up the mess I’d made at dinner. They hopped off the window sill ledge and darted right into the treeline behind my house. “Shift change, best time to sneak around them is now,” they assured me. Once they were gone, I rose to my feet and turned towards the bedroom door. I poked my head out into the hallway towards the landing in the living room and found that it was pitch black. Mom’s door was shut and the light off, though both of the twin’s lights were still on. I bit my lip as anxiety crept up my neck. Tomorrow. Tomorrow I’ll fix this, I thought.

During the ride to school the next morning I was nothing short of a nervous wreck. Mom had dropped off the twins earlier and we were headed downtown, stuck in infamous California metropolitan traffic. Jules had asked question after question during the ride, each more prying than the last regarding my new form. Parker to his credit stayed silent for the majority of the ride. In fact, he hadn’t said anything to me since last night. I should probably ask him about that later. Thankfully-- or, perhaps unfortunately, Mom and I were alone in the car again. I anxiously picked at my hoodie sleeves. God, this form was so uncomfortable. I tried to take comfort in the anonymity I had sitting inside Mom’s car, something I was sure I wouldn’t have once I stepped through the doors at school. However, even that was bugging me. The car moved so slow! I could be at school already or—actually, I could be on my way to the other side of the country. A girl could dream.

“Gav—Gabby, do you have anything to say for yourself about last night?” she asked.

I struggled to formulate the words needed for the apology I’d planned to give since last night; they just wouldn’t come to me. Not like this. Maybe if I was Gabby? I closed my eyes and pulled my hood past my head to muffle the flash as best as I could. A faint flash filled the car, much to Mom’s shock. I sat up and adjusted the seatbelt, now digging into my boobs, and hesitantly pulled my hood down.

“I’m…” I sighed. This was harder than it was when I was talking to myself in my room. “I’m sorry.” As we were sitting at a stoplight, Mom was able to take her eyes off the road to face me looking for all the world like as if she was fighting back tears herself.

“I was going to tell your brother and sister, Gabby. I was just trying to find the best way to do it. I promise I wasn’t trying to hide you.”

I nodded quietly.

“I know you’re going through a lot right now, I do, but please try to keep in mind that we’re all new to this too. You’re dealing with the brunt of this, but we’re right there with you. Please try to have a little patience? Just for now, at least?”

“Okay.”

 We slowly pulled up to the front entrance of the academy as I shifted back. Mom parked in the bike lane to avoid the traffic passing by. She pressed a button on her door, and a clunking sound reverberated through the car indicating the doors had unlocked. As I grabbed for the door, she reached into her purse and gave me my phone.

“Here. Call me if you need me, okay?” She smiled weakly. I grabbed it and opened the door, doing my best to hide my impending anxiety attack so I could look brave.

“Yeah.” I closed the door and began my slow, almost methodical approach towards the gleaming domed building ahead. The campus lawn out front was empty, something that reminded me of my first day here. Deja vu. Unlike then, Markus was nowhere to be seen. No way for him to suddenly appear again, knocking me to the ground out of nowhere. My heart sank, I had no idea what had happened to him after the doors to that ambulance closed. I hoped he was okay. 

As I drew closer and closer to the door, my anxiety level crept higher and higher until I was nearly panting. Everyone had to know, right? How could they not know with so many witnesses? Except… the police did arrive pretty quickly, right? And Mrs. Bekker said that the higher-ups in the academy structure were involved in the whole situation now, so maybe that meant they had locked things down for once? It was fleeting, but I did my best to hold onto that strand of hope. Maybe nobody knows.

That hope lasted for about seven seconds after the main doors closed behind me. While nobody had been outside, class hadn’t started yet, so a large number of students were still milling around in the hallways. I could’ve been wearing a blindfold and still I would have felt the air in the room take a sudden shift. Eyes locked onto me with laser focus. Ambient conversations died down for a moment before the heinous, insidious whispering began. It followed me like a shadow during a sunset, lingering in the air. 

“Did you hear?”

“He’s an inverse!”

“Ew, is he going to be sharing a locker room with us?”

“It’s not gay if he’s got a nice rack.”

“If he and Markus hook up…?”

“No, didn’t you hear about Markus?”

I couldn’t pick out everything, but I heard enough to parse the new status quo. Everyone knew. Beads of sweat began to trickle down my forehead as I pushed through the crowds of students and a few AndrAI that were buzzing about. I kept my eyes to the floor as I rushed ahead, shielding my mind from their laughing, grinning expressions. I didn’t even realize that I had started running until a familiar face blocked my path.

“Gavin!” Anya LeRoux was standing before me, a gigantic beaming smile spread wide across her face. “You little trickster! I shoulda known you were the speedster! You said your hair changed color, but I had a feeling you would’ve been more ecstatic about beautiful red hair like that if you only had it in your alter form.”

“H-hey, Anya,” I muttered nervously. People were beginning to crowd around us.

“Still! You’re an inverse! That’s so fucking rad! I designed a costume for an inverse hero! That’s one for the bucket list, right?” She pulled out her phone and gestured for me to approach. “C’mere! I’m gonna tag this selfie with five different hashtags. All tasteful and super, and like, empowering. Don’t even worry.” Hearing the whispering begin to start up again, I brushed past her and continued down the hallway, leaving her staring after me confusedly.

I hurried to pull my books from my locker. I messed up the combination a few times, apparently steady hands were a casualty of a constant anxiety attack. Finally, my lock clicked and the metal door opened, releasing a flurry of white paper out and around me. Snickers erupted from nearby students, causing blood to rush to my cheeks. I grabbed one off the floor and read it over.

Go to prom with me?

I read a few more with increasing frustration.

Gavin McArthur is a great lay!

Fag!

I crumpled the paper between my fingers and let them drop to the ground and forced the thoughts out of my head. After grabbing my books I slammed my locker shut to reveal the sneering faces of Kip, Vince, and Buckley.

“Sup, prissy?” Vince grunted.

“Heard you’re going through puberty, it’s about time, princess!” Kip laughed. My fingers instinctively formed into a fist but I restrained myself.

“Shut up, asshole.” I rolled my eyes.

“Aw, she doesn’t wanna talk to us, does she?” Kip looked to his cohorts who echoed his dark laughter.

I attempted to push past them, but Vince roughly shoved me back. I fell against the locker, the hinge of which dug painfully into my back.

“Nuh-uh, we all want a turn to dance with the lady,” Kip chided.

“Don’t you have better things to do? Like worrying about Markus?” I said as I pressed up against the metal harder as they seemed to lean in.

“That loser? Hell no, he’s nothin’ now. Soon as I see him, I’ll have lots to pay him back for.” Kip scowled. Wait, what? I thought they liked Markus? As soon as he looks weak, they turn on him? The trio began to close in as a rough voice sounded over them.

“What is going on here, gentlemen?” Mr. Garrison pushed Vince aside, and for once I was happy to see that waxy mustachioed face. They recoiled and quickly retreated a few paces.

“Nothin, Mr. Garrison. Gavella here was just mocking us and we weren’t gonna stand for that from some inverse,” Kip lied. 

“Yeah, this tranny is out to get us,” Vince chimed in. Mr. Garrison turned his gaze to me. Knowing this looked exactly like what had transpired earlier in the week with Nurse Prim, I began to relax with the comfort that they’d get what was coming to them.

“Gavin McArthur, I better not catch you mocking these boys again or so help me I will have your butt in my office before the bell can ring.” I found myself caught off guard and lagging behind his words as he spoke. “Hear me?” he grunted.

“Y-yes.” I timidly replied. What the hell just happened?

“Good. Now get to class and learn something, young man. God knows you won’t become a productive member of society if you slack off and mock these young men.” He patted Kip on the shoulder who, for his part, was doing his best impersonation of a wounded kitten. I quickly stepped past them and scampered off towards Catarelli’s class, still flabbergasted by the events that had just transpired.

Cass was waiting for me at her desk, clearly worried. I collapsed onto my desk and groaned.

“Are you okay, Gavin?” She immediately leaned over and began to fuss over me. I pulled my hood over my head and shrugged her off.

“You don’t know the half of it,” I groaned.

Cass patted my back gently. “Sorry word got out this way.”

“How is it that alters, a historically subjugated minority, would not see the irony in subjugating a minority within their own ranks? ” I grumbled.

“I wish I had an answer for you, but I’ve been openly trans here for about as long as you’ve known me, and that certainly hasn’t gotten any easier. I guess we’re in the same boat, now,” Cass said. She gave my shoulder a comforting pat.

“Yay…” I sullenly replied. “Go team trans, I guess.”

“Oh, does that mean you—?” Cass eyed me up and down.

“Yep. You can call me Gabby whenever now, I guess.” I gave her a weak smile.

“Well, good timing I suppose?” Cass laughed. “How are you holding up with all of this?”

I let out a deep sigh. “It’s whatever. I’ve been bullied a lot in school. The secret is to keep your head down, run faster than the big kids, and if you can’t, then catch them off guard with a funny zinger.”

“At least running is arguably your strongest trait, now? Not to pile on, but your stand-up routine needs a lot of work.” I rolled my eyes.

“I just wish I could be in my alter form all the time, so I could be ready for Hexecute if he strikes again. At least that way, I could fend him off.”

“Is that the only reason you want to be in your alter form all the time?” 

I buried my face into my arms. “No…” I mumbled. 

Cass nodded sympathetically and stifled a giggle. “Well, I think I agree with you. Now that Hexecute has Markus’ powers, you might be the only one that could see him coming.”

“Wait, so Markus—”

“Yeah. He hasn’t been to school since Tuesday, either. But word got around all the same.” Pinpricks began to creep up my spine. So Hexecute had speedster powers now, too. Perfect. That’s exactly what I needed. 

“And what about Sammy?” Cass’ expression turned even more dour.

“Haven’t heard anything about her. I’m getting kind of worried. Right before we left, she was taken somewhere, but I don’t know where. Angus thinks Mr. Bayes might be involved, but that could just be the Yellow Beacons in general.”

I rested my head back onto my desk. Everything felt like it was falling apart. I only had a moment of rest before I heard my name called.

“Gavin?” Mrs. Catarelli stood over me, her brows pulled together. “Can I see you at my desk, please?” I nodded and followed her over. She sat down and opened a drawer in her desk before pulling out a notepad and pen. “So… you’re the speedster the administration has been giving us so much trouble over?”

“I guess so,” I replied in a halting voice.

She nodded while copying something from her computer monitor onto the notepad. “There’s no guessing about it, Gavin. You either are or you aren’t, and I’d have to say you are based on what you did a couple of days ago.” Her hand stopped moving, her gaze still focused on the notepad.

“Miss?” I found myself prodding her. She looked up at me with wide eyes, a hint of an unshed tear lingering in the corner of one of them.

“I wanted to say thank you. I’m sure you haven’t heard that yet, but thank you.” Suddenly, all the frustrations plaguing me about school, about Mom, about all of the fallout after Hexecute… it all became muted and distant. A distinct ping echoed in my chest. Not my power, no. It was too fluid, too light. It quickly traveled up and formed into a faint smile between my cheeks. 

She continued, “Nobody ever realizes the worth of anonymity until they lose it. I suspect you knew exactly what you were giving up. I just wanted to thank you for making that sacrifice for us.”

“N-no problem.” I gave her a soft shrug.

“Look at you.” She brushed her eye. “You’re beaming. I think you have a lot of potential…” She looked at the other students and, upon confirming their absorption in other conversations, leaned forward. “...Gabrielle.” Her ears immediately turned red as she scooted back in her seat and cleared her throat. She handed me the note she’d been writing on earlier.

“What’s this?” I asked.

“You’ll be seeing Nurse Prim just after school today for another evaluation, administration’s orders.” I looked it over, committing to memory the time they wanted to see me and nodded before turning around. “Oh, and one other thing? I have a few announcements today and, well...I wanted to say sorry in advance about one of them.”

“Which one?” I asked, my stomach starting to clench anxiously.

She sighed. “You’ll know which one.”

 

* * *

 

I walked out of that classroom having learned of several day-to-day changes that would be occurring, as Mrs. Catarelli put it. Firstly, all AndrAI had been equipped with sensors that would beep and wail if they detect the presence of alter forms in the building. Mrs. Catarelli chalked it up to additional security against Hexecute, but her tone suggested she wasn’t entirely convinced.

Secondly, Mrs. Bekker was on administrative leave pending the issues the school had experienced over the last several weeks, and in her place, Mr. Garrison would be overseeing everything as Interim Principal. Cass audibly groaned after that one, drawing an annoyed glare from Mrs. Catarelli. For my part, the weight on my shoulders felt a thousand times heavier. He was in charge? I rubbed my fingers against my temples. I wasn’t sure of his exact feelings, but if his siding with Kip earlier was any indication, this wasn’t good news. After class Cass and I parted at the intersection between our two second period hallways.

“Will you be fine?” she asked, her voice small and timid.

“Yeah,” I replied with false confidence. Her worrying about me did neither of us any good. “What could go wrong?” 

“You should stop saying that, it never ends well for you.” We waved goodbye to each other and I trudged through the gawking and whispering crowds once more. The same leers and giggles as before made a comeback, but strangely they didn’t get to me quite as fiercely as before. Instead of focusing my eyes on the ground, I stole hesitant glances at other students passing me by. Curiously, while a large amount of them were laughing or sneering, there were also impressed faces, excited smiles. Some of them were even watching me with quiet reverence. Catarelli’s heartfelt thank you flashed in my mind. Did they think I was a hero? 

My second period passed by without being much different; whispers, stares, Mr. Bayes dispelling both while he continued his lecture. The only stand-out difference beyond that from any other class with him was the additional homework he gave me for the days I’d missed and the golden bangle visible on his wrist. I didn’t recall that being visible before in class. Why was he suddenly wearing it now? Added security maybe? All the teachers did seem to be more alert. Whatever the reason was, he didn’t feel the need to elaborate as he dismissed us without any additional announcements. I hurried out the door holding my books close to my chest as dread began to build.

As I rounded the corner I nearly bumped into another familiar face who readjusted her glasses in shock.

“Oh, Gavin!” Nurse Prim smiled down at me. She was wearing a dark turtleneck sweater with her white coat pulled over top and had her hair once again collected in a messy bun on her head.

“Hey Nurse Prim,” I replied.

“How are you? I got a briefing this morning, I’m so happy for you!” she said eagerly.

“You… what?” I stammered, caught off-guard by her enthusiasm for what everyone else had, at best, regarded with caution.

“I said I’m excited for you, silly! It’s not every day you find out that you get to try being an entirely different sex.” A blush shot to my face, she was talking far too loudly for my taste.

“W-uh, yeah, I guess I uh… can do that,” I said haltingly.

Nurse Prim abruptly rested the back of her hand on my forehead. “I’ll see you later today for another eval but a little reconnaissance never hurt anyone! How are you feeling? Have the swaps been painful? How are your powers?”

“Fine, no, and they’re fine—I think anyways,” I struggled to answer her rapid fire questions as she looked me over carefully. There was something that medical professionals and scientists like Mel had in common, they could make you feel like all of your guts were on display while they scribbled on some clipboard.

“Good! Make sure to see me today, okay?” Nurse Prim asked, her tone low and full of concern. “It’s important that we check over everything to ensure there aren’t any nasty surprises anywhere.”

I nodded. “Sure. I’ll be there.”

“Great!” She continued down the hallway smiling all the way. “See you then!” 

I turned and shook my head. Was I really that interesting of a subject? I wasn’t able to ruminate on the subject long as I very quickly found myself at my destination:

Gym.

For once I slowed my pace towards class. I wasn’t eager to face this new round of torment. I nervously passed through the doors of the gym and immediately found Mrs. Bittinboulder leaning against the wall next to the entryway, looking over some papers on her clipboard. She recognized me immediately and walked towards me with a hint of a smirk.

“McArthur.” She looked me over.

Mom always said my inclination towards shooting myself in the foot was uncanny, an assessment she was admittedly pretty spot on with. “Shield Maiden,” I replied coolly. Her eyebrows shot up. Yep, shit, that was a mistake. Could the earth swallow me whole now? It’d save me about four more hours of this.

“Cute.” She narrowed her eyes and scribbled something on her clipboard. “Should’ve known that smart-ass mouth belonged to you.”

I winced. “Yeah, that’s fair. So can I just…” I pointed to the bleachers quizzically.

A laugh erupted from Mrs. Bittinboulder. “Hell no. I’m seeing what you can do today, McArthur. That reminds me.” She retreated into her office and returned with two packages wrapped in plastic. She held them out for me to grab. “New suit and some support.”

I gingerly accepted them. “Support?”

She rolled her eyes. “A sports bra, McArthur. Don’t tell me you haven’t been using one?”

A fierce blush erupted on my face. Should I tell her that I had? What if she thought I was a pervert? But if I told her I hadn’t, she might think I was an idiot. Instead of saying anything, I mostly muttered partial sentences in a fit of embarrassment.

“Wow. Fitful little bugger behind the swagger, aren’t ya?” She shook her head teasingly. “The bra should help keep the girls secured when you run, and the suit has a bit of extra piping in it to accommodate for that.” I looked down at the package. Sure enough, it was the girls' suit. All at once, the gravity of what lay before me rushed in like a freight train. I looked around. Thankfully there were only a few students in the gymnasium currently, so nobody could hear what she was saying, but soon enough everyone would be out here, and they would see me.

“Mrs. Bittinboulder,” I piped up, another question coming to mind, “Where am I supposed to change?” The jovial expression hastily fled from her face, replaced instead by something more troubled.

“Right. About that. I’m going to need you to change somewhere else for the time being.” 

“Like a different locker room?”

A hint of shame rippled across her face. “No… You know that bathroom across the hall?”

My jaw fell open. “You want me to change there? Why?” I demanded. She looked away and straightened her posture.

“I know, I know, it’s not ideal.” She sighed. “But, well, even though having inverse students isn’t unheard of, it’s not exactly common. Uncommon enough that the administration doesn’t really have any formal guidelines on it beyond…” She braced herself, looking for all the world like she was about to touch something rancid. “Separate but equal facilities.”

“Separate but equal?” I raised my voice, perhaps a bit louder than I should have. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

Her response was stern. “Yes, yes, I know exactly how it sounds. I agree with you! But my hands are tied, McArthur. This is a decision made by the administration, it’s way above my head.”

I shook my head. “That’s just something people say to move the blame around.” She grabbed my shoulders and pulled me closer.

“Listen, kid. I get it. I’m gay, I’ve been in similar situations. I won’t stop advocating for you, same as I have been doing with your friend, Cassandra.” I stepped back.

“Wait, you’ve been making Cass change in the bathrooms too? That’s discrimination!” I began to shout.

“Gabrielle.” She leaned in, catching me off guard with the use of my name. “I only know that name because Mrs. Bekker trusted me and a few other teachers to look after you. I can’t do much, but I’m the best you’ve got in this school right now. So please, for now, just go with the flow, okay?”

I clenched my jaw. She was the best I had? The best I had was separating me from others because I was different? What kind of bullshit was that? People were beginning to gather around, including Kip and his goon squad, who were starting to leer at me uncomfortably, so my responses were limited. “Fine,” I muttered near silently. I turned on my heel and headed towards the gymnasium doors towards the bathrooms.

Momentarily hesitating at the crossroads of the men’s and women’s bathroom, I steeled myself and marched ahead, pushing the door to the women’s room out of my way. If they were going to make me change in the bathroom, I was at least going to have my choice of the two. Not wanting any other girls in the bathroom to freak out, I quickly changed into my alter form as I walked through the small vestibule before rounding into the room. The sound of startled shuffling alerted me that the stall next to me was occupied.

“... Gabby?” Cass’ voice carried through the wall, quiet and muffled by fear.

“Hey, Cass,” I replied, my voice dropping into a depressed register. “Funny meeting you here.” The stall had words, names, and messages scrawled all over, some with phone numbers written beneath them and others that were more or less straight profanity. “How’d you know it was me?”

“Well, the flash wasn’t exactly inconspicuous,” Cass laughed.

“Okay, fair point,” I conceded.

“So you’re…?” Cass trailed off, leaving her question hanging in the air.

“Yeah. Guess we’re locker room buddies for now.” I mused. “Er, bathroom buddies.” I began to strip my clothes off and hang them on the stall door. The annoyance from not being able to lay things out, the aggravation of the toilet continuously bumping against my bare leg, and the fear that I was somewhere I wasn’t supposed to be were all starting to pile on, souring my mood further.

“How long have you been changing in here, Cass?” I asked as I pulled the sports bra over my head, allowing it to snap loudly against my ribcage. Immediately it began to chafe. Somehow this bra was less comfortable than the ones I’d bought with Cass at the thrift store. Minor reshuffling of my chest aside, it more or less fit, not perfectly so by any stretch.

“Like here, or in general? I’ve only been going to the school as long as you have,” Cass answered after a few moments.

“In general.”

“Oh… well, I guess since I transitioned a few years ago.”

I stopped mid-way through my struggle to work the gym suit pants past my hips. “Wait, what? So you’ve been changing in bathrooms for years?”

“Only if I had gym class, I guess.” Cass stepped out from her stall. “It’s honestly not that big of a deal...” I quickly sped through the rest of my wardrobe change and stepped out as well. 

“Cass, that’s absolute horseshit.”

Cass checked her reflection in the dingy bathroom mirror. Scuffs and marker-scribbled messages adorned its surface, some of which were clearly left by Sammy judging by the obscenity of their contents. “Well, it’s better than changing in the boys locker room. I’d say this is the better of the two options I’ve got.”

“The best of two extremely shitty options,” I groaned. Cass spun on her heels and smiled down at me.

“Gabby, I promise I’m fine with this. I’m a tough girl, I can take care of myself. Speaking of which, you’re looking particularly adorable in your uniform, too. Have you taken a look yet?” Shaking my head, Cass pushed me forward towards the mirrors. “They don’t have the best lighting in here, but these’ll do.” Hesitantly, I gave in and appraised my reflection. The suit hugged my curves in all the right places, much better than the boy’s suit had. I had to admit, I did look pretty good in it. I reached back and ran my fingers over the neck of the shirt where I’d overheard Bittinboulder mention a few scanners were placed. I guess they’d be getting some good readings from me now. 

“Yeah, I guess I look okay,” I replied with a smirk. Cass laughed and took my hand as she headed towards the exit.

“Wait, Cass,” I sputtered as her hand reached for the door handle.

“What is it?” she asked.

“I… I’m nervous.” I looked down at my feet shamefully. Just a moment ago I was telling Cass she shouldn’t have to deal with the better of two shitty options, and here I was, cowed and anxious at the prospect of essentially outing myself to the rest of the school. Most of them had heard second-hand accounts from those present at the train-yard, but that was the extent of it. Until now, her face… my face felt like my secret. Like I could wear it whenever I wanted to be treated like any other girl without judgment, without biases. When it was public knowledge that it belonged to an inverse, would I still have that reprieve? What if they make fun of me? What if they think that I don’t deserve this form and try to take it away like Hexecute? My mind was spiraling out of control as I processed all of the ways this could go wrong.

Cass pulled me into a tight embrace, snapping me from my anxiety-induced nightmare. “Hey, Gabby. You’ll be fine, I promise. I’ve had to deal with all of those same thoughts. Earlier you told me that you wanted to be in your alter form all the time because you felt stronger in it. Well, now is the perfect time to prove how strong you are.” She pointed to the door. “Let’s go in there and kick some ass.”

I reluctantly followed her, but found my confidence returning, even if it was mostly for show. She was right, I’d literally fought a super-villain. I apparently had a nemesis now. What were high school kids and their idiotic mockery compared to that?

A few students peeking through the embedded windows in the doors skittered back as we approached, likely to announce our arrival. Good. Let them watch.

All eyes in the gym were on us as we entered. Everyone from the wolfman in the back to the intangible ghost girl up front were gaping at me. I could almost feel it; their eyes roaming up and down my body as if to confirm my womanhood. The whispers were harsh and loud, but I blocked them out. A rogue wolf-whistle rang out among the students, causing a few of them to emit stifled giggles. I fought back the urge to flip the bird in their direction. No, I wanted them to see me as untouchable, confident. Even if I was nearly falling apart on the inside, that image was easy enough to fake.

Kip and his goons stepped in front of us as we headed towards the back of the assembled students.

“Well, well, look at her, boys. Such a fucking smoke show,” Kip sneered.

“Told ya she’d look good,” Buckley added.

“Better on its knees, I bet.” Vince laughed.

“Fuck off.” I attempted to move past them, but Kip stepped in front of me.

“Aw, listen to that. Such a hot little voice ya got there, Gavin. Or is it Gavella?” His putrid breath seemed to flow like a river onto my face as he moved closer. This was… different. Before, he would always keep his distance. Why was he getting so close to me now?

“Doesn’t matter, not her name she’ll be screamin’.” Buckley laughed.

“She said fuck off, creeps!” Cass pushed Kip back and stood in front of me protectively.

“What, he your boyfriend, Gavella?” Kip retorted. I figured it’d be better to keep my cool rather than allow people to know their shitty barbs were getting to me, but them going after Cass was crossing a line. My vision began to tunnel and my blood boiled fiercely. I stepped ahead of Cass and jabbed a finger in Kip’s chest.

“Back off, dickweed. She’s my friend,” I growled. Kip quickly engulfed himself in a flash of light, his lackeys following suit. Kip was in his usual ice form. Buckley’s skin tone darkened to a distressed grey and reflected the fluorescent lights overhead. Vince grew at least a foot in height and took on Neanderthal-like features. A tinge of fear echoed in my mind, but it was quickly consumed by fury.

“What was that, tranny?” Kip bent down towards me. My eye twitched.

“I said do those ice powers cause super-shrinkage downstairs, or is it just the regular kind?” 

Kip's eyes went wide. “You little--” he roared and reared back to punch me, however before he could the harsh scream of a whistle crackled through the air.

“That’s enough!” Mrs. Bittinboulder yelled at us. “Kip, take your buddies and get to the left side of the group. McArthur, to the other side. Don’t go near each other while you cool off.” Kip and his buddies grudgingly retreated after silently signaling that this wasn’t over. Cass and I moved to the right as we’d been ordered, and as before eyes followed us the whole way.

“Thanks,” Cass whispered. 

“No problem,” I tapped her hand. “I won’t let those asshats walk all over us.”

Bittinboulder continued, “Now I know there’s a lot of hubbub lately, some new faces, some folks missing. So I’m going to call roll, speak up when you hear your name.” Immediately, she began to run through a list on her clipboard of all of us. The previously raging anger having since turned latent, I was left with newfound anxiety. She was going to call ‘Gavin’, but that wasn’t me. I didn’t want to answer to that name anymore, and the prospect of having it chained to me even now when everyone knew the truth sent chills down my spine. I thought back to Cass. She’d been doing what they told her to do for years, and what did she have to show for playing by the rules? A bathroom stall as a locker room stand-in and a requirement that she use distant and unused bathrooms in the rest of the school.

It was bullshit, and if that’s what playing by the rules was going to get me, maybe it was time to make my own.

“Gavin McArthur,” she called. She stared at me, waiting for a response.

“Actually, it’s Gabrielle,” I stated confidently.