Mom helped me put away the other new clothes, and the stuff that didn't fit went back in a bag that we left next to the door so mom could take it back later. Then the two of us ended up in the living-room together.

We talked a bit more, she explained how her and dad talked before they decided to have a baby, and how they talked afterwards when I was little. Like they had to discuss what would happen if I took after dad, if I inherited the shape-shifter thing.

Even after they separated, when I was approaching that age they met a lot so dad could tell mom what to watch for and how to react and stuff.

The weird thing was I could actually remember mom had this friend named Sandi around the time I was ten or twelve. She'd come over for lunch now and then, or mom would go out to meet with her.

Thinking back at that it struck me again just how weird the whole situation was. Like I'd spend the weekend with dad and he'd be this big strong brave manly guy, then three or four days later Sandi would drop by to have lunch with my mom only it was actually my dad, but she was some lady in a skirt and blouse who worked in an office.

And mom just kind of rolled with it, or at least that's how I remembered it. I realized there was probably a little more stress and strain that mom kept hidden from me, like I couldn't really imagine what that must have been like for her.

Talking with mom about all that stuff reminded me again of what dad said about needing to change things up on a regular basis, and that made me worried that I'd be the same way. It scared me because I was so happy about being Melody, about being a girl, I hated the thought that maybe in a few years I'd get bored and want to be something else, that maybe I'd even want to be a guy again.

Mom was patient with me though, and she said the same things dad did. Like just because that's how dad did things didn't mean I'd feel the same way. And even if I did want to change stuff about myself, it didn't necessarily mean I'd be a guy again.

She added, "Last time your father changed, she didn't turn back into a man. She went from Sandi to Alison. And your dad told me before she was the man I fell in love with, she was a flight attendant named Tina. Now that I think about it, in all the time I've known your dad she's been a woman more than she was a man. So please hon, don't let this stuff get to you. Ok?"

I sighed, "Ok mom. Thanks."

Then I got up and asked, "I'm going to grab a cola, can I get you something?"

"A glass of water would be fine," mom smiled. "Thanks hon. When you come back we'll talk about what we're doing for dinner tonight. After all, it's still your birthday."

"Ok," I smiled back.

I didn't make it to the kitchen though, there was a knock at the front door so I stopped to answer it.

As I opened the door I heard mom call as she came running, "Let me get it!"

For just a second or two I completely forgot that I looked like a total stranger, that if it was someone at the door who knew us they'd wonder who I was and that'd open a whole can of worms that mom and me hadn't even begun to talk about yet.

And sure enough I stood there in the doorway looking at my best friend, while Kelly stared at me. She was obviously wondering who the heck I was and what I was doing in her friend's house. And while she was wondering who I was, I was staring up at her and thinking about how much taller she looked since yesterday.

Mom stopped a few paces back, I knew she'd seen it was Kelly at the door and our crazy day was about to get a lot more complicated.

I ended up being the first one to recover from the awkwardness. I stepped back as I gestured, "Hey Kelly, come on in."

She looked from me to my mom then back at me again, and she stepped into the house.

"I'm sorry," she said as I closed the door behind her, "I don't think we've met? Is um..."

Kelly's eyes flicked towards my mom and back to me as she hesitated. "Is Melody here?"

I glanced at mom, she was staring at me and shaking her head slightly like she didn't want me to say anything. I couldn't lie to my best friend though, like I couldn't hide forever from Kelly or Craig. And since she was here I figured we may as well get it over with.

"It's me Kelly," I said with a nervous grimace. "Like I texted you, a lot of crazy stuff happened here this morning? I turned into a girl overnight, I woke up like this? So now I'm Melody, and this is why I couldn't come to school today? We're still figuring out all the details and stuff."

She gave me a weird look then her attention shifted to my mom. "Is this some kind of joke or something?"

Mom sighed, she gave me a hard look and asked "I take it your father never mentioned anything about secrecy, or how you need to keep this hidden?"

"I don't think so?" I shook my head. "I don't remember her talking about that."

Kelly looked back and forth between me and mom and asked "Excuse me folks, what the hell's going on? Is Melody here?"

Mom sighed again and gestured, "That's her, Kelly. It's not a joke, she turned herself into a girl overnight. It's been a busy day trying to deal with this, and apparently nobody thought to tell her we need to keep this a secret. So I'm saying it now and asking you, as her best friend, please keep everything you've learned here a secret?"

Kelly just frowned at both mom and me, "That's not possible. It doesn't happen. Seriously, what's really going on?"

I sugested, "C'mon up to my room Kelly? I'll try and explain it, but like I texted you earlier, you're not going to believe it. I hardly believe it myself."

She gave me a funny look but she followed me upstairs and into my room. I sat crosslegged on the bed while Kelly pulled the chair out from my desk. She sat down facing me and asked "You seriously expect me to believe this is you? That you just transformed overnight into a girl?"

I nodded, "I know it sounds crazy, but it's true."

After a moment I added, "When I first woke up this morning, I texted you to ask if you were ok? That's because when I woke up and realized I'd turned into a girl, I thought maybe it's because of what we were talking about last night? I wished you and me could swap for a week, so you'd get to be a guy and I'd get to be a girl? And I don't know, I thought maybe somehow that wish came true and I was worried you woke up as a guy and maybe you were freaking out or something."

"Holy shit," Kelly stated as she stared at me, and I could see it in her eyes. She was suddenly thinking maybe this was for real. "Nobody knew about that but the three of us."

Then her eyes narrowed as she stared at me, "So all your protesting and denials last night were bullshit? You really are trans?"

My cheeks went bright red and I found myself staring at the floor. My voice was quiet as I admitted, "Yeah. I've wanted to come out for months, but I was too scared of what people would think, what they'd say. Then this happened and it was kind of pointless trying to deny it anymore. Especially with how happy it made me..."

Kelly slowly shook her head, "Unbelievable. I knew it though. That's why it bothered you so much when assholes like Jeff teased you about being too effeminate or sensitive, right? You weren't upset about them questioning your masculinity, it hurt because they were actually putting down your femininity too?"

My blush grew even brighter, and I sort of half-nodded, half-shrugged. I mumbled, "Something like that. I don't like to think about that stuff. And it probably doesn't matter anymore. I don't think my folks are going to let me go back to school, so it's not like I'm going to see those people again."

My best friend frowned, "Ok first off, if Jeff Stokes did see you like this I don't think you'd have to worry about him teasing or bullying you. Worry about him trying to ask you out though. And second, what do you mean you can't go back to school? What about your exams, your folks aren't going to just let you flunk are they?"

"Ugh!" I made a face, "I think I'd rather have him teasing me than have him hitting on me. And um, I can't go to school? Nobody would believe who I was. It's not like I can just show up in class and claim I turned into a girl overnight but don't worry about it. I don't even know yet what I'm going to do about ID and stuff?"

Kelly frowned again, "Huh. So what are you going to do? And actually, do you know how this even happened in the first place? Is it permanent, like are you stuck this way forever? Or are you going to turn back to your old self again?"

I cringed, "I hope I never turn back. Um, as for how it happened, that's why my dad came over this morning? She came to explain stuff to me before she had to get to work."

"So what did she..." Kelly blinked, "Wait hold up. Why are you using feminine pronouns for your dad?"

My cringe only got worse as I admitted quietly, "So apparently my dad only looked like a big impressive manly dude for when I was visiting? Normally she's a young attractive blonde named Alison..."

Kelly stared at me for a few seconds, then finally asked "What the actual fuck?"

I took a deep breath and tried to explain, "So apparently my dad isn't human? She's a shape-shifter, and she gets bored of being the same thing for too long. She was a guy, a firefighter and everything, for ten years. She and mom got married, they had me and stuff, then dad got bored and decided to change things up. That's why my folks got divorced, because dad turned into a woman named Sandi."

"Who the fuck's Sandi?" Kelly asked. "I thought you said his name was Alison?"

"Right," I sighed. "Dad was a secretary named Sandi for a few years, then got bored of that and now she's a nurse named Alison. And she prefers she/her pronouns while she's a woman. I guess when she's a guy then she uses he/him pronouns instead?"

"This is nuts," she stated. "So your dad's a shape-shifter, who's currently a woman named Alison, but changes back into a guy when you're visiting him. And... Wait so does that mean you're a shape-shifter too? Is that how you turned into this?"

I blushed but nodded, "Yeah, I am. And apparently my power or whatever just manifested last night when I turned myself into a girl in my sleep? Dad says it'll take me a few days to recharge after that, so I can't change myself right now. Not that I want to, this is perfect and I never want to change again, but she said I need to learn how to control it? Anyways, she's coming back tomorrow and she's going to spend a few days teaching me how it works. Maybe next week I'll be able to give you a demonstration, like change my hair or eye colour something? I don't know."

Kelly slowly shook her head as she stared at me, "Fuck. Ok you weren't kidding when you said there was some crazy shit going on here today. So um, what are you going to tell Craig? You haven't told him anything yet, right?"

"Right," I cringed again. "I'm a little scared to tell him? Like I guess even though I was scared of telling you, I also knew you'd probably be ok with me being trans? And I know Craig says he's an ally but you know how he is sometimes? He can be a bit thoughtless, and when you call him on stuff he can get defensive and double-down instead of just apologizing..."

She rolled her eyes and laughed, "You're worried about coming out to him about being trans? I was talking about coming out to him as a shape-shifter! Next to that, being trans is kind of irrelevant Melody!"

Hearing her say my name like that gave me more happy feelings and I couldn't help smiling for a few seconds. Then I shrugged, "I guess either way I'm scared and don't know how to handle it."

"That's fair," Kelly responded. She was frowning again as she looked me over, then finally admitted "You're fucking cute, you know that? And kind of tiny, but you look good and it fits. It's you, is what I'm trying to say."

That left me grinning again, but before I could reply she added "You know what's really unfair though? You turned into a girl, but I didn't get to test-drive being a guy. I don't suppose you can send some of that shape-shifter mojo my way?"

"I um..." I frowned. "I actually have no idea? If you're serious, I'll ask my dad when she's here tomorrow."

This time it was finally Kelly's turn to blush. "I was just kidding but um... Thanks Melody."

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