DetectiveRed

This chapter was 3000 words of stuff. James is starting to get better hooray! A lot of this chapter is done through text so it's a little awkwardly laid out. Apparently, this was some peoples favourite chapters when I originally uploaded it elsewhere so I hope y'all enjoy it. Thanks to Shandy for editing this chapter. Shandy's can be found here and here are the links to their other places TGstorytime and Big Closet.

It was weird for James to miss a day of school. Even with all of this transformation stuff, he hadn't taken a day off. Katie thought it was kind of brave, but it made her extra worried when he didn't turn up that day. It didn't look like he'd told anyone else about it either. In homeroom, Ben whined loudly about how James was meant to be there to listen to whatever he felt like complaining about. She'd watched Nick wait under the tree in case he came late, but it didn't seem like he showed. Nick even sent her some messages asking if she knew where he was, which was odd; no one else should've known about their reconciliation. Why would Nick ask her about James? She had sent him a message just to see if she could find out anything but got no response.

She didn't expect to be added to a group chat with him and Nick after school ended.

James: Mum found out.

James: I left my bra in my pocket and she freaked out. I had to tell her. We went to the doctor and they explained everything and she wants me to start living as a girl. She made me go shopping today.

Katie had thought something had gone wrong, but she'd hoped he was just sick or something.

When this started, she had wondered about what his mum's reaction would be to this wild situation. His mum was a piece of shit. There were multiple times while they were growing when she mocked Katie for anything she did that was even remotely feminine. She remembered trying to repress any feminine traits in third grade after his mum told her that if she didn't start acting more like a boy, she wouldn't be allowed to see James anymore. According to her, Katie had been a bad influence on him; him showing emotion was a negative trait.

Why would his mum, the person who forced so much toxic bullshit on him, encourage him to transition to living as a girl? Transphobes tended to not make sense. That was par for the course when talking to them. Maybe it was some biological essentialist nonsense going on. She had seen enough of that in her time online.

James: She seemed like she was worried until the doc said I should be able to have kids.

Nick: Wait you could be a mum?

James: Unfortunately.

Now wasn't the time to get jealous. She knew it would only make things harder on her. Her inability to get pregnant wasn't his fault and there were more pressing matters. She still didn't know why Nick was here. It seemed like he knew about what had happened, but she didn't know when he could have found out.

Katie: When did Nick find out?

James: Sunday, my bra was suffocating me. I took it off, he walked in on me with my top off.

James: he wasn't too weird about it.

Nick had always been a decent guy. It was good to see that James had one friend who wasn't a total prick. Nick had always respected her when he was telling her about something new, and according to James, he had even stood up for her before. That takes a lot of courage. If any of his friends had to find out about his situation, she was happy it was Nick.

James: Anyway, you two both messaged me asking where I was. I didn't want to explain twice.

She knew how exhausting clothes shopping was. It was hard to blame him for not wanting to say things twice. Still, there was a lot he needed to explain.

Katie: When does she want you to start presenting as a girl

James: I was able to negotiate a week.

Nick: you've got to be kidding me.

Katie: She can't be serious.

James: I know. It's like she doesn't know I'm still me. She made me try on all these dresses. She's pretending I'm her daughter and I don't know what I'm meant to do.

James: IDK how I'm gonna tell everyone. Mum and Doctor Finnegan might be right, I need to get used to being a girl. I just hate it.

Katie didn't know how to tell him that if he wasn't used to it already, he probably wasn't going to get used to it. Whatever changed him didn't seem to have changed his gender. James was a guy. Even if he was powerless against his mum, that wouldn't change. With his mum involved it would be twice as hard to convince him that he didn't have to be a girl.

Nick: How are you going to tell Ben and Lachie?

James: I don't know. I'm thinking of maybe telling them in the group chat. I could add them here, I guess, but I'm not sure how Katie would feel

A week later and she still felt giddy every time he used her name. He had been trying to be better, and it made her feel like maybe there was a future for their friendship.

Katie: If you need me there, I'll be there. I would prefer not to deal with ben though.

James: Thanks

James: When should I tell them?

James: What will they do when they find out? they might ditch me.

Katie: What a shame that would be...

James: If I'm only allowed to be a guy for a week I want to be able to hang out with my friends. Even if they don't want anything to do with me next week.

She wanted to tell him that sometimes it's better to just cut people off if they are going to be toxic. Then she remembered she was talking to James. That would probably backfire.

Katie: You have been fine without them though? Did they even notice you were gone?

Nick: They've been asking why he isn't hanging out with them.

James: I don't know why they are so insistent on me coming back but not Nick. It's pissing me off

Katie: James, you know why that is.

James: I do...

Nick: It's cause I'm annoying lmao.

James: No it's because you're a decent person.

It was time to put an end to the awkward self-deprecation session these two were about to start. She didn't expect James to get that down on himself in just a week.

Katie: You're gonna have to tell them eventually. Worrying about how they will react isn't going to help.

James probably wasn't going to heed that advice. It would be hypocritical of her to judge him for that.

James: So, what should I do?

Katie: You could try telling people? People who you don't know.

As helpful as Katie was when it came to talking about this stuff. Adam knew more about what applied to James. AFAB bodies and how to deal with them as a guy was his specialty. Katie could only try and help him pretend to be a girl for his mum. She needed to introduce them properly.

Katie: I know you said it was a bad idea, but I think telling Adam might be helpful.

Katie: I can help you with being a girl, but he can help with your body.

Katie: He's my partner in crime, he will want to help. If you don't want to tell him who you are, you can tell him later.

Katie: Adam's parents tried to force him to be a girl as well. If anyone can understand it will be him. He's probably the closest you have to someone sharing your experience at the moment.

James: Tell him I guess. By next week everyone will know anyway.

Nick: Wait, Adams trans?

Katie: He has trans pride buttons on his bag. He doesn't try to hide it

James: I'm not allowed to be trans though.

There was a lot to unpack there, but for the time being, it was probably best to put that baggage in the closet for a better time. James wouldn't listen until his dysphoria crushed him. Being a Mama's boy would be his undoing. For now, she opened a chat with Adam. She'd promised to tell him when she could and she was going to fulfil that promise.

Katie: Remember the new weird thing I wasn't allowed to tell you about?

Katie: Well I can tell you now, someone's sex got changed, like his body is now that of someone assigned female at birth.

Adam: What?!?!?

Katie: He's the one who I have been asking questions for. He's been trying to hide it.

Adam: Okay?

Katie: His entire body is changed, Adam.

Adam: Katie? We've seen weird shit before, but that's unbelievable. It's not possible.

Katie: I saw it with my own eyes. He's struggling a lot. His mum is trying to make him into her daughter.

Adam: You promise you're not messing with me?

Katie: Would Velma lie to Shaggy? I can add you to a chat with him.

She returned to the other chat. Very little had taken place. Nick and James were just talking about how weird it was that he would look like a girl by next week.

Katie: Can I add Adam to the group?

James: If you think he can help, Katie? Sure.

-------------Adam was added to the conversation-------------

Katie: Read the chat Adam

Adam: Looking at the chat, I'm going to go out on a limb and say this isn't THAT James. Since he isn't deadnaming you, like an asshole.

Adam: Still I don't know another James at our school. Is he using a different name? I don't bite dude, I might be able to help. I didn't know Ben and Lachie had other friends aside from that asshole and Nick. Also hi Nick!

She had forgotten Adam didn't have the most positive opinion of James. He knew more about what James had put her through than anyone else. He was the one that helped her break away from the asshole. In hindsight, she should have given him some background information. She couldn't tell if he was being passive-aggressive, or if he was just hoping it wasn't James.

Katie: Yes, it is, but he's been getting better and he needs help.

Adam: Katie have you seen these changes?

Katie: yes

Adam: Nick, what about you?

James: He has. I accidentally showed him my chest.

Adam: I want to feel bad for you but this is you we're talking about. Also, I was asking Nick. He might be friends with you, but he's also not gonna mess with people for a sick joke.

This was not a good move. She had underestimated how much Adam hated James. As far as she knew, James hadn't done anything to Adam.

Nick: I have seen the changes.

Adam: So this is the weirdest it gets? I thought my voice changes were weird. Maybe there is hope for us Katie.

James: Look, can you not tell anyone about this? I just want to live my last days as a guy in peace.

Adam: James, you have treated my best friend like shit for six months and you have the balls to ask me to help you? You're lucky I'd never out someone.

James: Thanks. I'm sorry you got dragged into this.

James' barely seemed to react to Adam's confrontation. Had his ego taken that big of a hit? Was a little dysphoria all it took? If this hadn't happened, would he have ever realised how awful he was? She didn't want to think about it. Right now it didn't seem like James had had his brain altered. Maybe they could have just talked if this hadn't happened.

James: I need this week to be normal. I can figure out how to be a girl on Monday.

Katie knew the longing for normalcy. Being trans often made her feel different, wrong, or broken, so when she got the chance to feel like a normal teenage girl, she took it. That feeling of normalcy was part of the reasons she loved being around Adam so much.

Adam: I guess this explains why you were looking at our table. Having assholes as friends isn't as fun when they are directing their bigotry at people like you, huh?

James: I'm not trans, but I am a girl now. I have seen some of their bullshit. I have made fun of them for their bullshit.

Adam: How noble of you.

Adam: Didn't you say you wanted to stay a guy?

James: Yeah, but Mum would never allow me to be a guy like this. Did you read the chat?

Adam: I skimmed it. Got the important details. That's not how gender works.

Katie: He's gotta figure that out on his own.

James: I don't want to think about it. I'll learn how to be a girl.

Nick: We should tell Ben and Lachie before everyone else, maybe Thursday?

James: That's probably a good idea. I really don't want to think about it, Nick. I'll figure out when I figure out how I'm even going to tell everyone else

James: I'm gonna sleep. I don't want to think about this stuff anymore.

James's online icon turned red, "Do not disturb," despite it only being six pm. It did make some sense, buying clothes you hate takes a lot out of you.

Adam: So the range of weirdness in this school goes from muesli bars appearing in your bag, to an asshole becoming a girl. Why did it happen to him, of all people? I'm pretty sure Katie and I would get something out of getting magicked like that.

Katie had thought about it. The phenomena that kept appearing always seemed limited. The only ones that talked about it were her, her friends, and Nick, who was the only one outside their group to tell them anything. James hadn't mentioned anything weird happening to him before this, either. If he hadn't told her, Nick would have.

Nick: I don't know much about gender stuff or the paranormal. But I'm worried about him.

Adam: Why do you put up with that group, Nick?

Nick: They tolerate me. They might suck, but James actually asked me to hang out with them.

Katie wanted to remind them that James could see these messages and probably would read them when he woke up. Something told her Adam just didn't care.

Nick: James is a good guy, okay? We play the same games and he's the only one that is willing to stand up to them. Do you know how much worse they could be if he wasn't there?

Adam: If they could be worse that's probably a good sign you should stop hanging out with them.

Adam: Have you ever thought that you tripping every time you try and talk to them is a message?

It was hard to understand why Nick was defending James so strongly. She knew he was getting better, but he deserved at least a little bit of what Adam was saying.

Nick: It doesn't always trip me up, not when I want to hang out with James. Without him do you know how much misogynistic crap those two spew?

Adam: That doesn't make him a good person Nick. Just because he stands up to them sometimes doesn't mean he's worth being around.

Nick: You haven't seen him in the last week. He's my friend, he looks like shit. He used to be so confident.

Nick: You've noticed it, right, Katie?

Katie: He's barely talked to me.

Watching those two bicker didn't seem like the best use of her time. There wasn't anything she could add that would get either to understand. James had been different lately, better, and she was happy that he was becoming a better person. That didn't mean she understood why Nick was defending him; there had to have been times when Nick was on the receiving end of his taunting. Friendship wasn't always logical, she thought.  Either way, it was time she logged off. One of her mums called her for dinner. She had been a lot hungrier lately.

She had found when talking about her mums it was best to call one Mum and the other Mama. Her mum was usually the one cooking, and honestly, it was probably best that way, Mama tended to burn things.

"How was your day, little lady?" her mum asked, as she brought dinner to the table.

"It was good. I just had to deal with some friends being confusing," she replied.

"No mysteries for us today?" her mama asked. She always liked to ask about her mystery investigations. Granted it was obvious she didn't believe most of what Katie said, but she was still happy to receive the encouragement.

"It's mostly the same ones. The muesli bars haven't stopped appearing. I still can't figure out where they come from."

"What about the big case?"

"Sorry, Mama, I still can't tell you about that, not yet anyway." Even if they didn't believe her, she wasn't going to risk it.

"Don't ask her too much, sweetheart, otherwise she'll never tell us about it," her mum said. "Now let's eat. We can talk more after."

It was nice just eating together as a family. Not having to think about James or Adam or any of the weird shit that was going on felt nice. Her mums had this way of making her feel safe.

After dinner, they just sat around the table and talked. Her mum talked about her garden and her clients. Her mama talked about her work and how annoying people were. It was comfortably normal. Eventually, the conversation turned to her.

"Katie, have you been feeling any side effects from your hormones?" her mum asked. She was worried about how Katie would fare. Hormone blockers had left her lethargic for about a week as her body adjusted. Though starting hormones was so much different; she felt a hell of a lot better after only three weeks.

"I feel great, Mum. A little hungrier than usual, that's all."

"Are you sure? From what I read, your face shouldn't have feminized that much by this point."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, your skin isn't meant to get softer until like a month in at earliest? Maybe it's because you were on blockers before, but your face just looks a lot softer."

She immediately got up and dashed to the bathroom. Looking in the mirror she could quite see the difference. Her skin was soft. Which was nice; it wasn't necessarily new, hormone blockers had reduced the testosterone-induced oiliness, but her face had remained stagnant. Her phone had a picture from her first day of hormones; she needed to see if there was a noticeable difference. There was a notification when she opened it up, from James. She'd check it after she'd seen what her mum was talking about.

Her mum was right. It was little things, ones that shouldn't have been happening this early. Her cheeks were fuller and were softer to the touch. They weren't necessarily masculine before, but they weren't this soft. Her eyes seemed brighter, probably because she was excited, but they didn't seem as far back as they were in the photo. Her nose seemed slightly smaller as well. It was so many little things that she couldn't pin down; she felt so pretty. HRT shouldn't have worked its magic this fast. There was also something else. The hair that had barely reached her ears was now down to the bottom of them. Adam's changes were a little odd. He was practising and working out. That could have explained his changes. Her face couldn't be explained without the weird things going on. Things were changing faster and she was excited. It was times like these she was glad cis people tended to be clueless; she could just say "It's hormones" and they wouldn't question it. Maybe that was intentional on the part of whatever is doing this.

She wanted to tell Adam. There might have been a pattern here. She opened the messenger. Twenty unread messages in the group chat. Nick and Adam seemed to have sorted themselves out. There was a message from James too. He'd sent it after he had said he was going to bed. She wondered what it could be about. Maybe how Adam had treated him. She didn't want him to bring her own, but she couldn't ignore her own curiosity. 

James: Hey, Katie. I'm going to go to bed after sending this. You don't have to respond. I want to thank you for helping me through this. Last weekend I could tell you were scared of me. But you still tried to help. You walked me through this stuff. You held my hand at the doctor's appointment. I had a hard time trying to reconcile the girl in front of me with the guy friend I had. It took me a while to remember you had always been like that. I hope we can hang out again sometime. Lunch on Sunday was the best thing to come out of this whole ordeal. One day I'll make it up to you.

It was hard to stop herself from crying. So she didn't. Happy crying was a new experience.