The Dress by aubbls

“You missed the campground right there, Eric,”  Gabe said.

Eric sighed. “Thanks for the heads up after the fact.  You’re such an amazing co-pilot.”

“Hey, you know that Gina’s much better at paying attention to the road. Plus, I need to catch up on my back catalog of games.” Gabe said, moving the Switch closer to the field of vision as if he was showing it off.

“I’m driving, I’m not going to look at your Switch. Plus you should really call Gina and let her know we’re here and we already ate.”

Eric turned around at the next intersection and went back to the park entrance.  This was the first time they’d been to this park–their usual camping spot was a family campground that had grown out of their price range over the years.  This year, Gabe and Eric were staying at a state park, with a solid 20 dollars a night campsite fee.  Gina and Matt opted for a hotel this year after last year’s misery.  Gina was five months pregnant and with a two year old toddler, it made the sleeping experience for everyone difficult.  Eric joked that last year was so miserable for everyone that Cassi moved to the West Coast to avoid this year’s vacation.

Eric went into the small park building to confirm their rental while Gabe was left in the car on the phone with Gina.  It seemed like they were pretty far back on the grounds and the place was mostly booked, so when Eric started to drive he took the path slowly, tuning out Gabe’s exaggerated chatter. 

Eric noticed the post with the number 34 next to it and pulled into the gravel parking space next to it. He turned off the car and turned to Gabe who was still chatting.  Eric stared at him, hoping his thoughts about getting out and setting up the tent got to Gabe. Gabe continued on, mostly oblivious, occasionally glancing at Eric and smirking.  Now that the car was off and there was not as much for Eric to focus on, he could hear the crying and yelling inside Gabe’s phone. 

After about five minutes of Eric watching Gabe listen to Gina’s long winded play by play about their drive into Michigan, Gabe finally clued in that he was working on ending the conversation. Unfortunately, the conversation continued another two minutes while Gina was trying to figure out where along I-94 they were. Eric sighed, expecting nothing less from Gina or Gabe.

“Well Gina, Eric and I are here and we should probably set up this tent” Gabe said, “Send us a text when you get to the hotel! Eric and I already ate so we’ll see you tomorrow morning!” After a few moments, Gabe hangs up and turns to Eric and smiles.

“Sorry, you know how Gina is. We’re here!”  

“Yup,” Eric replied shortly.  He opened up the door and popped the hatch to get the tent out.  Gabe exited as well and met him at the trunk.

“Something wrong?” Gabe stood parallel to Eric, looking slightly upwards at him with his hand on his hip.  Eric’s eyes matched Gabe’s light brown eyes and lingered a second too long. Shit. He glanced away and leaned into the car, mumbling a muffled “Nope” and pulled the tent kit out from amongst the luggage.  Gabe grabbed the tarp and the hammer and followed after Eric, moving deeper into the site to find the ideal spot for the tent.

“I know, I wish Cassi was here too but she’s in Oregon now. Plus, a new job, a new house, a new girlfriend, and a new horde of special needs cats to take care of.  She’s a little busy these days.”

“No, I get it,” Eric said, focusing on the ground.  “We’re getting old and I’m starting to think that camping isn’t for us.” The two of them could stand to lose some weight and sleeping on the ground became less appealing after turning 30.

Gabe stopped next to Eric and placed the rolled up tarp next to them. “Hey, it’s not that bad.  It’s been a dry summer so less mosquitos, and hey, setting up a campfire and drinking at the site is much better than going into a hotel.  Three nights in a tent won’t kill you.”

“Yeah, it won’t kill me, it will hurt my back.”

Gabe laughed and the two unpacked the tent.  Setting it up wasn’t a challenge for them, although the fading light made it take a few minutes extra.

The two of them shot the shit sitting at the picnic table at their site. It was mostly Gabe getting riled up about the newest comic book movie coming out. Eric let him talk– he didn't feel like he had much to talk about after the three hour car ride. He was tired and didn't feel like setting up a short lived fire.

"Hey man, I think I'm gonna go to the bathrooms and get ready for bed. Long enough day for me," Eric said, standing up and leaving the picnic table.

"Okay, I'll play some more on my Switch. I'm not tired yet."

Eric went to the bathrooms and returned after 15 minutes. Gabe was still playing his Switch and did not acknowledge Eric’s return.  Clearly into the game, Eric just walked by and went to the front of the tent. He removed his shoes, his jeans and his shirt and entered the tent. With his phone light, he pulled out a blanket and did not crawl into the sleeping bag just yet since it was still warm out. He was soon fast asleep.

Eric was a light sleeper so when he awoke to Gabe getting in the tent, he grabbed his phone and checked what time it was without bothering to get up.

"1 A.M.? Jesus Gabe, you were playing for a long time." 

Eric watched Gabe who had entered the tent and was getting ready to get into his sleeping bag. He was wearing the same T-shirt and shorts that he was wearing before. Eric was confused with his choices.

"Gabe, are you really going to sleep like that? You're going to sweat so much in the sleeping bag, man"

He stopped moving and looked at Eric.

"I didn't bring any covers, just the sleeping bag. I guess I could sleep on top of the bag if it's too warm."

Eric laughed. "Of course it is. Big guy problems."

Eric turned away and felt the pull of sleep on him, but before he returned to sleep Gabe interrupted him.

"Hey."

"Hey what," Eric replied, putting extra effort into the tiredness in his voice so he can get back to sleep.

"I'm cold."

Eric sighed. "And how can I help with that?"

Gabe remained silent for a few moments and said, "Can I have your blanket?" 

"No, I'd be cold then."

"We could share!" Gabe replied rather quickly.

Eric groaned. "You just want to cuddle don't you?"

Eric could hear Gabe's scoff that he would use often even though he could not see it. "I don't just want to cuddle! I want to be warmer! The cuddling would be nice though."

Eric shifted his body so he was looking up at the top of the tent, his mind trying to figure out what to do. He knew Gabe might have an ulterior motive with his gigantic crush but on the other hand Gabe was probably actually chilly. Plus for some reason Gabe only had a bulky sleeping bag he inherited from his uncle who was into camping, so sleeping in it might be a sweaty mess.

"Eric, are you awake?" 

"I am thinking, okay?" Eric replied, barely masking his irritation of having to navigate the situation while he was half asleep.

"Is it," Gabe paused, weighing his words carefully while Eric waited. "Is it because I'm gay?"

Eric turned and looked at Gabe and gave him a disgusted look. Gabe had a wide eyed look on his face, a look of vulnerability.

"No, you dumbass. It's because I know you have feelings for me and I don't want you to think that I do."

Gabe's face did not change while staring at Eric. 

"Cuddling would make me too warm. Here, take the blanket and I'll sleep in my sleeping bag." Eric flipped the blanket gently over to Gabe and quickly unzipped the sleeping bag to crawl in.  

"Thanks Eric. I'm sorry about-"

"No need to apologize," Eric interjected, hoping to move on. "It's a tough situation." 

Gabe remained silent for a few seconds and asked, “The sleeping situation?”

“Yes. Goodnight Gabe,” Eric forced out, hoping that Gabe bought that lie as he closed his eyes, prepared for sleep to save him from this mess.

 

---

 

Eric woke up to a well lit tent, with beads of condensation on the inside of the tent. He looked over to Gabe, still asleep a foot away from him. Thankfully that distance existed after last night.  In a sense, since Cassi confirmed this year she wouldn’t be making the trip to Michigan, Eric understood that unless he wanted the experience of young children crying and yelling, he was going to end up sleeping next to Gabe in a tent or a hotel room.  It felt unavoidable. He just did not know how he would react when Gabe would be this forward about his feelings for Eric.

He focused on Gabe’s face, his good friend sleeping through the turmoil inside Eric.  His large nose, his chubby cheeks, his dense dark eyebrows, his jaw covered with stubble and some fat, his soft brown skin.  Eric dwells upon his friend’s face. A friend who has had a hopeless crush on him since the third Michigan trip.  Maybe we would be good together, Eric pondered. He considered himself straight and anything remotely close to experimental in college was not anything he looked to repeat with another man. Well, we aren't getting any younger and… no, settling wouldn't be fair to either of us. Eric internally sighed and decided to start his day without these thoughts.

Eric got up and exited the tent, leaving Gabe to continue sleeping.  His phone read 7:30, plenty of time before Gina, Matt, and the kids would be ready for today’s events.  I guess I should start the fire and get breakfast ready, Eric thought.  Usually they’d have cereal or pick up McDonald’s breakfast on the first morning, but Eric decided that making some scrambled eggs, bacon, and pancakes for everyone would be appreciated.  He wasn’t a great cook, but considering last year Gina and Matt told horror stories about the continental breakfast at the hotel, he knew he wasn’t that bad.  He got the supplies ready for the cooking and started the fire.

Eric focused on the tasks at hand and left very little room in his head for other things. He preferred it that way.  He had things to do like make and manage a fire that he could cook food and coffee on.  Eric often stared into the flames while he waited for the next part of his mental checklist. First the pancakes, then get the coffee ready, do a quick clean of the skillet, text Matt to see if they’re awake and heading over, scramble the eggs, fry the bacon, and then make scrambled eggs.  Maybe Gabe will wake up naturally, Eric hoped.

Eric was so much on autopilot that after he texted Matt he didn’t check his phone until he was finished with all the tasks.  It was 9 a.m. and still no sign of Gabe getting up. At least Matt had responded to his text letting him know they were almost ready to head out but along the way they were stopping at Starbucks for drinks.  Eric felt a little hurt by that, but he knew that his coffee couldn’t stand up against anything Gina and Matt would order at Starbucks.

Well, I guess I should wake Gabe up now, he thought.  He put his coffee down and went over to the tent and opened it up to Gabe sprawled across both sleeping bags and the covers in the corner.  At least he didn’t do that when I was sleeping. 

“Gabe, it’s time to get up,” Eric said, in a fairly quiet voice.  Gabe continued to sleep, so Eric went to his usual way of waking someone up: pinching on one of their toes.  He sat down and put his other arm out to protect himself just in case Gabe kicked when he was pinched.  He’d had that experience enough with his brothers that it’s best to sit so you don’t lose your balance.  Eric went for the pinch and Gabe woke up.

“C’mon Eric, let go of my toe. I’m awake now,” Gabe said groggily. Eric let go and left the tent to return to his coffee.

A few minutes later Gabe came out and sat down next to Eric.  He grabbed a mug of coffee and said, “I hate when you do that.  Why do I need to get up?”

“Because Gina and Matt are on their way and you probably want to take a shower, right?”

“Why does it have to be so early?” Gabe whined.

“Dude, it’s almost 9:30. I’ve been up for two hours. Who knows how long Matt, Gina, or the kids have been up either,” Eric retorted.

“But it’s a vacation!” 

“Too bad, we have plans for the day.  I’m going to go shower now. Go ahead and eat and you can shower when I get back.” Eric got up from the picnic table and gathered his supplies for showering.

Eric’s shower was an uneventful one, and by the time he returned to the campsite, Gina, Matt, and the kids had arrived and were starting on breakfast.  Gabe then went for his shower so Eric and Gina discussed the plans for the day.  They decided on just shopping in downtown South Haven and then eating lunch before deciding how things were going with the kids.  

Arriving near noon, most of the parking spaces on the street were taken by patrons of the local stores and restaurants.  They parked at a small park with a play area in sight, anticipating Davin, their 3 year old,  eventually needing to blow off some energy before a nap. The adults ran through a list of locations they wanted to check out.  On the top of Matt’s list was this store that had contemporary local art.  Gina wanted to go look at some clothes at the local boutiques, and Gabe was interested in the antiques shops.  Eric didn’t have any preferences and put in the token suggestion of going to the candy store.  Davin heard the word ‘candy’ and squealed in excitement inside the car, leading to Zooey, their seven month infant,  to start crying.

“Eric, thank you for volunteering to watch Davin today,” Gina said while exiting the vehicle.  “Eric and I will go to the boutiques while Matt and Gabe take Zooey with them to the gallery.  Then Matt and I will switch kids, so Zooey will be with Gabe and I looking at the antiques while Eric and Matt take Davin to the candy shop if he has behaved well.  Sounds good?”

The three men responded affirmatively while exiting the vehicle and getting the kids ready to head out. Davin popped out of the car seat and looked around.

"When go candy store?" he questioned.

"Davin, come here and hold my hand." Gina reached out and Davin grabbed his mom's hand. "Mommy is going to a clothing store. Eric is the babysitter. Behave for Eric and don't touch things. If Eric says you behaved, you'll be able to get candy at the candy store." Davin started pulling at his mom's hand while Matt walked over with Zooey in her carrier. 

"We'll give you a call when we're done at the gallery. If you need to talk, text Gabe first. Love ya, hun." Matt walked over, gave Gina a quick smooch and ruffled Davin's hair. "Behave or no candy!" he warned his son.

The two parties separated and Eric followed Gina and Davin towards the main street where most shops were. He was amused by Davin asking if they were going in every shop they passed by.  Eventually they came to a small boutique and headed in.

Eric felt out of place in this shop. First off, it was strictly women's clothing. Secondly, there were two narrow aisles between clothes on racks and displays so he was walking sideways. And lastly, Davin continued asking his mom questions, now mostly focused on clothes. 

Thankfully after a minute Gina stopped and turned back towards Eric. "Hey it's kind of crowded in here, take Davin outside while I browse some more. I shouldn't be too long."

Eric nodded, took Davin's hand, and the two went outside. Eric found a bench near the boutique to sit on and tried to get Davin to count the cars going by. Unfortunately, after five minutes or so, Davin was tired of that, so Eric attempted to create a story to entertain Davin. Eventually Gina exited the shop, seemingly empty-handed.

Davin jumped down from the bench and ran over to Gina.

"Hi Mom! Can I have candy?"

Gina looked at Eric and asked, "Did he behave?"

"Yes, he was a good boy and behaved."

"Well, it sounds like you'll get to the candy store, Davin! Daddy and Zooey are done so we'll walk there now. Let's go honey." Gina grabbed Davin's hand and started walking towards the gallery.

When they arrived, they could see through the front of the building where Gabe and Matt were standing.  Davin knocked on the window before Gina chastised him.  This got Matt to pick up Zooey in the carrier and for the three of them to leave the gallery.  

As soon as Gabe opened the door to hold it open for Matt carrying the baby carrier, Davin enthused "Hi dad! I get candy!"

"Alright we'll go to the store soon," Matt said and handed the carrier to Gina. "Seems like she's still out. She should be good for a while now."

The parties split again after a quick check of everyone's needs. Eric followed after Matt and Davin, absorbing Davin's enthusiastic chatter about candy. Once they got there, he dropped further back and started browsing on his own. He picked up a few chocolates and some hard candies, but didn't go overboard with purchases like during the second Michigan trip. He bought nearly 50 dollars of chocolate that got melted in the car before getting home.

After making his purchase and meeting up with Matt and Davin, they left and headed toward the car.  When near the car, Davin ran ahead to the playground at the park, screaming in excitement.  Matt jogged after him, leaving Eric to move at his own pace towards the bench that he was bound to sit at.

While Matt kept close to Davin, Eric watched while fiddling with his phone. He soon got a text from Gabe with a picture of a vintage dress on a mannequin.  It was a long-sleeved white dress, with plenty of embroidery and ruffles near the wrists.  Eric could see that the front could be clasped all the way up to the neck if the wearer wanted.  Why is Gabe sending me a picture of this, Eric wondered.  He texted back a “?” and checked in on some of the discord servers he was on before another text came in.  Gabe’s message said he bought it.  Weird, not his style for drag, but who knows what he’s got planned next.

Fifteen more minutes passed until Gina, Gabe, and Zooey arrived.  Gabe put the dress in the car while Gina pointed out that now was a good time to get lunch.  The men agreed, so they decided to walk over to a restaurant a few blocks away for lunch.  It was a mediocre Italian restaurant they’d been to several times before.  The upside was there was never a wait and the prices were much more reasonable than the restaurants closer to the downtown area. The adults caught up about their shopping experiences while Zooey sat on Gina’s lap and Davin colored a paper menu with crayons.  Matt and Gabe recounted their favorite art they saw at the gallery, followed by Gina complaining about the clothes at the boutique being way too expensive for their quality, which led to Eric feeling the need to contribute to the conversation.

“Yeah, Matt, Davin, and I went to the candy shop.  It was good.”

“That’s all?  Nothing new at the shop?” Gabe asked.

“I don’t think so.  I knew what I wanted and got rock candy and some chocolate covered pretzels, exciting stuff as usual,” Eric replied. “Oh Gabe, what was up with that dress picture you sent?  You said you bought it?”

“You bought a dress at an antique store?” Matt quickly jumped in.

Gabe looked downward and replied, “Yes, I did.”

After a few seconds, Gina started talking.  “Yeah, I don’t get it.  He couldn’t try it on since there’s no dressing room in an antiques store and also the fact it’s a flipping antique! It didn’t even look his size!”

“So why did you buy it then Gabe?  Are you going to try it on?” Eric wondered aloud.

“Yeah, I’ll try it on. If it doesn’t fit, I’ll keep it and figure out what to do from there,” Gabe said, his voice going quieter, leading to a trail off.  Eric worried that Gabe was feeling ashamed about his purchase.

“I’m sure it will fit, you already got a costume idea for it?” Eric said.

Gabe shook his head no.

Gina smiled and leaned closer over the table.  “You know, that dress cost 150 dollars.  I tried to talk him out of it, but he kept saying in a dramatic voice that it calls to him.”

Thankfully Eric wasn’t drinking at that point or he would have spit his drink out.  “Gabe what the hell? That’s too much money to spend on a random purchase!” Eric stared at Gabe, who hadn’t raised his head since talking about the dress.

“Hey, looks like the wait staff is bringing our meal!” Matt interjected, and soon they were surrounded by plates of pasta.  They ate their meal, with the couple focused on their kids and Eric watching Gabe, who seemed ashamed after having to talk about the dress.  The two didn’t speak much, instead focusing on their food and the end of the dining experience. I hope that Gina and Matt forget about it so Gabe can at least be back to normal, Eric thought.  If it comes up, I’ll try to be supportive.

After lunch, it was clear the kids were ready for their nap.  Matt volunteered to be dropped off with the kids at the hotel for napping while Gina would go over to the campsite to spend time with Gabe and Eric.  The plan was that Gina would hang around for a few hours, help make dinner, and then bring food back for her family.  No reason to drag the kids out for dinner when staying in would work just fine.

After dropping off Matt, Davin, and Zooey, the rest of them headed to the campgrounds.  When they got there, Gina started to rustle through one of her bags in the trunk of the SUV to find the best game board or card game to play.  Eric went over to the cooler to get out some water and check the ice levels. While digging around, Gabe approached him from behind.

“I’m going to run to the restroom, I’ll be gone for a bit,” Gabe said, leaving as suddenly as he had arrived.

Eric grabbed three water bottles and brought them over to the table.  Gina had pulled out a deck of cards as well as Uno.  Eric placed the bottles on the table and said, “We gonna start a game without Gabe?”

Gina shrugged, “I guess we can, let’s do some Yahtzee then.”  She pulled out the dice and score sheets and the two of them started a game.

After a few minutes, Gina said, “Hey, Gabe’s been acting a little weird this afternoon don’t you think?”

Eric casually rolled 3 dice for the second roll of his turn.  After looking at his roll, he said “A little bit, but you were kind of an ass to him at lunch.”

Gina sighed.  “I told him that he shouldn’t have bought that dress, it was way too expensive and who knows if he’d even fit in it.  And really, he can sew something better himself. You know that.”

“The thing I know is that he’s an adult and he clearly had a reason to buy it,” Eric said. “And who knows, he does know a bit more about fashion than both of us, so maybe he already knows that it could fit him or a friend of his.” He passed the dice over to Gina who promptly did her first roll.

“Still, I’d say it was a bad purchase,” Gina said while setting aside the dice to hold.

Eric hissed, “I don’t think he asked your feedback on it.  That might have something to do with his mood, don’t you think?”

Gina picked up the dice and kept playing in silence.  Eric guessed that at this point the conversation was over and the focus was on the game that he was losing.  After a few more turns, he started to complain about how many 1’s he’d rolled and how it screwed over his bottom score.  That brought Gina back from her silence and they started a new game of Yahtzee.

A few minutes into the second game, Eric got a notification from his phone, so he opened it up. A text from Gabe.  “Something’s happened.  Come quick!”

Eric got up and said, “Gabe needs me to help him with something at the restrooms.  For all I know he needs toilet paper.”

After a three minute walk, he was at the restrooms. He went into the men’s room and said Gabe’s name. No response. He stepped back outside and sent Gabe a text asking him where he was.  A minute later, a text that read “the showers”.  Eric went to the side of the building where the showers were and called Gabe’s name.  This time he heard movement sounds behind one of the shower stall doors it opened.

Out stepped a familiar woman wearing the dress from the antiques place.  She reminded him of Gabe’s sister Isabella, but there were some differences. This woman was a few inches taller and she was pudgier than Izzy.  Her medium length hair helped frame her cute face and pearl studded earrings.  The eyes felt very similar to the light brown ones he had looked at the day before.  

“Shit,” Eric’s thought slipped out verbally.

“Yeah, shit,” the woman replied.

“Gabe?”

“Yeah, I don’t know what happened. I had the urge to try on the dress and it somehow fit…” Gabe trailed off. Eric moved in closer to his friend and stood within arms reach, unsure if hugging Gabe would be a problem. Gabe returned from his thoughts, “It called to me, Eric. It said to me to try it on. I don’t know how but it changed me.”

Eric was dumbfounded. There's no way Gabe was pranking him but that would mean some sort of magic existed.  At least he could rule out the pranks easily.

"Okay Gabe, if you're you, what's my middle name? And who came on the third trip to Michigan? And what is the name of Gina's dog?"

"Your middle name is Ambrose. The people who were on the third Michigan trip were you, Gina, Cassi, goddamn fucking Keith and his shit for brains fiancee Leena, and myself. And Gina's dog is named Scotch," the woman who was Gabe rapidly fired off the answers.

"Yeah, I figured it was you but there was a small chance you were pulling a prank," Eric replied.

"What would the prank be? Me spending a bunch of money on a dress that fits a woman who looks like me so you start to believe I've magically become a woman?" Gabe laughs. "Actually that does sound like a fun prank. But that's not helping. I need help figuring out what to do next." 

Eric placed his hand on his forehead and massaged his temple. He let out a "have you tried taking the dress off?"

"No I have not, actually. I'm sorry I kind of forgot to because I felt my balls shrivel up and crawl inside me." Gabe grunted. He opened up the stall door and turned back to Eric and asked "Coming with?"

"I don't think me being there will help you change back."

Gabe shut the door and yelled out, "God, turning down a good viewing of lady tits, you are such a gentleman."

Eric blushed and milled about outside while Gabe removed the dress. He texted Gina, saying "the dress made Gabe a girl" and received a quick reply of eight question marks. Eric was replying to the text when his phone started ringing.  Of course, it was Gina.

“What the hell do you mean ‘the dress made Gabe a girl’?” Gina snapped across the line.

“He put on the dress from the store and it made him a girl,” Eric replied, unsure what answer Gina was looking for.

“I’m lost.  Like, I can’t even wrap my head around what the hell you are saying.  Did seeing her in a dress break your brain?”

“I, uh, dunno,” Eric squeaked out in a panic. “Sorry. We’ll be back in a few minutes, bye.” He quickly moved to hang up the call, hoping that Gina would leave the two of them alone to figure out what the hell was going on.

The shower stall door opened again and this time Gabe came out wearing a long sleeved flannel worn open with a tank top underneath. The shorts were shorter and more feminine than Gabe usually wore but the sandals were the same as before.

“What the hell happened to my clothes? The shirts and shorts aren’t mine, and I’m not even going to talk about my underwear.” 

Gabe said, reaching into his pocket and finding his usual Legend of Zelda wallet.  He opened it up, shuffled through a bunch of cards, and showed Eric one.  Gabe’s driver’s license.

The Illinois license said Gabriella M. Reyes, 32, female.

“What the fuck is going on, Eric?” Gabe had tears in his eyes. “I didn’t ask for this.”

Eric was as lost as his friend.  Obviously something was up with reality and neither of them knew what it was.

“I texted Gina that you turned into a girl and she immediately called me and acted like I was crazy. She also referred to you as ‘her’, so it’s possible that others remember you as a woman.”

“This is absolutely fucked up, dude,” Gabe cried, “How could a dress change me and reality?”

Eric didn’t have an answer.  He put his arm around Gabe and looked into his eyes.

“I’ll be here in whatever way I can. I remember you, Gabe, and we’ll figure out how to fix this,” Eric calmly said, unsure to believe his own words.  How do we even start undoing reality changing magic, he wondered.  

“Thank you, Eric,” Gabe said softly.  “We should head back now.”

Eric removed his arm from around Gabe’s shoulders. He nodded and the two started walking back in silence. 

When they got back to the camp, Gina got up and looked at them, clearly perturbed.

“Eric, what the hell did you text me? I don’t get what you’re talking about,” she said.

Eric raised his hands. “Hey, I didn’t expect Gabe to look like this!”

Eric could tell he had said the incorrect answer because Gina looked even angrier to him.  She returned her glance to Gabe and moved forward to give Gabe a side hug.

“Gabe, Eric and I need to have a talk. I’m going to at the very least chew out this dumbass and maybe even kick him.” Gina said and let go of the hug, letting Gabe free to turn to Eric. She had a worried look on her face and she quickly left Eric with Gina.

“Get in the car, we’re going to a place where we won't cause a scene, you dumbass”

Eric decided that putting up a fight here and now was unwise, so he complied and got into Gina’s SUV. Gina drove the vehicle to the park’s entrance in silence and turned off the car.

“What the fuck is your problem Eric? You know that she was concerned about how you saw her.”

Eric’s face contorted into a confused look.  “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Jesus Christ, Eric, are you fucking dense? What the fuck happened to you?  You knew that she finally felt comfortable enough to try a dress and makeup on around you and you fucking made her cry?  Sometimes you’re too fucking much.  I thought when I literally explained to you what this all meant to her before you went to go see her at the showers, maybe you’d understand for once that she was doing something she wanted.  It’s not fucking easy being a woman, and I know you’ve heard Gabe complain about how it is being overweight and having an attractive sister, especially one that she knew you had a fucking crush on in high school, but come the fuck on man. Like, I’m so fucking mad right now.” Gina huffed and breathed a deep breath, giving Eric an opening.

“I’m sorry Gina, I,” Eric stumbled over the words.  It was very clear that Gina saw Gabe as a woman, and that whatever happened before Gabe put on the dress in the showers had changed. He really had no idea how to get himself out of this mess with Gina.  “I didn’t know what to expect and I hurt her. I didn’t mean to, I swear.”

Gina stared at Eric with disgust. “You know what? I’m telling you this so you don’t fuck things up even further.  You know she’s been in love with you for years.”

Eric nodded. 

“She was finally going to ask you out on this trip. Hell, she probably thought you two were pretty much going to be a sure thing since you two were sharing a tent instead of renting a room.  We’ve even been giving you two extra room to spend time with one another. She said she’d let me know when she’d have the talk with you and I know she didn’t. She still had concern with how you reacted last night about what happened in the tent so she figured to wait on it and maybe showing off her feminine side might help you feel more attracted to her.”

"Oh, uh, wow," Eric sputtered out. "I didn't know that was all going on, I'm sorry."

“You’re my friend, Eric. We’re not close but I care for Gabe. She’s hopeless for you.  I’ve seen some of the other guys she’s tried to date after Austin and well, even on the days I want to beat the shit out of you for hurting her, you’re better than those guys.  So even though I am so royally pissed that you acted like a dumbass after I told you about what she was doing, I want you to go back to her and apologize.  And I really think you should ask her out. Matt does think so too.”

Eric’s mind raced over all the things Gina had said.  Even with Gabe’s gender change, he felt that this wasn’t too far different than a conversation he’d eventually have with Gina.  He knew that Gabe was going to try to resolve the feelings he had for Eric on this trip, and now Eric had to come to terms with a Gabe that was much more attractive to him.

“Alright, I’ll apologize to her.  I can’t make promises on what will happen between Gabe and I, I’ve got to think on a few things and work a few things out.  We’ve been great friends for so long and romance hasn’t seriously entered my head at all. Thank you Gina for chewing my head off, I needed this.”  Eric cursed his luck internally that he was caught in a mess that reality shifted him into. 

Gina turned the car back on and drove them back to the campsite while Eric checked his phone. Of course Gabe had given him an apology text knowing a lot of what Gina said was because of memories or reality affected by the dress, but Eric knew that there were kernels of truth to what Gina said before reality shifted. He just needed to figure out where this new reality will go and how long it will be around for.

 

---

 

After the lecture, the tension between Gina and Eric was soon forgotten as the three of them played a spirited game of Uno.  Gina’s tendency to cheat by putting down more than one card led to a much more playful, albeit competitive mood. After an hour or so, they realized that it might be good to start making dinner. Gabe focused on applying the marinade and seasoning to the chicken breasts,  while Gina worked on making Kraft Mac and Cheese - certain to please the kids - and Eric worked on setting up baked potatoes, as well as a simple side salad. When finished, the three of them ate with Gina only eating her salad before packing up the food she’d bring to the hotel.  She said her goodbyes for the night and drove off.

Eric sighed, opened up the cooler, and grabbed a beer.  He glanced back at Gabe who had a deer-in-the-headlights look to her.  Of course, Eric thought, she’s checking my ass out.  That’s normal though.  “You want one too?” he asks.

“Uh yeah, that would be nice,” Gabe replied while relaxing her body, her mouth forming a smile. She probably isn’t as embarrassed as when I used to catch him doing that, Eric thought.  

He walked over to her and stood in front of her. She reached her hand out expectantly for the beer.  

“You’re so smooth and subtle, I definitely didn’t catch you checking my ass out,” Eric said, keeping the beer from her.

“Hey, just because I’m different now, doesn’t mean I have to behave,” she replied.

Eric did a slight swat at Gabe’s head, which led to her pouting.  He then gave Gabe a beer.

“I’d prefer you behave, even though you’re a pretty woman now, I’m not going to fall for your tricks,” Eric chuckled as Gabe’s eyes went wide.

“You think I’m pretty?” Gabe squealed.

 Eric panicked as he realized his mistake.

“No! I mean, yeah. Wait, no! This isn’t fair!” 

Gabe cackled while Eric was flustered by his own contradicting thoughts.   He walked over to the other side of the campfire, sitting across from Gabe, the flames illuminating her new face. Her.  Eric had been catching himself thinking of Gabe as a woman more and more and that worried him. We don’t know if this is temporary or fixable.  I hope it is.  Eric watched Gabe down the alcohol like it was water and he decided he should take it easy on the alcohol tonight, he would need to be sober if Gabe committed to getting drunk.  Gabe was a very physical and flirty drunk.

“So uh, tomorrow we should go back to that antiques place and see if they know anything about the dress,” Eric said and sipped his beer.

“Why’s that?” Gabe said with an exaggerated, playful tone.

“Well, don’t you want to turn back into a guy? Or are you enjoying this too much?” Eric gruffly replied.

“Me? Enjoying making you blush for the first time in a few years with my flirting?” Gabe laughed. “I’m enjoying it a little bit. I’d like to turn back at some point. Plus, maybe it’s a vacation inside a vacation thing.” She paused, attempted to drink more beer and realized it was empty.  “Like when we leave things will go back to normal, right? Oh, can you be a dear and grab me another beer, please?”

Eric groaned and walked towards the cooler. “Yes, but I am grabbing several bottles of water for you so you don’t get hung over. And be aware your tolerance for alcohol may be lower so you might get drunk faster.  And don’t stare at my ass again, you’ve seen it enough over the years and you’re not going to make me blush from the same trick.”  Eric passed Gabe a bottle of beer and two bottles of water.

“Spoilsport on both accounts.  I want to have my fun and drink!” Gabe said, giggling.

“Spoilsport? What’s next, you’re going to call me a worrywart?” Eric jabbed back.

Gabe choked a bit on her water.

“I suppose I can have my fun too,” Eric smugly added.  “I’d have more fun if I knew I had less of a chance of cleaning up puke from the tent in the middle of the night.”

“Alright, alright, I’ll slow down.  I’m feeling pretty buzzed at this point anyway.  It’s the first night and I don’t want to sleep in a nasty smelling tent for the next few days.”

The two slowed down on the drinking and mostly talked about theories as to what the dress  could do and how it affected things.  It was very clear that it was some sort of magic that had changed reality, some of Gabe’s clothes and past to some degree.  Gabe and Eric thought about seeing how much things had changed by signing into Facebook but neither of them had their passwords on hand nor used Facebook much over the last five years.  They mostly pieced together some stuff from Gabe’s phone, including a long term boyfriend who had also come on a few camping trips. Neither Eric nor Gabe recognized him from before but considering Gina had mentioned the name Austin, it seemed likely to be him. Gabe was still working at the Game Stop, mostly talked to the same people, a few less gay friends and less drag photos, so most things hadn't changed. Even his convos with his sister seemed similar. The two of them were honestly surprised at how little had obviously changed. 

"Maybe reality didn't want to make things too weird because maybe I'll change back?" Gabe said, leaning into Eric's shoulder with her head. They'd been next to each other since they realized showing pictures on their phones was best done when neither of them had to move.

Eric didn't respond to Gabe's touch. By this point he wasn't bothered by it.

"I am not sure if we can base this off of rational thoughts or what we expect."

Gabe sighed and shifted her body ever so slightly while still keeping her head resting on his shoulder. Eric titled his head a bit towards her and asked, "Hey Gabe, I know this is a weird situation but are you transgender?"

Gabe remained silent for a minute. 

Eric figured she was thinking over things, so he patiently sipped his beer and stared into the fire.

"I don't know. What I mean is that I don't think so," Gabe paused, which emphasized her unsureness. She moved off of Eric's shoulder and turned her body towards his. 

 "I don't think I was before whatever this is," she gestured at her body, "and right now I see myself as a girl, or a woman I guess since we aren't teens anymore. I don't hate this, being in this body doesn't feel like what I have heard about dysphoria, but I don't know if that makes me trans."

Eric remained silent, unsure if that answer was clear enough. He then realized that he had no idea where that question would have led to.

"Ah okay. I guess that makes some sense. This whole thing is a lot. Do you prefer that I think of you as a woman or a man?"

Gabe giggled and stood up, showing no signs of intoxication. "Just think of me as Gabe, but now I'm even cuter!"

"You do still talk like Gabe," Eric groaned. "I think it's time for me to go to the washroom and get ready for bed. You want to come with?"

"We could make out right here you know," she spat back, fluttering her eyes.

"No, Gabe, I'm going to use the toilets, brush my teeth, remove contacts, and not make out with you in the bathrooms. I didn't know if you felt safe going by yourself so I offered."

"I appreciate the gentleman's concern. I am a big girl who definitely didn't think of that so I graciously accept, especially if making out in the tent is still an option."

"No," Eric replied firmly.

 

---

 

After the two of them went to the washrooms, Eric went to the tent while Gabe said she would put out the fire while she did some thinking. Eric didn't like the sound of that. While it was clear that both of them were mostly sober, it didn't seem like tonight was going to be any less awkward in the tent. Eric thought about Gabe coming onto him again in the tent and was worried that maybe this time he'd accept. It's not that he was in love with Gabe now that she appeared to be a woman that he was attracted to, but rather his brain was struggling to find a way out of finally saying yes to Gabe's advances. It felt like a line that you could never cross again, and anything done while Gabe was a woman felt unlikely to happen if Gabe returned to being a man.

Is it really possible Gabe would be a guy again, Eric wondered to himself. Trying to make sense of this strange and impossible situation just made him feel more adrift in his feelings for Gabe.     He couldn’t imagine giving a relationship with Gabe a shot if there was a strong chance that he’d be back to a guy after that.  But it seemed less likely that this was a possibility with how memories and items of Gabe had been changed to accommodate female Gabe.

He stared up at the ceiling in his thoughts for an uncertain period of time until Gabe came into the tent. She crawled into her bag and turned to him and said, “We should talk.”

Eric just stared up at the ceiling and didn’t respond.

“I know you know this, but I’ve had feelings for you for the longest time.  I tried to keep pushing them out and focus on other things, especially when you were dating Hannah.  I knew you really cared for her and you two seemed happy together so during that time, I just had to keep you off my mind.  None of the guys really stuck with me.  Let me tell you, it's not easy to find guys who want to be with me after I tell them that I spend too much money on anime figurines.” Eric snorted at that. “Hey, you said you liked my collection.  That’s not the point."

"The point is that you’ve always been there for me and cared for me, even during high school when I was an asshole. Sure, you were closer to Cassi and I was closer to Gina, but we really clicked, especially after all these years.  And even though we don’t spend all that much time with each other, especially since we're so-called adults with miserable jobs,  we still talk and hang out. And now that Cassi has moved to Portland, Gina and Matt have two kids, and we don't mention that piece of shit Keith who we unfortunately had in our circle of friends years ago, it's just us two now.  And Eric, I really can't keep waiting to see if you're willing to give me a shot."

Eric was about to respond but Gabe quickly moved her finger over to his mouth to shush him. "Ah, not finished, you're going to have to wait for me to lay it all out before you weigh in." Eric obliged, partially out of trust in his friend, the other part distracted by how gentle and soft Gabe's finger felt.

"This wasn't the plan. Heck I wasn't even sure if I was going to try to get this sorted out today. I know that whatever magic happened complicated things, but Eric I want you to give us a chance. I know you're not attracted to guys but there's more than just attraction. There's intimacy, there's spending time with each other, there's oral." Gabe paused for a second. "What? No laugh? I'm sorry, I thought it was a funny joke. I mean, I'm not kidding about oral but since you're quiet that isn't the point. Anyway."

Gabe took a deep breath and continued.

"Even though I feel you have some sort of connection with me, there's something in your brain that says you can't be with me. I can't fight that voice alone. I feel that by luck I found that dress and have been given a body that fits your wants more than mine. I accept that. If this is only for tonight or if this is permanent, I accept that. This feels like the best time for me to ask you to be my boyfriend. If not, I will kick myself for missing out on this opportunity."

Gabe slows down for a bit as she sniffles. "Even if I was offered a woman's body for a day just for a chance to be your partner, I'd take it.  You understand me, you care for me even when I sound like I am crazy, you're always there for me. So please Eric, what will it take for us to be together?"

Eric remained silent while Gabe continued sniffling, evidently holding back tears. The thoughts that ran through his head just felt scattered and unorderly. He knew he cared deeply for Gabe but he wasn't attracted to him. 

But now Gabe had a different body. For how long was anyone's guess. Would he return to normal tomorrow? When they get back to Illinois? After that at any point? Could he commit to Gabe knowing he only did it after she became a woman by accident? The pressure of all of this felt like too much, and too many questions felt unanswered. Eric hated situations like this, where unknowns clouded his analysis and people could get hurt.  Well, let’s hope this goes well enough.

"Gabe, I don't know what to say to all of this.  If you looked like your old self and came clean about wanting to date me, I would think I would say no. But there is hesitancy. I'm not sexually attracted to men," Eric pauses and chuckles. "There's always a but."

Gabe giggles.

"Gods, Gabe, I meant exceptions, not butts," Eric groaned.

"Sorry, I- nevermind. No time for jokes." 

"As I was trying to say, there's always an exception and right now there is a way around one of the blocks but now there's new 'buts'. What if this isn't permanent? What happens if we date and a week later you're a guy? What happens if you never get your old body back and you want to be male so you transition? What if you're trapped because you think it's the only way to be with me?"

Eric realized he was getting anxious and slowed down his breathing. He could still hear the sniffles coming from his friend, so he turned to look at her face. Gabe's face. He stared into her eyes.

"I'm sorry I can't give you a definitive answer right now. I want to want you for the right reasons and I don't want you to be someone you're not to be with me."

Eric saw the moisture well up in Gabe's eyes as she started to cry. 

"It's okay Eric, I understand. It hurts to hear it but you're right. I just got all wrapped up in plans about asking you out and then, poof, I'm a woman. It only has been like what, half a day? You're right. There's a lot to unpack here. I'm sorry."

Eric propped up his head with an arm and asked, "For what?"

"For pushing you to make a decision. And all the flirting."

"That's just what you do Gabe, I'm used to it. You know what? Come over here," Eric patted a spot right next to him.

"Why?" Gabe's face showed concern.

"Did you want to try and cuddle?"

Gabe's face lit up. "Yeah!" She scooched her body next to Eric's and turned around, allowing Eric to wrap his arm around her and to pull her in.

"Thanks Eric. We don't need to figure anything out yet." Gabe said quietly. Eric sat there, wondering if this was going to be the start of a new normal.

Five minutes later Eric detangles himself from Gabe and lets out a frustrated sounding "Nope, I can't do this."

Gabe turned over and looked at him. 

"Too warm and sticky. Not a fan. We'll try cuddling again some other day."

Gabe frowned and let out a sigh. "Big guy problems, I get it."

"Yeah. Goodnight Gabe."

"Goodnight Eric."

---

aubbls (she/her) is a mid thirties trans woman who mostly reads only transgender fiction and wikipedia.  Her writing goals are to subvert typical TG tropes and explore interesting ground in these stories.  She lives near Chicago with two cats that enjoy the outside a lot more than she does.  This is her second story.