David took a deep breath and reached out to knock on the door. He could feel his hands shaking and his heart racing. He waited for what seemed like an eternity until the door finally opened. And there she was, his mother, standing in front of him.

“David,” his mother exclaimed, a smile lighting up her face as she greeted him. David's mother, Linda, was a petite lady, standing around 5 feet 5 inches tall. She had short, curly grey hair and wore thick-framed glasses.

“Hi Mum,” replied David, smiling rather anxiously. He turned back to look at Hannah one last time who waved before she began to drive away. David's mind was racing, wondering how his mother would react to the news he was about to share.

“Come on in,” said Linda, “Alicia is through in the kitchen,” she added with a smile. David could see by the look on his mother’s face that she could tell there was something not quite right, yet she hadn’t placed her finger on it.

As he made his way into the kitchen, he saw his sister Alicia spring up from her seat and almost run across the room to greet him.

“Little brother!” she squealed, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug. Alicia was always bursting with enthusiasm, ever since they were children. Her energy was infectious, and David couldn't help but smile at her excitement.

“Hey Sis,” replied David, giving his sister a kiss on the cheek.

“Have you gotten smaller David…or is it just me?” asked Alicia her voice filled with curiosity. David could tell that she was a bit taken aback by the change, but he knew he had to explain it to her. She had already picked up on the change in height almost instantly. Instead of being taller than his sister, as he had been since David was around 16 years old, they were now exactly the same height, seeing eye to eye.

“Actually,” replied David, “That’s part of the reason I asked you to come here…I need to talk to you both,” he explained.

Both Linda and Alicia took a seat at the kitchen table as David stood before them.

“Alicia is right, you don’t look as tall as you usually do,” stated Linda, her voice sounding rather concerned for her son, “And you look like you’ve lost weight…Are you ill, David? Please tell me you’re not ill.”

“I’m not ill, mom. I’m actually perfectly healthy,” David reassured his mother, placing a hand on her shoulder. “But I have gone through some changes recently.”

“Changes?” Linda and Alicia asked in unison, their eyes wide with curiosity.

David took a deep breath,

“Yes…changes…and there will be more to follow,” he said before starting to explain about the drug trial that he had signed up for and how he would begin to look more and more like a woman.

Both Linda and Alicia looked stunned, their mouths hanging open in disbelief.

“David…” muttered Linda, unknowing what to say in response to what her son had just revealed.

“Oh...it’s only going to be temporary,” explained David, sensing their shock and confusion, “In a year, I’ll be back to looking like myself again.”

Linda’s heart sank at those words. She couldn’t imagine her son going through such a drastic transformation, even if it was only temporary. She couldn’t help but wonder what had led David to make this decision,

“David, why would you want to do this? Are you not happy with who you are?” she asked with tears welling up in her eyes.

“Mom…It’s nothing like that, I’m purely doing this for the money, as I said, I’ll be back to myself within a year, I’ll still be David…I’ll just…look a little different for a while and I thought I needed to tell you both,” David explained.

David then looked at his sister, Alicia, whose face had now changed from shock to a huge smile on her face and a hint of excitement in her eyes.

“This is amazing, David! You’re going to get paid just to change your appearance for a year! Think of all the possibilities, you could try out different hairstyles, makeup, and outfits. OOH…We can go out shopping together, for cute outfits, I’m so excited,” Alicia shrieked, “Plus, I get to experience having a little sister for a year, the sister I always wanted, ” she added, her words spilling out in a rush of excitement, barely even pausing to take a breath.

“Woah, Woah, Woah, Alicia,” said David, taken aback by his older sister’s excitement, “As I explained, It’s only my body that will be changing a little…I won’t be getting into all that crap that you do,” he added.

 “Excuse me…crap?” Alicia asked, not sounding very amused at all.

“Yeah, crap…just what I said,” explained David, “just because I’ll look like a girl for a year, doesn’t mean I will be a girl. No dresses and skirts…and definitely no makeup,” he added.

This was met with a scowl from Alicia, who didn't appreciate her brother's choice of words,

“David…you can’t exactly walk around looking like…well…that,” stated Alicia, pointing to the suit that was now clearly too big for him. “Besides…what else would you spend that money on that they’re paying you for this whole thing?” she asked.

“I can and I will,” scoffed David, “And Alicia…the money…I will use it on grown-up things…you know like paying bills.”

“Ah… where’s the fun in that,” replied Alicia, as the siblings began to pull faces at each other, just as they always did growing up, taunting one another.

“Now, now, children. Let’s not argue,” said their mother, trying to diffuse the tension.

David and Alicia reluctantly stopped their teasing and turned their attention to their mother.

“So, what do you think, Mom?” asked Alicia.

“About what dear?” replied Linda,

“About what David is doing, of course,” answered Alicia, who was still rather giddy at the thought of having a little sister, no matter how temporary it was to be.

It was rather obvious that Linda felt a little apprehensive about her son’s decision.

“I…I just wish he had given it some thought, that’s all,” snapped Linda, “David, do you even understand how dangerous these types of trials may be. Especially one that will change your physical appearance like this. How could you be so…so…so reckless? If your father was here, none of this would be happening, that I can assure you.”

The room fell silent before David responded to his mother’s outburst,

“Mom…It will be fine, you know,” he said, trying to reassure her. “The doctor has assured me that the trial is safe. I've thought about this a lot and I'm willing to take the risk.”

“Mom is right…all I thought about going into this was the money…but I’m sure it’ll be safe,” thought David.

“So…these doctors you speak of…are they going to be looking after you?” asked Linda, looking up at her son with a look that was a mix of anger, sadness and concern.

“Of course, they are, Mom,” replied David, approaching his mother and giving her a gentle hug. “I have to get a check-up once a month, starting tomorrow.”

“I see,” Linda responded, still not sounding particularly at ease.

“I also have to note down any physical changes that I find and when,” added David.

“Hmm,” mutterd Linda.

“I still find it amazing, David,” said Alicia with a smile.

David checked the time, he’d already been there over an hour, he had to get back home as he knew his friends would be arriving at his place within the next few hours.

David said his goodbyes and hugged his mother and Sister,

“Hey, I’ll walk you out, I have to get back too,” stated Alicia, hugging her mother.

The two siblings left their mother’s house and walked towards Alicia’s car.

“Where are you parked?” asked Alicia.

“Oh, I got a ride here,” explained David, “I’m just gonna walk home.”

“No you’re not, get in,” stated Alicia firmly.

“But it's just a short walk, I'll be fine,” said David as he tried to reason with her.

 “David,” Alicia said, with a sternness that resembled their mother, “It’s cold and it’s dark, what would you do if it was the other way around…huh?”

David knew she had a point. If it was Alicia in his situation, he would never let her walk home alone. He knew that she always had his back and he couldn't argue with her logic.

“Fine,” replied David, feeling defeated. He got into the car and thanked his sister for the ride home.

As they set off, Alicia glanced over at him,

“It’s the least I can do,” she said, “Besides, I gotta look after my little sister, right?” she joked.

David glared at his sister before he began to smile. Even though he wasn’t particularly amused by her comments, he couldn’t find it within himself to stay mad at her, no matter how hard he tried, he never could.

“David,” said Alicia, “please forgive Mom, okay,” she added.

“Forgive her…I’m not even mad at her,” David replied.

Alicia let out a sigh and shook her head.

“I know…just her response…to what you’re doing,” Alicia explained, “She’s just…concerned…you know.”

“And you?” asked David.

“Me? I’m concerned…not as much as Mom…but I am,” Alicia admitted, “But…I still think it’s cool as hell,” she added with a huge smile.

David couldn’t help but laugh at his sister’s continued enthusiasm regarding the year ahead. As they pulled up outside David’s apartment building, Alicia looked at him and smiled.

“So…you know I’m gonna be checking up on you now, right?” she laughed.

“Yeah…I know,” replied David, “But…you know I stand by what I said…about all that girly crap, right?” he joked, to which Alicia slapped him on the arm.

Alicia leaned across and hugged her brother before he got out of the car,

“Thanks again, for the ride,” stated David before shutting the car door behind him.

He and Alicia waved goodbye to one another before David made his way up to his apartment.

As he entered, he kicked off his shoes and let out a sigh of relief. Without wasting any time, David made his way straight to his bedroom. The first thing he did was take off his suit. As he unbuttoned his shirt, he began to inspect his chest in the mirror.

“They are definitely bigger than they were this morning,” he thought, looking at his budding breasts. He gently touched them, feeling the softness of the new tissue. His areolas were now larger, taking up more space on his chest. They were also darker in colour, matching his nipples. He gently squeezed them, surprised by how sensitive they had become. It was as if a whole new world of sensations had opened up to him as he let out a soft gasp, it was a strange feeling, but one that he couldn't help but enjoy. However, after touching them more than once, the tenderness that he had experienced earlier that day soon returned.

David turned to the side, examining his profile. The curve of his breasts was slightly more pronounced now and he couldn't deny that his chest was starting to look more feminine. He now had enough tissue that he could gently cup in his hand.

“Jesus…will they be any bigger by the morning?” he thought as he walked across to his drawers to retrieve a sweatshirt that he hoped would be loose fitting enough, to hide his new breasts from his friends.

David placed the sweatshirt on his bed and proceeded to slip out of his trousers and pick up his sweatpants. However, before pulling them on, curiosity got the better of him. He walked back to the mirror, wearing nothing but his boxer shorts, which themselves felt rather tight in a way they never had done before and inspected his reflection once again.

David was now stunned at his reflection, his face still looked the same as it always had, minus his five o’clock shadow of course, but from the neck down, his body was starting to resemble a female, albeit with rather small budding breasts.

He quickly turned to the side, only to discover the reason his boxer shorts now felt tighter on him, was due to the fact his usually flat bottom was now noticeably larger and rounder than.

David ran his hands down the newly developed curves of his hips and thighs,

“Here goes,” he thought, closing his eyes as he slid his boxer shorts down, letting them drop to the floor.

His eyes still closed, David reached between his legs for his penis, relieved to find it was still there, albeit now much much smaller, around half the length of his little finger. And there was no sign of his testicles, instead, there was nothing but an empty scrotum, which itself had begun to shrink in size.

“These changes are happening thick and fast,” he pondered.

As David stood and inspected his new body, his thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the front door.

“SHIT!” he thought, “The guys are here.”

David quickly threw on his sweatshirt and his sweatpants, hoping to hide the changes to his body, before making a dash to the front door. He took a deep breath before placing his shaking hand on the door handle.

As he opened the door, his friends greeted him with their usual banter and jokes. But David couldn't join in as he was too preoccupied with his own thoughts, would they notice anything different? How will they react when he finally plucks up the courage to tell them?

As the guys made their way past David and into the apartment, carrying beers and pizza boxes, they didn't seem to pay him any mind at all. He let out a sigh of relief, grateful that his friends didn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary.

But David couldn't shake off the feeling of unease. He knew that he couldn't hide these changes forever, and he would eventually have to tell his friends. He’d already pre-warned them that he had something to tell them, would they remember? Or had they forgotten already?

As the night went on, the guys ate their pizzas and drank their beers as they sat and chilled listening to music. David had noticed a few odd looks coming his way from Jason, yet neither of them said a word.

“Fuck it…I’ve put it off this long…I need to tell them before anyone has to leave or anyone notices anything themselves,” thought David, getting up from his seat.

“Throw me another, beer would ya,” stated Shane before letting out a loud belch.

David picked up a beer and threw it Shane’s way,

“Hey man, you alright? You seem a little distracted tonight,” Jason asked, taking a sip from his beer.

David hesitated, unsure of how to bring up the topic. But he knew he couldn't keep it a secret any longer. Taking a deep breath, he finally blurted out, “Guys, I have something to tell you. Something...different about me.”

He looked around as the room fell silent and his friends turned to look at him, waiting for an explanation. David's heart was racing as he struggled to find the words.

“So…erm…you know how I have been having a hard time…since Sara and I split,” explained David, “And how I’ve been in like…a fuck load of debt because of her.”

“Yeah man, it absolutely sucks ass,” exclaimed Steve, “But just know man, we’re here for you.”

“Yeah…well let’s see how much that’s true…I guess,” thought David, Hannah’s words still ringing in his head, if they were bad people, why would he be friends with them.

“Well…erm…I needed money…you know…and a lot of it,” explained David, “So I found one of those…clinical drug trials that pay a shit ton of money.”

David glanced around at each of his friends, who sat waiting on bated breath for what he was about to say.

“This drug trial…it’s gonna cause some…erm…changes to my body,” David continued, “Only temporary…like for a year,” David added, his voice shaking.

“Changes?” asked Steve, raising his eyebrow.

“Dude…are you gonna become like…like Spiderman or some crazy shit,” joked Shane, with a grin on his face. His comment elicited a round of laughter from everyone, except for David. He was not in the mood for jokes, and he knew that this was a serious matter.

David began to pace up and down nervously,

“Guys…cut it out, seriously,” stated David.

Jason, who had been quiet until now, finally spoke up. “What kind of changes are we talking about here, Davy?” he asked, his tone serious and concerned.

“Well…I erm…over the next year…I’ll erm…” muttered David, his heart feeling like it was about to burst from his chest as his friends all looked at him in anticipation. “Well…my body…will kinda…resemble that of a…erm…woman,” he finally blurted out.

The room fell silent and the group looked stunned, that was until Jason finally spoke up,

“What do you mean, resemble a woman?” asked Jason, his voice filled with confusion.

“So…for a year, the effect of this drug trial will be that I will…erm…become indistinguishable from that of a woman, like…even doctors wouldn’t be able to tell that I wasn’t…you know…born that way…or so they tell me anyway,” explained David, his voice shaking slightly.

“ Woah,” exclaimed Jason.

“What the fuck man? You wanna be a chick?” asked Shane.

“No, It’s nothing like that, I’m simply doing it…you know…for the payday,” explained David, “Besides guys, I’ll still be me… I’ll still be a guy…I’ll still be David.”

“No amount of money in the world would get me to allow a doctor to chop off my dick, even for a year,” exclaimed Shane.

David looked at him in complete confusion,

“What the fuck arsehole, they aren’t chopping anything,” said David, surprised at the sheer stupidity of his friend. Whilst Shane has never been the brightest, this was a new level of dumbass, even for him. “What the fuck do you think they do, chop it off, put it in a freezer and say here you can have it back in a year... dumbass.”

“Dude…this is cool…can you imagine the views you could get if you vlogged it,”  stated Steve.

Everyone in the room turned and looked at Steve in astonishment,

“What?” asked Steve as the room fell quiet once more.

“Well…I don’t believe you…I bet nothing will happen,” said Shane, breaking the silence and clearly under the influence of the beers he’d guzzled down.

“Yeah, well I can’t believe how much of an idiot you are, but here we are,” David snapped back, “You can clearly see it’s already working…hello, has nobody noticed how I’ve shrunk or anything.”

“Okay then…if it’s true…I think you should show us your tits!” exclaimed Shane.

“Dude…what the fuck,” stated Jason, trying to diffuse the tension.

“Well…if it’s working and he’s getting to see life from the other side…he’s still a guy, as he claims, right?” said Shane, “So therefore…as a fellow guy, he would know how much it would make the day of his guy friends…to show them a pair of tits…right?” he added before belching loudly, “I mean…if I were in his position…I’d do it for you guys.”

David began to feel really self-conscious, covering his chest with his arm as he felt his face begin to turn red.

“I mean, you will be growing tits…right…not some big hairy moobs or something,” said Shane, his words dripping with sarcasm.

“Dude…I think you need to go home,” stated Jason, grabbing Shane and pulling him up off the couch.

“Get the fuck off me, man,” shouted Shane, “Why should I go?”

“Because you’re a dick, go home, sober up, we’ll get you a cab home,” barked Jason as he began to drag Shane down the hallway towards the door. “I’ll be back up soon,” said Jason, escorting Shane out of the apartment.

David turned around to find Steve still sitting there looking at him,

“Dude…in all seriousness though, it must be cool to do what you’re doing,” said Steve, getting a curious look from David. “I mean it,” continued Steve, “Just imagine how many millions of people around the world would kill to be in your position.”

David cocked his head to the side and looked at his friend,

“Yeah…” he stated, “that’s kinda the point.”

“No I mean…they would pay good money to be able to change their appearance…become a member of the opposite sex…for a day, never mind a year,” Steve explained, “And yet you…you don’t even want it, really…and yet here you are…being paid to do so.” 

“I guess so, huh,” replied David, “But as I explained, that is exactly what they’re aiming to achieve. A simple drug that will solve the problems of people who were born the wrong gender. A way for them to become who they are, without the need for hormone therapy or expensive and invasive surgeries.”

Steve nodded along as David explained,

“I do think you should consider what I said though,” he responded, “Dude, you could make a killing by vlogging your experience... It’d be a hit. Can you imagine…’ Trading Suits for Skirts’ by David Sanders…hell, I’d watch it,” added Steve with a smile.

“Steve…I’m not recording myself going through this,” answered David, “Besides, I’m already being paid to do this.”

Steve's brows furrowed as he looked at his friend, falling silent for a moment. “Well…I still think it’s awesome…what you’re doing and all,” stated Steve.

Just then, the pair heard the door to the apartment as it opened, it was Jason returning, only this time without Shane. He walked through to the living room, his phone in hand as he typed away.

“Look, dude, I apologise for that douchebag,” said Jason, glancing up from his phone and looking at his friends.

“Don’t worry about it,” replied David, “If I’m perfectly honest, I was scared to death of telling you guys about it all and I kinda prepared myself for the worst…with all three of you,” he added.

“We’ll always be here for you…that’s what friends are for,” said Steve, a reassuring smile appearing on his face.

Jason sighed before he too nodded and smiled,

“As much as I find this whole thing…a bit…weird…Steve’s right, man, we’ve always got your back,” said Jason.

Hearing these kind words from his two friends gave David a great sense of relief and comfort, he couldn't help but feel grateful for having such understanding and supportive friends.

“Thank you,” muttered David with a smile, feeling a weight lifted off his shoulders. He knew that he could always count on his friends to be there for him, or at least, two of them anyway. Their support and understanding meant the world to him.

“There is…one thing I need to speak with you about though,” said Jason, the slight shift in his tone made David realise there was something wrong.

“Erm…okay…sure,” David mumbled in response, “in private…or?” he asked.

Jason closed his eyes and shook his head, pausing for a moment before he spoke up,

“Man...I’m getting married in a few months…you…you were supposed to be one of my groomsmen,” he stated, “We’re getting fitted for our suits in a few weeks.”

For a split second, David's mind went blank. He had never thought about the implications the drug trial would have on him being one of Jason’s groomsmen.

“Shit! I never thought about that,” thought David, “Well…none of that will change,” he replied with a smile.

Jason looked David in the eye,

“What, you’re still gonna wear a suit?” Jason asked with a hint of amusement in his voice, “you don’t wanna swap the suit for a pretty dress?” he added with a chuckle.

David couldn't help but laugh at Jason's comment, knowing that his friend was only trying to lighten the mood.

“Fuck you,” he replied with a smile, “But seriously, dude,I’ve already explained to you, even though I may…well…look like a woman…I’ll still be David…one of the guys…your friend,” he explained.

Jason laughed and reached out his hand to fist-bump one of his best friends. However, as their hands met, David suddenly realised, just how much and how quickly his body was changing. His hand now seemed small and almost dainty, in comparison to that of his friend.

“Anyway bro, I need to head off,” stated Jason, glancing down at the phone that remained in his left hand.

“Ah…you’ve been summoned by your overlord I take it,” joked David.

Whilst unable to prevent a slight laugh, Jason also glared at his friend,

“Yeah... Evelyn wants me to pick up some stuff for her on the way home...you know how she gets when she doesn't get her way,” he joked.

David nodded in understanding,

“Well, don't keep her waiting too long, or she'll have your head,” he joked, knowing how much Jason adored his fiancée, even though she really disliked his friends and yet the feeling was rather mutual. However, the guys kept their comments to nothing more than light joking, so as not to risk falling out with their friend. As long as Jason was happy, they were happy.

“Yo Stevie, need a ride home?” asked Jason, to which Steve nodded in response. The friends said their goodbyes and left the apartment, leaving David alone with his own thoughts.

As Jason and Steve left, David couldn't help but feel a twinge of sadness. He had always been close to Jason, but now with his body gradually changing into a female form, he couldn't help but wonder if things would be different between them.

He had known Jason since they were kids, they had been through everything together – school, college, and now they were both working at the same company. They had always been there for each other, but now, with his transformation, David couldn't help but feel like he was slowly losing his best friend. Even though it was only for a year, would his friends still see him and treat him as one of the guys as he hoped they would, or would he slowly begin to be pushed out of his group of friends entirely?

Maybe his mother was right, maybe, David had rushed into this whole situation to hastily. Had he been too blinded by the financial rewards that he had gave no clear thought to how changing his gender for only a year, would impact his life and relationships with those around him.