Telephone
“Um..Sam, I think I, uh..need your help.”
Sam had given Kevin her number yesterday afternoon, before they went their separate ways. Since Kevin was officially a girl now, it was hardly a romantic gesture or anything. Certainly, though, she hadn't expected her to call the very next morning. “Well..what with?”
“Umm..I-I'm sort of, uh. Well, I'm starting to..my chest is getting a little, um..heavier. A-and I don't think I can hide it at school, anymore. I-I-I think I need, some support..for them..” She could practically hear Kevin's face turning red.
Sam had given Kevin her number yesterday afternoon, before they went their separate ways. Since Kevin was officially a girl now, it was hardly a romantic gesture or anything. Certainly, though, she hadn't expected her to call the very next morning. “Well..what with?”
“Umm..I-I'm sort of, uh. Well, I'm starting to..my chest is getting a little, um..heavier. A-and I don't think I can hide it at school, anymore. I-I-I think I need, some support..for them..” She could practically hear Kevin's face turning red.
“Uh-huh..”
“S-so, I need to go buy some..but it's k-kind of weird, I know I'm still g-growing so I need a bunch of different sizes, and..I really want some moral support for this, um..you know, a girl. Liam w-wouldn't be, um..much help.”
“S-so, I need to go buy some..but it's k-kind of weird, I know I'm still g-growing so I need a bunch of different sizes, and..I really want some moral support for this, um..you know, a girl. Liam w-wouldn't be, um..much help.”
“Kevin. Did you ask your mom to help?”
“W-well...she's at work today, and um, I was hoping I could go with someone..a little closer to my own age, maybe?”
“Okay. I'm not too busy today, so I guess I can go with you. As long as your parents are okay with it.”
“Y-yeah...honestly, they sort of were the ones to suggest I get someone my own age to-to-to help.”
“W-well...she's at work today, and um, I was hoping I could go with someone..a little closer to my own age, maybe?”
“Okay. I'm not too busy today, so I guess I can go with you. As long as your parents are okay with it.”
“Y-yeah...honestly, they sort of were the ones to suggest I get someone my own age to-to-to help.”
“All right, as long as it's fine with them. Now..you know the
shopping center with the Japanese restaurant and the gaming store on
it?”
“Um..I think so.”
“I know a place there that's pretty good on prices and stuff..and there'll be a lot less witnesses if we go there, rather than the mall. Meet me in front of the restaurant in about an hour?”
“S-sure, thank you.”
“I know a place there that's pretty good on prices and stuff..and there'll be a lot less witnesses if we go there, rather than the mall. Meet me in front of the restaurant in about an hour?”
“S-sure, thank you.”
Cole had planned to sleep in another hour or two past when his phone woke him up, he grabbed it and hit the 'answer' button, holding it to his ear. “What?”
“Hey Cole! Guess what?” It was a girl's voice, which his groggy mind didn't process as at all familiar.
“Who is this..?”
“It's me, silly!”
“Yes, that clarifies everything.”
“We've been friends for, like, forever?”
“Oh..Akio. What do you want?”
“Guess what guess what!”
“It's me, silly!”
“Yes, that clarifies everything.”
“We've been friends for, like, forever?”
“Oh..Akio. What do you want?”
“Guess what guess what!”
“I am too sleep-deprived to guess.”
“I went to bed as a girl last night.”
“I went to bed as a girl last night.”
“Okaaay..and?”
“Well, I thought you'd appreciate it since you did that, too, a couple of weeks ago.”
“Well, I thought you'd appreciate it since you did that, too, a couple of weeks ago.”
“It was not a big deal. I'm going back to sleep now.”
“Nono, waitwaitwait. I also ran into Liam yesterday afternoon.”
“How?”
“I was wandering around the neighborhood and he was standing there. Did you ever notice how cute he is?”
“...Akio, we are not having this conversation on a Saturday morning.”
“Nono, waitwaitwait. I also ran into Liam yesterday afternoon.”
“How?”
“I was wandering around the neighborhood and he was standing there. Did you ever notice how cute he is?”
“...Akio, we are not having this conversation on a Saturday morning.”
“Well, you're no fun.”
“I reserve the right to be no fun when my sleep is interrupted. Goodbye.” He hung up, and then turned the phone off, and turned over so his eyes were on his pillowcase and not the sunlight coming in through the shades.
“I reserve the right to be no fun when my sleep is interrupted. Goodbye.” He hung up, and then turned the phone off, and turned over so his eyes were on his pillowcase and not the sunlight coming in through the shades.
“'Ey, Rolf.”
“...Liam? How did you get my number?”
“Ehh, blame Kevin. Sh—er, he put it in my phone for some
reason last night. I dunno how he got it in the first place.”
“Gave it to him this week, in case Morley pestered him again.”
“Real kind of ya. Anyway, I was wonderin' if you were gonna be busy
this afternoon, or if maybe you'd like to shoot some hoops or
somethin'.”
“..Sure, I can do that. You have a court in mind?”
“There's a park 'round where I live, if ya don't mind comin' all
this way. If that's too much trouble, I ain't opposed to goin'
somewhere closer to you.”
“No, that's fine. I don't know where you live, though, so I need
directions.”
“Sure, sure. You ain't worried I'll have the advantage or nothin'?”
“You already have an advantage: Your height. If I'm good enough
that shouldn't matter.”
“Hah! I wish everyone had that kinda attitude.”
“Hah! I wish everyone had that kinda attitude.”
“..Hold on, Akio's calling.”
“Sure, I'll text ya the directions so ya have it in writin'. From
that place we ate at last week.”
“That works.”
Boop
“Hey Rolf! Did I wake you up?”
“You're two hours late for that. Why are you still a
girl?”
“Because I wanted to try sleeping as one. And Jen—er, Cole did it before. It sounded like fun!”
“..Was it?”
“I dunno, I mean, it was sort of exciting, but not really all that much..”
“Because I wanted to try sleeping as one. And Jen—er, Cole did it before. It sounded like fun!”
“..Was it?”
“I dunno, I mean, it was sort of exciting, but not really all that much..”
“It's just sleeping, Akio. You wouldn't be able to tell the
difference if you turned into a wolf halfway through the
night.”
“Mmmno, I guess not. Except I'd find a bunch of fur in the sheets, and be super confused about that. But also, guess who I ran into last night!”
“Mmmno, I guess not. Except I'd find a bunch of fur in the sheets, and be super confused about that. But also, guess who I ran into last night!”
“Who would that be?”
“I ran into Liam, and then Kevin showed up. He has a huuuge house..between that and the meal last Friday, I think he might be even richer than you are!”
“I ran into Liam, and then Kevin showed up. He has a huuuge house..between that and the meal last Friday, I think he might be even richer than you are!”
“Wait. Liam, or Kevin?”
“Oh, yeah, I mean Liam. I guess they both hang out there a lot, though, she was pretty familiar with the layout.”
“Oh, yeah, I mean Liam. I guess they both hang out there a lot, though, she was pretty familiar with the layout.”
“...She who?”
“Um..she..?..er, no one! I meant Kevin, he, my mistake!”
“Um..she..?..er, no one! I meant Kevin, he, my mistake!”
“No, wait. Kevin's weird body changes lately..do kind of..is
he actually turning into a girl?”
“Uh, um, nope, no way! Sh—he didn't tell me anything like that at all, and I definitely saw zero evidence that anything like that was going on last night. Nope.”
“Uh, um, nope, no way! Sh—he didn't tell me anything like that at all, and I definitely saw zero evidence that anything like that was going on last night. Nope.”
“..I think being a girl makes you an even worse liar, Aki.”
“H-hey, I'm a great liar. I just..need..time to prepare, is all. But no, seriously, Kevin is not turning into a girl.”
“H-hey, I'm a great liar. I just..need..time to prepare, is all. But no, seriously, Kevin is not turning into a girl.”
“He obviously is.”
“W-well, then, you decided that on your own if anyone asks, okay?
You didn't hear it from me!”
“..Sure.”
“A-a-anyway, the next time you're Flora, I kinda want you to think
of something for me, and let me know what happens.”
“..What do you mean?”
“Well..when I met Liam, and of course he never recognized me or anything, I kind of started flirting with him. I-I mean, without really thinking about it, I thought he seemed sorta, you know, kind of attractive and stuff. And I want to know if you'd feel that way as Flora too, you know, if he's just sort of attractive all on his own and it's not some kind of personal thing going on. So you'll need to think about what he looks like, you know, and how he talks and stuff.”
“..What do you mean?”
“Well..when I met Liam, and of course he never recognized me or anything, I kind of started flirting with him. I-I mean, without really thinking about it, I thought he seemed sorta, you know, kind of attractive and stuff. And I want to know if you'd feel that way as Flora too, you know, if he's just sort of attractive all on his own and it's not some kind of personal thing going on. So you'll need to think about what he looks like, you know, and how he talks and stuff.”
“..Akio, calm down. You're a girl, so of course you think he
looks good. You thought I looked good the other night, too, didn't
you?”
“Oh, y-yeah. Sure. But, what if this is different?”
“Maybe you should turn back into a guy if it bothers you that much. You didn't lose the ring last night, did you?”
“Umm..nope! It's still right here in my purse. Look, I'm holding it up to the phone even.”
“I can't see through the speakers, dummy. Just put it on and turn back. Then bring it to Cole's place before you actually do lose it. Now, Liam asked me to meet with him today, and I'm gonna get the truth out of him about Kevin. I was gonna ask about that anyway. So don't worry about telling me by accident.”
“Oh, y-yeah. Sure. But, what if this is different?”
“Maybe you should turn back into a guy if it bothers you that much. You didn't lose the ring last night, did you?”
“Umm..nope! It's still right here in my purse. Look, I'm holding it up to the phone even.”
“I can't see through the speakers, dummy. Just put it on and turn back. Then bring it to Cole's place before you actually do lose it. Now, Liam asked me to meet with him today, and I'm gonna get the truth out of him about Kevin. I was gonna ask about that anyway. So don't worry about telling me by accident.”
“I didn't tell you a thing~!”
“...Sure you didn't.”
Rolf put down his fork at lunch to get the phone. It was Cole.
“What's up?”
“Hey, um, while I was taking a shower just now I thought of something..”
“You just took a shower?”
“Yeah, man. I have to catch up on my sleep some time, you know. Anyway, I thought, you know, the way Kevin's been looking lately kinda..reminds me of someone.”
“Go on.”
“I thought, you know, with the red hair, and the height. And his body shape looks kind of..you know..feminine? It sort of reminded me of Kell.”
“Kell...oh, yeah, from the arcade! You're right.”
“Hey, um, while I was taking a shower just now I thought of something..”
“You just took a shower?”
“Yeah, man. I have to catch up on my sleep some time, you know. Anyway, I thought, you know, the way Kevin's been looking lately kinda..reminds me of someone.”
“Go on.”
“I thought, you know, with the red hair, and the height. And his body shape looks kind of..you know..feminine? It sort of reminded me of Kell.”
“Kell...oh, yeah, from the arcade! You're right.”
“Yeah, I'm not sure I get why he would be looking like Kell.
But that also means he's turning into a girl, doesn't it? He told me
his doctor said something about hormone imbalances going on, you
think that could be it?”
“Yeah, that makes sense. Look, Liam invited me to play basketball today, so I'm gonna ask him about it. Maybe Kevin's told him something he hasn't told us, you know.”
“Right. And if it turns out he is turning into Kell, and doesn't want to..maybe we could offer to let him use our ring.”
“Yeah, that makes sense. Look, Liam invited me to play basketball today, so I'm gonna ask him about it. Maybe Kevin's told him something he hasn't told us, you know.”
“Right. And if it turns out he is turning into Kell, and doesn't want to..maybe we could offer to let him use our ring.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, if you were slowly turning into a girl with no idea why..wouldn't it be nice to 'disguise' yourself as how you used to look? And if the becoming the mask thing works the way we think it does, maybe he could eventually turn all the way back, too.”
“Hmm..yeah, that's a pretty good point.”
“Don't talk about the ring until we're sure of what's going on..and, actually, don't mention the ring at all. We should just tell Kevin we might have a way to help him with the whole changing-body problem, and then demonstrate that the ring can actually do that. He might not believe us otherwise.”
“Well, if you were slowly turning into a girl with no idea why..wouldn't it be nice to 'disguise' yourself as how you used to look? And if the becoming the mask thing works the way we think it does, maybe he could eventually turn all the way back, too.”
“Hmm..yeah, that's a pretty good point.”
“Don't talk about the ring until we're sure of what's going on..and, actually, don't mention the ring at all. We should just tell Kevin we might have a way to help him with the whole changing-body problem, and then demonstrate that the ring can actually do that. He might not believe us otherwise.”
“Hm..yeah, sure. If I don't run into Kevin this afternoon we can
catch him on Monday.”
"Sounds like a plan."
I think this may be the most appropriately-titled part of the Ring story ever. Guess this makes up for 4.1.
"Sounds like a plan."
I think this may be the most appropriately-titled part of the Ring story ever. Guess this makes up for 4.1.
Things seem to be heating up. I can't wait to see how the boys will react when they find out the truth about Kell.
ReplyDeleteI really think this story series is some of your best work. I look forward to every new installment.
ReplyDeleteI always thought Liam would transform as well...Guess I was wrong.
ReplyDeleteAre you sure about that? ;)
DeleteI have to agree with one of the commentors above, this is some of your best work and I really enjoy reading it. Looking forward to the next installment.
ReplyDeleteNot really...You can be quite surprising so to say.[ As for introducing my self, I have been following you for quite some time , but my activity is poor. My sole activity, is a post on caption challenge "Simple caption 8" , the Jenna comment for the previous ring story, and this...if I ever show up , I'll be referring to myself as "A" , not if you don't want me to of course]
ReplyDelete