Disclaimer: This story touches on several sensitive subjects, such as transsexuality and sexual assault. Reader discretion is advised.
All characters are eighteen or older.
"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
Prologue
Nearly everyone has something they dislike about their physical appearance. Something they perceive as a flaw or imperfection, or maybe just something not to their own personal liking, even if it is to someone else's. But at the very least, the majority of these people are comfortable within their own skin, confident in the gender they were born.
Marie was one of the unlucky few to be different. Born as a male, she realized from a very young age her mind did not match her body. While this could be considered unfortunate, she did have the tremendous luck to be born to loving and open parents, who understood that everyone should be able to be themselves, most of all their child.
Because of this, Marie was allowed to see psychologists and doctors at a young enough age to begin the transition process smoothly. After hormone treatments, vocal therapy, and cosmetic surgeries, she had transitioned without complications. She looked and sounded feminine, and the only giveaway that she wasn't a biological woman was the penis. That was the biggest and last step of the transition, one that had to be eased into. Regardless, Marie felt much more comfortable than she had ever felt before, and this made her and her parents happy.
She had changed schools because of the transitioning process, understanding the difficulties that could come with being openly trans in high school. Because of this, no one at her current school knew she was born a boy, and she reveled in that fact, able to carry herself as a real woman throughout her daily life.
Marie stood only 5'6", and had a slender figure. The hormone treatments had helped her grow natural breasts, even if they were only a small B-cup. Marie was still happy with them however. She grew her hair long, several inches past her shoulders, and it was a sandy shade of blonde. One of her most striking features was natural; her eyes, which shone like sapphires, bright blue and full of hope.
Though she had made a few friends at her new school, there was one thing she felt she had been missing out on, and that was love. Sure she loved her parents, and they loved her, as proven by how accepting they were of her changes, but she yearned to feel a different kind of love. Sadly, she'd always shied away from these feelings. Though she'd grown to feel comfortable with her body, she knew it wouldn't be so easy for others, and so she'd resisted advances from boys that had asked her on dates.
Marie knew that exposing her secret to any one person carried a tremendous risk. It could create a terrifying domino effect, spreading throughout the school and consuming her entire social life so that all her careful planning and changing schools wouldn't even matter in the end. She was finally a senior in high school, eighteen years old, and just a few months away from graduating. Though she felt the bite of loneliness every so often, she knew it would be safer just to keep it pent up, waiting for a better opportunity to come clean and find the love she so desperately wanted to feel.
Sometimes though, even the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.
Chapter I
One of Marie's best friends was a girl named Sara, also an eighteen year old senior. She drew a stark contrast to Marie however, with short, jet black hair that hung a few inches above her shoulders, and dark brown, almost black eyes. At 5'10", she stood a few inches taller than Marie, and usually even more than that, as she had a tendency to wear heels or high heeled boots.
On this particular Friday afternoon, the two girls had decided to hang out at Marie's house for a night of movies, games, and pizza. Currently they sat side by side on the bed, playing Rocket League on Marie's PS4. Sara nearly scored a goal but Marie managed to boost at the a last second, getting a save to win the match.
"Damn! I almost had you!" Sara shouted playfully, nudging Marie's shoulder with her own.
"It's not my fault I'm so talented at rocket powered car soccer," Marie laughed.
Sara chuckled as well, putting her controller down.
"Whaddya wanna do now?"
"Wanna finish watching Firefly?" Marie asked, standing from the bed and moving to the blu-ray shelf.
"Oh hell yes! You've got me so hooked on that friggin' show," Sara said excitedly. "I hate that there's only one season. The fact that it was cancelled is a crime against humanity!"
"I agree," Marie laughed, taking the case from the shelf. She slid the disc into the PS4 and took her seat back beside Sara on the bed. The two watched the episode unfold, laughing at the various bits of humor spread throughout. Marie had seen it at least a hundred times, though it was brand new to Sara, and the former got a kick out of watching her friend react.
It came to a point where one of the characters, a woman named Inara was massaging another woman. Until that point in the show, it was assumed she was straight, but as the scene went on, it became clear she enjoyed the company of women as well, as the two shared a kiss.
"That's kind of hot," Sara said quietly, remarking on the scene.
Marie tilted her head to look at Sara curiously. "I think so, too."
Sara remained quiet for a spell, watching the rest of the episode play out. After it was over, she paused it and sat up on the bed, crossing her legs to sit Indian-style and face Marie, folding her skirt neatly over her lap.
"We've been best friends for what, about a year now?" She asked, a sudden seriousness to her voice.
Marie crossed her legs to sit in the same position, facing her best friend. The scene appeared very Sixteen Candles, albeit on a bed rather than a table.
"Around that, yeah. You okay?"
"I want to tell you something, but you have to promise never to tell anyone, okay?" Sara said, biting her lip.
"You can tell me anything Sara, I promise," Marie agreed, her curiosity getting the better of her.
"Okay here goes," Sara said, pausing to take a deep breath. She closed her eyes. "I'm...gay," she exhaled and opened her eyes, trying to gauge Marie's reaction. She was simply smiling.
"So?"
"You're okay with it?" Sara asked nervously.
"Of course I am. I'm bisexual myself. What anyone does in anyone else's pants is their own business, I say, and if someone doesn't like it they can just stay out of it."
Sara cracked a smile.
"There's...more," She said, the nervousness returning to her voice.
"What? Were you born a boy or something?" She asked in a thinly veiled attempt to gauge Sara's reaction to such a question.
"What? No, nothing like that," Sara replied, again biting her lip for a moment before continuing. "I kind of...have a thing for you."
"For...for me?" Marie asked, shocked. She and Sara had always been close, and yet she hadn't seen this coming. She felt a sudden mixture of happiness and fear. Here was someone she genuinely liked being around and spending time with, admitting their feelings, and yet she was still unsure if she could bring herself to reciprocate, even after such an intimate confession.
