[Morpheus]

This story takes place in my Burkes Virus universe.

Invisible No More
Part 1 of 6
By Morpheus

The high school hallway was full of noise as well as the hustle and bustle of nearly the entire student body rushing about lunch.  I grimaced as I made may way through the crowd, completely ignored by just about everyone as I made my way to the lunch room.

"Watch it dweeb," a large guy exclaimed as he stepped into my path and I nearly ran into him.

"Just great," I grumbled, quickly dodging away from what could easy escalate into an unpleasant situation.  It was embarrassed about how I didn't stand up for myself, but I was used to it.

My name is Lee Forrest, and I was a 16 year old guy, and a junior at my high school.  Unfortunately, since I was 5 foot 9 and looked pretty young, I was frequently mistaken for a freshman and sometimes even picked on by kids younger than me.  It was pretty embarrassing.

"It's better when they don't notice me," I sighed, adjusting my glasses.

Then I reached the cafeteria and paused at the entrance to glance into my lunch bag.  I frowned at the sight, wishing that my dad would make me something other than a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  It was getting a little old and I wouldn't mind a little variety.

That just reminded me that dad was working late tonight so I would have to find my own dinner.  In fact, I would probably make something for him to eat when he got home.  As dad liked to say, since it was only the two of us, we had to help each other out.

A moment later, I spotted my friends sitting at out accustomed lunch table.  It was in the back corner, right next to a couple of large garbage cans, so it wasn't exactly prime lunch real estate.  But that meant few people wanted to eat there, leaving it usually open for us.

"Hey guys," I said as I joined them.

"Hey," my best friend Toby nodded to me.

Toby was the same age as me and was pretty average looking, though over the last year he'd had a bit of an acne problem which earned him the name 'Pizza Face' among a few people.

Sitting next to Toby was Edgar, a rather large guy…and I didn't mean tall.  He was about my height, but at least double my weight.  In fact, Edgar was probably one of the fattest kids in school.  He usually told people that this is only because the Burke's Virus did that to him, and that he had been skinny before, though I knew otherwise.  Edgar had come by his size the old fashioned way, not due to the Bug.

And then there was Jessie, the fourth member of our little group.  He was a tall, skinny boy with thick glasses and a less than perfect complexion, though not nearly as bad as Toby's.  Even as he sat there eating his lunch, his eyes darted round nervously.

I felt a bit sorry for Jessie.  Just the year before, he had been Jessica, one of the prettiest and most popular girls in our entire class, and even in the school.  She had even been a cheerleader.  But then she caught the Burke's Virus, and the Bug really did a job on her, turning her into geeky looking guy.  Almost immediately, all of her old friends had turned on her, cruelly taunting her at worst and completely ignoring her at best.  Even less popular kids, who had been jealous of or attracted to her before, took the opportunity to make her…now his life a living hell.

In the end, Jessie had lost everything that he'd had before.  He'd lost his beauty, his friends and his popularity, becoming a social outcast instead.  We were the only ones to really accept him and welcome him into our group, which made us his only friends in the world.

Our little group was composed of social outcasts.  None of us were rebellious enough to be goths or smart enough to be nerds.  We were the social nonentities.  As far as most people were concerned, we didn't exist.  We were invisible.  So that was what we jokingly called ourselves, the Invisibles.

"You need the secret handshake to sit here," Toby grinned at me as I sat down.

"And what is the secret handshake?" I asked him with a sigh.

"I'd tell you," Toby smirked, "but then I'd have to kill you…"

"How about this one?" I responded, flipping him off before digging into my lunch bag.

"So anyway," Edgar continued with whatever he had been talking about before I arrived, "My uncle goes to this big signing and gets me this…"  Then with a big flourish, Edgar pulled a framed picture out of his back pack and set it on the table in front of us.  He sat there with a smirk, letting us all get a good look.  "It's autographed…"

The picture was an autographed publicity photo of a gorgeous looking brunette with sultry eyes.  I immediately recognized Shanna Sinclaire, a big time model who had recently started making a few movies.  She was very popular among the teenage boys of our school, and I knew more than a couple of guys who had pictures of her in their lockers.  Edgar and Toby were both nearly drooling over the photo, though I just glared at it in disgust.

Jessie just let out a sigh, shaking his head.  As a girl, Jessica had been straight and only attracted to boys, and after being changed by the Bug, that hadn't changed.  Or at least the being attracted to boys hadn't, though you couldn't exactly call him straight anymore.

"It's autographed," Toby exclaimed, "My God she's hot…"

"She's an angel," Edgar sighed.

"She's a bitch," I spat out bitterly.

All three of my friends stared at me in surprise, and Toby shook his head, "No way…  Any girl who looks as hot as that has to be an angel…"

Jessie just shorted at that while Toby laughed at me, "Like you've ever met her…"

"I have," I muttered under my breath, earning a few skeptical looks from my friends.

"Yeah, right." Edgar snorted, "And I've been on a date with Celia Hansen…"

At the mention of Jessie's former best friend, the girl who was generally believed to be the hottest one in school, he scowled.  Obviously, he didn't like to be reminded of the way she'd turned on him after his change.  I'd seen some of the things that Celia had said to his face, and they weren't pretty.

I scowled as I looked around the table, seeing that my friends were all looking at me as though I'd just claimed to have seen a UFO in my back yard.  I knew that I probably shouldn't say anymore, but I didn't like my friends giving me that look.

"She only looks like that because she caught the Bug," I grimaced, suddenly having the full attention of my friends.

"And I suppose you knew her before she caught the Bug," Toby snorted in disbelief.

I just nodded sadly at that, clenching my fists at the same time.  "She was my mom," I whispered, tears beginning to come to my eyes.  I quickly pulled off my glasses and wiped them away, embarrassed to be crying in the school cafeteria.

"Bullshit," Toby said, though he didn't look completely convinced of that.  My tears were obviously making me look a lot more sincere.

"A few years ago," I started, my voice shaking, "she got changed by the Burke's Virus.  She was sort of average…  Suddenly, she was beautiful and popular, with guys throwing themselves at her.  I guess she decided that she could do better than my dad, and that she could start over again with a perfect life.  So she left me and my dad, changed her name and went into modeling…  I haven't heard from her since…  I guess she didn't want to be held back by a kid either…"

"No way," Toby whispered, staring at me with an expression that was part sympathetic and part amazement.

Edgar didn't say a word as he slipped the photo back into his back pack.  He looked just a little less enthusiastic about having it all of a sudden.

"I bet you could sell that story to the tabloids," Toby told me with a weak smile.  "They love to know that kind of stuff about celebrities…."

"She's kind of the opposite of me," Jessie sighed, looking jealous.

I just scowled and got up, "I'm not all that hungry anymore…"  I tossed my lunch into the garbage and gave my friend's a weak smile, "I'll see you guys later…"

After this, I went to my next period, though I had a hard time focusing.  Not only was I thinking about my mom, and the way she'd abandoned my dad and me, but I was also feeling a bit sick.  I kept getting cramps in my gut and feeling kind of nauseous.  I'd felt a bit off all morning and hadn't really thought much about it, but it was getting worse.

When the class was over, Toby appeared next to me in the hallway and asked, "What you said at lunch…about Shanna…  Were you telling the truth?"

"Yeah," I grimaced.

"Why didn't you tell me before?" Toby frowned, looking as though I'd insulted him by failing to trust him with such an important fact.

I frowned, not sure what to say to that.  I wasn't exactly eager to go around telling people, even my closest friends, that I was so worthless that my own mom had ditched me.  In spite of what Toby might think, the fact that 'Shanna Sinclaire' was my mother wasn't something that I was proud of.  Every time I saw one of her pictures, it made me sick to my stomach.

Then, almost as if on cue, I was hit by another wave of nausea.  My stomach recoiled so badly that I thought I was going to puke right there in the school hallway.  Fortunately, it didn't quite go that far.

"Dude," Toby trapped my shoulder, "Are you okay?"

"I don't feel very good," I told him with a weak smile, just before a massive cramp hit my leg and I had to grab the wall for support.  "In fact, I feel like shit…"

"You'd better see the nurse," Toby frowned, looking concerned. "C'mon…"

Toby helped me to the nurse's office, then he hurried off to his next class so that he wouldn't be late.  The school nurse looked at me skeptically, trying to decide if I was faking or not.  I didn't really blame her since my next class, gym, was my least favorite, and I had faked being sick to avoid it before.

"Tell me what's wrong," she finally said, deciding to be patient and go through the motions rather than just dismissing my complaints.  After I told her about my cramps and nausea, she had me stick a thermometer under my tongue.  And when she checked it a minute later, she looked a bit surprised.  "You have a fever…"

"I do?" I blinked, not having noticed that part.

The nurse stared at me for a minute, a thoughtful expression on her face.  Then she asked me a few more questions about my symptoms and how long I'd had them before she finally reached into a drawer and pulled out a something that looked a bit like a stun gun.

"We just got this in a few weeks ago," she told me, pushing a few buttons on the front.  "It's a new tester that will make this much faster and more accurate…"

"What does it do?" I asked nervously, then paused to wince as my arm started to cramp.

"It takes a small blood sample and tests it," she told me holding the small device to my arm.  "This will sting for a moment."

When she said that it would sting, she was right.  I automatically jerked my arm away when it felt like a bee stung it.  My flinching didn't bother the nurse, who seemed to have gotten what she needed.

"Ouch," I complained as I rubbed my arm.  There was a red spot on my arm where the device had stung me, along with a single drop of blood.  She didn't say a word as she put a Band-Aid over it.

"This will take just a minute," she told me, keeping her eye on the tester.  After a minute, she nodded faintly and said, "I thought so…  You have Burke's…"

"WHAT?" I gasped in surprise.  Then I gulped nervously, "I've never had the Bug before…"

"Really?" the nurse looked a little surprised, "It's quite common…"

"I know," I responded quietly.

Ever since Burke's Biomorphic Virus had first appeared about six or seven years ago, it had become so common that a lot of people had started to treat it sort of like the flu.  However, what did was quite different from the flu or any other virus.  It caused the human body to change…to different degrees and in different ways from person to person.  It could change your eye color, or turn you into a super model…like it had my mom.  The very thought of having the Bug was frightening, especially since you had no idea of what it could do to you.

Fortunately, the virus wasn't lethal.  In fact, I had learned in health class that about the only ones who ever died of the virus were people who's bodies were so old or frail that they couldn't handle the strain of the changes.  For most people, it would change you but you wouldn't have to worry about it killing you.

"I've had it twice," the nurse continued, "The first time, I didn't notice any actual changes, but the second time, a few scars that I've had since I was a little girl vanished."

I just nodded at that, then paused as a powerful wave of nausea hit me.  I bent over, feeling like I was going to throw up.  The nurse immediately set a small bucket in front of me, though I didn't have to use it just yet.

"Here," she said, going into a cupboard and pulling out a large plastic bottle that looked like it could hold Gatorade.  However, this bottle was full of a thick looking brown liquid and had medical stuff written all over it.  "Take a drink of this…"  She unscrewed the cap and handed it to me.

"Ugh," I winced after taking a deep gulp, "That's gross…"

"A lot of people call it bug juice," the nurse gave me a sympathetic smile.  "It's a mixture of protein, enzymes and vitamins that your body is going to need for any changes.  It will help the virus run it's course more quickly, and help ease some of the discomfort.  I suggest that you have your parents buy several bottles of this from the store."

"Okay," I responded weakly, then suddenly bent forward and used the bucket, emptying my stomach into it.

"Do you have anyone who can come pick you up?" she asked gently.  "You need to go to bed and get a lot of rest…"

"My dad," I told her quietly, knowing that he was going to hate having to leave work early.
When my dad came to pick me up a half hour later, he wasn't mad like I'd feared, only worried.  He gently got me into the car, then stopped by the store on the way home to pick up a couple bottles of that 'bug juice', which turned out to be fairly expensive.

As soon as we got home, dad made me drink a glass of the bug juice, then he sent me to bed with the instructions, "Take it easy and relax…"

——————–

I awoke with a groan of discomfort and stared at the ceiling, something which I had been doing off and on for the last day or so.  Sometimes, it seemed like I had been laying in my bed for years, not just since the day before.

My whole body ached, from the bones and muscles to my very skin.  Everything hurt, which made it all the more difficult to sit up in bed.  I looked around the room, seeing that everything was a big blur.  But when I put my glasses on, that didn't really help any.  In fact, after a minute, I realized that everything was just a little less blurry without my glasses, so I left them beside my bed.

"Time for my medicine," I croaked, drinking a glass of the nasty tasting bug juice, followed by another glass of water.  I was thankful that I had bottles of both beside my bed, though I would rather do without the bug juice.

Just then, my body reminded me of my other needs.  I grimaced and slid out of bed, trying to ignore just how much my entire body ached.  And to make it worse, I was dizzy and half blind, so needed to use furniture and walls for support.  If there was such a thing as Hell, I was pretty sure that this had to be close to it.

Since my dad didn't come rushing to my aid when I left my bedroom, I knew that he must still be at work.  He'd come home during his lunch break, but other than that and the occasional visits from the neighbor woman who was checking up on me, I was by myself.  But that suited me fine as I'd spent most of my time just sleeping…or trying to.

After I'd relieved myself in the bathroom, I slowly made my way to the kitchen, my stomach growling more insistently with each passing moment.  I couldn't believe how hungry I was…  When people were sick, they were suppose to lose their appetites, though that was certainly not the case with me.  I felt famished…starving.  And no matter how much I at that day, I kept getting hungry again just a short time later.  Since I woke up that morning, I'd already had two bowls of cereal, two slices of leftover pizza, a leftover pork chop, three cans of soup and an apple.  And there I was, ready to eat yet again.

"Just great," I groaned as I tried finding something in the kitchen to eat…again.

Ever since I'd first climbed into bed the day before, I found myself settling into something of a routine.  I would sleep for a few hours, wake up and relieve myself, then go and gulp up as much as I could eat before returning to bed again.  And the cycle continued.

I rummaged through the kitchen and finally ended up toasting two slices of bread while microwaving a TV dinner.  It was hard to stay there that long, and I ached to just get back in bed, but my grumbling stomach wouldn't let me.  I just had to get something to eat.

As soon as my food was ready, I gulped it down, then got up with a groan.  I had to catch myself against the kitchen counter as a wave of nausea hit me, but I managed to keep from falling flat on my face.  It wasn't easy though as every movement I made hurt like hell.  It was like my entire body was one big charlie horse.

Then, just as I had finished eating and was heading back to bed, the doorbell started ringing.  My first impulse was to ignore it completely, but I remained aware enough to be curious as to who it was.  So with an immense effort, I made my way to the door and opened it up.

"You look like shit," Toby exclaimed the moment that I'd opened the door for him.

I stared at him for a moment, having to squint a bit as he was all blurry.  "I feel like it," I croaked out a bit, slowly going back inside.

"I came over last night but you were asleep," Toby told me, looking worried.  "Your dad said I shouldn't come over till you were done with the Bug, but I wanted to see how you were doing…"

"And how I was changing," I gave him a weak smile, knowing how he thought.
Toby looked just a little self-conscious at being that transparent, but he shrugged, "I was kind of worried…"  Then he paused to stare at me, "You do look a little different…"

"Really?" I croaked, curious in spite of myself.  I hadn't looked into the mirror lately, not that it would do me much good with my eyes all blurred over at the moment.  I couldn't help but being a bit curious, not to mention worried.  You never knew what the Burke's Virus would do to you, but I figured that I didn't really have much to lose.

"Your hair's a little longer," he said thoughtfully, "And maybe just a bit lighter…"  Then he stood back to look me over again before adding, "And I think you might be a little taller…"

"Really?" I felt a surge of hope.  I'd always wanted to be just a little taller.  At 5 foot 9, I wasn't the shortest boy in our school, but I'd always felt short.

Toby just nodded, "You really look bad…"

"Thanks, "I mumbled, then said, "My dad has a digital camera on the counter…  Can you take a picture of me with it?  He says recording my changes will make it easier to prove my identity if I change a lot…"

"Good idea," Toby nodded.  "My aunt Clara changed a lot and she's still trying to prove that she is who she is…  Of course, some woman went in and claimed to be her so that she could get aunt Clara's money…  Identity theft really sucks…"

I could only nod at that as I was too tired to have much of a conversation.  And the fact that I was being hit with another wave of dizziness didn't help.

"Whoah…" Toby stared at me, "You'd better get back to bed…"

"Yeah," I nodded weakly, my energy level dropping through the floor again.

Toby helped me get back to my room and back into my bed.  Then he told me, "I hope you feel better soon."  And with that, he was gone and I was collapsing back into unconsciousness.

——————–

I sat back on my living room couch and watched the TV with a faint smile.  For the last several days, I had been consigned to my bed, too sick and tired to do much.  But I was currently having a brief period where I had enough strength to get up and move around a little, and I meant to take full advantage of it while I could.

But I held no illusions that my bout with the Burke's Virus was over.  In fact, I was only about halfway through it.  The brief respite that I had at the moment could very well be the calm before the storm.  There was no longer any doubt that I was getting an extreme transformation from the virus, that I would probably no longer be the least bit recognizable as myself once it was through.  I wasn't sure whether to be excited about that or extremely worried.

My body had continued to change, and by now I could see enough of the changes to guess what I might be once it was finished.  However, these changes also left me even more confused.
Toby had been right when he said that I was getting taller, but that wasn't all.  I had grown in other ways too.  My whole body was getting bigger…even more muscular.  I had always been skinny, so having even a bit of muscle growing on me was cause for celebration.  Over the last few days, I had outgrown every pair of pajamas that I owned, and now stood at a height of 6 feet tall.  It was a dream come true.

For a short while, I let myself dream of being tall and athletic, perhaps like some of the jocks at school who got all of the girls.  However, there were other changes…  My hair had grown just a little past my shoulders and had become a golden blond color.  My testicles had pulled up inside of my body so that there was no sign that they'd ever been there, and my johnson looked a little smaller than normal…and it had never been all that impressive to begin with.  I was definitely worried by these changes.

Just then, the doorbell started to ring.  I groaned, trying to ignore the massive aches and pains that I still felt through my body so that I could get to my feet again.  It wasn't easy.

"Don't worry," my dad called from the kitchen where he was preparing dinner, "I'll get it."

A minute later, Jessie came into the living room, surprising me a bit since I don't think that he'd ever been to my house before.  He glanced around nervously, then stared at me.

"You look," he paused for a moment, "different."

"I feel like shit," I told him, my voice cracking as I said it.

Jessie nodded, then gave me a sympathetic smile, "I remember what it felt like…"  Then he looked embarrassed as he reached into his backpack and said, "I brought your homework…  I know that you won't feel like doing it yet, but this way you won't be so far behind when you come back to school…"

"Thanks," I told him weakly.

I looked at Jessie and realized that the homework was partly an excuse.  Like Toby, he wanted to see what was happening to me.  People did tend to get really curious when they heard that someone was going through an extreme case of the Bug.  Then again, since he'd gone through a bad case himself, he probably sympathized a good bit too.

After a few seconds, I grunted and got to my feet, wincing from the aches in my bones and muscles.  I was sure that this was what arthritis had to feel like, topped off with a full body charlie horse.  Or at least that was how I'd come to think of the aches and cramps that I'd been suffering through for the last couple days.

"Take a look at this," I said as I opened up the bathrobe I had borrowed from my dad and stood there in only the swim trunks that dad had brought me that morning.  "I'm taller and I've got some muscles…"  Admittedly, they weren't all that impressive, but I had enough to feel rather proud. "And look at my pecs.."

Jessie stared at me for a moment, then his expression changed.  He silently looked me over, his eyes taking in every detail.  There was a strange, almost surprised look on his face as he did so.
"Um…," Jessie finally said, looking a bit uncomfortable, "Those aren't muscles…"

"What?" I blinked, flexing my arm though I didn't have enough energy to do a proper flexing.  Still, I could see a little bit of definition. "Okay, I'm not the Hulk, but I'm not scrawny anymore either…"

"No," Jessie shook his head, looking a bit feminine as he stood there with his hands on his hips.  It was when he did things like this that I was reminded that he had once been Jessica.  "On your chest…  Those aren't pectoral muscles…  Not exactly…"

"What?" I blinked in confusion, sitting back down as it hurt a bit too much to keep standing.

Jessie let out a feminine sigh of exasperation, "As a former girl, I can tell you that THOSE are breasts.  They look about an A cup too…"

I stared at Jessie in disbelief, then down at my chest.  It was swelling out a bit on both sides, so I'd assumed that it was just more muscle growing in.  But I had to admit, my nipples did look kind of big, and they were soft rather than hard like muscle…  Still, they couldn't be…

"I think you're turning into a girl," Jessie told me with a look of amazement.

"No way," I protested with as much energy as I could muster, "Just because you had a sex change, that doesn't mean I am…"

Jessie looked a little hurt at that and I immediately felt bad.  I felt worse due to the fact that what he said made a certain sense when I thought about the other changes that I'd been worried about.

"I…I can't be turning into a girl," I protested weakly, gesturing down at myself, "I'm getting
taller and more muscles…"

"Some girls are pretty tall," Jessie told me, giving me a gentle smile that was supposed to be reassuring.  "Or maybe…"  He looked me over again and went slightly pale.

"What?" I asked.

"Maybe you're going to be an anomaly," he told me quietly.

I gulped at that pronouncement.  Most of the time, when the Burke's Virus changed someone, it was pretty consistent.  But occasionally, there were anomalies…situations when the changes were odd or out of contest to the rest of the person's body.  Sometimes this meant extra body parts, like extra arms or breasts for a woman.  But it could also mean things like a woman with a penis, a guy with breasts or someone with mixed genitals.  These kind of anomalies were pretty rare, and there were only a couple hundred in the entire country.

"No way," I shook, my head vigorously, "I can't be…  The odds are…"

"Not good," Jessie finished for me with a frown.  "But I guess you'll know for sure in a couple days…"

"Just great," I groaned, shaking my head tiredly.  I was already worried enough about what the Bug was doing do me, and now I had a few more things to worry about.  I might be turning into a freak, or even worse…a girl.  As if I wasn't enough of a social outcast before.  "Just what I need…"

"I've got to get going," Jessie told me, looking uncomfortable at the direction his visit had gone. "I've got to get home for dinner…"

"Okay," I nodded, "Thanks for coming over…"

After Jessie had left, I sat where I was for a minute, poking at the soft tissue of my chest and feeling uncertain.  I gulped, then went to the kitchen where my dad was still working at dinner.

"Dad," I asked him hesitantly, opening my bath robe so that he could see my chest, "Do I look like I might be turning into a girl…"

"Of course not," he started to say automatically.  Then he paused to look me over, his expression changing just slightly.  "Now that you mention it, you are beginning to look like a girl…"

"Oh God," I groaned, turning and staggering back towards my bedroom.  If that was how I was changing, I didn't want to be awake for the rest of it.

[Morpheus]

Invisible No More
Part 2 of 6
By Morpheus

I awoke with a groan, wincing from the morning sun in my eyes and the discomfort of having my feet stick out over the foot of my bed.  But in spite of that, I remained where I was, relieved that I had I'd at least been able to have a full night's sleep.  It had been my first since coming down with the Bug nearly a week earlier and it was more than welcome.

A minute later, I let out another groan and sat up, shifting my weight off of my bed.  My body still ached a bit, though not nearly so much as before.  That was one of the main signs that I was nearly over the Bug, with the fact that I'd been able to sleep through the night being another.

"Finally," I sighed, thankful that it was nearly over.  After nearly a week of living Hell, I was grateful to feel even the least bit better.  And from the way I felt, I had a feeling that I would be completely over the Bug by tomorrow.  "I can't wait."

However, I knew that I wouldn't be over the effects of the Bug tomorrow…or anytime soon.  It had changed me…more than I ever could have imagined.  When I looked at myself in the mirror, there wasn't anything of the old me left.

When Jessie had visited me several days ago, she had been right.  Within just one more day, there was no longer any denying that I was turning into a girl.  It became more and more obvious with every passing hour.  But my body continued to change in other ways as well.  I continued to get taller, to get more muscular and my budding breasts swelled out into real monsters.

"Definitely monsters," I muttered as I cupped them.  They seemed absolutely enormous to me, especially since I wasn't used to having anything on my chest.  But I didn't want to think about those at the moment.

I frowned and reached to my nigh stand for my glasses, then paused as I was bringing them up to my face.  When my vision had finally cleared the day before, I'd found that I no longer seemed to need my glasses.  I could now see perfectly fine without them.  Still, it was hard breaking a habit of so many years.

"At least that's something I can really get used to," I said, looking at my glasses, "I'm not going to miss these things."

After a moment, I remembered one other thing that I had been trying not to think about.  When I had gone to bed the night before, my changes seemed to have pretty much finished, except for one small issue.  And as I looked between my legs, seeing that it now looked completely female down there, I knew that the changes were finished.

"Damn," I spat out, feeling a strange relief at the same time.  It was nice to finally get the worry over what I was going to turn into off my chest.  It was good to finally know.  I was just happy that it was finally over.  "Now I have a bunch of new problems to deal with…"

I hesitated a moment, then put on my new bathrobe.  Dad had bought it and a few other things for me yesterday when he'd seen that my transformation was nearly over and realized that I would need something to wear.  However, there was no doubt that I was going to need a lot more.  In fact, I didn't think that I had a single piece of clothing that really fit me anymore.

With a scowl and a sense of determination, I went to the bathroom in order to face the inevitable.  I knew that I would need to confront what I had changed into sometime, and the sooner the better.  That didn't mean that I was all that pleased about it.

As soon as I caught sight of myself in the bathroom mirror, I froze and stared.  I had seen myself as I changed, including the night before when the changes were almost entirely completed.  But then, I had been pretty overwhelmed by pain and exhaustion, so this was the first time that I could see what I looked like with a clear head.

"Wow," I whispered, shaking a bit as I stood there.

Of course, there was no trace of the old Lee Forrest in the mirror, but I had already known that.  Instead, there was someone else, someone completely different.  The reflection was that of a woman, an adult woman in her early to mid twenties.  She was stunning, but also very unusual.

"Damn," I shook my head, "I can't believe that's me…"

While the Bug had been turning me into a girl, I had continued to grow bigger as well.  As a result, I now stood at a height of 6 foot 6, which was 9 inches taller than when I'd started.  I was also ripped, bursting with solid muscle that seemed as hard as rock.  I hadn't really been able to appreciate just how strong I now felt until that moment.  Until this morning, I had been too sore and tired to really notice any of that.

I slowly ran a hand over my 6 pack abs and muttered, "Wow," not sure what else I could possibly say about that.

But in spite of being so big and muscular, by some miracle I didn't look too bulky.  When I was relaxed and not flexing, my muscles weren't nearly as noticeable, especially since I had a thin layer of fat over my body which helped to hide them a little, as well as give me the sexy look and curves of a well developed woman.

I tried to remain as impartial and neutral as I could while examining my body, but it wasn't easy.  I had long, well muscled but sexy legs.  I had an unbelievable body with all the right curves.  And my breasts were so big, round and firm as to be the most perfect pair that I had ever seen or even imagined.  It looked as though gravity had never even touched them, which, since I had just gained them, actually was the case.

My face was that of a strong yet beautiful woman, just old enough to have a hint of maturity and young enough to have an equal measure of innocence.  The eyes which stared out from that face were a striking crystal blue, and I now had waves of long, golden blonde hair cascading down my back.

As I stared at my reflection in the mirror, I couldn't escape the feeling that I wasn't looking at a real woman.  No real woman could possibly look like that.  Instead, it was more like I was staring at some mythical amazon from a fantasy story, or some super hero straight out of a comic book.

"No wonder dad kept staring at me all day yesterday," I whispered, surprised that he hadn't stared even more.

Then I suddenly wondered what my friends would say.  I hadn't seen any of them since Jessie had come by a few days earlier.  Of course, my dad said that they had all come by yesterday while I was in the middle of a nap, so none of them had been able to see me or just how much more I had changed.

"Oh God," I gulped, worried about what they would say when they saw me.  The very thought was frightening.  I didn't know what I would say to them.  It wasn't every day that you turned into someone so completely different.  The only one of them who would have any idea of what I was feeling was Jessie.  "What am I going to do?"

I frowned and absently reached up to adjust my glasses in an old nervous habit.  But since I was no longer wearing glasses, it did little good and I was forced to bring my hand back down without that faint comfort of habit.

"One thing at a time," I tried to reassure myself.  "Just take things one thing at a time…"

I took a deep breath, reminding myself that millions of people go through changes from the Burke's Virus every year.  It wasn't like I was the only one to ever go through something like that.  In fact, there were even other people in my class who had, including Jessie.  That reminder gave me some comfort.

A minute later, I turned my attention back to business, specifically, the business of relieving myself.  I winced as I sat down on the toilet, which seemed so much smaller than normal and which groaned under my weight.  I was half afraid that it might actually break on me, though fortunately it didn't.  Then I had to worry about my new plumbing, hoping that it would work right, though to my relief it all worked about the same as before, giving me the same results.

"So I won't be able to stand and pee anymore," I muttered to myself, "That's not too big a loss…"

I took one more look in the mirror, then decided to get some breakfast.  My dad was in the living room, working on his computer as I walked past.  He watched me silently for a moment before getting up and going to the kitchen with me.

"Are you feeling all right?" my dad asked with a concerned expression.

When I looked at my dad, I was a bit stunned to realize just how short he now seemed to me.  He was 5 foot 10 and had always been an inch taller than me, though now I towered over him by a full 8 inches.  Since I'd spent so much time sitting down or in bed during my changes, this was the first time that I'd really noticed our new height difference.

"Just a little sore," I told him weakly, "But I'm feeling a lot better…"

My dad smiled up at me, obviously a bit uncomfortable with the changes.  After all, I was not only a lot bigger than him now, but a girl at that.  He probably didn't know what to make of the new me or how to how to treat me.

"Boy, I'm hungry," I said to change the subject.

I gulped down a glass of that nasty tasting bug juice, thankful that I wouldn't need it any more since I was done changing.  In fact, that was probably going to be my last glass, which improved my mood a great deal.

"Let me make breakfast," my dad offered, already pulling the eggs out of the fridge.

My dad always made good omelets, so I was more than glad to let him cook.  Normally, I could barely finish off a single one of his omelets, but this time I was so hungry that I ate two of them, along with some bacon and toast.  I could barely believe how much I ate, or the fact that I didn't feel stuffed.

"I guess I have a bigger stomach now," I gave him an embarrassed grin.

Dad just nodded and pushed his own plate away, giving me a steady look for a moment before saying, "We've got a lot to do today.  You'll need a lot of new clothes and supplies, and I've already scheduled a doctor's appointment at one."

"I don't need a doctor," I protested weakly, "I feel fine…"

He raised an eyebrow at that, then told me, "We just want to make sure that everything is all right…"  I couldn't help but nod at that.  To be honest, I was kind of worried what the Bug had done to me too.

After we had finished cleaning the kitchen and talking about what we had planned for the day, I decided to take a nice hot shower.  I hadn't taken one since coming down with the Burke's Virus, so it was definitely about time for it.

All of the aches and pains that I'd been feeling due to the Bug had been fading pretty fast, and as soon as I stepped under the hot water, they faded even faster.  I gasped in pleasure at the hot water, and just how nice it felt against my skin.  And the way it felt against my nipples…  VERY nice.

Unfortunately, the shower head seemed kind of low to me now so I had to hunch over to get the water, and the whole tub seemed a lot smaller.  As a result, I started feeling a little claustrophobic and cut my shower short.

"I never imagined being tall could be so annoying," I muttered to myself, thinking about the small shower, and the fact that my own bed was now too short for me to really sleep in.  And of course, my new height and dimensions threw my balance completely off and left me a bit awkward and clumsy.  There was no doubt that it might take some time to get used to this.

A few minutes later, I discovered yet another problem.  My hair was soaking wet, and no matter how much I used the towel on it, it didn't seem to get much dryer.

My dad listened to me complain about my hair for a minute, then mused, "Hairdryer," as he wrote it down on the notepad he'd been using to list everything that I was going to need.  The pad was quickly getting longer and I could almost see the pain in my dad's eyes as he thought about what this would do to his wallet.

Then it came time to really get dressed and I looked through all of the clothes that dad had bought for me the day before.  It was a good thing that he hadn't bought me many, because none of them was exactly a great fit.  The only underwear I had were a couple pairs of extra large boxer shorts, which would cover my lower half but do nothing for my upper.  I might be completely new to the girl thing, but even I knew that a pair of knockers as big as mine would need some kind of support.

"Let's see," I grimaced as I put on the rest of the clothes, which consisted of a pair of very large sandals, which pinched my feet, some shorts and a sweater.  They were all anything but fashionable, but I figured that they would at least give me something to wear out of the house.  "Not like I can go out in a bath robe…"

When we were finally ready to go, I squeezed into dad's car and we drove across town to a big and tall store.  It was huge, a warehouse just filled with clothes for people who were too big to wear most standard sized clothes.  It was a bit strange to realize that from now on, I might have to do all of my clothes shopping from places like that.

There was a salesman who was just a little taller than me, who helped me find some clothes that would fit me.  I was amazed that they'd have any clothes for a girl who was six and a half feet tall, but they did.  And he even pulled out a catalog so that we could order even more.  By the time we left, I was wearing a pair of blue jeans and a sweater that fit fairly comfortably.  I would have preferred wearing one of the T-shirts we bought, but I still didn't have a bra so my nipples would have been just a little too obvious.

Next came the shoe store, which had what I needed, and then the lingerie store.  I gulped as we went in, immediately feeling self-conscious.  I glanced down at my generous chest, blushing a bright red as I looked around.  But from the look on my dad's face, I wasn't the only one feeling a little uncomfortable there.

"Let me guess," a busty sales lady came up to me with a grin, "You've recently gone through the Burke's Virus and you need some new garments."

"How'd you know?" I asked in surprise.

The sales woman just laughed, "You looked pretty uncertain while standing there…  If you don't mind my asking, how big were you before?"

I looked down at my chest and blushed an even brighter red, "Um…  I don't really know the sizes…  I've never worn a bra or anything before…"

"Really?" she blinked in surprise, which she quickly covered up.  However, she still gave me a curious look, perhaps wondering if I'd just been some flat-chested woman, or maybe a girl who hadn't developed yet.

"I'm…," I started, then paused to mutter, "I was a boy…"  I couldn't even bring myself to look at her as I said it.  I only stared at the floor, feeling pretty embarrassed.

"Really?" she gasped, then added, "We had a woman come in here last month with the same problem.  She had been a man just a week before and didn't have a clue about her size.  If you'd like, I can give you a quick lesson on female undergarments and how they're sized, but I'm afraid that we don't have anything in your size.  You'll probably have yours special ordered…"

"Just great," I groaned, feeling even worse.

I looked at dad for help, or at the very least, some moral support.  But the look he gave me said, 'you're on your own'.  So I let out a long sigh and went to the back with the sales lady, who gave me a short lesson about bras and cup sizes.  Then she measured me and ordered a couple bras, which she said would be rush delivered by tomorrow.

When dad saw how much those special order bras were going go cost, he momentarily went pale.  Then he said, "Thank God my company insurance includes Burke's coverage…  That should offset these expenses a little…"  Still, insurance coverage or not, he wasn't very happy about paying for my panties and such, though at least he didn't really complain.

As we left the store, my new packages in hand, my dad glanced at his watch and said, "I think we have time for lunch before your doctor's appointment…"

"Sounds good to me," I grinned, relieved to be able to think about something other than the unmentionables that I had just been surrounded with.  And I was beginning to get hungry again.
Just as soon as I stepped into the burger join a few minutes later, everyone inside froze and stared at me.  I cringed self-consciously, feeling a bit uncomfortable with the way they were all staring. 

Nearly everyone had looks of amazement at my size, though every guy in the place had an expression of lust…and envy as they looked at my dad.  It embarrassed me further to realize that they thought me and my dad were an item.

"Ugh," I grimaced, not used to this kind of attention and not having any idea of what to do.

For my entire life, I had been the kid that no one noticed, that everyone ignored.  I had long since grown used to being nearly invisible.  But now, all of a sudden I was anything but.  Everything about me stood out to an amazing degree.  I was tall, muscular and a gorgeous woman with big knockers…  How could anyone NOT notice me now?  I didn't think that I could be invisible now if I tried.

"It's okay," my dad gently reassured me with a worried expression.  "Just ignore them…"

Nearly everyone went back to what they were doing, pretending that they didn't notice me.  But I was well aware of the brief glances that many of the restaurant patrons kept sneaking.  Still, I did my best to follow my dad's suggestion and ignore them, though it wasn't easy.  And once I had my meal, we sat down in the back corner, just out of plain sight so that we could have a little privacy.

"This is weird," I told dad, "The way those guys were looking at me…" I shook my head, never having imagined that guys would stare at me like that.  Of course, I'd gotten a few looks like that since leaving the house, but this time there were a bunch of people, all at once.  It had been so embarrassing.

"I know it's difficult," my dad told me with a frown, "But there's not much you can do except ignore it."

I nodded at that, looking at my dad and noticing the strange, thoughtful look in his eyes.  I suddenly realized that this whole situation had to be reminding him of mom and how people had treated her right after she'd been changed by the Bug.  I remembered the way that guys were suddenly drooling all over her, and how much she'd enjoyed having all that attention on her for once.

I frowned but ate my burger without saying anything.  What could I say?  Dad had to be pretty shaken up about the way everyone was staring at me, but he was trying hard to be supportive and not show it.  That made me feel just a little better.

"You sure are wolfing it down," my dad pointed out after a minute, gesturing to my empty place.

"Yeah," I smiled weakly, "I guess my appetite got bigger too."  Of course, I'd already noticed that during breakfast.

Dad shrugged, "Bigger body.  Bigger stomach.  Bigger appetite.  It makes sense.  In fact, I think I'd be worried if you only ate as much as you used to."  Then he glanced at his watch and told me, "I guess I'd better hurry up to so we're not late for your appointment."

When we arrived at the doctors office for my appointment, the doctor was already set up and waiting for us.  Dr. Brennan was the same doctor that we'd used for years, and he looked the same as he did the last time I'd seen him, with one exception.  Then, he had still been fighting his baldness with a bad comb over, though now he seemed to have given up the fight and shaved his head bare.  That made his bushy red beard stand out all the more.

"I keep hoping I'll catch the Burke's Virus and grow my hair back," Dr. Brennan chuckled when my dad mentioned his shaved head. "But until then…"

"I'll wish you luck," dad grinned.

Dr. Brennan finally turned his attention to me, saying, "Well Lee, it looks like you had a bad case of the Bug."

"Yeah," I muttered self-consciously.

"If your father hadn't told me that it was you," he smiled gently, "I never would have recognized you.  Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah," I nodded, "I'm not hurting or feeling sick anymore."

"But I would imagine that you feel quite strange," Dr. Brennan said.  "It's quite common after such an extreme change.  In fact, I would be a little concerned if you didn't feel strange at first."

I just nodded at that and squirmed a little uncomfortably in my seat.  "You'd think they'd come up with a cure or something…"

Dr. Brennan smiled gently, "Scientists are trying to develop a vaccine, though without much success from what I've heard."  Then he gave me a serious look and said, "Okay, let's get started, shall we…"

At this, the polite conversation turned into the medical examination that I'd come for.  Dr. Brennan looked in my eyes, ears and throat, checked my pulse, took my blood pressure and all of the normal things that were done during a doctor's visit.  Then he checked a few other things, including taking a sample of my blood.

"If you'll leave for a few minutes so we might have some privacy," Dr. Brennan told my dad, who nodded and left the room.  Then he said, "If you would like a woman present for this, I can call in Dr. Ascott from the next office…"

"No," I squeaked out, feeling embarrassed enough about this as it was.  I didn't want anyone else in there for the next part.

After this came the truly horrible part of the examination.  I cringed at the very thought, and the only thing that gave me the courage to go through with it was the realization that I was a lot bigger than Dr. Brennan and could stop him if he tried anything, even though I knew that he wouldn't.  I undressed and he examined my whole body, checking out my breasts and even between my legs before finally letting me put my clothes back on.

"Oh God," I grimaced, thinking about what had just been one of the most humiliating experiences of my entire life.  It ranked up there with the time that someone shoved me into the cafeteria garbage can because he'd caught me looking at his girlfriend.  That was one of the times that I'd wished to be more invisible, while this was another.

Once my dad was back in the room. Dr. Brennan stated, "It seems that you are now a perfectly healthy young woman."

My dad frowned slightly, then hesitantly asked, "You said that he…that Lee really is female now…  Does this mean that he…that Lee will have periods and can get pregnant?"

I groaned at that, knowing that my dad would have to be the one to get to the heart of the matter.  Those were questions that was curious about myself, but not about to ask.  I was afraid of what the answers would be.

"I can't say for certain until she sees a gynecologist for a thorough pelvic exam," Dr. Brennan frowned, "But since the Burke's Virus tends to be quite consistent in it's transformations, I can be very confident in saying yes."

"Just great," I groaned, shuddering at the very thought of being a mother, or even of having a period.  The very thought was just…nasty.  I was a guy…  Or at least I was inside, so this wasn't something that I was ever supposed to have been forced to deal with.  "At least," I gave a weak smile, "I can hope that I catch the Bug again and change back into a guy…"

"I'm sorry to disappoint you," Dr. Brennan told me, "but the Burke's Virus doesn't work like that.  Recent studies have shown that once the virus changes a part of you, it is extremely rare that it will ever change that part of you again.  It's as though the changed parts gain some immunity to the virus, or at least to further changes.  The same study shows that people who go through extreme transformations such as your own, almost never go through any significant changes again."  He frowned and shook his head, "You can catch the virus again, but it's unlikely that it will cause any further changes, or at least any that are very noticeable."

"Oh," I squeaked out, feeling as though my heart were jumping into my throat.  The full impact of what he'd just told me registered almost immediately.  Before, there had been some hope, even if only in the back of my mind, that since the Bug had changed me, that it might very well decide to change me back.  "So…I'm stuck like this?  For the rest of my life?"

Dr. Brennan didn't say anything, but he didn't have to either.  The look on his face was confirmation enough.  I was a girl…a giant, amazon woman for the rest of my life.  I staggered a little and gulped, not sure what to do…what to think.  And while I was just sitting there, trying to absorb this, my dad gave me a sympathetic look and put his hand on mine.

After a moment, dad turned to Dr. Brennan and said, "I've noticed his…her unusual size…  Is Lee an anomaly?"  I immediately looked back at Dr. Brennan, wondering that very thing myself.

Dr. Brennan stared at me for a moment, giving me a speculative look before answering, "Not quite.  Lee's physique is very unusual, but there are numerous women of significant height and muscularity."  He looked at me, "You could be considered borderline, but you are not an anomaly."

I just nodded at that, feeling a faint relief that I wasn't an anomaly.  After all, to be labeled as an 'anomaly' would have been like being officially labeled as a freak.  As it was, I was odd enough that I didn't need that extra label.

"What I want you to do," Dr. Brennan told me, "Is to make an appointment for a complete gynecological exam."  He handed my dad a business card, "There's a specialist just down the hall.  I assure you that Dr. Kincaid is very professional."

"Thank you," my dad responded looking less than enthused.

"Just great," I grumbled, even less enthused about my dad.  He was probably worried about the bill, and the fact that he had just lost his son.  I was the one who was going to have to go through what Jessie had once described to me as absolute torture, and the one thing he missed the least about his old life.

"I would also recommend counseling," the doctor handed my dad another business card. "These people help Burke's Virus transformees to adapt to their altered selves.  And they can teach you the things that you'll need to know as a woman."

All that I could say to that was, "Oh."  I wasn't much more enthusiastic about this counseling thing than I was about going to see a gynecologist.

"Is there anything else?" dad asked after a moment, looking at the cards that Dr. Brennan had given him.

"No," the doctor shook his head, "She seems to be perfectly health."

"Thank you," my dad told him, while I just grunted, "I'll see you later."

As we were leaving the office, Dr. Brennan told me, "Things will work out.  People adjust to new bodies all the time."  However, that didn't really make me feel any better at the moment.

[Morpheus]

Invisible No More
Part 3 of 6
By Morpheus

I leaned back on the couch, letting out a long sigh.  It had been a busy day and I was glad to be back home where I could relax, and not be stared at by people.  The kind of attention that my new body drew was one of the most uncomfortable things about my transformation.

With a slight frown, I absently flipped my new ID card between my fingers.  Dad and I had stopped by the licensing department right after seeing Dr. Brennan, where he proved my identity with all those pictures we took of my transformation.  After an hour of paperwork and such, they issued me an ID card which was clearly marked to say that in spite of my appearance, I was still a minor.

"Too bad I don't have a drivers license yet," I sighed.  Of course, if I did, it would be marked just like my new ID, so that I still couldn't go into bars or buy alcohol.  They were pretty strict about checking people's ID anymore, ever since the Bug had first appeared and made it difficult to judge people by appearances.  "It's not like this thing does me a lot of good…"

I held the ID up and stared at the picture of me on the front, and all of my new statistics such as height, weight and eye color.  It was so different from what I was used to that I had a hard time associating any of that to me.  In fact, the only things on the ID that were recognizable were my name and home address.  Dad had even tried talking me into changing my name, into taking an alter name.

"Like I'm really going to call myself Leanne," I muttered, thinking of the new girl name that he had suggested.  Fortunately, Lee was neutral enough that I figured I could still use it.  After all, I had so many new things to get used to that I didn't want to have to add my own name to the list as well.  "Lee works perfectly fine…"  The last was said in a tone of defiance.

"Are you still sitting there?" my dad asked as he stepped into the room and gave me a disapproving look.  "You can't hide in the house forever, you know."

"I was just thinking of doing my homework," I lied.  "I have to get caught up before I go back to school…"

"You won't have to go back for a couple days yet," my dad told me with a faint smile, "I think that you can take care of the school work tomorrow.  Go on, get out of the house."

"But we just got back an hour ago," I protested.

But it was obvious that my dad had already made up his mind.  He stood there with his arms crossed and a stubborn expression on his face, "Maybe, but you need to go out and have some fun.  Go on…"  He handed me a twenty dollar bill, "I don't want to see you back in here for at least an hour…"

I groaned but knew that he had me.  There was no way that I was going to turn down twenty bucks just for leaving the house for a bit.  So I took the money and left, glancing at my watch so I would know when it was safe to come back.

"Now what do I do?" I muttered.  It wasn't like I went out and did a lot of things before I'd caught the Bug.  "Maybe I can stop at the book store…"

After a moment, I suddenly had it.  I could go to Freddy's, which was a local restaurant that catered to teenagers.  The food wasn't the greatest, but they had a bunch of really cool video games set up.  In fact, they prided themselves on having some of the latest and most popular, which dew a lot of kids there after school to compete against each other.  And considering the time, and which day it was, there was a decent chance that some of my friends might be there.

"Would that be good luck or bad?" I asked myself, not sure if I was ready to see my friends yet.  Hell, I didn't think that I was ready to see anybody from school yet, but I was already on my way before that thought occurred to me.

When I arrived at Freddy's a short while later, I was relieved to find that it wasn't nearly as full as I'd begun to fear.  In fact, it was fairly quiet.  I glanced to the table which seemed to be perpetually reserved for the popular kids, and there were a couple of people sitting there.  Then I looked around at the other tables, finally spotting the one that I was looking for.

"Oh shit," I muttered, staring at Jessie, Toby and Edgar, who were all finishing off a pizza.  My heart jumped and I thought about turning around and immediately running out of the place.  I wasn't ready to face them yet.  I wasn't ready to show them what I'd turned into.  Then I took a deep breath and muttered, "Don't freak out…"

I remained where I was for a minute, well aware that everyone was beginning to stare at me again.  Of course, how could they not?  I was not only a gorgeous woman with big knockers, but a very tall and athletic looking one at that.  It would have been almost impossible for them not to notice me.  But knowing this and feeling comfortable with it were two different things.  I absently reached up to adjust my glasses, which were no longer there, then slowly went forward.

As I got closer to the table that my friends were sitting at, I could overhear them talking about me, about how they wondered how I'd changed and about how they were planning on visiting me once they left Freddy's.  My heart beat louder and louder with each step and I had to fight the urge to just turn around and leave.

"You guys about ready to go see Lee?" Toby asked the other two.

I stopped in front of their table, gulped and said, "There's no need for that."

All three of them froze and looked at me in surprise, with Toby and Edgar staring at my prominent chest.  Jessie stared at me as well, but with a more speculative look on his face.

"I'm right here," I told them, trying to look confident and not show how nervous I felt.  What if they didn't like me like this?  What if they left me, just like my mom had?  But I wouldn't know unless I told them.

Jessie's expression suddenly became one of satisfaction at having guessed right.  "Lee?" he asked, "Is that really you?"

I nodded self-consciously, unable to bring myself to look my friends in the eye.  I stared at the table top for a moment before finally looking at them.  They were all staring at me, their expressions ones of complete amazement.

"Lee?" Toby gasped, "Holy shit…  Man the Bug got you good…"

I just stood where I was so that they could get a good look at me.  At the same time, I was becoming more aware of just how short they all seemed to me now.  I had always been the shortest one of our little group of Invisibles, but that was obviously no longer the case.  After a moment, I sat down, giving them all a weak smile.

"Wow," Jessie exclaimed, "You look amazing…"

"No shit," Toby echoed, staring at me in complete amazement.

Jessie was the only one of my three friend's who wasn't staring at me in lust and looking like he wanted to jump me, but he was gay.  But even so, I could see the look of awe and admiration in his eyes.

There were a few seconds of uncomfortable silence before I realized something else.  They were intimidated by me.  I was stunned to realize that, but knew that I should have earlier.  After all, I was not only a lot bigger than any of them, but was a gorgeous woman with big knockers, who looked like an adult.  Any of those three things was enough to intimidate most teenage boys, and all three of them together…  I had little doubt that if I'd run into someone who looked like I did now, before I had changed, I would have been pretty damn intimidated too.

"This is pretty weird for me," I broke the silence, smiling nervously. "I mean…"  I gestured down at myself, then shaking my head.

Edgar finally tore his eyes away from my chest long enough to ask, "Can I touch them?"

"No," I snapped back, blushing brightly, "Get a pair of your own."

Jessie and Toby both started laughing at that, then Toby pointed out, "He already has a pair.  I mean, look at those man boobs…"

"Watch it," Edgar glared at him, then gave a weak chuckle.

The tension seemed to have broken and I let out a sigh of relief.  They weren't immediately turning on me, kicking me out of the group and calling me some sort of freak.  I was thankful, but realized that my friends weren't the type to do that in the first place.

"So," Jessie asked, "What alter name are you using?"

"I don't have one," I answered.  "I figured that Lee would still work."

"It should," Toby teased me, "I always thought it was a girlie name anyway…"

"Did you know," Jessie smiled, "I heard that Amanda is the most popular alter name used by guys who turn female?  I guess they like the pun."

"What pun?" Edgar asked with a blank look.

Toby just rolled his eyes.  "A…man…duh"

Jessie giggled a little at that while I snickered.  Edgar stuck his tongue out at Toby and it seemed just like everything was normal.

"So, what's it like?" Toby asked me.  "I mean…damn…  You look…"  He shook his head.

"Weird," I muttered, "Very weird.  I don't think I'll ever get used to this."

"You will," Jessie told me with a sad expression.  "Trust me."

"You look like an adult," Edgar said.  "I bet you could get into bars now…"

"No," I shook my head, "My ID still says that I'm a minor."

"You are pretty lucky," Jessie sighed, a look of envy on her face as she obviously thought about all that she had lost.  There was no doubt that she would have much rather come out looking more like I did.  "I mean, it could have been worse…"

"Yeah," Edgar grinned, "You could have come out looking like Toby…"
Toby glared at Edgar and added, "Or him…"

After this, I ordered a banana split and ate while we talked for the next hour or so.  I told them what I'd been doing all day, skipping over my visit to the lingerie store, and tried explaining what it was like to suddenly become so completely different.  However, Jessie was the only one who understood what I was going through and he kept nodded knowingly.

When we finally left Freddy's, Jessie pulled me aside and gave me a sympathetic look.  "If you need anything," he told me "If you have any questions about being a girl or if you need help with anything, I'm here for you.  I know there's a lot you'll have to learn and get used to…and I want to help."  He paused, looking teary eyed, "You guys were there for me when…"  He gestured down at himself. "If it hadn't been for you guys, I might have killed myself."

"What?" I blinked in surprise.  I'd known that Jessie had been having a really hard time after his transformation, but I never knew that he'd been thinking of suicide.

Jessie quickly continued, "You were there for me, and I want to be there for you."

As Jessie went to join the other guys, I was a bit teary eyed myself.  What he had said and the sentiment behind it really meant a lot to me and I was extremely thankful to realize that I had friends like him.

I awoke to one of the world's most annoying sounds, that of an alarm clock going off in the morning.  I groaned and slapped the thing, accidentally knocking it off of my night stand.  I still wasn't used to the new reach of my arms, and tended to be a little clumsy as a result.  But that didn't bother me much at the moment.  The clock could stay on the floor for all I cared.

After a minute, I sat up in bed, silently cursing at the alarm clock while simultaneously being thankful for such a good nights sleep.  I wiggled my toes and smiled faintly at the fact that they weren't hanging off the foot of the bed anymore.  My dad had bought me a new bed that I could actually fit on the day before, and it was definitely comfortable.

"Too bad he's having to spend so much on me," I muttered, feeling a little guilty at that fact.

I briefly considered getting a job in order to help pay some of the bills that my transformation had caused, then shrugged it off for now.  Maybe I could get a job after things have settled down a bit more, but at the moment, I had too many other things to worry about.

"I can't believe that I have to go back to school already," I muttered to myself, feeling somewhat disgusted as well as afraid.

It had only been two days since I recovered enough from the Burke's Virus to go see Dr. Brennan.  I figured that I needed at least another couple days to get everything I needed taken care of and to get a little more used to my body.  But my dad didn't agree and thought that the sooner I was back in school and in a regular routine, the better off I'd be.

"Get out of the house and around people," I mimicked my dad, "Like I was actually out of the house and doing things before I caught the Bug.  If he wants me to get back in my normal routine, he should let me sit around and watch TV."

With another groan, more for effect than from actually effort, I climbed out of bed.  After several days, I was still amazed at just how much smaller everything in my room was.  It was subtle and not something that was immediately noticeable, but I couldn't help feeling that everything was just a little off.  Of course, that was pretty minor compared to some of the other adjustments I had to make.

I stared down at my breasts, shaking my head faintly at their presence.  They certainly made it a little more difficult to get to sleep, especially since I couldn't roll over and sleep on my belly anymore.  Fortunately, I usually slept on my side so they didn't interfere too much.

"Okay," I sighed, "Time to get moving."

Since I knew that my dad would have already left for work and that I was home alone, I didn't bother putting on a bath robe or anything else.  I walked naked through the house and went to the bath room where I relieved myself and took my morning shower.  I smiled in relief, thankful that dad had listened to my pleading to get a shower head with an extension hose on it so that I could lift it to my own height rather than being forced to bend over.

"Much better," I grinned.

Somehow, I would have to let dad know how grateful I was for everything that he did to make me more comfortable.  With the clothes, bed, shower head, and so many other things, he had probably spent a small fortune on me in the last couple of days.

After the shower came the chore that drying my hair had become.  Fortunately, this time I had the tools and knowledge to take care of it.  I frowned as I reached for the hair dryer and brush, thinking that it would be so much easier to just get my hair cut short.  But when I had mentioned that to Jessie while he was over yesterday, he had told me that if I dared cut off such long and beautiful hair, he'd kick my ass.

Taking care of my hair took a lot longer than I would have liked, though I was forced to admit that taking long strokes through it with a brush was kind of relaxing.  And in spite of myself, I had to admit that it looked pretty damn good too.  It seemed to add to the whole 'hot amazon babe' package that I had going.

Finally, I was able to get to the important subject of breakfast.  Normally I would have just poured myself a bowl of cereal and be done with it, but ever since I had been changed, my appetite had doubled…at least.  I knew that I would need something a little more substantial than that, so I fixed myself a half dozen eggs instead.

Then came the clothes.  I put on one of the bras that had arrived the day before, thankful to Jessie for showing me how to do so.  That little lesson had been a bit embarrassing, but oh so very useful.  He had given me a few other pieces of advice about getting dressed now that I was a girl.

"That should do it," I said once I was finished.  I looked over what I had put on, a pair of black pants, a red t-shirt and tennis shoes.  It wasn't the most fashionable outfit, but I didn't particularly care.  It was comfortable, and didn't really look bad either.

For a brief moment, I thought about Jessie's suggestion from yesterday that I learn how to use makeup, though I'd flatly refused.  He couldn't very well argue with my decision since he wasn't a very masculine boy and I had no intention of being a really feminine girl.

Once I was ready, I grabbed all of the homework I'd rushed to finish yesterday and started for school.  I was pretty nervous, even a bit scared over what I would face when I got there.  The only thing that gave me the courage to keep going rather than calling in sick was the thought that my friends would be there waiting for me.  That and the fact my dad would be pissed if I skipped school on my first day back.

As soon as I arrived on the school grounds, everyone stopped to stare at me.  It was a reaction that I was coming to expect.  No matter where I want, I was suddenly the center of attention, and school was no different.  I was getting looks of awe, disbelief, amazement, lust and even hostility, though the last came almost exclusively from girls.  No one was ignoring me now and I could even hear people whispering about me.

I knew that everyone was curious about me and I didn't blame them since I would have been in their shoes.  I didn't even look like the same age as the other students.  They were probably wondering if I was a new teacher, or maybe the mother or older sister of some student.  I doubted that most of them realized that I was a student, or that I had been going to that school for awhile.

It was a little strange, walking down the school hallway, knowing that I was the complete and total center of attention.  It was just as strange to look out over the crowd, seeing the tops of all those heads and realizing that I was taller than most of the student body by at least six inches.  There were only one or two other kids in the entire school who were taller than me, and they were nowhere in sight.  I towered over everyone in the hall.  And strangely enough, the fact that I was so much bigger than everyone around me gave me a sort of confidence and I found myself standing up even straighter.

By the time I got to the school office, I was feeling much better.  I smiled down at the secretary, who was now more than a foot shorter than me and looked absolutely tiny.  I saw her eyes widen in obvious intimidation as she looked up at me, but she forced a smile and asked, "How may I help you miss?"

"I'm a student," I told her, my nervousness beginning to return. "I've been out a week with the Bug…"

"Oh," she gasped, her eyes going even wider.

"I'm Lee Forrest," I told her, handing her a note from Dr. Brennan.

"Oh," she blinked in surprise, then gave me a weak smile. "Your father called yesterday to let us know what to expect…  But to actually see you…"

I just nodded and smiled weakly, knowing that I was quite a sight.  "I know…  It's pretty weird…"

The secretary paused for a moment to collect herself, then told me, "Your teachers have already been informed so you can go right to your normal classes."

I thanked her and went to my first class, immediately getting the same reaction that I was becoming used to.  One boy exclaimed, "We've got a substitute," while another gasped, "Just look at her.."  They were all surprised when, instead of going to the teacher's desk like they expected, I made may way back to my normal seat.

"Just great," I muttered as I looked down at it and my desk, realizing that it was going to be a cramped fit.

"Who are you?" the girl I normally sat next to asked, looking up at me with a confused expression.  There were similar looks of confusion around the room.

"I'm Lee," I told her with an embarrassed shrug.

She just gave me a blank look and I realized that she was probably only vaguely aware that a boy always sat next to her.  I doubted if she had ever paid any attention to me at all, or even to what my name was.  It was just another reminder of how invisible I had always been.

Just then, our teacher stepped into the room, confusing the few students who still thought I was a substitute.  She looked around, stared at me in surprise, then apparently remembered being told about my change.

"Lee Forrest?" she asked.  At my nod, she gulped, "I was told that you had Burke's…"

At that, everyone stared at me even harder and a burst of noise filled the room as everyone began talking at once.  Several people immediatelystarted asking me questions while a number of others looked at me curiously, trying to picture what I had looked like before.  I doubted if any of them had ever paid enough attention to the old me to remember.

I frowned and sat down in my chair, feeling somewhat cramped but trying to ignore it as class began.  But I was obviously not the only one who was distracted as half the class kept sneaking looks at me over the next hour and whispering among themselves.  I think our teacher was relieved when the bell rang because she wouldn't have to deal with me distracting her class for the rest of the day.

My next several classes were pretty much the same, except that the other Invisibles were in them with me, sitting back and snickering in amusement at the reactions.  At this point, I was in class with a number of the same people, and word about me was spreading so that few people who were surprised by my presence.  They were amazed and intimidated, but not really surprised.  By the time that lunch came around, I suspected that at least half the school knew about me, if not who I had been before. 

At lunch, I sat with my friends at our normal table, which wasn't nearly as ignored as normal.  A lot of people kept looking at us, or at least at me.  Some people even sat at the same table, just to get a better look at me without being too obvious.  Or at least they were trying not to be too obvious.

"I can't believe the way that everyone keeps staring at you," Toby whispered, looking a little nervous.  "It's weird."

"Tell me about it," I sighed.

"Well, you do stand out," Jessie reminded me unnecessarily.

Just then, I noticed a boy coming straight for our table and immediately recognized him.  He was Paul Williams, a senior and one of those popular kids.  He was 6 foot 1 and rather athletic, the kind of guy who'd always enjoyed making me feel small and weak before my transformation.

"Hey babe," Paul grinned at me, "You look fine…"

"Leave me alone," I frowned, not wanting anything to do with him.  As it was, I felt just a little nervous with him standing there, maybe even a bit afraid.

"Leave her alone," Jessie said, sounding afraid as well.

Paul just glared at him with a raw hatred, "Shut up and mind your own business before I kick your ass…"

Jessie cringed from the threat and I knew how hard that had to be for him.  Back when Jessie had still been Jessica, Paul had been her boyfriend.  But when she had changed, he had not only dumped her, but rejected her completely.  Paul had become one of Jessie's worst tormentors, as if that would help him forget that the scrawny geek was someone he used to kiss.  I knew that Paul's betrayal had really hurt Jessie, even more than the bruises he'd given.

"Leave him alone," I said as I stood up and glared at Paul, becoming more aware of our height difference.  Where he had once been bigger than me, I was now taller than him.  I was 5 inches taller than him and more muscular.  As I looked down at him, I felt more confident and my fear quickly drained away.

"Wow," Paul gasped as he stared up at me.  Then he quickly gave me a cocky grin, "You know, I like big girls…  There's more of you to love…"

I just stared back at him in surprise, not sure whether to be amused by that statement or disgusted.  I couldn't believe that Paul was actually hitting on me and couldn't decide if that was better or worse than him just hitting me.

"C'mon," Paul grinned at me, "Someone as beautiful as you doesn't need to sit over here with these losers.  Why don't you come sit with me and my friends?  We'll give you a proper welcome to the school.  I know it can be hard when you start at a new school…"

"New school?" I blinked, then realized that he had no idea who I was and just thought I was a new student.  "I'm not a new student," I glared at Paul, "I've been here for a few years, and this isn't the first time we've met.  I've just had the Bug."

"What?" Paul looked confused, "Who are you…?"

"I'm the person you stuffed in the garbage can last year," I spat out, pointing to the offending garbage cans.  And as Paul's eyes widened in realization, I growled, "And if you don't leave me and my friends alone, I'll do that to you…"

Paul gulped, a look of fear and intimidation quickly passing over his face.  And without another word, he turned and rushed off, not even going back to his own lunch table but leaving the cafeteria entirely.

"Holy shit," Toby exclaimed as I sat back down, "Did you see the look on his face?"

"Priceless," Edgar grinned.

Jessie laughed, "I bet that felt great…"

"You have no idea," I grinned back at him, feeling rather smug.  I couldn't believe that Paul, one of the guys I went out of my way to avoid was now intimidated by me.  "It felt fantastic…"

We continued talking about the incident with Paul through the rest of lunch, especially how one moment he was hitting on me and the next nearly running.  That had probably been one of the most satisfying moments of my life, and the fulfillment of a year long daydream.  And when I finally left for my next class, I was filled with a new confidence.

After my next period, it was time for my least favorite class…gym.  I wasn't looking forward to it, though I found that there was one good thing about my change in gender.  I could now use the girl's locker room.  Unfortunately, it was pretty awkward and the girls gave me odd looks.  I blushed and hurried into the back corner where I could change in peace, without any of the girls staring at me, and without them having to worry about me staring at them.

"I finally get into the girl's locker room," I muttered to myself as I left, "and I can't even enjoy it…"

Of course, I grinned to myself, I could always tell Toby that all the girls ran around naked in there and touched each other's breasts, just to make him jealous.  In fact, I could even imagine Jessie playing along and pretending that this kind of thing was perfectly normal.

"I can't wait," I snickered.

When I finally stepped into the gym, the reaction was exactly what I expected.  Everyone immediately turned and stared at me, including the people I'd been in classes with earlier, and the girl's from the locker room.  Even Coach Mason, who was notoriously impatient with those who had not been athletically gifted, stared at me in amazement.

"Forrest," Coach Mason snapped at me after a minute, "Catching the Bug may be the most healthy thing you've ever done."

And with that acknowledgment of my altered body, Coach Mason started up class, announcing that we would be playing basketball.  Again, all eyes turned on me, and there were a lot of speculative looks in them.  I gulped, suddenly feeling extremely nervous.

I suddenly thought about Alan Grier, who at 6 foot 9 is the tallest kid in school.  Since he's a tall black guy, everyone had expected him to be a great basketball player and possibly the secret weapon for the school basketball team.  Imagine the surprise when it turned out that he was not only horrible at the game, but had no interest in basketball or any other sport.  I had the feeling that the same kind of expectations were being built due to my height.

"I hope I'm on your team," Edgar told me.  He was the only one of my friends that I was in gym with, and the only one of them who was less athletic than me.

As soon as it came time to pick up teams, I was the first person chosen.  I was partly expecting it, yet still surprised at the same time.  It was the first time in my life that I had EVER been picked for a sports team.  I felt a surge of excitement at that, as well as some nervous fear that I would let them down and embarrass myself.

Edgar was picked last, though that didn't seem to bother him much.  "I would wish you good luck," he told me as we got ready to play, "But since you're on the other team, I hope you fall on your face."  He grinned at me to show that he didn't mean it, then went to join his team.

The moment that Coach Mason blew his whistle, I knew that this game was going to be different.  For my entire life, I had always been one of the last people chosen for any sport and the last person that was ever given a real opportunity to play.  In basketball, no one had EVER passed the ball to me, even when I was wide open.  But now, things were different.  It was as though my entire team was focusing on me, expecting ME to be the one to win the game by myself.  Every time I blinked, my team was passing me the ball…

"I can do this," I told myself as I threw the ball towards the hoop, only to miss it.

I groaned and silently cursed myself, though it wasn't the first time I'd missed a shot.  My body might be taller and more athletic, but I still wasn't used to it.  I was uncoordinated and even a bit clumsy.  And then there was the fact that I'd never been able to throw baskets from any kind of a distance before, and that hadn't changed at all.  But fortunately, my sheer height was enough to get several baskets, which was more than anyone else on my team.

When the game was finally over, Coach Mason called out, "Good job Forrest.  With a little more practice, the girls basketball team will beg to have you when the season starts…"

I was stunned at that since it had to be the first compliment that Coach Mason had ever given me.  And that was after I'd missed more than half the baskets I tried throwing.

"Um…thanks," I responded.

"Nice game," one of the guys on the other team told me as he walked past.  "You're hard to get past…"

Several more people made complimentary comments as well, leaving me more and more stunned.  I smiled, not used to that kind of attention but deciding that I liked it.  It was great to not be ignored, and to have people be nice to me for a change.

Then Coach Mason came up to me and said, "You played a good game.  It was the first time that I've ever seen you try…  But I noticed that you were a bit awkward out there…"

"Yeah," I frowned, not having to be reminded about my clumsy slips and mistakes.

"It's pretty common after a drastic change like yours," he pointed out, not acting as though it bothered him.  "You were really getting better towards the end though.  You'll get your coordination in no time, especially if you keep playing."

"Okay," I responded, not sure what else I could say.

Coach Mason quickly reached out and grabbed my arm, looking impressed as he squeezed it.  "Very nice," he told me, letting go and looking me over, "You shouldn't have much problem staying in this shape either…"

"What do you mean?" I asked blankly.

"Well," Coach Mason looked thoughtful, which was somewhat unusual, "When the Bug makes someone fat, they have a harder than normal time losing that weight.  And when the Bug gives someone muscles, they don't atrophy from lack of use nearly as fast as normal.  I guess when the Bug changes ya, it helps you stay in that shape."  He looked me over again, "So you probably won't have to work out much to keep those muscles.  But I suggest you hit the gym anyway.  It'll help you get used to your new body and what you can do with it.  And it'll let you know just how far you can push yourself.  If you don't know your limits, you can't break them…"

I didn't know what to say as Coach Mason turned and left me.  I just frowned thoughtfully as I took in what he'd told me.  I'd never even considered the idea that I might actually have to work out to stay in the kind of shape I was now.

"I'm no gym rat," I grimaced, not exactly thrilled with the idea of going into the weight room and lifting weights with those meat head jocks.

Then I turned my thoughts back to the game itself, and to the way everyone had been treating me.  Even the people on the other team had been nice and respectful.  It was great, much better than being ignored or shoved out of the way.  I grinned broadly, deciding that I could definitely get used to that.

[Morpheus]

Invisible No More
Part 4 of 6
By Morpheus

I quietly walked through the main hallway of the school, smiling confidently as I did so.  Nearly all of the other kids saw me coming and immediately stepped out of my way, as if afraid that I might walk right over them if they didn't.  The whole crowd of student bodies parted before me like the Red Sea.

It had only been several days since I had come back to school in my new body, and I couldn't believe just how much it had changed in that time.  It seemed like it was an entirely different school.  Of course, I knew that the school itself hadn't changed.  I was the one who had.  And as a result, I was seeing the school in an entirely new way, just as everyone there saw me differently.

No matter where I went in the school, or even out of it, I was the immediate center of attention.  Boys were especially fascinated by me, being attracted to my hot body and impressed by my size and muscles.  A lot of the girls were jealous of the attention I drew, but most of them were pretty nice to me now, apparently liking the idea that there was a girl in school who was bigger and stronger than the boys.  I'd even overheard one girl threatening her boyfriend with me, telling him that I'd come and beat him up if he dared lay a finger on her without her permission.

Of course, the downside was that I was no longer invisible.  Since everyone noticed me no matter where I went, I had to be a lot more careful about what I did.  I couldn't get away with anything, whether it was accidentally wearing my shirt inside out, or tripping and falling on my face in the middle of the hallway.  People always noticed.

Just then, I was brought out of my thoughts by a boy who was running down the hall and not looking where he was going.  He was a short, skinny, freshman, who ran straight into me, then bounced off and onto the floor.

"What the…?" I blinked in surprise, looking down at him in annoyance.

The boy stared up at me from the floor with a look of terror on his face and pleading in his eyes.  "I'm sorry," he blurted out, "I didn't mean…"

"It's okay," I grinned down at him, not wanting him to be afraid of me.  I held out my hand and helped him back to his feet, "It happens…  Just look where you're going next time…"

"Sure," he nodded eagerly with an expression of intense relief, "Okay…"  Then he gave me a grateful smile before rushing off again.

"Did you see the look on his face?" a boy standing to the side laughed, "Priceless…"  Then he grinned at me, "You should have stomped him for that…"

I glared at him, remembering getting the same kind of reaction from boys just like him when I had been the one in that freshman's position.  I hadn't liked it then and I didn't like it now.  "It was just an accident," I told him with a scowl, "And it probably hurt him more than it did me."  Then, for everyone else's benefit, I added, "Besides, what kind of limp dicked moron goes and beats someone up just because they can?"

With that, I turned and walked away, feeling quite pleased with myself.  I never would have had the courage to say anything like that before.  And the look of guilt on that boy's face…  Now that had been priceless.

I had just gone a short distance when Toby appeared beside me, almost by magic.  He looked a little uncomfortable as he whispered to me, "People are staring…"

"They always do," I shrugged, "I'm starting to get used to it."

"So," Toby grinned up at me, "Edgar says that you've been kicking ass in gym…"

I blushed at that and nodded, "I guess…  My body's more athletic now…"  That was an understatement, but I didn't want to brag.

"Who ever thought that my little buddy Lee would turn into a jock?" Toby teased me.

"It's not like that," I protested, "Coach Mason told me that playing sports will help build my coordination back up, and it's working."

Toby snorted, "Yeah right…"

"Okay," I admitted with some embarrassment, "It's a LOT more fun to play sports when I actually get to play.  It's also kind of fun showing off what I can do…  You should see the looks on some of their faces…  The guys who used to pick me last are begging to be on my team."

Toby laughed at that, "Too bad you had to turn into a girl…"

"Don't remind me," I groaned, "Jessie's been coming over almost every night and teaching me all sorts of girl stuff.  I kind of wish I could just forget about it for awhile."

"Well," Toby snickered, "Since tomorrow is Saturday, me and Edgar were going to go see that new comic book movie Mantra.  You wanna come along?"

I stared at Toby for a moment, having seen the previews for the movie on TV.  Mantra was based off of an old comic book that had recently been making a come back.  Though I'd never read it, I knew that it was about some warrior guy who gets reincarnated as a female sorceress, and who then becomes a super hero.  Before I'd come down with the Bug, I might have laughed at the idea, but now…  Well, I could sort of relate to the main character.

"I'm afraid not," I sighed in disappointment.  "I've got an appointment with some counselor…  I don't think I need one, but dad insists."

"Too bad," Toby gave me a sympathetic look.  "I'm glad the Bug never did anything like that to me…"

"You should be," I nodded, giving a frown, "You have no idea how confusing an overnight sex change can be…"

"Speaking of that," Toby grinned at me again, this time with a mischievious look in his eyes, "I was wondering if you like guys now.  I mean LIKE guys…"

I nearly choked at that, staring at Toby in disbelief.  I couldn't believe that he'd ask me something like that…  I'd heard stories about people who said the Bug changed their sexual orientation, making them gay, straight or whatever.  But my dad said this is probably just people who were already that way, using the Bug as an excuse to come out of the closet or to rationalize it to themselves.  Since I still liked girls and Jessie still liked boys, I still didn't know if the Bug could change that kind of thing about a person or not.

"No," I glared down at Toby, scowling as much as I could, "I do NOT like guys…"

"Too bad," Toby gave me a disappointed look, "Imagine how jealous all the guys would be if you were my girlfriend…"  I couldn't tell if he was joking or not, which worried me.

"Well it's not going to happen," I insisted, "As of now, I found myself among the ranks of carpet munchers."

"As if you've ever even seen one," he started to tease me, then blushed, "Besides your own…"

"Well anyway," I told him with a bright blush, "I've got to get going…"

"Cool," Toby nodded and started to walk away, then paused as he suddenly remembered something else. "Oh yeah…  Jessie says that he has a new friend he wants to introduce us to during lunch…"

I stared at Toby for a moment, wondering what he meant about Jessie having a new friend.  As far as I knew, Jessie didn't have ANY friends except us.  Now my curiosity was definitely building, and I didn't know if I could wait till lunch to have it satisfied.

——————–

It was lunch time and I strolled through the cafeteria with a tray of food in one hand and my bag lunch in another.  Ever since I had been transformed by the Bug, my lunches were larger, yet somehow seemed to satisfy me even less.  I didn't make eye contact with anyone around me as I hurried to my seat, eager to eat.  My empty stomach reminded me that I hadn't eaten a large enough breakfast.

"I'll definitely have to have a bigger breakfast tomorrow," I muttered to myself, "Or I'll bring a snack…  Maybe both…"

As soon as I reached my table, I sat down and tore into my lunch, barely acknowledging Edgar and Toby who were already there waiting.  Jessie hadn't arrived yet, so I still didn't know who his mysterious new friend was.  At the moment though, I didn't particularly care.

Just a minute after I sat down, I noticed that our table, which was normally relatively unoccupied, was beginning to fill up.  It had been that way over the last few days, as though people wanted to sit near me.  It was a somewhat strange experience to realize that these people…these strangers had chosen their seats, just to be near me.  I almost felt like I was some kind of movie star with a bunch of paparazzi following me around.

"Those seats are saved," I pointed out to one guy who was about to sit in Jessie's normal seat.  He took one look at me and quickly found another place further down the table.

"I thought this was supposed to be the unpopular table," Edgar muttered as he bit into a cafeteria fish stick.  "It's getting downright crowded over here…"

"Soon we'll have to be taking reservations," Toby snickered.

"Or charging for seats," I grinned at him, barely giving him a glance before going back to my eating.

"I can't believe how much you eat now," Toby shook his head.

"Neither can my dad," I answered a few seconds later.  "He says it's killing his bank account."

"So, what are you guys up to this afternoon?" Toby asked.

"Same as always," Edgar shrugged.

I hesitated a moment before admitting, "Coach Mason wants me to go to the weight room.  He says I should figure out just how strong I am now and just what this body can do…"

"YOU in the weight room?" Edgar laughed, "This I've got to see."

"I don't know," Toby frowned thoughtfully, "With those muscles, I think it might be a good idea…"  He grimaced, as if the very idea of agreeing with anything that Coach Mason said was painful for him.

"He's been after me for a couple days," I shrugged, "And I am getting kind of curious…"

Just then, I noticed Jessie a short distance away, coming straight for us.  He wasn't alone though and had a little girl with him.  Or at least,  my first impression was that she was a little girl since she was only about 4 foot 10 or so, but I quickly revised my estimate of her age when I noticed her body.  She was about our age and had dark, shoulder length hair, with a somewhat petite build and a very cute face.

"This is Lita," Jessie said as he sat down, gesturing for the girl to do the same.

Lita hesitated a moment, looking somewhat shy and nervous.  Then she took a seat next to Jessie and gave us all a weak smile.  Her eyes definitely lingered on me, though she tore them away with some visible effort.

"Um…hi," Lita gave us another weak smile.

"This is Edgar, Toby and Lee," Jessie introduced us.  Lita's eyes once again locked on me and she stared for a minute before suddenly looking down in embarrassment.  I just stared back, amazed at just how tiny she seemed.

"Lita and I met online last night," Jessie explained.  "We were kind of surprised when we found out that we go to the same school.  So we met up in person this morning…"

"Are you new to the school?" Jessie asked her with a grin.

Lita frowned a bit as she said, "Sort of…  I'm a sophomore and I've been going here for a couple months…"

I just stared at her in surprise, not really recognizing her.  Now that I looked at her, I think that I might have seen her around school once or twice, but that's about it.  I'd never really paid any attention.

"I thought that she might be a good recruit for the Invisibles," Jessie told us.

I could only nod faintly at that.  If Lita had been going to the school for several months and none of us had seen her, she had definitely earned the title of invisible.  But whether she would become one of the Invisibles or not was another question.

"So, where'd you move here from?" Toby asked, leaning forward and trying to flirt with her.

"I didn't really move." Lita admitted, frowning as she did so.  "I just changed schools."

"Oh?" I asked, earning a quick glance and a blush.

"From Northside," she answered, naming our rival school on the other side of town.

"Why'd you do that?" Toby asked, "I mean, I know our school is better…"

"It's not that," Lita frowned, looking thoughtful for a moment.  Then she scowled, "I wasn't always this short…"  She gestured down at herself quickly glanced at me, "I caught Burke's and lost eight inches.  It was kind of embarrassing to be at my old school like this, so I transferred."

"The Bug made him…her gain nine inches," Toby gestured to me with a grin, "Not to mention the muscles and sex change…"

Lita stared at me again, this time for a bit longer.  There was an intensity in her eyes as she did so, though she eventually blushed and looked away.  Still, I noticed that she kept sneaking looks at me as we sat there and talked.

"It was nice meeting you," I told Lita when lunch was ended and it was time for us all to leave.

As I was leaving the table, something finally dawned on me.  Lita had been staring at me all through lunch, which wasn't too unusual in that just about everyone stared at me.  But I finally realized that the way she was staring at me…the look in her eyes…it was the same way that boys stared at me.

I caught up to Jessie as he was leaving the cafeteria and tried to act nonchalant as I pushed, "So…you said that you met Lita online?"

Jessie paused and looked at me for a moment, his expression turning into one of embarrassment.  He absently reached up as if to twirl the long hair that he no longer possessed before suddenly remembering that his old nervous habit was as useless as mine of adjusting my glasses.

"It was a chat room for local gay teens," Jessie admitted, then quickly blurted out, "I guess I count now…and so do you.  If you'd like, I can give you the address…"

"Oh," I responded, my suspicion about Lita having been confirmed.

Jessie hesitated a moment more before grinning mischieviously.  "In the chat room, Lita was going on about how a boy in her school had just turned into an amazon babe, and about how she had a major crush on her.  I couldn't resist introducing myself…"

"What?" I stared at Jessie in surprise.

But Jessie just winked at me and said, "See you later," as he hurried away.  I just remained where I was, staring after him in disbelief and feeling more than a little dumbfounded.

——————–

I stepped into the school weight room, feeling extremely nervous as I did so.  I even paused to take a deep breath before I looked around, realizing that this might be the first time that I'd ever even been in there.  Normal gym class was bad enough, but weight training…  I'd always thought that the only people who did the whole weight training thing were the meat heads.

"I never thought I'd be in here," I muttered, especially not for the purpose of lifting weights.

As I stepped further into the weight room, I could feel several pairs of eyes on me.  This temple to jockdom was the last place that I wanted to be.  Just being there made me feel like such a hypocrite.  When I looked around, though, I was given the further hypocrisy of realizing that I was probably the most muscular person there.  Sure, there were a couple of really athletic football players, but the other half dozen people were just ordinary students.

"Well, here goes nothing," I sighed as I went to one of the machines, "I just need to find out how strong I am now…"

I began working out on a bench press machine, lifting a little and then increasing the weight.  I had only been working at it for a few minutes and hadn't really put any effort into it when I noticed that the guy sitting next to me was watching me with a frown.  It took me a moment more to realize that it was Matt Hassock, a senior and the quarterback of the school football team.

"What?" I asked defensively.

"Your form sucks," Matt told me with a scowl.

"What?" I blinked in confusion, wondering what he was talking about.  Everyone else thought that I had a great form.  Guys were checking it out all the time.

"I was just wondering how you got in such good shape," he explained, "when your lifting form is so bad…"

"Oh," I gasped in understanding, realizing that he hadn't been talking about my body.  "I've never lifted weights before…  I didn't get these from working out," I flexed my arm to show my muscles, then quickly added, "Or steroids.  I had the Bug…"

"Oh yeah," Matt nodded his head knowingly, "I heard about you…"

"Stop wasting time with the freak," another boy called out from the other side of the room.
I looked at him and saw that it was Deacon 'Dawg' Jones, another member of the football team.  He was bigger and bulkier than Matt, though still a good four inches shorter than me.

"Finish your workout," Matt called back to him, then turned to me, "Let me show you how to do it right…  In fact, you get better results with the freeweights…"

For a moment, I just stared at Matt suspiciously, wondering what he was up to.  But to my surprise, he looked fairly sincere so I nodded my agreement and let him show me how to lift weights the 'right way.'  Once he was done with his demonstration and correcting my position, I went to work.

"Push it bitch," Matt told me after a minute, just as I was lifting more weight than I'd ever lifted in my life.

"What?" I gasped, beginning to get angry that he'd call me that.

"It's just motivational talk," Matt quickly explained, "I'm just trying to get you pumped up…"

I stared at him for a moment, then nodded, "Okay," before going back to work.

Matt continued with his motivational talk, but toned it down a little.  I just tried to ignore it and focus on what I was doing, but after a few minutes, he exclaimed, "Holy shit…"  I quickly looked up to see what I was doing wrong, but he gulped, "You just beat my max…"

"Really?" I stared at him in surprise.  I hadn't even been lifting my hardest.  It hadn't been light, but I knew that I could lift a bit more weight than that, so the fact that it this was Matt's limit stunned me.

A minute later, Matt told me, "You just beat Dawg's max…"

I didn't respond to that, not knowing what I could say.  Instead, I continued to increase the weight until I finally reached what was about my own maximum weight.  Matt stared at me in amazement, while I just stared at the bar in disbelief.  I couldn't believe that I could possibly lift that much weight.  It just didn't seem possible that I would be that strong.

"Wow," I gasped, by the realization of just how strong my new muscles were.  And as we went to the next exercise, I was surprised to find that I was actually excited and looking forward to it.

By this time, everyone else in the weight room had pretty much abandoned their own workouts and were coming to watch mine.  Even Coach Mason came in and watched for a minute before giving a nod of satisfaction and leaving.  It wasn't easy to ignore all these distractions, though I certainly did my best.

I was so caught up in working out, in trying to find my limits and see how much I could lift that I lost track of time.  I had no idea how long I was there, going from one exercise and station to the next.  By the time I was done, I was sure that I had tried out just about everything in there.

"Oh God," I gasped out when I was done.  My entire body felt a little tired, but good at the same time.  All of my muscles felt…alive.  It was as though they had actually wanted me to use them, to push them to their limits.  I had NEVER imagined that I would actually enjoy that kind of physical activity, but I did.  "I can't believe I did all that…"

Just then, I heard one of the guys who were watching me gasp, "Holy shit…  Just look at her…"

I looked around, almost out of instinct before I realized that he was talking about me.  Then I caught sight of myself in the large mirror which covered one of the weight room walls.  My muscles, which were normally subdued when I was relaxed, were now anything but.  All of the exercise had pumped them up, making them stand out even more.  I looked even more buff and ripped than normal, which was really saying something.

"Like a goddess," I heard one of the boys in the room exclaim, though I didn't know which one.

"You're the strongest person in school," Matt told me, looking extremely impressed.

"Bullshit," Dawg growled as he came over, glaring at me menacingly, "No chick is stronger than me…  Not even some fucking bitch freak…"

I glared at him, really getting pissed by his attitude.  Sure, he'd always been hostile to me and a lot of other people before, but it had never seemed so personal.

"Dude," Matt told him with a grimace, "She beat your bench max by sixty pounds…  And I have a feeling that she could do even more if she really pushed it.  Face it man…she's definitely stronger than you."

"You hear that shorty," I couldn't resist taunting him, feeling a bit smug after Matt's announcement, "I'm stronger than you…"

That was more than Dawg could handle because he growled and charged right at me, swinging his fist.  But I reacted faster than he had expected, or I had imagined I could, and shoved him backwards, sending him flying to the floor.

"You bitch!" Dawg howled as he got back to his feet.

Suddenly, a booming voice yelled, "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON IN HERE?"  I snapped around to see Coach Mason, and did NOT look pleased at all.  He glared at both Dawg and me.

"Coach," Matt started, but Coach Mason ignored him.

"You," he pointed at Dawn, "You're going to be running laps till you puke…  And you," he turned to me.

"Yeah," I responded, feeling an odd mixture of shame and pride.

"You're mine after school tonight," he told me angrily, "Be there…"

I stared at him in surprise, having expected to be sent to the principals office, "But…"

"Would you rather be suspended?" Coach Mason demanded.

"No," I gulped, shaking my head.

"Good," he nodded, glaring at me and then Dawg again, "Don't be late…"

As Coach Mason led Dawn from the weight room, I just stood there and groaned, not sure what to do.  I had NEVER been in trouble for fighting before.  Hell, I had never really won any kind of physical confrontation before either.  During the few times that I had been in a fight, I had been the one who ended up on the ground, usually with a bloody nose.

"My dad's going to kill me," I groaned aloud, just imagining how mad he'd be when he finds out that I got in trouble at school.

Matt just laughed at that statement, but after a glare from me, he turned and hurried out of the weight room, apparently deciding that he'd had enough excitement for the day.

"Just great," I groaned, shaking my head and wondering what kind of horrible punishment Coach Mason would have cooked up for me.  Knowing him, I was pretty confident that it wouldn't be good…whatever it was.

I let out a long sigh then went to the girls locker room to shower and change.  After this, I went to my next class, which I was already late for.  I'd spent the entire gym class period in the weight room, and then some.  But the glare that my teacher gave me for coming in late was nothing compared to what I would face after school.

I spent what was left of my school day becoming increasingly nervous and worried.  I couldn't pay attention in class and Toby was no help, as he seemed more interested in the fact that I'd gotten into a fight with Dawg than that I was being punished for it.

When school was finally over and I reported to Coach Mason's office, he gave me a steady, almost emotionless look before telling me, "Go get changed into something you can work in, then meet me out on the practice field.  I do have a football practice to run too you know…"

"Why couldn't he have told me that before?" I grumbled as I went back to the locker room to change back into my gym clothes.

Fifteen minutes later, I reported to Coach Mason a second time.  This time, the whole football team was there watching, which made me a little uncomfortable though I tried not to let it show.  Instead, I tried to stand there and remember the confidence I felt when I got into it with Dawg, who sat back and glared at me.  On an impulse, I grinned and waved at him, which didn't improve his mood but did earn a few laughs.

"Good," Coach Mason gave me a speculative look before telling me, "You brought Jones down pretty damn fast in that weight room.  I want to see what you can really do…"

"What?" I blinked in surprise.

Coach Mason gestured to a tackling dummy and said, "We'll start with this…  Well Forrest, hop to it…  I want to see what you've got…"

"Good luck," Matt called out to me, grinning as he did so.

"Just great," I groaned, wondering what I'd just gotten pulled into.

For the next hour or so, Coach Mason had me do all sorts of football practice stuff.  He had me charge at the tackling dummy, try to get past a group of football players, and even try stopping them.  I also spent some time throwing and catching a football as well, finding out that I could throw pretty far…but my aim sucked, and when it came to catching, I might as well have had butter fingers.

Half the football team seemed pretty amused by what the coach was having me do, while the other half was offended.  I didn't know if that was because I was a girl now, or if it was because just a few weeks ago, I hadn't been.  Perhaps they saw me as some sort of traitor to the male gender.  I didn't know, nor did I really care.  I just did what Coach Mason told me to, and to my surprise, found that I had a lot more fun doing it than I would have expected.

Eventually, the practice was over and Coach Mason grinned, looking quite pleased.  "You guys go and get cleaned up," he told the players, then he turned to me.  "Good job out there Forrest."

"Thanks," I told him, grinning back.

Coach Mason stared up at me for a moment, looking thoughtful.  Then he asked, "How would you like to join the football team?"

"What?" I stared at him in surprise, sure that he had to be messing with me.

"You hit hard and make one hell of a good blocker," he continued, "I think that our team can use you.  What do you say?"

I continued to just stare at him, hardly able to believe what I'd just heard.  I was stunned that he'd asked me to join the football team, and not just because I was a girl.  Of course, there was a big thing last year where a quarterback at some school had caught the Bug and been turned into a girl.  They kicked him off the team, so he sued that it was against the Burke's discrimination law and won.  So there was definite precedence about my being on the team, but there was no doubt that it was pretty damn strange.

"There aren't any girls on the team," I pointed out weakly, but Coach Mason just shrugged. "They won't accept me…"

"Their problem," he shrugged, "And they damn well better if they want to play."

I frowned slightly, thinking about how much fun I'd just had practicing and about how exciting the whole thing was.  The idea of actually being on the school football team…of actually being able to play that kind of game.  After my success at playing basketball in gym, I'd developed a bit of a taste for sports.

"Okay," I finally nodded my agreement, "I'll play…"

"Good," Coach Mason grinned, slapping me on the back, "Now go get cleaned up and go home…"

I was in a bit of a daze as I walked off of the practice field, hardly able to believe what had just happened to me.  Then all of a sudden, reality hit me and I realized exactly what I'd just done.  First I'd kicked ass at basketball, then I enjoyed working out, and now I had just joined the school football team.

"Oh shit," I cried out in horror, "I've turned into a jock…"

[Morpheus]

Invisible No More
Part 5 of 6
By Morpheus

I stood with my arms crossed and a scowl on my face, glaring down at my dad, who didn't seem the least bit intimidated by me.  "I don't need to see a shrink," I told him, wishing that I were just about anywhere else, "It's just a waste of time…"

My dad just stared back up at me and shook his head, "She's not a shrink…  She's a councilor.  And Dr. Brennan thought that you might need to see one after what you've gone through."

"But I don't need to see a councilor," I protested, knowing that my arguments would no good anyway.  I was just annoyed that I was stuck there rather than being able to go to see the new Mantra movie with my friends.

"Too bad," my dad shrugged, "We're already here so there's no use complaining…"

I grumbled at that under my breath but didn't bother arguing with him again.  He was right.  We were standing right outside of the councilor's office, so it was too late to argue.  I knew that my dad was right and that I might as well just go in and get it over with, but I sure wasn't about to admit that to him.  So I continued to scowl as we went inside.

The councilor was a fairly pretty woman in her thirties with short red hair.  She was sitting in a comfortable looking chair as we came in, looking calm and relaxed.  Then she stood up and smiled, "Hello.  You must be Lee…"  She looked up at me, her eyes taking in everything.  There was no doubt that she was impressed, though she covered it up pretty well.  "You can call me Kate."

"Hi," I shook her hand when she offered it, losing my scowl as I did so.  She didn't seem as bad as I had imagined.  Of course, I had imagined a strict councilor sitting behind a desk, and though she did have a desk, it was off to the side and not near where she had been sitting.

"Have a seat," she gestured to the two comfortable chairs that were just across from her own.  As we all sat back down, she said, "I hear that you were changed by the Burke's Virus about a week ago…"  Her tone made it a question, though from her expression I could tell that she already knew the answer and just wanted to start things off.

"That's correct," my dad told her, "Lee was changed quite a bit…"  Then he held out a picture of me that had been taken a few months ago.

"I see," Kate nodded and gave me a sympathetic smile, "The Burke's Virus can be rather…dramatic."

I just snorted at that and looked down at myself, "That's an understatement."  My dad elbowed me for my sarcasm.

"Perhaps I should start by telling you a little about myself," Kate said.  "I have had the Burke's Virus twice.  The first time it changed my hair color.  And the second time," she frowned slightly, "the changes were a little more personal.  You see, I am an anomaly.  I now have male sexual organs."

I stared at her in surprise, my eyes immediately going to her crotch, though I couldn't make anything out through her loose fitting pants.  She just gave a forced smile, apparently used to such a reaction from people who found out.

"I…I've never met an anomaly before," I told her, blushing a little as I did so.

"There aren't many of us," she admitted with a cheerful smile.  "Fortunately, the Burke's Virus is usually very consistent with it's changes."

"You're really male down there?" my dad asked, looking extremely disappointed.  I guess he'd been thinking about a few romantic possibilities with Kate, and his hopes had just been smashed.

"Technically, I am male now…or she-male as the case may be," Kate responded slowly. 

"Doctors have told me that they think the virus was trying to turn me into a complete male, but that for some reason it was only able to complete part of that transformation.  Incomplete or partial transformations are how a lot of scientists explain anomalies."  She shrugged at that.

After this, Kate told us about what it was like for her to adjust to her changes, and she answered a lot of our questions.  Then our conversation slipped into more of a general conversation and small talk as she tried to make us feel more comfortable with her.  Eventually though, she asked my dad to leave the room and give us some privacy.  It looked like she was ready to get down to business.

"I don't need any counseling," I quickly told her once my dad was gone.  "I'm not going crazy."

"I don't think that you are," Kate chuckled.  "The truth is, people tend to base their self-image largely on their physical bodies.  I'm tall…I'm short.  I'm fat..I'm skinny.  I'm black..I'm white.  I'm male…I'm female.  So when someone's body is drastically altered, many people have a hard time reconciling it with their mental self-image.  This kind of discrepancy can be extremely confusing.  It's a big adjustment to make, and my job is to help you do that."

"Okay," I nodded with a frown, not sure what I could say to that.

Once that had been gotten out of the way, Kate began asking me a few questions.  Before I realized it, I was telling her all about what it had been like for me since I had been changed.  I told her about people kept staring at me, about how I was finally able to stand up for myself at school, and even about joining the football team.

"It sounds like your friend Jessie has been a lot of help to you," she commented.

I just nodded, "Yeah.  He went through the whole sex change thing too, so he knows what it's like."

Kate just smiled and asked me a few more questions.  We talked for just a little longer before she finished up and let my dad back inside.

"Lee seems to be adjusting to her situation a lot better than most extreme transformations," Kate told my dad with a smile.  "It usually helps when you have understanding friends."

Then she told us that I should come back for a couple of follow up appointments, but that I probably wouldn't need any group counseling since I had friends that I could talk to.  That was definitely a relief since I really didn't like the idea of sitting with a group of strangers and telling them personal things about myself.  Nor did I really care for the idea of listening to their sob stories.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" my dad asked me as we left.

"I guess not," I frowned, not wanting to admit that he might have been right about going there in the first place.  "I told you I didn't need to see a councilor…"  My dad just rolled his eyes at that but didn't say anything. 

As soon as we got back home, I almost immediately rushed back out the door.  I might have missed going to see the movie, but I could still hang out with my friends.  Toby had told me that they'd all be going over to Jessie's house afterwards, so that was where I was going.

When I arrived at Jessie's house, everyone was already there, gathered in the living room and excitedly talking about the movie.  Even Lita was there, standing on a chair and holding out an imaginary sword while calling out, "Change…Growth…Power," which I could only assume was some line from the movie.

Then Lita noticed me and froze, staring up at me with that look…  She licked her lips absently, then blushed brightly right before turning away.

I stared back down at Lita, my heart jumping in my chest as I remembered what Jessie had told me about her.  I couldn't believe how nervous I was suddenly feeling.  Lita was tiny, nearly two feet shorter than me, and I was feeling almost afraid of her.  I couldn't understand it.

"Good movie?" I asked, trying to distract myself from Lita.

"Great special effects," Toby grinned, "And the actress they had playing Mantra was totally hot…"

"Smoking," Edgar nodded his enthusiastic agreement.

I just nodded and glanced back at Lita, only to noticed that she was staring at me again.  The interest in her eyes was unmistakable.  She immediately blushed and looked away.  My mind raced as I thought about the way she'd been looking at me.  I'd NEVER had a girl look at me like that before.  Sure, I had guys staring at me like that all the time now, but it wasn't the same.  That had been creepy at first, but was now just a bit weird…even kind of funny.  I'd never felt threatened by guys staring at me, not like I was with Lita.  Maybe it was because they were guys and I had absolutely no interest in them.  It had been safe to have them stare at me because I knew for a fact that there was nothing there…that nothing could happen.  But with Lita…I was surprised to realize that I liked her back and I had absolutely no idea what to do about it.

"You should have been there," Toby exclaimed, "The main character was a guy who got turned into a chick."

"And then became a super hero sorceress," Jessie added with a grin.  "She kicked ass…"

"You just wish you were her," Edgar pointed out.

Jessie just shrugged, "And your point is?"

Lita nodded enthusiastically and added, "There were some cool movie previews too…  One of the new ones coming out has Shanna Sinclaire in it."

Suddenly, the room went silent and all of my friends turned to look at me with concerned expressions.  I just sat there with a sour feeling in my stomach from hearing the name Shanna Sinclaire.  Whatever that new movie was about, I sure as hell wasn't going to bother watching it.

Lita sat there with a confused expression, asking, "What?"

"I'll tell you later," Jessie told her quietly, then added, "Lee has issues with Shanna…"  My other friends glanced at me and nodded knowingly while Lita gave me a look of surprise.

In an obvious effort to change the subject, Toby asked me, "So, what happened with Coach Mason?"

"Is it true that you beat up Dawg Jones?" Edgar asked, staring at me in amazement.

"I heard that you wiped the floor with him," Jessie added.

Suddenly aware that everyone was staring at me, looking both impressed and curious, I shook my head a bit.  "Um…not exactly.  He tried jumping me and I just shoved him down.  That's when Coach Mason showed up."

"So what happened?" Toby repeated, "Did he make you wash the football player's jockey shorts or something?"

"Yeah," Edgar added, "How'd he punish you?"

I gulped, glancing around nervously and suddenly wondering what in the world I could tell them.  I couldn't tell them that I'd willingly joined the football team.  They wouldn't understand.  Hell, I didn't even understand it.  They'd think that I was some kind of traitor to geekdom and tease the hell out of me.  I'd never hear the end of it.

In an effort to save face in front of my friends, I gulped and lied, "He made me join the football team…"

"WHAT?" everyone demanded at once, staring at me in disbelief.

"I got drafted," I gave a weak smile, "I hit Dawg so hard that Coach Mason wanted me to do that to the other football teams.  He told me that it was either that or be suspended."

"No shit," Toby gasped, shaking his head, "YOU are on the football team?"

"No way," Edgar stared at me as though I'd grown an extra head.

Jessie snickered while Lita just looked impressed.  All of them were definitely surprised though.

"How could he do that to you?" Toby shook his head in disgust.  "I mean…hanging out with those meatheads…"

After this, they all teased me about my being a football player and turning into a jock, though it could have been worst.  I could just imagine how much harder the teasing would have been if they knew that I'd actually joined the team of my own free will.  Admittedly, it was at a pretty weak moment where I'd had an enormous lapse in judgment, but that was besides the point.

Eventually, though, Lita sighed, "I've got to get going.  If I'm not home for dinner, I'll be in trouble."

She stood up, looking pretty reluctant to leave, especially when she looked at me.  I just blushed in response, kind of wishing that I could kiss her good-bye instead.  Lita was just the first to leave though as Toby and Edgar both left a few minutes later, leaving just me and Jessie.

Once everyone else had gone, Jessie turned to me and said, "She really likes you, you know…"

"What?" I blinked.

Jessie grinned, "I saw the way you were looking at Lita.  You like her too…"

"I guess," I admitted, staring at the floor in embarrassment.

"Why didn't you say something?" Jessie asked me, "You should ask her out…"

"I don't know," I shuffled my feet uncomfortably, "I barely know her…"

"Guys," Jessie rolled his eyes and sighed in exasperation.

That statement and the girly expression on Jessie's face caused me to burst into laughter.  "If you hadn't noticed," I grinned at him, pointing down at my breasts,  "I'm not exactly a guy anymore…"

"You're still a guy where it matters," he poked me on the forehead.

"At least someone thinks so," I sighed, thinking about all of the guys who kept staring at me.
"Don't worry," Jessie teased me, "I'm sure you'll grow out of it…"

I just leaned back, rolled my eyes and responded, "Ha ha…  So, what does that say about you?"

Jessie just shrugged, then told me, "You should ask her out.  I mean, the tallest girl in school and the shortest…  You're perfect for each other.  You should ask her to the school dance next Friday."

"Maybe," I squirmed uncomfortably, "I'll think about it…"  Then I sighed and admitted, "I've never been on a date before…  I've never had a girl like me…"  I was sure that I was blushing brightly as I said this.

Jessie just stared at me for a moment then smiled, "It's okay…  You know first hand now that girls are people too…  It's not like we…like they're going to bite you or anything.  At least not unless you want them to."  He winked at me.

"Thanks," I smiled.

"So," Jessie asked after a moment, looking a bit hesitant, "Have you checked yourself out yet?"  At my blank look, he blushed, "I mean, have you seen what your new parts feel like?  Have you played with yourself?"

I stared at him in disbelief, then blushed, shaking my head.  I'd explored my new parts a bit since my change, but I'd never really gone that far.  I'd been tempted, but it still didn't seem quite right.

Jessie gave me an embarrassed smile, showing that he about as uncomfortable with this subject as I was.  But he gave me a mischievious smile and said, "Come on…"

I followed Jessie back to his bedroom, where he threw open his closet and began to dig inside.  I stood back and watched curiously, noticing that a lot of the clothes in there were girls clothes.

"You kept all your old clothes?" I asked after a moment, a little surprised since it had been nearly a year since Jessie's transformation.

Jessie looked at the clothes, then at me, blushing a little.  He nodded. "Yeah…  But…some of it's new too…"

"New?" I blinked in surprise.

Jessie hesitated a moment, then quietly explained, "I still like to wear girl clothes…when I'm home by myself.  I guess that makes me a cross-dresser…"  He gave me a look as if daring me to make something of it.

"Okay," I responded, just a little surprised.  I'd been friends with Jessie for awhile now and this was the first that I'd heard of it.

He let out a sigh, looking rather sad.  "Sometimes I like to dress up and pretend that I'm still the way I was…"

"I can understand that," I nodded quietly, feeling sorry for Jessie.  He'd lost so much because of the Bug.

"Anyway," he abruptly changed the subject and grinned at me, "I thought that you could use this…"  And with that, he reached into the closet and pulled something out, holding it up for me to see.

My eyes went wide and I gasped, "A vibrator?"

Jessie handed me the pink vibrator, blushing a bit as he did so.  "A friend gave it to me for my birthday awhile back…  Sort of a joke gift…  But I caught the Bug before I ever used it, so it hasn't been used."  He looked extremely embarrassed as he added, "I can't use it now, but I thought you could…"

"Um…thanks," I responded uncertainly, feeling pretty awkward about being given such a thing.

"I thought it might help you get used to your new body," Jessie gave me a weak smile.  "It was a lot of fun being a girl.  Well, except for one week a month.  That's the only thing I don't miss…"

"Oh yeah," I groaned, remembering that I was going to have to face that monthly curse myself now.  It was something that I'd been trying very hard not to think about, in spite of the long, detailed lecture on the subject that Jessie had given me a couple days ago.

We continued to talk about some fairly personal subjects for a little longer, until it was time for me to go as well.  I blushed a bit as I grabbed the vibrator he'd given me and made my way to the door.

"Just a moment," Jessie said as he hurried to where I was at, handing me a slip of paper.

"What's this?" I blinked as I started to look at it.

Jessie just grinned at me and winked, "Lita's phone number…"

I just grinned back at Jessie and told him, "Thanks."  As I left, I clutched the phone number tightly in my hand, wondering if I'd get up the courage to actually call it.

——————–

I sat on a bench outside of the park, looking around with a mixture of nervousness and excitement.  My fingers tapped an impatient beat beside me on the bench while my eyes darted back and forth.

"Come on," I muttered, feeling as though I was a nervous little kid and then feeling ridiculous for feeling that way.  "I'm a grown woman," I said aloud, knowing that it was only physical, but still…

After Jessie had given me Lita's phone number yesterday, I had stared at it for hours, trying to bring up the courage to actually call.  It hadn't been easy, but last night I was finally able to do it.  I'd called Lita and nervously asked her out on a date.  And to my delight, she had immediately answered yes.

So there I was, sitting outside the park and waiting for Lita to show up where we'd agreed to meet.  Since neither of us really knew each other very well, I'd thought that the park might be a good place to get acquainted.  It was the largest park in town and had a small amusement park as a part of it.  That made it a good place to have some fun together and get to know each other a little better.
Just then, I spotted her, though only barely as she was nearly hidden behind several larger people.  Lita saw me and waved, looking nervous but excited as she came closer.

"I can't believe you called me last night," Lita gushed, her cheeks turning red.  Then she asked, "How did you know that I like girls?"

"The way you were looking at me," I blushed back, deciding not to mention that Jessie had also pointed it out.  "I've never had a girl look at me that way…"

"Really?" Lita blinked in surprise.  "But you were a guy."

"Not a very handsome one," I pointed out with a forced smile.  "This is the first time that I've ever been on a date…"  I felt embarrassed to admit something like that since I wanted to impress her, but she didn't seem put off by it.

"Really?" Lita blinked again, seeming just a little relieved, "Then we should have fun…"

With that, I stood up and the difference in our sizes became much more apparent.  I completely towered over her, making her look like a small child in comparison.  Lita just stood close and stared up at me, a look of awe in her face.

"You're enormous…"  She actually looked impressed by that.  "Sorry," she quickly apologized, "Ever since I shrunk, everything looks huge to me…"

"I know what you mean," I nodded my understanding, "Everything looks small to me.  I don't know if I'll ever get used to it."

"It's been a couple months for me," Lita grinned up at me, "And I haven't gotten used to it.  Phones and things all seem bigger and more awkward.  It's pretty weird, having to use a stool to reach something on a shelf that I used to be able to with no problem.  Or looking eye to eye with the little kids who live next door and who I used to baby-sit.  Their mom doesn't think I can do the job anymore…"

"That stinks," I frowned.

"You're telling me," she shook her head with a sigh.  "I used to baby-sit for extra money.  Now just about everyone seems to think that I need baby-sitting."

"I guess I got lucky," I admitted, thinking about how hard it would be to be turned into a midget.  Then I gulped and hesitantly asked, "Did Burke's make you like girls too?"

Lita stared at me for a moment then laughed, "No…  That comes normally."

"Well," I gestured to the park entrance, "Want to go in?"

"Lead the way Big Mama," Lita giggled.

After we went inside, it didn't take very long for me to discover that my new size was a distinct disadvantage as far as some of the rides were concerned.  I got sort of squished into the seats with little to no room.

"It's a good thing I'm so small," Lita teased me after we climbed into a roller coaster together, "Otherwise there's no way that I'd fit in here with you."

We went on a few more rides after this, with me discovering that I was actually over the height limit for one of the rides that I'd always loved going on before.  It was a big disappointment, but it balanced out in that Lita was too short to get on another ride.  So after this, we went to some of the games they had instead.

"Ooh, I've got to try this one," I exclaimed when I saw one of the strength tests.

"Win me that cute little stuffed kitty," Lita grinned.

"Watch this," I grinned back as I picked up the mallet and slammed it down on the strike pad.  "These things are so old fashioned, I'm surprised that they still have them…"  Lita didn't say anything to that as she was too occupied by the stuffed animal that I'd just won for her. 

When we were done at the park, Lita and I went to her house, which wasn't too far away.  Her mom gave me an odd look, which was nothing compared to the way that her dad stared at me.

Once we were in Lita's bedroom, I asked her, "Do they know about your…  Well, you know…"

"That I'm a lesbian?" Lita asked with a slight frown.  At my nod, she responded, "My dad does, but my mom is in denial and thinks that it's just a phase or something…"  Then Lita snorted, "She seems to think that I'm going to have a big growth spurt and get back to my old height too…"

"Not too likely," I sighed, thinking about what Dr. Brennan and Coach Mason had both told me about how the Bug worked.

"So Big Mama," Lita grinned up at me, "Let me give you the nickel tour of my bedroom.  This is my bed, this is my closet, and this is my computer desk."

I just laughed, sitting down on her bed so that we could be a little closer to eye level.  "You seemed a lot more shy at school," I pointed out.

"I guess I am," Lita responded quietly.  "My councilor says that I'm really self-conscious about my new height.  I guess, it's just that most people ignore me, tease me or assume that just because I'm short, that I'm some sort of helpless little kid.  I get tired of feeling so small and helpless…"

"Wow," I responded, "That can't be easy.  But I'd figure you would feel even smaller next to me."

"Yeah," Lita blushed, "But it's not really bad.  In fact, I feel sort of safe around you…like you're protecting me."

I blushed at that, then slowly stood up so that I could really look down at Lita again.  She was so pretty…with nice perky breasts.  And as I looked at her, I realized that I did feel somewhat protective of her.  I didn't want anyone to hurt her.

"I like being protective for you," I told her, blushing even more as I said it.  In fact, I couldn't believe that I'd actually said that, that I was acting like some sort of white knight.  It was embarrassing, but kind of nice at the same time.  And the way that Lita was looking up at me, it made me feel needed.

"Thanks Big Mama," Lita smiled and jumped at me in a hug.  On an impulse, I picked her up, finding that it took no effort.  I held her in my hand while she giggled, "Hey Big Mama…put me down."  But from the way she was grinning, I didn't think that she really wanted me to.

"Well little girl," I teased her, "What if I don't want to put you down?"

Lita grinned and gave me an impish look before suddenly leaning forward and kissing me right on my lips.  I was so startled that I staggered back and we both collapsed onto her bed.

"Gotcha," Lita giggled as she shifted position so that she could sit on my stomach.

"Yeah," I nodded, still a bit surprised at that sudden kiss.

"You want to know a secret," Lita asked mischieviously, looking a bit embarrassed at the same time.  She bent over and whispered, "Even before I got shrunk…I've always been attracted to tall, athletic girls."

I stared at her, "Really?"

"But your personality is good too," she grinned.

"I should hope so," I responded in mock offense, sitting up and shifting her so that she was now sitting in my lap.

"So what's it like?" Lita asked me, her expression turning more serious, "Turning into a girl…being so big.  All of it."

"Weird," I told her after a moment, "And a bit confusing.  I'm still trying to get used to everything.  But it's kind of cool too.  I'm bigger…stronger.  People treat me with a lot more respect, especially since I look a bit older than I am.  One guy saw my ID though and got mad, like I was purposely tricking him or something…"

"I'd love to see that," Lita giggled.

"Everything is different," I told her seriously, "Everything.  But I guess most of it is pretty cool."

"Even being a girl?" she asked mischieviously.

I blinked at that, then thought about it for a minute before answering.  "It's really weird for me…  But it's not nearly as bad as I would have thought."  And grinning at her, I added, "And it's definitely getting better."

Lita grabbed one of her pillows and hit me at that, which started a pillow fight which I won do to my longer reach.  It was a lot of fun, as was just sitting there and talking with Lita for the next hour or so.  I was disappointed when I finally had to get going.

"I guess I'll see you later Big Mama," Lita told me as I was leaving, looking disappointed.

"Definitely," I grinned at her as I turned to leave, pausing to wink at her and add, "Little Girl."

After I had gone home, I continued to think about Lita for the rest of the night.  She was short, but she was so cute…and sexy.  I was big enough as it was, but when I was with her, I felt even bigger and stronger.  I just wanted to take care of her…protect her.  And strangely enough, I liked that feeling.

As the night continued, my body began to respond to my thoughts about Lita.  I was feeling things in my new parts, things that I'd never felt before.  And before I went to bed, I spent a long session with the pink vibrator that Jessie had given me, discovering all the pleasures that my new female body could provide.  By the time I was done, I had a whole new appreciation for being a girl.

[Morpheus]

Invisible No More
Part 6 of 6
By Morpheus

I slowly wiped my feet on the grass, well aware of the fact that there were a number of people in front of me who were eager to hurt me, while an even larger number were off to both sides cheering.  I took a deep breath and slowly looked around the football field, feeling both nervous and excited.

It was Tuesday afternoon and my first game with the football team, but I was well aware of the fact that I wasn't very prepared.  I'd never really followed the game before so wasn't up on all the rules, nor did I even have any chance to practice much with the other guys.  All I knew was that Coach Mason had stuffed me in an ill fitting uniform and told me to keep anyone on the other team from reaching our quarterback.  I was supposed to give Matt the space he needed to throw the ball.

"I think I made a mistake," I muttered, looking around and then spotting my friends in the stands.  Jessie and Lita were both waving to me, while Toby and Edgar just sat there looking bored.  And when Lita winked and blew me a kiss, I blushed and tried turning my attention back to the game.

As soon as the game began, both teams were in motion.  We went back and forth with the ball, each team trying to score and prevent the other team from doing the same.  Whenever we were on offense, I tried protecting Matt the best that I could, and when we were defense, I alternated between guarding one of the other team's players and trying to charge through their line to scatter them.  I wasn't really sure of what I was doing, but Matt and Coach Mason were and they were the ones telling me what to do.

A lot of players on the other team were pretty hesitant to come at me or to give it their best because I was a girl.  But for those who did, they were surprised to discover that I was even stronger than I looked, which was saying something.  By the time we reached the second half, they were all giving me nervous looks between each play.

When the game finally ended, we won by a single field goal.  I excitedly waved to my friends, but before I could make my way over to them, everyone started to pour from the bleachers and I lost sight of them in the crowd.

"Damn," I muttered under my breath.

"Great game," Matt exclaimed as he slapped me on the back, pausing for a just a moment as if wondering if this was appropriate behavior towards a girl.  Then he loudly called out to the rest of the team, "Party at my house…"

"Thanks," I told him, looking around for my friends again but not seeing a sign of them.  "My friends…"

"They can catch up later," one of the boys on the team told me as he tugged on my arm to lead me off the field.  I hesitated just a moment, scanning my eyes over the crowd one more time before letting myself be led away.

After I had cleaned up and showered from the game, then changed clothes, I was hauled along to the party with the other football players.  I regretted not being able to find my friends, but there was no sign of them and things were moving so fast that I didn't have a chance to really go search.  I only hoped that I could meet up with them again at the party.

I didn't know if Matt's parents approved of his having a party, only that once I was there, it was loud, raucous and full of people, mostly the more popular kids at school.  And for a minute, I could only stand there in stunned silence, not sure what to do. I'd never been to a party like that before in my life.

"Wow," I finally said, slowly wading through the crowd, looking out for people that I knew.

The members of the football team were scattered about, but nearly every one of them who saw me congratulated me on a good game.  I was even congratulated by a lot of people that I vaguely recognized from school, but didn't really know.  It was a strange experience and quite surreal.

"That was great," more than one person whom I didn't recognize exclaimed as they passed me.

"I loved the look on their faces when they realized that they were being clobbered by a girl," Tracy Hamilton, one of the cheerleards grinned up at me. "It was priceless…"

"Glad to do it," I grinned back down at her, remembering the looks of surprise and embarrassment that some of the other team kept giving me when I blocked their biggest players.

"It's about time we finally had a girl on the team," she added, giving a smug look to a boy who was standing just a short distance away, and whom I assumed was her boyfriend.  He frowned and looked away, not meeting my eyes.

"It's not like she's a real girl," another girl exclaimed, giving me a look of disgust before Tracy elbowed her.

Then, while the two girls were busy arguing about whether I was a real girl and worth being a role model for women, I slipped away.  It isn't easy to do with my size, but I had the motivation of not wanting to end up in the middle of a fight about me.  It was just too weird.

"It's all pretty weird," I muttered to myself.

There I was, in the middle of a big party and having some of the most popular kids in school praising and nearly kissing up to me, all because I'd played such a prominent role in humiliating the other team.  It was so unbelievable, especially since most of these people never would have given me the time of day before.

"Weird," I muttered.

As I walked through the party, I saw Paul Williams and Dawg Jones standing around.  Both of them gave me looks that were half glare and half respect before they quickly looked away and disappeared into the crowd, obviously trying to appear as though they weren't.  The very sight brought a smile to my face.

Just then, I noticed another girl walking towards me.  She was about 5 foot 9, with a permanent tan and reddish brown hair that was just below her shoulders.  She also had a great figure, which was no surprise since Celia Hansen was probably the hottest girl in school.

"Wow, you sure are impressive to look at, " Celia told me with a broad smile, slowly looking my body over.  "Well, I suppose I should welcome you to the sisterhood…"

"Thanks," I responded carefully, feeling a bit uncertain.

Celia was one of the popular and pretty girls that every guy in school fantasizes about but the ones like me never had a chance with.  In fact, this was the first time she'd ever spoken to me at all, and probably even the first that she'd even noticed me.

"So I was thinking," Celia grinned up at me, acting almost as though we were old friends, "Since you're a member of the sisterthood now, we should hang out."  She put a hand on my arm possessively and added, "I'm sure that we'll be great friends."

I stared at her in surprise and even disbelief, suddenly remembering the way that she'd treated Jessie, who had once been her best friend.  I'd even been present before while Celia had verbally abused Jessie, for no other reason than he had been victimized by the Bug.

"I don't think so," I nearly spat down at her in disgust, yanking my arm out of her hand.  "I've seen the way you treat your friends…and I have NO desire to be one of them."

"What?" Celia gasped in shock, obviously stunned that I would dare talk to her like that.  As far as I knew, little miss popular princess had NEVER had someone tell her off like this before.

"A real friend is someone who stands by you when things go wrong and helps you out," I glared at her, all of the anger I'd felt towards her after she'd gone after Jessie coming to the surface, "not someone who takes advantage of the situation to stab them in the back and make it worse…"  I took a step towards her, causing her to step back in sudden fear, "I have real friends, and as long as I have them, I have no interest in some two faced phony like you…"

There were suddenly a lot of gasps from the people around us who had heard this exchange.  Many froze and stared at me with looks of stunned disbelief, hardly able to believe that I had spoken to such a popular girl in that manner, while others smirked in amusement.  One guy in the back yelled out, "Catfight…"

I didn't waste another word on Celia as I turned to walk away from her, offending her even more.  However, I didn't particularly care how offended she was.  Then again, perhaps I did.  The more offended she was, the better. 

Just as I had taken my first step, though, I suddenly noticed them.  Jessie and Toby were both standing a short distance away, staring at me with their mouths hanging open.  Then they both stared clapping, something which was picked up by a few other people around us.

"Great speech," Toby grinned at me.

Jessie just smiled at me, then threw himself against me in a surprise hug.  As he pulled himself away, he said, "If you were still a boy, I'd kiss you…"

I just blushed at that, not sure what to say, so I finally responded, "That would still be kind of awkward…for me at least.  And besides…  If I was still the old me, I probably wouldn't have had the courage to say that…"

"Well you really told her off," Toby grinned, looking just a little disappointed at the same time.  I suspected that he was just disappointed that it hadn't turned into something physical, and then wondered if he might have been the one to yell out 'catfight,' a minute earlier.

"She kind of pissed me off," I scowled, thinking about how Celia had turned on Jessie.  Then I admitted, "She kind of reminds me of my mom…"

Toby and Jessie were both silent at that for a moment before Toby said, "C'mon…  I told Edgar and Lita that we'd meet them at Freddy's…"

I hesitated for just a moment, glancing around at the gathered people and reminding myself that this was the first big party I'd ever been invited to.  Then I nodded, "Okay…"

We had only gone a few feet before the greetings and the praise started up again.  One black guy, who's face was only vaguely familiar, stepped in front of me and exclaimed, "Man, I love the way you slammed that guy down…"

"What guy?" I blinked, knowing that I'd hit a couple guys during the game.

"That move saved my ass," Matt said as he came up from behind us, "If she hadn't stopped that rush, I wouldn't have been able to throw that touchdown pass."

"I was just doing what Coach Mason told me to," I responded, giving Jessie and Toby an apologetic glance for the delay.

"Anyway," Matt grinned, "I was wondering if you'd go to the dance with me on Friday…?"

I was so surprised by that, I nearly started to choke.  I stared at Matt in disbelief, hardly able to believe that he'd ask me something like that.  He knew damn well that I had been a guy.  Just about everyone knew.

Suddenly, Celia rushed up screaming, "You were supposed to go to the dance with ME!"  She glared at me, looking even more offended than she had a few minutes earlier.  Her eyes were wide and she looked almost like she was on the verge of some sort of panic.

"I asked HER," Matt pointed out, gesturing to me.

"I'm sorry," I told Matt, taking a deep breath and making an effort to ignore Celia, "but you're not my type…  I'm not…into guys."  I gave him a weak smile, "Besides, I already have a date…"

"Oh," Matt responded, looking a little disappointed.  "If you're not into…  I mean, I guess it's like you're one of the guys…"

I nodded at that, feeling a little relieved that he was taking it so well.  "Just one of the guys…"

"I can live with that," Matt grinned, apparently not bothered by my turning him down in the least.

"Now you can go with ME," Celia told him, looking a bit smug.

But Matt scowled and shook his head, "Sorry Celia, but you're not my type…"

"I guess he likes girls with a little integrity," Jessie piped up with a smirk, obviously enjoying Celia's distress.

"Shut up…you FREAK," Celia spat at him with surprising bitterness.  "You and your freak friend should get out of here…"  She looked up at me to make clear that I was the second freak.

"God, you really are a stupid bitch," Matt shook his head while Celia gasped in shock.  "I'll see you tomorrow," Matt told me before turning and rushing off, probably to get as far away from Celia as he could.

"Man, that was awesome," Toby burst out laughing as Celia hurried off in shame.

"Definitely," Jessie agreed with an almost evil grin.  "That back-stabber deserves every bit of it…"

"Well," I looked down at my friends, "You guys said something about meeting at Freddy's…"

"Oh yeah," Jessie grinned, this time with more gentle amusement, "I noticed that you said you already had a date…"

"Really?" Toby blinked in surprise, "Who you going with?"

Jessie rolled his eyes and muttered, "Boys…"

"What?" Toby demanded, looking a little confused.

I just burst out laughing at this exchange, "Lita…"

"Little Lita?" Toby gasped.  "Wow…"

"You two sure hit it off," Jessie said with a smug look.

"Yeah, yeah," I blushed, then pointed at Toby, "Now you should try your match making magic with him…"

Jessie turned to look at Toby with a thoughtful expression, then he mused, "I guess I might be able to find a date for him at the dog pound…"

"Hey," Toby protested with mock insult.

We all just laughed at that and finished making our way out of the party.  As interesting as a big party like that was, I had little doubt that I'd have a lot more fun with my real friends at Freddys.

——————–

I stood in the middle of my living room, trying not to squirm or move too noticeably while my dad played around with his camera.  I smiled nervously as he took the picture, feeling more than just a little embarrassed.

"You look great," my dad proudly exclaimed.

"I feel ridiculous," I grumbled, glancing down at the dress that I was wearing.

It was the first time in my life that I'd ever worn a dress, and I wasn't exactly comfortable in that particular article of feminine clothing.  I had no idea where my dad could have found a dress in my size, especially on such short notice, yet somehow he had.  Because of that, I couldn't very well complain too loudly, in spite of my unease.

"You look great," my dad repeated with a smile, "And I'm sure that once you get to the school dance, it'll be well worth it."

I just nodded at that, then smiled back.  I'd never really been one to go to school dances or to be excited by that kind of social event.  Being an Invisible, it wasn't like I'd ever even had a date that I could go with…until now.  This time things were quite a bit different.

"I still feel funny wearing a dress," I responded with a mock pout.  "The next thing you know, I'll be wearing high heels, miniskirts, and frilly pink shirts…"

"And I'm sure that they'll look fine on you too," my dad chuckled.

I was trying to think of a good comeback to that one when the doorbell started to ring.  Dad immediately rushed to answer it, revealing that it was Lita standing there.  She was dressed up in a fancy blue dress and looked absolutely stunning.

"Wow," I gasped as Lita stepped inside, looking just a little nervous.  Then I blinked, "Hey, I was supposed to go pick you up…"

"I couldn't wait," she grinned.  "So what do you think?"  She turned around so that I could get a good look at her dress.

"Very nice," I responded, though I wasn't really referring to the dress.  She looked so pretty…I wanted to just pick her up and kiss her right there.  But I couldn't very well do that with my dad standing there watching.

"You two have fun," my dad told us, "And don't get into any trouble."

I gave him my best 'little miss innocent' look, which doesn't really work well when you're my size.  But I tried, earning a giggle from Lita.  "We'll be good," I promised him, rolling my eyes as I did so.

As we left the house for the school dance, I thought that I heard my dad muttering, "At least I don't have to worry about him getting her pregnant…"

When we arrived at school where the dance was being held, Lita became a bit more nervous.
"What are people going to say when they see us together?"

"Um…" I blinked, "That we make a cute couple?"

Lita giggled at that, "Yeah?  And maybe they'll even be impressed that I'm dating an older woman…"

"Hey," I protested with a grin, "I'm not even a full year older than you…"

"No," Lita grinned back, "But you look like you're ten years older…"

I nodded at that, then mused, "I wonder if the other's are going to be here…"

"Jessie will be," Lita responded with a knowing look that got me wondering.  If I'd had to guess, I would have said that there was no way that Jessie would come to one of these dances anymore.

A few minutes later, Toby and Edgar showed up, neither of them having a date.  I hoped that they could find some girls to dance with them because they'd probably be pretty bored if they didn't.  At the same time, I kind of envied their courage.  I didn't think I would have had the courage to show up at one of these dances by myself, back before I'd caught the Bug.

Then I saw Jessie, who to my surprise, was not alone.  He came to the dance with another boy who had long blond hair and looked a bit girlie.

"This is Ray," Jessie introduced her date to the rest of us.

"Nice to meet you," I told him as we shook hands.  Ray just stared up at me with a look of surprise.

"Ray goes to Northside," Jessie explained at my curious look.  "Lita introduced us because he used to be a girl too…"

Ray looked down in embarrassment before nervously asking, "Is that a problem…?"

"Not around here," I laughed, "I'm Lee…  I don't know if Jessie told you, but a couple weeks ago I was a guy…"

For a moment, Ray stared at me in surprise, then he smiled, letting out a sigh of relief.  We stood outside of the school gym and talked for several minutes, getting to know each other before finally heading inside to the real dance.

"Ready to dance Big Mama?" Lita grinned up at me.

I just picked Lita up with ease and gave her a kiss before answering, "I sure am little girl…"

Lita just laughed at that, and as soon as I set her back to the ground, she tugged on my arm to lead me inside.  I was getting the feeling that she was eager to show me off, or to at least show that she was the one who had me.  And I was just fine with that.

But almost as soon as we had gone through the doors, I saw a boy getting a little too pushy with his date.  He had her pressed against the wall and looking intimidated.  I grimaced and put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing just enough for him to feel it.  "I really think that you should apologize to her," I told him grimly.

The boy stared up at me with pale, fearful expression, then quickly told his date, "I'm sorry…"

As soon as the girl had gone, I let the boy go.  He vanished as quickly as he could, in a different direction from the one the girl had gone in.

"That was pretty heroic of you," Lita beamed up at me proudly.  "Now let's dance…"

While Lita and I danced, a bit awkwardly due to our height differences, I was well aware of the many students and chaperones who were staring at us.  They were giving us odd looks, curious looks, and envious looks.  There were even a few looks of amusement.  But I didn't pay any attention to them.  Instead, my thoughts were on Lita, and the realization of just how much things had changed for me…and just how lucky I was.

Ever since I had been transformed by the Burke's Virus, my entire life had been completely changed.  And there was no doubt that it had all changed for the better.  I was taller, stronger and healthier than I had ever been before in my life, and it felt absolutely fantastic.

Strangely enough, I had become one of the most popular kids in the entire school.  I never would have believed it before, but it seemed to be true.  The boys liked me because I was a hot looking girl, while the girls liked me as a matter of pride.  I was one of them, but stronger than any boy in school.  The popular kids liked me because I helped them win big in football, while the less popular kids liked me because I had started looking out for them, protecting them a bit from bullies.  And of course, it didn't hurt that they all knew I had been one of them.

Best of all, I now had Lita.  Ironically, as  a guy, I could never get a date.  No girl had any interest in me at all.  I had been completely and totally invisible to them.  But now that I was a girl myself, I had people throwing flirting with me all the time, and I had the best girlfriend that I could imagine.  She was smart, funny and very cute.  Of course, she was a LOT shorter than me, but that just added to the excitement of being with her.

There was only one thing missing, one thing I wanted that could have made everything perfect.  Oddly enough, it wasn't my missing manhood.  I'd never been much of a man in the first place, and I'd been having a hell of a good time as a girl.  What was missing was conclusion.

I smiled faintly at the thought of running into Shanna Sinclaire, of being able to finally confront her with what she had done.  I wanted to tell her what I thought of her actions…of how I felt when she had completely turned her back on me and my dad.  I wanted to let her know just how much she had hurt me with her selfish behavior.  And to a large part, I suppose that I wanted her to apologize and tell me that she does love me.  But I knew that this wasn't going to happen.  Shanna Sinclaire was rich and famous, while I was just an amazon high school student.  We no longer ran in the same circles and it was quite unlikely that I'd ever see her again.

In a perfect world, I would have had that sense of conclusion.  I would have been able to confront her as I imagined, or just forgiven her and moved on.  But it was not a perfect world and I doubted that I would ever be able to completely forgive her.  My mother's abandonment still hurt and I suspected that it always would.

But I suppose that in the end, Shanna Sinclaire doesn't really matter.  I'd lived with that issue for several years and I could continue living with it.  That one bad thing in my life paled in comparison to all of the good things.  I had strength, health, popularity…and most importantly, all of my friends, including Lita.  They were real friends, who would stick with me through thick and thin.  It didn't matter that I was now popular and the immediate center of attention, I would ALWAYS remain an Invisible, even if I was invisible no more.

The End

[alex]

Man, you write so well…Very nice story.

I love your Legacy stories.  Actually, I pretty much love all your stories.  You're the only reason I browse ocasionally at Fictionmania, since I'm not much into the TG theme.

Thanks for this one.  Hope you can continue writing for us.

[SammiChung]

I was enthralled…very good story..I am not sure what I liked most about it..though 'sharing' the bug with Toby and Edgar would have made for a real interesting story too as all three got 'used' to being 'girls'. Sammy

[g-man]

Extremely well written! Nice job.

[David]

A nice little morality play.

[Author]

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