Chapter 4

Waking up bright and early on Monday, I felt sure that this was going to be my week. I showered and scrubbed my self up as pretty as I could manage, then put on my uniform and grabbed my bag before heading down to breakfast. Kittybot was tucked safely away in my bag, occasionally taking a look out, but content to stay where I had put her. I had my breakfast, wished Mum a good day, then headed out with Dad for a lift in.

I was very quiet on the drive into school. I had a lot on my mind I suppose. When we parked, Dad wished me a good day, and I waved goodbye before heading up to my classroom. There were very few people in the room, so I took my place at the back. A few people started turning up, but I was lost in my thoughts.

Then I was startled as a girl introduced herself. "Hey, I'm Anne, are you new?" She was a short, though not as short as me, brunette girl I didn't really know all that well. She always seemed nice from what little I knew of her.

"I'm Lexi, I'm not really new I used to be called Alex," I replied carefully.

"Ah, so did you get any powers?"

"I can make myself magnetic, but that's about it."

"Cool, I didn't get anything from MORFS beyond a new hair colour. So what music do you like?"

"Oh all sorts. Anything with guitars in it, really."

She rattled off a list of bands I didn't know and continued to talk about the things she liked. She talked almost non-stop before Mr Roberts turned up to take the register. I hadn't gotten a chance to say much, but it was nice to have someone talk to me. My potential new friend and I stayed together most of the morning and through mid morning break.

Then came the part of the day I was dreading, P.E ... I was very nervous about what would happen what with me being a boy turned into girl, and in the girls changing room. I followed Anne in and sat next to her. I was very careful to keep my eyes away from anyone else for risk of getting called some sort of pervert. The girls changing room was really no different to the boys one. It was just full of girls rather than boys. I put on my gym kit then waited talking briefly with Anne while I waited.

Miss Adams was known even to the boys as a fairly brutal teacher, one of the' no pain no gain' school of physical education. I kept my head down and just did what I was told and it seemed to go fairly well. I was physically exhausted and a little muddy after all the running about, so the hot shower was welcoming.

Showering in a room full of other girls was a terrifying. I was scared I might offend someone if I looked at them. It was a bit silly since I had all the same bits as them, but still I was worried about becoming an outcast.

I was in the last group to wash, with Anne, who half way through my shower surprised me by asking, "What is that on your back?"

"Oh, they're my wings," I replied, giving them a little flap, trying to focus on her eyes and not let my gave drift.

"Cool!"

I went back to my shower trying to get washed as quickly as possible. It was maddening. Here I was, someone that thought they would have loved to be in this position not more than a few weeks ago. Now I was terrified of seeing the girls around me.

I finished up and headed back to my clothes, wrapping my towel around me like I had seen other girls do. Just as I got to my stuff there was a jerk and my towel went flying over into a puddle of water on the floor. I cried out with surprise and spun to try and retrieve my towel. I was hit by my clothes as they flew past, also into the puddle. I tried to grab them, but they danced and bounced along like they had a mind of there own till they were soaked. A wicked laugh keyed me in to who was responsible for this. Tara and her cronies were laughing at me as I stood there soaking wet and naked, trying to retrieve my clothes. Soon other girls began laughing at me, and to twist the knife yet further, even Anne joined in. I felt totally betrayed.

I sat there staring at my ruined clothes practically crying as Tara and chums left for lunch laughing their heads off. Anne stood nearby chuckling.

"Oh come on girl it was pretty funny," she said when I shot her an angry glare.

"It is not!" I shot back angrily.

"Well fine, if you can't take a joke," Anne said huffily, before she stormed off.

I sat there soaked, not sure what to do. My towel was soaking and my clothes were too. I felt angry and sad.

At this point one of the other female PE teacher, s Miss Barton came in. "Come on girls, get a move on, time to be off for lunch." When she saw me sitting there naked and soaking wet, clutching my wet clothes and fighting back the tears, she came over. "Hey, what's going on here?"

"She threw my clothes in the water," I sobbed.

It was just me and Miss Barton by this point, the rest of the girls not wanting to be associated with this at all.

"What? Who?"

"It was Tara. I'm sure of it. She used her powers to do it. I don't know why she hates me so. Now all my clothes are soaked, and my towel is wet through." I had begun crying by this point.

"Hey. There. There. There's no need to get worked up about it. We can fix things. You just wait here. I'll see about getting you a spare towel."

She vanished out and returned a moment later with a slightly worn but clean and dry towel. "Here." She s handed it to me, snatching up my wet things, "You dry yourself off I'll see about getting these clothes dry. Maybe we can hang them on the radiator or something."

I dried myself and sat there wrapped in the borrowed towel, quivering with sadness and rage. How could they do this to me? How could they humiliate me like this? Why did my continued attempts to gain a friend fail? Something in me began hardening and turning inward, maybe to despair, or maybe to festering anger. It was too early to tell at that point. I took out Kittybot, the only friend I knew wouldn't desert me, hugging her sleek metal curves to me and stroked her. I didn't know if she could appreciate the anguish I felt then. Maybe it was too much to hope that a simple machine could develop that level of understanding. Still, she was there and that gave me some small measure of comfort.

Miss Barton returned a short while later with my clothes and towel all bone dry, "We were in luck. One of the sixth formers was about and was able to dry out your clothes with a little heat She mentioned having something similar happen to her at your age, so was happy to help."

I nodded numbly and put Kittybot down on the bench while I dressed. My clothes were a little rumpled from their water treatment, but dry and warm, like they had just come out of a tumble dryer. The thought of toasty warm clothes straight from the dryer cheered me a little. I had always loved feeling the warmth and the clean soft feeling of freshly dried clothing.

I picked Kittybot up and set her on my shoulder while I packed away my things and decided to leave her there for comfort, keeping her attached with careful use of my magnetic field.

"Don't let those girls get you down," said Miss Barton, "I'll be having a word with their teachers. If they try anything like this again, you let me know and I'll come down on them like a tonne of bricks."

I nodded wearily and made my way out. I didn't want to go near the dining hall, since I knew my tormentors would be there, but I was hungry. Plus, a certain bloody mindedness set in. I was not going to let them intimidate me.

They laughed at me as I sat down to have my lunch. I ignored them, my anger and sorrow growing in equal measure. They didn't do anything more, except tease me. It seemed they had fulfilled their quota for active physical humiliation for the day. I just got the jeering mental kind of abuse. Constant references to how I'd "wet myself" or some other slight were made at me for the rest of the day. I kept Kittybot close, like some sort of child's soft toy, my only comfort. I also kept her firmly attached to me so that no one could take her away, mindful that these girls would love to steal away the last of my joy.

Anne tried to approach me again. I wondered why, maybe she was in league with Tara and wanted to build me up so Tara could knock me down. She seemed genuine enough in her attempts to placate me, but I said nothing. The way she had laughed at me could not be forgiven. A true friend would have never done such a thing.

I ignored her as I ignored everyone else, retreating into the same shell I had used when I was Alex, blocking all the people and staying silent so they couldn't hurt me. Eventually she left me alone, giving up and going to sit with Tara and her friends. So maybe she had been one of them all along.

I barely said a word for the rest of the day. Mostly I just glared angrily at Tara, not sure what I would do, but sure I would have my revenge somehow.

The day ended and I went home, saying nothing to Dad or Mum, despite their careful gentle questioning. They may have been told what had happened, or they may have just seen my mood, but either way I said nothing, retreating to my room to sit on my bed in the dark and stroke Kittybot.

The next day was no better I spent it in the same haze. One of the girls tried to steal Kittybot to have a game of 'hold the thing out of reach to torment the small person.' She fell flat on her back when she grabbed her and tried to run off, only to find Kittybot firmly attached to my shoulder by a powerful magnetic field.

There was more jeering and name calling, so I retreated further into my shell. Blocking everyone and everything out, I barely paid attention in class, just biding my time till I could get away from the constant barrage of insults and teasing.

Wednesday was more of the same, as was Thursday. By Friday I hadn't spoken a word for nearly two days. Tara and co. Had not grown tired of me as a punching bag. If anything, my retreat back to how I was before made Tara even worse.

That night I heard my parents talking about me. I was in my room, my sanctuary, playing with Kittybot and their voices drifted up through one of the heating vents from the living room below, "I'm worried about her, Peter!" came Mum's voice.

"I know Mary, I know. I'm doing my best to help her, but you know what kids are like, and there is only so much I can do," Dad's reply came.

"It's worse now than before her change. She was never this withdrawn and depressed."

"It's only been a few day's,. Love. Give it time. I'm sure she'll find her way and these kids will get tired of picking on her or find some other target."

"But she's very fragile right now. She's lost her old self and got this strange new body loaded with hormones she doesn't understand. I'm worried it might be too much for her."