How to be a Girl

Once upon a time, there were two little siblings, 6-year-old Marty and 4-year-old Elsa. They shared a typical sibling rivalry. Elsa was the quintessential girly girl, adoring dresses, crowns, Mary-Janes and pretty much everything pink and sparkly. On the other hand, Marty was a typical boy, preferring trousers, boyish garments, and playing video games. One afternoon, while Marty was deeply engrossed in his video game, Elsa, as sneaky as ever, tiptoed behind him and swiped his game controller. "Dang it, Elsa! That is mine! Stop being a poopy head!" Marty exclaimed. Elsa simply swiveled around, her brown eyes twinkling with mischief, and said in her little girl voice "I'm Princess Elsa and it is now mine. Don't touch or I tell mommy." Marty was vexed but decided on a cunning plan. He would wait until Elsa was fast asleep and get his controller back from her room - the pink disaster zone. Night fell upon the house and Elsa was sound asleep. Marty, with a determined look, tiptoed into Elsa's room, grimacing at the overwhelming girly ambiance. As a tiny act of revenge, he stole one of Elsa's dolls. His eyes finally landed on his cherished controller. As he picked it up, he accidentally stepped into a pair of Elsa's strap-on sandals. Disgusted, he waddled out to the living room, cursing the pink things beneath his feet which he kicked off instantly. Suddenly, a bizarre transformation spun Marty’s world. His feet started shrinking, morphing into Elsa's, even with her cracked nail polish. "Ew! No! I don't wanna be a girl! No! Help! She stole my controller! This isn't fair," Marty’s voice shrieked an octave higher as his clothes mysteriously disappeared. His legs and arms shrunk, feminizing, just as his torso did too. His head transformed into Elsa's, brown long hair sprouting, his eyes turning brown and innocent, and his teeth becoming all baby-like. His voice was now permanently set to Elsa's girl tone. The world spun around, and his memories began shifting. Marty felt utter terror. The last thing he wanted was to lose himself. His clothes transformed into a blue dress Elsa would recognize, a tiara materializing on his head and a wand appearing in his hand. Marty held on to the hope he wouldn't forget being a boy, but as his memories continued to shift, his hopes shattered. Marty saw glimpses of Elsa's life, and eventually, Marty only remembered being Elsa. The new Elsa blinked her innocent brown eyes, taking in the familiar surroundings of the living room. She glanced at the discarded strap-on sandals and a smile touched her lips. Filled with glee, she ran to them, slipped them on, and danced around in her dress. Suddenly, her eyes fell over her doll on the ground and the boyish controller. Elsa frowned, picked up her doll and game controller, hid the controller with a giggle, and ran towards the mirror. "My big brother will never find his controller now 'cause I, Princess Elsa, have put it in a hiding spot for princesses only," she said, her reflection mirroring her wide, victorious smile. Finally, she sprawled on the couch, still wearing her beautiful dress and sandals, the doll tucked safely under her arm. As sleep closed her eyes, Elsa had no memory of being the 6-year-old Marty, lost forever. All that existed now was a 4-year-old Princess Elsa.