The Sleepover

Once upon a time, a lively 7-year-old named Will found himself being babysat by his 14-year-old sister, Bailey. Bailey, with her wavy long black hair, shimmering brown eyes, and more stylish accessories than the girls at school, felt more grown than her years suggested. She wore a friendship bracelet on her arm, a necklace gifted from another best friend, and an ankle bracelet. Her nails were painted a hot shade of pink that mirrored her vibrant personality, and Bailey completed her chic ensemble with a blue tank top, black shorts, and black flip flops - not to forget, the fashionable clip-on earrings which shimmered under the room lights. Bailey's living room brimmed with energy and girly chatter, as five of her best pals had gathered for a sleepover. Earlier, they had devoured slices of delicious pizza and were now settling down, ready to tug themselves into their blankets. However, little Will had a problem. He had left his favorite stuffed animal in the living room. Gently, he approached Bailey, "Um sissy? I left my teddy bear in here. Can I have it?" Annoyed, Bailey snapped back at him, "What? No! Go to bed! And leave us alone!" Disappointment crossed Will's face, but he knew better than to argue. His teddy bear felt far away, but he plucked up the courage to venture into the land of estrogen, once the nighttime arrived and all the girls dozed off. Soundlessly, he crept downstairs, maneuvering past the snoozing girls and located his teddy bear. But Bailey, her hair splayed on the pillow and wearing her outfit from earlier, woke up spotting her little brother, she questioned sleepily, "I thought I told you to go to bed," "Why are you being such a meanie, sissy? Teddy keeps the monsters away when I'm sleeping," Will murmured plaintively. In a puzzling turn of events, Bailey reached out for the bear, resulting in a jolt that ran through Will's body. Suddenly, everything plunged into darkness as his vision faded out. The next thing Will knew, he was hearing his own voice yell, "Why are you being so mean Bailey!" which startled him as he hadn't said that. As he opened his eyes, an unfamiliar sight came into view - long black hair cascaded down past his shoulders. A quick touch confirmed the presence of the friendship bracelet, the necklace, and the alarming discovery of hot pink polished nails. Gagging at the sight, Will stammered, "I'm.... Bailey? I don't wanna be a girl." Fear-stricken, he covered his mouth to suppress his shock as his sister's voice echoed out instead of his own. As he began to walk out, an ill-placed step had the flip flops fitting onto his feet. The journey to the bathroom was a clip-clop affair due to the flip flops. Looking into the mirror, the unfamiliar reflection stared back - Bailey. He glanced down at his new body, the sight of his feminine arms and legs, his delicate hands with polished nails, and the girl's clothes triggered a freakout. Just then, he heard his voice vibrated with emotion say, "I'm sorry sissy. I love you" Will, now Bailey, collapsed into a panicked confession, "I don't wanna be sissy! I wanna be a boy! I want my mommy!" After a while, he found himself collapsed in the hallway, crawling to a corner to curl up into a ball. With a heavy frown, he gazed down as his long black hair fell into his eyes, the pink polish on his fingers glowed against the dim light, the flip flops felt tight, it was as if everything confirmed his new identity. He closed his eyes and rocked, trapping himself in a cozy ball, praying for this to be a bad dream. He yearned for morning, to wake up as 7-year-old Will. Little did he know he was stuck in the body of his sister, not temporarily but permanently. A night of surprises ended with the revelation that he would never be a boy again.