Liv must’ve seen something in my expression, because she took my hand and escorted me out of the room. I was grateful. The noise of all the people was suddenly way too overwhelming. I needed a quieter environment. I need to think. To put the pieces together.

  I could… just be a girl. There’s no other thing.

  “I’m just trans,” I murmured as Liv led me down the hallway.

  “Yes, Lilly, you are trans,” she replied.

  I squeezed her hand in thanks. I looked up through tear filled eyes (when had I started crying?). “Um, why are we in the bathroom?” I asked.

  “It’s quieter,” Liv said. “What’s up?”

  “I thought I… That I couldn’t be trans.” I sob-ughed. “That’s not really how it works, is it?”

  Liv shook her head. “Anyone could be trans, Lilly. This includes you.”

  I realised we were still holding hands. I debated letting go, but it felt like Liv’s firm grip was the only thing keeping me grounded at the moment.

  “I’ve always…” I trailed off, not entirely sure how to finish the thought. “I thought that there was something… else I needed to be trans. That wanting to be a girl wasn’t enough.”

  “No, that’s all it takes, Lilly,” Liv replied.

  “I wish someone had told me…” I said.

  The door to the bathroom opened. The two of us looked towards it to find Sophie.

  “Oh, um, hi,” she said. She pointed at one of the stalls. “Need to pee.”

  “Remember to wipe, Sophie,” Liv called.

  The magical girl cringed. “Look, no one told me until like a week after I got transformed, ok?” She entered a stall and closed the door behind her.

  “You wanna head back, cutie?” Liv asked.

  I nodded. “Yeah, I definitely want more of these cookies.”

  After expining that I’d only just figured out I’m a trans girl to the other girls, which felt pretty embarrassing, but they were super understanding about it anyway. They all had their own versions of ‘how on earth didn’t I figure this out sooner?’ Hazel apparently had regurly rolepyed as a fictional character from her favourite books, also named Hazel, since she was ten. Also, apparently her favourite book had changed recently, but when she began to expin what her new favourite was, Liv started talking over her, saying something about how I’m ‘not ready for that yet.’ Sisters of something or another was what she was saying, I didn’t quite catch the st word.

  “So,” Venny said to me loudly (like she said everything), a big grin on your face. “We got ourselves another transition before hatching, huh?”

  Cra was beside her, also grinning.

  “Um, yeah, guess so,” I replied.

  “Welcome to the club, cutie,” Venny said. “Neither of us had figured it out yet. Obviously we’ve since figured it out, but, like, ya know…” she trailed off. “I was pretty sure I was going to have more of a point with that sentence.”

  I giggled.

  “Hey, I’m funny!” Venny excimed. “Cra, she thought I was funny!”

  Cra rolled her eyes. “Venny, you’re ridiculous.” She held out her arms towards me. “Want a hug?”

  “Um, sure,” I said. “Why not.”

  Can confirm: Cra is a good hugger. Very soft and very gentle.

  “Thanks,” I said after we separated. “I think I needed that.”

  Cra smiled, then headed back over to grab more snacks for herself.

  “She’s cute, huh?” Venny said.

  “Um, yeah,” I said, feeling awkward. “Wait, aren’t you and Sophie together?” I asked.

  Venny gave me a confused look. “Oh. Um. Sorta? Like, we’ve hooked up, but we’re not, like, dating or whatever. She’s dating Iris. I’m, uh, single, technically. Why, you interested?” She gave me an awkward smile.

  I stared at her. “Um, I don’t really know you that well yet,” I said.

  Venny shrugged. “Worth a shot. You’re a total cutie, you know.”

  “I… thanks,” I said. “Not used to being called a cutie.”

  “You’ll get used to it,” Venny said. “Because, like, every girl here would agree with me.”

  “Oh,” I said. “Um, you’re all, uh, really cute too.”

  Venny struck a pose, holding up her fingers in a sideways v next to her face. “Thanks!”

  The rest of the meeting was a lot less eventful. Sure, I’d just discovered earth shattering things about myself that shook the foundations of my whole world, bringing into question every action I’d ever taken, but, hey, there were cookies, and they needed eating. Really, you tell me which you’d prioritise.

  It’s the cookies, right? Right?

  Well, I would rather prioritise the cookies. There wasn’t really much else to establish on the gender front; I was just a girl. No asterisks, no caveats… Well, maybe the whole ‘she/they’ thing counts as a caveat, but I don’t think it does, actually, so that’s that.

  As we left the meeting room, I ended up following the big group of girls (girl-adjacent people, in the cases of Quinn and Hazel) out of the student centre. Hazel hid her ears and tail before we left the room. Iris hid her tail as well, but kept her horns out.

  Hazel lit up a joint as we lounged on some benches. “Hey, Lilly,” she said, exhaling a bunch of smoke. “Want a hit?” She held out the joint towards me.

  “Oh, um…” I shook my head. “I’m good.”

  Hazel shrugged and handed the joint to Venny instead, who happily took a big puff, and promptly started trying to cough up her lungs.

  “Soooo…” Hazel said once Venny’s coughing fit ended. “Since you just came out, I’m going to assume you don’t have many girly clothes yet?”

  “I, uh, have some bras,” I said.

  “Other than those,” Hazel said. “You got… anything?”

  “Uh… some panties,” I said, trying hard (and failing) not to blush.

  “So… no skirts or whatever?” Hazel said. “Girl, you gotta get a skirt. You definitely should get leggings. I bet your ass would look fantastic in leggings.”

  “I’d have to call my mom to ask for money,” I said. “I don’t exactly have the money for a whole new wardrobe.”

  “You don’t need a whole new wardrobe,” Liv said.

  I sat silently for a few moments. “I… Want a whole new wardrobe, I think. I think I want to try getting new clothes, find a new style or something.”

  “I ain’t got nothin’ better to do this afternoon,” Hazel said, accepting the joint back from Cra. “Hey, girls, who wanna go shopping?”

  “I also want some, uh, piercings, and today is Tuesday,” I added.

  I found a half dozen grinning girls looking my way.

  “What sorta piercings?” Hazel asked.

  I thought back to my video game character. “Um, ear lobes, obviously,” I said. “I, um, really really like nose studs.” I pointed at the side of my nose. “I’ve, um, always thought they looked really cute. There’s others I want, but I think these will be enough for now.”

  “Piercings first, clothes after?” Quinn asked. “Or the other way around?”

  Hazel took one st hit from the joint, then dumped it in a trash bin, it being spent. “Piercing shop is closer. Also, I wanna get a lip ring done.”

  “I should, uh, call my mom first,” I said. “Be right back.”

  I walked a bit away so I was out of ear shot, then took out my phone. I opened up my contact then, before I could stop myself, I called my mom.

  “Hello,” she said.

  “H-Hi mom,” I said. “Um, there’s something I should probably tell you.”

  “What’s up with your voice, dear?” my mom replied.

  Oh shit. I hadn’t thought of that. That my voice would sound so different.

  “Uh, I’ve been, um, working on training it to sound like that recently. I’m- I’m-” I took a deep breath.

  “Sweetie?” My mom said, “You alright? You can tell me anything, you know.”

  “I know, mom,” I said. “I’m uh, I’m a g-” I took another deep breath. “I’m a girl, mom.”

  I wasn’t sure what reaction I was expecting from my mom, but a sudden excited squeal wasn’t it. “Oh my god, really?” She excimed. “I have a daughter?! Tell me everything! What’s your name?”

  I was a bit taken aback by her enthusiastic acceptance, but I didn’t dare question it. My mom knew and she was excited.

  So I told her. I even expined the magic. She didn’t even question it, even though, were I in her position, I absolutely would have. “So, then Liv said that I can just be a girl, and… well, it made it all click. So, yeah, I’m a girl, mom.”

  “That’s wonderful, Lilly. I’m so gd you figured yourself out,” my mom said.

  “Yeah, me too,” I said. “Um, I also may need a bit of, um, money to, uh, feminise my wardrobe…” I trailed off, feeling awkward.

  “Oh, of course Lilly,” my mom said. “You can’t exactly go around in those dark hoodies you always wear anymore.”

  “Mooom!” I excimed.

  “Only teasing, sweetie. So, about this Olivia girl you mentioned. Is she cute?”

  I blushed, but I found myself nodding. Of course, she couldn’t see me, so I had to say something. “Yeah, she’s really pretty…” I said.

  “Do you like her, Lilly?” My mom asked.

  I nodded again. “Yeah. A bit. She’s… Yeah.” I swallowed. “Um, I don’t think- I only just figured out my whole, uh, gender thing just now, so I don’t know if dating right now is the best idea, but… I’m not opposed.”

  “How about your friend, uh, Harry, was it?”

  I cringed. “Uh, I think she might be trans too,” I said. I told my mom everything to do with Rachel. “Mom, I’m scared I fucked up and she’s not gonna talk to me again, and I don’t know what to do.”

  “Oh, sweetie,” my mom said. “I’m sure she’ll talk to you again. I can’t imagine things will go well with her family, and I think she’ll want to turn to you for help afterwards.”

  “Uh, if you say so,” I said. “I’ll message her tonight or something.”

  “Good. So you said this magic game is transforming her too. Is she cute?”

  “Mooom! You can’t go about asking that about all my friends!”

  “Well, why not, Lilly? I’m your mom. It’s my job to embarrass you!”

  I groaned. “Yes, she’s really cute. Can we not talk about this right now, please?”

  “Oh, alright sweetheart,” my mom replied. “I’ll send you some money for the new clothes. Could you maybe visit this weekend? I’d love to see my daughter properly for the first time.”

  I swallowed back a lump that had formed in my throat. “Yeah, I’ll visit,” I said. “I love you, mom.”

  “I love you too, Lilly,” my mom replied.

  gayannabeth