After several false starts, the two girls found themselves in a residential area after a couple hours. The area had mostly older homes, and finally Josie pointed. "That one!"
It was a two story home, probably built in the 40's or early 50's. There was a small attic window, and the front door was actually on the second floor, with a long flight of concrete stairs leading up to it. "Weird, why would you build a house that way?" Cole couldn't keep the confusion out of her voice.
"The house is built into a hill, the back yard is actually level with the second floor." Cole explained.
"Just weird."
"Really? Compared to the day we're having, that's the thing you think is weird?" Cole shook her head.
"Well..just because it's not as weird doesn't mean it's not weird." Getting out of the car, both girls climbed the stairs and, finding the house keys fit the lock, went inside. The home had hardwood floors, and was sparsely furnished- there was a mattress on the living room floor, and no television, only an aging PC sitting on an older computer desk.
"Place is dusty enough." Cole commented.
"Yeah, well, I don't have a lot of free time, between school and work. I sold a lot of the furniture to make ends meet. The house belonged to my grandparents." Josie shrugged. "Not that I remember them too well."
"So why can't we remember details about our lives, do you think?"
Josie took a seat on the computer chair, her feet dangling off the floor. "I'm not sure. You said that one security guard knew who you were, but that should be impossible, since the adult Cole didn't exist this morning. This goes beyond just a transformation- it's like reality got a hotfix."
"Oh, like in a multiplayer online game, there was a bug, and this is a quick update to try and repair the issue before the next patch comes out?" Cole nodded.
"Yeah, got it in one. So it's a rush job. I guess we can expect to remember more stuff eventually." Josie frowned. "I just hope when that happens we don't start thinking we've always been the way we are now."
Cole took off her work boots. "Would that be so bad? I mean, if we can't go back to our old lives..."
Josie considered that. "I don't know. Maybe it would be, from a certain point of view. But we'd be completely different people then. It would be like our original selves had been completely erased. In a way, that's murder. I'd like to at least keep some part of who we were alive."
"I can't...this is just too much." Cole felt like crying again. Josie jumped off the chair and went to her side. "Cole, come on honey, you can't lose it now."
"But I'm not strong like you! I'm just a kid..stuck in this grown up body..." She did start crying.
Josie led her into the bathroom, which was dominated by an old-fashioned cast iron tub, and she turned on the water. "Come on, let's get you in the tub, I bet you'll feel better." Josie noted that there were feminine products in the bathroom now, though far less than her...girlfriend...had possessed.
"Huh. So I did have a girlfriend. I wonder what's happened to her, whoever she was."
"Does that mean I have...a boyfriend now?" Cole's eyes widened.
"Maybe? Or maybe you have a girlfriend, I don't know. But all of this implies that there was some will behind what happened to us, not just some random genetic mutation. I hope I get a chance to kick the ass of whoever did this to us."
"You really think a person could do this?" Cole looked at herself in the mirror, not quite able to believe that she was the woman she saw there.
"I can't deny the facts. Come on, let's get you undressed." Josie took charge, and soon Cole was resting in the tub.
"Oh that feels so much better." Cole lay back in the tub.
"I figured it would." Josie smiled at her softly.
"But what about you?"
"Hey, we need to keep you calm. You have the adult body, there's not much I can do for us." Josie shrugged.
"There's room in here for both of us." Cole pointed out.
"I...guess, but I mean..." Josie trailed off.
"What? Oh it's because I'm technically a kid?"
"Well, kinda. Yeah." She scratched the back of her neck.
"Come on, get in here, we're both girls." Cole laughed again. It felt good to laugh!
"You know, being the same gender doesn't mean it's completely innocent." But Josie started taking off her outfit. As expected, she had a fairly small bust and not much of a figure. Cole had to help her get in. "Being short is taking some getting used to."
She sank into the water. "Yeah, that's the stuff. But yeah, I'm still attracted to girls, I'm assuming that's all me?"
Cole blinked. "Uh..I think so. I know I didn't have a girlfriend, at least. I...don't really know if I'm attracted to boys or girls, really."
"Well you're young yet. Though now that you have an adult body, there's no telling how that's going to affect you." Josie lay back as well, her legs lightly touching Cole's.
"Great, that's something to look forward to. So, what do you think our next move is going to be?"
"Well, we need to figure out where you go to school at, and if you're going to be tapped to play basketball this semester. I don't remember either way. You have a job, so that's how we can get money. I'm sorry about that, I don't have a lot to offer. At some point, your mom is going to report you...or me...missing."
"Oh man, so if you get spotted, the cops might pick you up...or arrest me?" Cole gulped.
"Right, and honestly...I'm not sure I want to go live with a family that isn't really mine. Maybe if I got an entirely different outfit, and dyed my hair. What's something you wouldn't be caught dead wearing?
"Oh jeez. Dresses, mostly. I don't care for skirts much. Anything cute and girly." Cole made a face.
"What, weren't you cute?" Josie teased.
"I mean, I guess so? It wasn't like I checked myself out. But I was never into girly stuff."
"Then that's what I'll do, I guess." Josie shrugged.
"Are you sure you're really a guy?" Cole teased.
"I don't even know anymore."
Later, Cole found some instant ramen and the two had a simple dinner. They were going to have to get more money if they were going to live together. The news talked about the STS victims, and mentioned the government hotline. That was one way to get money, but at the cost of being poked and prodded.
Plus, neither of them was certain that they were, in fact, suffering from STS. Not that they knew if there was a way to actually prove or disprove that.
They ended up sharing the mattress that night, and Josie held the taller girl close. She felt responsible for her, and, despite appearance, she was going to have to be the 'older sister' from here on out.
Next time...