The volleyball game comes to an end much sooner than you realized. Apparently you’d spent more time lost in thought than you’d realized. Heading back into the changing rooms to collect your cheerleading outfit, you and the rest of the girls make your way back towards the main camp site, escorted by Lisa. She explains that since today was the first day of activities the counselors decided to let everyone have the afternoon off to just relax and get to know their fellow campers.
Walking back into the room you and Holly share, you notice that there’s been some...changes. Your backpack has changed from black to blue and pink, with a ribbon tied to one of the straps. Your gaming console is gone, and it’s place is a iPad. You know you should be furious that your super expensive system has just up and vanished, but for some reason it just doesn’t seem super important anymore. Yeah, video games are fun, but did you really need to haul them all the way out to summer camp?
A shiver rolls down your back. Where had that thought come from? New memories, new gender, new perspectives.....this camp was changing you somehow, but you just couldn’t quite muster up the willpower to do anything but go with the flow. It was eerie.
Opening your bag, you see your clothing has changed as well. You still have plenty of shorts, but they are...well...shorter than you are used to. There are a few skirts, a pair of sweatpants, and all of the shampoo, conditioner, and other hair and skincare products you know girls at school use.
Holly pokes her head around the corner of the doorway. “Gracie, do you want to come to the lounge with me?- A bunch of the other girls are going to go hang out in there and play card games and stuff” she says. You nod and place the cheerleading uniform carefully on the bed, and then follow Holly down the hallway to the lounge.
The lounge is fairly full; there’s about fifteen or so girls both from your cabin and a few neighboring ones. A tidal wave of names washes over you—Abby, Samantha, Jenny, Lily, Megan, Mandy, Miranda, Haley..... Back home you’d be overwhelmed by the number of people and retreated to a corner of the room until you could make an excuse and head back to your gaming, but everyone seems so nice, and so you gravitate towards the center of the room.
After a hour or two hanging out and playing cards, it’s time for dinner. Somehow the camp actually had pizza(and out of all the strange things that have already happened, being surprised over pizza was pretty funny) and you happily had a few slices. It was nice to know that whatever else changed, your favorite food remained just as good.
After dinner, you went back to the lounge for a bit, before lights out was called and you headed back to your room. Holly, who’d already gone back after dinner, glanced up at you.
“So, how’s you like the first day?” She asked. You paused for a second, trying to tell her that while it hadn’t been as bad as you thought, you were still really a guy..,but nothing came out. For some reason you just couldn’t say the words. You coughed and gave a smile. “It was fun!” you respond, still struggling to get the words out. Was it this place’s magic that was preventing you from saying anything?
Holly smiled back. “I had a good day too!” she said happily. “Tomorrow should be fun too, I hear we are doing canoeing.”
After chatting for a few minutes you head to bed. Usually you toss and turn for a bit before you fall asleep, but this time it seems like you are asleep as soon as your head touches the pillow.
The next morning dawns seemingly way too soon. You hop out of bed and get dressed, noticing Holly was already up. As you head down the hall Jenny, one of your cabinmates, calls you over.
“Hey Gracie, the counselors want all you cheerleaders in your uniforms for a group picture outside before we start the activities for today.”
“Okay.” You call back as you head back into your room, changing back into your cheerleading uniform. Just like before, you feel noticeably perkier and more excited once you’ve changed, and you hurry outside for the photo, happily standing next to Holly and the other girls.