“Why are you asking me this again? My mind’s made up!” Despite your insistence, your outburst lacks a lot of the fire that you had shown back at the gym.
Tamara seems to pick up on this as she gives you a smile, a surprisingly nice smile for a Goth. “Are you sure? Do you really want to waste this opportunity? Just look at yourself.”
Stepping forward, she grabs your arm and spins you back around. Against your better judgment, your eyes instantly lock back onto your reflection. As before, you find yourself captivated. If you had still been your old self, you would have said this girl was far out of your league. Can that really be you?
“Come on,” Tamara says softly into your ear. “Aren’t you proud to be such a beauty? It’s an experience even many girls don’t get to have.”
You grit your teeth, but a part of you acknowledges she is right. You are proud. But why? You’ve never had any desire to be a girl, even a beautiful one. "Are you controlling my mind?"
Tamara laughs. “If I was going to do that, why would we be having this conversation? No, that feeling is all you, Stacey. You like being pretty, right? Why throw it all away before you really get a chance to experience it?"
Closing your eyes, you sigh. "Fine. I'll try it out for a week." Before the elated Tamara can respond, you hold up a hand. "But I have one condition. How is my dad doing? My original dad."
Tamara blinks. "Um, I'm not sure. I didn't really look too hard at his current life after I redirected your mother's path."
"Is he married to anyone else?" You demand. "Any kids? Is he even still alive?"
For the first time, you see a bit of uncertainty in Tamara's eyes. If you didn't know any better, you can almost say she looks guilty. "Well, he's not dead," she says with an apologetic smile. "I don't think he's married either."
You feel a bit of weight leave your shoulders. If she had said he had other kids, that would have complicated things much further. "Is he happy?"
"I...don't know."
"Well, find out for me, alright? There's no way I can try out this life if it means he has to be alone and miserable for a week. If he's not happy, this deal's off, and you have to change me back. Okay?"
The Goth girl bites her nail as she thinks it over. Finally, she nods. "Got it. I make sure he's happy, and you try out being a girl. No problem."
For a moment, you wonder if you might be missing something. However, you are distracted when Tamara throws her arms around your neck and gives you a rather bouncy hug. "Oh, I'm so glad you agreed to this! You're going to love it, I promise." Jumping back, she waves playfully. "For now, gotta go. Enjoy!"
Then, without so much as a pop, she vanishes.
"Wait!" You say, but there is no answer. Muttering under your breath, you go sit on your bed, noting a pleasant flowery scent coming from your sheets. So, this is your life for the next week. Might as well get used to it.