Michael’s face burned hot as he was led into the apartment by Chelsea… He was a college student, he was supposed to be heading to campus, not led back into the building by his neighbor… His neighbor who thought he was her little girl… Not to mention being led back in this juvenile outfit resized to his male frame. Each little slide of the jean skirt against his knees, each bounce of his new pigtails, each little flash from his light-up sneakers… It all made him blush further and further with embarrassment as he was led over to the apartment building’s elevator.
He wanted to say something, but… Well, what would he even say?! “Hey, I’m not Sara, I’m actually her babysitter”? At best, he’d probably get laughed at… At worst, brought immediately to the emergency room and strapped up to every machine he could ever think of… Chelsea didn’t exactly realize Michael was the one she was holding by the hand right now… She thought he was-
“Sara? You okay sweetheart? You’ve been really quiet…”
Chelsea was looking back towards Michael with a sweet smile on her face as the two entered the elevator… Michael needed to think for a second before he responded, his eyes filled with uncertainty as he looked at the older woman watching his every move, “I’m… I’m okay… Mommy… I’m just um… S-Still shaken up by the storm… It was really… Scary?”
A soft giggle escaped Chelsea’s lips as she planted a quick kiss on Michael’s forehead, before smiling towards him, “I know, baby girl… Don’t worry, we’ll be safe home soon,”
The elevator doors opened, and it didn’t take long from there to reach a small apartment door. Michael knew where they were… It was the third floor of the building, the same floor he always got off on. His apartment was at 315, and Sara and Chelsea’s was a few doors up from that at Apartment #303… Chelsea dug a silver house key from her purse, and, with a soft click, the door opened to the apartment…
Michael had been in here a few times. It was a cozy apartment, one of the larger units… A two bedroom apartment with a homey living room/kitchen… A floral couch sat in the center of the room, facing a sizable TV with a few miscellaneous plush scattered around the room from Sara… But it wasn’t the furniture Michael was interested in… Rather, it was the pictures hanging on the walls… Pictures of him.
One photo showed Michael at the beach, dressed in a purple one-piece girl’s swimsuit, his long brown hair clearly wet from a dip in the ocean as he sat in the sand, building a sandcastle… Another showed him at some sort of Christmas party, beaming proudly next to Chelsea in a red lace party dress and Mary Janes… Another picture, clearly taken at the town’s 4th of July carnival, showed Michael mid-laugh, dressed in a blue graphic with rhinestone covered red and white letters reading “LITTLE MISS AMERICA”, his face covered with remnants of a strawberry ice cream he held in his right hand… These were all photos that clearly once had the real Sara in them… But now had him in their place.
“Ah, home sweet home…” Chelsea said with a tired sigh as she closed the door behind her, “Alright, I’ve gotta call the other moms and see if your friends are safe… Why don’t you go play in your room for a little bit while I figure things out, hm?”
“Um… I… I guess that’s… Okay…” Michael started, “B-But Chel- um… Mommy… I-“
“Perfect…” Chelsea interrupted as she grabbed Michael’s hand once again… She led her “daughter” down the hall to a small room at the very back of the apartment, a white and pink sign reading “SARA’S ROOM”, the “O”s of the sign made with pink flowers.
Chelsea flung open the door, immediately turning and leaving Michael to take in his new environment… For a small room, it had quite a bit… A little twin bed with a Disney Princess comforter sat as the centerpiece of the room, the smiling faces of Moana and Rapunzel peaking out from a mountain of Squishmallows and plush dolls laying atop it… A poster of Hello Kitty and Friends sat proudly on the pink walls, hanging above a white dresser with flower knobs… A few boxes labeled “TOYS” and “DRESS UP” sat next to a small desk… The toy box was propped open, letting him see the mountain of Barbies and baby dolls within…
Michael could see a small “Frozen” themed backpack next to the desk, along with a few papers on the desk… And, at the far end of the room, a small closet sat just begging to be opened… Michael’s mind raced seeing all of this… He could only really think one thing…
How was he going to get through this new girly juvenile life?!