Julie had known you, and how you felt about her, for some time. But when it seemed to her you would not act upon how you felt, she moved on. By the time she was fifteen, she was certain of her sexual orientation, and considered it her good fortune to have met Tina. And when you finally confessed how you felt earlier, asked her out, Julie understood she probably could have handled it better, including not laughing, nor telling Tina, who told a friend, who it spread from there until not only did everyone in the high school know, but everyone in the junior high as well.
Her thoughts on these and other things, including the homework she had due for tomorrow, as well as how she still had other assignments to turn it now considered late, she walked home from Tina's place. Not paying the least bit of attention, it was jarring when she ran into the girl you had become. Still lost in her thoughts, missing it when you blurted out her name, Julie instead acted in a way she saw as appropriate. Embracing you in a comforting way after focusing all her attention of you, doing so much like how an older girl would to a younger sister, she waited for you to calm down and stop crying as she soothed, "Hey, now. Shhhh. Hey, it'll be all right. You’ll see. Why don't you take a deep breath and when you're ready, why don't you start over by telling me your name and what's the problem."
As you found yourself embraced and consoled by the girl you've had a crush on, your first errant thought was how you'd always dreamed of this day. You wanted to hug Julie, but, at the same time, a part of you wanted to do more, hoped you'd be permitted. Now, as you felt oddly reassured and calmed by this, you were also perplexed by the way you no longer felt the same attraction to her as before. Wondering if it might be because you've been rejected by her, and thus a part of you has started to move on, you dreaded the idea, as much as the notion which crossed your mind in how you'd changed more than you realised.
"And now, because I am a girl, I no longer feel the same way, am no longer attracted to them," you reasoned to yourself as you turned your thoughts to the issue of what to tell Julie.
There was a part of you which wanted to tell her everything - the walk leading to the strange park; the well and your wish, all of it. But, at the same time, you were hesitant to do so, scared she might reject you again, or worse, simply laugh. Going back and forth on telling the true or make something up, you found yourself indecisive as to what to do.
Julie, unaware of the dilemma you were facing, waited patiently. Watching you, listening as you sniffed and rubbed at your eyes, she wondered who you were. Having babysat for almost all the parents in the neighbourhood, she would swear she'd never seen you before, and was left to ask herself, "Did she get lost? Wander away from her parents," as she considered how the park, yeah, was several blocks away, but was still close enough for the girl to have left and ended of lost.
Your mind made up, you inhaled deep and breathing out, you told Julie, "I'm Daniel," wanting cringe at how you didn't sound like yourself.
Of all the things she expected, this was the last thing. Taken aback, flustered, it took her a moment before she could come up anything to say. Looking at you, she opened and closed her mouth a few times before she finally managed, "You mean your name is Daniella?"
"No," you whined in a petulant tone, and stamping your foot, you reiterated, "I'm Daniel," and seeing she still didn't believe you, wanted to correct you, you explained, "I'm notta girl. I'm a boy. I made a wish to better understand girls and was made to become a girl," and seeing the looking on Julie's face, you fumbled for a moment to find something to make her believe before spouting off whatever you could.
She couldn't believe what she was hearing. There was no way a boy could become a girl, let alone a teenager becoming a child. Finding the whole situation unbelievable, she wanted stop you, but couldn't bring herself to do so as she listened as you told of things only you'd know, would never reveal to anyone, some she found embarrassing. Listening, taking it in, still finding it all so incredible to the point it seemed like something made up, yet, at the same time, a part of her thought there was some truth, especially as you truly seemed to believe it, she finally stopped you and said, "Okay. Let's say I believe you. You aren't a girl, but somehow the boy who'd had a crush on me for the past four years," and trailing off, unsure what else to say, she finally blurted out, "Why in the name of everything would you want to turn yourself into a girl. You're not, like, the type who wants to be female, believes they should have been a girl," before hastily adding, "Because, if you are, I shan't hold it against you," before trailing off again.
Relieved she seemed to believe you, you listen to her, then, in defiance, you cross your arms, scowl, and state, "I do not wanna be a girl. I never wanna-ed ta be a girl. I wanna-ed to understand why girls act the way they do," unhappy with how, the more upset you got, the more your speech patterns regressed, making you sound more and more like a girl of seven.
Prepared better, or feeling as she was, to at least consider the possibility you were who you said you were, Julie was still uncertain why a guy would want something like what you claimed, despite what you said. Never before had she ever heard of someone, male or female, desiring to understand the opposite sex in such a way, which left a niggling sense of doubt eating at her. Wondering if what she was hearing was some sort of game, and the real Daniel had put this girl up to it, Julie found this even more implausible. Shaking her head, she at last said, "So, if what you say is true, what are you going to do. Because, I do not know if you realise this, but I still know a boy of sixteen named Daniel. So I am willing to guess nobody knows who you are."
So focused on finding the well, you hadn't considered this. Going over what Julie had just told you, you were overcome with the question of what would happen if you were stuck the way you were. Unsure if you could go home, you found it hard to swallow your sister, mother, or father, would believe you if you told them any of what you told Julie. Shifting in place, fidgeting with the hem of the dress, you at last whimpered, "I don't know," before saying, "I hafta find the well."
It was clear what she'd said was distressing you, and you were on the verge of crying again. Taking you again in a hug, Julie whispered, "Hey, it'll be all right. You'll see."
Your first instinct was to demand to how, as, at the moment, you were obviously stuck being a little girl. But as Julie released you, and you took a hitching breath, you rubbed a fist to your eyes to clear away the tears threatening to once again fall. Nodding, feeling a little better, you ask, "Do you know who can help me? I hafta to find the well which did this and undo my wish."
Her immediately response of wanting to know what you'd do if you couldn't find the well, as well as asking if remaining a girl might not be so bad, as it'd give you the understanding you requested, not seeming appropriate, Julie switched tactics and instead offered, "What if I helped you?"
This was something you'd dreamed about. Always wanting to spend some time alone with Julie, you were crestfallen it had to be in a way where you were both female. Keeping this to yourself, you nodded and reply, "Okay," then add, "Thank you."
"You're welcome," Julie answered and standing up, she offered you a hand. Taking it, trying to keep in check how you always had wanted to hold her hand, to know if it was a soft as what you were now feeling, you listened as Julie said, "Why don't we first go and get you some shoes. My cousins were over last weekend, and one of them left their sandals. I'm sure she wouldn't mind if you borrowed them. Also, since my dad got down their bikes for when they played outside, I think it might help make the search go faster if we did it on bikes instead of walking."
Not sure if you could ride a bicycle the way you were, let alone if you wanted to, you saw also the logic in what she said. Figuring you might find the well quicker this way, you nodded and again replied, "Okay," as, with your hand still in Julie's, you allowed yourself to be led down the block and toward the house of the girl you used to have a crush on.