Next you're hustled into a classroom. "This," the teacher says, "is a health class. Over the course of the school year we'll cover the ins and outs of your new gender, but for today we're just going to cover the bare essentials." And you do; you learn about the menstrual cycle and how to deal with it, and how to go to the bathroom as a girl. A few other things are covered, basic hair care and so on. Then you're rushed out to the parking lot, where you're going to be sent home.
"Listen," Katherine says as you climb on the bus, "let's keep in touch. I think we'll handle this better if we have each other to talk to."
Jennifer nods. "Good idea."
"Yeah," you say. "Look, how about we go home, talk to our parents, and then meet up at the park?"
Katherine nods. "We'll do that. Six-thirty." Her stop's up, and she gets up and leaves the bus.
Jennifer, too, gets off shortly thereafter. You sit by yourself on the bench until the bus arrives at your stop. You get off and walk home from the bus stop. Your mother is waiting in the living room when you get in.
"Oh, Stephanie, dear, you turned out so lovely!" she gushes. You fend off her embrace. "Good," you snap, "I'm glad you're so damn happy."
Her face falls. "Don't be angry, dear," she says. "We had a very good reason for this."
"And just what the hell would that be?" you snarl.
She frowns. "You know I don't like you using language like that. And we had a very good reason - they're going to pay your entire college tuition."
You groan. "So you sold my identity for money?"
She sighs. "Dear, you don't understand. This is only for the school year. They'll change you back at the end of the year. And in the meantime, you'll get to experience life from a different perspective. And it's not just any old college tuition, either; it's all-expenses-paid at any college you choose. I'm sorry we couldn't tell you, but you'd never have gone to school today if we'd told you."
"Darn it, Mom," you say, "I don't care about the tuition! If it's a choice between keeping my gender for a year and getting a lot of money, I don't want the money!"
She sighs. "I'm sorry you feel that way, dear. But as your parents, we knew this was best for you. We've been through college, dear. We know what a struggle it is to pay tuition. This is a very simple way to take care of that completely. It's not something we want you to miss out on. And you don't have to start acting like a girl, or thinking of yourself as one. All you have to do for this is make it through the year."
"No." You don't care. You don't care if you never get through college, or never even go to college, it's not worth submitting to this. If this morning was any indication, it's going to be a lot worse than just living through a year as a girl. "No, I'm not doing this. I want you to call them and have them change me back."
Your mother emits another sigh. "Dear," she says, "that's not an option. The contract stated that changing back in the middle of the experiment isn't an option. They're not even bringing the equipment back until the end of the school year. Just tough it out; you'll be fine."
That sends you over the edge. "NO!" you scream. "NO, IT WON'T!" Running upstairs to your room, you grab your wallet and stuff it in your vest pocket, then run back down to the living room. Despite your mother's please, you stomp out the front door, slamming it behind you. New breasts jiggling, you run down the street, heading downtown.