"Hey there. Looking good, champ."
You ignore Clay's comment and continue eating your breakfast. He starts preparing his own.
"I didn't have a chance to ask last night," he says while putting bread in the toaster. "What do you think of Lee?"
The question jostles you from your thoughts about the girl in the lake, your transformation, and that nightmare. "Whu... Huh?"
Clay laughs, then says in a knowing way, "I thought so."
"Now hang on," you say. "Lee's a great girl. Gorgeous, too. But I've only known her for half a day."
"Sometimes that's all it takes," Clay responds. "She's available, FYI."
You slam your fork on the table. "Clay, I'm turning into a girl. All I can wear is this blouse and skirt. I can't even take a shower without making everything worse. What makes you think I should pursue a relationship right now?"
Clay sets his breakfast on the table across from you. "I know Lee pretty well. She doesn't take a shine to just anyone. And yet last night she was willing to drop everything in her own life just to help you out. Now what does that tell you?"
You hate to admit it, but he's right. Though you haven't thought much about her since she departed last night, whenever you do you can't stop a strange feeling from rising in your stomach. You know what it is, but you're scared of feeling it right now. Not when you're dealing with such a personal crisis.
"She and I...talked. Before you got home." It wouldn't do any harm to at least admit to your roommate what had happened.
"About what?"
"Lots of stuff. After she cut my hair, and I realized I still looked like a girl, I told her everything. Then we got talking about psychological stuff like masks and secret personas...and then we just talked about anything."
"She's a great woman, isn't she?"
"Yeah," you say, staring down at your half-eaten meal. You prod it with your fork. "But the problem is me. If I turn all the way into a girl, everything's out the window."
"True, it'd be pretty awkward," Clay thinks. "But it'd be pretty hot."
"Clay!" You throw your fork at him.
Clay manages to dodge the silverware, and his jovial mood changes.
"I didn't mean to upset you, man. It was just a joke."
"If you were in my place you'd know it's nowhere near funny. If this wasn't happening to me...if I was still a real guy, it would be so much easier."
"If this wasn't happening, you never would have met," Clay points out. "At least, not so soon. Maybe everything'll work out, for you and for her."
"What do you mean?"
"She's been in some bad relationships before, and she's not super friendly with guys these days. But last night, I saw a big ol' crack in her armor. She's into you, whether she realizes it or not. Trust me."
You sigh. "I do like her. A lot. When I first saw her, something just seemed to click. I didn't think much about it cuz I was so distracted by this," you run your fingers through your long, soft hair. "Do you think I should talk to her after we're done at the park?"
"Whether we're successful or not...yeah, I do," Clay says in an uncharacteristically serious tone. "Love isn't about bodies and how they look, it's about what's inside. Don't let this one go without a fight, man."
You scoff. "'Man'. That's a good one."
You're both silent for a moment. You think over what Clay said. Lee is truly a beautiful woman in more ways than one. You know she'll be coming in just an hour's time, but you can't wait to see her again, and you don't want all of your time with her to be spent obsessing over your transformation.
"I won't let her go," you say determinedly. "Whatever happens to me, I won't."