You decide to head on home. As you pay for the pants and shoes, the clerk bags your old clothes. You head out the door and a gentle breeze greets you by softly tossing your hair in the air. You can't help but smile at the sensation the tug of the wind makes on your scalp as it plays with your nearly six-foot mane.
You make it back to your single apartment and throw the bag next to the couch. The phone rings.
"I've been calling you for an hour," your girlfriend says on the other end of the line.
"Sorry about that, I forgot my cell here in the apartment."
"What are you doing right now?" she asked.
"Um, nothing. I just got back from shopping."
"That's good, cuz I'm entering your building right now. See you in a sec!"
"What? Wait!" The line goes silent. You never thought about what your girlfriend might think about your new appearance. Would she even recognize you?
You scramble to the bag and fish out your old pants, but you don't have nearly the time you need to get changed. A knock on the door makes you jump. You walk to the door and open it slowly.
"Hi, Helena," you say as nicely as you can muster.
"Hey there," she says as she lets herself in. She casually brushes past you as you shut the door. "I figured you weren't answering because you were sleeping in, so I decided to come by and see if you were home. So what were you shopping for?"
"Uh, well it's kind of a long story...," you stammer. "You're probably wondering--"
"Why are you holding those big baggy pants?" she asks. "Did you just buy those?"
You gulp and look down. You're still clutching your old pair of pants.
"Who are those for? Can't be either of us, they'd never fit." She walks closer to you and combs her fingers through your hair. Despite your nervousness, it feels good. "What're you doing with your hair down? Don't tell me you went outside like that!"
"Helena? What are you saying?"
Only now does she give you a funny look. "I'm saying that's now way to treat your lovely hair! Sit down, we're braiding it right now."
Deciding it's best to play along, you take a seat on the couch and she kneels on the floor behind you. You feel her take up parts of your hair and gently divide them.
"I went to this really weird clothing place," you explain. "I found these pants that...changed me."
"Clothes can have that effect," Helena responds. Your scalp tightens as she begins to weave the braid at the nape of your neck.
You're starting to realize what's going on with Helena. You decide to ask a careful question. "So, you like my hair, right?"
"Yeah, of course."
"I mean, you've always liked it?"
"I think it's great that a guy can be comfortable with long hair. Women don't have exclusive rights to it and more guys ought to try growing it out. One of the things I liked about you when we first met was how confident you were about your appearance, knowing that you didn't look like most guys. I think deciding to never cut your hair was a brave decision to embrace what you are."
"And...what am I?" you ask, more nervous than ever.
Helena giggles. "My little one-of-a-kind boyfriend. Not too much man, but not so girly that he doesn't have it where it counts."
You gulp. Whatever was in these pants you're wearing hasn't just changed you. It's changed the world so that you've always looked this way! At first you're scared what this could mean, but you calm yourself by realizing that this actually makes things easier for you now. Besides, you can always change yourself back whenever you want. Reality will probably go back to normal, too.
Lost in thought, you relax on the couch and enjoy the gentle tugs that massage your scalp as your girlfriend continues her work. You don't realize how close you are to dozing off when Helena startles you by proclaiming, "All done!"
You lazily pick yourself up off the sofa and look at yourself in the bathroom mirror. Helena has given you a thick, ropey French braid that reaches all the way to your calves. She's tied it off with a red hairband.
"Much better, don't you think?" she said. "Now my boy's looking prim and proper."
You blush. "Thanks," you shrug. You pick up the braid with both hands, feeling its weight and the softness of the strands it binds. You still can't believe this is really your hair now.
"You got anything else planned today?" Helena asks you.
You drop the braid and clear your throat. "Well, now that you mention it..."