Aaron was a senior at St. John's Catholic High School, out for a leisurely day on the mall with the rest of the varsity basketball team including his best friend Lucas. Aaron was only about 5'11 with short dirty blond hair and an average face, a decent tan and burgeoning muscle tone from his athleticism. However, Aaron was the team benchwarmer and kind of a quiet guy but his friends on the team didn't mind. It was a group effort and they still all supported and hung out with him even if he wasn't their star player. Lucas in particular had always been nice to Aaron and practiced with him often to help him improve and in return Aaron, who was more of an academic, helped Lucas study for tests. Lucas was the team's MVP. He was a 6'2 Cuban American with vibrant olive skin and buzzed dark brown hair. His white and scarlet team uniform did little to contain the vast amounts of hair and muscle beneath which made him look much older than 18. Unknown to anyone else, Aaron was gay and at odds with his faith. He played along, having little choice with his family and peer group but his heart was empty and in pain. Secretly he lusted for his teammate and friend Lucas, having been in love with him since childhood. With graduation only a month away and the great doors of adulthood beginning to open Aaron felt he finally had the courage to come out to Lucas as being both gay and atheist.
On their way out of the mall, the guys passed a well-dressed Christian family preaching the usual anti-homosexual rhetoric. Aaron inwardly rolled his eyes, he knew a lot of his teammates bought into that stuff but he hoped Lucas would be more understanding. At the same time, the words of a particular man - Nicholas to be exact, struck a chord within him. He felt a bitter sensation pass through his body, like the foreshadowing of a cold. He shivered a bit but carried on. One by one the team departed the parking lot, leaving just Lucas and Aaron. Today was their private practice day back at Lucas's house, his family would be gone and after practice Aaron was going to finally tell him how he felt. Or so he hoped.
The car ride was quiet, with Aaron mentally practicing different speeches but thankfully Lucas lived close by. It was an upper class two story with a large enclosed backyard and a basketball hoop perfect for practice. As the two friends made shots and small talk Aaron began to sweat and grow cold, his skin losing some color. Lucas became concerned, the temperature was still mild but something seemed deeply wrong with Aaron. The boy refused to quit, however, and to Lucas and Aaron's combined surprise his playing seemed to be improving. Slowly but noticeably his shots became more accurate, his dribbling and ball control gained both precision and even style that departed from the uncertain monotonous desperation he usually displayed on the court. Lucas was worried his friend was overworking himself trying to prove himself to his friend in the last hours of the school year. Aaron on the other hand was lost in a strange aggression and drive, it was drowning out his other urges. His usual anxiety at being in proximity to his attractive friend was suppressed and he felt a friendly streak of rivalry driving him forward. The two played nearly equal until Lucas could no longer hide his worries and called time.
"You alright man? You looked a little pale out there" inquired a concerned Lucas as he passed his friend some Gatoraid. Aaron shook his head, taking a long slurp from his drink to cool down and relax. He felt light-headed and peculiar but not in a bad way, in fact he was feeling pretty good. Confidant even. Now or never, he thought, he may never have this confidence again.
"Hey Lucas, there's something I wanted to talk to you about" he started. Lucas nodded and sat down, giving him his earnest I'm listening look. Aaron gazed into his sincere brown eyes, he truly felt he could tell his friend anything. "I love... the way you play man, you're a badass teammate" he blurted out. No, that wasn't right he loved... No, not love, respect. That was it. Love for another guy, that was sinful and unnatural his mind told him. No, his feelings were just confused, he was jealous of Lucas's skill on the court, wasn't he? Aaron's head began to swarm and he felt dizzy. Lucas noticed his eyes were watery and distant and the light green pigments seemed to be darkening a bit as he watched into a deep brown.
"Aaron, what's wrong with you?" Aaron tried to respond but felt a lump rising in his throat as his neck began to swell and his Adam's apple forced its way out.
"I've... I've been trying to tell you..." Aaron's voice trembled and deepened loosening its high pitched timbre and colorful tone and sinking into a deeper, more masculine baritone. Lucas watched as his friend's shoulders expanded and contracted with his deep breaths, growing broader and stronger. His spine cracked and contorted horribly, stretching him taller. Inch by agonizing inch, bones grew and muscle filled in, bringing him to a more respectable height of 6'2 like his friend. Even through the pain Aaron's thoughts were elsewhere. He was questioning his sexuality, he had been sure he was gay. It was like that man Nicholas had said, his young mind was just confused and misled. He needed to strengthen his connection to the Savior like Lucas. He needed to be more like Lucas.
"What were you trying to tell me Aaron?" Lucas helped his friend lie down and went to get him water. Shaking and overheated, hair began to sprout across Aaron's body in a wave. His legs darkened and covered in dense hair up to his thighs and he grew a thick patch on his stomach and between his pecs while his skin beneath darkened to a familiar olive color. The same tan pigment oozed across his arms and face, converting him cell by cell into his new mixed Cuban/American genetics. His mind wandered more and more, away from the men he once fantasized over and towards beautiful, slight women that would make great wives. Part of him tried to resist and hold on to his feelings but they were dissolving. Aaron, now thinking of himself as Ryan could feel his memories changing and his once waning beliefs becoming stronger. He needed to find a good woman so he could raise a family of his own. He clutched his head fighting with himself while beneath his fingers he could feel his hair getting thicker, darker and buzzing itself down. Across his face dark, messy stubble bloomed giving him a slight shadow. His academic interests, other then Bible study shrank a bit, he wasn't Lucas's tutor anymore, both of them needed a little help in that area.
"Uh nothing man, I don't know" Ryan laughed, struggling to remember what he wanted to tell his friend but nothing came to him. His memories were getting foggier as his body finished changing. He remembered being co-captain of the team with his best friend Lucas who he grew up with, their families had been close for generations and they were both devout Christians, happy to spread the word. Both young men paused a moment as reality changed around them and the last few moments vanished from history, it was just another day. The two friends, though more like brothers were just spending one more afternoon chilling together.