Changing Perspective

Chapter 3

As the stranger approached Taylor, he couldn't believe his eyes. It was Madison Copper, the girl he had been crushing on for years. For the first time all day, Taylor felt like his transformation might actually be working to his advantage.

"Hi," Madison said, giving Taylor a friendly smile. "I'm Madison. I don't think we've officially met before."

"No, we haven't," Taylor replied, trying to sound cool and collected despite the butterflies fluttering in his stomach. "I'm Taylor. It's nice to meet you."

There was an awkward pause as the two of them stood there, sizing each other up. Taylor couldn't believe that Madison was finally talking to him, and he was determined to make the most of it.

"So, how's your day been going?" Madison asked, breaking the silence.

"It's been...interesting," Taylor replied, deciding not to go into too much detail. "How about yours?"

"It's been pretty good," Madison said with a shrug. "I just had a really boring math class. I'm glad it's over."

"Did you have a good first day?" Madison asked, smiling warmly.

First day? Taylor thought to himself. Wait, does she think that I am new here?

"Madison," he began, and she turned quickly at the mention of her name, seemingly happy to hear her name come out of Taylor's voice. "I'm not actually new here," Taylor said, and Madison looked quite shocked by this revelation. "You can't be serious, there is no way I would miss someone as beautiful as you," she replied.

Taylor felt her heart skip. "You really think I am beautiful?" he asked.

"Are you kidding me? I couldn't get my eyes off you. You walked straight out of a beauty magazine. I must have been blind if I never noticed you," Madison gushed, causing Taylor to blush.

As they continued to chat, Taylor couldn't help but feel a sense of absolute bliss. He couldn't believe that she was finally noticing him, and he was determined to make the most of it.

Just as the conversation was starting to get interesting, Stacey appeared at Taylor's side, interrupting their moment.

"Hey, are you ready to go?" she asked, eyeing Madison with a mixture of curiosity and jealousy.

"Yeah, I think so," Taylor replied, reluctantly tearing himself away from Madison. "It was nice talking to you," he added, giving Madison a smile.

"You too," Madison replied, returning the smile. "Maybe I'll see you around."
"Maybe" Taylor replied.
As Taylor and Stacey made their way home, Taylor couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and confusion. He had finally spoken with Madison, the girl he had been crushing on for years, but he was also struggling to come to terms with the fact that he had somehow transformed into a girl.

"So, do you think I am cute?" Taylor asked, trying to distract himself from his own problems.

"Dude, don't let that transformation go to your head," Stacey replied, shooting Taylor a sidelong glance. "Though this is a much better improvement from your old looks."

Taylor winced at Stacey's words, feeling a pang of annoyance. He knew that his transformation had been unexpected, but he was just glad he got to speak to Madison because of it.

"What should I do?" Taylor said with a sigh. "It's just...I can't believe this is happening. I mean, how did I even end up like this?"

"I have no idea," Stacey said, shaking her head. "But you have to admit, it's kind of a cool opportunity. You've always been so shy around girls, and now you're getting all this attention. You should take advantage of it."

Taylor nodded, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off about his transformation. He knew that he needed to find out what was going on and figure out a way to change back, but he wasn't sure where to start.

"I guess you're right," Taylor said, forcing a smile. "I just...I don't know. It's all so confusing."

"I know what you mean," Stacey said, giving Taylor a sympathetic look. "But hey, at least you have me to help you through it. We'll figure it out together, okay?"

"Thanks," Taylor said, feeling a wave of gratitude towards his best friend. "I really appreciate it."

As they continued on their way home, Taylor couldn't help but feel a sense of paranoia. Surely it couldn't be that people on the streets were also staring at him. Feeling embarrassed, he grabbed Stacey's hand, and they began running.

When they were finally in Taylor's room, they fell to the floor panting heavily.

"Why did you do that?" Stacey roared.

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't handle all those stares," Taylor explained.

Stacey just groaned and then lay her head down, facing the ceiling. As Taylor and Stacey sat in Taylor's room, they tried to come up with a plan to navigate Taylor's new life as a girl.

"Okay, so the first thing we need to do is figure out how you're going to explain this to my mom," Taylor said while sitting on the bed. Stacey grinned mischievously and said, "Yeah, this is going to be one awkward conversation."

"Secondly, we need to figure out why this happened," Stacey stated. "It could be magic or some sort of cosmic power. Whatever it is, understanding why this is happening to you will be crucial."

"Maybe I have a superpower," Taylor suggested joyously. Stacey scoffed, "Keep dreaming, you idiot. Your only power is... well, you know." Taylor was about to retort, but before he could, the door opened.

"Tay, dear, did you see my makeup?" said the voice at the door. Taylor felt terrible beyond belief. How was he going to explain this? He wanted to prepare himself mentally, but it was too late.

"Mom, I can explain," Taylor began. "You see, I just woke up like this, and I don't know why."

"Yes, Miss Chambers, this is Taylor, and he somehow transformed into a girl," Stacey added, trying to help.

Miss Chambers looked confused and said, "I don't have time for games. Please tell me where my makeup is; I'm late for the get-together at the office."

Taylor couldn't figure out why his mother was not focusing on the crisis at hand. "Mom, doesn't this concern you? I transformed into a girl," he said.

"Jezz, Taylor, I don't have time for this. What do you mean you transformed into a girl? You've always been a girl, if I am late, Sophie will rub it in. Now, where is my makeup!!?" Miss Chambers said, clearly exasperated.

Suddenly, another face appeared at the door. "Mom, I have the box. Sorry, I was using it," Anna said, looking guilty.

"Thanks, honey," Miss Chambers said, running out of the room. Anna was about to leave when Taylor called out, "Anna."

"Yes, sis?" she replied.

"Sis," Taylor thought to himself. He paused for a sec and said, "Oh, it's nothing."

Anna shrugged and closed the door on her way out.