CHAPTER 3: CRUSH CRUSH CRUSH

Jennifer’s apartment was a small two bedroom place, but in person it was much cosier than it had seemed in the sterile online photos I had seen so far. As she took me around, bouncing from room to room, she held my hand. It reassured me, and I was grateful. I still felt like a mess from the turmoil of my day so far. Despite its small size, it was still a lot larger than my place in Sydney which was a glorified storage cupboard. Every room felt homely and lived in, and Jennifer had even tried to give the room that I hoped would be mine a touch of cute decoration after her former flatmate’s speedy departure.

After the little tour ended I became hyper-aware of Jennifer’s hand still holding mine. I know it was supposed to be comforting but she was just so pretty and so sweet that I couldn’t help but blush and turn my gaze away from hers.

“Hey Mia, you can stay here for now. Okay? Don’t worry about rent yet, we can sort it out later.” She smiled at me, with a gaze that seemed to pierce my heart. I just nodded and mumbled something incoherent in thanks, feeling my face grow more red. She let out a little giggle.

“Your little storm is back.” I heard a little crackle from the energy that pulsed around my head and I let out a little yelp in embarrassment.

“Anyway, you’re still soaked. Go take a hot bath and I’ll get you some fresh clothes. Judging by what you told me was going on outside I think staying in tonight is a good idea.”

Once the bathroom door was shut behind me I let out a huge slow sigh of relief. I hadn’t expected to be so taken by my prospective new housemate. I hadn’t expected her to be a hedgehog girl either, but after what I had seen and experienced myself today, that part didn’t feel so strange. She was so warm, and she smelled so nice that I just immediately felt comfortable with her. It wasn’t something that really happened easily or often to me. Usually I was fairly standoffish with new people.

The bathtub was filling with steamy hot water and I added a few drops of a bath oil that Jennifer had suggested. Soon the room was engulfed in a soft aromatic scent that I wasn’t really familiar with. Vaguely floral but with some kind of smooth undertone. I wriggled out of my wet tank top and dropped it on the floor with a soft *splat*. The rest of my waterlogged clothes followed suit. I could feel goosebumps over my cold skin and shivered.

With my bath now full I slipped slowly into it and felt myself sink down into the hot water with a satisfied sigh. I didn’t take baths very often at all, but it felt perfect at that moment. I closed my eyes and enjoyed soaking in the warmth. It felt so healing after the day I had. Everything seemed so far away here, like a dream that disappears once you wake up. But my body had definitely changed.

I ran my fingers over my soft skin in the bath, feeling all soft curves and changes I had undergone. My fingers found their way between my legs and I couldn’t help but giggle again. Of all the changes I had experienced, that one was the one I was most ecstatic about. I was over the moon, in fact. I shut my eyes again and gave myself a bit of time just to explore everything briefly, feeling a hot tingling rising through my body, revelling in the touch. I resisted the urge to explore further though, I would wait until I was more settled. I soaped and washed everything, the warmth of self care doing wonders for me. As I rinsed my hair I was reminded that the texture was completely different now. Damn, it took me like four months to figure out a good hair care routine.

Feeling sufficiently soaked, I left the bath. I felt another burst of happiness flush through my body upon seeing my blurry reflection in the mirror. This was me now! I feel so much more confident! I resisted the urge to stay and pose, saving that for a more distinct mirror. Wrapping myself in a huge fluffy towel, and bundling my hair up in another, I opened the bathroom door and was immediately greeted with the cooler air in the rest of the house. I strode over to my new room, and saw that Jennifer had very thoughtfully left a set of pyjamas (along with some spare underwear fortunately) for me to change into.

Jennifer was in the kitchen when I emerged, now dressed snuggly in black and pink pyjamas, from my room. The sweet scent of onions intermingled with the sizzling sounds of meat frying, and I could feel myself start to salivate. I was about to say something when my stomach decided to speak first, letting out a loud growl that caught Jennifer’s attention and caused us both to burst out laughing.

“Hi” I began with a shy smile. “Thanks for the clothes, they’re really cosy”

“No worries, couldn’t have you putting wet shit back on, could we?” She grinned back at me warmly. “I’m making burgers. I figured they were a safe bet comfort food, okay?”

I nodded back eagerly, and was reminded once again by my stomach that I hadn’t eaten anything all day. Now that I was aware of it I could feel myself getting weak and shaky.

Before long the burgers were ready. We ate in front of the tv, though I couldn’t tell you what we were supposed to be watching. My attention was entirely taken up by the warm, savoury food in front of me and I devoured it rapidly. My first bite was followed by a high pitched squeal of delight, that was just as quickly silenced again as I ate more. It was completely delicious, and the perfect comfort food.

“That was really delicious” I thanked her appreciatively after we finished eating. Her ears wiggled happily and I giggled again, though she didn’t seem aware of it.

“Thanks, it’s about the only thing I can cook well.”

She stretched her slender arms above her head. It was a beautiful sight, she looked so strong and lean. It was all I could do to keep my jaw from dropping and I blushed furiously and looked away. Calm down Mia! You don’t even know whether she’s into girls yet.

After everything was cleared away from dinner, Jennifer made hot chocolates for us both, and directed me to a well stocked closet full of blankets to help us feel cosy on the couch together. I sat curled up in one corner, my knees up close to my chest, and a huge blanket covering my body. Jennifer lounged easily on the other side of the couch, happy to spread out and take up space.

Neither of us really knew what had happened this morning, and while the news on the TV had explained some things, it basically ignored a whole lot more. People had changed, in an event being called ‘The Emergence’, and we knew that. Some people had powers, we had sort of figured that out, what with me managing to trash a hotel room. There had been a dragon in New York, and strange ruins appearing in Seattle. Closer to home, the Great Dividing Range had been replaced with real mountains. Tall and seemingly impenetrable peaks that shot up into the clouds. No one had been able to cross them yet, and all flights were cancelled until they figured out new flight paths.

Federal Police were reported to be working to maintain the situation, and I scoffed loudly at the report. I had seen first hand just how well they were handling things. The internet was still down, which meant that it worked marginally less than usual, and there were still significant fires and people panicked. It seemed like the army had been deployed too and I couldn’t help but shudder in terror at the possibility of what might happen. Gladys Berejiklian had declared a state of emergency in Sydney and was using every riot squad they had to crack down on emerged there. Scott Morrison was encouraging all emerged to turn themselves over to the police for ‘processing’. I hoped all my friends were safe.

We switched off the TV and the rest of the night seemed to fade away as we talked. Neither of us wanted to discuss current events anymore, so instead we talked about ourselves and I got to discover more about my new housemate. Jennifer was a 2nd grade hockey player for Essendon, and worked at a tea shop in the mall near the airport. I had already been in awe of her before, but hearing she played hockey cemented my admiration for her firmly in my heart. In turn, I talked a little about what it had been like growing up trans, and what I was hoping to do in Melbourne. In truth I had no idea what would happen from here on in. I felt so lucky that Jennifer had taken pity on me in the rain and that I had a place to stay, at least for now. It felt a bit silly to focus on aspirations of stardom and songwriting when the world had just changed so drastically.

Eventually, when I was beginning to nod off with my head falling down onto the arm of the couch, we decided it was time to say goodnight. Jennifer gave me another warm and reassuring hug, I could feel tears of affection and happiness welling up in my eyes. I could have stayed in that embrace forever and fallen asleep again, but she pulled back, still holding me.

“Tomorrow, lets go to the mall where I work. I think we need to get you some clothes.” She flashed me a smile that lit up her dark brown eyes, and I nodded and giggled happily. I was a complete mess around her.

The first night in a new place was usually a little strange, because everything was new. But I was so exhausted and so happy that I slept like a baby. My sleep was peaceful and dreamless, possibly the best sleep I had gotten in months.

The next morning, the internet was finally back. I awoke to my phone buzzing with a mixture of government emergency alerts and texts from Nic asking if I was okay. There was also one from my landlord in Sydney, Stefanos. He was angry and claimed that I owed him money. I had paid off last month's rent like two weeks ago, but he was never really trustworthy. I shot off a message to Nic letting him know I was okay, and to my surprise he messaged me back straight away.

Nic: Hey Mia, guess what!

Mia: Hey Nic, did you get me a vanilla slice?

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

Nic: No lol. But you know all the emergence stuff? I’m emerged now, and it’s AWESOME

Mia: Oh? What happened to you? Stay safe btw, I heard Gladys the Fascist is going a bit crazy <3

Nic: Yeah no worries. I mean I think I still look more human than some people. I’m just a bit hairy. But I’m so fucking jacked now! It’s awesome. I can basically lift anything Very Happy [https://www.royalroadcdn.com/public/smilies/biggrin.png]

Mia: Woah! That’s awesome! Nice one dude :) [https://www.royalroadcdn.com/public/smilies/smile.png] Hey can I ask you a huge favour? Can you rescue my guitar and my amp from my apartment in Sydney? Should be no problem for a strong guy like you, right? DON’T LET THAT CREEP TOUCH MY STUFF!

Nic: Sure sure, I’ll save the damsel in distress. Seriously though Mia, check out this pic, how awesome am I now?

Nic sent through a pretty generic looking topless mirror selfie, making muscles at himself. I rolled my eyes and let it slide though. He definitely looked different. Formerly a tiny korean trans-guy he now looked like was two metres or something super tall. He also was definitely really muscular. Good for him I thought to myself with a wry smile. It was cute that my trans-masc friend enjoyed things like enjoying being big and hairy. He was welcome to all the muscles and hair and smells of masculinity and I wished him the best. I was far far happier as I was now.

I flicked through my phone a little more. The damage from the Emergence seemed even crazier and more widespread than I had thought. Basically, everything was fucked right now. I shivered, just hoping that everyone would be okay. I was sure that many emerged had just been in a similar situation to me; scared and freaking out, either unaware or simply bewildered by their changes and powers.

My thoughts were interrupted by a knock at my door.

“Hey Mia, you up yet? I’m making breakfast so we can head off. I figure the morning will be less busy at the mall after all the shit yesterday.” Gosh Jennifer was just the sweetest. I could almost feel myself melting into a puddle at the mere thought of her making me breakfast.

Eventually I managed to respond. “Yep, thanks Jennifer! I’ll be out in a sec.”

When I saw Jennifer in the kitchen I gasped. She was wearing these soft pink low rise shorts and a tank top that showed off her perfect arms and collarbone. But what really caught my attention was the bushy little tail poking out above her waistband, which seemed to wiggle along with her butt as she moved around getting breakfast together. It was possibly the most adorable thing I had ever seen, and my attempts to stop myself squeal in excitement failed. The reaction caused Jennifer to blush a deep red, despite her attempts to brush it off.

“Can I… touch it?” I asked, my eyes wide, fixating on Jennifers furry little tail.

“Ummm no?” Jennifer responded, she was firm, but seemed surprised that I was so eager.

“I really want to know what it feels like. It’s so cute!” I stepped forward, biting my lower lip and reaching out for her tail.

“No, Mia no!” She said, jumping back. Her face was bright red but she shot me a withering glance, which shut me down. I lowered my gaze, blushing hard. You really lost control there Mia.

Once we had eaten, and gotten dressed, we headed out. I was wearing basically the same thing as yesterday, except with a borrowed top from Jennifer. Now that I had calmed down I was even more aware of my feet slipping around in my shoes. Jennifer had opted for some more low rise shorts, but modified to more comfortably accommodate her tail. She had hidden it with an oversized t shirt, but it was still a little noticeable. There was also no covering up her furry ears. The sun was already rising high in the sky by the time we left the house and we could feel the heat beating down on us mercilessly. I was immediately grumpy, but walking with Jennifer next to me calmed me down significantly.

The mall that we were going to, and which Jennifer worked at, was right next to the airport. With the appearance of those ominous black mountains towering in the distance though, all the air traffic had been cancelled and it was remarkably quiet. The mall itself was a large and fairly modern concrete building with lots of tall glass windows filled with mannequins of uniform size, all wearing the latest bland seasonal fashion offering.

We shared a look that seemed to agree about what was in the windows, and then proceeded purposefully inside the mall. Neither of us really had much money, and I had no idea how long my savings would need to last now that everything was in chaos. There were a lot of outlet boutiques that we probably couldn’t really afford, and so we settled on going to one of the more affordable chains that seemed to at least have decent basics.

Shopping for summer clothes was always a struggle for me, with my lack of confidence, showing skin was never something I was very eager to do. Fortunately it seemed like Jennifer was having a field day picking out things for me to try on. She had a mischievous grin on her face as she bounced around the store, picking out several skirts and a large pile of tops. It seemed as though I wasn’t allowed to assist so instead I picked out a few things for her. Some yoga pants and a crop top that I knew would look incredible on her. Unfortunately all her clothes would probably need tailoring now that she had that cute little tail.

“Okay” Jennifer bounced up to me, her hands completely concealed behind all the coat hangers she had with her. “Come and try these on. I’m pretty sure I have great taste.”

She smirked and pushed me towards the changing rooms.

“Alright, I have some stuff for you to try too. And I’m sure it’ll look great.” Along with the more athletic clothes I had picked up a midi skirt that I thought would look gorgeous on her. Well really I imagined anything would; she was so hot.

I was ushered into a changeroom and Jennifer handed over the first outfit she had picked out for me. It was a tank top, some little shorts (not as torn or ragged as the ones I was wearing) and an oversized blazer. I thought it looked a little silly, but I stepped out to show Jennifer anyway.

“What do you think?” I asked, performing a little twirl for her.

“It’s cute, I knew I had good taste” I blushed and looked away from her. It was so hard to meet her gaze properly.

“Okay, maybe not for you right now. It does look good though. Here, try this on next.” She handed me a black pleated skirt and a burgundy raglan top with black sleeves.

When I put it on, I knew it was a winner. I absolutely adore pleated skirts. I imagined pairing it with some cool stockings and grinned excitedly. I pulled back the curtain and stepped forward with a floaty stride. Jennifer smirked proudly, seeing the excitement on my face. I twirled around some more and nearly lost my balance, only regaining it when Jennifer grabbed me to keep me from falling. I ended up being pulled in close to her and again I could smell that cosy smell that seemed to have vanilla mixed with cinnamon. My heart was racing like a Nate Smith track and my body felt flushed and hot. I let out a shaky breath and looked up to meet her eyes; the edges were a bright amber with little dark flecks that I found myself following their swirling lines, leading my gaze to her pupils. I hadn’t noticed that before.

My cheeks burned red as the moment lingered. Jennifer’s hands were gentle but she held me firmly.

“Umm thanks” I managed at last, stepping back. I retreated quickly to the changing room, my ears burning. I didn’t feel like I could even process what had just happened. I sat there for a while, feeling too shy and embarrassed to respond. Jennifer told me she was going to try on the things I picked out for her. Uh oh, I was sure she would look amazing in them all. That I would be able to handle it, I was less sure.

I peaked around the heavy blue curtain to be greeted with jennifer sitting across from me on her phone with her legs crossed. She was wearing the yellow crop top and black midi skirt that I had picked out for her.

“Feeling okay?” She enquired, her voice soft and earnest.

All I could do was nod affirmatively. She stood up and struck a pose that showed off her subtly athletic form, before doing her own spin. It was a lot more graceful than mine. The cute action made me giggle. You can handle this Mia, it will be okay… probably. She laughed with me and it calmed my nerves.

We each paid for the things we liked, and then for good measure I insisted on going to a shoe shop. It wasn’t just my love of shoes, or my excitement at finding more gender affirming stuff to wear. I really did need some better fitting footwear. I managed to find a pair of sneakers nearly identical to the black canvas ones I was wearing, and happily grabbed them. For a time I became transfixed looking at all the cute and cool shoes and boots. I was sorely tempted by some gorgeous black heels with an elegant ankle strap, but I managed to resist. I wasn’t as strong when it came to the boots, and Jennifer raised a questioning eyebrow when I walked out with three shoe boxes rather cumbersomely stuffed into an oversized paper bag and a significantly lighter purse.

Having tired ourselves out with shopping, we picked up some lunch from the bakery and sat in silence to eat it. It wasn’t exactly an uncomfortable silence, but I could feel the tension between us. My mind was giddy with questions. Why did Jennifer hold me for so long? Did she feel the same way I did? What would it mean if she did? What would it mean if she didn’t?

It was a strong poke from Jennifer that brought me back to reality.

“Your storm is showing again.” She said with a slight smirk. “Let’s go home”

“Your tail is wiggling” I responded with a cheeky grin, gathering up my things.

----------------------------------------

It was only once we got back to Jennifer’s apartment (I was still not comfortable thinking of it as my apartment) that we realised that there was no food left to make dinner. Jennifer signed and let out a tsk of annoyance. We took a little bit of time to sort through what we had bought. I took the opportunity to start hanging things up in the closet that lined one wall of my room. It made it feel a little more homely. I still didn’t have any skincare or toiletries, but I had my little makeup bag which I placed on the vanity that was opposite my bed. I decided that our trip to the shops to get dinner was a good time to wear in one of my new pairs of boots, and so I slipped on my new combat boots and laced them up. I was very happy with the look, and they weren’t too bulky either, a look which I wasn’t a fan of.

We headed out again as the sun was low in the sky. To the south east there were still towers of smoke which rose up into the golden sky. We walked in a comfortable silence now, Jennifer’s presence was too calming for me to stay on edge despite how flustered she could make me. The shops weren’t as far as the mall and we soon reached them. It was a small strip of shops with a local supermarket and a chemist. We agreed to split up and meet outside after we had what we needed. Jennifer went to get groceries and I made my way to the chemist to find my necessities.

I was very fussy about what I used, but I knew exactly what I wanted. It didn’t take me long to pick out two moisturisers and a cleanser. Hair products took a little longer. I didn’t know exactly how my new hair would react, but hazarded a guess on some products that smelled nice. I picked up some other things I thought that I would need right away and resisted everything else, though I glanced at a few different shades of black nailpolish on my way out.

Outside the chemist, Jennifer was nowhere to be found. I waited around, pacing back and forth for a few minutes before I decided to check inside the supermarket. She wasn’t there. I couldn’t see her anywhere. I tried calling her phone but it just rang out. I could feel tension nagging at me and my stomach churning. I shouldn’t have been worried yet. But my anxiety was starting to run wild. There were strangers casting strange and suspicious glances at me from across the street. Overhead dark clouds began to form. Where was Jennifer?

I paced off, trying to check the surrounding blocks for any sign of jennifer. Breaking into a run I circled around several times. The brick and concrete walls around me felt like they were closing in behind me, but I couldn’t find her anywhere. I ran down another street, and another alley. Soon I was nearly back at the shops. I had just made a winding circle and found no trace of her. I tried to tell myself I was overreacting. That Jennifer was just waiting for me. But she still wasn’t outside the supermarket. I set off again, this time in the other direction, towards the small neighbourhood park with broken swings we had passed on the way here.

Something was happening there. There were a dozen or so large and burly men, crowded in a circle and yelling. Some were still holding signs, with slogans like Freaks Fuck Off. Quite a few seemed to have southern cross tattoos on their biceps, and one was wearing a Young Liberals shirt. On the ground between them was a dark huddled shape. It was curled in a ball with spines sticking out in all directions. The shape also had a small, bushy tail. Jennifer. It was her. It had to be. And these psychotic fucks were trying to attack her.

Thunder cracked and rumbled in the sky, but I barely noticed. I was overflowing with white hot fury and I ran towards the helpless girl on the ground.

“Jennifer!” I screamed, my voice cracking and tears welling up in my eyes.