The summer sun shimmered off the water as Alyssa lay back on the dock, arms behind her head, eyes half-closed. Her skin was still warm from the ocean, and the rhythmic sound of waves lapping against the wood almost lulled her to sleep. She hadn’t expected to adjust so easily to the new body the Gender Wave had given her — broader shoulders, flatter chest, and a voice that still caught her off guard when she laughed. But it felt… fine. Natural, even.
Lying next to Alyssa, Robert shifted, brushing damp hair from his—her—face. The two of them had been inseparable since fourth grade, but everything felt a little different now. The Gender Wave hadn’t spared anyone, and now Robert sat in a smaller, softer frame — the female version of himself. His hair was longer, his limbs slimmer, and his laugh more delicate. But his eyes? Still the same.
“I like you,” Robert said suddenly, voice tight with nerves. “I think I’ve liked you for a while. But I’m scared.”
Alyssa turned her head toward him. “Scared of what?”
Robert hesitated. “It’s stupid. It’s just… I haven’t done anything. Since the Wave. No hookups, no dates. I’ve been too freaked out. My body—it’s not mine. Not the one I grew up with. And the thought of being with someone… intimately… as a woman—it scares me.”
Alyssa sat up slightly, resting on her elbows. “It’s not stupid,” she said softly. “This isn’t what we signed up for. But you’re still you, Robert. I see that.”
Robert gave a weak smile. “It’s just… I feel like a stranger in my skin. And it’s weird enough having feelings for my best friend, but now I’m also scared I won’t enjoy things I used to. What if I don’t know how to be with someone anymore?”
“You don’t have to figure it all out today,” Alyssa said gently. She reached over and took Robert’s hand. “We’ll figure it out together. Slowly. Only what feels right.”
Robert looked at her — really looked — and for the first time in a while, he smiled without fear.
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