The Dead Kid Returns; Chapter 7: “I think I’m a girl”

“I think I’m a girl.”

Beth debated how to respond to that. Should she act surprised? But that felt wrong, so she said, “I’ve... seen her in you.”

“You mean .... I’m not crazy?”

“I wouldnt say that....” Beth then looked at the expression on the new kid’s face. “I’m joking. You’re not crazy. I’ve seen her.”

“Really? But .... what do I do?”

“I .... I dont know. But I want to be your friend, regardless.”

“Thanks.” the new kid said, and then they both became silent.

Days passed, and then one day Beth saw the new kid really struggling with the girl inside him, and said, “Look. Would you want to see what you’d look like as a girl?”

“I...I’d look like a freak.”

“Maybe, maybe not. You want to try?”

“How?”

“Come to my house, and try some of my stuff on. And if you like, I could call you by a girl name, at least in private.”

“You ... you’d do that? Why?”

“Because you’re my friend, boy or girl. And you should be able to be happy.”

“Th... thank you.”

“Welcome” Now, what girl name will you use?” Beth asked, feeling sure of the answer.

“I dont know. My mom once told me I was going to be called Connie if I had been a girl.”

Beth smiled, and said, “Then Connie it is.”

The new kid glowed.

A week later, the new kid came over to Beth’s house, and with Beth’s help, tried on a skirt. And for the first time, “Connie” was visible while the new kid was aware of it. This turned out to be a mixed blessing, as afterward she really struggled with having to put on male clothes again.

Bethany promised Connie that she could come over and dress up anytime, and it was, in Connie’s words, “Enough. For now.”

So for a couple of weeks, this was the pattern - Connie would race over to Beth’s house right after school, and get dressed in girls clothes for the afternoon and evening. She would return to male clothes at the last possible moment..

Then things went bad.

Connie was playing with Bethany, when suddenly, she began to shake and twitch. Before Beth knew what was happening, she had changed.

She had become the dead kid.

The dead kid looked exactly like Beth had remembered, just on the edge of completely falling apart.

Beth reacted without thinking, and hugged the dead kid.

“Its okay. Its gonna be okay....” she soothed.

After about five minutes, The dead kid transformed back into Connie. She quickly put back on her boy clothes, and fled back home.

All Bethany could do was cry.