For three months, I did as I planned: trying to act a little flirty toward Jack without being too blatant, and paying close attention to him in search of attempts to flirt back - or evidence that he was pursuing someone else. I got nothing out of him, though. As far as I could tell, his romantic life was the same as it had been for years: nonexistent. During that time, I did get asked out by someone else from our school, but I rejected him - not least because he kept calling me Kirsten, but also because my feelings for Jack weren't going anywhere.
One Thursday evening in January, I decided that I had waited long enough. I was tired of pining for Jack without doing anything about it, especially since I had plenty going for me: already being his long-time friend, not competing for his affections with anyone else (that I knew of), and, well, having the body of a beautiful girl (in most people's eyes, at least). Plus, the longer I waited, the more opportunity I gave the rest of the world to give me some competition. I resolved to ask Jack out after school the next day.
---
It was Friday morning. Today was the day, and I was all dressed and washed-up for it. I gave myself a confident smile in the mirror.
This is pretty good timing, too, I thought to myself on the walk to school. We have a long weekend coming up, and I've got no homework due the day after it. Not a bad weekend for a first date.
The school day passed pretty uneventfully. I was using the name Sarah with everyone by now, and all of my teachers had gotten the hang of calling me by that name - except my English teacher, who slipped up and called me Kirsten from time to time. That was forgivable, though, considering the real Kirsten was in that very class with me.
I saw her that day, as I did most days when we had English. She must have succeeded at keeping her grades up, because for the past few weeks, she had been proudly wearing a shapely new female body.
I ate lunch with Jack, Oliver, and a couple of our other friends. Talking with Jack was awkward - even moreso than talking with your crush usually is - considering what I was planning to do later that afternoon, once I could get him alone. I had been hiding my feelings for months, though, so one more lunch period wasn't too hard.
After the last class of the day, I caught Jack at his locker and asked if we could talk somewhere less populated than the crowded hallway. We decided to finish getting our stuff together and go a short distance away from the school building.
"So what did you want to talk about?" Jack asked me once we got there.
I had been going over what to say in my head for a while, and as planned, I cut fairly straight to the point. "Jack, I... I've realized that I want to be more than friends with you. Will you go on a date with me?"
Jack looked taken aback. "Really?" he asked, the question sounding entirely sincere. "You... with me?"
"Yeah," I said. "I mean, if you didn't expect me to be into guys... I guess I didn't either."
"No, no. It's just..." Jack said. "Never mind. If you really do like me back, and you think I'm good enough for you... then let's do it." He was grinning by now.
"If I really do like you back?" I said, returning Jack's expression. "I didn't realize you liked me already!"
"I didn't realize you liked me already," Jack said.
"I've been trying to flirt with you for months!" I said, laughing a little. Boys can be so dense sometimes.
"In my defense," Jack said, "it was hard to tell whether that was actually flirting, or just your new body throwing me off."
"What, you think having a girl's body just gives me a compulsion to flirt for no reason?" I said facetiously.
"I meant more like 'it's harder to read my old friend's feelings with her new face and voice'," Jack said. "Plus, don't tell me you've never been tempted to tease boys with that body."
"Not really," I said. "I don't think I'd enjoy the attention. Unless it was coming from you, of course."
"Aww, you're sweet," Jack said half-sarcastically. "So when should we go out? Tomorrow evening, maybe?"
"Sounds like a plan," I said.
"Well, except for the part where we decide where and what time," Jack said.
"Smartass," I said, playfully shoving him. It didn't do much, since he was a fair bit bigger and heavier than me now. He laughed - a sound that, ever since I realized why I liked it so much, had been all the sweeter.
(Continued in Part 6.)
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