The Study

Chapter 25: Family Night

Later that evening, Darryl, Andrew, and Jayden were in the middle of a game of Smash. I had just come out of the shower and I was looking for a controller to join them. "Hey guys, give me a controller," I said, scanning the room. Jayden tried to poke fun at me, "Well, it's boys only," he said with a smirk. "Oh, fuck off," I replied, laughing as I grabbed a controller no one was using.

We played for a while until it was time for dinner. As we all sat down at the table, we said our prayers and indulged in the food. The conversation drifted towards me and my transition. "So, Bryan," Aunt Maddy asked, "how did you get used to being a girl? Is it weird or is it just natural for you now?"

I took a bite of food before answering. "It was definitely weird at first," I said, shrugging my shoulders. "But I mean, I've been living as a girl for a few months now, so it's not really that big of a deal anymore."

Andrew chimed in, "But what about guys hitting on you? That must be weird."

I rolled my eyes. "It's not like I'm interested in guys anyway. I'm into girls," I said, taking another bite of food.

Jayden looked at me, "So, are you like a lesbian now?"

I shrugged, "I don't think that's how it works. I don't really like labels," I said, trying to avoid the conversation.

The conversation continued, with Aunt Maddy asking, "So, how has the study been going?"

I sighed, "It's been alright. I mean, it's not like I like being a girl or anything, but it's been interesting to see how people treat me differently."

Andrew raised an eyebrow, "How so?"

I leaned back in my chair, "Well, for starters, people are a lot nicer to me. They hold doors open for me and offer to carry my books. It's like I'm suddenly this delicate flower or something," I said, rolling my eyes.

Jayden laughed, "I can see that. But what about the other girls at school? Are they nice to you?"

I shrugged, "Yeah, I guess. I've made more friends Heather than as Bryan."

After dinner, the five of us had to sleep in the same room. I was scrolling through TikTok, We were all on our phones. Jayden interrupted my scrolling by saying, "Hey, Bryan, can I get a picture of you kissing me?"

Andrew quickly chimed in, "Hold up, man. That's kinda weird."

Jayden corrected himself, "No, no, no, I mean on the cheek. I want to send it to my friends and say that you're my girlfriend."

"That's an odd request," I said, raising an eyebrow.

Selena added, "I mean, there's no hesitation, you're blessed in the breast and ass department."

"Okay, fine," I relented. "Just make it quick."

Jayden was thrilled. "Awesome! Let's take a few pictures to make it believable for my friends."

We took several pictures in different poses, including one where I kissed Jayden on the cheek and another where he hugged me. The whole thing was awkward, and my cousins couldn't stop laughing.

"Thanks, Bryan," Jayden said, handing me a five-dollar bill. "You can have this for your troubles."

I looked at him sarcastically and said, "You're welcome."

As we settled in for the night, Selena couldn't help but notice my hair. "Oh my god, your hair is so soft and beautiful! Is this your real hair?" she exclaimed.

I smiled. "Yeah, it is. But washing it is such a pain in the ass."

Andrew interrupted, "Can you guys not have girl talk right now?"

Selena rolled her eyes. "Andrew, I'm just complimenting Bryan's hair. Don't be such a buzzkill." We all eventually fell asleep, tired from a long day.