A/N: I didn't intend to write this story. I was actually trying to work on my Deathtouched story when my muse grabbed me by the neck and said "NO! This one!" I hadn't planned on doing any story dealing with the X-Men at this time, but here we are. I'm posting this under the X-Men movies title instead of Evolution since Evolution is where the story will start, but the story will weave itself into the movies with sprinkles of the comics as well.
I've always loved the X-Men movies, wishing that I was a mutant, so this is kind of a wish fulfillment story. Hence why it's written in the first person. Anyway, I wanted to do a story dealing with a teenager that turns into a mutant when they hit puberty and the issues they'd face after it happened (as if being a teenager isn't hard enough!).
Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men Evolution, that privilege goes to Marvel Studios and Warner Bros. Television Distribution. I only own my OC.
X~X~X
Metamorphosis - Chapter 1
"Alright girls! We're running laps today!" Coach Springfield said, accompanied by a chorus of groans. Not me though, I liked running. Distance, sprints, it didn't matter. The only thing I liked better was doing gymnastics. Our school didn't offer gymnastics, but my parents made enough money that they could afford to send me to All Star Gymnastics. I'd wanted to do gymnastics since I was a little girl and saw the floor exercises during the Olympics. My hope was to be one of those girls someday.
Later, I decided I wanted to do cheerleading, and gymnastics would help with that. With my size, I'd make an excellent flyer. While I was stretching when my friend Mia came over, placed one foot on the bench next to the track, and tightened her shoelace.
"Ready for this Kayleigh?" She said with a smile.
I grinned. "You know it!"
Mia and I have known each other since the 2nd grade. She wanted to go to the Olympics also, but for archery. I'd spend summers over at her place shooting arrows into targets. Both of us being competitive, we'd make bets, which were basically dares. I haven't won a bet yet and it resulted in me being the first one of us to kiss a boy, John Stevens. She was also the only one that could keep up with me during track.
Mia started stretching with me and we talked about how it was going to be great to get into high school in September. We were still talking as we lined up and got ready to start laps. Coach Springfield didn't care, Mia and I were her star athletes, we had helped to win regionals for our school earlier this year. I took first place in the all the events except the relay's, Mia was better at those for some reason, as well as the three step jump. I also took first in the long jump and high jump competitions.
"Go!" Coach yelled, starting her stopwatch. Mia and I started off at a fast pace until we were about halfway around the track from the pack when we slowed down to a fast jog.
"So what's the plan?" Mia asked.
"What plan are you talking about?" I asked back.
"You know, for this summer."
I groaned. "Mom and dad want to go to Disneyland, and then take a cruise ship around the Caribbean."
"Ugh! You're so lucky! I'd kill to be able to take a cruise anywhere! My parents just want to go camping... again."
My family wasn't rich per se, but we were very well off. My mom was a tenured Professor of Chemistry at Stanford, and my dad was a board certified Doctor of Plastic Surgery at Stanford Hospital. Mia's family were very similar to mine. Her mother, Julia, owned a successful chain of clothing stores while her dad, Glenn, was actually a moderately well known movie actor. Not quite a star, but he's been in several films and has even worked with some A-listers.
"I wish all my parents wanted to do was go camping. I hate Disneyland! It's so... I don't know... commercialized. At least camping you get to enjoy nature. And a cruise? Even worse! Trapped on a large ship with thousands of people on board, all trying to do the same activities. The only bright spots will be when we dock and get to tour the area. At least mom and dad said they'd let me learn scuba diving this year."
By this time we'd lapped the other students a couple of times, including Claire Higgens, my arch nemesis. I don't know why she hated me, I can't think of anything I've ever done to her to warrant her animosity. I smirked as we ran by where she was laying on the grass and gasping for air. Claire has constantly tried to get me in trouble with the teachers and has spread rumors about me throughout the school.
According to her, I've slept with every member of the football team and even some members of our volleyball team, which were all female. But I have it on good authority that she's slept with Mark Gibson and Tony Solini. The good authority being Mark and Tony. Lucky for her I wasn't the kind of girl to spread rumors. I had a ton of blonde jokes I'd love to use on her, but since Mia is blonde as well it would be insulting to her, so I didn't use them.
Mia had beautiful golden blonde hair that hung to her shoulders and gorgeous blue eyes. I guess I would be her polar opposite as I took after my mother with long dark hair that touched the small of my back and dark eyes. It kinda sucked since my eyes were so dark they matched my iris, no color to match dresses to.
I wish I had blue eyes like Mia. Truth be told, I'm kinda in love with Mia, I have been since I turned 12 and finally acknowledged I liked both boys and girls with a preference for girls. I've never told her of course, I didn't want to weird her out and lose her as a friend. I haven't even told my parents yet. I know that they'd support me, I mean, they're big supporters of gay rights as well as mutant rights. But I'm still a little scared to come out to them. Blame it on hormones.
I'd just started getting my period last month. It was one of the few things that Mia beat me at, besides archery that is. She was as excited when it happened as I was when she got hers, we were women! I have to admit that the cramping and the increase in acne sucked big time. And the bleeding! Having to learn how to use tampons and pads? Ugh!
Mom said wait until I started getting boobs, it would be possible for them to be sore as well. Another thing to look forward to, thanks for info mom...
"So what do you think high school boys are going to be like?"
That was Mia, always thinking about boys. It's one of the reasons I never told her I liked her in that way.
"Probably like the boys here, immature, dumb, smelly, and full of themselves."
Mia giggled, "C'mon Kayleigh, they can't be that bad."
"Hope for the best but expect the worst."
She giggled again.
"Then what about girls? I mean, if you swung that way." The question startled me and even gave me a flash of hope. But I needed to play this cool.
"Why this question Mia?"
"Well, girls are more mature than boys, smarter, smell better, and overall better than boys."
"True. I don't know. I might try having a girlfriend just to see what it's like. Considering how involved my parents are in the gay community I know they'd accept it. It's just a little weird thinking about it. Maybe when I get a bit older, we just started puberty after all."
We heard coach's whistle blow, last lap. Mia and I finished jogging to the finish line. Of course we had the best time. We hit the showers and cleaned up. This was another reason I hadn't come out yet... community showers at school. I figured that a lot of the girls would freak showering with someone that could look on them as dateable. And I wondered how many of the girls hadn't come out for the same reason. I'll confess that I did sneak a few glances at some of them.
After getting dressed, Mia and I headed to our last class of the day, World Language - Chinese. A lot of people chose Spanish or French. Mia and I decided to be different. Imagine our surprise when we found out it was the second most spoken language after English. It wasn't easy, but Mia and I were star students as well as athletes. I've never earned less than an 'A' in my courses while Mia rarely earned less that an 'B+'.
As usual, Mia's mom picked us up and dropped me off at home. Normally, I'd stay over at their house since it was close by and Mia was my BFF, but they had a mother/daughter evening planned. It was okay with me, my parents did the same thing. Plus, it gave me a chance to study for finals which were fast approaching.
X~X~X
A few weeks passed and finals started. Most of the students were stressing out over them, and this is when the nerds and geeks showed their stuff and the jocks were sweating buckets. I personally hoped that Claire failed and had to repeat 8th grade, I didn't want to be in the same grade at high school next year.
Mia and I would cram together each night before the test the next day. That was one of the reasons we were among the top students in our year. I say 'among the top' because the top slots went to Blake and Renee Thompson, twin nerds who were really nice people, I'd swear they were genius's. Mia and I were part of their D&D group, Blake was our DM. Mia played a Wizard while I played a Druid. In my opinion, playing a class that can use magic and shapeshift made Druids so GOAT!
We had an 8th grade dance shortly before our final grades were due out, which everyone referred to as the 8th grade prom. I was surprised that Blake asked me to it. Mia giggled of course, telling me that she knew he'd had a crush on me at one point, which shook me as I never even suspected a thing. Mia was asked out by Carl Hanson, our schools quarterback, which was also a surprise. But no one was more surprised than Claire though, because she expected him to choose her, especially as she'd been throwing herself at him for months.
Mia and I spent the entire day helping each other with our nails and hair, I wore a shiny, sapphire blue dress with matching shoes, and I wore my hair like Aaliyah. Mia wore a dress very similar to mine but in an amethyst color. She decided to wear her hair like Brittany Spears, a combination of curled and crimped, god she looked beautiful.
My parents arrived about an hour before the dance was to start. After an embarrassing amount of pictures later, they drove us to the school and escorted us inside. Of course they were going to be chaperones, Mia and I were mortified when we found out. Our dates had been waiting just inside the doors by the ticket table. Mia and I had already paid so all they had to do was check off our names. Blake was wearing a medium grey suit and Carl a blue one.
We had fun dancing and talking, eating chicken wings and chips. I even forgot that my parents were there with me. Toward the end of the dance people started leaving and Blake surprised me by holding my hand as we walked and pulling me into an enclosed spot next to the bleachers. While I was startled, and before I could protest, he kissed me. It was a nice kiss, much better than the one I had with John Stevenson, but I'd rather have been kissing Mia.
With both of us blushing furiously, he tugged me back out onto the dance floor where we shared the last dance of the night. I kept looking at him curiously but he had a hard time meeting my eye. Afterwards, he escorted me to my parents who were now waiting by the door. I gave him quick kiss and thanked him for the dance. My parents were smirking at this point. Carl escorted Mia and handed her over to her parents, who were, naturally, standing next to mine. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and thanked her for the dance.
While our parents talked, waiting for the rest of the stragglers to leave, Mia and I moved a little further away so we could talk in private.
"So?" Mia asked. I knew what she was alluding to.
"It was fun, he knew how do dance and he was fun to be around. He even pulled me in next to the bleachers and kissed me!"
Mia gasped and then giggled. "That was more than I got! Carl had a hard time holding me close during the slow dances. That kiss you saw was it for me. Was Blake any good?"
"You poor girl, you have the star of the football team too afraid to give you a decent kiss. And yeah, it was really good."
"Yeah," She said, "it kinda sucks but maybe I'll get lucky next time."
I giggled and lightly pushed her. "Jerk!"
She pushed back, giggling just as hard. "Spaz!"
I left the dance with Mia and her parents since we were doing a sleep over. After getting to her room, we changed out of our dresses and then took turns in the hall bathroom changing into our sleepwear. Mia preferred pajamas while I liked sleep in shirts and underwear. Happily, I wasn't on my period at this time.
We watched movies and talked, all while eating popcorn and drinking Coke. We didn't get to bed until just before 3 a.m. We lay together, facing each other, and with our foreheads touching. We tiredly wished each other good night as we pulled the blanket over us. We snuggled together and, with the soft susserations of our breath sounding in our ears, fell into a deep and restful sleep.
After we got up, just before noon actually, we put on our swimsuits and went swimming in her pool. My parents picked me up a little after 4. Mia and I hugged bye since she was leaving for her trip just as I was for mine. We told each other "I love you" like we had since we were 6.
X~X~X
My grades arrived and, as I'd hoped, they were all 'A+'. I'd have to wait until I saw Mia again before I found out how she did. I hated Disneyland, but I tried not to show it since my parents brought me here for my benefit. I just hated waiting in line to ride the few rides that piqued my interest. The exhibits and shows were fun, so it wasn't a total waste of time. Of course, the fireworks were amazing.
As expected, the ship was crowded. But, the cruise wasn't as bad as the one earlier. You could sign up for different activities. They even had wall climbing! Of course there was swimming, but why swim in a pool when white sand beaches were waiting with clear water? In any case, the pools were always full. There were shows and shopping, not to mention food. I much preferred the buffets, even though my parents dragged me to some of the specialty restaurants.
Dinner was in a huge, 3 story dining room, and it was a "fine dining" experience. Meaning I had to wear a dress, which I hated to do. Also, you had to watch your manners. You know, use the proper fork for the proper course, cloth napkin in your lap, so on and so forth.
When I couldn't find anything else to do and didn't want to sit around while my parents enjoyed a drink or two at a pub, I went to the one place that never seemed to be crowded... the library. There were people that would come in and browse, looking for a book to check out, but they didn't disturb me too much. I worked my way through their Manga section in no time at all. Then I started in on their Fantasy selections.
The best times were when we went ashore and toured the area. As promised, my parents took me scuba diving which was absolutely amazing! I didn't want it to end and I made my parents promise to let me get certified just as soon as possible. We got to swim with the stingrays and the dolphins, which as fun and very interesting, with the guides offering tidbits about the animals.
The open air markets were an experience. I was so used to being able to browse the stores back in the states where I might, and I repeat, might, have a sales person ask if I needed help. The people who had the stalls onshore were a lot more predatory, but I did find some great souvenirs. I found Mia a fantastic wind chime made out of seashells.
The biggest downer about my vacation was that I couldn't call, or even text, Mia since she was out in the boonies with no reception at all. Her parents preferred primitive camping, like in tents and stuff, instead of using an RV. They'd say that using RV's was stupid because it was like being home, but on wheels.
Vacation over, we flew home and collapsed. It always surprised me how most people needed to rest up to recover from a vacation where they were supposed to relax. Overall, I'd have to judge our vacation as better than average, mainly because of the excursions we went on. I learned a lot about the different cultures during the trip. Unfortunately, I'd have to wait for Mia came home to tell her about it.
3 days later Mia and her parents came home. Her parents looked a lot more rested and refreshed than mine did. Maybe I'll suggest a camping trip for our next vacation. I called her that evening when I was sure she was done with supper and we talked for hours, catching up on what we'd done. Mia said they'd seen an actual bear! That was way cool!
The next day Mia came over and we swam in our pool. We talked and caught up even more. I was so happy to be reunited with my BFF. We made plans to sleep over at my house the next night before she had to go home. We hugged goodbye.
Mia and I spent the day playing video games and watching movies. We watched The Mystery Men movie and, of course, we both loved it. But we agreed that it was a little macabre that The Bowler had her dad's skull in her bowling ball. An Extremely Goofy Movie was funny, and made us appreciate our family vacations. The best one though, was Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace. Neither one of us could figure out why they put Jar Jar Binks in the movie, he wasn't even good comedy relief. But, other than that, the movie was awesome!
We swam a little in the early evening before showering and having supper. Later that night, we climbed into bed, giggling for no reason at all. As we lay there waiting to fall asleep, I remember staring into her eyes with a smile on my face as she did the same with me. I watched as her eyes began to move, like she was committing my face to memory and her smile slowly faded until she was simply staring at me.
"Can I ask you something without you getting upset?" She asked.
"Even if you did get me upset, we're best friends and I'd forgive you. You know that."
Mia looked down at the floor before taking a deep breath and then looking back at me, a blush on her face. "Do you like me?" She asked.
I replied automatically, "Of course I like you! You're my best friend in the whole world!"
Mia shook her head. "No. I mean do you like like me?"
Oh. I had no idea what had brought this on, but it was time to bite the bullet and confess. This could end up going any one of a number of different ways. From driving us apart to the both of us building a new relationship.
"Promise you won't be angry with me?" I asked.
"I won't get angry, I just want to know."
I took a breath and said, "Yes, I do. I've had a crush on you since the second grade. I haven't said anything because I didn't want to ruin our friendship."
I couldn't decipher the look she gave me when she answered. "I understand Kayleigh. I kinda figured it out earlier in the year. I just thought long and hard about it during our vacation. There wasn't much else for me to do."
My heart was in my throat as I asked. "D... do you like like me too?"
I watched her face fall, which caused my heart to sink like a rock.
Sadly, she said "No."
Then she continued, "I love you Kayleigh, just not in that way. I tried to think of being with you in that way while camping, but I just couldn't see it happening. I love you, but I'm as straight as a ruler. But I will always be your best friend."
She reached out and grabbed my hand, squeezing it gently. I had been friend-zoned. But, on the other hand, I'd never gotten out of the friend zone to begin with. Nothing had really changed between us other than the air had been cleared.
I squeezed her hand back and said, "So, nothing's really changed between us then?"
Mia smiled. "Well, we know better now where we stand with each other. So we good?"
I smiled back.
"Yeah. Do you still want to share a bed when we sleep over?" I asked, worried that she'd be weirded out now that she knew.
"Nothing's really changed between us Kayleigh."
I breathed a sigh of relief.
"Can I ask you something else? It's kinda personal." Mia asked looking a little hesitant.
"You can ask me anything, you know that."
Mia smiled again and asked, "Are you full blown gay or just bi?"
I laughed. "I'm bi, but I much prefer girls."
Mia grinned, "Awesome! So that means that we can still talk about boys!"
This time, we laughed together.
X~X~X
As the weeks passed we'd sleep over at each other's house. Everything stayed pretty much the same but I felt a huge weight lifted off my shoulders since I didn't have to hide my feelings for Mia from her anymore. We both knew they were there now, but I wasn't pining about not acting on them anymore. Mia had started dating Carl, much to Clair's chagrin. Of course, I'd make her tell me all about each one in excruciating detail.
X~X~X
I woke up the next morning with some of the worst cramps I've had since I started getting my period. I managed to get up and take Midol before laying back down and holding my stomach, I really didn't feel good. As the day went on, the pain got worse and my entire body started aching. I remember thinking that it wasn't fair that I'd get the flu and my period on the same day. I began to feel cold and covered myself in my blanket, but it didn't seem like it was helping.
I heard a knock on my door and my mom's voice asking "Kayleigh? Honey? You in there?"
"Mom!" I groaned weakly. I guess she heard me because she opened the door.
"Baby? What's wrong?"
"I feel like... I have the flu... And my period. I don't feel good at all!"
I felt her cold hand on my forehead and she said worriedly, "You have a bit of a fever. I'm going to get some medicine for you. I'll have your father check you over tonight when he gets home, and if your fever hasn't broken by in the morning, I'm taking you to the doctor."
I just groaned in response. My mom left and returned with a lot more than just Nyquil. She had a thermometer, those cold compresses that you break and they get cold, which she wrapped in a wash cloth and placed on my forehead. She had that Vicks stuff which she rubbed on my chest, and a humidifier which she plugged in and sat on my desk facing me. It had some kind of Vicks stuff in it as well, supposedly to help me breathe. I wasn't having problems breathing.
I couldn't think straight. I don't know how long it took for me to realize that I was nearly delirious with fever and pain. I was constantly groaning but I tried to be quiet, not wanting to wake my parents up. All I wanted was for the pain to be over, I hurt everywhere. From my fingertips to my toenails, from my scalp to my feet.
I felt itchy all over as well as achy. I don't know if my dad came in and checked me over or not, I don't remember if he did. I don't know what time it was, but the pain suddenly spiked and ran through me in a flash. It hurt so much that I could hear myself scream as my back bowed so that only my shoulders and feet were touching the bed before the pain got too much and I passed out.
X~X~X
I don't know how long I'd been asleep before I struggled to wake up. I tried opening my eyes, but they seemed to be glued shut. I felt my nose wrinkle at the smells in the room. I could smell sweat from both me and my mom. I could tell that my dad had been in the room because I could still smell his aftershave. I smelt the medicine I'd taken last night as well as stale Vick's. What was going on? I still felt extremely weak, like I couldn't move a muscle.
"Mom?" I grunted, my voice cracking. It hurt to talk, my throat was so sore and dry.
"I'm here Honey, don't move." Her voice sounded strange and loud. I could hear her move with exceptional clarity, the sound of her clothing rasping against itself. I realized I could even hear her breathing as well as her heartbeat with no problem at all. I started to cry but my tears were wiped away when my mom used a wet wash cloth to clean the crust from my eyes.
"Mom" I said, then tried to swallow. My throat was so dry. I kept my eyes closed when I felt a straw inserted into my mouth. I sipped greedily. It was bottled water and I could smell the minerals in it. After several swallows, I opened my mouth and my mom took the bottle away and set it on the nightstand with a loud clatter that made me wince.
"Mom," I repeated. "What happened? Did I need to go to the doctor?"
I opened my eyes and saw the haggard expression on my moms face. I felt bad she had worried so much about me. "No Sweetie, we couldn't take you to the doctor."
"Why not?" I was still feeling a little tired.
"Let me get your father and we'll tell you everything."
She got up and opened the door and yelled downstairs to my father. The volume made me wince again. I heard dad answer her and then his footfalls on the stairs. My dad had the same worried expression that my mom had and I began to wonder if I'd almost died or something. I'm guessing that my dad, who's a doctor, did something so I didn't have to go into the hospital. He pulled a chair next to where my mom's was by my bed. The screech of the chail legs against the wood floor of my bedroom made me cringe. They both sat and, while my mom wrung her hands like she usually did when she was upset or concerned, my dad cleared his throat.
"Sweetheart. first, we want you to know that we love you very much."
My mom nodded, agreeing with his statement. Okay, that was both a little weird and a little scary. What in the hell was going on?
"Okay Dad, You're scaring me." I was starting to feel better. I wasn't hurting anymore and I seemed to be getting my strength back.
"Sorry Sweetie." He cleared his throat again. "You know how your mother and I are supporters of Gay and Mutant rights?"
I nodded, and it felt funny. Had they found out I was Bi?
"Did Mia tell you?" I asked.
"Tell us what?"
"That I'm Bi."
My brain must have been a little musty, because I said it before realizing that they wouldn't play clueless just to get me to confess. The slightly shocked expressions on their faces told me that they didn't know.
"Oh." I said sadly, "She didn't tell you."
My mom gave me a slight smile and said "That's okay Honey, you know that we don't care what your sexuality is."
Here she paused before taking a deep breath and saying "Or your species."
Both of them look at me like they expect me to understand what they mean. My dad noticed my confused expression.
"Just a second Sweetheart." He said as he stood and walked into my ensuite. He came back with a hand mirror.
"Now," he said, "don't freak out." and held the mirror up.
It couldn't be real! That wasn't me! I was looking at what was supposed to be me in the mirror, but it wasn't me. It showed the face of some weird human/cat hybrid with bright green eyes and short, dark grey fur looking back at me. The face in the mirror showed a mixture of shock and horror.
I raised my hand to push the mirror away and found that my hand wasn't a hand anymore. I still had 4 fingers and a thumb, and they seemed to be about the same length as always, but now they were covered in the same dark grey fur as the image from the mirror.
"MOM!" I shrieked.
I couldn't breathe and I started to panic. My dad grabbed my shoulders and started speaking "Kayleigh, calm down! You're having a panic attack."
"Mom! Mom! What's happened to me? Help me! I... I... I don't... know... I..." And then everything went black.
X~X~X
I woke up hoping that I'd just had a bad dream. I opened my eyes and noticed that night had fallen. I was feeling much better now, stronger. My mom was asleep in the chair next to my bed, that couldn't be comfortable. I realized that I could see really well in the near darkness. I couldn't read the titles of the books on my bookshelf, and some colors were a little washed out, but I could see almost as well as if the light was on.
Shakily, I raised my right hand up and looked at it. Fur covered all of my hand except for the palms where it looked like patches had toughened, looking almost like a cats paw. Well, It wasn't a nightmare. Everything clicked and I understood my dad's words from earlier. I was now a different species, I was a mutant. I started breathing a little fast, but nowhere near panic attack level. I was a mutant. People hated mutants. Oh god! Mia! I thought. Mia felt like my parents and I did, that mutants were people who were just different, unlike her parents. It was the only thing that her parents and mine disagreed on. Her parents felt that mutants were dangerous.
When my parents told them that people with guns could be dangerous, her parents said that at least guns could be confiscated. Her parents weren't those frothing at the mouth haters, they'd never even attended a protest. But whenever there was a ballot for mutant rights they'd vote against it.
I grabbed the mirror off my nightstand and looked at myself. I no longer had hair, just fur all over. It looked like I was a short haired breed at least. I wouldn't have to worry about long fur getting everywhere. Oh god! Would I shed? That would be so gross!
I could see my eyes, they were bright green cat eyes. My pupils were almost fully dilated, but I could tell they were slitted. I had a muzzle that stuck out from the rest of my face, maybe a little bit further than what my nose did when I was human. I stopped at that thought. Human. I wasn't human anymore, I was a mutant.
Curious, I opened my mouth and saw that all my teeth were pointed, and that my canines had enlarged until they were fangs, more like wild cats than the needle fangs that domesticated cats seemed to have. I also had what looked like 6 molars in the back, except 4 of these were peaked, not flat. I stuck my tongue out, it was more than twice as long as it was from before and I noticed that I didn't have those spiny things that most cats had. I closed my mouth, hiding my teeth from view.
Would Mia still want to be my friend now? I thought sadly, my heart heavy in my chest.
I put the mirror back on the nightstand, quietly so as not to wake my mother and checked out my hand. Well, I guess I didn't really have a hand anymore, it looked more like a paw. I wondered if I had claws when I felt a muscle in each of my fingers move and claws popped out. Okay, that was kinda cool.
I lay back down to think. I threw my blanket off because it was a little warm now, probably the effect from all of the fur I had. Looking down, I noticed that my feet seemed to be the same size, just covered in fur like everything else. I wondered if... yep, claws. A thought popped into my head and I rolled onto my left side, twisted much further than I intended, which was surprising.
But not as surprising as confirming that I did, indeed, have a tail. I didn't notice it before, probably because it just felt like I'd always had a tail. It was long, reaching several feet past the soles of my feet, making it maybe 5 feet long. I could even move it, the tip better than than the rest of it, but I could curl it around and even bring it up to my muzzle.
I tried to get comfortable, but I had to turn to my side to get that way. Sleeping on my back just didn't seem natural anymore. I needed to talk to Mia, but a look at my clock told me it was 4 a.m., too early to call. My mom looked exhausted so I couldn't talk to her, I didn't have the heart to wake her. I did feel an upwelling of love for my parents, they'd proven that, no matter what, they'd stand by me.
I was hungry and thirsty, so I silently got out of bed. I stretched, my front paws reaching for the ceiling and my back arching further that I thought possible, even my tail was curling in a stretch. The pleasurable feeling I always got when stretching was magnified now that I was a cat girl.
That wasn't actually true, the Cat Girls in Manga only had the ears and the tail. I got the whole makeover. I could see a faint light coming from underneath my door, something I'd never noticed before. Opening my door I quickly exited my room before quietly shutting the door. With my enhanced hearing, I could hear my dad softly snoring in my parents bedroom down the hall. I could even hear the ticking of our grandfather clock downstairs in the living room.
I padded downstairs into the kitchen, got a plate, and opened the fridge to see what there was to eat. It seemed that my appetite had changed since, when I opened the container of potato salad, I didn't find it appetising at all. And potato salad used to be my favorite dish, even better than mashed. Still scrounging, I found a take out container of General Tzo's chicken from The China Palace Chinese buffett. I dumped the chicken onto my plate and grabbed a set of chopsticks. Placing both on the dining room table, I poured myself some sweet tea to go with it.
I'd always preferred meat, but was also diligent in eating fruits and vegetables, mainly fruits. I hoped I could still have orange juice. Picking up a piece of the chicken, I stuffed it into my mouth and was pleased when I could still chew my food. It didn't exactly feel natural, but I could do it. I couldn't help the pleasurable sounds I made as I ate. No more hunger pangs and I could feel my energy returning. The sweet tea helped as well. Most people here in California didn't drink sweet tea, it being a southern thing, but my mom was from Mississippi so I was blessed.
As I ate, I tried to think of a way to see, or at least talk to, Mia without her parents knowing. I could try climbing the walls of her house and knock on her window, but her parents might hear. The only thing I could come up with was having my parents run interference. I felt a lot better after eating, my shaking seemed to have stopped completely, and I was getting a feel for my new body now.
I decided to play around and test myself. I did a standing aerial easily, feeling like I could do it in my sleep. I longed to try a floor exercise at All Star Gymnastics. Then I slumped thinking that they probably wouldn't want me anywhere around, the mutant thing being what it was.
I walked to the foot of the stairs and stood there for a moment. I looked to the railing going along the second floor, our foyer being the whole 2 floors of our house. As I looked at it, I realized I instinctively knew the distance and how much muscle to put behind a jump in order to reach the railing. Flexing my knees a little, I pushed off and found myself flying up to the second floor.
My feet landed perfectly on the railing as I flexed my knees, holding on with my left paw, my right stretched out to the side and my tail moving to help with my balance. I was elated! I started laughing softly, my paw covering my muzzle so that I didn't wake my parents up. I went to the hall bathroom, shut the door, and turned on the light. I walked up to the mirror and took a good look at myself.
Trying to be as honest with myself as I could, I thought I was pretty good looking, although I did miss my hair. My short fur looked silky smooth and had a sheen to it in the light. I did have cat whiskers, but I thought I rocked the look. I went to take a shower and was happy that I didn't seem to mind the water at all. I used shampoo all over instead of body wash since I figured that fur was basically hair. It was sort of strange to use cream rinse all over as well. I had to laugh, before my metamorphosis I had been wondering when I should start shaving my legs, something I wouldn't have to worry about now.
I dried off the best I could without using the blow dryer and it took 3 towels for me to be reasonably dry. I silently re-entered my bedroom, my mom still asleep, her head resting on the back of the chair. I climbed back into bed curled up with my tail over my eyes, and fell back asleep.
I woke up alone, my mom no longer in the chair. There was a small note card folded to stand alone, saying one word 'Living room'. I got up and stretched again, which felt as good as the first time. I also didn't feel weak or anything, I felt wonderful!
I had an issue with my clothes. While I still didn't have anything up top, wearing any kind of pants felt weird. I either felt like I was off balance if I tucked my tail in, not to mention very uncomfortable, or my pants would feel like they were falling off if I only pulled them up to where my tail started. I didn't want to wear a skirt, so I found an old pair of blue jean shorts and cut a big hole near the top for my tail to fit through. The same treatment was given to my panties, but they were easier to cut.
My shoes still fit, but I found that I preferred going barefoot now that I'd changed. Leaving my room, I stood at the top of the stairs before launching myself in the air. I sailed over the railing, did a flip and a twist, and landed on the first floor foyer, my legs absorbing the shock. I laughed out loud, proud of what I could do now. My parents must have heard me because I heard them call out "Kayleigh?"
"Be right there!" I answered. I straightened up and walked in to the living room. My mom and dad looked much better today, but they still looked worn. They were sitting on the couch holding hands, which made me pause. Not so much that they were holding hands, but that they seemed to be doing it to comfort each other.
I felt crushed. I had been thinking only of myself since I woke up and not about how my being a mutant would affect my parents. I walked instead of prancing now up to my mom and dad and gave them hugs, thanking them for taking care of me. We were all crying a little after I was done. Dad moved over so I could sit between them and both of them turned in their seats so that they could look at me better.
"Mom, Dad, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be a mutant. I..." and then my mom interrupted me.
"NO! Don't ever apologize for that! You're our daughter no matter what!"
"That's right Sweetie!" My dad said, "We just want the best for you."
"Absolutely Hun." My mom said as she placed her hand on the back of my neck and started caressing me there, trying to relax me like she would do sometimes. However, it had an unintentional effect; I started purring! We were all so startled we just looked at each other before I burst out laughing, my parents following suit. It was a relief to see my parents relax somewhat.
More at ease, my dad continued. "Kayleigh, you know how the anti-mutant sentiment has been lately. We're worried that you could get hurt by those howling bigots." He said, frowning.
"Or, you could accidently hurt someone else. So I called a colleague, Hank McCoy. He's an expert on mutants and he's agreed to help you get into a new school, 'Xavier's school for gifted youngsters'."
My mother informed me. I felt cold all over. Move? Leave my them? Leave Mia? I couldn't do it. I started shaking my head and said "No. I don't want to leave."
"And we don't want you to leave either, but we feel it's the best thing for you. It doesn't mean that we can't come visit you, or you us. But you need help and neither me nor your mother know how to do that."
In my head I knew they were right, but my heart denied it fervently. I started crying again and, after a few moments, I whispered, "You found out that I was Bi..."
"Which is okay with us Honey." Mom was quick to interrupt.
"But what you don't know is that I've had a crush on Mia, and she knows. She's my best friend even though she knows."
"We know sweetheart, we're old, but not blind." My mom said with a smile.
"Yeah, both of you have acted a little differently since we've all gotten back from vacation." My dad added.
A strong wave of love for my parents filled me. Their love, trust, and faith in me made me light headed. It hurt, knowing that I was going to follow their wishes and leave for this school.
"I'm a good student, but I'm not gifted."
My mom smiled sadly "That's not the sort of gifts they mean Honey, it's a school for mutants like yourself."
Okay, that was a revelation.
"When do I have to leave?" I asked joylessly.
"Tomorrow morning Sweetheart." My dad said, sounding almost as sad as I was.
"I want to see Mia before I go." I insisted.
"Honey, we're not sure if that would be a good idea." My mom said, suddenly looking afraid.
"I have to see her, I can't just leave her without saying goodbye." I pleaded. My parents looked at each other before my dad came to a decision.
"Okay. Mary? Call your friend back, let him know we'll be at the Hyatt Regency in Pasadena and that they can meet us there instead. Kayleigh, pack your suitcases. When you're done, I'll call Glenn and let him know you're awake and ready for visitors. If they come over also, we'll make some excuse to keep them down here. As soon as they leave, we'll leave for the hotel, just to be safe."
Excited, I grabbed my dad for a hug and he cried out in pain. I was a lot stronger than I used to be. I quickly let him go and I apologized profusely, understanding now what they meant by accidently hurting someone else.
I packed some clothes, my diary, and my favorite books, including my D&D books, along with the pictures I had of my family and Mia. I started crying again, I was going to miss her so much. I dressed in a pair of jeans that I modified like I did my shorts. I'd do the rest of them later. I put on a short sleeved black T-shirt with silver edging on the sleeves and around the neck, and with an etched silver butterfly on the front.
I put on the hoodie Mia had given me for Christmas last year. Then, to hide my head, I pulled the hood up.. Since I wasn't wearing shoes, I stood on the side of my bed away from the door and looked through the curtain shears on my window. I heard the doorbell and then my dad inviting Mia inside. I didn't hear her parents, so I was able to relax slightly. I heard her climb the stairs and then step up to my door. A second later there was a knock.
"Come in." I called out. I could feel tears leaking as I smelled her when she entered, she smelled so good, like she'd just stepped from the shower. This was going to be so hard. I heard her gasp as she shut the door.
"Kayleigh, why are your suitcases on your bed? What's wrong? Why are you dressed like that." She sounded very worried.
"Mia, you know you're my best friend and I'll always love you for that and how you've accepted me being bi and having a crush on you, even if don't feel the same way."
"Your scaring me Kayleigh." She said defensively.
"I don't mean to, I promise."
I heard her step closer and I closed my eyes, trying not to bawl. "Why are you dressed like that? Answer me! What's going on?"
"I have to leave. I'm dressed like this because something's happened to me."
She slowly moved closer until she was at the foot of my bed.
"What happened to you Kayleigh?"
"Please don't freak out." I pleaded as I turned slowly around, my eyes downcast until I heard her gasp loudly and hold in a scream. I raised my eyes to see her's almost circular in shock. I just stood there as she struggled to regain control of herself.
"Kayleigh." She whispered as she lowered her hands and started taking baby steps over to me. I stood still as she got close and then, with glacier slowness, raised her hand to my furred cheek and cupped my muzzle.
"Oh Kayleigh." She said softly.
"I'm a mutant."
She snorted. "I can see that."
"It's why I can't stay here. Mom has a friend that's going to take me to a school to learn how to control myself. I accidently hurt my dad earlier because I didn't know my own strength."
I saw tears forming in her eyes. I slowly raised my right paw so that she could see me do it and then placed it against her cheek. She closed her eyes and leaned into my paw with such love and trust that my heart broke. "I don't want to go, I don't want to leave you, but we both know that your parents wouldn't allow us to be together now."
"I know." She answered simply. She wrapped her arms around me and squeezed. I placed my right arm around her and hugged her back as gently as I could.
"Will you call me?" She asked in my neck.
"As often as I can."
"I love you Kayleigh!"
"I love you too Mia."
Mia pulled back and lowered my hood. Her eyes took in my changed features as her face shifted from sadness to wonder. "You're beautiful Kayleigh."
It was bittersweet, she still found me pretty even as changed as I was. I loved her so much in that moment.
"Please don't forget me! When I turn 18 I'll find you!"
And then she hugged me again before turning and leaving. I was amazed at how strong she was as I stood there, silently crying.
"Kayleigh, we're leaving." My dad yelled. He didn't have to, I could have heard him using normal speech, but I hadn't explained my enhanced senses yet. I put my hood back up, grabbed my suitcases, and easily lifted them and carried them down the stairs. My dad took them from me then and put them in the trunk of the car before they escorted me to the back seat, telling me to hunker down. As we left, I looked in the direction of Mia's house and saw her looking out her window. I wondered if she was still crying like I was. Neither one of us waved goodbye.