Days went by with Christina going to school. Everybody got used to her showing up but nobody had any idea what happened to Christopher. It was clear that some people, particularly Phil, were starting to miss him. It's not like I could tell him that he was still around. Being a part of an alien family really does complicate things.
"So, do you and your cousin get along?" a random student asked.
"Uh, yeah." I said, "We get along fine."
"How often do you see each other?" the same student asked.
"Um... I-" I started.
"Give her a break." said Phil, walking on to the scene.
"What?" the student said, "Here to confess your love?"
"No!" exclaimed Phil.
"Where's Kat?" I asked.
"She's already gone home." responded Phil.
"I see." I said.
"Whatever." the random student said, before taking off.
"Geez," he said, "it's been weeks since you transferred in and they still won't give you a break."
"Thanks." I said.
"It's no problem." he said, "Let's go."
"Right." I said.
So, the two of us left the school building together. All I could do was imagine a timeline where I was still Christopher. The two of us would be talking to each other about the stupid things we did together... as men. But that was no longer me. I was no longer the person he once knew and it didn't seem like I would ever go back.
"Is something bothering you?" asked Phil.
"Ah, it's nothing." I said.
"Your cousin was a lot like that too." responded Phil.
"Like what?" I replied.
"Whenever something was bothering him, he'd try to tell me nothing was wrong." said Phil.
"Didn't I say I'm fine?" I said.
"It's written all over your face." he said.
"Guess there never was any hiding anything from you." I muttered.
"What was that?" he responded.
"Ah," I said, "it was nothing."
"If you're not comfortable talking about it, you don't have to." he said.
"It's nothing you need to worry about."
"So, how have you been at our school?"
"Fine."
"Good."
"Um, why are you asking?"
"Just curious is all... I hope the others aren't bothering you."
It was clear what he meant. The others were bugging me about the old Chris. People wanted to see him again.
"Do you want to see Christopher again?" I asked.
"Of course I do." replied Phil, "He's my best friend but... lately, I feel like he's hiding something from me."
Hearing that hurt. It was almost as if I had been stabbed in the chest.
"I'm sure he has his reasons." I said.
"Would you happen to know any of them?" he asked.
Of course I knew, but I couldn't tell him that.
"He doesn't even tell me that much." I lied.
"That's unfortunate." replied Phil.
Things got silent between the two of us after that until I decided to speak up a few minutes later.
"If Christopher changed, what would you think of him?" I asked.
"What do you mean?" responded Phil.
"Like if his appearance was different or he became someone or something else." I said.
"I don't know if it's even possible for him to become someone else." said Phil, "But if he did change, I'd like to think we'd still be friends."
"I'm sure he'd be happy to know that." I said.
We eventually got a point where we had to split up. I went back home and went to my room. What was I going to do about this? My old friends wanted to see Christopher, but it wasn't really possible to bring him back. More weeks went by and people kept asking, and I always got tired of saying that I had no idea what was going on with him.
"What's bothering you?" asked Sam, who barged into my room one night.
"I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't just barge in." I said.
"It's not like you're changing clothes or anything right now." he said.
"And what if I was...?" I replied.
"A-anyways," he said, "what's going on with you?"
"I don't know if I can ever get used to being a girl." I replied.
"Is it causing you problems?" asked Sam.
"Of course it is!" I responded, "Everyone wants to see the old me!"
"Ah, I guess that would happen." he said, "It's not like you could tell them that you're the same person."
"Right." I said, "But if everyone wants to see the old me, what can I do? It's not possible to bring 'Christopher' back!"
"That may be so," he said, "but remember, even as a girl, you're still you."
"Yeah, but..." I started.
"Listen," he said, "this is a secret that needs to be kept within our family."
"I know." I said, "But it hurts keeping it from Phil as well."
"I don't think there's much we can do there." he said.
I didn't think Phil was the kind of guy who would spread any secrets like that, but I had the feeling he wouldn't believe me. There was no way he would. If someone born male suddenly transforms into a female with no difference to their body from anyone born female and they tried explaining who they were to people, who in the world would believe them?
"Why did we have to be born into an alien family?" I asked.
"There are all kinds of things we can't choose," Sam said, sitting down on my bed next to me.
"I know, but..." I started.
"I really do wish I could have inherited Mom's powers," he said, "but only women can use the powers... even if I were to get a sex change, it wouldn't really work because I don't have the powers in my DNA. I didn't inherit them."
"What?" I said, "Would you switch places with me if you could?"
"If it were possible," said Sam, "I'd be more than happy to."
"I don't think I'll ever understand." I said.
"Understand what?" replied Sam.
"Is it that you want the powers... or that you want to be a girl?" I asked.
"I'll leave that your imagination." he said.
"I guess I just have to keep lying about my old self." I said.
"There's nothing else we can do."
"I just worry that Phil might end up demanding to see my old self."
"Don't say stuff like that, or it'll actually happen."
At that moment, the messaging program on my computer started going off.
"Ah, it's probably Phil." I said.
"Then you should probably see what he wants." responded Sam.
Going over to my computer, I took a look at the messages. They were all directed toward Christopher. He was posting stories of things we did together before my transformation and then at the end, something caught my attention. Phil was asking to hang out... with Christopher.