Diana and Daniel entered the hall along with the rest of their class, following their teacher down the corridor. The echoes of their footsteps mixed with the distant sounds of other students getting ready for gym class. As they reached a set of doors, the teacher stopped and turned to the group.
"Girls over here, boys over there," he instructed, pointing to the respective changing rooms.
Daniel turned towards Diana and gave her a reassuring smile. "See you in the gym," he said before heading off with the other boys.
Diana hesitated for a moment, then instinctively began to follow Daniel toward the boys' changing room. But as she took a step, she froze. Hold on... I'm a girl now. The realization hit her like a wave, almost knocking the breath out of her. She turned and looked at the girls' changing room, hearing the laughter and chatter coming from inside. A sense of nervousness welled up within her, her chest tightening as she started to feel out of breath.
She closed her eyes, trying to calm herself. This can't keep going on forever. I need to get used to this. She took a deep breath, bracing herself. I'll go in… 3, 2, 1… 1… But she couldn't bring herself to move. …1…
Before she could gather the courage to step forward, she heard a voice calling her name. Diana's eyes snapped open, and she saw the teacher standing in front of her, his expression a mix of concern and confusion.
"Are you okay?" he asked, looking at her with a puzzled frown.
Diana quickly nodded, trying to mask her anxiety. "Yeah, I'm fine."
The teacher nodded back, though he didn't seem entirely convinced. "The girls' changing room is right there," he said, pointing to the door.
"Sorry," she mumbled, her cheeks flushing as she hurried toward the room.
As she pushed the door open, the soft buzz of conversation and the scent of perfume greeted her. She stepped inside, her eyes quickly taking in the scene—a room filled with girls chatting, laughing, and changing into their gym clothes. Diana felt a knot tighten in her stomach, the unfamiliarity of it all pressing down on her.
She looked around, spotting an empty corner, and quietly made her way there. Unlike the others, she was already dressed in her gym clothes—a t-shirt and shorts. Still, she couldn't shake the feeling of being out of place, her hands trembling slightly as she adjusted her shirt, trying to make herself as small as possible.
Diana glanced around the room, catching snippets of conversations about weekend plans and social media drama. She felt like an outsider, like she was intruding on something private and unfamiliar. But she reminded herself that this was just another hurdle to get through—something she had to endure.
As the other girls continued getting ready, Diana took a deep breath and turned her focus inward, trying to calm the racing thoughts in her mind. Just get through this, she told herself. Soon, it'll be over, and you'll be out of here.
Just then, she heard the sound of girls exiting the room. Relieved, she turned to follow them out, She spun around and nearly bumped into a girl who seemed to have brought her own gravitational field.
''Ah!''
Startled, she stumbled back, realizing she was face-to-face—or more like face-to-chest—with a girl towering over her. ''Oh! Sorry, didn't see you there. Well, I did, but—'' she trailed off, flustered.
The girl looked down at her, surprised at first, then smiled warmly. "Sorry for scaring you," she said, bending down to pick up her shoes that were next to her.
Flustered, Diana quickly made her way toward the door, her heart still racing. She thought she was already getting used to this new life, but the pounding in her chest suggested otherwise. But each failure is a step toward success, right? she reminded herself as she tried to steady her nerves.
She opened the door and stepped out of the changing room, the cool air of the hallway hitting her as she took a deep breath. The door swung shut behind her.