(Un)fortunately, on my first day of school, there was a sports class, and since I did not have the school sports uniform yet I sat out of the class and just watched my (former) classmates do their thing in the gym.
On one hand, as a boy in puberty just until some weeks ago, I would be lying if I wasn't excited by the idea of being surrounded by half-naked girls in the changing room.
On the other hand, though, I knew for sure I would not have been able to handle that. Not yet. I would have come across as overly self-conscious, timid, blushing, and restless. Basically, I would have just ended up looking like an idiot or a girl-creep. So for today, it was good that I was just watching from the sidelines.
"Watch out!!!!"
I was startled and got yanked out of my train of thought as someone shouted at me from afar. Before I could process what was even happening, I cushioned a flying ball with my upper chest (that hurt a little…) and somehow the ball was under my right foot.
:Whistle:
One of the boys that were nearby, for whom the pass was probably intended, let out a whistle and looked at me with bewildered eyes.
"Did… did you see that?"
"She trapped the ball just like that?!"
Some boys were muttering in disbelief.
What have I done? Oh my god. It's probably because it looked like I'm bouncing the ball with my boobs. I screwed up. This is gonna make me look weird.
"Jenn!"
The sports teacher standing around the center of the gym, officiating the mock match called me over. God, I always hated him. I sucked at any kind of sports and he used to grill me like a drill Seargent in a boot camp every lesson. I wasn't only the butt of the joke for the boys but I always felt like this macho teacher made an example of me as if to show other boys "See, a boy that can't do sports is pathetic".
"Did you play football in your previous school?"
"I… I don't think so?"
"What do you mean you don't think so? Either you did or you didn't!"
"Sorry, sir"
"Whatever, you see Jun there? Jun! Look over here"
Jun was already looking here.
"Who is Jun?", I already knew. He was a popular boy in class who played in the school football team.
"The tall boy over there"
Jun waved to me.
"Ok I see him"
"Pass the ball to him"
"Isn't that a bit far….?"
"Just do it"
When I used to try to kick a ball in sports classes I normally ended up either missing the ball with my foot just swishing the air or the ball just kinda limp rolled forward in embarrassing fashion.
Well, I'm a girl now, probably no big deal if I'm not that good with it.
Here goes nothing!
I swung my foot and I felt a sensation that I had never felt before in my life, the feeling of striking the ball right in the sweet spot with the correct part of my foot, and all this felt just absolutely effortless.
The ball pinged in a perfect trajectory to Jun and he cushioned it down with his foot.
:Whistle:
The sports teacher this time let out a whistle.
"Jun, pass it back here - on the ground"
Jun kicked the ball and it literally zipped toward my feet, and it was just a matter of reflexively bringing the inner side of my right foot to it, which stopped the ball dead maybe after just an inch or two of bouncing back.
"Jesus, girl! Either you are lying, or you have amnesia, or you are a goddamn genius! Pass it again!"
I have never ever in my life been praised during sports class before. Now everyone in the class was watching me, and here I was kicking the ball about still in my school uniform skirt.
"Sir, she's really good", Jun spoke out aloud across the gym.
"Excellent, but what's up with this 'I don't know if I was in the football team' talk, Jenn?"
"Er.. About that… you are right. I actually did have a car accident recently and had a bit of amnesia"
"Whoa, for real?"
"Yes, sir"
"Then go back and ask your mother. You MUST HAVE played football before, at a very good level. Make sure you check out the girls' football club before you consider anything else"
"Ye—yes, sir"
"OK! Class dismissed! Get moving and tidy up, everyone!"
I was buzzing from the first praise I'd ever received in anything related to sports yet a bit hot around the head being the center of attention like this. This body was capable of things that I did not even think about.