Birthday Wishes
By: Bruce Leach 1.
"Goodnight Claire, night Robert. Happy birthday Jess!!" yelled his aunt Nancy as Jessie Evans closed the door on the last of his party guests.
Thank god the whole ordeal is over, Jesse thought, family parties are the worst. He figured at 19 he should be able to have his own friend over to his own party, but the big get together was a family tradition. All his aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, and all their spouses got together whenever someone had a birthday. It was always the same too; all the women went upstairs and drank tea, all the men went downstairs and drank beer. It feels like the 1950's in this family, he mused. Oh well, at least Mom and Dad are not as old fashioned as the rest.
"Jesse, could you come into the living room, please?"
Jesse smiled as he walked into the living room. Mrs Claire Evans knew her son was anticipating the gift he was supposed to get from his parents. She wished she could give him something right away as a reward for putting up with the party; she saw how he suffered. However this would not just be any birthday for her son and she wanted to explain things to him first before he did anything rash.
"Jesse " she began , "this is a very special birthday for you did you know?"
"Sure Mom" he replied, "19, a man, more responsibility, yada, yada, yada, and all of that. How about the gift?" He grinned.
Claire laughed. "You really get to the heart of the matter don't you Jesse? No, I am not going to give you the standard responsibility speech this year, if you are not responsible by now you will learn the consequences."
"Then why is it special, mom?" A good present he hoped.
"There is an old superstition about the birthday when you turn the same age as the day you were born...."
"Huh?" Jesse looked at Claire. What was she going on about now?, he thought.
She continued, "....you were born on February 19th, 1978. You were born on the 19th and you are now 19. According to legend, you may make a wish on this day and have it come true."
"What?" He gaped.
"I know this sounds strange coming from us, but listen to a story and I will explain why I am telling you this." Claire leaned forward. "It all began in 1977..........."
Robert looked up at the calendar with the picture of the big bussomed bimbo on his bedroom wall. She would make a nice birthday present, he thought. April 18th, 1977, my 18th birthday!! Today is going to be a great day! A new car from Mom and Dad, a date with the hottest chick in school, and a party with all my friends; what could be better? Thank god I was able to talk Dad out of the family party for once this year.
Grabbing his jacket, Rob went down stairs to fight a set of keys taped to the back of the door. "Right on schedule" he said as he read the note.
To our big boy- Love Mom and Dad
God, how cornball! Oh well, it is still a car. He grabbed the keys and went out side to see his dream car his.....
.........piece of junk. It was old , rusty, and about three miles long. It was impossible to hide the disappointment on his face as his Mom jumped out a snapped a picture.
"Don't you like it?" she asked him still smiling.
"Yeah Mom, great." He replied halfheartedly.
"Oh, by the way, your friend Ralph called and he and Steve got tickets to go to the Hockey game so they can't make the party tonight. He said it was the playoffs so he knew you would understand."
Great, what else could go wrong? He sagged.
"Now run along to school, you don't want to be late."
Things continued to go wrong. Everyone laughed at his new "wheels" when he arrived at school, English class had a pop quiz which he bombed, and to top it all off he was having a fight with Claire at lunch. This was the final straw! He could not take any more.
"It is supposed to be my birthday will you give me a break for Christsakes?" Robert snapped.
"No. You have been acting like a pig all week and I have had enough! " Claire fired back.
"Look I didn't mean anything by it, I just like to squeeze my woman in appreciation of her fine beauty." He grinned.
"I am a person not a side of beef. That's it, were through."
"Come on. You don't want to break up. Wouldn't you miss our snuggling?" He tried to look charming but was failing miserably. This was bad. Dumped, on my birthday, in front of everyone in the school. It was too humiliating.
"Snuggling! All you ever want to do is try to get that tiny excuse you have for a penis into me!" Everyone laughed at that, and then the final blow. "I think I will find myself a man instead of a boy." She walked out.
Robert tried to act nonchalant for the rest of lunch but he was too upset. How could she treat him like that? It was his birthday, the bitch.
"I wish we could trade places so she could find out how it feels to be humiliated" he mumbled.
He blanked out.
Robert awoke slowly. He felt really seedy. His vision was way off so that he could hardly focus and his muscles did not seem to be under his control. Everything felt really....weird.
"Are you ok dear?" Said an unfamiliar women's voice.
He had trouble speaking, all he could get out were a couple of groans that sounded very strange to him.
"Do you know where you are?" she said again.
At this point his eyes began to focus and he could see the white walls and tacky health posters of the school nurses office. Everything looked a bit off, the colors and textures seemed subtly different but that was where he was.
"The...uh..nurse's office?" He squeaked.
"Good girl!!. I knew you were all right. All you girls on all these diets nowadays, its a wonder we don't have more pass out."
Girl?! Slowly as his mind began to make connections to his body, as if his brain was learning something new, he could feel differences everywhere. His legs seemed cool and smooth; that was the first thing he noticed. That was not all however, his but felt, well, big, he had a sense of being smaller overall, he felt more hair, and there was the weight on his chest.
He sat up quickly almost fainting again from the rush to his head. There was no doubting the face he saw in the nurses mirror before him. It was the face of Claire. He was Claire!!
"I think I am going to be ok now, do you mind if I leave?" Robert looked at himself, now herself, in the mirror and just wanted to flee.
"Actually, your mother is in the office right now to take you home. I will walk you there" the nurse replied.
My mother? I can't go out and meet Claire's mother as if nothing has happened. I have often wished my parents would go away but not like this.
Robert got to his feet and almost fell over. He was amazed at how different it could feel to be in someone else's body. It was not just the gender changes either, although they were the most troubling to him. His size, movements, vision, hearing, and all his other biological senses were off at least slightly. The changed colors of familiar objects he assessed as being a byproduct of Claire's beautiful blue eyes replacing his ugly brown ones. Everything also smelled more strongly to him in this body although he was starting to wonder if Claire had a bit of a hearing problem. It was a unique chance to experience human differences even if it is not one he would have chosen for himself.
As Robert walked down the hall suddenly a woman ran up and hugged him. Al though he had never met her he had to assume this was Claire's mother.
"Are you all right dear? When the school called and said you fainted I almost had a fit! Do you know what is wrong with you? Do you still feel like fainting? Did the nurse give anything to you? You didn't hurt your head did you? I hope....."
Robert broke off her rambling, "Mom! Mom! It's ok, it's ok!!"
"Alright then, but I have you father waiting in the car and we are going home right now!"
He didn't see any way out.
"Ok Mom, let me just take my time though, I still feel a bit queasy."
Claire's mother helped him outside to a big expensive new car where a man he could only assume was 'Dad' sat waiting. As Robert got into the back seat the man turned around a kissed him making him almost jump out of his new skin.
"How is Daddy's little girl? You got the flu buttercup?"
Oh god! "No, I am just fine Dad. I just need a little rest." Buttercup, yuck,
The man peered back quizzically, "Ok, I will just take us home then. You better cancel your date tonight, by the way."
The reminder of the date still stung and he mumbled out a vague affirmative. Robert remained quiet the rest of the trip home as he sat in thought. What now? How can this have happened? Am I going to be stuck like this. By the time they arrived he was very depressed.
Robert went straight upstairs after getting to his new home. Fortunately Claire had snuck him in here one day when her parents were away and he was able to find his bedroom. Careful he locked the door and sat on the bed.
"I can't believe I am in a girls bedroom and I am not even excited." He mumbled to himself. "Heck, I am even able to feel up a beautiful chick in a miniskirt and I don't feel turned on at all."
He started to laugh. The tension of the afternoon had really built up he had to laugh himself into tears before he was able to feel calm again and think. His first step he figured was to try and find out what happened. He assumed it was the wish he made right before he passed out. If it worked once, he thought; heck, why not try again?
"I wish I was Robert again." Nothing.
"I wish that my wish never came true." Again nothing.
What exactly had he wished? He had wished to trade places with Claire. That meant that she must be in his body. He picked up the phone and dialed his home number....
Claire looked again at the body she now wore in the mirror. Strange, she thought; but being male is not the worst thing that could happen to me. No more periods, no more ass grabbing, no more being treated like a baby at 17. It's not that I did not want to be girl, it's just a new opportunity, if I am going to be stuck like this anyway...
The real mystery was how she had gotten this way. She laughed as she thought of macho Robert's experience as he woke up wearing a miniskirt. He must still be curled up in a little ball she mused.
At that moment the phone rang.
Mrs. Evans yelled, "Robert it's for you!!!"
Robert heard the strange sound of his voice at the other end. Well, sort of his voice, it sounded like someone using his voice but not knowing quite what pitch to balance it.
"Hello, this is Robert."
"Hello. You can drop the Robert, it's me." Robert said bitterly.
"Why, Claire, it is nice to hear from you!" she/he laughed. "You don't exactly sound yourself. Is something wrong?"
"Can the humor, this is not funny. Get over here; we need to figure out what is going on and what to do next."
"Ok, ok. Don't panic. I will come over in a few minutes. Do you have any idea what is going on?"
Robert paused, ".....well, not exactly......"
Not exactly? Claire thought. Did he actually know something?
"What do you mean by not exactly?"
Robert felt ashamed. "I sorta made this wish right before things switched..."
Claire was shocked. "I had no idea you had those sorts of feelings Robert," she giggled, "um....I never pictured you as the sex change type..."
"I am not some kind of queer!!!! I just wished we could trade places so you could understand how you made me feel today and this happened! I don't want to be a girl! I am a guy and I want my body back!"
"Methinks though dost protest too much...." she cut him off before he could begin yelling again. "I know you aren't that type Robert I am just giving you a hard time. I will be right over."
She hung up the phone. As she grabbed Robert's coat to go all Claire could think of was, 'If I do figure out a way to reverse this would I really want to go back?'
It was difficult for Claire to talk her way by her parents when she arrived. They were not use to having a boy go up and visit their daughter in her bedroom. Claire finally convinced them that she was concerned for her health and they let her go up.
When she arrived at the bedroom it seemed Claire was justified in worrying about Robert's health; although it was his mental health she was concerned about. He looked so upset and despairing that she decided not to try and tease him anymore, there was no telling what he might do.
"You ok Robert?" Claire asked.
Robert went over and flipped the lock on what was now his door.
"Do I look like I am all right? I am a girl!!"
"Ok, calm down and let's figure out what to do next." Claire tried to sound soothing. " We need to look at our options."
"What options?" He looked up hopefully.
She thought the brutal truth seemed best. "Ok, I am now you, a male; you are now me; a female. We have both tried wishing it back and it is not changing. I don't know of any scientific way to change us aside from radical surgery and I don't think that is likely to go over well with our parents. I think we need to assume we are stuck like this and work from there."
Robert put his face in his hands. "I can't be stuck like this. I don't know what to do. I don't know how to act. What is everyone going to think? I...I...I...." He was trying not to cry but the tears were beginning to get the best of him.
"Look, first of all, no one is going to think anything Robert. They are going to assume that you ARE Claire. As long as you don't start running around saying you are Robert we can both keep this our little secret."
"I would never tell anyone. It would be humiliating. Besides, they would probably lock me up..."
"Good. Now you are beginning to think about this and not just react" She was trying to give him some confidence. "I will help you learn how to do what you need to do to be me until we figure a way out of this thing. It is going to be Ok."
Robert began to calm down a little. Claire knew it was going to be a long ride for him but she would be here the whole way. Robert needed her and she would not let him down.
Claire continued, "Your friends all canceled out and your birthday party so why don't we start working on stuff right away. No one is expecting either of us to be anywhere."
"Ok, what am I going to need to know?"
"It is not just you Robert. There are many things I need to know from you too. We are both going to know how to act around everyone we know, we are going to need to know how to walk and talk and dress in these bodies, and most importantly we are going to have to learn how to trust and depend on each other. It is going to be a long ride I think Robert; but I know we are both up to it if we can just stick together."
Robert smiled at her. Somehow she knew that this was going to be ok.
They worked on getting to know each other's lives for the rest of the night. Claire saved the "How to be a girl" lessons until the next day. No need to overwhelm him the first night. Fortunately, it was a Friday night so they had all weekend to work.
It did not take long for them to figure out how important it was that they share information. Claire's father asked Robert on Sunday morning why he was calling him Dad and not Daddy. He was afraid that she was mad at him or something. Claire did not realize Robert was supposed to work on Saturday morning for a friend of Robert's Dad and narrowly avoided getting grounded. they also both knew that they faced a big test on Monday Morning when school started again.
Robert had feared that the lessons were going to be a horrible ordeal but they turned out to be a lot of fun. He really liked Claire and her constant state of good humor and occasional good natured teasing made things go along much faster. He was still very upset but her presence seemed to lift his mood considerably. He was sure that without her he would have fallen into complete despair.
For her part, Claire was finding that she also enjoyed Robert's company. She was beginning to see that his macho posturing was mostly to impress his friends and because of his father. She had to admit she really didn't like his father. Even though she had only spent the weekend living Robert's life she could already see how his father had given him a perverted view of women. It made this situation that much harder on Robert but Claire was recognizing that he had an inner strength that she really admired.
Together they talked and laughed and for a time forgot that the days ahead would not be easy for either of them.
Monday turned out to be a hellish day for Robert. Already upset and depressed about the situation he was in he found that he had to deal with something new. The guys at school had seemed to take it upon themselves to torment him. Everywhere he went he was getting his but pinched, his bra snapped, and worst of all rude comments thrown at him. Everyone seemed to be snubbing him and he could not figure out why.
The only thing he could figure was that he was acting wrong and strange. During the day when he saw Claire she did not seem to be having the same problems and this only confirmed the suspicions in his mind. He was failing. People knew something. How could he tell Claire?
Every time Claire saw Robert on Monday he looked absolutely miserable. She was worried. She had hoped that he had learned enough to get by but obviously he hadn't. What made it worse was that she was having very little trouble at all and she felt tremendously guilty. Things were strange but she was able to cope. Her only real problem was having to do Grade 12 classes instead of Grade 11. However, even on that front she was a better student then Robert and seemed to be coping.
What neither of them knew was that Robert's friends had gotten together and decided to punish Claire for the treatment she had given him in the cafeteria the week before. They had decided to make her life a living hell and were doing a darn good job of it. They could not possibly know they had the wrong person.
Robert continued to try and muddle through but things were rough. As much as he ached inside to be with her, he avoided Claire. He could not bear to have her know how badly he was coping. It was terribly lonely. He was a stranger to Claire's family although he appreciated that they seemed to be loving and kind people. He was unable to master 'girl talk' and found himself on the outside with Claire's friends as well. Worst of all he could tell that all the guys were looking at him and making fun of him. Depression was starting to get the better of him.
School itself was not that bad for Robert. He had done all the grade 11 material already so this did take some strain off him. He did find girl's physical education a bit of a nightmare however. Everyone was so comfortable there except him. They talked and laughed and he felt so left out. He was self conscious all the time about his body and mannerisms. It was like his whole life was now. When he was there he could not help but think about his problems.
Within three weeks he was so empty he told his parents he was sick and went to bed for three days. He did not want to ever get up again.
Claire was getting concerned about Robert. He was so quiet all the time that he seemed to fade into the woodwork. Even in private she was having a hard time getting him to talk and he would not even laugh at her jokes! The more distressing part was that he was withdrawing from everyone including her.
For her part she was coping. It helped her in a way that she was so concerned about Robert. Worrying about his problems let her forget hers and she was able to ease more gently into this life. She had also hung out with Robert and his friend so much that she was kinda used to how 'the guys' acted. She did miss her parents terribly. She wanted to be able to curl up on the couch with her mom and watch a movie the way they used to. She even missed being called Daddy's little girl although she never thought she would miss that! Robert's parents just didn't seem to care whether he lived or died as long as the garbage got taken out.
It had been three weeks now since the switch. Suddenly Robert had not been at school for three days and she was worried. That was when she heard the talk:
"We really got old Claire on the run don't we?" Steve Slater laughed.
"Serves her right for the way she was such a bitch to Rob. I hope we have driven her right out of this school." replied Andy Diggs.
Suddenly everything made sense. She had to find Robert.
Claire rushed over to her former home only to find out that Robert was not seeing or talking to anyone right now. She could tell that even her parents were concerned about what they thought was their daughter. They did invite her to come back for a surprise birthday party for Claire/Robert the next day. She had forgotten it was her birthday with all the commotion going on in her life.
"My birthday?" she thought as an idea formed in the back of her mind.
Robert was feeling even worse. On top of everything else he had gotten his first period today. He was trapped forever and he knew it. He would never be happy again. For some reason Claire's, now his, mom made him get up early and wear a frilly dress. She said she wanted to take him shopping and he had no choice but to comply. He spent the rest of the morning in a miserable hell of dresses, skirts, undergarments, and other things he had no interest at all in.
He tried to get Claire's Mom to quit early but she kept insisting he try on garment after garment until it was obvious that he was just not going to get into the spirit of this. She seemed to look at her watch every two minutes as well which became very irritating. Finally they hit a restaurant for lunch and headed home.
Robert opened the front door of his new home to yells of "Surprise!!" There was a cake, candles, presents, and a large number of guests and he realized that this must be Claire's birthday. He did not want the crowd but he did his best to say all the necessary hellos. Eventually he was able to get away and went up to his bedroom to hide.
Suddenly there was a knock at the door.
"Robert, you there?" It was Claire.
"Come in I guess." Robert replied sounding very angry and depressed.
Claire poked her face in. "Is it safe?"
"Yes"
"You look miserable."
"How am I supposed to feel?" He shouted. "I am in the wrong body, the wrong sex even, I have no future, I am wearing a stupid maxipad, and I am supposed to get excited about a birthday that is not even really mine. Sorry I am not chipper for you!!"
"Calm down. I understand the stress you've been under. Some of that applies to me as well you know?"
Robert began to cry. "I know, it's just......you seem to be coping so much better. I am such a failure. I can't be you. I can't fool anyone. I am so alone and things are just never gonna be right for me."
"Look Robert, you are coping fine. No one suspects you of anything except being a very sad girl. Wait.....I know what you are gonna say....but I heard the 'gang' talking today and I found out they have been punishing you for dumping me. That is why things have been so rough for you. I just wish you had have told me....heck who am I fooling. I should have seen something was up. I just want you to know that you are doing fine. You are stronger than I imagine I would have been shouldering that alone."
He looked up at her through tear soaked eyes. "It still isn't the same thing Claire. I want my old life back. I don't think I can go on like this....."
The despair in his voice was obvious. She was beginning to prefer her life as a guy but she knew that she had to do something for Robert. She realized that deep down she had come to love him. His happiness was what mattered.
She mumbled under her breathe "I wish that me and Robert switched bodies again."
Then a voice in her head seemed to say that things that had been wished for could not be undone. It was then that she knew that the birthday wish power was real. A second thought formed in her mind. She hoped Robert would not be angry with this wish.
"I wish that Robert would accept the was his life is now and be able to enjoy the world again."
"It was the best wish you could have made dear." Claire smiled at her husband. "Once I got past all my despair and fear I found that this life could be fun and I was also able to realize how much I loved your father."
Robert grinned at his son. We were married before too long and you are the very happy result."
Jesse did not know how to take all this. The story sounded incredible but.....
His mother continued "This being your special birthday we wanted to tell you this so you could make an informed and responsible wish."
His Dad chuckled. "Not that things unplanned don't necessarily turn out right."
"Your serious?" Jesse said.
"Very much so. Don't take this lightly."
He grinned. "Then I wish I was a beautiful young women so I can be just like my Dad."
Suddenly before their eyes Claire and Robert saw there son turn into a young beautiful blonde girl. This was not what they planned! If only he had believed them.
Jesse looked down at his new feminine features in a state of half shock.
"Oh god Jess, I'm sorry" His Dad said slowly. "We will do whatever we can to make this easier on you..."
For the next few minutes Jesse parents tried to make him feel better until he was able to excuse himself and leave the room. His mother stopped him as he got to the stairs.
"I would not have told you if I knew this would go so wrong for you Jesse. Believe me."
"Don't worry Mom. What made you think things went wrong?" He smiled. "Don't tell Dad this cause I am not sure he'll understand. This is always what I've wanted."
His mother peered quizzically at him as he went up the stairs. Then she smiled.
"May all your wishes come true Jesse"
Bruce starbu01@sprynet.com