Circe University. The number one university for some of the more, unusual, species wandering our planet. A world that was dominated by humans still ha

Circe University. The number one university for some of the more, unusual, species wandering our planet. A world that was dominated by humans still had plenty of other races to be found. Goblins, elves, fairies, and animalfolk of every variety. And the vast majority of them came here. A place where they could feel among their people. Plenty of humans came here as well, of course, just like me. I was in it for their poli-sci program. It was world-class, nowhere else could boast such a cross-section of

professors. Of course, this also made it the hardest program on campus, and the most discerning. My marks had to be top notch to get in. But I’d worked hard, took a couple extra years to do it, but now I was a freshmen...who knew absolutely no one. The crush of students was a sea of furry faces short and tall, with a few others mixed in. I didn't much care for the non-human races, elves looked close enough that it didn't affect me. But I had no real interest in a girl with a muzzle and paws. I didn’t think they were monsters like some people did. Not my thing, give me pink and curvy and I was a happy man. Okay pink wasn’t a requirement, Asian, Black, Latina, all were fine by me. Maybe even green...if you could find a goblin who was clean...good luck with that. Though I talked a big game my experience was...lacking. A few false starts with girls in my hometown, but I’d never truly sealed the deal. Perhaps this would be the place. I’d heard the campus was pretty liberal and open when it came to sex. I found my way to the cafeteria. Maybe I’d just sit on my own to start with, work up to new people slowly...

Skylar picks a table at random, sitting down without looking at the other occupants. Unfortunately, the table he sits in looks to be the girls' table... and all animal-morphs. Though they all had tails and animal ears, each was a different breed of animal. There was a girl that was essentially a dog on two legs, chowing down messily on a bone, an unfriendly looking girl with slit eyes and red scales on her face, a girl with horns and absurdly large breasts having a heart-to-heart with a fit looking girl with long hair and hooves, and a girl that Skylar at first confuses for a human, until he sees the pink cat ears and tail, as well as her golden slitted eyes. They all turn to look at Skylar with the expression of "What are you doing here?"

"I uh..." my mind had been elsewhere so I really hadn't been paying attention. I could have looked for a table with some nice friendly humans, but no. Now I was with a bunch of animals, a couple of whom looked like they wanted to eat me. I glanced quickly around the room for more open spots but the place seemed packed, if I stood I might never get back down again. "Sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt. Just ignore I'm even here, just having a meal and I'll be out of your hair" I recalled a snippet of conversation that I'd heard, but parsed only afterwards. Seemed liked a couple of the girls were in some of the less...difficult programs. It was a university, but it did cater to those who normally wouldn't be suited for post-secondary. Something about an outreach to the races who were underrepresented. Not saying all the girls at the table were dumb, just they might be.

The cow (he'd later learn that her name was Bessie, because of course it was) looks over to Skylar with concern, and maybe a little pity. "No, no. You can stay. He can stay, right?" Only the horse and the cat nod, the dog still slobbering over her bone, and the reptile shooting daggers at Skylar. "I'm taking that as a yes." Their conversation continues, Bessie trying to bring Skylar into the conversation as often as possible, while the catgirl looks at him with the curiosity of... well, a cat. "What's got you so interested, Felicia?" the horse girl asks, drumming her black nailed fingers on the table, as if she was waiting to bolt.

"I dunno, Beauty, I'm just... thinking... hey, so you know the slumber party tomorrow night?" The reptile interrupts. "No. No no NO. I won't let you bring a MAN into our group, never mind a HUMAN." "Oh be quiet, Susanna, she can invite whoever she wants." Beauty retorts, as Felicia looks at Skylar. "So, wanna come along?"

I was struggling to keep up with the conversation at all. I didn't know these girls, didn't know what they wanted to talk about, didn't know why they wanted to include me. I mean I appreciated the attempt, but how was I going to hold a good conversation with a dog girl who I wasn't even sure could do more than bark. I found out quickly that she could speak, if a little roughly, but still she seemed more animal than human. It was a little uncomfortable. My hometown had been like 99% human, so I wasn't used to so many animals being this close. "Sleepover?" I sputtered, back in the convo, "I mean I'm flattered"

what guy didn't want to go to a sleepover with a bunch of girls, "But you hardly know me, and I wouldn't want to annoy Susanna" she scared me enough as it was. "So is this like a co-ed affair or is it just the girls? Consider me at least curious about the possibility"

"Oh, there will be boys there too..." Felicia looks uncomfortable saying that, while Bessie glares at her, and Susanna lets out a breathy laugh. "And... and humans too! It'll be great. Yeah! So, it's at my place.

674 Collodi Street, tonight at 6:30. Bring your own pillow!" And that was the end of that. As much as Susanna tries to argue, Felicia's mind was made up, and every time Susanna would threaten not to go, Bessie looked like she was going to cry, and Suzanna backpedaled. Skylar didn't know what he got himself into, but he knew that he'd be in for one hell of a night...

I didn’t really seem to have much of a choice in the conversation. I got swept up and it and had to just go with the flow. Nodding and throwing in a few opinions which seemed to be mostly ignored. There was a flow to the group, as if they’d had arguments like this on more than a few occasions. Fighting like cats and dogs...except cows and...you know what this metaphor isn’t working. Regardless, I was going to this sleepover. In the end the promise of more of ‘my kind’ smoothed over most of my worries. Maybe I could meet a few people to get me more comfortable with the school. So I grabbed my pillow, pyjamas (I usually slept in boxers, but that seemed a little much) and the usual hygiene supplies. Damn, I hadn’t been to a sleepover since middle school. Arriving at the place a few minutes early I took a deep breath before knocking on the door.

Felicia greets Skylar at the door, looking thrilled that he actually showed up. "Oh, Skylar! You came!" She embraces him in a tight, slightly furry hug. "You're just in time. Everyone's waiting for you." That

sounds... ominous. And didn't he come early? He shrugs and follows Felicia downstairs. Each girl has a different reaction to Skylar's appearance. Bessie tackles Skylar in a warm hug, while Beauty snickers and waves a hand. The dog girl, Ginger, doesn't seem to notice him, instead playing with a ball. And Susanna glares angrily at Skyler. "Hi girls, uh... when's everyone else coming?" Beauty snickers again, while Felicia looks guilty. "Well... this is kinda it..."

This is what I get for not being suspicious. Letting my excitement override caution. Then again why would I have thought they would lie to me about this? So I was pissed, and a little nervous. Why would they have invited me, and only me, to join in? A little nagging part of me wondered if they really did want to eat me. Susanna certainly seemed annoyed enough to do it. “That’s it?” I tried to suppress my annoyance, “Thought you said there would be other humans, other guys at least.” I realized how nasty that sounded, “I dunno I just expected at least one bunny girl to bounce in” trying to inject a little levity.

I was still tingling from Bessie’s hug, girl was a lot stronger than she looked. The whole thing was more affection than I was used to getting with girls...Susanna and Ginger were more the norm, unfortunately.

That comment sets Susanna off. "Oh, there we go. The human shows his true colours. What, you think we're just sexy girls in Halloween outfits? Girls that just wear animal ears and bark in the bedroom? Cuz hey, bunny girls are easy!! Is that what you thought? I KNEW this was a bad idea. You're no different

from the rest." Susanna hisses the last line at Skylar, himself feeling a little bit guilty for what he said, as Bessie breaks down in tears from the fighting. Felicia attempts to play negotiator. "No, no, it's okay.

Bonnie's sick with mono." She grins nervously, but continues. "I just thought, that if YOU thought there'd be humans here, like you... then you'd want to hang out with us..." She too looks about to cry, as Ginger stops playing with her ball. "What'chall talkin' about?"

I get tricked into coming to a party full of animal girls and suddenly I’m the bad guy. I was going to curse myself for this, but I simply couldn’t live with myself making girls cry. I’d say I’d do anything for a pretty girl, it was a weakness of mine. Though these girls weren’t exactly my type, the principal still stood. Time to play peacemaker. I raised my hands in placation. “I apologize, that was rude of me. I’m just, just not used to interacting with”, I paused, “girls”. That might calm things a bit. If they thought that the gender issue was the real concern. “You caught me off guard with who would be here and I got a little spooked, that’s all. Let me find a way to make it up to you, all of you.” looking pointedly at Susanna. I refrained from any jokes about the bunnygirl getting mono. The kissing disease. Maybe the ‘are easy’ line had a bit of truth to it, but this didn’t seem like the time.

Bessie jumps up and down, clapping her hands as her breasts swing up and down like wrecking balls, and Felicia breathes a sigh of relief. "Oh, Skylar. You don't have to do anything for us! This is a fun slumber party, with just us girls. We should all be having fun!" Beauty gives Skylar a rather amorous leer, before Bessie gives her a punch that nearly topples her. "NO, Beauty. Not. Again." Beauty snorts. The girls (plus one) end up sitting together in a circle. "Alright!" Felicia begins. "First we'll do our Initiation.

Since Skylar's new, we can end with him. Ready?" Felicia looks at Skylar expectantly, while Ginger has a confused look on her face. "Initi-what now?" A quick glare from Beauty shuts her up.

I gave a little laugh at the interaction between the girls. Let it never be said that they weren’t at least entertaining. And I did have to admit that watching Bessie jump up and down did have its benefits. I hadn’t really considered that part, if it was a sleepover I was going to get to see them all in various states of undress. That urge I tried to bite down on. One, furry girls weren’t my type and two, it would be rude to start acting like a perv when they’d invited me to hang out. Even if Beauty was giving me a meaningful look. “Fun then” as I sat down in the circle, listening to the vague instructions, “Uh, what exactly is this initiation?” I felt like Ginger, for that moment we shared absolute confusion. I looked from girl to girl, their grinning face...well Susanna still glared. “I guess I’ll just watch and figure it out once it's my turn?”

"That's the spirit!" Felicia giggles, her ears twitching. "What we do is talk about something interesting that happened today. I'll go first, and then we'll go clockwise." She clears her throat. "So, this is kinda sad, but it's been on my mind all day. I was walking to my Chem class, and someone called me... the P word." The other girls reacted with horror and empathy, and while Skylar didn't really know what the "P word" was, he couldn't help but feel the same shock and sadness for Felicia. So much so, that he missed the rest of Felicia's story, it then going to Beauty. "Well, I have some happy news. I broke my record today in track! Got a couple of seconds shaved off!" The girls applauded, Skylar alongside them. He chuckles as he expected a horse to be good at running, but no. That was racist. He frowns at the thought. Beauty shouldn't be judged like that.

This was surprisingly tame, somehow his mind had gone to rather more risque things than just a daily briefing. Thoughts of an oath and swearing to overthrow the human oppressors, bringing the dawn of a new age of animal domination. But that was a little bit silly. ‘P word’ I was letting that one run around in

my head, clearly it was something bad, but I didn’t actually know what it was. Another issue with growing up around humans, I didn’t always know what was a slur. I was going to have to be paranoid about all ‘p words’ now. I considered asking but that might make it worse. Beauty’s story was nice. And maybe it was racist to expect a horse to be a good runner. But it was fair to note how much her body suited it. Long powerful legs were going to give her plenty of kick off the line, and no doubt she had the endurance to back it up. What was I going to say though? My day had been boring, except for meeting them...was that too cheesy?

The introduction continues with Bessie. "Oh, y'know, I didn't do very much. Just milked the girls before I came. Two liters this time." She subconsciously rubs her breasts, and Skylar almost gets turned on, before catching himself. Of course she would grope her breasts, she's a cow-girl! Feeling strangely guilty for even thinking about the action, now normal to him, as arousing, he grimaces and listens to Susanna's story. "Well, I didn't do anything either. Maybe sat out in the sun, ate some live mice, hung out with a snake charmer- you know, because THAT'S what we do." She glares at Skylar, who feels even guiltier. He didn't like how Susanna constantly picked on him! Can't she see he's trying his best? Finally, Ginger spoke up, still confused about the initiation. "I played with my ball, and then I had a snack, and then I played with my ball, and then I came here." Skylar nearly let out a giggle at Ginger's forwardness, until it was his turn to speak...

Dealing with this group was proving to be a little difficult, Beauty and Bessie were so comfortable with their bodies that I was getting awkward about it. Just not used to girls who were copping a feel on themselves as if it was normal. Though it was normal for her, so maybe I was the only one being weird about it. Weird or normal it was at least a little hot… stop perving Skylar, you’ll get yourself in trouble.

Susanna was a different issue. She just hated me, and I was alternating between snapping back at her or just meekly accepting it. The latter seemed the best choice at the moment, to not cause a fuss. Even if it wasn’t the manliest. But I wanted to find a way to make her be nicer... Ginger. Well Ginger was

adorable. It seemed that she was a little, simpler, than the other girls. But in a cute and harmless sort of way, so I could hardly begrudge it. “It probably sounds cheesy but meeting all of you. I’ve never met anyone like you all before”

The girls all "awww" in unison at Skylar's remark, except for Susanna, who just scoffs. "It's your turn, Skylar," Felicia reminds him. "What did you do today?" At first Skylar wanted to talk about his boring class, but the topic soon turned to his time at the table. How he was accepted immediately. How Bessie tried to put him in the conversation. How cute Ginger was. And most importantly, how Felicia was so kind towards him, almost like they were family... This thought seemed to linger in his head as applause rang out, even from Susanna. The reaction put a lump in Skylar's throat, and he started to tear up. Wait a minute, he hadn't cried since he broke his leg five years ago, and here he was sobbing at a couple of girls? The warm feeling in his chest turns to a feeling of confusion.

“Come on girls, no need to that far, you’re making me blush”, cry was more like it, but I had to play it at least a little cool. Everyone knew that if you cried in front of a girl she’d never respect you. Even if my voice had cracked a little when I spoke I think I held it together. It was a nice feeling though, being included, even if it was with such an oddball group. Going from hanging with the human guys to a bunch of animal-morph girls. Turned out university was a time to reinvent yourself and try new things. Though it was weird how quickly I was getting comfortable with them. “But I’m sure there is more to sleepover than just updating each other on our days. The movies make it seem like it’s all pillow fights and

gossiping about booooooys” I drew out the last word in my best teasing tone. “I want to know how it really is” Well, there were a couple other classic sleepover activities. But spin the bottle had to be purely in the realm of fantasy. Truth or Dare could happen, but if Susanna got ahold of me, it could be rough.

That and makeovers...I figured every guy had fantasized about that one once or twice. Maybe it had a special place in my heart and I’d thought about it more than that, but it seemed plausible. But I couldn’t suggest it, otherwise I might end up in the outfits. The pause also gave me a chance to get a bit of a look at each of the girl’s styles. Bessie’s was simple, practical, though hugged her generous curves. Beauty seemed a bit tomboy, but that might only be clothes, didn’t mean she was. Felicia subscribed to the

‘cute is best’ school of fashion. Susanna had a dangerous edge, sensual. Ginger, well she didn’t wear much, seemed like she would have been just as comfortable naked. At least she wore enough to cover her breasts...seemingly rows of them.

"Well, those movies don't lie..." Felicia comments, as the other girls giggle, almost foreboding. "But maybe that's for later tonight, when we're all tired and silly. Right now, we'll just do some girl ta- I mean, gossip." Felicia catches herself, looking at Skylar apologetically. Susanna immediately perks up, rubbing her hands together, while Bessie looks put out. The topic abruptly changed from talking about their day to dishing dirt on their classmates, Susanna taking the lead. "And she has the nerve to call ME a snake!

She TOTALLY knows I saw her lie through her teeth about seeing Becka's boyfriend. And that's not even mentioning Stacey..." Skylar's mind blurs, and while he thinks it is from trying to understand the

conversation, reality was far more nefarious, as he gradually became more and more interested in the drama, following along with the other girls. All of a sudden, he notices that there is silence, and the girls look at him expectantly, Susanna staring right at him...

Wasn’t really surprising that Susanna was into the gossip. She gave out a bit of a ‘Mean Girls’ vibe from the moment that I met her. But it was nice seeing the ire directed somewhere other than me. How she seemed to know absolutely all of the gossip I had no idea, and she was mad about all of it. I wondered how much of her behaviour would have the same gossip about her, but I stayed quiet. That and about commenting that she was, at least physically, close to a snake, but I was positive that was going to go badly. It was all fascinating though. So much play and interplay, girls were a lot more cunning than I’d thought. And that Casey was a total bitch, seeing Becka’s boyfriend. Not that Becka wasn’t known for being fairly open with her relationships. “Uh,” I didn’t know how to gossip, “I mean I don’t know her but sounds like Casey is a total bitch. I can’t believe she said that to you. You girls have to tell me more, I’m new here, I need to know all the details”

For the first time since he met her, Susanna grins at him, showing him her fangs. "I KNOW, RIGHT??

Casey knew exactly what she was doing! And when Becka confronted her about it, guess what she said?? She said, 'oh, that must have been another girl in a red cardigan.' Like, what the eff!! We ALL know Casey's the only one in class that wears red." She shimmies over, sitting next to Skylar, as she continues her tirade, him nodding along first politely, then encouragingly, getting drawn into the petty drama. He was already thinking about topics of his own, like how Georgia TOTALLY wears the same top every day. The other girls mutter amongst themselves, but say nothing, watching as Skylar gradually opens up.

I half turned to Susanna, not wanting to exclude anyone else, but it seemed that she was the most into it. Bessie didn’t want to speak ill of others so she was staying out of it. Susanna was willing to speak ill of everyone, except the other girls in the group of course. “But it’s not like Becka is totally innocent in this.

She was totally flirting with the TA” I raised a finger to cut off protests, “And I don’t just mean a little cute giggling, that’s fine, I thought she was going to make out with him right in the room. I mean she didn’t do anything, but her boyfriend would have been so jealous if he’d saw it. Not that Georgia wouldn’t move in on him in like a second. Seriously, she wore that low cut lace top once, he was staring the whole time. Now she wears it like daily, I just hope she washes it, kinda smelly…maybe he’s into that though” Georgia was a skunk so that might of just been her in general, but it still felt worth noting.

Sensing the tension that Bessie put out, Felicia quickly changed the subject. "Let's play spin the bottle next!" Susanna huffed as Skyler's eyes widened. "Wait, you mean..." "Of course that's what she means!"

Beauty interrupted, pulling a bottle out of her backpack. "Let's do this shit!" Susanna sighed, but whispered in Skylar's ear. "We'll continue this later. We SO need to catch up." Skylar couldn't help but get excited over the thought, as Beauty put down the bottle. "Okay, so I'm sure we all know how this works, right? Even newbie over there?" Skylar nodded, but couldn't help but feel Felicia's slitted eyes on her neck. He turns over to her, and she has a look of understanding, yet firmness. "I love gossip as much as the next girl, but you have to be careful not to go too far, and hurt somebody's feelings, ok?" She spoke like she was talking to a child, and Skylar suddenly felt incredibly guilty. Felicia rubbed his head, some static shocks zapping him. "It's okay. Let's continue."

Make one girl happy and make another one angry. How in the world did you juggle all these competing personalities? That was one thing I’d never understand with girl groups, sometimes they were so different but they all hung out. I mean Bessie and Susanna seemed like they could never be friends, and yet here they both were. I was hyping up the idea of spending hours gossiping with Susanna, I had a ton left and I’m sure she knew way more. Felicia brought me right back down to Earth. Spin the bottle was simple enough, though it was going to be awkward. A not insubstantial part of me was excited to at least watch them kissing. “I mean I didn’t talk about anyone here…” I lowered my head, knowing I was

defending my bad behaviour, “Sorry Felicia. I just got a little too into it, Susanna is more fun to be around than I thought” I whispered the last part so only Felicia could hear. I couldn’t help the grin from getting the attention and for the play to come, “Let’s do this”

Felicia spun the bottle first, its top landing on Susanna. "Ugh. Okay. Just don't use that much tongue this time..." Felicia warned, as Susanna gave off a toothy grin. "I make no promises." She all but tackled the catgirl, giving her mouth way too much attention for Felicia's tastes, for lack of a better term. As Skylar expected, it was quite hot seeing the two girls kiss, even if he could see a furry tail coming out of one of them. Next came Bessie, who timidly spun it until it landed on Ginger. The rest of the girls sighed in relief, and this was answered with how Ginger 'kissed', drool slobbering all over Bessie's face. Maybe it was the fact that a dog was doing it, but the thought of girl on girl felt... less arousing than before. The act itself was hot, but he didn't see anything as special, like he expected two girls kissing would be. So caught up was Skyler in these thoughts that he didn't realise that Beauty had spun, and it landed on him.

At least this will be hot... right?

By the eagerness that Susanna went in for that kiss, she either liked girls, or just really liked being in charge. To be fair, it could be both. Wouldn’t be shocking if Susanna just liked making other people uncomfortable. Plus I would have though the Felicia’s tongue would be the painful one, didn’t cats have rough tongues? Maybe it was different with catgirls, after all Felicia was pretty close to human. The only sad part was how quickly it seemed like the act lost its allure. I would have said I would watch them kissing for hours. But after the initial thrill of Susanna and Felicia, Ginger and Bessie was a tame affair.

Objectively hot, but not really feeling it the same way. Might be all the fur. Ginger was the most animalistic of the group. Beauty...well her name was accurate, but I didn’t want to offend her. I didn’t even know what to say, I leaned in, puckering my lips, but didn’t close all the distance. Letting her make the move and decide how intense the kiss would be.

Beauty nickers, looking at Skyler with almost pity in her eyes. "Oh, don't tell me you haven't kissed a horse girl before! You know the bucking bronco? Well, buckle up." She thrust herself onto Skylar, rubbing her thick tongue around in her mouth. It should have been hot. It should have been sensual. He should have been having the time of his life, kissing one of the sexiest girls he's ever met, let alone animal morph. But he wasn't. The kiss felt hollow, almost fake, even though Beauty was trying her best to play it up. She must have noticed the weak response, because she pulled out with a look of concern on her face. Everyone cheered, and she joined them, but whispered in Skyler's ear. "I'm sorry, didn't know you swung that way. All of us except for Felicia are into girls a little, so I just assumed..." What was she talking about? Was the kiss that bad? Or was he actually... Skyler scratched an itchy ear as he asked himself some tough questions...

Worse was that the feeling of the kiss being hollow, only made me think about it more. Which meant I was even less into it, just going through the motions. Which made the whole process, which should have been the highlight of the night, into a tepid experience. And when Beauty made that comment, well my mind went fully into overdrive. Was she saying I was gay? That she thought I was, that was crazy, I came to a sleepover full of girls, what gay guy would...actually would make sense. No! I liked girls, always had, even if I hadn’t had a ton of experience. I desperately whispered back, hoping to set the record straight,

“No no you’ve got it all wrong. It was great, you were great. I just...it was a new experience, I haven’t really kissed much. Girls, especially girls like you, are right up my alley” Perhaps a bit much, but by the end I was trying to convince myself as much as her. It should have been hot, but now I was so nervous it was making me physically itchy.

Beauty shook her head. "No, it's nothing to be ashamed of. Just tell us next time, k?" That was that, apparently, as she clopped back to her spot in the circle, bragging about how great a kisser she was. It was getting to be too much for Skyler, as once again a lump formed in his throat, his eyes puffy. Felicia must have noticed this, because she gets up to go to the bathroom, dragging Skylar with her. When she closes the door, she looks into Skylar's eyes with concern. "Are you okay, Sky? Did Beauty hurt you?"

This sympathy was all Skylar needed to start the waterworks, sniffling quietly as Felicia hugged him tight.

"Sshh, shh... it's okay. I know this is a new experience for you, with all us girls. But you have to let me know when you're feeling uncomfortable, right? You can trust me... like a sister?" Felicia added that remark as if she was unsure of herself, but Skyler only nodded. "Good. You can come out when you're ready." She closes the door, as Sky notices his new reflection...

I did my best to choke out that Beauty hadn’t done anything wrong between the sobs. I felt like such a wuss, here I was crying about what? About the fact that a girl had thought I was gay? It had to be more than that, the whole night I’d felt like I was fragile. I’d been having fun but little things kept nearly setting me off and now here I was a complete mess. And I’d made Felicia deal with it. I appreciated it, she was being so sympathetic that I could barely stand it. As an only child I’d never really had someone to take care of me like that. I knew that now that she’d seem me as a blubbering mess my chances with her were done. She was already even saying to think of her as a sister. But if anything that felt better.

That I’d been acting the whole night in order to have a shot with her. Now I could be a little more honest

and relax. When she left I took a moment to gather myself. Starting the sink, I must look like a mess, but when I raised my eyes I saw something unexpected. As I thought...I was a mess, my nose was running, eyes puffy and watery, my whole face had gone a little red. But some other things couldn’t be explained by some crying…I washed out my eyes to be sure. Staring at the mirror. Flecks of gold in my green eyes stared back at me, unusual but nothing compared to the rest of my face. Once I got a little cleaned up I just looked so young, I’d shaved before I came but my face was baby smooth. Little of the harshness I remembered. I pinched a cheek. “Ouch” I half-shouted, staring down at nails that looked a whole lot longer than they should have. How long since I trimmed them? Everything else could be explained as poor personal maintenance. My boxers felt loose, pants too long and shirt both tight and loose in different spots. But what couldn’t be explained was the tufts of fur on my ears. I didn’t know whether to freak out and burst out of here, to start yelling...so I just stood, staring in confusion.

A gentle knock came from the door, and a familiar feline voice responded. "Sky, are you okay? Did you want me to come in?" Oh, no. He COULDN'T show Felicia his ears. He just couldn't. She'd think that he was sick, and send him home, and then he wouldn't be able to hang out with the girls! "No... no, I'm fine..." Skyler choked out. Maybe he was coming down with something, as he touched his oddly tender chest. "Well, pretty yourself up and come out quick! Ginger's starting Truth or Dare." Quickly washing his youthful face, and smoothing out his oddly baggy clothes, he exits the bathroom, feeling self- conscious as all his friends stare at him. "So, we're gonna do Whipping Girl, right?" Susanna implored, giving Skylar a weird look. "Umm, 'course we're gonna do Whipping Girl! It's only the funnest part of the game!!" Ginger's tongue lolled out as she talked excitedly, before sobering up just a little. "Oh, that means we'll have'ta teach Sky-Sky what it means, right?" Skylar didn't know what to focus on first: that he was a 'Whipping Girl', or that Ginger just called him 'Sky-Sky'. "Don't worry, Sky" Felicia whispered in his ear, the sound of her voice alone almost making him relax fully. "It's just a title." Ginger clears her throat loudly, and Felicia retreats back to her spot. "How Whipping Girl works is whenever someone does an action right, the Whipping Girl- that's you!- has to answer truth or dare, too! The added bonus is, you can ask people truth or dare questions whenever you want!! So, let's play, let's play!! Uhh...

Susanna! You go first." The reptile woman stares at Bessie ominously...

There was enough going on all at once that my brain half-shut down. Trying to just play off the whole thing as normal. I should have been freaking about the fact I had furry ears. How had it happened? What did it mean? Was that it or was there more? But somehow the only thing that really worried me was what the girls would think. And if they did find it odd were they going to send me away? In my current state I didn’t want to be around anyone but them. It felt like at least they would take care of me. “Oh okay that sounds like fun then” It truly did, even if it did mean I was ending up with way more attention at me. I tried to shake off my previous crying fit and look happy, “You all better not be too mean to me, or I can get you whenever I want.” Glancing at Ginger to ensure I had it right.

Ginger barks happily, running around the room. "You got it right! You got it right!" After she gets that out of her system, the game began, with Bessie nervously picking Truth. "Alright, Bess. Have you ever milked yourself in class?" The whole room groans. Apparently, whenever Truth or Dare is played, Susanna starts off by asking this exact question to Bessie, perhaps because it always gets a reaction.

"Yes. Twice." Bessie looks down guiltily, as Susanna turns her attention to Sky. "Alright, I call Truth on Whipping Girl. So tell me, 'whipping girl', you ever wanna fuck an animal girl?" The girls gasp, and Felicia covers Sky's cat ears as if shielding a child from a bad word. "What? Just asking. Just because he's young,

doesn't mean he don't think about it..." Sky furrows his brow at being called 'young', but thinks about the question, as the thought of having sex with ANYONE starts to fade...

To be a fly on the wall when that happened. Did she get caught, did people comment on it? She must have been pretty desperate to do that in public and I felt bad for her. Any titillation from the scene buried under my concern for her. Susanna was being mean asking that, it was clear that Bessie was sensitive. I piped up, “Don’t worry about it Bessie, sometimes a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do. I would have done it to...if that was an issue for me” I blushed and gave a small laugh to cover my nervousness only to blush even deeper when Susanna asked me that. Nervousness washed over me, being asked something so blunt. And amused that Felicia thought she needed to protect me, “Don’t worry I do know about the stuff. As for…” I didn’t want to use the word so I whispered it, “sex. I mean if it was the right girl we could hug and kiss and stuff…” I found that my interest ended there. Playing around and exploring seemed natural, but anything more seemed...too intense.

Felicia hugged Sky tight. "See? He's much too young for that. I know you're all for being edgy, Susanna, but think next time." For once, Susanna looked guilty. "I was just playin' around..." Bessie cleared her throat politely. "My turn. And I'm daring both Sky and Felicia. I can do that right?" Everyone nods but Ginger, who shakes her head furiously. "That's not the rules!!" "Oh lighten up, Ginger." Beauty scoffed.

"Go ahead, Bessie." With a big grin on her face, Bessie drops a bombshell: I dare you two to go in the bathroom, and switch clothes!!"

It was only a little annoying that Felicia was acting like I was a little kid. This is what happened when you started crying in front of a girl. They were going to think you were weak and childish. But my protests were eaten by how nice it felt to be held by her. Seemed my words about liking hugging were truer than I thought. Strange though, I thought I should have had some other reaction to being this close to a pretty girl. But my penis wasn’t even stirring, I was just happy and warm. I rationalized it as just not liking animal girls, even though I thought all of them were so pretty. Protesting the unfairness of it didn’t seem to be worth protesting. I was the ‘whipping girl’ just as easy to phrase it as two separate dares. I could still try though, “Bessie! That isn’t fair...” I glanced at Felecia. She had seemed so tiny when I met her,

“There is no way that her stuff is going to fit me!” I hoped this argument would work.

"Oh, hush." Felicia was already leading Sky to the bathroom. "I've been secretly hoping for this

moment..." When they entered, Felicia propped herself up on the counter. "Now strip. Unless you want me to help you." That wouldn't be necessary, but it was still a challenge undressing in front of a girl.

Once he'd gone naked, he realised how much his body had changed. He was now the height of Felicia, maybe a little shorter, with all of the muscle on his frame withered away. The padding on his chest revealed themselves to be AA cup breasts, and his penis was more like a beefed up clitoris, with his balls the size of pebbles. But that wasn't the only change, as he sees his pink furred ears, his sharp claws on his hands and feet, and an extended tailbone, itself covered in fur. He should have screamed. He should have ran out of the bathroom and out of the house. But instead, all Sky could do was cry. Felicia hopped off the counter, embracing him. "There there... Felicia's here..."

I obediently took her hand as she led me to the washroom. Still surprised that she was willing to go through with, more surprised that she even seemed eager about it. The heat on my face made it obvious that I was blushing heavily, and I was trying to hide some of my nakedness from her. But in such a small space it was impossible. She saw everything, and in the mirror I saw everything. Though the figure that looked back at me didn’t even look like me. I was still a boy, but only by the barest of margins. My

golden eyes were wholly inhuman. And the rest of my body, the claws, the ears, the tail, only solidified the point. I was scared, I was confused, and I burst into tears, not caring what Felicia thought of me.

Sobbing into her shoulder, “What is happening? I don’t understand. Why do I *sniff*, why do I look funny?”

Felicia kept hugging Sky, stroking his hair. Sshh... shh... it's okay. They'll grow eventually..." This only makes Sky cry harder, so she pull him in front of her. "Listen to me, Sky. I don't know what to say to you about your body. I don't know what's going to happen in your future. But you have to stand up for yourself, and you have to be comfortable with who you are. I tell you what, because this is a bit too heavy a topic for a sleepover. You wait until tomorrow, and if you feel the same way, we'll have a talk about your changing body. Okay?" Even though this didn't help very much, Sky couldn't help but feel bad for his close friend. With worry in his heart, he agrees to wait until the morning for 'the talk', if and only if he doesn't change any further. Felicia seemed pleased with that, perhaps knowing that changes would be coming regardless...

It wasn’t a perfect solution, I wasn’t even sure it was one I could say I was happy with. But what else was I going to do now, the girls here at least accepted it. Though Susanna might be mean on occasion, she would still have my back if it really came to it. And morning wasn’t so far away, have a little bit of fun tonight, sleep, and come at it in the morning with a clear head. Maybe it would all turn out to be some odd sickness and all clear itself up in the daylight. In the end, I just trusted Felicia, I couldn’t have explained why. But on some fundamental level I knew she had my best interests at heart. So I had to trust her and see what happened. I sniffed, knowing I was a mess again. “Let me clean up”. When I was finished I turned back to her, “Well I guess we should switch outfits now. For Bessie I mean. She dared us...so we have to, right?” It was easier to blame this on Bessie rather than the part of me that was interested in how Felicia’s clothes might look on the new me.

Felicia nods. "Yep. For Bessie. Remember, I'm gonna have to dress up in your yucky boy's outfit too." She giggles, and Sky laughs with her, somehow feeling that he could relate to wearing stuffy boy's clothes.

"First let's put on your bra. Don't give me that look! You need proper support for your breasts." Felicia expertly fastened the bra on Sky, a remarkable feat considering her long nails. "Next we need to wear panties. You'll like these, they're so comfy." Before Sky could protest, she had the panties over his crotch. "Next is your undershirt, to protect your modesty." As Felicia put the shirt over his head, he found it easier to envision himself in this kind of clothing. "And finally the dress. This is the hardest part, so I'll help you with the back." As she fastened buttons and tied strings, Sky's body began to change under his new clothes. His breasts raised up a little, still small for a girl. His torso gained a sprinkling of pink fur. And his penis sunk into HER body, leaving a pretty little pussy for the changing pussy. As Felicia put on Sky's clothes, grimacing at the style, Sky had to giggle at the sight. She looked so silly wearing boy clothes!

With Felicia confirming that it was all for Bessie I felt a little better about it. Sure the girls would giggle, probably even tease me about how cute I was, but really they were teasing Bessie for making us do it. So it was all in good fun. And for whatever reason the clothes I’d brought fit so terribly. Meant for a guy almost double my size, Felicia’s stuff might actually fit. I was embarrassed when she got naked but she seemed so comfortable with it that I didn’t feel like I wasn’t allowed to look. The bra looked funny, considering my chest had barely anything to support, but it was important for the look. The panties were cute, simple cut, pink with a little red bow on them. I just wasn’t sure how they looked on me. The

dress was complicated. I was so glad for Felicia putting it on for me. If I ever had to do this again she’d have to help me for sure...not that I was going to again, right? “How do I look?” I gave a little twirl, letting the dress flow around me. Amazed at how nice it all fit. “I bet I look way cuter now than you do in those” I winked, laughing as Felicia struggled to keep the pants up.

"Oh, stop it!" Felicia protested, happy that Sky was feeling better. "Now let's head outside and show those girls what we're made of!" They both waddle out of the bathroom in their new clothes, and instead of greeted with laughter, they are greeted with oohs and awws. The girls surround Sky, giving her compliment after compliment. "Your dress looks so cute!" "I love how it looks!" "A perfect fit!"

"Watch out, Felicia; now you'll have to share ALL of your clothes!" With each word of praise, Sky's thoughts on her clothing begin to improve as well. Why doesn't she wear this type of fashion around all the time? It fits her figure perfectly, and looks so cute. After all, she's a very pretty girl... That thought sticks out in her mind, before promptly pushed aside. Well, she is 'one of the girls' now, right? Felicia lets out a cough, getting everyone's attention. "I think we should start our last activity. But first, Sky, it's your turn. Who will you pick for Truth or Dare?"

The compliments bounced around in my head and seemed to eat away at all the fears and doubts I had.

I was worried they would jeer and taunt, that I looked so obviously silly that they couldn’t do anything else. Yet they were all so supportive, even Susanna! I was sure that she was going to make at least one snide remark, but nothing. She was grinning and cheering like the rest. And I was smiling back, how could I help it? I’d never got this kind of attention from any girl ever and now I had a whole group saying it was cute. And cute was good, wasn’t it? I sat back down in the circle, pleased as punch. “Hmmm.

Ginger! You haven’t had a turn yet and you were so kind to explain the whole thing to me. So Ginger, Truth or Dare?”

Ginger's ears perked up, as she ran around the room, barking. "Ooh, she picked me! She picked me! Me me me!!" She finally settles down, and picks Dare... but not before licking Sky's feline face. With each lick, a need for cuteness grew in Sky's furry breast, at the cost of maturity. At first she tolerates the licking, then likes the licking, then gets grossed out by the licking, as her mental age started regressing to her physical one. "Eww! Doggie slobber!" She instinctively licks her hand, now a proto-paw, and cleans her face. Ginger stops her licking spree, looking apologetic. While there were still parts of Skylar in there, they were slowly getting swallowed up by the cat girl Sky. She twitched her growing muzzle in thought.

She had loads of ideas for dares at first, but now they all seem too... mean. Finally she thinks of one. "Go outside and roll around in the messy mud!"

It was amusing watching Ginger’s ridiculous excitement at being picked. I mean that was why I did it, but I hadn’t expected quite that much of a reaction. Giggling as she ran around the room, giggles which only amplified when Ginger started giving me some direct attention. Cute up until the point where I realized how much drool was getting on me. And how much would get on my dress! I pushed her off, very gently, while chastising her. I straightened my dress and then went to work on my face. It was covered but it was proving tricky to get off. A few swipes with my hand had got most of it...but I’d need more time. The dare proved the perfect opportunity. Everyone was watching Ginger eagerly roll around while I took a bit more time to groom myself. Mostly clean by the time she came back...though Felicia shooed her off to a shower first. Rather than letting mud get in the house. They were back fast enough though.

Ginger reentered the basement, drenched, with a piercing glare towards Felicia. The anger didn't last long though, as she then shook her fur, getting water everywhere and on everyone, including on Sky's

dress. Gross! It was Felicia's turn to give Ginger the stink-eye, but she collected herself. "Well, Ginger.

Since you've ever so kindly helped wash our clothes, I guess it's time for the last activity of the night..."

The quiet Bessie lets out an excited squeal. "MAKEOVERS!!!" Covering her ears, Sky is torn over the next event. One part of her is giddy with anticipation, and cannot wait to be done up in all sorts of her big sister's pretty dresses. And yet, another part of her is pleading out, begging her to snap out of it, to remember being male, to remember being human. Seeing the conundrum on her fully catty face, Felicia speaks up. "Why don't you start with Sky, Bessie? I'm sure you can do a lot with her..."

I felt mortified, not only had I gotten my...I mean Felicia’s pretty dress covered in water but everyone else’s as well. It had technically been Ginger who had done that but I was the one who dared her. And now I was in a soggy dress, I pouted, folding my arms, and for a moment I thought I was going to cry again. But Bessie’s excitement snapped me out of it and I was filled with a glee at the idea. Practically jumping up to cheer for the idea, but something held me back some nagging part of my brain. When Bessie came over to start with me I took a moment to beckon her to lean down. So I could whisper in her ear. “Bessie, do you think, maybe a little more...like my old clothes? But ones that fit, I think I might be more comfortable in them...maybe…” I was half confused as to why I’d want to wear boy clothes, but it felt like a good compromise somehow.

Bessie looks confused for a bit, then understanding crosses her face. "Ahh, a tomboy look? I never would have thought of you to want that, but experimenting is good! A shame though, I won't be able to do makeup or a mani-pedi... Whatever. We can always try something new if you don't like it!" She picks Sky up, near cradling her as they go into the bathroom, where she puts Sky down, and looks at her expectantly. Sky blushes as she strips out of her dress. While it wasn't as scary as when she did it in front of her sis- her friend Felicia, it still was the tiniest bit embarrassing. And like last time, she could see the changes to her body. She was now a catgirl, and one on the furrier side, with pink striped fur that looked like candy, little paws for hands and feet, and golden slitted eyes. Just like Felicia. Whereas the first time she saw herself she wanted to cry, now there was almost a sense of pride at her looks. But still a voice in her head battled against her...

“No not a tomboy...I uh…” it was a struggle trying to find the right words. My mind had been feeling slower and foggier as the night went on. I was more distracted by trivial things and it was just easier to let those worries slip away. After all, with Felicia and all her friends here they could take care of all the important stuff. I just had to enjoy my time. Bessie was patient. “Take your time sweetie, we want the look to be just what you want.” The look I wanted, I didn’t want to look like I did in those baggy clothes, it looked terrible. But I loved how the dress looked. So that must be how I wanted to look right? “I wanna be cute like Felicia” I said brightly, the best I could come up with. I nervously held my paws in front of me. Turning one foot back and forth on the ground, waiting for Bessie’s reply.

Bessie clapped her hands together, making Sky jump from the sudden noise. "I knew it! You and Felicia are so much alike! You probably share clothes all the time, right?" Felicia nodded, unsure of herself.

That... sounded right. "So, that means we're going all in. Makeup, manicure, pedicure, and hair. The works." Felicia nodded again, this time a bit more sure. She liked the sound of that! Big sister never liked putting on nail polish, but Sky wanted her nails to be as pretty as the rest of her was! She twitched her nose at that thought. Some part of that didn't seem right... but she couldn't tell which part, so she forgets about it, jumping up on the countertop with grace so she and Bessie could see eye to eye. "I

want the manicure done first!" She gives Bessie her best kitty eyes, before remembering her manners.

"Please?"

Bessie gave a laugh, “At least you are being polite, if a little delayed” she poked my nose as a light tease, which only just made me laugh. “So what color do you want on them then?” The answer came to me faster than I could have believed. “Pink!” I shouted, almost falling off of the counter in my excitement. “I want it to match my fur, the pink part obviously. And I should do the same for my pedico--pedica--for my toes!” I wiggled my cute paws at her, now sitting on the counter. Something still felt terribly wrong with all of this...but the most I could figure out was that it was because I wasn’t nearly cute enough yet.

Any other concerns had fled from my mind, the lure of a makeover, the enthusiasm for it, dampening everything else.

"That's a pedicure, sweetie. And of course you can have it in pink! Now before we put on the colour, you have to wash your paws. I'm sorry, it has to be done." For some reason, the thought of getting wet made Sky shiver, but after a bit of coaxing from Bessie, she begrudgingly put her paws in the sink. Bessie rummaged through her bag, pulling out a vial of polish named "Princess Pinkies". Sky giggled at the name, and giggled further when Bessie painted her claws, trying hard to keep them still. A flurry of cutesy thoughts danced through her mind, as a faint image of a big tall human popped in her mind. He looked scary... but also sad. Like he was trying to tell Sky something really really important. Oh! She knew! "Bessie, could you paint little pawprints on my claws please?"

Water. I knew that some of the tiger girls enjoyed it, even swimming, but I wasn’t a fan. It was a huge pain to get out of my fur and just, ugh, I hated the feeling of it. But if Bessie said I had to do it, then I had to do it. I only fidgeted a little while she helped me, which felt very mature of me. Less mature was the giggling and bouncing at the excitement at having such pretty nails. Maybe I was going to look even better than Felicia since she didn’t like doing it. Wouldn’t that be something? And since I was so clever I even thought of those little pawprints, that would be even cuter. Bessie frowned a little, concentrating.

But in the end found a thin enough brush and a clear polish with sparkles that worked perfectly for it. I was humming a tune as she worked, thinking on that scary man. Did I know him? He seemed familiar.

Maybe I could ask the girls about him later. After the makeovers...

After what felt like HOURS of waiting to Sky, Bessie finally finished her claws, as she looked at them admirably. Her sister was going to be SO jealous! Again, the thought of Felicia being her sister felt odd in her mind, but it was getting clearer and clearer. She might be a little furrier than Felicia, but they were both still cats, and that's all that mattered. Bessie broke her train of thought. "Next we'll do your hair, so it doesn't get in your makeup. I'm thinking pigtails, but what do you think?" With the idea of pigtails, thoughts of that scary human fell deeper out of her mind. "Pigtails! Pigtails!" She catches herself. "May I have pigtails, please!" Bessie nods, and reaches into her bag for bands.

Felicia had said something once about ‘jeans’ and how that even if you had the same parents you might get different ‘jeans’ and then you could still look a little different. I didn’t get it, what did pants have to do with it? I didn’t even like wearing them, skirts and dresses were much prettier. But Felicia was older, she knew tons that I didn’t understand. Maybe she’d teach me it all one day. It was hard to contain all my excitement at this. Bessie was so pretty and it felt so good to have all of her attention to myself. It was a little selfish, but when it was everyone together sometimes I felt left out. Even though sis...Felicia was so nice letting me play with her friends as well. I did my best to pull my own hair into pigtails to help out, though it was just making Bessie’s job harder. She gently did it herself, making it seem like I was still

helping. Before showing me my new hair in a hand mirror. “So cute!” I almost fell off the counter as I half-jumped.

While Bessie was pulling gently on Sky's head, it felt like something was gently pulling on her mind. That scary human got less and less visible, like she was running away from him backwards. And while he was disappearing, a new figure began to emerge. A tiny girl, with pigtails and pretty dresses and cute cat ears... Wait! That was her! That realisation made the scary human disappear, and the little cat girl pop up right in her mind. Sky Birmese. Little sister of Felicia. Cute and young and a little dim, but making up for it in her kind and happy demeanour. And before long, Bessie was finished with her hair. She nearly topples off the counter, Bessie catching her just in time. "Now makeup! Makeup please??"

Each tug seemed to be pulling me backwards, away from the scary man. As if Bessie was saving me from someone who wanted to...well it wasn’t harm me, but he didn’t seem to have my best intentions in mind. Pulling further and further away until the man was gone and the only one there, the only image staring at me...was me. It felt like the pulls had taken something else from me in the exchange. Thoughts came to me slowly, and pieces of knowledge just tended to float away from my mind. But I didn’t care about any of that right now, I probably wouldn’t ever care, as long as I was happy. “Thanks Bess. I gots a little excited.” settling myself back on the counter, “But I ‘membered to say please this time! Felicia says good girls say pw-please” I had a habit of still lisping my words. I was trying to get out of it, to be a big girl, but sometimes I slipped. Especially when excited.

"Oh, I could just pinch your cheek!" And Bessie does, Sky squirming away from the touch. "But I'm a big girl!" Sky protested, a blush already forming on her muzzle. Bessie nods knowingly. "Oh, yes dear. I know. Now, let's finish up your makeup, and show the other girls the new you, okay?" Sky would have clapped her paws if she wasn't waiting for her claws to dry, as Bessie reached into her pack again. "Now, I'm only going to use a little bit on you, but when you get to be Felicia's age, I can give you more. Don't pout, we've talked about this! Once you're old enough to put it on yourself, you can put on as much as you want." As much as she tried, Sky couldn't convince Bessie to give her more, but the cow was right.

No matter how many times she tried to, she could never remember the steps, and she ended up looking like a silly clown instead.

Felicia had been furious last time. I thought I could just borrow a little bit of her makeup, so that I could look as pretty as her. But then I thought it wasn’t enough, so I put more, but then it looked like too much, so I tried to wipe it off. But then it got all over my fur. So sis had found me crying on the floor surrounded by her makeup, looking like a total mess. She’d forgiven me really quickly, but I knew she’d been mad to start with. I wasn’t allowed more than simple stuff now. “Yes Bessie” I sat still for her, or at least as still as I could. Between suppressed giggles and fidgeting I was not a very good subject. Bessie promised to give me something special if I stayed calm, which helped a bit. But I still couldn’t wait to see how I was going to look.

"And... done!" Bessie gently turned Sky around, who gasped when she looked at her reflection. She looked SO CUTE! Her golden eyes popped out due to some fur-resistant eyeshadow, her cheeks stayed a rosy pink even when she wasn't blushing, and her cute little lips had become an even cuter lavender, the strongest colour on her face, that showed off her shy but excitable smile. A wild range of words

fluttered through her little feline mind, and she couldn't decide which ones to pick, so she said all of them at once, babbling for minutes while Bessie stood patiently. "I'll take that as a "Thank you, Bessie".

Now, remember not to go licking it off! Are you ready to show your friends?"

“Thank you, Bessie!” I half shouted, my makeup looked just so darn cute. No doubt some people would think it was overdone for a girl my age, if it was a daily thing. But as a makeover, it was just totally adorable. And I didn’t care about what anyone else thought, I was too busy gushing about how much I loved it. Even after my proper thank you I was still bouncing and babbling. “Let go!” I was ready to burst open the door all march out. Hardly caring that I still didn’t have an outfit. I was comfortable with my body now, some animal girls didn’t wear clothes, thinking the fur was enough. In my case I was just too young to think about why being naked was an issue, if it was comfy I didn’t care.

Sky bursts into the room, with Bessie following her. While all of her sister's friends were happy to see her, they all had different reactions. Ginger almost leaps at Sky in her excitement, but contains herself enough to keep her distance, the need for snuggling still visible in her eyes. Susanna gives a polite smile and a clipped "You look great kid", but Sky overhears her whisper to herself "Why do we always have to include the bratty little sister?". Sky is about to interject, stomping her paw at being a 'brat', but is interrupted by Beauty, who nods and snorts with satisfaction, even if she didn't really get Sky's look.

Finally, there was her big sister, wearing really weird clothes for some reason. They looked so... boyish.

She hugs Sky, giving her a light lick. "You look wonderful, Sky. Now put on your pjs and head up to bed.

It's way past your bedtime."

“But I want to stay up! You said I could have fun with the girls all night!” I stomped again, not caring how whiny my voice sounded. It was unfair, I was having fun with Bessie and now I had to go to bed while they kept playing. And I wasn’t even tired...at least I was pretending to be not tired. I had to stifle more than a few yawns and the fact that my eyes were drooping. Felicia never let me stay up this late, and I was determined to prove that I was a big girl just like them and could...do whatever it is they were doing for the rest of the night. I rubbed at my eye but tried to stand resolute, not that it was particularly intimidating. Glaring at Susanna for calling me a brat, when she was the one who was a brat, always saying mean things about people. I didn’t understand what a ‘slut’ was, but I’d overheard her say that about a few other girls and it sounded mean.

Sky's little tiff starts to get to Felicia, and she bites her lip with her fangs. "...Okay. I did promise that you could join in, even though it's waay too late for cute little girls like you. So, I'll make a compromise, just this once. You can sleep down here tonight, and listen to us while you go to sleep. We'll only be talking about University things, so it'll be boring for you anyway. But you still need to get your jammies on!" Sky nearly jumps through the ceiling, racing upstairs to get dressed, as Susanna has the look of death in her eyes. "Shut up, Susanna. She'll be gone in five minutes, tops, and then we can continue. The night is still young. And you know how sound a sleeper my sister is, we can still be as loud as we want." Susanna huffs, but slowly nods, as Sky rushes back down in her pjs, and true to Felicia's prediction, flops down on the waterbed, already drifting off.

A deep enough sleeper that once I went out, it would be a simple matter of carrying be back to my normal bed once I was out. Then the party could continue in earnest. All my former teasing about

‘talking about boys’ would come back in earnest. Even if I no longer liked girls in that way, and was too young to think that boys were anything but gross. Maybe when I grew up I’d be like Beauty and flexible.

Or perhaps I’d be like Felicia and straight as an arrow. But for tonight I wasn’t thinking about any of that.

Draped in my Hello Kitty pjs I tried to follow the conversation. True to their word, it was about classes and history and the most boring stuff I could imagine. My eyes fluttered closed, my final attempt to

open them quickly swallowed, and then nothing but blackness. All those cute thoughts that had invaded my head, now giving me the sweetest of dreams.

"Wake up, sleepy head!" Felicia shook Sky gently, clutching her head in the way that she usually does after a sleepover. Maybe the girls were being loud? "It's time for school!" Sky attempts to mimic a cough to get out of going, but it was clear that Felicia wasn't having it. "If I have to go to class feeling like this, you can go to class with a little cough." Sky sighs, and gets out of bed. Thankfully, Bessie (who was strangely the only person not to have a headache) was still there, so Sky got another makeover from her, although this one was far more subdued, not even including pigtails. She waves goodbye to the group, and skips off to school.

After that, things went by like they always have. Felicia and her friends went to Circe University, while Sky kept going to St. Moreau's Elementary. Her time was spent studying for tests, pestering Felicia to include her in 'big girl' activities, and just generally being cute. The only strange thing that happened was a few days after the sleepover, when everyone was talking about a student named Skylar Keeton, who apparently walked home from university one day, but never got there. For some reason Sky was

interested in the story, despite Felicia giving her a weird look whenever she talked about it, but maybe it was because he reminded her of Clyde, a rabbit in her class that was super mean to her, but she couldn't get out of her mind. And eventually, Felicia brought another human boy to a sleepover, who was staring a bit too much at her sister's breasts, but that is a story for another time...