Chapter 7: Ch. 7

Hello there, dear readers! I'm happy to bring to you chapter seven of Hairball! I'm giving a shout out to my friend, Tismegistus Shandy, who proofread my chapter. They are a talented author whose stories I recommend! Without any further ado, please enjoy.

 

 

 

 

 

Hairball (Chapter 7)

 

by

 

Elite Shade

 

 

 

 

 

I pull back one of the curtains to see the street in front of the gate completely swamped with reporters. I sigh as I let the curtain fall back. It's been an entire week since Channel 8 Action News first started reporting on my... condition. They had been quick about it too, scrounging up all the pictures taken of me on my day out to the vet with Rebecca all on that same day just in time for the seven o'clock news. Since then I had become a bit of a shut-in, while Rebecca, Nick, and even Ben continued to go out and about. During that week, Adam's confession was investigated, and Ben's name was cleared. I guess that was good, as well as Adam getting kicked off the team. But of course, since his folks were loaded, he didn't get expelled, which probably would have happened to Ben and possibly even to me.

Also, Gabe, my former foster father, has since been arrested. It turns out that on the day of my transformation, after I ran away with him shooting at me, he was so freaked out that he turned and shot at the first thing he saw moving, which just so happened to be a police cruiser turning the corner. After he tried to run away from the cops, not really a good idea, it was revealed that he had been writing some bad checks all around town under a fake identity. All the other foster kids got shipped somewhere else, hopefully somewhere better.

Of course, I'm still a catgirl. My ears turn towards the sound of Rebecca talking to someone on the phone in her office. Since the news of my... uhg, transformation has become known, and my identity as well thanks to someone at the hospital who let that information slip to the reporters, Rebecca has stepped up her efforts for her and Nick to become my legal guardians, as well as to help with my absence from school. Thankfully, Rebecca's new influence opened a lot of doors and expedited the entire process. I still had to go into court with Rebecca and Nick, which meant braving the swarm of reporters outside, and that offered them some more footage of me, but we got it done. Thanks to Gabe going and getting himself arrested, and his wife skipping town after he did, the process went even faster. I think part of it was Rebecca's influence, and part of it was the system trying to sweep the mess under the rug. It's still strange to know that Ben's parents are willing to become my guardians... but it's... nice too...

I'm just not used to people taking any kind of an interest in me or my life, okay? So sue me if I don't know how I'm supposed to react to all of this. I'm kinda taking it one day at a time... ah geez, that makes me sound like an addict. Anyway, I let go of my tail, which my subconscious seems to enjoy playing with when I start to get a little nervous, as I hear Rebecca hang up, her footsteps heading in my direction. She beams at me as she descends the stairs, and I let out a little relieved sigh.

"Welp," Rebecca says as she walks up to me and pulls me into a hug, "as of now, we are legally your guardians."

"G-Great," I say, feeling a strange fluttering sensation in my stomach.

"And we've mostly got everything squared away with school," Rebecca said, letting go and stepping back a little, a slight frown on her face.

"What do you mean by... mostly?" I ask.

"Well," Rebecca says, seeming to try to come up with a way to tell me something unpleasant, "it took a bit of verification, but they know who you are and about your new living situation."

"Okaaaay..." I say, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"However," see, I told ya so, "they are insisting on you complying with the uniform policy," Rebecca says, looking a little uncomfortable.

"Well yeah," I say, feeling relief once again wash over me. "I kinda figured."

"Really?" she asks me, looking a little pleasantly surprised.

"Yeah," I say smiling, "I mean, I know that I'm going to need to get a smaller version of my old uniform and modify it for my tail, but that probably won't be a big..." I trail off as I notice Rebecca suddenly looking uncomfortable.

"Uhm, honey," she says as she gently takes my shoulders and starts guiding me towards the couch for us to take a seat, "they were not talking about your old uniform... they were talking about the version of the uniform for... female students."

I take a moment to process what I've been told, and apparently to start playing with my tail again.

"That means a skirt," I say hollowly. I know, I'm already wearing bras and panties at this point, but it's not like anyone, aside from maybe a doctor, is going to be seeing me in them!

"Yes," Rebecca says, taking my free hand into her own and squeezing it gently. I recall Rebecca getting me a skirt when she first went out shopping for new clothes for me, but I hadn't tried wearing it. I did take it out a couple days ago, to look at. But I had quickly stuffed it back in the drawer and gone back to reading.

"Crap," I say aloud. Rebecca pulls me in for another hug.

"So... I have to wear the... girl's uniform..." I say, picturing in my mind the navy blue skirt with the lighter blue blouse. Oh joy.

"I'm sorry, honey," Rebecca starts until I let go of my tail and hold up a hand to silence her. "We could..." Rebecca trails off.

"We could what?" I ask.

"Well... we could make the claim that you are a trans boy, and petition for you to be allowed to wear a boy's uniform... but that could take a while." Rebecca explains to me. Already I know what she means. This is Arizona... it'll be a long wait for me to get approval to wear the male uniform, even with Rebecca's new influential status. Is that what I am now? A trans boy? A trans catboy?

"We could transfer you to a more accepting school," Rebecca offers, but I simply shake my head.

"Some of my classes give me college credits," I explain, still playing with my tail, "I can't just up and transfer without loosing them."
"I'm sorry, honey," Rebecca says.

"It's okay... I get it..." I say, not really getting it, but I don't like seeing Rebecca get upset. Besides, there's something else that I'm a little more worried about at the moment, and it's just outside the front gate.

"I can't really go to school so long as the... reporters are still out there," I explain.

"We'll come up with something, I promise," Rebecca said.

"I-If..." I start off, steeling myself to voice the idea that popped into my head, "if I gave one of them an interview... do you think that that would make them go away?"

"Well," Rebecca says while considering my idea, "it probably would. At least, it would help with the bulk of the attention. Afterwards, I'm sure that eventually they would find something else to focus on."

Which is what I was thinking. After any big news, people eventually move on to the next new and surprising thing. Hopefully another celebrity will be arrested doing something... I don't know, but something along those lines would definitely help speed up the process. I nod to Rebecca, who gives me another hug.

"We'll be with you every step of the way. I promise you that you're not alone anymore," She's been saying that a lot. It's nice. My ears perk right back up and swivel towards the sound of a sneeze. I turn my head in the direction of the noise and just in time to see Ben, covering his mouth, freezing with a look on his face like a deer caught in a set of headlights. He quickly shuffles away, looking down at his feet. He's been mostly avoiding me this entire week. Whatever. I turn back towards Rebecca.

"I just have no idea how I'm going to be explaining," I gesture to my entire body, "this."

"What do you mean, hun?" Rebecca asks.

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"Well, I can't exactly tell them that Ben got drunk with a wishing stone and made me into a catgirl." Despite my initial reaction after learning about Ben's involvement with my change, I don't want to turn him in. I looked it up and he could get into a lot of trouble. If he got arrested... well, connections or not, Rebecca and Nick would be torn up to see their son possibly going to jail for this.

"Well," Rebecca said, "we'll come up with something, together." A few minutes pass by and we both turn our heads to the front door at the sound of it being unlocked. Nick steps through the threshold, looking relieved.

"What a day," he says, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth as he locks the door behind himself and strides right on over to where we're sitting, letting out a slight groan as he takes a seat in the easychair right next to the couch.

"I take it that you had another wonderful day?" Rebecca asks, draping an arm around my shoulders and giving me a squeeze. I think she senses that I was planning on retreating to my room. While she's been understanding about personal space, Rebecca seems to think that there's something wrong with self-induced isolation.

"Absolutely," Nick says, reaching over to ruffle the fur atop my head, chuckling despite my frown. "I'm no longer being worked to the bone for next to nothing, my suggestions are actually heard and considered, and I'm feeling like I'm actually making a difference."

I know that it was because of Benjamin and his wishes that turned me into a catgirl, but I am happy for his parents at least.

"How about you two? How were things today?" he asks, looking mostly at me.

"Good, I guess," I mumble, shifting a little uncomfortably.

"Today went wonderfully," Rebecca insisted, giving me another squeeze. "Everything's been straightened out and Alex here will continue to be staying with us."

Nick smiles at that. "And school?"

"Also squared away," Rebecca looks at me as she says it, once again giving me that look that makes me feel... I guess less stressed about things... I don't know what to call it. Nick can do it too, and it really throws me off, when either one of them does it.

"That just leaves the reporters," Nick says as he leans his head back, looking up at the ceiling.

"We were actually just discussing how to solve that little problem." Rebecca explains.

"With giving them an interview," I say, feeling the knot in my stomach return.

Nick nods his head. "That might be for the best," he then looks back at me and gives me the same look that Rebecca did. The knot loosens a little.

"But the decision will of course be yours to make, Alex." he says. I nod my head.

"I know... and I think that it'll probably be good too... but I have no idea how I'm going to explain this and not implicate Ben," I say. They both share a look.

"Honey," Rebecca starts, turning my head to face her and ensure eye contact, "thank you," she says, hugging me close once again. I just shrug, not sure of how to continue the conversation.

"Well, as her attorney," Nick chimes in, "I'm sure that you know the best way to phrase things in an interview."

"I have a few ideas," Rebecca says.

"Good," I say, "because I have no idea of what to do during an interview."

"Don't worry, hun," she says, "everything's going to be fine. And we'll be there to help you."

"Alright... but I am not telling people that I made any kind of a wish to become a catgirl." I insist. Seriously, people would just think that I was some kind of a perv... wait... dammit, Ben! Oh, I'm going to be asking him some questions of my own later.

"That's okay. We'll also probably be contacted by authorities about your change once we tell people that we believe it to be the work of a wishing stone," Rebecca says, her eyes starting to twinkle. In the time that I've been spending with her, I've come to find that she really has a passion for being an attorney. She's had to go in to her firm a few times over the past week, mostly to work out how things were running there. Each time she returned, she would have a wide grin on her face, and just start excitedly talking about it, the parts that she wasn't legally bound not to discuss. She also took some time to learn about her current client who, despite my story overshadowing it on the news, was still a prominent case.

The three of us start discussing how to best handle an interview. As it turns out, Rebecca knows, at least now she does, of a reporter who won't sensationalize my story, and we all agree that he would be the best one to have an interview with. We also discuss how I should dress, the best things to say, and stuff like that. Initially... I was a little suspicious of them. I don't think that that's entirely unreasonable. I mean, all this effort to help me, it could all have just been a ploy to help protect Ben. But as we discuss my interview, and then somehow the conversation drifts onto my school work and helping me catch up for what I've missed so far, I start to feel a little guilty. I'm not exactly used to people going out of their way to help me, but... I don't know... I'm starting to feel like an ingrate...

"What's wrong, honey?" Crap, Rebecca seems to read my emotions again. I'll bet she's skilled at noticing facial features. "You're playing with your tail again," or maybe I just have an obvious tell, "and I've noticed that you only do that when you seem to be nervous."

"Uhm..." I say, not really sure of what I should tell them. But I guess that they deserve to know the truth... "I was just thinking..."

"Yes?" Rebecca asks, taking my hand-paw things in her own and giving them a gentle squeeze.

"I just... I guess I was feeling a little... guilty..." I say, not able to meet either one of their eyes.

"Why would you feel guilty, Alex?" Rebecca asks, prompting me to continue.

"Because... I..." part of me doesn't want to say it... but I know that I need to... "I was feeling a little... suspicious... about why you two've been so willing to help me... like... that maybe you were just making sure that I didn't go and get Ben in trouble..." Saying it out loud... I definitely feel like an ingrate. I ready myself for hearing how hurt they are, and that sense of guilt spikes a bit.

"Oh, honey, that's completely understandable," Rebecca says, letting one of her hands go and using it to gently rub my back. I look up at both her and then Nick, not realizing that I'm leaning into the gentle rubbing.

"Considering what you've experienced in your life so far," Nick says, leaning over to rest a hand on my shoulder, "it's not surprising that you would be naturally skeptical of others."

...Ooooookaaaaay... I... I have absolutely no idea of how to respond here.

"But you shouldn't feel guilty, not one bit. We're here to help you, honey, and we won't mind earning your trust as we do it," Rebecca says. The hot prickly feeling behind my eyes returns, and I look up to blink away the potential tears.

"Yes, we wouldn't want Benjamin to be arrested for this," Nick continues, "but your wellbeing is also important."

I let that sink in, just before Rebecca practically pulls me into her lap as she hugs me tight. There's a shift on the cushion next to me and suddenly I notice Nick's arms wrapping around us as well. I feel a little nervous... but this is... kinda nice... actually... I start to feel that strange vibration in the back of my throat, blushing under my fur as I realize that I'm about to start purring, when I notice Ben standing a few feet away. For a second, I feel a flash of fear that Ben is going to think that I'm trying to turn his parents against him or something, but then I realize that he's smiling, trying to hold back a laugh. I swear, if he refers to me and my purring as being cute, I will lunge at him again with my claws.

His parents let me go, and I say something about needing to use the restroom, cutting off Ben as he opens his mouth. I rush past him and make my way up the stairs. I close the door to my room behind me, feeling a little overwhelmed. I sit at the foot of my bed, grabbing one of the other books I borrowed from Nick, having already finished The Spire. I don't look to see which one it is, just opening up to the first page. I'm trying not to dwell on all of this... stuff, okay? Key word there is trying, because unfortunately, dwelling is exactly what my mind keeps wanting to do.

I'm nervous of the idea of the interview, worried that I'll be made out to look like an even bigger freak than I already am, and terrified of what my first day back at school since I woke up like this is going to be like. And of course... my mind drifts over to my new required uniform. A blouse... which is really just a shirt... and the skirt... Sure, I've looked at girls in the uniform before, and admired them like many other guys, but never did I picture myself ever having to be wearing it.

I continue to try and focus on the book in my lap, to no avail. I sigh as I close the cover and toss it aside on the bed. I look over at the dresser, remembering the black skirt that Rebecca had gotten for me. I look back at the door, making sure that it's locked, before I stand up and walk over to the dresser. I feel nervous as I take each step. I feel as though there is something wrong with me for even thinking about that skirt. I try to tell myself that it's just a piece of cloth, nothing else, but that does little to ease the cold spot that's suddenly appeared in my gut.

I rifle through the drawers, finding it underneath the shorts and jeans on top. I stand there, simply looking at the garment in question, as thought it were about to bite me, before I slowly turn and walk towards the mirror. I stop and stand in front of it. Right now I'm wearing a blue t-shirt and a pair of denim shorts... which are a lot shorter than the male versions, as I've come to notice. I hold the skirt in front of me, right in front of the shorts I'm wearing. It's just long enough to hide them, and I see in my reflection the image of what I would at least look like wearing it.

Okay so... on the one... uh... paw, this is kinda weird. On the other, though, I'm going to have to wear skirts every day at school, until I graduate... or until the school lets up on its uniform policy, which I don't see happening anytime soon. After standing there, staring at my reflection, my tail swishing behind me, I make a decision. I unbuckle the cloth belt on the shorts, and unzip them, tossing them onto the bed. I'm standing there in just my shirt and peach-colored panties, holding my breath as I try to figure out how to put the skirt on. It takes me a moment, what with never having worn one before as well as finding the hole for my tail, and a little shimmying, but finally I pull it on.
I look back to my reflection, just staring. The skirt stops at my mid-thighs. I turn, and the black catgirl in the mirror mimics my movement. I look myself over some more, grabbing my swishing tail, playing with it.

"I... I am a freak..." my voice is a whisper that I croak out, my warm and prickly eyes a prelude to the dampness of the fur on my cheeks.

 

 

 

 

And there we have it! Chapter seven of Hairball! I hope that you enjoyed it!

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