“Sam? That you?” Mark called out from the living room. He lay on his side, the leopard print dress he’d borrowed from her closet hugging his slender curves.
Samantha poked her head in from the kitchen. “Yeah, just making some...” Her voice trailed off as she took in the sight of him. “Wow. You look...different.”
Mark sighed. “Sorry, I had to raid your closet. The disease...it’s progressing faster than they thought.”
He’d been diagnosed with a rare condition six months ago, one that caused rapid muscle deterioration and hormonal changes called ‘Rapid-Onset Feminization Disorder.’ The doctors had warned him that he’d start experiencing changes in his body, but he hadn’t expected it to happen so quickly.
“I’m so sorry,” Samantha said, moving to sit beside him. “I can’t even imagine what you’re going through.”
Mark shrugged, the movement causing the neckline of his dress to dip even lower, revealing the soft swells of his growing breasts. “It’s been...hard. I mean, look at me. I used to be the star striker on the soccer team.”
Samantha nodded sympathetically. “And the...other changes?”
He cupped his breasts, feeling their weight. “These just keep growing. The doctors say it’s because of the hormonal imbalance. My testosterone levels are plummeting while my estrogen is skyrocketing.”
Mark shifted, the dress riding up to reveal smooth, hairless legs. Even his body hair had thinned and disappeared as the disease progressed.
Samantha’s gaze fell on the book lying in front of him. “Is that ‘Sapiens’? I’m surprised to see you reading that. I had to buy that for my anthropology class. It’s pretty dense.”
“Yeah, well, I figured if I’m going to be stuck like this, I might as well expand my mind. Not like I can rely on my body anymore.”
Samantha raised an eyebrow. “I seem to remember you saying that girls aren’t as smart as guys. That we’re just pretty faces.”
He blushed. “Fuck. I never really believed that. I was just trying to fit in with the guys on the team.”
“I know you didn’t. That’s why we stayed friends. But hearing it from you was fucking shocking. And…disappointing.”
“God, trying to ‘fit in’ with a bunch of bros seems so stupid now.” He picked up the book, his delicate fingers tracing the title. “You know, this book talks a lot about evolution—how we as a species have adapted to survive. I guess that’s what I’m doing now. Adapting.”
Samantha nodded. “It’s not just physical evolution, though. It’s mental, too. “
He chuckled. “Yeah. I mean, a few months ago, I would’ve laughed at the idea of reading a book like this—especially in a dress. But now...now I’m actually interested in learning. But it’s still hard, you know? Losing everything that made me...me. My strength, my place on the team, even my identity as a man.”
“But you’re gaining new things, too,” Samantha pointed out. “Empathy, understanding—”
“Tits.” Mark sighed.  “But, in a way, the physical changes are the easiest. What’s hard is the way people treat me now. The guys on the team...they don’t know how to act around me anymore. And the way some of them look at me...”
He shuddered, remembering the hungry gazes that had followed him the last time he’d visited the locker room to clean out his things.
Samantha reached out and squeezed his hand. “Welcome to womanhood. But, hey, I’ve always believed women are the next step in human evolution. So, um, congratulations on your upgrade!”