David was annoyed as he took out his notes and books for art class. His friend Matt was there, with his trademark smirk. He was pretty much a 'cool kid', at least he liked to think so.
"Hey, I heard you got into a fight with catty butt," chuckled Matt numerously. He liked seeing David get into a little trouble and his reactions to it.
David rolled his eyes. "I was just- oh come on, she's naked and has a cat body. If I didn't say it first, someone would have." he slammed his locker, taking his art book. Matt followed him alongside with a whistle of a tune.
David thought back on the incident. Truly it was a little freaky to see such a near full 'animal' transformation. Even if Jon still had her human head. David almost didn't see the point of all these extra facilities as they took extra space away for normal people. It wasn't that he didn't like the changed, he wasn't that 19th century in his thinking. but it was pretty clear they couldn't be human... so why pretend? Why include them? They were practically making that point in the sixties, and looking back on history he thought... okay fine? Go then! Make your own society. The changed held back human progress. His attitude tempered a bit since then, but still... accommodating all the changed was not practical or possible in his view.
"Anyone in your family changed?" Asked Matt curiously.
"I think I've got a cousin. She's some kind of... eh, I rather not say. Honestly she just does her own thing, staying in the forest. There isn't really any point in her being amongst humans. I think most of my family have a natural resistance. When we change it isn't for long."
"That's rough about your cousin," said Matt thoughtfully. "My uncle just got out of the hospital. You wouldn't believe what he turned into. He's now a-"
"I don't want to know!" said David suddenly. "Look... you might find this all exciting, but I just..." He glanced around a little conspiratively. He knew this was going to sound a little nuts but... maybe he could confide in Matt. "Do you ever feel like this isn't the way the world is supposed to be?"
Matt glanced at him strangely. "I don't get what you mean. You mean like in a Red pill Green pill sort of way?"
David fumed a bit. Maybe it was a little like that. He wasn't sure if he should open up to Matt on this. It was just a weird feeling sometimes. "It's... it's just that.. I feel like I've been born into a world I woke up in yesterday." He looked at his art book. David wasn't that good at art, yet when he looked at his pictures he was surprised he drew them. he had the skill to do so, to create vivid colours. Certainly it wasn't a 'vast' improvement over what he thought his skills should be, but perhaps if he had taken more time to practice this might be the result? He wasn't sure.
"I think you're fine," said Matt. "When dealing with a new change in the school it's bound to make you question reality. Things sure got surreal when I saw a fox girl modelling." He chuckled again. "Am I sick to have her on my locker? Very possibly, but I don't care. She's hot."
The two walked in silence for a while. Students passed them, some of them changed... most of them not. "Do... you think the rumour is true?" Asked David as he glanced around.
"Well, I haven't changed... and most people around you haven't," said Matt with a little smirk. "So I suppose it might be?"
David sighed. It was probably a foolish rumour but there was a small superstition that if you hung around people who had shown past resistant to the bug, you might acquire that same resistance. A few passive studies did show a peculiar link, although this could be just as much environmental as an actual result. It is probably what catapulted David to being so popular with people. Some hanged around him to acquire his 'resistance'. It was surreal at first, and many people moved on... still David did enjoy the attention and used all the connections he could get from such a rumour. It helped that few people did change around him.
... and those that did change? Well, he simply had to show how they were not really his friend. It was an arrangement that worked really well.
Matt looked like he really wanted to ask something, but was hesitant. "David? Mind if I ask... were you ever hit with the virus?"
The young boy pressed a hand on the side of his face. Whenever that question was asked, he always tried to draw on those memories but to no avail. "When I was about four, yes. I did get hit with it. I don't know what I turned into though. Apparently I was over it after a few days. I don't even remember it. After that I became immune."
"To the benefit of all your friends," smiled Matt. "I'd say it worked out pretty well."
"Heh... yeah," smiled David. Looking at all the things that had to be done for the changed, he shuddered at the idea of being transformed. It was fortunate he was resistant. He sat down in class... and tried to get his pens and pencils. His heart sank as he realised he left it in his locker. "Urgh, stupid me. I'll be right back. I forgot my pens."
Matt nodded with a shrug.
David was annoyed with himself. How could he forget his pens? To make matters worse he was feeling a little headache coming on. The stress of having a cat-thing look like it was going to kill you added to his tension.
He rubbed his head... only to feel something under his hair. He frowned slightly as he investigated with the tips of his fingers. Two strange 'nubs' that felt a little hard, but pushed inward showing they were made of soft tissue. He swallowed with fear as he went into the bathroom to look over himself. There didn't seem to be anything different. Indeed the changes he felt were hidden in his hair. He pressed at them a little- "Ow-" he gasped. The tissue felt sensitive. Maybe he had just cut himself and not realised? It could be a wound that had not healed right because of all the hair. It certainly wasn't possible that he was...
...changing?
No... that ... that couldn't be possible.
Suddenly, with an almost audible push. Two small structures started to show themselves, poking just slightly above his hair line. He blinked and tried to push whatever it was away but they sprung back. He Stared at the mirror he was stunned to see a pair of small spindly... bunny ears? Small and barely noticeable at the moment, with soft white fur on them.
"Holy crap..." he said wide eyed. "I'm turning into a .. a bunny boy?!" he cringed with disgust. How could this happen? He was immune! Maybe... maybe he just needed time to fight the infection. He got over it once, he could get over it again. But he certainly didn't want others to know it. He quickly got his hat out from his jacket, and put it on. It was a temporary solution but nobody would notice this..
