Karen had never felt so exposed in her entire life. She stood in the corner of the gym waiting for it all to get started. "The sooner it starts, the sooner it's over", she reasoned. Drama was wonderful, and was the perfect emotional respite that she needed. It turned out that they had all just finished a play, which Karen had performed a very minor female roll in, a week before Karen's change. As a result, they didn't have anything to practice so Mrs. Winthrow had them gather around in a circle and play improv games.
The first one was called "Aside." Ms Winthrow gave them a scene, and each person had to act out a part. The gimmick was that at any moment an actor could yell "FREEZE!" and tell the audience of non participating drama students what their character was actually thinking. The characters could then foil off of one another's "Aside's" back and forth until it all devolved into a fit of laughter. Ms. Winthrow had to pull the plug on one of the games for turning too raunchy, but that just caused the students to laugh all the more and begin a "Gong Show" game with situations drawn from a hat.
This hell could not be further removed from the fun she'd just enjoyed. It started when she tried to go into the girls room. Everything seemed fine at first until she caught Sarah talking to the PE teacher out of the corner of her eye. She didn't know what was said, but the next thing she knew, the coach was at the door of the locker room calling out to her. "Karen! Come here for a moment."
She obliged and met the coach at the door.
"Yes Mrs.Arden?"
The coach sighs. "Some of the girls were saying they felt uncomfortable with..."
"W-what? Mrs Arden! I didn't do anything. I was even behind the curtain in a shower stall!"
"Sweetheart I know. But you know the situation we're in." She pauses as she carefully thinks over her words for a moment. "I can't make that call. That's up there with the school board." She gestures into some nebulous "up-there" direction. "So if I get any complaints, my hands are tied. Here, you can use the coaches bathroom." She places her hands on Karen's shoulder trying to comfort her, though it's small consolation.
A few minutes later she stands in a girls uniform in the middle of a mixed PE class, enduring the very obvious glances from boys and girls. While she looks quite feminine with winter clothes on, the same can't be said with thigh length basketball shorts and a white t shirt. Her hips are narrow, and her legs, while smooth and hairless, are taught with musculature and covered in veins, rather than soft and even toned.
She spies some of her friends who wave her over. "What happened? I saw coach call you over." She shakes her head as she speaks words dripping in venom. "Sarah being a bitch. That's all.
The group of girls are taken aback. "What? Sarah? But she's so sweet..." Karen pauses, wondering what twilight zone she's stepped into where those words could be uttered unironically. "We were actually just talking about who we would vote as Home coming queen. She so generous, she was right up there at the top with Montana."
"Ah... that's how." Karen acknowledges. "Well, she's always been terrible to me." Karen mutters, trying to salvage herself from the minor faux pas. Before the conversation can continue, the men's coach calls everyone to attention and sends them through their basic stretches and cardio drill. The rest of gym class is free time.
Karen tried to join in with the girls basketball, but ends up spending most of it by herself, feeling clumsy and gangly and ugly... At least after this, she only has one more class until she can meet Jon back at his... no, her house.
