DJ Haitch - 18 year old High School Senior "I wish I could get you a prom date."

"I wish I could get you a prom date man. Hell, I tried asking my sisters and they all just shot me down." DJ's voice was soft as he sat there consoling his friend over discord. His friend Jason’s voice had that ragged edge of someone trying to find humor where none existed.

“I can’t believe you asked them. That had to be rough.” There was a pause as a groan then came as Jason realized another side of the equation. “Wait, that means all three of your hot sisters think I’m some sort of loser who can’t get a date? Fuck man...” His voice trailed off as an already sad man took another shot to his feelings.

“Look, I know. If it makes you feel better it is because everyone is going on this mother - daughter trip for the next two weeks. Becca probably would have gone, you know how nice she is. I also knew how you feel about goth chicks, and it would have been kinda nuts to take Kenzie right? How many other guys would have had a stripper as their date? I actually asked them all at once, that was when they dropped the bomb. It was this last minute cruise that they got insane prices on.”

“Look man, I appreciate it. It sucks.” Taking a deep Jason continued. “Also, I’m never coming over ever again.” A soft chuckle was the only good sign of the call. “Hey, I’m gonna bail. I have one more day of school, maybe I’ll find someone.” Without even waiting for a goodbye, he ended the call.

Stepping away from his computer, DJ turned the whole PC off and collapsed onto his bed. Moments later, the door opened with a soft knock as his mother poked her head inside. DJ’s mom was on the cusp of turning 45, having started a family early in life. Somehow she had managed to work her way through law school, raise three kids, and divorce his father successfully. Now as the head of her own law firm she worked hard to maintain her looks and shape to keep her edge while working in such a male dominated field. “Hey hun, I heard you talking to Jason. Is he ok?” The concern in her voice was palpable. DJ and Jason had been friends for a long time.

“I mean, he isn’t gonna do anything drastic. He is just sad about the whole thing. I mean his chick broke up with him two days ago, to be with some other dude. And she is spreading stupid rumors about him online.” The outside of DJ’s lips curled up in a rueful smirk as he shrugged. “He cares about this prom shit way more than I do. I’m just excited to have the house to myself for the next two weeks.”

“Speaking of that, I wanted to thank you for taking care of it. I know you couldn’t go with us, but your attitude about the trip has been fantastic. I really appreciate how much you have grown up lately.” Her smile was warm and full of affection as she looked down at him. “That being said, I will have internet access and will be checking the ring camera.” She chuckled as she walked up and pulled DJ up into a hug as he sat on the bed. “The girls and I are just waiting on our uber to get here. Do you want to come out and say bye to your sisters?”

While DJ and his sisters got along, they were all close enough in age that the apathy of youth ran high in their relationships. DJ grinned and laid back on his bed. “Nah, you four have fun. I’ll see you when you get back ok?” With a wave behind her, DJ’s mom Jackie walked out of the room.

Pulling out a book, DJ read for a few hours and then slowly drifted off to sleep. Above the Haitch household a spirit sat. The spirit had watched DJ’s entire conversation. Unheard by the world around it, it spoke. “Granted.” The sound of a soft gong filled the air.

The next morning DJ’s phone alarm blared loudly. Sitting up and reaching over to pull his phone off the wireless charger, he silenced it quickly. While he was used to it, the sound still drove him nuts. Standing up, he stretched for a moment. His hips, shoulders, and back felt tight. Thinking it likely that he had slept wrong, he moved towards the shower. Usually he would need to bring a change of clothes with him, but with no one else in the house he felt free to walk around in less than full clothes.

Stepping into the bathroom, DJ turned to look in the mirror. The person looking back at him looked disheveled, out of place almost. “With prom coming up, I need to take better care of myself.” A frown came over his face as he took a moment to think about what he had just said. Prom? DJ wasn’t going to prom, was he? The thoughts about not going to prom suddenly filled DJ with a sense of dread and disappointment. A shake of his head and all thoughts of prom fled from his mind. He knew that he needed to take extra time to get ready today. It only took a moment for the shower to heat up, stepping into the stream of water the teen sighed in contentment as the heat began to seep into his body.

The next hour of his life was something that DJ could not have described in detail if his life depended on it. There was a flurry of activity that included a depilatory cream, eyebrow waxing, hair treatments, and even an incredibly disturbing process involving a douche kit he had never seen before. This process was certainly longer and more involved than any process he had gone through before, and yet it all felt automatic and instinctual.

Stepping out of the shower, DJ quickly patted his skin dry. Thinking that was the end of it, he was surprised when a number of lotions and salves were extracted from cabinets and applied over his whole body. It was astounding looking at himself in the mirror as he spread lotion over his now softer and more sensitive skin. The person looking back didn’t look like they knew if they wanted to be a boy or a girl. Still, DJ felt pride in how well he took care of himself. Nevermind that yesterday he had literally gone to class without showering because he slept in.

Stepping out of the shower, sans towel. DJ stood there naked in the hallway. Meaning to go back to his own room, instead he froze and looked around him. Becca’s room was right next to his, a glance through her open door showed boy band posters and a barrage of soft feminine colors.. Across from that sat the door covered in band posters that signified the edge of Jaime's realm, he knew that inside it was a dark, but well organized room. The open door next to that showed the mess that was Kenzie's room. Somehow the room always looked like a bomb had gone off inside a Forever 21, with clothes and shoes and purses sitting everywhere. Turning, he looked down the hall at the double doors that were the entrance to his mother, Jackie's room. DJ could feel the **** around him keeping him from going back to his own room. Stepping forward he entered the room belonging to….