Honestly, before there's any confusion

Adrienne's eyes snapped wide open, her arms thrown forward and waving. "Oh goodness, no no no! I chose this, really! I wanted to be a girl, I promise!"

...

Wait. What? Charlie faltered, stammering.

"But... then, what did... what's-... Um???" He closed his eyes, took a breath, and tried again. "Adrienne... I'm sorry, but from where I'm sitting, you look like a perfectly pretty young lady." Now was time for Adrienne to blush for different reasons. "If that's not how TTP messed up, then... what happened?"

Worrying those rosy pink lips with her teeth, Adrienne shook her head with sad eyes. "I'm sorry, Charlie, really. I just... I can't. I can't talk about it. It's far too embarrassing."

Charlie sighed and smiled, not pushing the issue further. "No problem, Adrienne, I get it. Don't tell me anything you don't want to." Adrienne nodded appreciatively while Charlie checked the time on his phone. "I've probably taken up enough of your time today, but I did want to ask one last thing."

"Yes...?" Adrienne's body stiffened a little, now that her interaction with Charlie was coming to an end. She wasn't at all surprised. After all, who would want to keep talking to a blubbering mess of a girl like her? Sure, he seemed to be on her side about the whole family debacle, but-

"Do you want to be friends?"

"Wha-?" Once more, Charlie left Adrienne caught on her words, unable to push out a quick or proper response. Who just asks to be friends anymore?? Either you are or you aren't, right?

The first image that crossed Charlie's mind when Adrienne started to giggle was the tinkling of a windchime. Just like that, he had the perfect analogy for her. She was slender and delicate and beautiful, and the only way to get music was to be incredibly gentle. Push just a little too hard and she'd be a tangled mess; her music lost.

The two of them shared a warm moment with a smile as Adrienne nodded. "I'd like to be friends, yes."