You chat for a while longer about how things have been.

Although it was still strange for you, all this, being in the same room as your Auntie again, for some reason you felt slightly more relaxed and more able to handle it than you had been back at the hospital. Perhaps it was to do with the time that had elapsed since you'd last seen him, having had longer to come to terms with everything that had happened. Being out of the cold, sterile and rather terrifying environment of the hospital also helped, as did Randall's much more positive and upbeat 'seize the day' attitude. Him more than anything else, putting you at ease.

And so, just like many an afternoon prior to the accident, you and Randall spent the next hour or so just lounging around, shooting the shit with one another. You even went so far as to haul out Randall's old XBox that he'd had the good sense to bring with him. Hooking it up and having a few games while you talked.

You asked him about what life was like now that he had his own apartment, and how he was really handling suddenly being an adult. Randall told you that it was kind of cool, liberating even. Not having to answer to anyone, especially not "that bitch Alice", as he put it. He did however have to get used to doing pretty much everything for himself. His dad having given him a quick crash course in paying bills, doing his own washing, and every other little menial task in between. Which was apparently a total drag. He also had his own car now he was pleased to tell you, making you feel more than a little jealous - having forgotten about your Auntie's Volkswagen Beetle.

"...Haven't really had much of a chance to take it for a proper spin yet," he told you, explaining that he hadn't really been out much at all, other than a few trips to the store, one to the hospital, and this morning to the office. "Only started spreading my wings really this last week and a half. Was pretty much house bound before that."

"Really? So you haven't had much interaction with any of her friends or anything yet? I thought you'd said you'd fooled a few people..."

"Well, yeah. One or two people came round. Someone called Aisha and this douche-bag, Cole from work."

Aisha as you recalled was one of your Auntie's best friend's. The two of them always hanging out at the gym together, and "cruising the streets for men" as she herself had once told you on one of the few occasions you'd met her. As for Cole, you'd never heard mention of him before. But then, you didn't really know many of your Auntie's friends all that well, outside of your own family.

"I've also had a hell of lot of phone calls. People checking to see how I'm... how your Auntie is doing."

"I'll bet." She certainly was a popular lady, and after an accident like you'd had, you were surprised more people hadn't actually visited.

Randall explained however that he'd basically been giving them the same treatment he'd been giving you over the phone. Telling him he needed space for a while, till he was feeling better. Now though, now that he was seemingly back out there, living your Auntie's life, you were certain that he was soon to get an influx of friends and colleagues popping round to make sure he really was alright.

"Anyway, what about you?" he asked, changing the subject. "Hows things been since you went back to school? Is it still as mind-numbingly boring as I remember it?"

"Yeah. In fact its twice as boring now. Now that I don't have my asshole best friend for company!" you joked, filling him in then on what had been happening, which sadly wasn't much.

School was pretty much the same as it always was, as was everyone in it. The teachers, the students. You did tell him about how you now had to hang with Danny and Chris a lot more, as well as passing on all the messages of sympathy you'd received over his 'passing'. Randall was actually rather surprised by how many, having always talked a good game about how popular he was, while in actual fact being rather self deprecating underneath.

"Just goes to show, huh," he chuckled, "Seems people like me a lot more now than I'm dead, than they ever did when I was alive!"

This obviously wasn't true and he knew it. He just had a habit of winding people up quite a bit. And seeing how you weren't exactly at the top of the social ladder, people didn't quite cut you the same slack as they would others. Not that Randall actually ever seemed to care. School for him was just one big pain and the ass and he was glad to be out of it.

"I take it you haven't made your move on Allison Lowry then?"

Allison Lowry was another senior at school. A girl you'd had your eye on for quite some time. Chatting and flirting with her occasionally, but having gone no further than that. She was pretty damn cute though, and pretty damn sweet. And you did really like her. For some reason however, Randall and her had never quite managed to see eye to eye.

"No, surprisingly enough," you responded, this being a playful little dig he'd often make. Which was ironic considering his own track record with girls. "I've kinda had other things on my mind actually." Mainly, this whole crazy situation with him.

"Well, I'm just saying, you've got this whole sympathy thing going for you now. I'd strike while the iron is hot. Girls just love a **** man."

"Yeah. You should know, huh?" you laughed, turning it back on its head. It being your turn now to make a dig.

This didn't go down quite as well as you would have liked though. Randall suddenly becoming slightly uncomfortable. "Well I... I uh, I don't know about that. I'm just telling you what I heard."

Though you'd only meant it as a joke, seeing his reaction made it more than obvious that this was a rather touchy subject. He was a woman now - A heterosexual woman at that. His own chances of a relationship with someone like Allison, someone your own age (and possibly even gender), had just gone from slim to nil.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to..." you quickly tried to apologize, realizing your mistake (and having not meant to be quite so insensitive).

"It's cool," he grinned, brushing it quickly off. "Who needs those bitchy high school chicks anyway? I've got everything I need right here!" Indicating downwards towards his crotch with his eyes, Randall's smirk quickly vanished as he realized what he'd he just said... and to who. "Oh... uh, Shit! Sorry, dude. I'm uh, your Auntie now. You don't want to hear that!"

"Don't worry about it," you told him, feeling your face flush slightly red. The thought of your Auntie jerking off - or more accurately, Randall in your Auntie's body jerking off, having really not been something you'd considered up until right now.

Trying to save face, you then awkwardly joked, "I suppose that's uh, one of the perks or something right?"

"Something like that, yeah..." he too blushed. Conversations like the ones you used to have about girls, tits and pussies no longer being quite the same for either of you, seeing as Randall now was one and actually had both those things.

As embarrassed as you were though, you realized this was actually a pretty big deal. He'd drawn your attention to the fact that he was indeed an entirely different gender, with entirely different parts. He now got to experience something no man, not even with the most advanced gender reassignment could every possibly hope to experience. He'd gone to the other side. Looked behind the curtain. He was a woman now. An honest to God, biological woman. What the hell must that feel like? You just had to know...

"So uh, what's it like... you know being my Auntie? ... being a woman? Does it feel like totally different or similar, or what?"

"Uhm, hard to say," he said, after contemplating this for a moment. "It's kind of similar, but different at the same time. Some things in particular take a lot longer to get used to than others..." His gaze then drifted their way down to his chest to indicate precisely what he was meaning, before returning once more to you. "There seems to be a lot more maintenance and that kind of thing too. All the hair, make up, and nails and shit. Plus all the different clothes you have to put on. It really is like being an entirely different species!"

It certainly sounded it. Women having always been something of a mystery to you.

"Plus... I, uh... I kind of had... you know, down there..." he then continued, pointing downwards.

Realizing that he was of course referring to his period, you immediately cringed. "Oh shit. Jesus. Was it... was it like totally gross?" This being one aspect of womanhood that most definitely mysterious, and most definitely not a perk.

"Yeah. I totally wasn't prepared for it. I tell you, those damn tampon commercials have a lot to answer for."

"Eww. I think you can spare me the details on the one, dude," you told him, not really wanting to know. What you were now picturing being bad enough.

"With pleasure," he agreed, clearly not wanting to go into it either.

Returning his attention to the game you were both currently playing - Randall's score currently annihilating your own - he then gloated, "Well it's good to know some things don't change anyway. I can still kick your ass at video games!"

"You're just lucky is all," you mumbled, having hoped his much longer fingernails might have hindered him this time.

"Yeah right. Keep telling yourself that. Anyway, I'll need to get myself a new one of these soon. Can't very well use the same XBox Live ID if I'm supposed to be dead. Good thing I've got myself a job." A pretty well paying job at that.

"Yeah. Plus all that money from the hospital," you added, recalling the payoff they'd given you all (your share sadly being in the hands of your parents).

Laughing at this, Randall smiled, "Maybe I'll get two then. I can give one to my favorite nephew for his birthday. You probably need twice as much practice to beat me anyway!"