Disclaimer: I don’t own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX. The character, Franz, is mine. This is an AU of season three.
Chapter One- Reflection
Chazz closed his eyes as he sat on the floor of his room at the Princeton mansion. It was the summer after his second year at Duel Academy and he had been surprised when his brothers had invited him to spend the summer at home. Slade and Jagger made it clear that they wanted to reconnect with their little brother.
Heh, I don’t buy it, he thought. They’re up to something. I’m just not sure what it is. Well, I’ll be prepared whenever they put their plan into action. I have my own reason for coming home.
Chazz’s mind drifted back to the previous year. He had been, for lack of a better term, brainwashed into joining The Society of Light early on in the year and, as a result, had very little memory of the year. He had turned to Jaden and the others to learn of what had gone on before he came back to his senses.
Yes, despite being told of what happened, he had felt off-center about himself, unsure of himself. Yes, he had regained his old personality, but he still felt off.
What better place to center one’s self than at home? Yes, I need to throw off the uncertainty I’ve felt since being freed from that society. I need to remember who I am. I am Chazz Princeton, soon-to-be third year student at Duel Academy. I am in Slifer Red, but I am a strong duelist nonetheless. Slade and Jagger wanted me to be the top duelist in the dueling world and they still do. I plan to be a professional duelist but to be the top duelist is not of interest to me anymore. I will graduate and I don’t need to be the top duelist at school. Any manager would love to have a client who attended the best dueling school in the world.
“I am a strong duelist,” he said aloud, eyes still closed. He knew that speaking his thoughts aloud was important in meditation and he felt good about himself by speaking his thoughts.
“Of course you are,” came the familiar yet annoying voice of Ojama Yellow, the spirit monster he had met back when he was transferring to North Academy. His ability to see Duel Spirits had been unexpected development and he had found it annoying as the spirits tended to hang around all the time until he had gotten better control over his ability. Yet, when the life force in his cards were in jeopardy, like Jaden’s duel against the Sacred Beasts cards, he found he really did care about their well-being.
The presence of the spirits had diminished a bit since the Sacred Beasts cards incident, but Ojama Yellow along with his brothers Green and Black would pop up outside of dueling and he disliked it to the point that he would yell at them which made him look as if he was crazy to the other students for they would seem him yelling at thin air. Only Jaden knew he was talking to the Ojamas. He hadn’t heard from the brothers most of last year due to him tossing away his deck while under the society’s influence. It was Jaden using them in his deck that helped break the society’s control over him and he welcomed them back to his deck.
“You three drive me cray but I did miss you,” he admitted before adding, “Don’t think I’m going soft, though. You’re still as annoying as ever.”
“You do care about us,” Yellow insisted in a singsong way. “You just don’t show it.”
“Of course I don’t. It would ruin my image. I don’t need people thinking I’m insane.”
I know Jaden and his roommates wouldn’t think I’m insane; after all that Slacker sees duel spirits and talks to them too. I haven’t seen his new duel spirits but I will once school starts and Jaden gets dueling again.
The thought of dueling got him to dwell on last year again. When he first joined the society, he had felt at peace with the world and he had expressed this to his friends; needless to say, it had no impact on them except being annoyed with him.
He had possessed a strong deck under the society’s influence and he had been told that he had defeated most of Obelisk with it. He felt stunned at this pronouncement and then horror when told he had defeated Alexis and converted her to the society. Aside from his first few days, he did not remember anything else about the society. He wondered if the society had a magic that drove the memories from a defeated member. I’m not going to dwell on that or any other part of it. It’s over and I’m back to normal.
A knock sounded and one of the staff members called, “Mr. Princeton? Dinner is ready and your brothers are waiting.”
“I’m coming.” Yellow vanished as Chazz rose from the floor, went to the door, and opened it to see no one. He went down the hall, then the stairs, and entered the dining room to find three place settings with food and drink and his brothers already seated.
“You’ve been keeping to yourself, little bro,” Slade said as Chazz sat.
“I had a rough year and needed to come to terms with it,” Chazz snapped.
“Surely, it’s nothing a Princeton couldn’t handle,” Jagger commented.
“You have no idea what happened to me. I have no idea of everything that went on and had to have my classmates tell me.” He drank some of his juice.
“Fine,” Slade said. “So, for your final year, it would be appreciated if you got yourself back into Obelisk Blue before you graduate.”
Chazz inwardly sighed. It was another talk of The Plan. It was once something he had supported wholeheartedly but the pressure became too much and he ultimately gave up on it. He found he became a far better duelist without all that pressure. But his brothers refused to ease up on him.
“I don’t need to be in Obelisk. I’m a strong duelist regardless of what dorm I’m in. Remember when I beat you with cards with 500 attack points or less? That should have proven my strength. I can take any challenge and win it.”
“That’s not The Plan, Chazz,” Slade rebuked. “Politics, Finances, and Duel Monsters. We’ve done our parts and now it’s your turn.”
“I don’t care anymore. Duel Monsters is a very competitive field. Let’s say I succeeded on my part. I won’t be on top forever. Sooner or later, I’ll face a duelist who’s stronger than everyone else and I’ll lose.”
“That’s why it’s important to make sure that doesn’t happen,” Jagger said.
“How about waiting for me to graduate before I try to do my part? Managers care about strong duelists from top-notch schools, not where they’re placed while at school. Plus, our family name is famous. Managers will be lining up to have me as their client.”
There was silence as the brothers ate and drank but Chazz could tell that Slade and Jagger were thinking about what he said and this gave him hope that he had convinced them. Slade spoke again as Chazz drained his glass.
“You raise a valid point, more than one actually. Managers do care more about where their clients were educated at and their relative strength. Whether you’re an Obelisk or not, you have proven you’re strong and our surname commands respect. Speaking of which, have you thought of continuing the Princeton line?”
“Of course,” Chazz said, feeling at ease with the change in topic. “I’ve got my eye on one girl in particular but I do have others in mind as well.”
“So, no girlfriend yet?” Jagger cut in.
“No, but it’ll only be a matter of time. I’d like to think I’ve matured since my first year at the Academy. I’ve thought back on my approaches to my number one choice and believe a straight out approach will work better than a complicated scheme.”
“Sometime a simple plan works best. It has been found that there are less things that can go wrong with simple plans,” Jagger said.
“Exactly,” Chazz said before getting and leaving the room, feeling hopeful that his brothers would ease up on him doing his part for the family.
Chapter Two- Woman Talk
Chazz came partially awake due to Yellow saying in a confused tone, “Boss?” Chazz ignored him, preferring to drift back to sleep. He sensed Yellow hovering nearby and swatted at the spirit, even though the hand would go through Yellow, but there were times when he would strike Yellow and he would vanish a brief period of time; this time his hand went through the spirit.
“Boss, I think you need to wake up.”
Chazz murmured, indicating he was awake and listening.
“It’s just that, well…you’re a girl now.”
Chazz gave a snort of disbelief.
“I mean it. You’re a girl.”
“He’s right,” came Black’s voice.
“He certainly is,” added Green with his trademark chuckle.
They’re delusional, he thought. People don’t spontaneously change into the opposite sex. He felt a tickling sensation on the back of his neck and he reached back to deal with it and his fingers felt hair. He frowned as he sat up, opened his eyes, and ran a hand over his hair. It felt a little longer, at least to his shoulders. A weight on his chest made him look down and scream as he pulled the sheet over his naked upper body, the top having popped the buttons and slid off him while he turned over in his sleep. He was a girl!
She had a chest the same size as Alexis and her spiky hair had flattened to her shoulders. She had no doubt that she looked cute at the very least, pretty at most. She also had no doubt how it happened. They must have spiked my drink last night! That’s the only way. I’m going to demand some answers!
She swung her legs out of bed and stood up, resulting in her pajama bottoms to fall down as did her underwear. She grimaced as she hitched both up and headed to her closet. I’ll need a belt to hold my pants up, she thought. She opened the closet and was reaching for a pair of pants, but paused upon seeing two cardboard boxes on the closet floor that she was sure wasn’t there before she went to dinner last night. Curious, she opened one and her mouth dropped. There were female clothes in it! She opened the other box to find shoes and undergarments as well as women’s toiletries.
They’ve been planning this! Possibly for months! She scowled as she dug through the boxes for something to wear. She managed to find a female version of her school uniform that she had been wearing ever since her return from North Academy. She pulled on a pair of boots, ran a brush through her hair, and left the room with her trademark scowl in place.
The clicking of heels caught Slade’s attention and he shared a smirk with Jagger. They both knew what they were going to see and looked forward to the conversation that was soon to come. The clicking grew louder and Chazz entered, predictably looking annoyed and angry. She had clearly found the boxes as her outfit fit her perfectly.
She folded her arms over her breasts. “I knew you were up to something and I want answers!” She continued to scowl but she inwardly winced at her voice as it was high-pitched due to her anger.
“I said that you should try to continue our family line,” Slade said. “Honestly, Chazz, you were not really a ladies’ man. We agreed that you would have a better chance of a Princeton heir if you were a woman. It’s clear to me that you are cute and surely you’ll catch someone’s eye and interest.”
“So…I am assuming that this is irreversible,” she stated.
“You assume correctly.”
“This is sick,” she said. “You couldn’t think that I may be a ladies’ man while being a pro, so you decided to change me into a girl to insure an heir. Is that about right?”
“Yes.”
Chazz gave them a burning glare before storming from the room and back up to her room. She stared at her image in the mirror. She found it hard to believe that she was stuck like this. This is me now. I don’t look all that different so I won’t be mistaken for a freshman. She traced the shape of her face and examined her facial features. Okay, my face doesn’t look much like my face, but it’s subtle. My eyes are still the same color, but they’re wider and softer-looking. My lips are full and also softer. The angles of my face are curves now. She stepped back to take in the overall look. Yeah, I could pass for my twin sister; if I had one.
A knock sounded and a woman’s voice said, “Chazz? May I come in?”
She blinked at the unfamiliar voice before saying, “I suppose so.” The door opened and a woman with red hair in a close-cropped style and wearing a female staff’s uniform stepped in and closed the door. She flashed a smile that seemed somewhat familiar and her soft blue eyes looked equally familiar. “Master Chazz.”
Chazz gasped as recognition hit her. “Franz?”
Franz inclined her head. “I had hoped you would recognize me.”
“But…why are you a woman?”
“Your brothers wanted a test subject for the formula and then told me I could assist you in being female.”
“This is just sick,” Chazz said as she paced back and forth. “They get some demented idea that I’d be unable to marry a woman and decide that I would be the woman.”
“I agree that it is sick,” Franz said. “However, I’ve had months to adjust and experience my body’s physical and emotional aspects.”
“Months,” Chazz repeated. “I’ve got at least one month before I go back to school.” Her lips flicked up into a small smirk. “Well, I don’t need help in putting on a bra as I’m wearing one right now. I only wish it didn’t have to be so restrictive.”
“I thought the same thing at first. Now, it feels natural and comfortable.”
Chazz nodded. “I’ll get used to it. Franz,” Chazz then said with mild concern. “What do I do if some schoolmates try to flirt with me?”
“If they do, you can tell them to back off. I did that with some of the men working here. I reminded them that my body may have changed but I was still male on the inside.”
“Yes,” Chazz said, feeling a bit cheered up. “Inside I am still the same Chazz Princeton I’ve always been.”
“Exactly.”
“You know that I’m not oblivious to how a girl’s body works. I saw the pads in one of the boxes.” She tilted her head to the closet. “I know what they’re for and why periods happen.”
“That’s good, but knowing that can’t prepare you for the mood swings that could surface.”
“Maybe, but I’m a teenager and we tend to be emotional as a whole.”
“I’m just concerned that you may cry before you go back.”
“Cry? Why would I do that?”
“Hormones. You’re female and we tend to be more emotional than men. Think: You changed gender overnight. That loss is going to hit you hard at some point, maybe several times.”
“I see. Well, I’ll be sure to seek your comfort if I do. Oh and you need to call me Mistress Chazz now.”
“Yes, Mistress Chazz.”
Chapter Three- Revised Plan
Sheppard stared at the young woman on his screen before shaking his head slightly. “So, this isn’t a joke your brothers were trying to pull.”
“I wish it was a joke,” Chazz replied, noting Sheppard’s slight reaction to her voice. “Did they tell you it can’t be reversed?”
“They did and also why they did this which I believe was wrong. I see you found a female version of your usual clothes.”
“Yeah. I was surprised, given my brothers’ position of me being a girl.”
“Yes and I regret to inform you that you will need to conform to wear what is expected of female students.”
Chazz’s jaw twitched. “A girl’s uniform.”
“Yes. A Slifer one.”
Her lips flicked up in slight amusement. “As if being the only girl in Slifer wasn’t enough, I’ll be wearing a uniform that will stick out as much as my current one.”
“You forget, Chazz? Blair Flannigan will be starting Duel Academy this year and she will be in Slifer as well.”
“Oh. Yeah.” She remembered now. She and Blair had been the last two participants and dueled for first place. Chazz had won, but Blair requests to attend the Academy next school year had been granted. “Okay, one of two girls in Slifer.”
“Yes. I would like for you to return two days before school starts so you can get settled in again. I’m holding a rally the day before school starts.”
“A rally?”
“Yes. We will have four duelists, one from each of our branch schools, visiting us and staying for the year. Blair has been asked to recite the Duel Academy oath to open the rally.”
“She accepted, I imagine.”
“Indeed. I will have Dorothy deliver your uniforms to you when you arrive.”
“Thanks, Chancellor.”
“I’ll see you at the rally and I am sorry about your change.” The screen blinked off and Chazz leaned back to stare at the ceiling.
New uniforms. Red and white, of course. I’ll be wearing a skirt like all the other girls. I’m sure that Sheppard will inform the entire school about my change and change my profile’s gender to female.
So, there’s going to be a rally to welcome four foreign duelists. One from each of the four branches: South, East, West, and of course, North. I wonder what they’ll be like and what kind of decks they use. Hopefully, I’ll duel one of them.
Chazz changed her clothes before climbing into bed. It had been a long and irritating day. She had skipped breakfast due to the shock of her change. When she came down for lunch and dinner, her brothers had greeted her with smug smirks which she returned with her patented glares. I was a fool. They disowned me after the school duel, didn’t contact me after I beat one of them in a duel, and I didn’t hear from them all last year until the last day of classes. I shouldn’t have accepted their invitation to come home, despite feeling it would help me to push past the feelings of last year.
She was also mad that her favorite staff member had her gender changed too. It had occurred months ago so Franz wasn’t angry about it anymore, but Chazz suspected that she resented being used as a test subject as it could have killed her or had a horrible effect on her. I’m lucky it didn’t as she’s almost like a close friend and now a guide to being a girl. You know, I might start wearing skirts and dresses as I’ll be wearing the former during the coming school year. She slowly exhaled as she fell asleep.
Chazz looked through the boxes when she awoke to see what she had. Most of her clothes were in neutral colors: Black, navy blue, and white. She found red and purple color as well as a little pink and pastel shades. Her shoes ranged from sneakers to heels to boots, and flats. There were slacks and blouses as well as skirts and dresses.
I suspect that Franz did most of the shopping as only a few of the clothes are girly colors. She knows me well. She selected a black skirt and a simple white blouse which she put on over a bra, pantyhose, and black flats. She looked into the mirror. Heh, not bad. Maybe I should add a black business jacket? She shook her head. No, this is fine and besides, I didn’t see any business jackets in the box. She brushed her hair and then left the room, deciding to work on her closet after breakfast.
Jagger looked her up and down as she sat down. “Not going to fight it, little sis?” he asked, stressing the last word.
“Of course not,” she replied. “If it was reversible, than I would fight it, but since it’s not, fighting is pointless.” She fixed both with a stern look. “I will state, again, that this is a sick thing to do to someone and if an heir is so important, why don’t one of you get married?”
“We’ve done our parts for world domination,” Slade said just as sternly. “You’ve chosen to abandon your part so we chose another part for you that can’t fail: A future Princeton who will be top in Duel Monsters. Jagger and I may marry later only our children will inherit a legacy while yours will have to work for it.”
“Maybe not. I can still do my part to a lesser degree and my child can build on it.”
“A lesser degree?” Jagger thumped a hand on the table as he stood. “What happened to you, Chazz? You were placed in the Obelisk dorm and in less than a year, you transfer to North Academy only to return to Duel Academy as a Slifer. A Slifer!”
Chazz rose to her feet. “I had to start at Slifer as I was returning as a new student.”
“You could have advanced last year, but you didn’t!”
“I could have if that lousy Crowler hadn’t messed it up for me. Then, there was that incident that kept me from thinking of advancing.” Chazz chose not to mention that her place at Slifer is far nicer than the one she had at Obelisk.
“You know,” Slade said as Jagger sat back down. “You haven’t told us the specifics of this incident. Perhaps you could fill us in now?”
Chazz stared down at the table. “I don’t know if I can. Most of what went on was given to me secondhand and it sounds crazy, though it’s all true.”
“Try to explain.”
“Okay.” She sat down and took a deep breath. “An evil force from space possessed a man and, through him, used its powers to brainwash any duelist who lost into a willing worshipper to what was called The Light of Destruction. I was the first victim. While under its influence, I converted others. When Jaden defeated me, I was free of its influence but I don’t remember what I did. Jaden later defeated that evil force using new cards that had a space theme.”
“An evil force from space?” Jagger said skeptically.
“Brainwashed?” Slade added just as skeptically. “You expect us to believe that and, even if we did, you lost twice the entire year and one was a Slifer.”
“I’m a Slifer and Jaden is the top duelist at school. I’ve gotten to know him and his friends and they are the friendliest and warmest people I have ever met. In my opinion, I think I’ve become a better duelist thanks to them.” Chazz rose and left the room before either brother could respond. I meant everything I just said and I can’t wait to go back to school and see them.
Chapter Four- Impulses
“You were brainwashed?” Franz gasped as Chazz worked on her closet. “Chazz, that’s awful.”
“I knew you would believe me,” she said as she switched out her shoes. “I have no memory of what I did and had to hear it from my friends.”
“Your friends. It’s nice that you have classmates that you know and trust enough to be your friends.”
“Yes. They’ve shown me what faith in yourself and how the support of friends can affect the outcome of a duel. One moment you’re on the edge of defeat and the next you draw a card that turns it around in your favor and it’s all because your friends are there and believe in you. I was ignorant of that and didn’t understand until I returned to Duel Academy.” She took several shirts off their hangers, replaced them with her new shirts and blouses, and put the old ones in the box that had been emptied of her shoes, undergarments, and toiletries. She then tackled a few hangers with clips, taking the pants and trousers off and replacing them with skirts, jeans, and slacks.
“Chazz? Tell me about your friends. You don’t have to say a lot about them, just a little will be fine.”
“Well, there’s Jaden Yuki. His grades aren’t good, but his dueling skills are incredible. He’s the one who’s proven that one can win when defeat seems certain. Then, there’s Syrus Truesdale. He, at first, was terrible at dueling and had low self-esteem due to his older brother being the top duelist at the time. He improved quite a bit this past year.
“Tyranno Hassleberry was a Ra freshman who lost to Jaden and chose to room with him believing he had much to learn and that Jaden could teach him. Bastion Misawa is the smartest student in my year and is a Ra student. He devises formulas and theorems to create different decks so he’s always prepared for whatever duel he’ll encounter.
“Atticus Rhodes is the same age as Syrus’ brother and went missing during his second year. He came back during my first year. He repeated his second year alongside my classmates and me. He has a sister who’s in my year. Her name is Alexis and she…” Chazz trailed off as she recalled saying that she was going to just come out and tell Alexis she loved her. I can’t tell her now. I’m a girl too and she likely prefers guys to girls. She busied herself with her clothes to hide her unshed tears that had started welling up.
Franz had listened to Chazz and when she stopped, it was easy to tell that she had broken off. Franz blinked at this. Did she love this Alexis? “Chazz, is Alexis your girlfriend?” Chazz didn’t answer, but Franz then saw her shoulders shaking. She got up, went over to the younger woman, and put a hand on her shoulder. “Chazz?”
Chazz turned and Franz saw her eyes swimming with tears. She threw herself at Franz and cried while Franz held her and stroked her short hair with one hand while the other arm went around her back. She said nothing, just held Chazz and let her cry in silence.
Slowly, her tears and sobs ceased and she pulled back, wiping the stains from her cheeks. “Feel better?” Franz asked.
“I do…at least a little,” she admitted, surprised at how crying helped.
“Crying is a good emotional release. I learned that myself. The loss of my true gender hit me hard a few days after I changed. I had realized that I had not shaved, but when I went to the bathroom to do so and saw no facial hair, that was when it hit me. I sat on the floor and cried hard. I felt a lot better afterwards.”
Chazz managed a smile. “I think I needed to hear that.”
“I think so too. So…this Alexis. Is she your girlfriend?”
“No. She never was. I became enamored with her late in my first years and embarked on a stupid plan to impress her. We had a duel as part of the plan. I lost and she said that she loved dueling and was not looking for romance. I had thought of telling her flat out that I love her but now that’s out of the question. I’m sure that if she did become interested in romance, she would likely prefer guys to girls.”
“I see. But she is a good friend, right?”
“Not as good as the others, most likely because of how I act around her.”
“Well, you could apologize to her and ask for her friendship. She could assist you during the coming school year as I will not be able to.”
“Yes. I could and I will. It would be nice if we could be good friends before we go our separate ways.”
“Any chance you might fall for one of your other friends?”
“Possibly but right now I don’t think so. I don’t see any of them in a romantic way.”
“Well, it’s only been a little over twenty-four hours since your change. Romantic feelings could show up months from now.”
“You have personal experience with that?”
“No. I found a few men I thought were good-looking but I had no romantic feeling for them. A couple tried to flirt with me, but I put a stop to that, as I told you yesterday.”
“Girls flirt too,” Chazz pointed out. “They’re well-known for that.”
“Yes, that’s true. It’s usually with bright smiles and occasional batting of eyes. Compliments also work.”
“Batting of eyes?” Chazz repeated, sounding disgusted. “Why would some girls thin that is a way to flirt?”
“Some guys like that. It depends on the guy.”
“I won’t do that; if I did, it could creep out my classmates.”
Franz smiled in amusement. “I understand. You’ve known them for two years and they know you. You could end up indulging in some female behavior due to your hormones.”
“Like makeup and hairstyles?” Chazz asked, not liking those possibilities but they sounded better than batting one’s eyes as a way to flirt.
“Maybe. Maybe not. There is a chance that you won’t act like a girl at all.”
“Oh, I may act like one once in a while and I’m okay with that. After all, this is irreversible.”
“That’s true, but I don’t want you to change too much. I don’t want to lose the person I’ve always known.”
“I will try to be myself as much as possible.”
“Good.” Franz’s eyes twinkled then. “Gossip?”
“Sorry?”
“Gossip. Girls are known to gossip from time to time.”
“Have you done that?”
“On a couple of occasions when on my days off. I do have some women who are my friends. It was a bit of a shock for them when I called them to explain.”
“Well, the chancellor’s taking care of that.” Chazz grabbed her PDA and showed her a message to her that said that he had sent a different message to everyone else. “But, it’ll still be a shock when they see me.”
“It will. My friends were proof of that but now, they treat me like one of the girls.”
Chazz found it a little odd too hear her friend speak easily of being a woman. But then again, she’s been this way for months. I just changed so in a matter of months, I’ll be the same way.
Chapter Five- Public Reveal
The month passed with Chazz having to deal with her brothers’ smirks and being reminded of her new part The Plan as well as her body’s functions. She got her period hallway through her second week as a girl and went through it feeling irritable and angry at times. When either feeling passed, she felt bad about those flashes until they resurfaced. It was a relief when her period ended, though she knew it would return next month and not exactly the same as before.
The day before the rally came and Chazz, dressed in her usual school clothes, hugged Franz as they stood on the roof with the family helicopter nearby. “Call me whenever you want,” Franz said.
“I will and thank you for your help.” They broke apart, Chazz grabbed her bag of essentials, and got onto the helicopter. She looked down at Franz until the mansion was out of sight and then turned to centering herself and to just be herself. Everything will be fine if I just act like I always have been.
“We’re coming up on Academy Island, Miss Princeton,” the co-pilot said, hours later.
“Thanks,” she said as she got out her PDA and sent Dorothy a message that she was almost there and would meet her at her place at Slifer. The helicopter touched down and Chazz disembarked. The helicopter took off once she had left the landing pad and Chazz made her way to her dorm, glad to be back. She was away from her awful brothers and would be among her friends and schoolmates very soon.
“Chazz!” came Dorothy’s voice and Chazz turned to see the shop clerk with a push cart and on it was a couple of cardboard boxes that had to contain her uniforms. “Chazz. My goodness. The chancellor told me personally you were a girl but I didn’t really want to believe it.”
“I had similar feelings when I awoke on my second day as a girl,” Chazz admitted as she opened the door. “I wanted to think it was a dream but when I sat up, I realized that it wasn’t.”
Dorothy put the boxes on the floor. “Well, here are your new uniforms.”
“I appreciate this. Will you be at the rally?”
Dorothy shook her head. “No, but I’m sure it’ll be interesting.”
“I could tell you about it.”
Dorothy smiled and gently patted Chazz’s cheek. “That’s sweet of you, but it’s not necessary. Thanks anyway, Chazz.” She left the room and closed the door.
Chazz opened the boxes and looked in. She saw a girl’s uniform just like Alexis’ except the blue parts were red included the gloves and boots, the latter being in the second box. She carried them to her bedroom closet in trips before laying one out and changing clothes.
She looked at her image critically. She couldn’t say if red and white suited her but the uniform certainly accented her figure. I do look really nice.
Whoa,” said Yellow as he appeared at her shoulder. “Boss, you’re really pretty.”
“Heh, not going to argue with that,” she said. She exited her room just as a knock sounded at her front door followed by Jaden’s voice calling, “Hey, Chazz. Dorothy said you’re back.”
Chazz sighed softly before going to the door and pulling it open so that she was behind it. She heard three sets of footsteps enter and then stop. “Uh, Chazz?” Jaden said. “Where are you?”
She pushed the door closed and stood against it as she replied, “Heh, right here, Slacker.”
Jaden turned as did Syrus and Hassleberry and he stared at Chazz. He had gotten the message from Sheppard about Chazz like all the others, but it was still a shock to see Chazz female and wearing a girl’s uniform. He took in the overall effect and flashed his usual grin. “That uniform looks good on you.”
“I thought so too. Sheppard made it clear that I am to wear the same uniform like the other girls.”
“You’re really going to stand out,” Syrus said. “I heard that Blair will wear a normal red jacket, though without the sleeves like Hassleberry here and will wear different clothes underneath it.”
“I prefer to stand out,” she said. “By the way, Syrus. Congratulations on your promotion.” She gestured to his Obelisk Blue coat, noticing it was the same style she had worn once.
“Uh, thanks. I got new glasses too.”
Chazz blinked. “They look like the same ones you’ve worn before.”
“They’re new. Really.”
“They do look shiner like a new pair would,” she said. Sy could have gotten a new pair with the same frame. That would explain why no one noticed it.
Another knock sounded and Chazz turned to open it to see Atticus and Alexis. The older sibling flashed his winning smile. “Is there a pretty girl living here?” he quipped as Chazz let them in.
“Clever, Atticus,” she said sarcastically. “Really witty.”
“Same old Chazz,” Alexis commented. “At least your personality hasn’t changed.”
“I made sure it didn’t despite my body and hormones,” she said, heading to the couch and sitting.
“It must have been a challenging month for you,” Alexis said as she sat beside Chazz.
Chazz felt her heart thumping harder at Alexis’ proximity to her. She still loved Alexis and couldn’t imagine that changing. It’s like I told Franz: I don’t see myself falling for a guy.
“It was informative. What exactly was in the message that Sheppard sent?”
“Here.” Alexis fished out her device, turned it on, and brought up the message before handing it over. Chazz read it quickly before handing it back.
“I neglected to tell him that my brothers tested the formula on my favorite staff member months before I came home.”
“Well, that wasn’t right,” spoke up Hassleberry.
“Yes, but she gave me comfort and support as I adjusted to my change. I am grateful for the help she gave me and told me to message her whenever I want.”
“I would be willing to provide assistance if you need it,” Alexis said.
Chazz briefly blushed before putting a hand on top of one of Alexis’. “I would like that.” She smiled.
Alexis smiled back. She hadn’t missed the blush, though it seems the others did. She still loves me; despite her gender, her feelings for me haven’t changed. I plan to go pro like everyone else. I won’t have time for romance and I may have to remind Chazz of that fact.
“Alexis,” Chazz said. “I regret my actions toward you these last two years. I would like us to be better friends by the end of the year.”
Alexis was a bit surprised at Chazz’s words. She’s in touch with her emotions and seems more grown-up than before. “Chazz,” she began to say.
“Please, Alexis,” Chazz interrupted. “I know I was wrong to steal the spirit keys to get you to duel me just to prove my love. In hindsight, I shouldn’t have listened to your brother.” She fired a glare at Atticus. “I was also wrong to duel you while in that society.” She paused for a second as she re-assessed her past behavior. “On second thought, I’d like to be friends as I never took the time to know you.”
“Whoa, Chazz. I always thought of you as a friend when you transferred back here. Even when you were being a jerk, you were still a friend.”
“Really?”
“Yes. I’d like to be better friends, too.”
“Thank you,” she said.
Chapter Six- Duel Spirits
Chazz nodded at her schoolmates as she headed for the rally the next day. She did like the double takes or lingering looks as she passed. She had found that she truly did stand out when she went to breakfast. She was the only one wearing a uniform that was more white than red. The boys greeted her as usual but she caught a few glancing at her, but she ignored it. She was determined to be her usual self, albeit, with a few female things, like periods.
The looks of the Ra and Obelisk students were just like the Slifer students. The girls smiled at her in a friendly way and she returned it. She still found them cute and knew that she might not like girls later on but for now, her feelings for girls remained unchanged.
She saw Syrus and Hassleberry standing off to one side and lookingd up. She also looked up to see Jaden sitting cross-legged on the roof. His mouth was moving and appeared to be looking at thin air as he did so. Of course, Chazz knew better; Jaden was talking to his duel spirits. Unlike her, Jaden loved talking to them even though others thought he was crazy.
“Does he really think he’s talkin’ to duel spirits?” she heard Hassleberry ask Syrus.
“He does and he is,” she spoke up as she approached them. “That doesn’t make him crazy, it makes him special. Besides, I don’t think he cares what others think of him.”
“You’re…sure he’s talking to his cards?” Syrus asked, still looking at Jaden.
“I’m sure. You know, I can see spirits too, right Sy? During the time with the Spirit Keys when the Dark Scorpions tried to steal the keys without dueling for them?”
“Oh, yeah. I couldn’t see them but you wouldn’t lie about seeing them just to expose the Dark Scorpions.”
“Wait,” Hassleberry said. “You can see duel spirits too? You can talk to them?”
“Yes,” she said. She had no reason to deny it seeing as she had just spoken of it to Syrus. “I don’t enjoy it like Jaden does, but it can be useful at times. Just don’t go spreading it around. It’s enough that everyone’s talking about me being a girl.”
“What is it like?” Syrus asked suddenly.
“What?” Chazz said, blinking.
“Well, everyone’s talking about you being a girl but no one’s talking to you about it. What’s it like?”
Chazz’s expression was thoughtful as she sought to describe it. “To be honest, I never really gave any thought to what it’s like. I was busy adjusting to new clothes, dealing with female thoughts and emotions as well as how I might act and putting up with my brothers’ smug looks at how they tricked me.”
“Well, maybe this would be a good time to think about it.”
Chazz tilted her head as she truly thought about being a girl. “It doesn’t seem too bad. For one thing, I have more clothing and shoe choices outside of school. I also seem to be attracting more attention which I like. My body felt awkward at first but now it feels…comfortable, I suppose, more natural now.”
Syrus nodded slowly. “Yeah. A new body would take time to get used to.” His eyes looked up and down before shaking his head slightly. “I saw you yesterday but you are really pretty, especially with that uniform.”
Chazz felt her cheeks grow hot at the comment, finding it odd that she didn’t react this way when Atticus called her pretty, so why now? Perhaps it’s because I live in the same dorm as Syrus, eat in the same cafeteria, and…he’s a closer friend than Atticus. “I’m aware of that,” she said, not giving any indication that she had been wondering about her blush.
The trio then entered the school, but Chazz climbed up to the roof, thinking this might be the perfect chance to see Jaden’s Neo-Spacian monsters. She really had no memory of Jaden’s monsters and found that she wanted to know them.
She approached the top and heard Jaden talking. She was about to emerge but froze when she heard her name. “You remember Chazz, right? Yeah, that’s Chazz. Well, last month Chazz became a girl because of her brothers. Personally, I think she’s really pretty but she’s just a friend.”
“Well good because I have no intention of having a boyfriend,” Chazz said as she came up. She found Jaden exactly where she had seen him but around him were seven odd-looking monster spirits.
Jaden turned around with his usual grin. “Oh, hey Chazz.”
She inclined her head slightly before saying, “Care to introduce me to your spirit friends?”
“You sure about that, Boss?” asked Yellow as he materialized above her shoulder before hiding behind it so only his eyes were visible. “I mean, they look scary.”
Chazz rolled her eyes. “Give me a break. I think they look cool as opposed to a certain yellow freak I could name.”
Yellow made a sad sound before he vanished. Chazz hitched up a smile as she said, “So. Your friends, Slacker?”
Jaden almost melted at her smile. It was really charming. He cleared his throat and switched mental tracks. He stood and introduced his cards, pointing at them as he did so. “These are Elemental Hero Neos, Neo-Spacian Aqua Dolphin, Air Hummingbird, Flare Scarab, Grand Mole, Glow Moss, and Dark Panther.” Everyone, this is Chazz Princeton.”
“This young lady can see us?” Aqua Dolphin asked. “I mean, I know she was talking to a spirit of her own.”
“Yeah, I can see you,” Chazz said. “If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have asked for introductions.”
“She is correct,” Neos said. “The ability to see duel spirits is not common but those who possess it often find one another.”
“I’ve only had it for about a year and a half. That was when I met Ojama Yellow.” Her lips then flicked up into an amused smirk.
“I think I missed the joke,” Jaden said.
Chazz waved a hand. “You’re not as it’s something I’ve never told anyone. When I first met Foster who was in disguise at the time, he gave Yellow to me. I was about to toss it when Foster said it was the card that would change my life. He was right. I had learned that I could use any card to win. Every card has its use. The person I was then had changed.”
“Speaking of which,” Jaden said. “Sheppard didn’t mention why you were changed.”
“I noticed that from Alexis’ PDA. Okay. I know you’re aware of the pressure my brothers put on me. It all has to do with what we called The Plan. It was a three-part strategy for world domination. Politics, Finances, and Duel Monsters. It’s obvious which part was mine. Well, they decided to change my part in the plan to providing an heir to the Princeton line. They somehow got it into their heads that I’ll never be a ladies’ man even as a pro so they decided that I would be the woman.”
“Despicable,” Dark Panther growled.
“It is,” Chazz said, finding that she had been right about Jaden’s new spirits. They were cool and understanding about her situation.
“You could have found a woman on the pro circuit,” Jaden said.
“I pointed that out, but by then it was too late. All I can do is finish school and be a pro as I’ve always planned. Jaden…we need to get going. The rally’s going to start.”
“What rally?”
Chazz face-palmed before replying, “The rally to welcome the foreign duelists to our school.” She pulled Jaden to his feet and toward the stairs into the school, the duel spirits vanishing as they did so.
Chapter Seven- The Rally
“Welcome everyone to another year at Duel Academy,” Sheppard said, beaming at his students. “To begin, freshman Blair Flannigan will recite the Duel Academy oath.”
Chazz inwardly moaned at this. The oath was a bit embarrassing to hear, let alone recite it. Blair came up to the front and proudly gave the oath before the entire school. The students clapped and as she headed back to her seat, she gave a smile and a wink to Jaden.
“I thought she had a crush on you, Chazz,” Hassleberry said. “I mean, that’s what everyone else was sayin’,”
“Not anymore, obviously.”
“Now, we are having four duelist joining us this year, one from each of our branch schools.” Sheppard cleared his throat. “From East Academy, Adrian Gecko.”
Gecko! Chazz thought as said student came onto the stage. Her eyes narrowed. Adrian’s family’s company was a rival to Princeton Corp though she wasn’t exactly sure why. She did, however, know that Adrian’s family was richer than hers and she disliked him on that alone. She knew that was a weak excuse, but that was how she felt. I must duel him.
Chazz was so lost in her thoughts about Adrian, she missed the next two introductions but the last one seized her attention as Sheppard said, “And finally from North Academy, Jesse Anderson.”
“Jesse Anderson,” she murmured, certain that he became the top duelist after she left and when year two stared for Jesse was not at North when she had been there; she would have remembered him when she went through the fifty man duel gauntlet.
“You know him?” Jaden asked.
“Not personally. I’ve heard that he possesses the Crystal Beasts cards.” At her friends’ curious looks, she continued, “The Crystal Beasts are a series of seven cards Pegasus created but never released and then gave them away as a tournament prize and it says Jesse Anderson won that tournament.”
“Sweet. I’d love to duel him.”
“Go ahead, Slacker. I have my sights on Adrian Gecko.”
“Why? You got a crush on him?” Hassleberry teased.
Chazz scowled at him. “Of course not. His family is richer than mine and he’s a snob, besides. I can’t stand someone richer than me. Furthermore, I may be a girl, but it’s only my body that’s changed.”
“I don’t know, I thought I saw you blush faintly when Sy commented on how you look in your uniform.”
Chazz now glared at him. “You would do the same if someone complimented you.”
Jaden grinned. “She’s got you there, Hassleberry. So, Chazz. Is it that important that you duel Adrian?”
“There’s only room at this school for one spoiled, rich kid,” she muttered in response as she watched the foreigners leave. I’m sure they’re staying at Obelisk. That’s fine with me.
Suddenly, Jaden stood up, mouth agape before saying, “Chazz, look!” He pointed and Chazz looked to see a duel spirit hovering above the shoulder of Jesse Anderson!
“You think Jesse can see duel spirits too?” she asked.
“I do and I’m gonna ask him about it.” He turned and grabbed Chazz’s hand. “Come on, Chazz.”
“What? Why me?”
“Why? ‘Cause you can see them too and it’s like Neos said earlier. People like us often find one another. Aren’t you a little curious?”
Honestly, Chazz was curious. She wondered if that spirit was one of the Crystal Beasts and, if so, she wanted to see it up close as well as the other cards. My brothers would be jealous if I got to see them while they didn’t. She stood. “Yeah, I am curious. Let’s go.” She joined Jaden on the stairs and hurried after where they had seen the foreign duelist go as the rally ended.
Adrian, Axel, and Jim were nowhere to be seen, but they spied Jesse climbing the stairs to the roof and seemed to be talking to the spirit that looked like a purple cat with a red jewel on the end of its tail. It’s pretty, Chazz thought. It has to be one of the Crystal Beasts. She felt a bit smug at having laid eyes on one while Slade and Jagger had not. Oh, I would love to throw this moment in their faces.
Jaden and Chazz hurried after Jesse and when they go to the roof, Jaden called, “Jesse!” He turned and flashed a warm, friendly smile. “Howdy. You are?” He held out a hand.
“Uh, I’m Jaden Yuki and this is Chazz Princeton.” Jaden took Jesse’s hand and tilted his head at Chazz.
Jesse released Jaden’s hand and held it out to Chazz. “I heard about you, Chazz from when you attended North briefly, though they mentioned you as a guy.”
“I was a guy until a month ago. A formula was mixed into a drink and I became a girl overnight. Believe me, I did not want this.” She shook Jesse’s hand.
“Well of course you didn’t.”
“Jesse,” Jaden said. “Can you see duel spirits?”
Jesse blinked and then grinned. “Sure can. You too?”
“Yeah. Chazz can too.”
“Cool. Nice to know I’m not the only one.”
“You have the Crystal Beasts cards, right?” Chazz asked. “I’d like to see them.”
“I can do better than that,” Jesse said. “Come on out, everyone.”
Chazz startled slightly when seven spirits materialized suddenly but recovered from it.
“Chazz, these are Ruby Carbuckle, Amber Mammoth, Emerald Tortoise, Amethyst Cat, Cobalt Eagle, Topaz Tiger, and Sapphire Pegasus.”
Chazz breathed softly before saying, “They’re beautiful. You’re lucky to have them. My family’s company would be willing to pay millions for them.”
“Well, they are one of a kind cards. Actually, there is one card I’m looking for to complete my deck.”
“What’s it called?” Jaden asked.
“Rainbow Dragon. It can only be summoned when all seven Crystal Beasts are on the field or in the graveyard. It’s supposedly a very beautiful card and I’m tryin’ to pick up leads on its location.”
“I have no doubt it’s beautiful,” Chazz said, thinking of the other seven cards who had vanished after Chazz’s comment about their beauty. “I hope you find it.”
“Same here and when you do, I’d like to duel you,” Jaden said.
“Why wait ‘til then? We can duel sometime this year.”
Jaden flashed a grin at this. Jesse turned to Chazz. “We can duel too.”
“We can but I want to take on Adrian first.”
“Oh? How come?”
“Well…I know this will sound stupid but he’s richer than me and I don’t like that.”
“Oh.” Jesse shrugged. “If that’s what floats your boat, go for it. I’ll be rootin’ ya on.”
“I appreciate your support.”
“So, where are you staying?” Jaden asked.
“Over there.” Jesse pointed at Obelisk, which confirmed Chazz’s suspicions.
“Oh, we live over there.” Jaden pointed off toward Slifer.
“Mind if I take a look?”
“Sure, but they’re not much to look at, except my place,” Chazz said.
“Maybe but it might be nicer than my quarters at North.”
“You’re right about that,” said Chazz as the trio left the roof and headed for Slifer.
Chapter Eight- Good, Hard Look
Chazz typed on her computer the next day to learn more about Adrian, the Ojama Brothers hovering around her. Unlike her, Adrian was the eldest child and was such a dork it made her sick and wanted to duel him even more. He’s nothing like Jesse who is so much like Jaden, it’s remarkable. He’s also a rather likeable guy.
I’ve heard that the foreign duelists must duel at least once every week while they’re here and I intend to be the first one to duel Adrian.
“You’re mine, Gecko,” she muttered as she scanned his dueling profile. She moved the cursor over the history link and clicked on it. A series of pop-up boxes with yellow triangles and a red exclamation point appeared. The message was clear: Access denied.
“No!” she exclaimed in anger. “No one denies The Chazz. I will uncover his history and I know who to ask.” She grabbed her PDA and called her home number. She was soon in touch with her friend. “Franz, I have a favor to ask. I need you to look up the history of one Adrian Gecko. His family site and dueling profile has denied me access.”
“Adrian Gecko,” Franz murmured and Chazz could hear keys clacking in the background. “Gecko, Gecko…ah, here we are. Interesting. Well, Chazz, it says here that…”
Adopted? Chazz thought as she went through school. Adrian’s adopted? So, he’s not really a Gecko. He wasn’t born into a rich family, like I was. Well, he’s still a dork. Nothing’s going to change that. I still want to duel him. She turned in her seat in her last class to look over to where Adrian was sitting. He seemed to be taking notes, but then he paused as if sensing he was being watched. He looked up and around before his eyes landed on Chazz. His eyes had a gentle look to them that contrasted with the smirk on his face.
That snob, she thought as she faced forward. Thinks he’s better than everyone just because he happened to be adopted by a rich family. I’m proof that one does not need a rich family to be a good duelist. I earned the deck I have by proving my skills with a mix of random cards and later I beat Slade with a deck of monsters with 500 attack points or less. I got where I am on my own merits and I’ll prove it by beating him.
“Chazz,” Jaden said as class ended. “Hassleberry said he’s gonna duel Jim. You wanna watch?”
“I was thinking of looking for Adrian,” she answered.
“Too bad. Word is Jim duels with a fossil deck.”
“Fossils versus dinosaurs. Interesting,” Chazz said before giving a small smile. “On second thought, I’ll watch. I can find Adrian later.”
An hour later, Chazz was looking for Adrian having just seen in interesting due that Jim had won. Chazz chose to enlist her Ojamas to cover more ground. Yellow and Green came back from their searches having not seen the foreigner. Chazz combed the school with no success and had come out to consider her next place to look.
“Boss, I found him,” Black said as he flew over.
“Where?” she demanded.
“Follow me,” he said and floated off with Chazz behind him.
Chazz soon found herself at Zane’s favorite spot with the subject of her search just a few feet away. The Ojamas vanished, leaving her free to approach Adrian alone. “Adrian,” she called.
Adrian turned with that same expression from earlier still on his face. “Ah. Miss Chazz Princeton,” he said a slightly mocking tone. “I did some research on you and learned you recently changed gender.”
Chazz bristled as she folded her arms with a scowl. “I didn’t volunteer to be female. I was perfectly happy with the way I was.”
“I’m sure you were.” He approached her and cupped her chin before tilting her head up. “Still, your gender presents an opportunity. Think, Chazz: We could join our families through marriage and you won’t have to try to duel and be a pro.”
She jerked away. “What do you mean ‘try’?”
“Well, with your gender and dorm-,”
Chazz gave him a death glare that made him trail off. “How dare you,” she snarled. “You think I’m weak just because I’m a girl and in Slifer?”
“I don’t just think it, I know it,” Adrian countered.
Chazz scowled again. “You arrogant snob. Girls can be strong duelists. I know one personally. I can prove to you that I’m not weak. Let’s duel. Right here, right now.”
Adrian smirked. “No, thanks.” He walked away, calling over his shoulder, “I don’t duel girls.”
Chazz stared after him, hardly believing what she heard. He doesn’t duel girls? Why the hell not? Does he truly believe that girl duelists are weak? I know that’s not true. I’ve seen Alexis duel plenty of times. Her Cyber Angel deck is strong. It could have gotten her an A+ in our Ritual Monsters class.
She trudged back up to the island and heard the sounds of a duel. Curious, she joined the crowd that had formed and what she saw made her blood boil: Adrian was dueling and his opponent was an Obelisk girl! What the…? He just said he doesn’t duel girls! The hypocrite!
The duel ended in Adrian’s victory and Chazz was about to approach Adrian and demand a duel when a hand landed on her shoulder. “Hold it, Chazz,” came Alexis’ voice. She steered the Slifer girl away from the scene.
“Alexis, what are you doing? That guy tells me he doesn’t duel girls and then I find him dueling a girl,” Chazz said when they were near the Ra campus.
“Chazz, I hate to tell you this, but Adrian doesn’t want to duel you.”
“And why is that?”
“Well, your dorm for one. Another is the rival between your two companies and finally…he hates you.”
“Hates me?” Chazz repeated faintly.
“I saw him head toward Zane’s spot earlier before you headed there. When Adrian returned, I saw him smirk and asked if he saw you. He said he did and said a lot of hurtful things about you. He said he had researched you and said that he was on your brothers’ side in changing your gender. His words were that you were a failure to your family and that being a girl was a fitting punishment.”
Chazz’s cheeks burned with anger. “And because of all that, he hates me.”
“I think he’s most convinced about you being a failure. He bragged that he never let down his family.”
Chazz’s cheeks returned to normal and calmly said, “That’s his opinion. Let me tell you something about him. I learned that he was adopted.”
“He was? The poor guy. He was lucky to be adopted.”
Lucky? Chazz thought. Well…I guess that it was lucky to be adopted; to be taken in by a family and raised in a loving environment. Chazz’s own childhood memories flashed in her mind and came to a startling realization: Adrian wasn’t a snob, she was.
I’m the arrogant, spoiled brat of a snob. I did fail and should pay for that failure. I’m a girl and should act like one. That is my punishment and I should fulfill it.
“Chazz?”
She came out of her thoughts to say, “Yes, he was lucky.”
Alexis blinked at Chazz’s soft tone. She had been under the impression that Chazz was trying to make Adrian’s adoption sound like a bad thing, but now she sounded sympathetic like her. “You okay, Chazz?”
“Perfect,” she said. “I need to go. Lots of studying to do.” She turned and walked toward Slifer, tears burning her eyes before sliding down her cheeks. She had been humbled and was ready to be the girl she should have been the day she changed. Time to be in touch with my female side. No point in fighting it anymore.
Chapter Nine- Turnaround
Jaden and the others were concerned. A week had passed since Adrian had rejected Chazz’s duel challenge- a story that had passed quickly through the school- and she started being more like a girl. She dueled with her usual deck and style, but off the dueling field, she was a different person. She had pulled back her hair, wore some makeup, and spoke with no arrogance, anger, or sarcasm, just calm and matter of fact in a soft voice.
“Chazz, is everything okay?” Jaden asked the eighth day since the duel rejection.
“Of course,” she replied with mild confusion. “Why wouldn’t it be?”
“You’re not eating much.” He nodded at her empty rice bowl.
“I’m watching my weight,” she answered before returning to her notes.
The boys of Slifer seemed to prefer the new Chazz, but Jaden, Syrus, and Hassleberry didn’t and wondered what had caused this change in her. It was known that Adrian had turned down her challenge to a duel but that hardly explained her feminine behavior.
Alexis had observed Chazz’s behavior as well but was a t a loss as to why she was being like a girl when she had said she was going to be the same Chazz she had always been. Could our conversation have had more of an impact on her? She did sound different after I spoke of how lucky Adrian was to be adopted. She hasn’t tried to challenge Adrian again or any of the other guest duelists. Perhaps now would be a good time to talk to her.
“Chazz,” Alexis called as classes ended two days later.
Chazz turned with a calm, peaceful face. “Yes?”
Alexis smiled. “Jasmine, Mindy, and I are going to the girls’ wading pool after dinner. Would you like to join us?”
“But that’s on Obelisk campus.”
“Only because they usually put the girls in Obelisk, but I can invite you as a guest.”
“A guest would be perfect. All right, I’ll come.”
“Great. See you then.” Alexis watched Chazz walk away, hoping she would soon get some answers. It will actually just be the two of us but I needed to make sure she would come.
“Uh, Chazz?” Syrus said at dinner. “Could we duel tonight?”
“How about tomorrow?” she suggested. “Alexis invited me to the girls’ wading pool after dinner with Jasmine and Mindy.”
“Oh. Uh, have fun.”
“I intend to.”
“It seems we lost the Chazz we knew,” Syrus said sadly as Chazz left.
“I don’t get it,” Hassleberry said. “She had said she would be herself but now she seems to have abandoned it. The Chazz we know doesn’t give up like this.”
“I think Sy’s right,” Jaden said. “The Chazz we knew is gone.”
Chazz emerged from the locker room in a red bathing suit, headed to the pool, and entered it before heading toward Alexis. She leaned back against the wall, enjoying the water’s temperature. “This is nice,” she commented. “When will Mindy and Jasmine be here?”
“Actually, it’s just you and me. I wanted to talk to you without interruption.”
“Talk about what?” she snapped, irritated with Alexis’ deception and sounding like her old self.
“Your behavior lately. Does it have anything to do with our conversation about Adrian?”
Her irritated expression melted away. “Ah. No wonder our friends and you have been questioning me. I haven’t explained myself. When you spoke of Adrian being lucky, I took a good hard look at my own past and realized that I was the snob. I did fail and feel that my punishment is fitting. I am a girl and should act like one.”
“No,” she whispered in horror. “Chazz, I wasn’t trying to make you feel this way.”
“I know, but admit it, Alexis. I was arrogant, snobbish, and a jerk. None of those traits are attractive to anyone or would want anyone to be my friend. It’s better that I change that.”
“Chazz, you don’t need to change yourself like that. How you acted before was fine with us.”
“What man would want a woman like that?”
“Atti would. He likes women who are confident to the point of arrogant.”
“He does?”
“Yes. You should not let anyone make you think the way they want you to. Did your brothers want you to be more like a girl?”
“Of course they did.”
“And you disagreed, right?”
“Yes…and I still disagree.”
“Well, right now, you’re giving them what they want. You were even asking what man would want the woman you had been. They want you to give in to their plan for you.”
Chazz stared down at the water. She thought of how hard she had fought during the month before she went back to school. She wore the dresses and skirts because she knew she would wear one at school. She let her brothers talk of The Plan but did not take in a word of it or acknowledge it. The Ojamas unknowingly helped her keep her usual personality which she also kept with meditation to center herself. I did that to remind myself that I was still Chazz Princeton despite my body. I was acting normal when I came back though I did blush a couple of times,
Then I looked inside myself and believed I was fighting a losing battle. I gave up and surrendered to the woman inside me. I had to hold back my usual comments and traits consciously during the first few days of my transition. I was disgusted with how I was acting, but I told myself that it was better this way.
The person I really am is still there even after all this time. I never told anyone why I changed my behavior. I’m probably creeping them out with my actions.
She sighed. “You have a point, Alexis. The person I was is still in me. It’s just that the way I am now kind of feels comfortable. I’d like to be who I was but I also like how I am now.”
“How about a combination?” Alexis suggested. “Take a little from both and make a new way of thinking and acting.”
“I…could do that. I’d like to be a little arrogant and less of watching my weight. I do like styling my hair and not taking no for an answer to a duel challenge, something I’ve been doing lately.”
Alexis nodded. “I’d like to see you be confident on and off the dueling field. You’ve been more considerate of other people’s feelings. Keep doing that.”
“It does feel good doing that.” She smiled. “I think I’ll wear less makeup. Perhaps a little gloss as putting on the other stuff seems time-consuming and a waste too.”
“Sounds good. I…think we should get out.” She held up her hands to display wrinkled fingers.
Chazz looked at her own hands. “Yeah, we should but it’s worth it. I’m glad we talked.”
“So am I Chazz.” They climbed out and went to rinse off and change clothes. “I’ll walk you back to Slifer,” Alexis offered.
“Thanks.” Chazz casually chatted with Alexis on the way back, feeling more like herself than before.
Chapter Ten- Balance
Chazz put her tray down at Jaden’s table before sitting opposite him. “Morning, Slacker,” she said in her normal tone of voice.
Jaden did a double take before saying, “Chazz?”
She nodded. “I owe you and you two,” she nodded at Syrus and Hassleberry. “An explanation of my behavior the last several days. I wanted to duel Adrian but he turned me down, claiming he didn’t duel girls when, in fact, he hates me. Alexis told me other things he had said concerning me. Well, I took a hard look at myself and felt…humbled. I chose to surrender to my female side. Alexis talked to me last night about being who I was with who I had been lately to create a new way of thinking and acting. I’m sorry for creeping you out.”
“You still are,” Syrus said. “I mean, you’re apologizing.”
“That’s part of the new me. Alexis suggested I continue being considerate of other’s feelings. I also liked doing that.”
“So, no more watching your weight?” Jaden asked, seeing her tray was just as full as theirs.
“Correct. Honestly, I was starving though no one could tell.”
“You’re not wearing makeup,” Hassleberry noted.
“It was a waste of time, putting it on. I do plan to wear a little lip gloss, but that’s it.” She picked up her chopsticks and began to eat, looking forward to putting her new persona into practice.
Jaden dug into his own food, feeling a little better concerning Chazz. She’s decided to form a personality that combines the two people she had been. She’s considerate, a little arrogant, and maybe a jerk now and then. She’s not watching her weight, but still wears lip gloss and styles her hair. You know, I think I’ll like this version of Chazz better than the other two.
Chazz walked to school with all her old confidence and greeted her schoolmates with smiles or nods. When she saw Alexis, the blonde nodded in approval at seeing her so confident and it made her feel good. Their conversation reminded her of a question that had been asked last night.
“Syrus,” she said as she drew alongside him. “How about that duel you wanted last night? I did suggest today.” She smiled as Syrus’ face lit up.
“Yeah. Right after school? On the roof maybe?”
“Definitely.” Chazz knew she would easily win against Syrus, but he had asked and she felt obliged to duel him. It’ll be interesting,
she thought. Syrus beamed at Chazz’s response. She didn’t know it but Adrian was going to be up there while they were dueling. The East Academy duelist went up there to think every day after school; a fact Syrus had noticed during Chazz’s feminine days. He knew Chazz deserved a duel with Adrian or at least settle whatever issues Adrian had with Chazz. She said Adrian hates her, but she didn’t elaborate. Maybe I’ll find out if they happen to mention it. I could listen in on them on the stairs.
“Armed Dragon Level Seven, attack!”
Syrus braced himself as his monster was destroyed before looking at Chazz with a little smile while Chazz grinned. The duel had ended a while ago, but Syrus wanted to keep going, saying he needed to improve. Chazz agreed to more dueling but began to become suspicious halfway through their current second duel. Syrus kept glancing at the rooftop stairs as if waiting for or expecting someone.
“I’ll, uh, set a monster face-down and…end my turn,” Syrus said with another look at the stairs.
“Syrus, what are you up to? Why are you constantly looking at the stairs?”
“What? Oh, uh, I noticed that Adrian comes up here after school every day. I thought maybe you’d like to duel him or discuss the problem he has with you.”
“You lured me up here, then?”
“You deserve a duel with him. That’s why I suggested we duel here.”
“Sy,” she said, touched by his determination. “That’s so thoughtful…and sneaky. I never expected that from you, but I like it.”
“Thanks. Anyway, it’s your move, Chazz.”
“Yes. I draw.” She drew a card. “I play my dragon’s ability. I discard this card to destroy your monster and then attack you directly.” Her dragon attacked and Syrus lost the duel.
Chazz had seen movement out of the corner of her eye as she was declaring her moves, but chose to act oblivious to it as she went to Syrus. “Not bad, Sy.” She leaned own as if to offer her hand and whispered, “He’s here.”
“Thanks,” Syrus said as he stood and whispered, “I’ll wait on the stairs.” He walked away and down the stairs.
Chazz went to stand near the edge to admire the view of the campus for a moment before saying, “I know you’re there, Gecko. I saw you come up earlier.” She heard footsteps before Adrian appeared beside her. She turned to him. “Gecko, I demand a duel and I won’t take no for an answer.”
“Oh, you won’t?” he mocked.
“No, I won’t,” she said. “And don’t say you don’t duel girls. Alexis told me what you said about me. I may have failed and punished for it, but I am adapting and learning to use my punishment to my advantage. I know you were adopted and you were fortunate. I believe your family would have been poorer without you.”
“Are you mocking me?”
“Not at all. Listen, I know you agree with my brothers changing my gender and I can’t change your mind about that. That’s fine. I am not going to waste my time or breath about our respective families or whose done what for them. All I want from you is a duel and maybe some respect.”
“Still arrogant and a snob, huh Princeton?”
“I won’t deny that but I am trying to diminish the snob part. I’m seeing that I’m not too different from my schoolmates but I am a strong duelist and will be a pro. Now, will you give me that duel?”
“If I say no, what would you do?” he asked calmly, though Chazz detected a hint of curiosity.
“I’ll become a pest and keep asking until you give in.”
Adrian gave a little laugh. “Yes, I thought you would say that. Given the option of dueling now or later, I choose now. Let’s duel, Princeton.”
“Call me Chazz, Adrian. We’re both students, after all.”
“You got your duel?” Jaden asked at dinner.
“Yeah, I did. I lost, but I’m okay with that. I got what I wanted and if he wants to duel me again, I’ll accept.”
“What kind of deck does he have?” Hassleberry asked with interest.
“A deck with monsters called Cloudians. His spells and traps also have a weather theme to them. I found it intriguing and asked about his deck. It turns out he likes to look at clouds which explains the theme.”
“Howdy,” came a familiar voice before Jesse sat beside Chazz. “Hey, Chazz. Heard you dueled Adrian and lost.”
“It’s true. It’s fine, though. I just wanted a duel and got it.”
“How about you and me tomorrow? My Crystal Beasts keep askin’ about that pretty girl they met.”
“Sure,” Chazz said, feeling a bit embarrassed about Jesse’s spirits wanting to see her again. She turned her attention back to her dinner, satisfied with her life, despite the unwanted gender change. I think I’ll call Slade and Jagger tomorrow night and throw their smirks back in their face and brag about seeing the Crystal Beasts cards. I have achieved a balance between who I was and who I am. Male or female, I am still Chazz Princeton.
