Melody’s Ribbon

I can barely sit still as Mom pulls into the car park of my new school. My stomach twists with butterflies. I’m certain this place will be no different. It’s just another building where people look straight through me.

Or worse, take a disliking to me.

I gaze out the car window to see the building looming above me. Then I spot a cluster of girls walking together, laughing with each other as if they don’t have a care in the world. Clearly, they are very close friends.

The kind I never had at my last school.

“Christian?” Mom says softly. “You okay?”

I say nothing. I just keep staring at the window, watching that same group of girls waft towards the school so effortlessly as their long skirts dance as they walk. If that’s what the girl’s uniform is like, I’m almost terrified to see what the boys is like

“Sweetheart?”

I let out a long sigh.

“I know it’s hard.” Mom rests a comforting hand on my shoulder. “But this is a chance for a new start. Those bullies won’t get you here, Christian, okay? So, just try and be yourself and you’ll make friends in no time.”

“Yeah, right,” I huff.

“No, it’s true.”

“We’ll be moving away again next month, Mom, you just wait and see. No one ever likes me. They take one look at me and they don’t even wanna know. Then, they just start to pick on me.”

Her quiet pause as I lay out the truth tells me she understands all too well.

We’ve moved twice this year thanks to the endless bullying. I just can’t keep doing it to her. Sometimes I wonder if she’d just be better off without me.

Mom taps the steering wheel and gives me a smile, like she’s just switched a flip inside herself and is forcing the positivity for my sake.

“Come on.” She opens her car door and looks back at me before she gets out. “We’ve gotta go to reception first to get your uniform and stuff.”

Reluctantly, I follow her. I keep my head down so as not to make eye contact with anyone. I don’t want to do anything to think I’m better than them or that I’m looking for trouble. Eventually, we make it into the building without incident, and I stand beside my mother at the reception desk.

“Miss…?” Mom says, trying to get the receptionist's attention.

I look around as we wait.

I can tell, even from just the reception, that this school is nothing like my old one. The walls I decorated with lovely pieces of art, clearly made by the students. There’s even a trophy cabinet to the side. Seems they have a very good netball team.

“Miss….?” My mother becomes slightly annoyed, so I turn to see what’s happening

The receptionist is on the phone, holding a single finger up to my mother. I can tell that’s annoying her as the vein on my mother’s head is showing, but she remains calm. I suppose she doesn’t want to make my first day any harder.

I get bored, so I sit in one of the chairs, leaving my mother at the reception.

Eventually, the receptionist lady does put down the phone to speak to my mother. It’s an awkward conversation from what I over here, but eventually, Mom turns to me with a smile and a small wave.

“All sorted, Christian.”

I stand as she walks towards the door. “M-Mom…?”

“I’ve gotta go now, sweetheart. The receptionist will assist you with your uniform and escort you to your class. Have a nice day.”

I look at the reception desk, and the lady is on the phone once more, not paying me any attention.

“O-Okay….” I force a smile. “Bye.”

Leaving me behind, Mom smiles and waves at me as she walks away. Then, I’m alone. My stomach twists again with nerves, but I build up the courage to talk to the receptionist.

“H-Hello….” I say and clear my throat.

Still on the phone, the receptionist gives me a filthy look before continuing her private conversation.

I clear my throat once again. “Hello.”

The receptionist scowls in my direction before turning to face me. “What is it, young man? What do you want? Can’t you see I’m on the phone?”

“I-I…I need to get my uniform.” I point to the door. “M-My mom just spoke with you….”

“What?” The woman turns up her nose. “Get out of here, kid. This is an all-girls school.”

I heat of embarrassment washes over me. “B-But… this is where I’ve been enrolled.”

Glaring down at me, the woman ends her phone call and begins looking through some paperwork. I stand in silence as she mumbles to herself, becoming more and more frustrated as she goes.

“You can’t be enrolled here,” she nervously laughs to herself. “No one’s stupid enough to accidentally enrol a boy into a girl’s school…”

“Mom said this is my school,” I say, not knowing what else to do.

“Well,” the woman grunts as she finds the documents she’s looking for. “Let’s see about this, shall we. Are you Christian?”

“Yes,” I reply politely.

“Well, let’s find out what idiot here made this mistake before I kick you out of here.”

My eyes widen as she threatens to throw me out, but as I become more and more worried, the woman’s face drops, and the blood appears to drain from her face.

“N-No…that can’t be right!” She stares at the documents in front of her. “N-N-No… I didn’t enrol you.” She bites her bottom lip. “Shit. I’m going to get fired for this.”

The woman becomes agitated and frantic. She mumbles and mutters to herself in thought. Every so often, she glances at me and frowns.

And so, it begins. Someone has already taken a disliking to me and all those thoughts and feelings about me being useless seep to the surface of my mind. My vision begins to blur as my heart rate rises and panic sets in.

“Kid.” The woman says bluntly, looking directly at me. “Hey, kid.”

I look at her, trying my best to ignore the rising fear snatching at my body.

“I don’t wanna get in trouble, and by the looks of it, neither do you. Am I right?”

Slowly, I nod.

She’s right. I don’t want to cause any bother.

“Well, there’s only one thing for it.” She ducks down and searches her desk.

The woman stands and rushes around the reception desk to stand beside me. I notice a blue ribbon in her hand, but more than that, I notice just how nervous she’s become. She looks all around us, as if something is about to pass off top secret information.

“Kid,” she whispers. “Turn around so I can put this ribbon in your hair.”

I do as I’m told and turn.

I feel her pulling at my hair, trying to put the ribbon into what hair I have. I’m not sure how this will benefit us, but I don’t want to create any problems. This is the school where I’ve been enrolled.

The moment the ribbon’s knot tightens, a cold shock races across my scalp, like a drop of ice water sliding down the back of my neck.

The air thickens. My hearing dulls, replaced by a low, vibrating hum that seems to come from inside my own chest. My pulse thuds hard against my ribs, and it feels like the room itself has stepped back from me.

Then it starts.

My hair slides down, tickling my skin as it seems to grow at an incredible rate, until it brushes past my shoulders in a soft, unfamiliar weight. The bones of my face shift under my skin. My jaw narrows, my cheekbones rise, and my nose tilts ever so slightly into a new shape.

My shoulders draw in, my frame tightening as if invisible hands are redrawing my outline. My clothes sit differently upon my hips. I feel entirely different, as if I've been born again.

I catch my reflection in the dark glass of the office door and freeze.

Staring back at me is a girl wearing the same clothes I put on this morning. I blink—she blinks. I move—she moves. My mouth falls open, hers does the same.

A chill runs through me, though I can’t tell if it’s fear, shock, or the gnawing realisation that I am no longer a boy, but a girl.

“There we are.” The woman rushes around the desk again, leaving me stunned, staring at the reflection of my new curves in the office door.

The receptionist scribbles out some words on my enrolment form and mutters to herself. “Christian…..mmm. How about Melody?”

She forces a smile at me. “Melody’s a cute name, right?. Yeah, it is! You’re Melody from now on, okay?”

I nod, but only because I don’t know what else to do.

“Right, Melody,” the reception nervously laughs as she smiles down at me. “I’m going to get you all set up here, okay. This will be our secret, and no one needs to know, okay?”

Again, I nod, but all the sensations of my new female body are screaming at me. One particular feeling of emptiness has me very concerned.

“Right, young lady,” she points at a small room. “Let’s get you a uniform. Once you’re dressed, you can wait in the courtyard until I’ve finished all the ‘new’ paperwork and you’re ready to meet your teacher. Does that sound okay?”

I nod again, but this time I’m gazing at the long hair cascading down my face and at my small, delicate hands.

The receptionist pushes the small room’s door open with her hip, gesturing for me to step inside. It has a faint scent of fresh laundry. A single wooden chair sits in the corner, and a hanger with a neatly pressed white dress dangles from a hook on the wall. A blue ribbon, identical to the one now in my hair, is threaded through the collar in a perfect bow.

“Here we go.” She hangs the uniform on the back of the chair and takes a step back. “This is what all the girls wear. You’ll need to wear this, okay? Then we will both be happy.”

I swallow hard, my fingers brushing over the fabric. It’s lighter than I expected, soft against my skin. The skirt’s folds are perfectly even, and the sleeves puff slightly at the shoulders before tapering at the wrists.

The receptionist closes the door halfway, standing in the gap. “I’ll help you with the fit,” she says quickly. “It needs to sit properly so no one notices anything’s… different.”

I unbutton my old shirt with stiff fingers, the sensation of my longer hair brushing my cheeks making every movement strange. She passes me the dress, guiding my arms through the sleeves. The fabric glides against my skin so softly.

As the uniform hangs from my shoulders and the skirt dances around my legs, I slowly remove my trousers, standing in just the uniform alone.

The receptionist then straightens the collar, tightens the waist with a slim black belt, and steps back to check the result.

“Good,” she says, nodding. “Now the stockings.” She hands me a folded pair of black tights. I pull them on awkwardly, almost losing my balance, and she stifles a laugh. “You’ll get used to it.”

Finally, she adjusts the blue ribbon at my chest and smooths a wrinkle from the skirt. Stepping back, she tilts her head as if seeing me for the first time. “Perfect. You look like you’ve been here all year.”

I glance toward the wall mirror. The girl staring back at me could have been one of the ones I saw earlier in the courtyard. Except, this pretty-looking girl—she’s me.

“Alright, Melody,” the receptionist says briskly, holding out a pair of chunky heeled shoes. “Time to go wait in the courtyard. And remember, you’re just another student. Keep your head down and smile.”

My legs feel shaky as I step into the hallway in my new shoes. My skirt sways lightly with every step I take. I should be terrified of what’s happened, but I’m oddly calm. I’m still me, but now I feel delicate, soft, and maybe…. pretty?

I sit on a bench in the courtyard, my long hair brushing against my shoulders with every small gust of wind.

The sun warms the cobblestones beneath me, and for the first time since arriving, I feel a lightness I haven’t known in months. My skirt sways gently, and I can’t help the small smile that tugs at my lips.

Everything looks brighter somehow. It’s like the world itself is softer, kinder maybe?

That’s when I look up and see two girls walking toward me. My heart sinks as I’m seen as a girl for the first time, but their smiles are warm and friendly.

“Hi there!” one of them calls. “Are you new?”

My stomach twists immediately. My hands fidget in my lap. “Y-Yeah,” I manage to say, my voice smaller than I want it to be. “My name is Chri—Melody.”

The girl glances at my hair and grins. “Wow! Your hair is amazing! It’s so long and shiny! Do you do something special to it?”

My eyes widen. No one has ever said anything like that to me.

My lips twitch, and despite the nervous flutter in my chest, a warmth spreads through me. “I-I…. guess it’s just… natural?” I murmur, brushing a strand behind my shoulder.

The second girl leans in slightly so she’s closer to my level. In the past, I would have walked away before even getting this far in a conversation, but, for some reason, this time I don’t feel scared.

“Well, it looks incredible. I wish mine were even half as long!” she says without any malice.

The first girl beams. “I’m Lila, and this is Sara. Melody is such a cool name!”

I swallow and manage a shy nod. “I-It is….?”

“You have to sit with us at lunch,” Sara says, giving me the softest of smiles. “We don’t want you to feel left out on your first day!”

My heart skips. No one has ever included me like this before. I nod again, a small, genuine smile spreading across my face. “O-Okay… I’d like that.”

Lila then points at my blue ribbon. “That’s cute. Looks nice in your hair.”

I try to look at it, but I can’t. I end up looking a bit strange.

“Well, anyway, Melody,” Lila says as they both take hold of one of my hands. “You’re really going to like it here. Everyone is so nice.”

“Y-Yeah…?”

“Yes, girl!” Sara winks.

“T-Thank you….”

“For what?” Lila lets go of my hand and pokes my forehead. “We’re just being friendly. It’s always nice to see a new face.”

“Oh,” I look at the floor and my cheeky heeled shoes. “Y-You see…m-my old school wasn’t very nice.”

That’s when it hits me fully. I feel the long, silky hair cascading down my back, the soft breeze teasing my elegant skirt, the gentle weight of the dress adoring this body, and suddenly, I realize just how little about my life has ever truly felt… nice.

“Oh,” Lila sighs.

However, I’m deep in thought. Maybe Mom was right? Maybe this is a perfect chance to start anew. I touch my soft cheeks with one hand. Maybe as a girl, things will be different?

“Ah, forget about your old school!” Sara laughs with a playful smile, making me smile back at her. “Look at you in our school uniform, Melody. You look so natural in it.”

“I do, don’t I?”

The two girls glance at each other for a moment before giving me the widest of smiles. “Maybe it’s fate that you’ve ended up here?”

“Maybe…” I can’t help but smile. “Y-Yeah…maybe.”