The Exchange Student

I was awakened by the sound of rocks hitting my window. One clink, another clank. By the third one I was up. I looked around my bed. My bed sheets are torn up. Another soft pillow ruined. My bed's headboard is all scratched up. Damn.

I groggily got up and made my way to see what's happening outside. My legs buckled a bit as I moved around my room. My leg muscles felt different. I file another mental note and move on. I grabbed the curtains and gave them a big yank. Bright sunlight drenched my room. It's a mess here in my bedroom.

I hear some cars pass by. Down below I could see my Neighbor Mika. She was all dressed and ready for school. Not like me. Every day something else on me changes. I'm pretty sure Mika's changes have stopped. Her body quickly adapted. And Mika always has a happy-go-lucky attitude that certainly helped her out when she changed.

"Hurry up Gringo, or we'll be late for school" She cheerfully said. I shouldn't have taught her that word. "You're allowed to arrive late, but not me. But Mika doesn't want you to come to school alone. Especially now with the way you look."

I rubbed my eyes "Okay" I said. My voice sounded raspy and grunty. Not like what I used to sound. It doesn't help that my face feels different today too. My face feels longer. My nose wet and pointy. Almost like a muzzle. I felt like a damn furry. I've seen the stupid crap they put online. I hate them. But I was becoming one of them. Shit. I'm still hoping I'll wake up from this crazy dream.

Ever since that crazy day....That supernatural worldwide event. When half the worlds population transformed. Became something completely different. Not human. Many people awoke, changed overnight while others have been slowly changing bit by bit. Some in weeks others take months. Wars, deaths and murders happened because of all the changed people. Hate, racism and bigotry were in full swing. But then the transformations stopped for a while. And normal people thought they were safe. No more changes. But like with some crazy supernatural schedule, the transformations started coming back and a whole new generation of humans became...mystical creatures out of fantasy storybooks.

"Are you just going to stand there and daydream Jason?" Mika shouted. "Aren't you going to get ready for school, sleepyhead?" Mika asked again.

As I broke out of my sleepy daydream, for a second there I was jealous of Mika. She at least looks human. Other than her darkened skin and long ears. She could pass for a ganguro girl. I guess she became a dark elf. But she still has her bubbly, Japanese girl personality. It's funny how she talks too. She talks to me in her heavily accented English. It doesn't match her sultry dark elf body. Transforming is a strange ordeal.

I take a quick peek outside my room. There, like always pinned to my door, is a message from my guardians. He's working late again. He wont be home until late. Mother is staying with family and Sister left early for sports practice.

I snort in anger. Typical lies. They're avoiding me. They cant handle whats going on. They hardly ever see me. All they leave is notes and sometimes a plate in the fridge. I've seen them act all distant ever since I started changing. If I was their real son, they would have been more concerned. But I guess its a double whammy for me. A foreigner and a monster.

As I left my room and headed down the stairs, My legs and knees buckled again. I almost tripped and fell down! I had to grab the rail to hold myself up. I yelped in pain as something was wrong with my legs.

Mika burst in. She somehow heard me. She saw me struggling to hold on to the rails of the stairs. She rushed up to me, bounding up the steps quickly. Mika knew her elfish body was surprisingly limber. "You okay?" She said with genuine concern.

"My legs feel wrong" I replied. We both look down on my legs. One of my legs looks normal under my sleep pants. But the other leg, looks like it has joints in the wrong places! I curse silently to myself.

As Mika sat me down on my kitchen table. She smiled at me. Mika made an 'I'm going to make some breakfast' face. She went to heat up some water for tea, and put some bread in the toaster. I had no choice but to accept my changes and hope that nothing  else will go wrong with my body.

Anyone else would have been freaked out by what they saw. But I simply exhaled and accepted my new change. One of my legs now bent in the wrong direction. My toes were gone and replaced with hooves. My new leg seemed thinner, but somehow it was able to support my weight. It resembled a deer's legs. Welp, I cant deny what I was turning into. Some sort of deer-boy.

In my mind I hope my transformation stops there. I've seen some Satyr-men and women online. I hope I don't turn full animal. That's a fear for a whole bunch of people. You fully lose your humanity. "One day at a time." I blurt out. But what made this more freaky, is that my other leg still seemed humanish. Other than my fusing, darkening toes. My other leg still seems normal. But I know it wont be long before the other one becomes like the other. I'm going to have a hard time getting around until that happens.

A plate slamming on the table jolts me. Mika snaps me out of my funk. There on the table is my breakfast. I found myself with a hunger I didn't even have and I ravenously swallowed my breakfast.

I found myself embarrassed as I ate my food. Now that the shape of my face changed. It was harder for me to chew with my mouth closed. Food was flying out! I slowed down a bit. I had to. I also found it hard to drink tea from a cup. I had to lower my face close to it and had to lap up the tea into my mouth. I could see Mika staring at me as I did that.

"Your antlers look bigger today, Jason." Mika said "Every day they look, um...how you say, more majestic." Mika was trying to compliment me. It made me feel just a bit better. I remember a month or two ago, I was doing the same thing to her, when she started changing. I would keep her company when she needed it. She held up a brave front as she lost her old body. Now I know how she felt. Losing your humanity. "Do you still want to go to school Jason?" She asked.

"I'm not sure Mika," I replied. "I mean look at my legs! I cant wear normal pants anymore.Not with the way my joints are now. Plus, I'm all mismatched. I don't think I can run and keep up with you. We're already late as it is." I felt a dull throbbing pain. There was a new tugging at my hip bones. My other leg was changing now. Soon to turn more animal like.

"Let me get a crutch then!" Mika cheerfully replied. "Back at home, Oba-chan, I mean auntie has a spare crutch or is it a cane back at home. I can go get it for you!"

I was going to tell her no. But Mika was already on her way out the door. Every day she seems more agile and fast. Her transformation really suited her. She was already on the track team before she changed.

Which makes me wonder why I'm turning into some sort of deer-boy. I know I'm an exchange student here in Japan. But why a deer? How in this new crazy effed up world did I end up as that? I just cant understand that. Studies have been made already. There's all sorts of facts on the internet. In the beginning, people changed into creatures more or less like their regions, lands or countries where they are from. Centaurs, Pixies, Wraiths, Dijins, werewolves, banshees and wendigos. To name a few. But the second batches of people's transformations are up in the air. Someone or something has made peoples transformations totally random.

"Mika who should have turned into some sort of Youkai is now an elf from western myths. I don't know how I became a Deer-boy. I'm just Jason, a cityboy from Chicago. Now and exchange student in Japan. I can only guess that I became this way because of my Cherokee ancestry. Or not. Magic sure is fucked up. Maybe because our home countries are full of different cultures is why things like...."

"You need to lay off the Conspiracy Forums Jason-kun!" Mika scolded "We are what we are, C'est la vie!" She giggled. "Didn't find crutch, but I found cane for you. You can be like pimp now!"

I gleefully snorted. "I need to stop teaching you bad English, I feel like I've corrupted a polite Japanese girl" Mika smiles again. He smile is infectious. As I look at her, I see there's something in her hands. "What's that, Mika?"

"While you were all serious and stuff I went up to your room and got your uniform. Button shirt can still fit over your shoulders." She hands it to me and I place it on one arm at a time. At least my arms are still human. Even though they're getting fuzzier in places. "I broke in to your exchange-sister's Asuka's room. I steal her winter time school skirt. Nice and long. Not short like mine. You can wear it, instead of pants!"

"Wh..Wha...What!" I react shockingly. "Me in a skirt? I already feel freaky, Now you want me to crossdress?" I instinctively shake my head no. And I am reminded of the added weight on my head. My heavy antlers are there but my neck seems to handle it well.

"Who cares if you're crossdressing Jason Smith? Think of it like Cosplay! Plus school skirt will let your legs be flexible. It's better for you than tight, normal pants. Trust me on this Jason-kun!"

I stare at Mika's orangish-brown eyes, and I know she's serious. Before I even blurted out the word 'okay' Mika was already undressing me. I'm pretty sure I was beet red. I wonder how I look blushing with this thickening fuzz on me? As Mika's soft hands managed to pull off my pajamas, Mika shrieked in joy! "What's wrong Mika?" I was scared.

"Kawaii Desu! Jason-kun, you have cute fuzzy deer tail!" Mika's face was beaming. I did my best to look over my back, and she was right. There it was. my own fuzzy white tail. "So cute! But no time to waste anymore! You, Pull up skirt and let me zip it up!"

It's funny that before I didn't notice it. I wouldn't have known I had a tail. But now that I'm aware of it, I could make it move now. Freaky. I walked over to the skirt onto the linoleum floor of the kitchen. I shift my hoofed foot in and then my slippered foot. I can feel my toes hardening on my other limb. I lose my balance a bit as I bend down to pull up Asuka's, my exchange sister's skirt. A quick zip on the side and the dark skirt settled nicely on my male hips.

"Lookin' good there partnah!" Mika says in a cheezy cowboy accent. I looked weird and mismatched as I looked down. I had my boys uniform top and a black skirt instead of pants. I had one long deer like leg, and as I walk out of the house with Mika, my other leg is starting to shift too. It wont be long before it's completely changed.

As we walked down the quiet Japanese neighborhood and on our way to the prefecture High school, I felt like everyone was staring at us. And they were! People watering their lawns. Business men
waiting for the bus. Mother's walking with their baby strollers. Some humans were flabbergasted and others looked away. Freaked out by the sight of us. Other's who were transformed cheered both of us on! I picked up enough Japanese to tell if they were complimenting our bravery or jeering in disgust. A few cel cameras went off too. I chuckle to myself. I kinda want to see that picture of us. A deer-boy in a skirt with an old persons cane walking with a Dark elf school girl. I glance over at Mika. She's got different priorities. She just wants to get me to school. I'm thankful for having her by my side.

Both of us breathed a sigh of relief as we made it to the school gates. But we were both so late. The doors were locked already. As I stared into the campus and back at Mika. She already had her cel by her ear. Her little trinkets dangled and made noises as I heard her speak Japanese with someone.

My other leg still stung and felt funny. All that brisk running and walking made new muscles tingle. I supported myself with the cane. My legs seemed a bit more stable now. My other leg felt thinner too. I lifted my skirt just to see whats up with my legs. My old slipper was gone. Lost in the walk over to school. My foot was no longer one big toe and four little ones. It matched my other foot now. Two dark hooves and two smaller hooves dangling from my thin fuzzy feet. Looks like I'll be walking tip toe for the rest of my life.

I heard a throat clear in the distance. As I looked up. I saw the principal right there next to Mika. Mr. Matsuida the Oni. He changed a long time ago. In the first transformation wave. But despite his changes he never quit his job. Despite his scary exterior, he was the nicest man anyone could know. He gave me all the time I needed while I became...this. Mika was whispering things in Japanese to him. Mr. Matsuida was then walking towards me. I did my best to adjust my uniform nice and straight and I patted down my skirt to remove any wrinkles.

"Misteru Smith. I am soh happy to see you." His big teeth jutting out his mouth didn't help his thick japanese accent. Everything looks weird with him. His pudgy body and red skin looked so out of place under his obviously custom gray business suit. "Mika-chan has worku hard to bring you here." His big nostrils flared as he spoke again. "Mika brought you heer because she concerned about you" I could see a passion growing in his expression. "Exchange program famiry treat you badly yes? Mika-chan and her family wish to take you in. They feelu that your circumstansu is better with them. They wercome you into their family. Miku-chan and her parent's have sign paperworku already. Youru government will give you new passportu and come soon to give you new monster special ID. You stay with Mika's family while thingu get sorted, yes?"

"Jason-kun! You get to come home with my family now! No more being lonely at home!" Mika cheered. "You are nice boy, you weren't scared when I changed and now I'm returning the favor. Even though fate changed you on the outside, like me. We are still honorable beings. We want your stay in Japan to be a happy experience! All of us here are friends forever now!"

Words couldn't say what I felt at this moment. My lips were trembling. I literally felt like a deer in the headlights. But I was truly happy. Somehow I know everything will work out. I know it's cheezy to think this way, like some sappy romance manga, but I no longer felt worried about what would happen to me next. Lemons and lemonade. I guess. "Thank you" I whispered.

"Okay Jason-kun, lets go to homeroom! The class would love to see the new you." Mika said. She grabbed my arm and we walked to our class. Principal Oni is right behind us. I guess I'll have to re-introduce myself to my classmates. Just another step to redo as a foregin exchange student. But I know with Mika by my side, I'll do alright.