My cat Urus - 12

Saturday morning, Brad had been dreading this “girly day” ever since Urus brought it up. He’d agreed to help for the sake of the deal, every hour helping Urus supposedly meant being one step closer to getting him out of Brad’s world, but the idea of spending the day dressed up and parading around town was not his idea of progress.

Josh, on the other hand, seemed to be living his best life. The moment Urus gave him a temporary transformation, he practically squealed, admiring himself in the mirror and twirling like he’d been waiting for this his whole life.

“Alright,” Josh grinned, “first stop, shopping. We need something cute, Brad.”

Brad groaned. “We don’t need anything cute.”

“Yes, we do,” Josh shot back, grabbing his hand like a pushy big sister. “Urus agrees.”

“I didn’t say that,” Urus said, floating lazily in the corner. “But I’m not stopping it either.”

The clothing store trip was a slow, humiliating slide for Brad. At first, he refused anything too revealing, sticking to safe tops and jeans. But Josh had a knack for finding the exact things Brad didn’t want to wear, tiny skirts, crop tops, dresses with open backs. Every time Brad protested, Josh would tilt his head with an innocent smile and say, “C’mon, just try it on. What’s the harm?”

By midday, Brad found himself walking through the city in a pastel sundress, sandals, and a little shoulder bag Josh had insisted on buying him. He told himself it was “for Urus’s research” and “to get this over with,” but the way people stared, the compliments from shopkeepers, and the occasional flirty smile from strangers made his chest tighten in a way that wasn’t entirely anger.

Lunch was the worst. Josh led them to a busy café, where two guys quickly offered them a table and insisted on paying for their drinks. Brad sat there stiff as a board, muttering thanks while Josh giggled and played along. Urus floated by the window, sipping an imaginary tea and enjoying every second.

“You know,” Urus said slyly, “you’re not even fighting back anymore.”

Brad glared at him but didn’t answer. He was still against it… but every time Josh nudged him into another feminine activity, trying on lip gloss at a makeup counter, posing for pictures in the park, his resistance didn’t feel as sharp. It was like the edges were wearing down without him noticing.

And deep down, that scared him far more than Urus or Josh could guess.