Part 1

Dustin had always liked staying at Aunt Rebekah’s house. It was quiet, filled with the faint scent of lavender candles and vanilla, and far more peaceful than his noisy apartment back near campus. At twenty-two, he was happy to house-sit while she attended an overnight event in the city. “Just don’t throw any wild parties,” she’d teased before leaving, hugging him tightly.

That evening, Dustin sprawled on the living-room couch in sweatpants and a faded T-shirt, flipping through channels. His phone buzzed on the coffee table. The number was unfamiliar.

“Hello?”

“Dustin, honey, it’s me,” Rebekah’s familiar voice said, sounding slightly frazzled. “I think I left my phone at the house. Can you look for it?”

He sat up. “Yeah, sure. Hang on.”

It only took a couple of minutes. The sleek device was sitting on the kitchen counter near the fruit bowl, half-hidden behind a stack of mail. He picked it up and returned to the couch.

“Found it,” he told her. “It was in the kitchen.”

Rebekah let out a relieved laugh. “Oh, thank goodness. I just wanted to make sure I knew where it was. I’ll pick it up tomorrow. Don’t wait up for me, okay? Love you.”

“Love you too, Aunt Bekah.”

The call ended. Dustin stared at the phone in his hand. He knew he shouldn’t. He really, really shouldn’t. But curiosity had always been his weakness. He knew her passcode-her birthday, the same one she’d used for years-and before he could talk himself out of it, his thumbs moved.

The home screen looked normal enough. A few social apps, some shopping ones, and then a strange icon he didn’t recognize: a swirling purple circle labeled simply “Mirror.”

He tapped it.

A brief loading animation spun, then the screen flashed white. Dustin blinked, momentarily blinded. A strange tingling swept over his skin, like static electricity dancing across every nerve. His stomach lurched. The room seemed to tilt.

When the light faded, everything was wrong.

He looked down.

The dusty mauve pink dress hugged a body that was no longer his. Intricate floral lace embroidery covered the bodice, delicate appliqués trailing past the waist. Voluminous ruffled petals sat on his shoulders in a charming cap-sleeve effect. The knee-length A-line skirt, layered with soft sheer tulle, brushed against white opaque tights. On his feet were sparkling silver glitter Mary Jane flats, each adorned with a structured bow. His hands-smaller now, with neatly manicured nails-trembled as he touched the fabric.

“No… no way.”

He rushed to the hallway mirror and froze.

Staring back at him was Aunt Rebekah. Not similar-exact. The same warm brown eyes, the same soft jawline, the same gentle curves. At five-foot-one and about 150 pounds, the body felt both heavier in some places and lighter in others. His once tall, lanky frame was gone. He was shorter, compact, and undeniably feminine. Curly hair-Rebekah’s signature style-brushed his shoulders, tickling the skin with every slight movement. Delicate dangling earrings swayed against his neck, and a beautiful floral hairpiece crowned his head: large layered white flowers with pearl and crystal centers, accented by beaded sprigs and metallic gold leaves.

Dustin’s heart hammered. This wasn’t a dream. The dress, the tights, the shoes, the hair-everything matched what Rebekah had been wearing when she left.

Panic rising, he grabbed the phone again. He scrolled through his contacts with unfamiliar, smaller fingers and called Bradley.

His best friend picked up on the second ring. “Yo, what’s up, man?”

“Bradley… something really bad happened.” Dustin’s voice-Rebekah’s voice-came out higher and softer than he expected. “I… I turned into my aunt. Like, exactly her. The dress, the hair, everything. I found this app on her phone and-”

“Whoa, slow down. You sound exactly like her. Send me a picture.”

“No! Just-get over here. Please. I don’t know how to fix this.”

Bradley was quiet for a beat, then chuckled in disbelief. “Okay, I’m coming right now. But dude… do not let that phone screen go dark. Don’t close the app, don’t change anything. Just stay exactly like you are until I get there. I need to see this.”

“Hurry,” Dustin pleaded.

While he waited, Dustin moved carefully through the house, hyperaware of every unfamiliar sensation. The way the tulle skirt swished against the tights. The gentle weight of the floral hairpiece. The constant, delicate brushing of curls on his shoulders and earrings against his neck. He felt both much shorter and somehow… bigger in the hips and chest. Every step in the glittery Mary Janes was cautious and mincing compared to his usual long strides. He kept catching his reflection in passing surfaces and flinching.

He desperately wanted to strip off the formal outfit and throw on one of his own T-shirts and jeans. Anything familiar. But Bradley’s warning echoed in his head. He couldn’t risk it. He had to stay exactly as he was-princess-like and perfectly matching the last moment Aunt Rebekah had used the app.

Dustin sat gingerly on the edge of the couch, smoothing the skirt automatically, and stared at the glowing phone in his lap. The swirling purple icon still spun lazily on the screen.

“Come on, Bradley,” he whispered in his aunt’s soft voice. “Please fix this.”

Outside, headlights swept across the front windows as a car pulled into the driveway. Dustin stood up, heart racing, the layers of tulle and lace rustling around him like a stranger’s second skin.

Part 2

The doorbell rang, cutting through the tense silence. Dustin’s heart fluttered in a way that felt entirely foreign. Without thinking, he rose from the couch with a smooth, gliding stride that belonged entirely to Aunt Rebekah-hips swaying gently, back straight, chin slightly lifted. The tulle skirt whispered around his legs as he moved, the silver glitter flats making soft clicks on the hardwood.

He opened the door.

Bradley stood there in his usual hoodie and jeans, keys still in hand, looking tall and broad-shouldered under the porch light. The moment Dustin’s eyes met his, a warm rush of attraction hit him like a wave. Bradley’s familiar face suddenly seemed… handsome. Really handsome. The strong jaw, the easy confidence in his stance. Dustin knew immediately it was the transformation messing with his head-Rebekah’s feelings, Rebekah’s preferences bleeding into him-but knowing didn’t stop the flush creeping up his neck.

He ignored it. Or tried to.

Subconsciously, Dustin flicked a curl away from his ear with a delicate motion, letting his fingers brush lightly along the dangling earring. He shifted his weight to one hip, the pose unintentionally suggestive as the lace bodice accentuated his new figure.

“I’m so glad you could come over,” he said, voice soft and breathy. “You have to help me.”

It didn’t sound like a guy asking his buddy for backup. It sounded like a damsel in distress appealing to her knight-warm, grateful, and just a little inviting. Aunt Rebekah had always been a shameless flirt, and right now, Dustin was channeling her perfectly.

Bradley’s eyes widened as he took in the sight. “Holy shit… Dude. That’s… you’re really her.”

Dustin stepped back gracefully, giving Bradley room to enter. “Come in, please. You need to see the whole thing.”

Bradley motioned for him to step back further into the light of the foyer. “Let me get a good look.”

Without hesitation, Dustin did a slow, elegant twirl. The layered tulle skirt flared out beautifully, the floral lace catching the light as the ruffled petal sleeves shifted on his shoulders. The floral hairpiece bobbed delicately. He felt ridiculous and strangely pleased at the same time.

Bradley let out a low whistle. “Okay… that app is no joke. Phone?”

Dustin handed it over immediately, their fingers brushing. The brief contact sent another unwelcome spark through him.