Hayley was resting in Sheba’s bed one morning when a phone pinged.

Hayley, thinking it was hers, picked it up and looked at it, as she and Sheba both had the same phone.

It wasn’t locked; also, the message on the screen made her blood run cold…

“Did the transformation go ok? We got the message that it had completed a while back. Jessica Rabbit should be ready for you, now.”

Hayley tried to control her temper but failed completely. The phone went flying. Then, she started on the bed…

Sheba walked in on a disaster area…

Bedding was everywhere. The bed was up on its side. The mirror was broken; cosmetics were sprayed everywhere. Hayley was on her knees in the middle of the room, howling…

 “Sheba, you bitch!”, she cried. “I thought you cared about me! Now I find out that it was you that did this to me in the first place!”

Sheba was distraught. No way did she think Hayley was going to react like this. She went to hug her. Hayley flinched and pulled away…

“I thought you loved me! How could you do this to me! Have you any idea what pain I went through?”

Struggling to her feet, Hayley pulled on some clothes and left, pushing past Sheba. Sheba just cried and cried…

Hayley got back to her old apartment quite a while later. She had walked all the way, not having a bag or purse on her (and not having set up her card on her phone).

Tina opened the door to her knock, then caught her as she collapsed…

Hayley woke up in bed next to Tina.

“Hi, kid”, she said, weakly.

“Hi, you”, said Tina, worried. “What happened? I thought you were settled with Sheba at the club, as far as Sylvia told me.”

“It was that bitch that did this to me!”, Hayley cried. “She doesn’t really love me; she just wanted another special thing for her club.”

Tina held her as she cried her eyes out…

Next morning, Hayley and Tina were having breakfast when they heard a news article on the radio. Sheba’s club had closed. The news story said the owner had retired due to ill health…

Hayley, despite how she felt about Sheba, was concerned.

“She looked ok yesterday”, she said. “Apart from the fact I’d left her.”

They both looked up as there was a knock on the door…

Sylvia was standing there. She was furious.

“I hope you’re happy with yourself, Hayley!”, she cried. “I don’t know what you did last night, but you’ve ruined things for everyone! Sheba came storming into the club after you left, threw everyone out and locked the doors. I’ve never seen her so upset.”

“You don’t know the whole story”, said Hayley. She then proceeded to tell Sylvia what Sheba had done to her.

“So, it was her that gave you the ‘new figure’, was it?”, said Sylvia. “You ungrateful bitch. If someone had done that to me, I’d have done anything for them.”

Hayley was gobsmacked.

“But she did it without asking me, totally against my will!”, she said.

“She did you a favour, girl”, said Sylvia. “You’re more alive now than you ever have been. Talk about biting the hand that fed you.”

“Are you saying I should like this!?”, said Hayley, gesturing at her body. “Do you have any idea how much the conversion hurt?”

“Life takes effort!”, Sylvia cried. “The only difference in your case was it all happened at once. Your new body is a good thing. Both for you, and for everyone else. Be damn grateful, for once in your life!”

Sylvia stormed out, slamming the door behind her…

Hayley just stared at Tina, in shock.

“Why does everybody else think they know what’s best for me?”, she cried.

“I don’t think that’s the real question”, said Tina. “I think the real question is, how do you feel about Sheba?”

“I feel she betrayed me”, Hayley said. “At the same time, I miss her. I don’t know what to think, I’m really confused…!”

“I think you still love her”, said Tina. “That’s why it hurts so much. Also, you called me Sheba in bed, last night…”

“I didn’t, did I?”, said Hayley. “Oh, I’m sorry…”

“Don’t be”, said Tina. “I only think of you as a good friend, anyway. And, because of that, I think you ought to get in touch with Sheba. If nothing else, you need to sort this out.”

“I’m scared to”, said Hayley. “You saw how much hate Sylvia had for me. What if Sheba’s the same, or worse?”

“You won’t know if you don’t try”, said Tina, “and I really think you should…!”

Hayley had no idea how to contact Sheba. In the end, Sheba found her…

There was a quiet knock on her flat door, and Hayley opened it.

Sheba was standing there. She was really dressed down; she was just wearing a t-shirt and jeans, tatty ones at that. She’d obviously been crying hard, and her hair was all askew.

“Hi…”, she said, in a tiny voice.

Hayley just threw herself into her arms…

Hayley and Sheba spent the rest of the afternoon getting to know each other again.

Tina came back from work that evening to find Sheba asleep on the sofa, her head resting in Hayley’s lap.

“Ah. I see you found her”, Tina said, with a giggle.

“Nope”, said Hayley. “She found me, again…”