Valerie skulked into the English and sat at her desk overlooking the school grounds from the window, ignored by her peers as they chatted amongst themselves. This wasn't unusual for her, far from it. Everyone had their cliques to go and hide their loneliness amongst those who shared their interests. The cheerleaders, jocks, nerds, goths and emo kids, and even the occasional drifter able to flit from one clique to the next. Valerie let her head rest in her hand and stared out of the window.
"You're just so, um... plain," her prospective date had said. He had been the only guy she had so much as glanced at without feeling the dreadful need to hide or flee or shrivel up into a ball, and naturally he had turned her down. Why? Because she was plain? Valerie clenched a fist beneath her desk in aggravation. Since when had being too simple ever been a problem to a guy? They just want to get laid and nothing else after all. She barely repulsed a shudder as her mind summoned the demonic images of men and their misdeeds.
Androphobia has more than enough potential to ruin someone's life. Particularly since, as far as Valerie could tell in her 18 years of life, she was straight. No attraction to the female form besides envy. She had tried to force herself into becoming gay, but she couldn't do it. Now she was reduced to taking a pill in order to leave the house every morning. She couldn't help but wonder if the drug had somehow inhibited her puberty.
Valerie stood at a petite 5'1'' with a naturally skinny frame. Her breasts were barely present on her chest, completely inconspicuous save for the ever so faint mounds contained in her training bra. She did have a thankfully trim waistline, but not enough to bring any real attention to her hips, or lack thereof. Part of her thought she should've been born a boy, even if the idea sent small tremors of disgust through her entire being. But, maybe then her short, frizzy mop of brown hair would look better on her at least?
There's always a silver lining. Valerie took the time every morning to remind herself of this one fact, even if it did little to comfort her anymore. Her pitiful social life had led to her having ample amounts of free time. As such, her academic skills were in the top ten of her school, beaten only by the nerds who lived and breathed exam scores. Of course, this did nothing to improve her social standing. Frustration didn't begin to cover how this made her feel.
She wasn't nerdy enough to hang around the nerds. She didn't need glasses, nor did she have any desire to bathe once a month to get the look down. Nor did she have any serious allergies, asthma or freckles. Then she wasn't nearly athletic or hot enough to be a part of the cheerleaders. Even as an underling. She didn't like wearing black or listening to heavy music which cut off the goths and emo kids. The drifters at least had some aspect that allowed them to connect with each clique in some way. But Valerie was left forgotten in her own private island that was her life.
Real life was a complete and utter disappointment. The internet however, provided a place for her to escape to. Later that day, she did exactly that. Valerie laid on her bed with her laptop resting precariously on one leg, while she absentmindedly snacked on a pack of chips. Her body refused to gain more than a couple of pounds over 105lbs, no matter what garbage she ate to her displeasure. If she could put on some weight, then maybe she would at least have a chest to speak of.
Valerie's fingers danced across the keyboard with practised ease. She was in a chatroom with several internet friends, all of which she didn't know the real names or genders of. It was freeing to her as it was to them. She had pondered the chance that they were all paedophiles or lecherous old men, but she decided it didn't matter for the time being. She wasn't dumb enough to agree to meet anyone from the internet, nor did she want to dwell on such a repulsive thought.
One of her friends, someone by the username XxdarkassassinxX666, suddenly posted a link to what looked like a satanic website.
Check this out! They've got all these really cool rituals. Wanna try a few out, hyperlife17?
Valerie quickly responded. She hadn't chosen the moniker of 'hyperlife17', instead she'd received it as a randomly generated name, but it eventually stuck.
No way. That's all just bull.
Then why don't you try it?
Yeah, hyper, why not? Another of her friends by the title of megaguitarzord12 egged her on.
Because it's stupid. She responded.
Come on, why not? How about this, we'll all do one?
Awesome, there's one here that says it'll make me super smart. That was kerryperry00.
Hear that, hyper?
Yeah, don't be a spoil sport.
Fine. Valerie relented. I'll take a look through, BUT if I don't find anything interesting I'm not doing it. Deal?
Deal. The others all responded. Valerie sighed and opened the supplied link. The webpage was black with red text and a variety of gothic imagery as she had expected. It was opened on the page with the so-called rituals.
"Boring. Lame. Bullshit. Aaaaaaaannnnnd... right back to lame," Valerie muttered as she systematically scrolled through and read each of the alleged rituals. Nothing stood out. Some were far too fantastical to be believed and others resembled those miracle penis growth ads. Until she came towards the end of the page and paused.
Confidence in One's Body
Become what you always wanted to be
"You're not actually thinking about this, Val," she grumbled but clicked the link.
Required Items;
