The bus ride so far had been eerily quiet, and they were almost there. The last sign on the side of the road said they were only forty miles away, and that was some time ago. Sunshine was even more suspicious because the bus was nearly overflowing with sixteen-year-olds. But she supposed they'd just been too nervous to do anything other than stare at their phones. That would change as soon as they got there though, when their phones were taken from them and locked away for the entire week.
The senior camp counselor cringed at the thought of trying to pry their social media from their fingers and asking them to socialize. She'd left out scary details like that when she pitched her plan and got funding for her little experiment.
"It would be the world's first summer camp for transgender girls, and many more would follow. There's a huge market for it," she had explained.
And even if she had proven that last part by selling all their tickets within a few hours, she wasn't sure how she'd fare in the post-camp surveys. That was as important to the backers as the money since it meant more money.
She took a deep breath and tried again with Penny, "So, did you bring your bathing suit."
"It's raining," the cute Russian girl said, making quick work of Sunshine's latest attempt.
"Come on, this is your chance to meet more people like us. Did you bring anything fun to wear at all?"
She waved her phone over her jeans and her thick, gray coat. "Is this cute enough?"
"Honestly, yeah. But you'd look cute in anything. I'm jealous of your eyes too, and I think you're the only blonde – well the only natural blonde."
"Yay me," Penny said sarcastically while she flipped through image after image on her phone.
"Well, I brought extras if you ever need anything. Seriously I have so many clothes I thought we'd have to pay for an extra bus," she joked.
Penny glanced at all the luggage surrounding them and worried they were barricaded in so securely they wouldn't be able to get out. She'd been trapped back there with the owner and proprietor of this new endeavor without having been consulted. Even if she wanted to be more social the nearest other person was several seats in front of them.
The young girl snarled her lip. "God forbid you get a second bus, you might actually lose some of your profits. Yeah, I know how business works, and I know you're only being my friend because you want my parents' money."
The short Asian woman kept her mouth shut, she knew better than to argue with a teenager. Her plain, round face turned into a warm smile. While she was still optimistic and cheery, she said, "Well, I think we're the same size."
"Are you kidding? I'm a monster."
"You're just tall, but the rest of you is just perfect. You're lucky."
"Quit saying that," Penny protested as she swiped past an image of a dog wearing a three-piece suit. It even had a monocle.
"I say it because it's true, you better get used to that. Oh come on, seriously, you're beautiful. You're tall, thin, blonde, and you're totally passable. I was going to have the other counselors check you before you even got on. But we'll do it when we get there just like everyone else."
Penny ripped her face from her phone and said, "You were going to 'check me'? What does that even mean? What are you talking about?"
Although Sunshine still had a big smile, it was now composed of smugness rather than warmth. She turned away from the confused girl and stared out the window at the passing trees and mountains.
Penny waved her hands, saying, "Hello? Are you deaf?"
The senior counselor loved being out in nature away from all the noise and people in the city. She was especially glad to be rid of traffic, and at present, she counted zero other cars on the road.
The girl beside her gently nudged her shoulder, now suspiciously more polite. "Excuse me, hey excuse me! You mean you were going to like, uh, do what exactly?"
"Oh, you have nothing to worry about—and we explained it all to your parents. The medical evaluation is important for the integrity of our program."
Penny shifted in her seat and muttered, "Medical evaluation?"
But now that the young Asian woman had subdued her, she was going to let her stew for a while. She knew from experience in Japan that it was nerve-wracking to be grouped with strangers and to be told you were going to be examined. No one liked stripping down to have their private areas methodically judged by some foreign third party. But Penny had taken to visible discomfort, her face turned pale.
Sunshine finally relented and said, "Want me to do your hair? I bet you'd look super hot in braids. What do you think? We have time!"
"Why me though?" Penny asked sullenly. "There's so many other girls here, why'd you want to sit with me?"
Sunshine scooted closer along the bench. "Well we don't get a lot of white girls, we're mostly Asian if you haven't noticed. And we certainly don't get a lot of blonde girls, so I just thought you could use someone to talk to, that's all. Now come here."
"Aren't you cold?" Penny asked, taking note of Sunshine's creamy white, knee-length dress.
"Not really, no. And it's thick too, see?" Sunshine pinched the material proving that it was more of a long sweater than a dress. "It's even got long sleeves too," she added. And sure enough when she peeled back one of the arms of her jacket, that same yarn-like material sprouted from the opening.
"It's still weird," Penny pointed out.
"Well, I like it. It's warm and professional, and well, I like it. You'd look good in it too if you wanted to borrow it?"
"I'm like 5'9, and you, you're like a dwarf—no offense," Penny mentioned.
Sunshine did some quick math in her head and countered, "You're only about seven percent taller than me, does that sound like a lot?"
She shook her head. "No, but it feels like a lot."
Sunshine shrugged and then moved the bag that was sitting between her feet. She shoved it under the seat and sat up tall. "Well? If we don't start now, you're going to look really weird when we get there and you only have a braid on one side of your pretty little head."
Penny eyed the peculiar woman doubtfully, but eventually, Sunshine's smile won her over. She stood, carefully hoisted her loose jeans up to her stomach, and then eked into the small, cramped space between Sunshine's legs. Penny barely had enough room for her knees, which slid forward under the chair in front of her, and she kept her chest forward, leaning as far from Sunshine as she could. But she could still feel the Asian woman's socks rubbing against her shoulders, even through her thick jacket, like those warm legs were smothering her. When she was finally settled, small fingers began to pluck at her hair and began weaving.
"So, what brings you to Japan anyway? It's a long way from home, isn't it?" Sunshine asked eventually.
"Oh, uh, we don't really have places like this in Russia, and my parents—well mainly my sister—kind of convinced me to go. It's not like I had a choice," she confessed.
"You have nothing to worry about, and you're going to have fun. You're going to miss all the other girls when you're gone, trust me."
"Easy for you to say," Penny mumbled. She winced when Sunshine pulled too tightly, but didn't complain. "So, why do you call yourself Sunshine?" she asked.
The woman paused. "Because it's happy and warm. But also it's a name I used in a previous life."
"Previous life?" Penny wondered out loud.
"Don't worry about it, it's nothing. And you'll get a name too before we're done."
"Good. I hate Penelope. Ugh! I hate my parents too! And I'm so mad at my sister for convincing me to do this."
"Oh you don't mean that, and I'm sure they love you."
Penny scoffed. "If only you knew..." she mumbled. "Seriously! Twins are supposed to look out for each other, not send them halfway around the world!"
"You're a twin! That's awesome! Is it a he? She? Trans girl?" Penny inquired.
Penny took a long time to respond but finally came up with an answer. "It's a, uh, she. She's a she, I mean."
"Kind of weird to say this stuff out loud, right? You'll get used to it, and you're seriously doing great. When I was younger, like before I took over, things were much different. Now there's a waiting list!"
"I wish I was on that list," Penny said dryly.
Sunshine stopped. Her hands veered down to Penny's shoulders and squeezed. She leaned in close and said softly, "You're going to learn a lot of stuff, like how to relax. I know you're going to fight it, but whether you like it or not, you're going to realize this is the best part of your life. I just hope you don't realize it too late..."
The woman's strong, comforting grip actually worked. The more Penny scowled and pretended to be angry, the more she felt consoled and at ease. She even felt herself slipping backward into Sunshine's legs. And the Asian girl accommodated by spreading her knees a little wider to make room.
But unlike her outward appearance, Penny's mind wasn't just pretending to be comfortable. That temporary feeling of calm was soon replaced by foreboding, the idea of being naked in front of strangers worried her. It terrified her. She meekly spoke up, trying to get more information, "So, does everyone have to be like, looked at? Can I skip that part?"
"What? Why? Hey, Penny, you seriously have nothing to be afraid of."
"It's just that, I'm worried that, you know—I just don't want anyone looking at me down there..."
In a soft, reassuring tone, Sunshine addressed her concerns, "Don't worry about size, it doesn't mean anything. I'm not very big either."
Penny coughed and lurched forward, butting her nose into the back of the seat.
When she rubbed at her face and it was clear her nose wasn't broken, Sunshine went on, "I'm sure whatever you have down there is beautiful. I know it's weird to hear someone say that, but it's true. There are lots of different types of girls here."
"Who does the inspections, is it you?" Penny asked.
"Yes, just me, and no one else. But it's not like I give you a score, it's mostly just to make sure you belong here—we're not perverts if that's what you're wondering. We're regulated by the government. And their eyes are all over us."
The tall girls' shoulders slumped. She didn't even react when Sunshine untangled some hair, and very forcefully completed another section.
Sunshine thought for a minute, then leaned in close to Penny's ear. She whispered, "But if you did find a nice Japanese girlfriend while you're here, I wouldn't tell. You could probably choose whoever you wanted too." She waited a bit then tugged at Penny's hood. "Does this thing come off? It's getting in the way."
"I don't think so, no, it doesn't."
The counselor made it obvious what the problem was when she reached blindly into the back of her fluffy jacket and fumbled around with her fingers digging for hair. Penny giggled and slipped backward.
"Oh my God," she said in a huff, "that tickles! Stop! Sunshine! No!" More quiet laughter.
"See? You're going to have fun! But your hair though... I can't finish like this, and all your girlfriends are going to think this is how people wear their hair in Russia."
"Ugh!" the excitable sixteen-year-old said, then unzipped her coat. She managed to peel the lumbering, shiny material over her shoulders and was careful to not unravel the half-finished braidwork. Underneath was a grayish-blue long-sleeve shirt. Penny shivered.
"Don't you have snow in Russia?" Sunshine asked, setting the girl's jacket down on some nearby luggage.
"Yeah, but we also have coats."
When Sunshine didn't reply, Penny turned to see the woman removing her coat as well. She set it down in front of Penny and said, "Here, use it like a blanket."
"Why can't I just use mine?"
"Because mine is better. Also, it's more expensive and I don't want to set it on any of that dirty stuff—no offense."
The confused girl contemplated for a while but was happy to be warm and snug again. She settled back a little further, then to Sunshine's surprise rose a bit taller on her knees. Penny sat up, held her small chest out, and arched her back.
Sunshine went back to work in silence. The girl's figure was remarkable. Most of the girls had a more boyish shape, and where they were narrow and straight, Penny had curves. And even that limited band of skin that flashed beneath her shirt seemed exceptionally warm and vibrant. Sunshine caught herself leaning forward and peeking down her pants, but they were so high she wasn't able to make out anything other than the small dimples on her lower back.
The normally bubbly and friendly teenager was completely out of her element. She'd never imagined she'd be in a situation like this, it was the first time in her life she wasn't in control. And she'd certainly never allowed anyone to touch her like that. It irked her the way that Sunshine just so casually and confidently integrated her soothing massage into the work she was doing with her hair. Penny would never admit it, but she missed those gentle fingers every time they'd let go of her shoulders or her neck and go back to work.