Under Investigation

Jess’s triumph was short-lived. The celebration had barely ended when she was called into the sports director’s office. The air in the room was tense, the director sitting stiffly behind his desk, his hands folded in front of him. Across from him sat Coach Reynolds, her expression unreadable.

Jess sat down slowly. "What’s going on?"

The director sighed. "Jess… someone has filed an official complaint against you. They’re claiming that you are actually Jason Carter and that you were biologically male competing in women’s sports."

Jess felt the blood drain from her face. Her fingers clenched into fists against her lap. "That’s not true."

"Regardless," the director continued, "the complaint has been formally submitted, and we are required to conduct an investigation. Effective immediately, you are suspended from all athletic participation until the matter is resolved."

Jess’s breath came short. "This is insane! I am a woman! I’ve been living my life as Jess for months. What proof do they even have?"

"At this point, it’s just a claim," Coach Reynolds interjected, her voice calm but firm. "But it’s one the university can’t ignore. They’ll be conducting blood tests and a genetic analysis. We need to clear this up the right way."

Jess felt her whole world crumble. She had just proven she belonged. And now, someone was trying to take it all away from her.

********************************************

As if the situation couldn’t get worse, Ryan had heard the rumors.

He caught up with her outside the athletic building, his face tight with confusion and frustration. "Jess. What the hell is going on?"

Jess froze, gripping her gym bag tightly. "I don’t know. Someone made up a stupid rumor."

"That’s not what I heard," Ryan pressed. "They’re saying you were Jason Carter. That you used to be—" He stopped himself, running a hand through his hair. "I don’t even know what to believe right now."

Jess felt like the ground had been ripped out from under her. "Ryan… I can’t do this right now."

"Then when?" His voice wasn’t angry, but it was hurt. "We’ve been together for months, Jess. You’ve been keeping something from me. I deserve the truth."

Jess couldn’t take it. She turned and ran, ignoring his calls after her. She barely made it to the apartment before locking herself in her room.

********************************************

Leanna knocked gently before slipping inside. Jess was curled up on her bed, face buried in her pillow.

"Hey," Leanna said softly, sitting beside her. "I heard."

Jess turned her head, eyes red. "I was finally happy, Leanna. I finally felt like I belonged. And now it’s all falling apart."

Leanna sighed, brushing a strand of hair from Jess’s face. "You’re *not* Jason anymore. You are Jess. And the truth will come out."

Jess swallowed hard. "But what if people don’t believe it? What if—"

Leanna squeezed her hand. "Then we fight. You’re not alone in this."

********************************************

The investigation proceeded swiftly. Blood samples were taken. DNA tests were run.

Days later, Jess was called back into the office. The director had a file in front of him, his expression unreadable. "We have the results."

Jess braced herself.

"Your blood work confirms that you have two X chromosomes, meaning that, genetically, you are biologically female. However…"

Jess’s heart pounded. "However?"

The director flipped through the file. "There were some anomalies in your DNA. A few extra genes that aren’t expected. The lab flagged them, but they don’t indicate anything disqualifying. What this means is… the complaint is invalid. Your records will remain intact, and you are fully eligible to compete."

Jess barely heard the last part. Her mind was spinning. Extra genes? What did that mean?

She looked at Leanna, who was already thinking the same thing. The answers may be on the flash drive. What about the experiment? There were more secrets to uncover.