Bikini Beach -- Purse Snatchers

Printer-friendly version

Bikini Beach - Purse Snatcher
By Ellie Dauber
Copyright 2000

Why should Elrod have all the fun of posting Bikini Beach stories? Here's another one of mine. This is the first of three related tales. I'll post the second in a few days, and, if there's a good response, I'll finally get around to writing the third.

To paraphrase the song, "You don't pull on Superman's cape. You don't spit into the wind. You don't tug the mask of the old Lone Ranger... and you certainly don't try to steal the purse of Grandmother, the nice lady who runs Bikini Beach."

Bikini Beach - Purse Snatcher
By Ellie Dauber
Copyright 2000

“C'mon, man,” Rudy said. “You got to prove yourself if you're gonna hang with us.”

“Yeah, Melvin,” Ken added. “We don't hang with no uncool guys; no yellow ones either.”

Mel Haywood sighed. This was the fifth move his family had made in three years. As always, he'd had no great luck making friends. He had thought things would be better when he met Rudy and Ken and found out that they lived in his buildings. The trouble was, they were a couple of punks.

“But why do I have to steal somebody's purse?” Mel asked one last time.

“Cause I said so,” Rudy answered. “It shows you got guts; that you can think on your feet.”

“Yeah, think on your feet,” Ken echoed, as he always did.

“Now, you're gonna do it, and do it this afternoon, Melvin, or me and Ken are gonna spread the word all over the school just what a pansy you are.”

Shit! Mel knew he was stuck. These two weren't much, but they knew enough kids at the school that they could kill any chance he might ever had of making friends here. “All right, I'll do it.”

“Now you're talking sense. C'mon, we'll head over to the Italian Market. It should be plenty crowded today, lots of good targets.”

* * * * *

The three teens headed over to the Market, about a mile and a half from their neighborhood. It was a warm Saturday afternoon, and the distance was no problem for the three sixteen-year olds. On the way they mostly made small talk. Ken and Rudy joked about their teachers and the school. Rudy had an itch for a couple of the female teachers, including Ms. Serranno, the gym teacher, whom he claimed to have already had sex with. He told a story about the two of them, though he was somewhat vague on a lot of the details.

They got to the market in the middle of the late afternoon rush, people grocery shopping mixed with a few tourists, and with people stopping to buy something for their supper. The Italian Market was about 150 years old, a mass of small, family-owned shops inside a block long two-story building. Some of the stores were in their fifth or sixth generation in the same family. It was a good place for fresh meat, fish, and produce, with a few shops actually doubling as small take-out restaurants, and food courts at the end of each floor.

“I don't know,” Mel said. “It's awful crowded.”

“Hey, that's the best time, man. A skinny dude like you can wriggle through holes in the crowd that some fat cop or old lady never could. Then you just sort of blend in with all these people till they can't even guess which way you went. It's a breeze, man.”

“Yeah, a breeze,” Ken said. “Unless you're chicken.”

“No, um, I'm cool. I'll do it.” Mel swallowed hard and started looking for a target. He passed on a couple of women in slacks and sneakers. They looked like they could run as fast as he could. Some of the women were carrying big purses, really big ones that would probably slow him down if he had to run through a crowd with it. Besides, if he had to do it, he wanted a small purse he could hide, not some monster that would make him stand out.

Finally, Rudy did the picking. Mel had just decided on not trying for the purse of an older woman who looked like she might be on social security or something from the shabbiness of her dress. “All right, already, man. What are you waiting for, somebody with a 'rob me' sign on her?” He pointed to an old woman who was standing about twenty feet away talking to a very pretty young brunette.
“There's your target, that old lady.”

Just as Mel looked, the old woman turned in his direction. She seemed to be looking right at the three of them for a moment. Then she smiled and waved at somebody in his general direction. They must have waved back because the two women started walking towards the boys.

As they'd arranged it, the boys started walking towards the women as well. When they got close, Rudy and Ken made a zig to the left while Mel reached over and grabbed the purse off the old woman's shoulder. He started running off to the right, tucking the purse inside his light brown jacket. Rudy and Ken hunched over and ran in two different directions so as to distract people and possibly draw any pursuers away from Mel.

Strangely, nobody seemed to be chasing them. The old woman didn't even say anything when Mel took her purse.

* * * * *

The boys met about ten minutes later at a Greek bakery on the second floor of the market, each arriving by a different route. They bought cokes and a half dozen big cookies covered with powered sugar and took seats at one of the tables in a corner of the nearby food court.

“So, what'd we get?” Rudy asked.

Mel took the purse out from under his jacket and laid it on the table. He looked around to see if anyone was watching. Nobody was, so he hunched over the table and, without lifting the purse, opened it.

Rudy reached over and pawed through it, spilling the contents onto the table. “Nothing!” he said in disgust. It wasn't quite true. There was a hairbrush, some make-up items, a few pieces of colored cardboard, and some kleenex(TM). There was not a wallet, a checkbook, credit cards, or cash.

There also was no ID. Mel had hoped that he could at least get the purse back to the owner somehow, even if he couldn't return the money. No chance of that now, though. He sighed. He really was a thief now. He wondered if Rudy and Ken's friendship were worth it.

They were all set to go, when Rudy idly turned over one of the pieces of cardboard. “Whoa!” he said in an excited whisper. “We got something good after all.”

“What is it?” Ken said.

“Rudy lifted the three pieces of cardboard in triumph and showed them to the others. “Three...count them, three one-month passes to that water park, Bikini Beach, and there's no names written on them.”

“Bikini Beach,” Mel asked. “What's that?”

“Man, you are new in town. It's this water park that opened across town a few months ago. They got ads and billboards all over the place; great rides and a lot of really sexy babes in real tiny suits.”

“Yeah, yeah, I heard about them,” Ken said. “They say it costs a lot a money to join, or even just to buy a one-day pass. Now thanks to Rudy, here, we got us three thirty days passes.”

“Thanks to Rudy?” I was the one who grabbed that lady's purse.

“Yeah, yeah, but Rudy made you do it, and he's the one who picked the old lady out. Good eye, man. Good eye.”

“Thanks, Ken. It was a good idea.” Rudy took the passes and stuck them in a pocket inside his own jacket. “Look, it's too late to go over there today. How about we meet tomorrow about 10. We can catch the cross-town bus and spend the day at the park.”

* * * * *

The bus dropped the three boys at the stop near Bikini Beach about 10:30, Sunday morning. It was no more than a five-minute walk to the entrance. The night before, Rudy had used his father's old typewriter to type their names onto the passes, and he had handed out the passes while they were on the bus.

As they got near the park they saw an unexpected problem. The cute brunette checking memberships at the entrance had been with the old lady at the Italian Market the day before.

“Jeez,” Mel said. “What if she recognizes us?”

“Us,” Rudy laughed. “You're the one who grabbed the purse. I don't think she even noticed me and Ken.”

“Yeah,” Ken said. “We got nothing to worry about.”

“Great, but I do.”

“If you're so worried, go home. It'll leave more girls for us.”

“Yeah, Chicken, for us.”

“Shut up, Ken.” Rudy paused and looked at the brunette. “Listen, man. You grabbed that purse real slick and ran off before they could get a clear look. Right?”

“Yeah, I did.”

“And they didn't even chase us -- chase you. Chances are that chick's such a pinhead, she doesn't even remember that somebody snatched the old broad's purse. C'mon. If they do ask, we just say that we found the passes. The worst that can happen is they don't let us in.”

Rudy pulled at Melee's arm, and the three of them walked to the gate. The brunette looked up as they neared the entrance. “Sorry, boys. This is a private park.”

“We know,” Rudy said. He put on his most innocent smile, the one that always worked so well on his mother. “We have passes.” He held up his pass. Ken quickly held his up. Mel was a little slow, but he showed his as well.

“Fine then,” the brunette said. “I'm Anya. Go on in and have a good time. Just remember to shower after you put on your suits.”

“Thanks, Anya,” Rudy said. “Nice to meet you.” The three hurried in. Once they were well clear of the entrance, he whispered. “See, I said there was nothing to worry about.”

“Yeah, Rudy,” Ken said. “You was right, nothing at all.”

* * * * *

The Men's Locker Room wasn't far from the entrance. The boys went in and picked three lockers fairly close together. “This is gonna be great,” Rudy said as he took of his shirt. “Thirty days. We can come here after school every day, spend the weekends here. Man, the babes will be all over the three of us.”

“Yeah, Rudy,” Ken said. “You was smart to pick that old lady's purse.”

“I'm just glad that girl at the gate didn't recognize us,” Mel said.

“It's just lucky you was the one to grab the purse,” Rudy chuckled. “She'd have remembered a guy as handsome as me.” By now, he was in his swimsuit. He tossed his towel over his shoulders and headed for the door. “See you guys outside.”

“Wait a minute,” Mel said. “We're supposed to shower first, remember.”

“That's only for guys like you with kooties.” Rudy tried the door, but the knob refused to turn “What the hell...”

Mel noticed light snap on over a sign on the wall by the door. “Please remember to shower before leaving the locker room.” He pointed to the sign. “I think they've got it rigged somehow so the door locks until you use the shower.”

“Screw that,” Rudy said, trying the door again. Ken had his swimsuit on now and went over to help Rudy. The door stayed locked. Then the showers turned on by themselves.

“The hell with it,” Rudy said. He tossed his towel on a bench and walked into the showers. Ken scurried after him. Mel shrugged and joined the other two. The showers felt nice and warm, almost like a massaging showerhead. It relaxed away some of Rudy's anger and most of Mel's tension. All three boys stayed in the shower a few moments turning slowly to get the full effect. None of them noticed the pink shading to the steam that filled the shower room.

Then, after a few minutes, the showers turned themselves off. “I guess we're done,” Rudy said. “Let's go find some babes.”

They grabbed their towels and began walking towards the door. Mel watched Rudy and Ken walking ahead of him. Something seemed to be wrong. They were - they were shrinking, getting thinner. Rudy's hair was growing down past his shoulders, and Ken's - his hair seemed to be getting more and more curly.

He wondered if anything was happening to him and looked down at his body. He saw - no, it couldn't be - he was growing breasts. “What the...” he said, surprised at the softness in his voice.

Rudy and Ken turned. 'Damn,' Mel thought, 'they had breasts, too.' The other two boys not only had breasts, but also the round hips and long slender legs of a couple of very pretty girls. Girls? They couldn't be girls.

As if with one mind, the three boys stared at each other's crotches. Their swimsuits were changing as well. Mel's “baggies” clung to his body as the legs of the swimsuit rose up before disappearing into a French cut panty. Ken's briefs now sported a lacy little skirt. The elastic waist strap on Rudy's speedos narrowed until it turned into the ties of a string bikini bottom. The three very female swimsuits only had one thing in common. They each lay flat against their wearer's crotch with no evidence of the male organs that had been there minutes before.

Their faces had changed as much as their bodies as features softened and cheekbones shifted. The scar Rudy had gotten from a fight the year before had disappeared from above his left eye. Rudy was now a blonde with long straight hair halfway down her back. Ken was a brunette with her hair a mass of curls cut short like one of those kewpie dolls they gave out at carnivals. When he looked in the mirror near the door, Mel saw a girl that might have been his sister, her brown hair cut to just above her shoulders. They were all slender girls with attractive, but not excessive figures.

“What happened to us. Rudy?” Ken said. He - no, she seemed ready to cry.

“Young ladies,” a voice came from behind them. “Nudity is not allowed here. Please put these on and follow me to my office.” It was the woman whose purse Mel had stolen. She was holding three bikini tops that looked like perfect matches for the bottoms that their male swimsuits had become.

“What'd you do to us,” Rudy asked.

“All in good time.” She tossed him one of the tops, then handed Ken and Mel the other two. “Now put these on immediately. I don't allow nudity here.” The trio put on the tops. Mel noticed that she put her own top on without any problem, as if she had always worn such things.

* * * * *

The office was nearby. It was a small room, a desk covered with papers, a file cabinet in a corner, and a few chairs near the door. Ken and Mel sat down, embarrassed at their new forms. Rudy stood defiantly beside a chair, her arms crossed just below her breasts. “Okay, lady, we're here. Now what did you do to us, and how soon are you going to undo it?”

“You are a nasty one, aren't you? Did you think you could get away with stealing my purse?”

“Ma'am,” Mel said. “I still have the purse at home. Would it help if I brought it back? There wasn't any ID in it, so I couldn't return it.”

“No, I already have it.” She reached into a drawer in the desk and pulled out what looked like an identical purse.

“Okay, lady,” Rudy said. “You got your purse, so change us back to guys and let us out of here.”

“Yeah,” Ken said. “I wanna go home.”

“Not so fast. The important fact isn't that I got it back, but that you three stole it in the first place.”

“Mel stole it,” Ken shouted.

“Yes, he did, but you two forced him to do it. Besides you were all ready to profit from what you found in the bag, those three passes.” She smiled. “You thought those passes were a reward. Actually they're your punishment.”

“What do you mean?”

“Purse snatching isn't a major crime, especially for a juvenile. Thirty days seems to be a suitable sentence.”

“Thirty days,” Mel said. “You mean...”

“Yes. The spell that changed you into girls lasts the duration of the pass plus twelve hours. You'll be girls for the next thirty days.”

“You mean we gotta spend the next thirty days as chicks,” Rudy said. “My old man won't stand for that.”

“Your father -- none of your parents -- or your families or friends won't remember you ever being anything but girls.” She pointed at Rudy. “You, you seem to be the leader of this group. What's your name?”

“Now that's a dumb question. I'm Rita, Rita Sandow -- wait a minute, that ain't right. I'm not a girl; I'm a girl. My name is Rita. Rita. Rita! Shit, I can't say my real name anymore.”

“Yes, you can, my dear, because as far as the rest of the world is concerned, your name is and always has been Rita.” She turned to the other two. “Just as you are Karen and Melanie -- and always have been. Only five people, you three, my granddaughter, and I, remember the boys that you used to be.”

“This is crazy,” Rita said. “We're leaving.”

“I wouldn't advise it. I told you the sentence was thirty days. Now, you get to decide if you want hard time, as they say, or easy time.”

“What do you mean 'hard time'?” Rudy -- now Rita asked.

Ken, Karen now, was in a panic. “I don't like this, Rita. I don't wanna do 'hard time'.”

“Easy time means you come here every day, just as you'd planned. Only, instead of lounging around and leering at girls, you'll work for me; helping behind the food stands, cleaning up after the guests, things like that.”

“And what's the 'hard time'?” Rita asked suspiciously.

“You leave here without agreeing to my terms, and you'll spend the month as just the sort of girls you were hoping to meet here.”

“So our choice is to work or not to work,” Rita said. “Hey, that's an easy one; not work. Let's get out of here.”

“You're all free to go, but I warn you all; there's serious consequences if you leave.”

“Yeah, right. We'll probably change back when we leave. C'mon, guys.”

“Oh, you'll change if you leave now. I promise you that. You're each free to go with Rita, but I remind you that it was doing things her way that got you all turned into girls in the first place.”

“I don't know about Mel,” Karen said, “but I'm sticking with Rita.” She stood up and walked over to stand next to Rita. Her arms, too, crossed naturally in front of her chest as if she had always had breasts to contend with.

“It's your choice, of course. I'll give you sixty hours to re-consider, that's till 11 PM on Tuesday. After that, you live with the consequences for the rest of the month.”

“Bullshit,” Rita said. “You coming, Melanie?”

“I think I'm going to stay here, Rita. Sorry.”

“I always knew you was a pussy.”

The two girls turned and walked out the door. Melanie thought that their bikinis seemed to be changing again, becoming skimpier, but they were gone before she could be sure.

“That was probably the smartest thing you've done in weeks, Melanie,” the old woman said with a smile. She reached into the desk drawer again and pulled out a T-shirt with the Bikini Beach logo and the word “Staff” embroidered on it. “Put this on, dear, and come with me.”

* * * * *

In a few minutes, Melanie was working near the entrance, spearing trash with a nail on the end of a stick and putting it in a large trash bag strapped to her shoulder.

“So that's 'easy time'.”

Melanie turned in the direction of the voice. Rita and Karen were standing watching her. “Where'd you get the clothes,” Melanie asked.

“It's weird,” Rita said. When we went back into the locker room, we found this stuff instead of our old clothes in the lockers. “What do you think?” She turned around so Melanie could get the full effect. She was wearing a white lycra blouse and a short wrap-around brown skirt that was tight around her hips and stopped at least six inches above her knees. She had on sandals with a one-inch heel and was wearing a thin gold bracelet on her wrist. She was also wearing make-up, and it looked like an expert had put it on.

Karen wore a clingy sky blue lightweight dress that was no longer than Rita's. She had on a pair of two-inch heels. A small glass pendant hung from a thin chain between her breasts -- were they bigger than before? Melanie wasn't sure. Karen also was wearing make-up that looked expertly done, but who had done it?

“Not bad. How'd you manage with the clothes -- getting them on, I mean?”

“It's the funniest thing. Somehow we knew how to wear all this stuff.” Rita giggled but continued as if she hadn't noticed. “I guess it's just part of the spell, like not being able to say our real names. I don't think I'll get used to it, but I guess I can live with it if I have to.”

“Yeah,” Karen added. “It's a pain, but we'll manage.”

“Enough of this shit. Karen and me are getting out of here before that old broad gets any more crazy ideas. So long, sucker.” She turned and they walked towards the entrance. Melanie noticed that they managed to walk pretty well in the heels, but as they walked, their stride seemed to become more feminine. There was even a bit of a saucy little strut to their hips as they went out the gate.

Melanie stared at the gate after her two friends left. Was it her imagination, or had they both seemed a lot more feminine? Was the same thing going to happen to her? She tried not to think about it by getting back to work, but she took a certain satisfaction in pretending that every piece of trash she stabbed was Rita or Karen.

* * * * *

Melanie had been working for about an hour and was well into the park. She heard some shouting and looked over to see a group of girls playing volleyball. The game looked like fun, and she wished she could join in. 'Better not, though,' she thought. 'I'm supposed to be working.'

She did watch for a while, and she began to realize something else. The players were all attractive young women, some of them in fairly skimpy suits. Mel would have loved watching them jiggle and shake, and he would probably have had a tough time keeping track of the score. Melanie, on the other hand, was enjoying watching the sport. The only thing she noticed about the girls - besides how well they were all playing - was how attractive their swimsuits were. 'It's not that different than if I were a boy watching a bunch of guys playing,' she thought. 'Except that I never thought about any guy's suit.'

“You'll never get finished if you keep staring at the guests.” Melanie turned. The speaker was a very pretty redhead wearing, of all things, a pair of bib overalls. She filled them out very nicely. She was carrying a heavy-looking toolbox in her left hand and stuck out her right hand for Melanie to shake. “Hi, I'm Jenny, Jenny Michaels.”

“Melanie Haywood. I just --”

“I know, she told me.” She took Melanie's hand and gave it a surprisingly firm handshake. “She thought you might know something about pumps and such. You know anything like that, kid?”

“A little; I'm - I was taking auto shop in school. I got a B on my last quiz. It was on the fuel system.”

“You still may be taking shop, even if you are a girl now. Oh, don't look so surprised. You aren't the first person to get changed by those showers, you know.”

“Are you?” Melanie looked closely at Jenny. Was there any way to tell?

“To tell the truth, that isn't the politest quest to ask.”

“I'm sorry. I didn't mean to --”

Jenny smiled reassuringly. “Don't worry about it. I'm the one who brought the subject up. Just don't go asking anybody else, especially so soon after you meet them. Okay?” She stuck out her hand.

Okay.” Melanie shook hands with Jenny. At least she hadn't gotten somebody she worked with mad at her the first day.

Jenny pointed at what looked like a giant grass hut nearby. A blonde and brunette were unloading boxes from a hand truck in through the back entrance. “Go tell Belinda, she's the brunette over there, that I said she should take over for you on stick detail. I've got a stubborn water pump that needs to be taught its place, and it sounds like you might be able to help. Oh, and bring back a couple of diet cokes. It's a hot day.”

Melanie smiled and went over to the hut. Belinda turned out to be a rather buxom girl a few years older than Melanie. “I saw Jenny pointing at me,” she said. “I guess she's got some job for you, and I get left holding the stick.”

“I'm afraid so. Sorry.”

“At least she trusts you near the equipment. She scowls if any of us get anywhere near it.”

“Why?”

“It's a long story, and I don't know you well enough to tell you - yet.” She helped take the garbage sack off Melanie's shoulder and put it on her own. She sighed and took the stick. “See you later, Holly,” she said and started back to the trail Melanie had been cleaning.

Melanie looked at Holly, shyly. “I'm sorry to have interrupted.”

“That's all right kid. We were just about done anyway. Besides, we all have to do what the Boss says, and Jenny's one of her key people. She keeps all the equipment running. What's your name, by the way?”

“Melanie, Melanie Haywood. Umm...Jenny said I should bring some diet cokes.”

“Figures. Don't worry, there's no charge for on-duty staff - as long as you don't abuse the privilege.” She went inside and came back out with two chilled 20-ounce bottles.

Melanie took the soda and headed back over to where Jenny was waiting.

* * * * *

They spent the better part of the day working on the pump, taking about a half hour break for lunch about 1 PM. Melanie mostly just helped by handing Jenny tools or holding something that she had disconnected. Still, it was better than spearing trash, and she learned a fair bit about pumps that she probably wouldn't have gotten in shop class. She also began to make a friend.

About 5:30, Jenny said that she had to run an errand, to pick up something at a pool store in a mini-mall about two miles from Melanie's house. She offered to drive Melanie home at the same time.

“Let me ask the old woman if it's okay,” Melanie said. “Say, what is her name? I don't want to piss her off by leaving early, and I sure can't keep calling her 'the old woman' for the next 30 days.”

“I know what you mean, but I don't think I've ever heard her name in all the months that I've been working here. Anya calls her 'Grandmother', though I'm not always sure that they're really related. A lot of the rest of us call her 'Ma'am' or 'Boss'. It seems to work okay.”

“What works okay? Is that pump fixed?” They both turned at the sound.

“Hi, Boss,” Jenny said. “Yeah, it just needed a good cleaning and lube. Melanie here was a big help.”

“I thought she might be. Why don't you get the truck while she changes.” Jenny nodded and headed back towards the park office. “Melanie, it's all right for you to go home with Jenny.”

“Thanks, umm, Boss, but what do I say to my folks? How do I explain this?”

“As I told you and your so-called friends earlier, you've nothing to explain. As far as your family and friends are concerned, you've always been Melanie. The only question that they're likely to ask you is how you did today on your new part-time job.”

“New job? You mean here?”

“Certainly. You got a job here starting today; weekends 10 to 6; and 4 to 9 weekdays after school. You get off Fridays and when the park closes for bad weather.” She smiled at Melanie's surprised expression. Now go get into your street clothes - unless you want to go home in that bikini.”

“No, of course not.”

“I didn't think so. You'll find that the soap in the dispensers in the locker room will get rid of the grease and dirt on your hands and arm. You can even use the showers. It won't affect you again, I promise.”

“Thanks, Boss, but I'd better hurry. I don't want to keep Jenny waiting. Please tell her that I'll be ready in about 20 minutes.” She gave a cheery wave and headed for the locker room.

Melanie stripped off the T-shirt, hanging it in her locker. There were a couple of sinks with mirrors near the showers. She worked up a good lather and rubbed it on her face and arms. The soap had a sweet floral smell, more like hand cream than soap, but it worked as well as that awful glop they had in the auto shop at school. It smelled a lot better though. It had a pretty floral scent that she didn't remember from earlier in the day. When she washed off the lather, her skin was absolutely clean. Even better, it didn't sting her skin like the stuff at school sometimes did. Some of the scent stayed with her, too.

Now came the tough part. She took off her suit, trying hard not to look at her new body. She hesitated a little before reaching into the locker. After seeing the way Rudy and Ken - no, better think of them as Rita and Karen now; that's who they were for the next month - after seeing they way they had dressed, she wasn't sure about putting on such feminine, downright sexy, clothes.

Only, they weren't very feminine. Melanie found a rather plain blue cotton panty and matching bra. She stepped into the panty and pulled it up around her hips. It fit smoothly on her hips, against her flat groin, and felt so soft and cool, so different from the shorts Mel had worn.

She put her arms through the straps of the bra and pulled them up onto her shoulders. Her breasts fit naturally into the cups, and she reached behind herself to fasten the clasps as if it were second nature. The feeling of the silky material against her sensitive nipples was amazing, and the support that the bra gave to her new breasts was somehow comforting.

Melanie was even happier to discover a loose-fitting short sleeve green blouse and a pair of brown jeans in the locker. They were hardly what she'd been expecting. In fact, they were just the feminine counterparts to the shirt and jeans that Mel had put on this morning. So was the footwear, a pair of girl's socks and sneakers, rather than the heels that Rita and Karen had worn.

Melanie was curious, but something told her not to ask too many questions. She tossed the staff T-shirt into her swim bag. There was a purse underneath with her wallet inside. Her school ID had the same information as always, except that it was made out to Melanie Anne Haywood, instead of Melvin Andrew. It was getting spooky how thorough the - the Boss's magic was.

* * * * *

Jenny was waiting just outside the gate. She was driving a green van with the Bikini Beach logo on the side. “Hop in,” she said. “You don't have to come with me to the store. I'm only picking up a small piece of equipment. You'd better tell me where you live, too. The Boss just said it was somewhere near the store; she just didn't give me the exact address.”

Melanie told her. “Oh, yeah,” Jenny said. “I know the neighborhood. I can drop you there, then go to the store. I used to live there in one of old man Walker's buildings.”

“Mr. Walker? He's gone.”

“Gone? What, did that S.O.B. finally die?”

“Better. The city got him for endangerment because of the conditions in some of his buildings. He's in prison now. It happened just after we moved in, and the whole neighborhood was talking about it. Some developer named Harris bought up the buildings for a song.”

“Harris? Ronnie Harris bought those buildings?” She let out a hearty laugh.

“You know him, Mr. Harris?”

“Yep, and it's Ms. Harris. She owns those condos across from the park. I live in one of them, in fact, and she has a lifetime membership here at the park.”

“Is she...was he...like me?”

“That's a rather personal question, hon. Look, the great majority of the members were born female. The Boss built the place, so they could have somewhere to go and relax without being ogled by men. The transformation magic just part of that protection.”

“Some protection. Look what it did to me and my friends.”

“I'd say that you three asked for it. Purse snatching is against the law, you know.”

“I know, and I really didn't want to do it. But Rudy egged me on. He said that he and Ken would spread the word all over the school that I was a chicken. I'm...we're new in town. I haven't had much of a chance to make many friends.” She seemed almost ready to cry.

Jenny took Melanie's hand and squeezed it. “Well, you have another one now, Hon, and don't worry, things may be different now.”

“How different?”

“I don't know, but you're Melanie, now, and her life is different from Mel's. Not better; not worse; just different. You'll just have to wait and see how it's different.”

“I guess - hey, we're here.” The van pulled up in front of Melanie's apartment house. She jumped out of the van and waved as Jenny pulled away. She sighed and went in. “'Wait and see.' I think the wait's about over.”

She rode up to her family's 8th floor apartment nervously. How could she possibly explain what had happened to her parents? And Lenny, what kind of grief was her 10-year old kid brother going to give her? Melanie braced herself for the worst as she let herself into the apartment.

“Hey, Mel,” Lenny looked up from the TV show he was watching. “How'd the new job go?”

“Okay, I guess.” She took a deep breath. “Hey, squirt, I look any different to you?”

The boy stared at his sister for a minute. “Nah, same as always. Why?”

“I don't know. Just asking.” It was true! The world had changed around her. She shrugged, a little confused at the enormity of the change, and headed for her room.

And it was her room. There was no trace of Mel in the flowered bedspread and ruffled curtains. The basketball posters on the walls were gone, too, replaced with pictures of the U.S women's soccer team; not sexy posters, like the captain after she took her blouse off, but action pictures of the team in play. Mel's dresser was in the same place as before, but now it was painted a pale blue, and there was a small tray of make-up on top. She glanced over to the closet. The door was open, and Melanie could see dresses and skirts in there with a few pairs of jeans or slacks. She shook her head and sat down on the bed in disbelief. It was true! As far as the world was concerned, she was Melanie Haywood and always had been.

She ate dinner in silence, much to the amusement of her parents. “She's just like her old man,” her father said. “Put in a good day's work, and she's too tired to do anything but eat.” He laughed heartily. Jack Haywood was a master electronics technician, a civilian contractor for the Navy who traveled with his family from job to job. At the moment, he was helping design and build the guidance component for a new type of radar navigation and tracking system. The job was expected to take about twenty-two months, then they'd be off to someplace else.

Melanie pushed herself away from the table. “I'm - I'm done, I guess.” The changes were beginning to get to her. “I've got homework to do.” She went into her bedroom. Her book bag - her pink book bag - was waiting on her desk. She pulled out the geometry text and began working on the first problem.

* * * * *

Three hours later, her mother knocked on the door. “Melanie, dear. It's almost 11. You should be getting ready for bed.”

Melanie looked up from the history notes she was reviewing. Mel had always been a fairly good student. At least, that hadn't changed. She put the book down, yawned, and stretched. It was late. She stood up and started unbuttoning her blouse. She fumbled with the buttons a little, they were on the wrong side, after all, but got it undone quickly enough.

As she took off the blouse, she stared down at her breasts, secure within the bra. Mel had always enjoyed looking at a girl's breasts, but he never expected to see them from this angle. 'Better get used to them,' she thought. 'They'll be there for the next thirty days.'

After she had stepped out of her sneakers and jeans, she looked for a pair of pajamas, but could only find a frilly pink nightgown. She wasn't quite ready for anything that feminine. It was a warm night, so she decided to sleep in her underwear. She climbed into bed and was asleep almost at once.

* * * * *

Morning came fast, too fast. The alarm by Melanie's bed woke her at 6:45 instead of 7:15. She wondered why, even as she realized that it was set to a music station instead of the sports channel Mel had listened to. She looked around the room; it was as feminine as ever. A quick glance under the covers told her that so was she.

With a sigh, she climbed out of bed and threw on a white robe hanging on a hook on the back of the door. She padded down the hall and into the bathroom. She shut the door behind her and took of the robe.

There it was, reflected in the mirror above the sink, a girl's body, her body, displayed in pretty undies. Mel had let himself get talked into doing something really stupid, and she was the result. Melanie felt embarrassed. Then she felt mad. If she was going to be stuck like this for a month, she was damned if she was going to let it get the best of her. She's show Rita, the...Boss, all of them. She'd get through it.

And when she and Rita and Karen were guys again, she was going to beat the crap out of the both of them!

Now that that was settled, she felt better somehow. She went through the morning routine, only realizing later that she had used a moisturizing soap and a perfumed body talc that she'd never seen before. She did notice that her straight razor had somehow turned into a pink Lady Schick and that her deodorant was now Ice Blue Secret. 'The Boss certainly covered everything,' she thought.

There was a hamper for dirty clothes near the door. Melanie sighed, another moment of truth. She reached behind her back and unclasped the bra. It slid off her shoulders and down into her hand as if of its own free will. She tossed it into the hamper and reached down to grasp her panties. She could feel the weight of her breasts as she leaned over to step out of the panties. It felt really weird, she decided. She put the robe back on, knotting it tight at her waist and headed back to her bedroom.

Melanie took off her robe and opened the dresser drawer. She picked out a matching yellow bra and panty set. They were a bit fancier than what she'd worn, a little sheerer with lace swirls on the bra cups and on the gusset of the panty. She remembered to put the bra on first, then stepped into the panty.

She took a yellow-green blouse off a hanger and put it on. This time, she had no trouble with the buttons. Melanie thought about wearing jeans, but she decided to force herself to face facts. She found a green skirt that she knew somehow would look good with the blouse. She stepped into it, pulled it up and buttoned it at the waist. It was a little tight, accentuating the curve of her hips and the narrowness of her waist.

Pantyhose? No, the skirt was feminine enough, she decided. Melanie found a pair of green socks that went about halfway to the knee. Then she checked for shoes - gad! How many pairs did she have? She slipped on a pair of green flats, not wanting to try heels without a little practice.

Now came the risky part. Melanie went over to the tray with her make-up. She picked a pale pink lipstick and applied it carefully, surprising herself again at her skill. A little blusher on the cheeks and she felt she was ready. No, one more thing, she found a thin silver necklace and slipped it over her head. She automatically lifted her hair and let the necklace slide down against her neck. She looked in the mirror and smiled at the pretty girl she saw reflected.

* * * * *

Melanie took a deep breath as she walked into the school. She was getting used to the fact that everyone remembered her as a girl. Still, she half expected somebody to yell “Queer!” at her or to start laughing at her for wearing a dress and trying to pass as a girl. When nobody did, she almost felt disappointed.

There was a crowd gathered down one hall. She could hear a bunch of people laughing at something, and she decided to see what was going on. About a half dozen guys were coming on to a pair of great looking babes, a blonde and a brunette wearing tight, very short skirts.

As she got closer, she could hear their voices. “C'mon, Rita, say you'll go out with me.”

“Hey, Karen, if Rita goes out with Jack, you can double with me.”

“No, man, I'm taking her out.”

“I am, or better yet, all of you come over to my place this Friday. My folks are gonna be out of town. We can party real good.”

Melanie was amazed. Those two girls were Rita and Karen. It couldn't be. 'They must hate being hit on like that,' Melanie thought.

Then, above the boys' voices, Melanie heard Rita saying, “Oh, you boys. You stop fighting over Karen and me.”

“Don't you like it,” one of the boys said.

Rita giggled - giggled! “Of course, I do. It makes me feel all warm inside, but we have to get to class now.” She threw them a kiss as she and Karen headed off to first period.

Melanie stared at them in disbelief, then she hurried after them. First period was geometry, the one class the three of them shared. Melanie had checked her schedule the night before. She was still in all the same classes. Even auto shop; Jenny had been right about that.

They all reached the classroom at about the same time. Rita and Karen had a head start, but Melanie could move faster in her flats than the other two could in their three inch heels. They way they walked in those heels, hips swinging back and forth invitingly, had been more amazing than the fact that they could manage to get anyplace in those shoes without falling over.

“What's with you guys,” she whispered.

“It's the spell that old woman put on us,” Rita said. “These outfits are about the least sexy clothes we could find - don't even ask about our underwear. My closet looks like a Victoria's Secret catalog.”

“Yeah,” Karen added. “And we get all giggly and flirty around the guys. We can't seem to help ourselves.”

“Isn't it like that with you, too, Melanie?” Rita asked. Then Rita took her first good look at Melanie. “Hey, how come you're dressed like little miss homebody?”

“It's the Bo-the old woman's spell,” Melanie said with a sudden understanding. “I agreed to her terms, so she's going easy on me. You guys didn't, so she's got you acting like a couple of hot-to-trot babes.”

“Bull,” Rita said. “If she thinks she can get us to come crawling to her by pulling something like that on us, she's even crazier than I thought she was. Right, Karen?”

“I - I don't know...”

“I said, 'Right, Karen.’

“Yeah, I guess - I mean, right, Rita.”

“Good. Then the subject's closed.” Rita walked into the classroom while Karen hurried to catch up.

* * * * *

The rest of the morning went fairly smoothly. Some of girls that Melanie passed in the halls smiled at her. So did one or two of the boys. That bothered her a little, especially when she caught herself smiling back shyly.

Melanie was a little unnerved by it all when the bell rang for lunch. After she'd bought lunch, she walked out into the cafeteria looking for a place to sit. Mel had usually eaten with Rudy and Ken and a few of their friends, but Melanie saw that Rita and Karen were surrounded by a crowd of boys. Even if she had wanted to sit with them, there didn't seem to be any empty seats at their table; not much standing room, either.

“Hey, Melanie, over here.”

Melanie turned automatically. It was one of the girls who'd smiled at her when they passed in the hall. Dana Something - 'Dana Wynn,' a voice in Melanie's mind told her. She walked over to where Dana was sitting with two other girls. 'Stacy Brenner and Tina Feldman,' the voice said.

“Hi, Melanie. How was your weekend?” Stacy asked.

“Umm, different.”

“Ooh, and what exactly did you and Ed do that was 'different'?” Dana asked.

“Ed?”

“Where is your head, Melanie? Ed, Ed Nathanson. The two of you had a date last Saturday night.”

Melanie knew Ed. He was in a couple of Mel's classes. They'd worked together in one of those “team projects” that Mr. O'Brien, their U.S. history teacher liked to run. They'd hit it off and hung out together a few times since. In the new reality, they must have really hit it off and begun dating.

She remembered Ed as a friendly guy with the cutest grin and big brown “puppy dog” eyes. Wait a minute, what was she thinking? She felt her face grow warm. “No-nothing, it was just a date. We went to see a movie, that's all.”

“Uh huhn,” Tina said. “Just a movie.” She giggled, and the other two joined her. “We know you didn't do anything, girl. You're way too straight. We're just giving you a hard time.”

“Sure,” Stacy added. “What are friends for if not to give each other a hard time?”

Melanie set her tray on the table and sat down next to Dana. Somehow, she felt comfortable with these girls. 'That must have been what Jenny meant,' she thought. 'Mel really didn't have any friends, but Melanie does.”

The girls talked as they ate lunch. Tina was a “fashion geek”, at least that's what Dana called her at one point. She had a couple of teen magazines in her book bag, and she was showing the other girls articles and giving her opinions on the different clothes. Melanie listened without offering many opinions. A few times, though, she did find herself wondering how she would look in some of the different outfits.

“I think you'd look good in that one, Stacy.” The girls looked up from the magazine article on capri pants. Jeff Hogan stood there smiling and pointing at one of the pictures. Ed Nathanson, Harry Weiss, and Tom Brill were standing with to him.

Stacy beamed up at him. “Do you really think so?”

“Yep, what do you think, Tom?”

“I think Dana would look good in anything she wore.”

“Flatterer,” Dana said. She reached out and took Tom's hand and squeezed it gently.

Ed looked at Harry. “I guess we have to say something nice about our girls now.” He winked.

“Yeah, but what is there to say?”

“Thanks a lot,” Tina said.

Harry continued. “I mean, after you say that you think she's the prettiest girl in the school and how lucky you think you are to be dating her, what else is there to say?”

“Good save,” Ed said. “And, you know, I feel pretty much the same about Melanie.”

Tina tried to frown, but giggled and broke into a happy grin. “You two just saved yourselves from a very lonely week.” Melanie smiled, too. Ed was looking at her. She found that she liked him looking at her. Her whole body was starting to tingle from it.

Ed pulled a chair over from a nearby table and sat down next to Melanie. “I tried to call you yesterday,” he said. “I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed our date, but your folks said that you were working at that new job you just started. Did they tell you I called?”

Melanie thought quickly. “Umm, no, but I got home a little late last night. I ate and went right in to do my homework. I guess mom and dad didn't want me to stop and call you. By the time I was done, it was too late to call.” She reached out without thinking and touched his arm to comfort him. “I'm sorry.”

“I'm not - well, I am, but I understand, I guess. I just hope I'm going to be able to spend time with you.” He frowned for a moment then brightened. “Hey, how much does it cost to join that place? Maybe I can swing a membership and spend time with you that way.”

“No!” Melanie caught her breath. She liked Ed too much to have him changed into a girl. “I...I mean, the park is for girls only. My Boss says she built it, so girls could have a place to relax without guys. You know, watching them.”

“Hey, not to worry, I don't notice other girls when you're around.” Ed took Melanie's hand. They both knew that he was laying it on a little thick, but she found that she seemed to be enjoying it. “Seriously, I do want to take you out again next weekend. Are you going to be able to make it?”

“Yes, and thank you for asking so nicely. I only work till 6 on Saturdays and Sundays. I stayed a little late yesterday to help out on repairing a pump.”

“Great. Then we --” Ed was interrupted by a bell.

“Better get to class,” Dana said. They quickly put their trays in a rack near the door and headed to their respective classes. Melanie found that Tina and Jeff were in Spanish class with her.

* * * * *

Last period was study hall. Mel had always used the time to try to get some of his homework done, and Melanie wanted to stay in the habit. She was working on a geometry problem when she heard a whisper from the next seat.

“Melanie, are you going to go back there again today?” It was Karen. Mr. Snitter, the teacher in charge, was Acting Assistant Principal, and he had left the room on a short errand. Karen had shifted over from her usual seat.

“Yeah, I don't think I have a choice.” The part she left unsaid was “unless I want to end up like you and Rita.” She looked at Karen, sitting there in a skirt that came almost to her -- good grief! She hadn't noticed earlier, but Karen was wearing stockings and a garter belt. Melanie could see the garter tab hooked onto one of the patterned stockings. The way she way sitting, Karen showed a nice bit of thigh above the stocking, too. Ken had always had a thing for girls who wore garter belts, now he was one. Maybe that was the point of the Boss' spell. She had the other two acting like their own sexual fantasies.

“Look, Karen,” Melanie said. “Why don't you come with me to the park after school today? Maybe you can apologize.”

“No. It...it would really piss Rita off if I did.”

“So? She can come, too.”

“Never. At least that's what she said. She's already pissed off at what the old lady did, and she says she'll be damned if she's going to kiss ass and apologize. She's gonna rough it out for the month.”

“Just because she's feeling that way doesn't mean you have to go along with her, does it?”

“I don't know. I always went along with what she said; ever since we was little kids.”

“Yeah, and listening to Rita is how we all got to be girls in the first place. Maybe it's time you stopped going along with her lame ideas.”

“I don't know. Let me think about it.”

“Okay, but don't think too long. The old lady said you guys only had until tomorrow night to change your minds.”

Before Melanie could say anything else, Mr. Snitter came back into the room. Karen and several others, who had switched seats while he was gone, scurried back to their assigned seats for the remainder of the period.

* * * * *

Melanie got to the park about 5 minutes before 4 PM. She signed in on a crew sheet at the gate. The same brunette who had been working the gate yesterday was on duty. “Hi, Melanie,” she said. “Glad you decided to come back.”

Melanie smiled then remembered that this was also the girl who'd been with the Boss when Mel had snatched the Boss's purse. “I don't think I had much of a choice.”

“Sure you did. The same choice that Rita and Karen still have till tomorrow night.” She offered Melanie her hand. “I'm Anya, by the way. She's my grandmother.”

“Um, hi. I'm sorry about what happened.” Melanie shook her hand cautiously. Anya seemed friendly enough, but she was the Boss's granddaughter.

“Don't be. I'm sure it'll work out. Or, rather, Grandmother will make sure that it works out.”

“Yeah, I guess she will.”

“Well, you better go change. You can use the Ladies' Locker Room now. Grandmother said to tell you that she wants you helping out over by the Junior Lifeguard Academy. A mother's throwing a birthday party for her nine-year-old twins. A lot of their friends are going to be here for the afternoon.”

“Twins, neat.”

Anya giggled. “Yeah, but there'll be about twenty noisy kids in here with them. After you change, head over that way and look for the tent with the balloons. The brace yourself for a really busy afternoon. You better hurry, too. The party starts at 4:30.”

“Okay, Anya, and thanks.” Melanie waved goodbye and headed for the Ladies' Locker Room. It was empty, which was good because she didn't think she was quite ready to change clothes in front of other women -- or to watch them change clothes. “That'll come soon enough,” she said aloud.

She stripped down and stuck her clothes in a locker. She put on her swimsuit, the bikini from the day before, without any trouble, not even hesitating with the clasp for the top. Melanie didn't expect to go swimming, but she decided that the rule about showers probably still applied. She took a quick run-in-run-out shower, then toweled herself dry before putting on the staff T-shirt.

* * * * *

The Lifeguard Academy was easy to find, there were brightly colored signs along the paths in the park. As Melanie came near, she saw a mass of balloons floating above a twenty by thirty rental tent set up between the Lifeguard Academy pool and the paddleboat dock. 'That must be it,' she thought and headed over. There were already two staffers in the tent, setting things up. One was, Belinda, the brunette who had replaced her at trash pick-up the day before. The other was an auburn beauty about the same age. Melanie found herself noticing the way the girl's short haircut framed her face and wondered about getting her own hair cut that way.

“Hi, umm, Melanie, is it? The Boss said we were going to have help with the party. I guess you're it.”

“Yeah, it's Melanie, and you're...Belinda, right?”

The other girl pushed her bangs away from her forehead. “She is, and I'm Marta. Hi.” She pointed at a stack of soda cans in a corner of the tent next to a large portable electric cooler. “Can you put that soda in the cooler, about a dozen cans of each kind for a start?”

“Sure.” Melanie went over to the soda. Cans of coke, orange, root beer, and some generic lemon-lime mix were stacked on cardboard trays, 24 cans to the row, in six-packs with plastic connectors. She took two six packs of coke and put them into the commercial cooler nearby.

“Take off the plastic,” Marta said. “When the kids come over, it'll be quicker if that's already done.”

“Right,” Melanie said. She pulled the plastic off the cans and tossed it into a trash box next to the cooler. While she worked, she watched Belinda setting up the grill just outside the tent. There were several white refrigerator boxes labels “burgers” and “franks” standing on a long table a foot or so away. Marta was unpacking paper bags filled with chips, pretzels, paper plates, straws, and napkins.

The guests of honor arrived with their mother, a cheery woman about thirty wearing a pair of jeans and a PBS “Fawlty Towers” tee top. The girls were already in matching green and blue swimsuits. “Girls,” she said pushing two identical nine-year olds forward. “These nice ladies are Belinda and Marta and - I'm sorry I don't know your name.”

“Melanie, ma'am. Melanie Haywood.”

“Girls, this is Belinda and Marta and Melanie. They'll be helping at your party today. What do you say to them?”

“Thank you,” one of the girls mumbled. The other seemed to be clenching her teeth to keep from saying anything.

“You're very welcome, girls,” Belinda said. “What are your names?”

“I'm Angie,” the mumbler said. “This is Amy. We're nine today.”

“I know,” Belinda said. “Happy Birthday.”

“Can we go now?” Amy suddenly said.

“Yes, dear,” the mother said. She watched the twins grab their swim bags and run for the locker rooms. “Kids, they're so, so eager, but I'm sure you were that way when you were little girls their age.”

Belinda looked a little uncomfortable. “Yes, ma'am, I guess we were.”

“Well, I might as well go change into a suit myself.” She started off then stopped and turned. “By the way, I'm Mrs. Connolly.” She waved and continued walking without another word.

“Well, that was sweet,” Marta said.

“C'mon, Marta,” Belinda said. “Give her a break. She was trying to be nice.”

“I suppose. She's got the rest of the afternoon to prove it.”

The guests started arriving about ten minutes later. They put their presents on another long table and went to change into swimming gear.

By now, Melanie had the soda in the cooler, with the other soda close by to replace as needed. “I'm done,” she said. “What's next?”

“Next is those tables,” Marta said. She pointed to a stack of six folding tables in a corner of the tent. There were several big stacks of folding chairs near them on the grass. “We set them up in two rows of three tables each. Then those chairs go around them, four to a table.”

Melanie and Belinda set up the tables and chairs while Marta worked at the grill. As they worked, they talked. Marta and Belinda were about twenty, students at the local college majoring in Business and Computer Science. They'd been working for the Boss for a couple months, though Belinda didn't want to talk about that very much. Melanie wasn't sure how to make small talk as a girl, but she found that Belinda was also a baseball fan. They spent about an hour arguing about the prospect of various teams for the current season.

Just in time, everything was set up and ready. A horde of wet little girls wrapped in beach towels came into the tent. They lined up by the grill, and Marta and Belinda were hard pressed to get the burgers and hot dogs onto plates fast enough. Melanie stood by the cooler passing out cans of soda. Before the girls had come in from swimming, Melanie had put out a bowl of chips at each table, so the girls just helped themselves. The girls settled down to their suppers, while Belinda, Marta, and Melanie sat in chairs near the grill waiting to be asked for more food.

Mrs. Connolly looked up from watching her daughters eat. She stood up and came over to where the three workers sat. “I'm sorry, girls. You must be hungry, too, from setting everything up. There's more than enough food, so, please, help yourselves.”

“Thanks, ma'am,” Marta said. “To tell the truth we are kind of hungry.”

The trio fixed themselves suppers and sat back down by the grill. If any of the kids came back for more, there was still plenty of food left. A couple of the girls did come back for seconds. Then Mrs. Connolly lit the candles on a cake, and all the girls sang “Happy Birthday.” Belinda, Marta, and Melanie helped hand out the cake afterwards. They each took a piece for themselves and went back to finish eating while the kids ooh and aahed over the presents.

Anya came into the tent. “Okay, girls. Grandmother says it's time for your break. Head back to the office. I've got a couple of other girls coming to relieve you.”

“What about the party,” Melanie asked. Don't we have to stay and clean up?”

“There'll be time for that,” Belinda said. “Did you bring your schoolbooks?”

“Yeah, there're in the Locker Room, but...”

“The Boss says she doesn't want stupid people working for her. She gives us an hour or so break every night during the week to study or do homework.”

“I hear McDonald's has something like that for the kids that work for them,” Marta added.

Melanie ran back to the Women's Locker Room and fetched her book bag. Belinda and Marta were waiting in a small “conference room” next to the office. Melanie spread her books out on a section of the long table and spent the next hour wrestling with the theory of auto transmissions. After which, they went back to the tent. Holly, the blonde who'd been working with Belinda the day before and another girl, who introduced herself as Norma, were waiting.

“The Boss says we get to help with the clean-up,” Norma said with a shrug of her shoulders. “Looks like we're needed.” She was correct. The little girls had left a mess of paper plates, wrapping papers and ribbons, soda cans, and partially eaten food inside the tent.

Holly and Melanie took sticks and trash bags and began walking around spearing trash off the ground, while Norma and Marta cleaned up the tables. Belinda emptied the coals from the grill and began taking it down. They folded the tables and chairs, piling them onto hand trucks that were waiting behind the tent. They loaded the grill, cooler, cooking gear, and leftover plates, cups, and plastic ware onto a smaller hand truck.

Mrs. Connolly seemed to have taken all the leftover food with her, but she'd left an envelope marked “For the Girls” next to the grill. There were twenty-five dollars inside. “Tips,” Norma said. “I love them.” Each girl took one of the five-dollar bills, and they pushed the hand trucks back towards the office.

They had just unloaded everything into a storage room at one end of the building, when Anya came by. “Grandmother said you can all go home now. You were a big help with the party.”

“But my bus won't be coming by for about forty minutes,” Melanie said.

“Where do you live, kid,” Norma asked. When Melanie told her, Norma turned to Marta. “That's not much out of our way. Why don't we give Melanie a lift home? There's enough room in your van.”

“Hey, why not,” Marta said.

“Thanks,” Melanie said.

“Hey, we all work together. Why not? Heck, we can do it every night - unless you've got a boyfriend coming for you.”

She thought of Ed for a moment, but she wasn't quite sure if she wanted to think of him as “friend” or “boyfriend”. She did know what he wanted her to think, though. “No, umm, no, I don't.”

“A pretty little thing like you? That's a surprise.”

We don't have boyfriends either, Marta,” Holly said, nudging her in the ribs. “Remember.”

“Oh! Oh, yeah, I'm sorry, Melanie.” She looked at Melanie as if seeing her for the first time. “I'm really sorry.”

Melanie looked closely at the older girls. Did they know? Or...or were they transformed guys the same as she was? She thought about asking, but decided not to press. It might be better to not know. “That's okay, no hard feelings.”

As they went in to change, Melanie suddenly realized that she was about to watch four babes get naked in front of her. She smiled in anticipation. Then she frowned. The idea didn't seem to do anything for her. It was like her body was numb. No, worse. It didn't care; not even when she saw the real thing. She watched as Belinda, only three lockers away, unfastened her bra, letting her breasts sway free; and later as Norma, almost as close, wriggled out of her one-piece suit and stood there, stretching as if she were on display in a centerfold. Nothing.

Why should she be aroused? Wasn't she a girl, too? Dammit!

* * * * *

“Melanie!” Stacy waved at Melanie as she got off the bus the next morning. “Rita Sandowsky and Karen Geller live in your building, don't they?”

“Umm, yeah. Why?”

“I was just wondering if you'd heard anything about last night?”

“Not really. At least my folk didn't say anything when I got home from work last night. What happened?”

“They got arrested or something. They went into Hannigan's, you know, the bar over on Woodbine Street.”

“I know the place.” Rudy had boasted that he had fake ID, and that he could get them all served at the bar. The reason that they'd stolen the purse had been to get some money to pay for their drinks. Melanie guessed that they had somehow gotten the cash to go in the night before.

“The bartender tried to throw them out after he figured out that they weren't legal age. Somebody tried to stop him, and there was a big fight. They called the cops and everything.”

Jeff Hogan came over. He said “Hi” to Melanie and kissed Stacy lightly on the cheek. “Well, if they busted Rita and Karen last night, they let them out again.” He pointed towards the entrance to the school. “There they are.”

Melanie looked to where he was pointing. Both girls were standing near the steps surrounded by a crowd that was mostly male. Rita seemed to be telling a story - it was too far away to hear - from the way her hands and arms were moving. She finished, it seemed, and the crowd seemed to laugh at whatever she'd said.

Curious, Melanie walked over. It was easy to see why the boys in the crowd were so attentive. Rita was wearing a tight black dress that barely went below her hips and hugged her curves as if it had been painted on. Karen was in a dark green dress that was almost down to her knees, but with a neckline that seemed to stop just above her nipples. 'She can't be wearing a bra with that,' Melanie thought. Both girls balanced on three-inch heels.

The bell rang before Melanie could say anything. “We have to get to class,” Rita said. “But we'll be glad to tell you more about last night at lunch. That is, if one of you cute boys is buying lunch.” Several boys reached for their wallets. Rita giggled and looked at them through half-closed eyes. “I just love generous men. They make me all...tingly.”

She turned and walked up the steps, Karen along side her. A few of the boys headed to their own classes, but others stayed to watch. Both girls walked with a “stripper's strut”. You could see quite a bit of leg -- and maybe a bit of Rita's ass -- from the bottom of the steps. It was worth the risk of being late to stay for the show.

Melanie hurried after her friends. She could hear a groan or two as she got close enough to block the view of some of the boys. “What are you two doing,” she asked once they were in the building. “And what's this about last night?”

Rita giggled again. So did Karen. It was scary how much they seemed to be getting into their new roles.

“I got to thinking about Hannigan's yesterday. Guys need money to go into a bar, but a pretty girl, she can always get a guy to buy her drinks. Especially if he thinks he's gonna get something in return. I already had the fake IDs.”

“They didn't disappear from the magic?”

“Nope. That old broad is too thorough. The pictures on them just changed to what Karen and I look like now. Anyway, I told Karen we was going. We got all fixed up, so we looked legal, and headed over the bar.”

“Yeah,” Karen said, “and it would have worked, too, except for Susie Shaw.”

“Susie,” Melanie asked. “What did she have to do with it?”

“Didn't you know,” Rita said. “Susie's cousin owns Hannigan's. Susie works there on and off. Me and Karen was doing okay. These two big guys were talking to us, even buying us each a beer.”

“Yeah, the one guy, Tony, I think his name was, even was talking about buying dinner for us.”

“Then Susie comes out from the back to clean up some of the tables or something. She must have recognized us, cause she went right over and talked to the bartender. Then the bartender comes over and asks for ID. He took one look at the cards and said we had to leave.”

“Only Tony and his buddy don't want us to leave, and they start arguing with the bartender. Somebody threw a punch, and WHAM! The whole bar is fighting. The cops showed up and arrested the bunch of us.”

Karen giggled. “Tony was sure pissed at us for being jailbait, and the cops wanted to throw us into juvenile hall.”

“Yeah, and my old man was even more pissed when the cops called him to come get us. He said it was all a big mistake, and his 'little girl' would never be in a bar doing what the cops said.” Rita paused. “Like he had a clue.”

The bell rang again, starting the class period, and the three girls ran for their seats. Melanie could barely believe it. Rita and Karen still knew who they really were, but they were acting like a couple of -- well, like a couple of bimbos. It was the spell, she realized. If she hadn't agreed to work at the park, she'd be wearing clothes like that, acting like that, and there would have been three girls at Hannigan's.

Melanie sighed and looked at the two girls. Rita was just staring out the window. Karen was at least trying to take notes, though Melanie could see her doodling as much as she was writing. They may not deserve it, Melanie thought, but she was going to try to get them to go with her to see the Boss this afternoon. From what the Boss had said, today was their last chance.

Having settled that, Melanie looked towards the blackboard and tried to follow what the teacher was saying about congruent triangles.

* * * * *

Melanie had tried to talk to Rita and Karen at lunch, but they were surrounded by a crowd that only wanted to hear about their “great adventure”. She thought about going over to join them, but one good look at the crowd changed her mind.

Half the kids were on probation for one thing or another, a few had spent time in juvenile hall. Or worse. Frankie DiAntonio, who was sitting with his arm around Rita's waist, had been suspended twice for starting fights. He was also the guy who sold Rudy the fake IDs in the first place. Karen was sitting on Phil Ormand's lap. Phil had his hand on Karen's leg. He'd been accused of raping a girl last year, but the girl had changed her mind. The girl's dad, who'd been unemployed for two months, got a job a week later with Ormand Construction.

Melanie shook her head and walked away.

* * * * *

Gym was next to last period on Tuesdays, a class that Melanie and Rita shared. Melanie decided to try to talk to Rita then and to Karen in study hall.

She picked a locker near Rita and tried to start up a conversation while they changed. Rita reached behind herself and slowly, sensuously unzipped her dress. The zipper went down to just above the curve of her ass, but Rita managed it as if she'd been wearing such clothes for years. The top of the dress slipped open as she pulled at the zipper. Melanie gasped in surprise. Rita wasn't wearing any sort of bra under the dress.

Rita turned when she heard Melanie gasp. “Ain't it neat? Anytime I want to see a sex show, I can just go to my room and strip.” She leaned forward and the dress fell away revealing her large breasts.

Melanie felt a little self-conscious. She had caught herself staring at the other girls, but it was just like yesterday. She wasn't aroused by the sexy, almost naked female standing next to her, now. She was just shocked at the way her friend - her girl friend was acting. It was probably the same for Rita. “Yeah, but are you still interested in looking at a naked girl? With all that flirting you were doing, I figured you were getting interested in boys.”

Rita giggled. “I guess I am -- a little. Mostly, I'm just trying to get the hang of the new equipment. I figure that if I'm gonna be stuck as a girl for the month, I might as well take advantage of it. Last night a guy was gonna buy me drinks and dinner. Who knows what sort of loot I can get out of them after I practice.”

“That's crazy. Look, the old lady said you had till tonight to apologize. Maybe if you go with me after school and talk to her, she'll go easy on you.”

“I don't see that she's doing that much -- except for making me a girl in the first place, and she said we'd be girls for thirty days no matter what. Nah, she just wants to see us crawl, and I'm not going to give her the satisfaction.”

There was a yell and the sound of a whistle from outside the changing room. “Yo in there, Ms. Serranno says anybody not out here in two minutes can spend the class doing laps.” The two girls stopped talking and changed as quickly as possible. Melanie did see Rita step out of her dress. She was wearing a thong bikini panty that was scarcely wider than a g-string. The Boss definitely was doing something to Rita, and Melanie decided that she would try one last time to get Rita to change her mind before time ran out that evening.

* * * * *

There wasn't much time to talk after gym class. Melanie stripped down and took the shower next to Rita. “Can I talk to you after school about --”

“Look, Melanie. If you want to make another speech about going back to see the old biddy at the park, forget it. I'm not interested in kissing her ass.”

“But you've only got till tonight to apologize.”

“Or else what? She already did her hocus pocus, and we're stuck like this for thirty days. What else can she do to me?” She stepped out of the shower and headed back to her locker.

Melanie followed, still talking, still trying to convince her. “It's what she's already done. The way you and Karen are acting.”

Both girls took out towels and began patting themselves dry. “What's wrong with the way we're acting?”

“You're acting like, well like a couple of -- like a couple of bimbos, if you must know.”

“Says you, bitch. We're acting the way we want to act. Karen and I figure that if we're gonna be stuck as girls for the next month, we might as well enjoy it. That's all. If you got some hair up your ass about it, too damn bad.”

She threw down her towel for emphasis and began to dress.

“But, Rita.”

“No buts. This conversation is over.” The two friends, ex-friends now, turned their backs on one another and finished dressing. As they were leaving the gym, Melanie gave it one last chance. “Rita, at least think--”

“I said over.” Rita turned her back and headed down the hall. Her walk was even more pronouncedly feminine, as if to show Melanie just how much feminine sex appeal she could put into it.

Melanie hurried to her next class almost in tears. Rita was too damn stubborn for her own good, but maybe - just maybe - she could convince Karen.

Karen was standing by the door to the study hall talking to Phil Ormand. She held her books in front of her being very careful not to hide the view of her breasts. She was smiling at Phil who was looking down and enjoying the view. “Oh, Phil, now you stop talking like that,” she said with a giggle. You'll be late for your class.”

“I'm going; I'm going, but can I see you after school?” Something about the way Phil said “see” sent a shiver down Melanie's spine. So did the leer on his face. He was almost drooling.

“I - I'll see. I may have something to take care of.”

He put his hand under her chin and lifted her head towards his. “You sure there's nothing I can do to...convince you.”

The bell rang before Karen could answer. “See you later, Babe.” Phil dropped his hand and ran off to whatever class he had.

“Hi, Karen. Can I talk to you for a minute?”

“Sure, Melanie, but we'd better get inside.” They went into the classroom only to find a message of the board.

At principal's office; will be back in 10 minutes. Behave!

Mr. Snitter

“As if,” Karen said. They both giggled and sat down.

“Karen, are you happy with what happened to you and Rita?”

“What do you mean 'to me and Rita'? You're as much a girl as we are. You're not getting to like being a girl, are -- are you?”

“Heck, no. I hate it. I mean, well, the type of girl you and Rita are; the clothes you're wearing, flirting with guys, going to the bar last night. Do you like acting like that?”

“I - no, I hate it. It - it scares me. Out there just now, when Phil put his hand under my chin, I - I tingled all over. I wanted to take his hand and - and I, oh, Hell, I wanted him to touch my breasts - to kiss me. Melanie, you've got to help me.”

“What about Rita? You've been hanging out with her since we...changed. Have you talked to her about this.”

“Yeah, and she laughed at me. She says we should just kick back and enjoy it.”

“Did she say anything about going back to Bikini Beach and apologizing.”

“Yeah, she says that she'll be damned if she'll give that old - that old witch the satisfaction.”

“How do you feel about it?”

“I feel scared. Melanie, I - I'm starting to like the way I'm feeling, and that really scares me.”

“Will you come out there with me this afternoon?”

“I - I don't know. Do you think it'll do any good?”

“I think today's your last chance, and I think you'd better come out with me.” She winked. “Provided you can get away from Phil.”

“Don't worry, I'll be there. The way I'm feeling about Phil is one of the things that scares me.”

There was a loud “Ahem!” from the front of the room. When everyone had turned to face him, Mr. Snitter did a fairly good Jack Nicholson-ish “I'm baaack.” Half a dozen conversations and some serious flirting ended as the students ran for their assigned seats.

* * * * *

As Karen and Melanie looked out the front door of the school building, they saw Phil and a few other boys talking to Rita. Frankie had his arm around her waist again, his hand resting on her butt. Rita had her arm around his waist and was leaning in close to him. Phil was talking with the others, though he occasionally glanced at the school entrance.

Karen and Melanie ducked back into the school and went out a side entrance. They ran to a bus stop a block down from the school, looking back every other minute to make sure no one was following them. Some twenty minutes later they were at the Bikini Beach parking lot.

The brunette, Anya, was at the gate. “Well, Karen, this is a nice surprise. Is Rita coming, too?”

“She - she said she wasn't interested in coming.”

“She said a lot more than that.” It was the Boss. “But I'm a lady, and I won't repeat any of it. Did you have something to say to me, Karen?”

Karen looked ready to run. Melanie took her hand and squeezed. “It's okay, Karen. Just say what we talked about on the bus.”

“Are you sure?” Melanie nodded, so Karen continued. “Ma'am. I'm - I'm very sorry for what we did. If you still want, I - I'm willing to work for you until we change back.” She looked at Melanie. “Was that okay?”

“I think I'm the one you should be asking, Karen.” The old woman looked carefully at Karen, studying her the way she might study a bug or something. “You seem to be sincere. I think you even realize how bad what you did was. Do you really want another chance?”

“Yes, yes, ma'am. I do.”

“In that case, you're hired. You get your chance.” She suddenly held a bikini and staff tee shirt in her hands. “Go change, dear. You too, Melanie, and don't forget to shower.”

Karen took the clothes, and she and Melanie headed for the Women's Locker Room. Melanie watched as Karen changed. She wasn't wearing a bra, but she had on the same type of thong panties that Rita had been wearing. She also had on a garter belt trimmed in the same pink lace as the thong. She seemed almost relieved to be out of the overtly sexy clothes and into the bikini.

The girls showered. Karen had been a little nervous about the shower, remembering what it had done to her three days before. “Relax,” Melanie said. “The Boss said she was giving you another chance.”

“The Boss?”

“Sure, what else should I - should we -- call her? Now get in. All this shower can do to you now is get you wet.”

“I guess you're right.”

Melanie wasn't. After the shower, they went back to the lockers to dry off and put on their staff tees.

“Hey, Melanie, look at this.” Karen reached into her locker and pulled out her dress. It now had a much more modest neckline. She put it back on the hook and looked at the rest of her clothes. “My clothes have changed somehow.” There was a bra in the locker now, pink with swirls of lace that matched the now much fuller panty. The garter belt was gone though - maybe it had turned into the bra - and Karen's stockings were now a pair of pantyhose. Her heels were now a pair of sandals with only a one-inch heel.

“I wonder,” Melanie said. “Think - think about Phil.”

“Phil? Ugh! He's such a slimy little weasel, I get - I'm - I'm cured. I still like boys, I can tell that somehow, but I think I've got a lot better judgement in who I want to go out with.” She hugged Melanie, tears running down her cheeks. “I - I'm not a bimbo any more. Thank you, thank you, Melanie.”

“You shouldn't keep giving her all the credit, Karen. Some of those 'thank yous' should be coming my way.” They turned. It was the old woman. Karen ran over and hugged her. “Thank you...Boss. It's more than I deserved.”

“Probably, but repentance deserves a reward. You both will still be girls for the rest of the thirty days, but you'll find it easier, Karen, with your libido toned down the way it is now.” She smiled. “Now, scoot. Go talk to Anya. She has a list of things for you both to do today.”

* * * * *

Melanie and Karen rode the bus to school the next morning. “Phil took Rita and me yesterday in his car,” Karen said. “I guess I'm not his 'Babe' anymore. Thank Heavens.”

Rita was waiting when they got off the bus. “Where the hell were you, Karen?” She looked at Karen, who was dressed in a pair of jeans and a sleeveless tee. Karen still looked attractive, but she was nowhere as blatant as Rita, who wore a pair of tight cut-offs that were just long enough to pass the school dress code and a sheer white sleeveless blouse.

“I, umm, what do you mean, Rita?”

“Never mind, I can guess. You went back to the park yesterday and kissed up to the old bat that did this to us. Didn't you?”

“Yeah, I did, but...”

“I thought so. When Frankie came by to pick me up this morning, he wasn't at all surprised that you weren't with me. Then, when I mentioned you, he called you and Melanie a couple of 'stuck up bi...'. Well, never mind. I guess he was right. Why'd you do it, Karen? I told you not to.”

“Give her a break,” Melanie said. “She was scared about what was happening...”

“Nothing was happening. Nothing is happening. And nothing is gonna happen. At least not till the end of the thirty days, when we change back.”

“No, Rita,” Karen said. “I -- I think you're wrong. We were acting like a couple of -- I was scared. That's why I went.”

“Aw, you was scared. Bet you was crying your little eyes out and wetting your little panties over it.”

“It's true, Rita. I went, and I apologized. Now look at me.”

“Yeah, so you apologized. You're still a girl.”

“Yeah, but I'm a different girl. I'm not a bimbo like y...like I was.”

“I don't see that much difference.”

“Yes, yes you do,” Melanie said. “You just don't want to admit it.”

“What I don't want is to hang out with a couple of wusses like you two anymore.” Rita started to walk away.

“Wait,” Karen yelled. “Come with us this afternoon. You may still be able to apologize to the Boss. Get her to make you stop acting the way you are.”

Rita turned. “'The Boss'. Oh, that's rich. She may have conned you into working for her for the rest of the month, but not me. And if you're too dumb to see it, then you're too dumb for me to hang out with you.” She turned and walked away from the other girls. Frankie DiAntonio was standing some distance away. Rita walked over and whispered something to him. He put his arm around her waist, and they headed into the school. Rita looked back over her shoulder and stuck out her tongue at Melanie and Karen.

* * * * *

At lunch, Melanie ate with Dana, Stacy, and Tina. She saw Rita sitting with Frankie, Phil, and a bunch of other boys. Frankie had his arm around her shoulder while he talked. There was no sign of Karen. When Rita looked up and saw Melanie looking at her, she glowered and all but bared her teeth.

Karen came into the cafeteria with her tray just then. Pete Curtis was talking to her, and they both walked over to an empty table and sat down. Karen glanced up and waved at Melanie. Melanie waved back.

“It's nice that they're back together again,” Stacy said.

“Who's that,” Melanie asked.

“Karen Geller and Pete Curtis, silly. They had some kind of a fight last week, but they seem to have gotten back together.”

“I saw it,” Dana said. “It happened just before third period English. Karen and Rita Sandowski were arguing about something. Rita called her a whole bunch of names, and Karen started crying. Pete ran over to defend her, and they...” she sighed, “they just looked into each others' eyes, and Pete apologized. It was so sweet. They walked into class holding hands. Rita just stood there and sputtered.” She giggled and mimed a sputtering kettle.

“I didn't think Karen even knew Rita,” Stacy said. “They certainly don't hang out in the same crowd.”

“No, they don't -- at least not anymore,” Melanie said. “But the three of us, Rita, Karen, and me, all live in the same apartment building.” It was amazing how things had changed. Now nobody else seemed to have any memory of the bimbo Karen that had existed the day before. She'd have to tell Karen about it on the way to the park.

* * * * *

“I hear that you and Pete are back together,” Melanie said as she and Karen walked out of study hall. “I didn't know that you had a fight.”

Karen giggled. “Neither did I. When the Boss changes reality, she sure covers all the bases. I've known Pete for years. We were in the Scouts together before Rudy said Scouts were kids' stuff, and convinced me to drop out. Now, I found that we've been dating on and off for about a year.”

“Gee, is it serious?”

“I don't know. Part of me wants it to be -- you know -- Pete's kind of cute.”

“I know what you mean. I catch myself thinking that sort of thing about Ed Nathanson sometimes.”

“Oh, and how serious are you two?”

“I don't know either, but I don't think we've done it yet.”

“How do you know you didn't. Did you ask him?”

“Of course not. I -- it's just a feeling I have. I guess part of me remembers this new reality we got dropped into.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean, but then, I got bounced twice: boy to girl and, well, bimbo to what I am now. I don't think Pete and I have done it either.”

“So, I guess we're a couple of good girls.”

“Yeah, and I think I want to stay that way, too.”

“Likewise, but Ed's awfully cute.” Melanie giggled, put her hand up so her outspread fingers just barely rested above her breasts, and fluttered her eyelashes. Karen giggled and copied her.

They separated to get their books from their lockers, then met at the side entrance to the building. It was nearer to the stop where they caught the bus to the park. While they were waiting for the bus, Melanie frowned. “The one problem is that I'm not as sure that my body wants to behave.”

“I know what you mean. I still get kind of 'tingly' when I think of cute boys, especially Pete. It's not as bad as it was before, but it's sure distracting.”

“What we need is a chaperone to make sure that we don't let our bodies get us into trouble.”

The bus came, and they boarded, showing their student passes. Once they were sitting alone in the back of the bus, they continued the conversation.

“How about Rita?” Melanie asked with a smile.

“That bit...bimbo as chaperone? Yeah, right! Hey, how about I watch you, and you watch me?”

“What do you mean?”

“Pete asked me to go to the movies with him Saturday night. Do you and Ed have any plans for then?”

“I didn't think so. He hasn't said anything. What -- oh, I get it. We double date. Sounds good. I'll talk to Ed about it tomorrow.” The bus came to a stop and they both looked up. They were at the edge of the Bikini Beach parking lot. “Hey, step lively. We've arrived.”

* * * * *

Pete and Ed were longtime friends, and neither had any problems with a double date. “You'll be the only one I'll really be with anyway,” Ed said.

Melanie knew what he said was nonsense, but she liked hearing it anyway.

They arranged for the boys to pick them up right after work at the water park. Melanie and Karen met them in the lot outside. Ed parked, and the two boys climbed out of the car. “How about we eat here,” Pete said as the girls walked up to them.

“NO!” both girls shouted at once.

“Why,” Ed asked. “Isn't the food any good?”

“We work in there,” Karen told them. “We want to eat someplace where we won't have to go back the next day and clean up after ourselves.” It was certainly better than telling the boys what would really happen to them if they tried to come into the park.

The boys shrugged, and they all drove to a Pizza Hut not too far from the park.
They ordered deep dish with sausage and mushrooms and a pitcher of cokes. Ed poured the drinks and passed around the garlic bread. “So, what movie do we go to after dinner?”

“How about MISSION TO MARS?” Pete said, looking up from the “movie” section of the Saturday paper. “I hear the special effects are awesome.” Ed nodded in agreement.

Mel and Ken would have wanted to see the film as much as the boys, but now, for some reason, they didn't feel quite the same about it. “Hey,” Melanie said. “We're not going to spend two hours watching you guys drool over special effects.”

Karen leaned over and put her hand on Pete's. “I though that I was the only special effect you wanted to look at tonight.” She smiled a simpering little smile and batted her eyes at him. Them she giggled. So did Melanie.

“Okay,” Pete sighed. “How about that new movie, LOVE AND BASKETBALL? It's a sports story and a, umm, a love story.” He said “love” with a comic leer that got another giggle from both girls.

They drove to the multiplex, getting there just in time for the 8:20 show. There was more than enough sports action to keep Pete and Ed happy. Karen and Melanie enjoyed some of that as well, but they found themselves much more interested in the friendship between the boy and the girl. They found themselves sighing and holding the boys' hands as the friendship slowly blossomed into love.

They also found themselves getting aroused by the love scenes, especially the strip basketball game. Melanie felt her nipples stiffening, and there was a feeling of warmth down in her crotch. She felt Ed's arm on her shoulder, and she wanted him to reach down and touch her nipples, to rub her breasts, to - no!
She felt a need to resist her impulse to pull his hand down to her breast. Strangely enough, it seemed to be because she didn't want him to think she was “easy”, not because she was really a boy.

She was wondering about that when Ed reached down on his own and gently touched her breast. Melanie sighed, half in relief and half in anticipation. Ed ran his fingers along her breast sending tingles of pleasure through her body. Melanie sighed again and leaned in closer to him. She looked over and saw that Karen was snuggling in the same way against Pete.

They spent the rest of the movie like that: the two girls nestled in their boyfriends' arms. Ed and Pete continued massaging the girls' breasts, much to the girls' delight, but it didn't go any further.

They did kiss, though. Melanie found that she liked kissing Ed in the dark. It sent a new set of warm tingles through her body. They were kissing as the movie ended. Melanie hurriedly broke the kiss and checked to make sure that her blouse was straight and buttoned. Her breasts were still tingling, especially after Ed had reached in and gently caressed them through her bra.

They stood up just as the lights came on. “Now what?” Pete asked. “It's still over an hour till the curfew?” The town had a Saturday midnight curfew for teens under the age of 18.

“Don't forget that we live across town from here,” Melanie said. “And you boys have to get home, too, after you drop us off.” She could see that they were disappointed. “How about we get some cokes and drive home through Dixon Park?”

“Sounds good,” Pete said. Dixon Park was a small urban park within an upscale neighborhood on the way back to where the girls lived. It had several shady places where they could park for a while and still get everybody home in time.

* * * * *

They were walking out of the multiplex, when they heard a voice behind them. “Well, look who the cat dragged out.”

Melanie and Karen turned. It was Rita. Her arm was around the arm of a boy wearing a T-shirt from the local college. It was a size too small for him and showed off his muscleman build. He looked about 20.

So did Rita. Her sleeveless blouse clung to her curves, while her breasts all but spilled out the very low neckline. Her skit was spandex, only about a foot long, and looked like it had been spray painted on her. She was almost tottering on four-inch heels.

“Umm, hi, Rita,” Karen said, trying to smile.

“Don't 'hi' me, you - you traitor. How's it feel spending all your time making nice-nice to that old bat?”

“It's - it's okay, I guess. What have you been doing?”

Rita hugged the arm of her escort. “Having a lot more fun with Brad here than you two put together could ever figure out how to have with your dates.”

“Hey, wait a minute,” Pete said. He took a step towards Rita. The muscleman frowned at him and made a fist.

“It's okay,” Karen said grabbing Pete and pulling him back. “She's - she's not worth it.”

“But she insulted you.”

Karen kissed him on the cheek. “And you defended my honor. That was very sweet. Let's go some place, so I can thank you.”

“With what,” Rita jeered. “You two wouldn't know how to thank a boy if your lives depended on it.” She winked at Pete. “When you get tired of Little Miss Homebody, you come look me up, Petey. I know how to make a boy feel real good.” She laughed and kissed the muscleman. Her arms went up around his neck, while his went down. First around her waist, then his hands slipped down to grip her butt.

They stood like that for a minute or two. They were oblivious to the crowd as they put on a deliberate show for Melanie, Karen, Ed, and Pete. Then Rita broke the clinch. “C'mon, Brad. I can't wait till the movie starts, and the theater gets all dark and everything.” She took the older boy's hand and, with a salacious grin, led him into the theater.

Ed sighed. “Well, that was certainly a mood spoiler.”

Melanie glanced at her watch. It was 10:40. “Let's get those cokes to go. Maybe the mood will strike us again on the way.”

It didn't, at least, not very strongly. They stopped in the park and watched the Moon rising over the woods to the east of town. They kissed and groped a little, but the boys still had Melanie and Karen back at their apartment building at 11:35.

“I'm sorry you didn't have a better time tonight,” Ed said as he walked Melanie to the door. They were holding hands just as Karen and Pete were only a few feet away.

“It wasn't bad,” Melanie said, squeezing his hand. “I certainly enjoyed the first show at the multiplex. It was just the second one that I didn't like.”

“Really.” Ed was smiling. “What did you like?”

“Spending the evening with you. I liked that. I liked that a lot.”

“That's funny,” he said. “So did I - spending the evening with you, I mean.”

Melanie stepped into his arms, her own arms going up around his neck. She pulled him down to her. Their lips met, then opened in a kiss. Melanie felt her nipples grow taught, pushing against her bra. There was a warmth, a looseness in her crotch. Her entire body felt alive, charged with 50,000 volts of electricity. She pushed herself into Ed, feeling her breasts crush against his chest, feeling something hard pushing at her groin. She - she -

She heard the chime of the bells at St. Martha's Church about three blocks away. It was 11:45. The only way that Ed and Pete could get home before the curfew was to leave now. The curfew had been enacted a year before after some gang violence, and the police did a very good job of patrolling the streets to see that it was enforced.

Melanie broke the kiss and took her arms down from around Ed's neck. She felt overwhelmed by the sensations going through her body and looked down, rather than face him. “I - I guess you guys have to go.”

“Yeah, I guess so. Can I call you tomorrow?”

“You'd better. Just remember, Karen and I work at the park from ten to six.”

“Tomorrow night then.” He grabbed Pete who had been saying his own goodbye to Karen, and the two boys ran to their car. Melanie and Karen stepped through the glass doors into the lobby. They waved from inside as the boys drove off.

“Did we just do what I think we did,” Karen said as they walked to the elevators.

“What do you mean?”

“Were we just out on a date with a couple of guys, acting like we were girls? Kissing them and all?”

“Yeah, it was - it was kind of sweet.”

“Melanie! I went to the park with you - I apologized to the Boss and took a job there - because I was afraid of doing stuff like that with Phil. Now I'm kissing Pete.”

“Did you feel the same about Phil as you do about Pete?”

“No way. Phil was slime. All he wanted to do was get into my panties. Wham, bam, what was your name again? Pete's, well, he's different. I don't know that I love him or anything, but I enjoy being with him. I trust him.”

“I know. I think I feel the same way about Ed. I enjoyed what we did tonight. I enjoyed it a lot, but there was no pressure to - well, to put out. I think we could have a good time without doing anything more than a little groping and some kissing. Maybe not even that.”

“Oh, at least that.” Karen giggled, then blushed a little.

Melanie blushed, too. “Okay, but we don't have to go any further. To tell the truth, as good as it feels, as much as I'm curious, I'm not sure that I would want to go any further. Just take it slow and easy.”

“Boy, is that a bad choice of words: 'take it slow and easy'. Easy - hey, maybe that's part of what the Boss meant by 'easy time'. We're not as eager sexually as...”

“As Rita is? I know. I wonder if she's enjoying being a girl as she says, especially the sort of girl we saw tonight.”

“I don't know, but I doubt that she'd ever admit it, if she wasn't.” The elevator stopped. “Here's my floor. I'll meet you in the lobby in the morning. G'night.”

* * * * *

Melanie and Karen were just leaving their apartment building Monday morning, when they heard a car honk. They looked in the direction of the noise and saw Frankie DiAntonio pulling up to the curb. “Hey, babes,” he yelled. “You see Rita? I'm giving her a ride to school; plenty of room for two more babes like you. You want a ride, too?”

They can walk,” Rita said coming out of the building. “They think they're too good to be seen with the likes of us.”

“Good morning, Rita,” Karen said with a smile. “You have a good time at the movie on Saturday?”

“What movie,” Rita said quickly. “I stayed in Saturday because Frankie had to go out of town.” She turned away from the car and all but bared her teeth. “You know that, Karen. I told you about it yesterday. Don't you remember?”

“Oh, gee. I was so sure we saw you at the multiplex Saturday night.” Karen was all but laughing out loud, and Melanie was biting her lip to keep from laughing. “Maybe I was mistaken.”

“Maybe,” Rita said. She glared on last time at the other girls and hurried over and got into Frankie's car. “Let's go, Lover. These two ditzy bitches don't know what they're talking about.” She kissed him on the cheek to change the subject. Frankie smiled and drove off.

“You know,” Karen said with a giggle. “That was kind of fun.”

“I don't think I ever saw you stand up to Rita - or Rudy before,” Melanie said.

“Is that what I did? I was just trying to get her back for all that nasty stuff she said on Saturday.”

“Well, whatever it was, it was fun.” Melanie glanced down the street. “Hey, here comes the bus.”

* * * * *

Karen stopped Melanie as they were going into study hall that afternoon. “Rita threatened me today in English.”

“She didn't!”

“Yeah, she said if I ever said anything more to Frankie about her going to the movies with that Brad guy, she'd make more trouble for me than I knew how to handle.”

“What'd you say.”

“Nothing. Pete overheard. He told Rita that if she even thought about hassling me, she'd be the one to regret it. Then he said that he and Ed would have a little talk with Frankie about seeing her last Saturday unless she apologized to me right then and there.”

“Did she?”

“What choice did she have? Pete and Ed would have told Frankie. He'd probably have believed them, and she knew it. She got a panicky look on her face and said she was sorry. Then she asked me not to tell. I think she really kind of likes Frankie.” Karen smiled. “I know I could have stood up to her on my own, but it felt so neat to have Pete stick up for me like that. I - I wanted to just kiss him. Right there in class.”

“Did you?”

“No, I couldn't. Ms. Petaki came in just then and spoiled the mood.”

“We teachers do that sometimes.” The girls turned. It was Mr. Snitter. Now, if you two wouldn't mind taking your seats, we can begin the study hall.”

Karen was still excited about what had happened and tried to pass a note to Melanie. Unfortunately, Mr. Snitter intercepted it. “Ms. Geller, you're in my fifth period U.S. History class aren't you?”

“Yes, Mr. Snitter.”

“I thought so. Ms. Haywood. I don't have you for any other classes, so I'll be watching you in here. On the other hand, thank you, Ms. Geller. You've just volunteered for the team assignment that I'll be giving in class tomorrow.”

* * * * *

Melanie waited until the next day, when she and Karen were working at Bikini Beach, to ask about the assignment. They had been working with Vicky, one of the college girls who also worked at the park. The three of them had been cleaning the kitchen area at the Tiki Hut, but now they were all heading to the office for their “study break”.

“So, what's Snitter got you doing?” Mr. Snitter's projects were well-known around the school.

“I'm on one side for a debate about U.S policy towards the Indians. We square off in a week and a half.”

“He likes those things. He says that's how he gets people for the debating club.”

“I know, but I'm not interested in joining any club. To make matters worse, Pete and Dana volunteered to be on the team with me. Then, the two of them voted me team leader.”

“Aww, that's sweet.”

“Sweet? How the heck am I going to lead a debate team?”

“I don't know, but I do know one thing.”

“Yeah, what's that.”

“You've got about a week and a half to figure it out.”

“Figure out what?” Vicky asked, slowing down to walk along with them.

“Karen's history teacher gave her a special assignment, she's part of a three person team who get to debate in class next week. Her teammates made her captain, and she doesn't know where to start.”

“That's easy,” Vicky said. “You start with me. I'm a history major at City College -- pre-law actually, and I was on the debate team in high school.”

“Will you help me?”

“Sure, it'll be fun. What's the topic?”

“Indian policy. I think the question is 'Resolve the U.S. government policy to the Indians; should it have been fairer.'“

“I think it's more likely: 'Resolved -- that's the word they use in debates -- the U.S. government policy to the Indians should have been fairer.' Woo! That's a big topic. Let's talk about it some more. I'll dig out a couple of books, and we can work on it tomorrow night, okay.”

“Great, how can I thank you?”

“Hey, we're all friends here, but if you really want to thank me, you can be the one to clean out the grease trap in the Tiki Hut when we go back on duty.”

“Me and my big mouth,” Karen groaned.

* * * * *

“Okay, kids, come over and sit down.” Mr. O'Keefe was the Auto Shop teacher. His family had owned a large garage in town since the 1930s when his grandfather had come back home after running a motor pool for the U.S. Army. He worked there himself on weekends and during the Summer, but he'd wanted to teach kids. He was a burley man in his late forties with a shock of red hair that was going mousy brown on its way to gray.

He watched his afternoon class take their seats in the classroom portion of the large workroom, waiting till they were all sitting, notebooks out, before he continued. “By mistake, the school administration seems to have done something right. This came in yesterday afternoon.”

He pulled a blue tarp off of a desk sized box that had been standing almost unnoticed in a corner of the room. It was an old IBM clone PC wired to a standard auto sensor system.

“This new little toy of mine is a top of the line auto diagnostic computer system. Those of you who get the chance will be learning to talk to it over the next few weeks. They tell me it's almost as good at finding out problems as the 'Car Talk' guys. It's not quite as funny as 'Click and Clack', but I hear that they're working on that

“What do you mean 'those of you', Mr. O'Keefe?” Phil Ormand said. “Ain't we all gonna get a chance to use that thing?”

“Yes, eventually. Unfortunately, I can only eight of you at a time because the equipment and manuals are limited. I'll take the eight of you with the top grades first. The rest will go in alphabetic order. Hey, no groaning, Mr. Zimmer.” He took a quarter out of the pocket of his overalls and tossed it high into the air. “Call it, Zimmer.”

“Heads,” came a shout from the back of the room.

Mr. O'Keefe looked at the coin as it landed. “Okay, we'll go in reverse alphabetic order. But the first eight are still...” He glanced at a list on his clipboard. “Wes Androchek, Stacy Brenner, Melanie Haywood, Carl Jackson, Phil Ormand, Fred Reinhart, Mike Schwartz, and Harry Weiss. Congratulations, especially to Stacy and Melanie, who've proven once again that you don't need balls to be a good mechanic.”

“Just when you give the customer the bill,” someone shouted, and even Mr. O'Keefe laughed at the joke.

* * * * *

“Haywood, I want to talk to you for a minute?”

Melanie looked up from untying her gym shoes. “What is it, Rita?” Gym was over, and she wanted to get to study hall. She'd managed to avoid Rita for the past two days.

“I made a deal with that bitch, Karen, that I wouldn't hassle her, if she didn't tell Frankie about me and Brad.”

“Yeah, I heard about that 'deal'. You agreed because Pete said he and Ed would tell if you didn't.”

“Okay, okay, but I gotta know if you'll stick to it, too. If I don't hassle either of you, you won't tell Frankie either.”

“Why, Rita, dear, are you 'sweet' on Frankie?”

“Hey, he's good to me. I - okay - I like it. He's great in bed - hung like a horse,” she said it with a giggle. “And he's dumb enough that I can get him to go along with whatever I say.”

“So you don't want me to ruin a good thing.”

“Yeah. If I'm gonna be a broad for the rest of the month, I wanna enjoy myself. Stringing along Frankie makes it easier. He's right there for me whenever I want him - or I can't get anything better.”

“You think it's right to be using him like that?”

“He gets something out of it, too. He says I'm a fantastic lay; says I give good -- oh, the hell with it. Are you gonna go along are, or you gonna try and ruin things?”

“I think you're making a big enough mess of things on your own.”

“Don't get all preachy on me. Hell, next thing, you're gonna try and get me to go out and see that old bat. Gee, maybe I can get a job cleaning her toilet like you two have.”

“I think you blew any chance of that, but I'll tell you what.”

“What?”

“If you ever change your mind about talking to her, I'll put in a good word. In the meantime, I'll keep quiet about last Saturday.”

“There's no chance I'm gonna go see her, but I'll hold you to the other part of that promise.” She turned and hurried off to her last class.

Melanie tossed her gym clothes in her bag and headed out, just getting to study hall as the bell rang. She told Karen about the conversation on their way to the park after school.

* * * * *

“Ready for some work,” Vicky asked Karen while they were taking their after dinner “study break”.

“I guess, so. What exactly did you have in mind?”

“This.” The older girl lifted a large knapsack onto the table. “I hit the university library this afternoon and took out some materials for your debate.” She opened the knapsack and pulled out four thick books: Trail of Tears: Analysis of a Faulty Policy; Dispatches of the Indian Bureau 1810-1850; D.G. Atwood and the Theft of the West; and A Chronicle of Western Expansion.

“Some materials,” Karen said. “I'm not sure if I can lift these things, let alone read them.”

“Sure you can,” Melanie said with a mischievous smile. “I've seen you lift heavier stuff than that.”

“Thanks a lot,” Karen said sourly. “Seriously, what am I supposed to do with these books. I'll never get them all read in time for the debate.”

“Welcome to the wonderful world of college, Karen,” Belinda said looking up from her own textbook. “We have to read stuff like that every term for just about every course.”

“I knew there was a reason I didn't want to go to college,” Karen said with a smile.

“Can get this conversation back onto the subject of the debate?” Vicky said.

“Sorry,” Belinda and Karen said at the same time.

“First of all,” Vicky said, “I can show you some tricks for skimming through materials to find what you need. Second, didn't you say that you had a three man team?”

“Yeah, Pete and Dana are on it with me. I'm the captain, though.”

“Okay, Captain. I'll show you some tricks tonight. You show your friends and give each a book to go through. Take good notes, and we'll get together next week, so I can coach you, okay?”

“I don't know...”

“Not yet you don't, Karen, but you will.”

* * * * *

It was raining when Melanie woke up Saturday morning. About nine o'clock, she got a call from Anya. “Hi, Melanie. I'll be quick because I've got to make a bunch of calls. The forecast is heavy rain all day with occasional thunderstorms. The park is closed. We'll see you tomorrow. Bye”

The voice had seemed recorded somehow, even though it had mentioned her name. 'Maybe they use magic,' she thought to herself with a smile.

The phone rang again only a minute later. “Hi, Melanie. It's Karen. Did you...”

“Yeah, I just got a call from Anya, if that's what you mean.”

“Just now? Gee, they just called me, too.” She giggled. “It's like they had magic or something.”

“Gee, do you think? Anyway, what's on your mind?”

“Well, since we've got the day off, I thought we could do something together.”

“Yeah, like what?”

“What any red-blooded girl does on a Saturday, go to the mall.” She paused for a second. “If nothing else, we can take in a movie.”

Melanie hesitated. Wandering around the mall looking in stores normally didn't appeal to Mel - except maybe sporting goods stores or the video arcade. Only, he - she - wasn't Mel now. She was Melanie, and the idea sounded pretty good. “Oh, okay. Be here at my place in about half an hour. I want to get some breakfast in me first.”

“How about, I meet you downstairs at 10:30 instead? We can run out to the shelter at the bus stop and catch the 10:45 when it comes by. It goes straight out to the Summerdale Mall.”

“Sounds good. I'll see you then.”

Melanie put down the phone only to have it ring again almost immediately. “What now, Karen?”

“It's Stacy. Do you and Karen have to go to work today?”

“No, they just called and said the place is closed because of the rain. Why?”

“Dana, Tina, and I are going over to the Summerville Mall, and we thought you two might like to come along.”

“Sure, we were heading there ourselves.”

“All right! My Mom's letting us use her car for the day. We'll pick you two up at 10:15.”

“Okay, I'll call Karen and let her know.”

Karen quickly agreed with Stacy's idea. They were waiting just inside the door to the apartment building when Stacy pulled up in a green SUV and honked. They ran out, jumping in the side doors. The SUV sped off and they arrived at the mall just before 11. The lots were fairly full, but they managed to find a spot near one of the side entrances. A quick run, and they were all inside.

“Okay,” Stacy said. “Now that we're here, where do we head first?”

“Jean Queen is having a sale on tops,” Tina said. “Thirty percent off.”

“Must be Summer tops, then,” Karen said. They all groaned, but they headed towards Jean Queen.

As they walked down the corridor, Melanie noticed that the Photo-Mat had moved out. There was some kind of weird curio shop in its place. Whoever ran the new place really seemed to be getting into it. The fake stone front looked almost real. Melanie and the others stopped to look in the window. They were about to go inside, just to look around, when Karen noticed the person behind the counter.

“Melanie, do you remember that friend of Anya's that comes over to the park sometimes?”

“Yeah, umm, Dannie, I think. Anya introduced her to me once. She said that Dannie works for an old friend of her grandmother's. Why?”

“Is that her behind the counter - with some guy in a bathrobe?”

“I think it is - I, umm, yeah. Girls, I think we should head straight to Jean Queen. If that sale is as Tina says, we'd better hurry before all the good stuff is gone.”

“But what about this place? There's some really strange stuff inside.”

“Tina, would you rather look at a bunch of 'strange stuff' you probably won't want or try on tops that are on sale?”

“I see what you mean. I guess we can come back here later.”

They headed off. The store with the “strange stuff” would be in a mall near Minneapolis when they walked past the location again that afternoon.

* * * * *

Jean Queen was fairly crowded, but the selection was still pretty good.

Melanie and Karen were as eager as any of the other girls to look through the stock. They selected five “possibles” each, the maximum allowed in a dressing room at one time, and stood in line with the others. They would try on the tops, not always picking even one of the tops for purchase. Most of the tops were put back for others to look at. The few others were waiting for them at the counter.

Now, the five of them were in line for the third time. After about ten minutes, a group of girls walked out of one of the larger rooms. The five friends headed in. All the girls took off their own blouses and set them on hooks. It was no different than gym class. Melanie and Karen looked at Stacy or Tina or Dana, standing - stretching, naked to the waist except for their bras, and her only thought was how cute the bra was and where had the girl bought it. It was still a little frustrating, but they were used to it by now.

What they couldn't get used to were their reactions to the clothes.

Tina saw Melanie wriggling into a pale blue knit tank top with a bit of flowered embroidery, a triangular shape that went from just below the neckline to down between her breasts. “Melanie, that is cute, and it goes with your coloring so well. You have to buy that one.”

“Thanks, I think I'm going to,” Melanie said. “And the same goes for that darling mustard one you just had on.” She suddenly thought about what she had just said. 'Darling?' That was something girls said.

The girls were leaving the dressing room to drop their selections at the counter and pick some other tops to try on. Melanie touched Karen on the elbow and motioned for her to wait.

“I just told Tina her top was 'darling',” she said when they were alone. “Darling. That's something girls say.”

“We are girls, remember. At least for the next two weeks or so.”

“Yeah, but I'm beginning to wonder if we'll want to change back.”

“I'm worried about that, too. Let's ask the Boss about it tomorrow.”

“And in the meantime?”

“In the meantime, we do what feels natural, even if that means that we act like girls. Now, c'mon, the others are going to wonder why we're taking so long.”

“Where were you guys?” Dana said as they came out of the dressing room.

Karen made a gesture at Melanie. “Fumblethumbs here dropped her stack of tops. I helped her pick them up.”

“Fumblethumbs?” Melanie said. “Gee, thanks.”

“Sorry, it's an old expression my gramma uses. I guess I picked it up.”

“Well, now that we've settled that, did you two decide on any of the tops?”

“Yeah, I think I'm going to buy this blue one Tina liked,” Melanie said.

“I like this burgundy one,” Karen said. “But I like the white, too.” She paused for a second then smiled, “so I'm getting them both.”

“You go, girl,” Dana said. “So, do we look for more, or buy these and go see about some lunch?”

“Don't forget, we've each picked three or four tops to buy already,” Tina said.

“I think that's enough for now, even at these prices,” Stacy added, looking at her watch. “Besides, it's almost 1:30. I'm hungry.”

“I think it's settled then,” Melanie said.

They paid for their new tops, happily accepting the discount Tina had mentioned. There was a Wendy's nearby, and they went there for salads and diet sodas.

Melanie and Karen had eaten a lot of salads since their transformations. They still would have preferred to order burgers, but that was something their new bodies wouldn't accept. The one time they had tried, a couple days after the transformations, the burgers had seemed to be made of pure fat and the regular cokes were far too sweet and syrupy. The chunks of chicken in the salads were better than no meat at all. (They could eat the food at the park, but both girls suspected that the Boss' magic was helping somehow.)

After lunch, they walked across the mall to Samuelsohns'. They really didn't have the money for the sort of fancy dresses that store offered, but it was still fun to look.

“What do you think of this one,” Tina said, holding a sequined blue gown in front of her.

“It's divine. When exactly will you be having tea at the White House?” Stacy giggled.

“Now, now,” Melanie said. “Bill and Hillary have been so busy lately, the poor dears really haven't had time for just relaxing their friends.”

“That's just what I was saying to Al and Tipper,” Tina said, as the girls all but collapsed giggling.

They each took a turn picking a party dress and fantasizing about what they were doing when they wore it. Dana spent an evening with Prince William in a floor length white satin gown. Stacy picked a short green velvet dress for an evening party hopping with one of the guys from 'N SYNCH. Both girls hinted at spending the nights with their respective dates. Then it was Karen's turn.

She stalled for time choosing her dress, finally picking a “basic black” dress with a low neckline. “I, umm, I'm going to the Heismann Awards.”

“The Heismanns,” Melanie asked. “The football awards? What are you doing there, Karen?”

Karen got a dreamy look on her face. “I'm there with my fiancé, he's getting the award. After that, we're going to a private island in the Bahamas to get married. We'll be there for a month-long honeymoon before he has to report to the Giants. He got a $3 million dollar signing bonus, so money's no problem.”

A couple of the girls sighed. Karen suddenly broke into a grin while they weren't looking and winked at Melanie.

“I think Karen wins,” Melanie said.

“Not till you do one, dear,” Karen said. “C'mon, you have to pick a dress and tell us the story.”

“Yeah, c'mon,” Stacy said.

Now it was Melanie's turn to stall. She wandered around looking for a dress - and a story. Finally, she found a sleeveless white gown, full and flowing, that looked more like a nightgown than an evening dress.

“It's a warm night,” she began, holding the dress in front of her. “I'm walking in a formal garden. A band is playing slow dance music off someplace not too far away. He rides up on a black charger, a mask covering his face, except for his mouth and his eyes. We look at each other, and he smiles. I've never seen his face, but I know that he must be very handsome. He jumps off the horse, and I run into his arms. We embrace. The music plays. We dance. Close. We can feel our bodies against each other. We kiss and, well, somehow, the dress isn't that important anymore.”

Melanie felt herself blushing. Her nipples felt stiff under her bra. Where had that fantasy come from, and why was it turning her on the way it was? The girls were all sighing now, even Karen. Melanie winked back at her.

“I think you win, Melanie,” Dana said. The others quickly agreed.

Tina pointed to a salesclerk who was walking towards them. “And I think we'd better go.”

Melanie put the dress back, and, still giggling, the girls headed for the door.

They got as far as the perfume counter. Karen and Melanie both had found perfume in their rooms after the change, but both had hesitated to try it. Perfume was just too feminine. Now, watching their friends, they both found themselves getting curious.

Melanie had sprayed a small amount two perfumes on her wrist before rejecting them. She finally picked a rose scent that she liked. Karen picked something called “Jasmine Night”. They each sprayed the perfume on their necks and checked the price tags. Each of the small bottles they were holding cost over $50. They both shuddered a little and very carefully put their bottles back on the counter.

“What's the matter,” Stacy asked. “You two act like you didn't know how expensive that stuff is.”

“I guess we never really thought about it,” Melanie said.

“Well, now you know. I do like the scents you guys picked, though. Maybe you can even afford to buy some one of these days.”

“Sure,” Karen said. “I think my new husband can afford it with the bonus money he got from the Giants.”

That started another round of giggles as the girls left the store.

They wandered back towards the food court. By now it was late afternoon, and the mall was fairly crowded. “Well, if it isn't the five prettiest girls in school.” It was Phil Ormand. “Looking for a little masculine company, ladies?” He tried to take Dana's arm, but she brushed his hand away.

“The only way any of us would go anywhere with you,” Melanie said, “was if we were looking for something small.”

“Watch your mouth, bitch!”

“Or what,” Melanie said. “Is big, bad Phil gonna beat up on me?”

He made a fist. “It's possible; it's very possible.”

“You going to beat me up, too?”

“And me,” Dana and Tina both said.

“Me, too,” Stacy asked

“Now, wait a minute,” Phil said. He unclenched his fist. “What's going on here?”

“I know you're not going to beat up on us.” It was Tom Brill. Jeff Hogan was with him.

“Hell,” Phil said. “If you guys take a joke, I'm out of here.” He turned and disappeared into the crowd.

“Gee, I thought he'd never leave,” Tom said with a grin.

“You girls okay?” Jeff asked.

“We are now,” Stacy said, giving Jeff a kiss on the cheek.

“I'll say,” Dana said, taking Tom by the hand. “I think we owe you boys a reward, though.”

Tom raised his eyebrow and gave her a leer. “And what did you have in mind, fair lady?”

“Something a bit less than what you have in mind. How about we treat the pair of you boys to an ice cream sundae?”

“Hmm,” Jeff said with a grin. “It wouldn't be nearly as sweet, but I guess we'll have to settle.” Stacy punched him in the arm and smiled. The group headed to the Creamery and a reward for the boys.

* * * * *

“Excuse me, Boss. May Karen and I talk to you for a minute?”

The old woman looked up from her Cajun chicken salad. “Yes, Melanie. What can I do for you?”

“It's, well, it's the spell you put on us when you - when the showers turned us into girls. It - it seems to be working too well.”

She stared at the two girls for a moment. “What exactly do you mean?”

“Well, yesterday, for instance,” Melanie began. “We went to the mall with some friends of ours - female friends, and we were acting just like they were. We giggled, we looked at some 'darling' clothes, and we fantasized about kissing boys. In fact, the week before, we did kiss a couple of boys.”

“And it all felt natural,” Karen said. “It felt like we'd being doing stuff like that all our lives.”

“That's because, in this new reality, you have. Remember, for the rest of the month, Mel and Ken were never born. Melanie and Karen were. They -- you --were brought up as girls. Why shouldn't you act like girls now?”

“But it seems like it's getting worse,” Melanie said.

“To tell the truth, Boss,” Karen said, “we're - well, we're kind of afraid that we won't want to be changed back. We'll be girls inside and out with nothing of Mel and Ken left.”

“I'll be honest with you, Karen - you, too, Melanie - you may want to be girls after the thirty days are over.”

“We will,” Karen said, “but that's not fair. You said we only had to be girls for a month as punishment for what we did.”

“Yes, dear, I know, and I intend to keep my word. You'll be boys again at the end of the thirty days.” She paused a moment. “But.”

“But what?”

“First of all, for the rest of the month, you'll continue to act in a feminine manner, as if you were born the girls everyone thinks you are.”

“Oh, that's just 'darling',” Karen said sarcastically.

“Please let me finish. At the end of the time, you'll change back. When you do, you'll be as masculine as you always were - in body and in mind.”

“Then it'll be over? We won't want to be girls?”

“You may, but, if you do, it will be a conscious choice based on what you experienced during this month as your male mind remembers it.”

“No way!” both girls said.

“What do you kids say - oh, yes - 'Way!' Some males have decided to continue in their female identities. One or both of you may choose to stay this way, but it will be a conscious decision, and it will be Ken and Mel, not Karen and Melanie, who make the decision.”

“But what about the feelings we're having, the way we're thinking?”

“You're a couple of smart kids. Enjoy what is certainly a unique experience. You'll be your old male selves again soon enough, and the feminine emotions that you're feeling now will gone - though you may want them back.”

“That's all,” Melanie said. “That's your advice, live with it?”

“And wait to see if we want to be girls after we change back,” Karen added.

“Yes, dears, just be careful how much living you girls do. All actions have consequences, and some consequences are beyond my ability to correct.”

“I, umm, think we understand,” Karen said.

“That's very good, dear. Now you'd best head back to work. There's more than enough around here to keep you busy, and your dinner break is just about over, I think.” She made a “Scoot!” gesture with her hand and went back to her salad.

Melanie headed back across lawn, while Karen stayed behind to help Holly with the unloading of paper supplies for the Port Landing.

Melanie and Norma had been collecting towels from the various stands where women could leave them. She was just passing a set of chairs at the edge of the patio when she heard a familiar voice. “Oh, girl would you be kind enough to get me another soda.”

“Rita, what are you doing here?” Rita was stretched out in a lawn chair. Her dark green tankini bathing suit looked like it had been made from, at most, three small handkerchiefs. She looked up at Melanie over the tops of a pair of green sunglasses.

“The old bat did use a thirty day pass to change us. I figured that, as long as I had a pass, I'd use it.” She held up an empty plastic glass. “Now be a good little employee and get me that drink.”

Melanie closed her eyes and counted to ten. Doing things like get sodas for the members was part of her job. But Rita? That was too much to bear. She gritted her teeth and took the glass. “Yes, ma'am, what would you like to drink?”

“Diet coke, please. No ice.” She handed Melanie a five dollar bill.

Melanie was back with the drink a few minutes later. She had just barely resisted the impulse to pour a cup or two of sugar - or salt - into it. “Here's the soda, Rita.”

“Thank you, dear. You can keep the change. Brad was so nice when he dropped me off here.” She smiled. “A little slap and tickle in his car, and he gave me twenty bucks to enjoy myself with. Of course, I'll pay him back tonight after he picks me up.”

“Maybe I should have brought you some ice. You sound like you could stand a cold shower.”

“Don't be catty, dear. Your beloved Boss gave you the same sort of equipment that I have - though mine is much nicer looking. It's not my fault if you spend your time here waiting on your betters instead of going out and having some fun with it.”

“If there's nothing else nasty you have to say, I'll be getting back to work.”

“No, go ahead. If I want you or Karen, I'll just ring the servants' bell.”

Melanie stormed off, Rita's laughter echoing in her ears.

* * * * *

“Okay, class,” Mr. O'Keefe said. “Today, I'm going to show you the new diagnostic system that I mentioned last week. You all get the basic lecture. Then, like I said, we work in groups of eight.”

“Mr. O'Keefe,” Danny Briscoe asked, “What do the rest of us do while you're working with the eight?”

“Oh, Danny, I can think of lots of things for you to do. But instead, the rest of you will work on one of the wrecks out in the yard.” He pointed to a parking lot just outside the building. There were a number of cars parked there, none of them in working condition.

“Those things?”

“Those things. Think of it as practice for your end of the year exam.” He paused for a minute. “Now, are there any other questions?”

When no one raised a hand, O'Keefe began his lecture. “This new system uses the old K-417 sensors. Only instead of giving individual readings on a couple hundred different conditions, depending on where you plug it, it feeds the readings to a regular PC loaded with the diagnostic system.”

He leaned over and hit ENTER on the PC. The screen filled with a complex menu.
“The diagnostic is what they call an 'Expert System'. That means it's been programmed to think like a mechanic - no jokes, anybody - I can hear the way your little minds work. The program goes down the probabilities based on the data it gets from the sensors. Then it gives you a list of possible problems in descending order of likelihood. The system also has a full set of auto manuals that come up to give more information.” A hand shot up. “Yes, Faulk?”

“How'd they get all that onto the PC?”

“These five CD Rom disks.” He held them up. “The reason that I didn't start talking about the thing till today is that it took Mr. Foley from the Computer Lab that long to install them and for the two of us to make sure they worked.”

“Now, to show how the system works I've done something to this engine. Zimmer, come up here and connect the leads from the monitor to the to the sensors in the engine.”

Billy Zimmer, a tall, skinny boy with a shock of black hair and a lopsided grin came to the front of the room. He took the leads and plugged them into the engine. “Now what, Mr. O'Keefe?”

“Read out the monitor to the class.”

“It's a menu, like you said. Wait a minute, the icon for the engine is blinking.”

“Hit the enter key.” Billy did. “Now what do you see?”

“It looks like an engine schematic. Two - no, three parts are blinking.”

“Move the cursor to any one of those parts and click the mouse.”

“Okay, I clicked on the distributor. It got bigger, and now there's writing. 'Wire loose in distributor - 73 percent'.”

“Fine, you can sit down.” O'Keefe waited until he was seated. “If he'd clicked on the other two places, the fuel injector or the plugs, he'd have gotten different percentages. And if Mr. Zimmer had right-clicked on the description of what was wrong, the page from the manual discussing the distributor would have come up on the screen.”

Mr. O'Keefe right-clicked, and the screen was filled with text. He let the class come up, a few at a time, for a look. Then he disconnected the sensors from the engine. While O'Keefe worked, Phil Ormand looked at the CD Rom disks sitting on the corner of table. 'Very neat system,' he thought, 'and it's so very portable.'

* * * * *

Karen and Pete were having lunch together when Dana came over.

“Where did you get those books, Karen? That one you gave me has some great stuff in it for the debate.”

“Yeah, mine, too,” Pete said. “Where did you get them?”

“Vicky, she's one of the girls I work with at the water park, is a history major over at the college. She was one the debate team in high school, and she wanted to help me. She got the books from the college library and gave me some tips on doing the research.”

“So that's where you learned that stuff about skimming for arguments and writing things on cards and all.”

“Yeah, how's it working?”

“Great,” Pete smiled. “I've already got something over a hundred cards.”

“Me, too,” Dana said. “If cards alone could do it, we will kick butt. What I don't understand is how we use all those facts.”

“Vicky explained that to me. Once we get all the cards, we use the best of them to write our arguments.”

“Yeah, and what do we do with the rest of the cards?”

“We're not going to throw them out, are we - I mean after all that work.”

“Of course, not,” Karen said. “The way Vicky explained it to me, we make a speech, then Max, Lea, and Ray make a speech. Then we get to make statements that argue against what they said and vice versa. That's what the cards are for. While they're making their speeches, we make notes and look through our cards for things to use against them.”

“Cool,” Dana said. “I guess we did pretty good voting to make you captain.”

“I told you she was smart,” Pete said. He leaned over and gave Karen a light peck on the cheek.

Karen blushed. Ken wasn't much of a leader. He had generally let Rudy decide things. Now that he - or she - had the chance, she found that she was enjoying doing some thinking for herself.

* * * * *

“Will you stop fretting about it,” Karen said to Melanie as they got off the bus near their school the next morning. “It's been three days.”

“I know...I know, but Rita made me so mad.”

“Well, she had every right to be there. She has a thirty day pass the same as we do.”

“Yeah, and she's so sure she's right and we're wrong. She all but rubbed it in my face.”

“Do you think she's right - about the Boss, I mean?”

“Hell, no. I think the Boss has been pretty fair with us. And I sure wouldn't want to be walking around acting like a cat in heat the way she is. Would you?”

“I was walking around like that, remember?”

“Oh, gee, I - I'm sorry, Karen. I was so mad at Rita that I forgot.”

“I know that, too, and you know how I felt about the way I was acting. That's why I went out with you and talked to the Boss. I just wish that Rita had come, too.”

“No chance of that. Rita's too stubborn to ever admit that she's not enjoying herself; maybe not even admit it to herself.”

“Well, she's certainly playing the part well enough. You can see the way she's stringing Frankie along.”

“I know. I think part of what makes me so mad is that I promised not to tell anybody about Brad.”

“Don't I know it. How much did she say he gave her?”

“Twenty bucks. I wonder what she had to do to earn it?”

“To earn what? Are you two talking about Rita?” It was Frankie. He had come up behind them, maybe because he had heard his name.

“Umm, no, no, Frankie. We're talking about another girl.”

“Don't lie to me; you're talking about Rita. I heard you mention her name. What I want to know is who this 'Brad' is and what he gave my Rita money for.”

“No-nothing. He's just a guy,” Karen said.

“'Just a guy'. What sort of a guy? Has he been bothering Rita?”

“No, Frankie. He hasn't - at least I don't think he's been hurting Rita. He's just somebody that she knows.”

“Yeah, and just how well do they know each other?”

“Frankie, I can't tell you. I really don't know. Besides - we -- we promised.”

“Promised? Promised who? Brad?”

“They promised Rita, Frankie.” It was Ed. “We all did.”

“What? Why?”

“Rita was hassling the girls. They - we saw her at the movies with this Brad a couple Saturdays ago. She promised not to hassle Melanie and Karen if we all promised not to tell you about Brad.”

“So tell me now. Who is he?”

“I don't know who he is,” Ed said. “And the girls don't either. We only saw him once.”

“What's he look like then?”

“He's tall and in pretty good shape, like he lifts weights or something,” Ed said.

“He's a few years older than us, 20 maybe,” Karen added. “I think he goes to the college.”

“But what's he look like. Tell me, already?”

“He's tall,” Melanie said, “maybe 6 foot, with a broad chin and really curly sandy brown hair.”

“Anything more?” Frankie was talking through clinched teeth.

Karen giggled. “From the way Rita was reacting, I'd say that he's a really good kisser.”

Frankie growled. “Look, Frankie,” Ed said, stepping between him and the girls. “They - we -- told you all we know. If you want to find out anything more, you'll have to ask Rita, okay?”

“I'll ask her all right, and she'd better have real good answers.”

Before he could say another word, the warning bell rang.

“Damn,” Frankie said. “I've got to get to class.” He turned and ran towards a side entrance to the building that was near to his first class. Ed's class was near Frankie's, and he ran off in the same direction. He kept a watch on Frankie in case the other boy doubled back to the girls.

Melanie and Karen ran, too. They met Rita a few feet from the door to their math class.

“Rita,” Karen said, gasping for breath, “Frankie...Frankie...knows...about...Brad.”

“What?” Rita spun around to face them, her expression one of shock and anger. “How'd he find out. Or, should I ask, why did you tell him?”

“Didn't...mean...to,” Melanie said. “I...I was...still...mad...at you...from the weekend. He overheard me talking to Karen.”

“How much did you tell him?”

“That we saw you at the movies - and what he looks like.”

“I told him that it looked like he was a good kisser,” Karen added with a smile.

“Karen! Why the hell did you tell him that? I thought we were friends.”

“We are - or we were. Maybe we still are, even after what you called me. I just thought that you deserved it for the way you've been acting towards Melanie and me.”

“Thanks a lot. This isn't over.”

“Yes, it is. At least for now.” Ms. Gorki, their math teacher, was standing in the doorway staring at the three of them. The three girls walked into the classroom heads bowed. Two were grinning; Rita was shaking her head in anger and disbelief.

* * * * *

“So how's it going with the debate,” Melanie asked. The two girls were taking their dinner break at the Port Landing.

“Pretty good. Vicky was really a big help with those books of hers.”

“I can imagine. If you got points for the size of those books, you'd have it won already.”

“To tell the truth, I think we do.”

“Are you sure. I mean Lea's pretty smart, and Ray's been in a couple of Snitter's debates already.”

“Max is no slouch either, and his dad's a lawyer, so he can get some help from him. To tell the truth, I was really scared when he picked their names to go up against us.”

“Being voted captain must've been a real thrill, too.”

“That was Pete's idea. I don't know if he thought he was being cute, or if he thought it was a compliment.”

“A compliment, I think. He really likes you.”

“I know, and it's sweet. I think part of the reason that I want to win is because I don't want to disappoint him.”

“You really like him, too, don't you?”

“Yes,” she blushed. “I guess I do. He's a great guy, a real friend.”

“And?”

“Okay, okay, and he's cute, real cute.” She sighed. “And a real good kisser.”

“Oooh, tell me about it.”

“Well, mostly what I have to tell is the double date we went on, but I sure enjoyed it. I have some real vague memories - part of the Boss' magic, I think - of kissing him on other occasions and enjoying those, too.”

“Yeah, I have some of the sort of memories about Ed. I hope they go away when we change back like the Boss said.”

“Amen, sister. Speaking of change, let's change the subject. This talking about the boys is, well...”

“Likewise. Okay, if Lea, Ray, and Max are so smart, why do you think you're going to win?”

“Because Vicky got us those books and showed us how to use them.”

“And?”

Karen frowned. Melanie was going after something. She decided to play along. “Because we want to win. I don't want to disappoint Pete, and I want to show Snitter what I think of his using those debates as punishment.”

“And?”

“Okay, and because we're just as smart as they are - maybe smarter.”

That's what I wanted to hear, girlfriend. Now you're ready to take them.”

“Girlfriend? Yeah, I guess we are, thanks, Melanie.”

“No problem. I think getting to know you better has been one of the few good things to come out of all this.” They rose to shake hands, then fell into a mutual hug.

“Well, that's certainly touching. Or do you two swing both ways now?”

“Rita!” Melanie broke the hug. “What are you doing here?”

“Thirty day pass, remember. Actually, I was looking for you two.”

“What for,” Karen said.

“I just wanted to thank you two bitches for all the trouble you caused when you told Frankie about Brad.”

“We told you, Rita, he found out by accident.”

“Yeah, right. He's way too dumb to figure it out. You had to have told him.”

“You know, Rita,” Karen said. “That's always been a problem of yours.”

“Yeah, what's that?”

“You never give anybody besides yourself credit for having any brains.”

“Oh, and since when did you get so smart?”

“Since we all changed, I guess. I must really have been dumb to believe all that crap of yours since we were kids.”

“Hey, I was just trying to help you out.” She actually sounded genuine.

“You know, I think you believe that, and I guess I should say thanks. But it's over. I can think for myself now.”

“Yeah, right.”

“Look, Rita,” Melanie said. “We are sorry about what happened with you and Frankie - however it happened. Is there anything we can do to help you two get back together?”

“Oh, we already are. It took two days of arguing - and other things, but it's settled. He understands about cousin Brad and how you two misunderstood the peck on the cheek that I gave him.”

“He actually bought that?”

“Boys can be so willing to believe a story, especially when you give them the right incentive. We got back together last night - a couple times, in fact.” She giggled slightly at the joke. “He's even taking me to the dance that the junior class is throwing this Saturday.”

“How very nice for you.”

“I think so. Too bad you two losers won't be there.”

“As a matter of fact, we will,” Melanie said. “Ed and I are going.”

“And I'm going with Pete.”

“Oh, yes, those two boys you two go out with. Have you slept with them yet?”

That is our business, Rita.”

“Meaning 'No'. Well, it's your loss, they're kind of cute in an immature way.” She looked at her watch. “I'm going to get some dinner and listen to some music. I'd invite you to join me, but I'm sure that your Boss has bathrooms for you to clean or something.”

She turned and walked towards the counter, her hips swaying invitingly in the thong bikini she wore. Melanie started after her, but Karen stopped her. “Melanie, let her be.”

“Why? Why can't I just deck her?”

“Because the Boss wouldn't like it. Remember, she said that Rita was going to be getting the worst of it because of her attitude.”

“She doesn't seem to be suffering.”

“Yeah, but the thirty days aren't over yet. Besides, she was right about one thing.”

“Yeah, what?”

“We do have to get back to work.”

Melanie closed her eyes and counted slowly to ten. “You're right, Karen, but that doesn't mean that I have to like it.” She turned and walked out of the restaurant.

* * * * *

“Alright, class,” Mr. Snitter said rising to his feet. “You've heard both sides of the argument. I'd like to thank our debaters on both sides. I'll have some additional comments after the voting.” He paused and looked at the class with a very serious expression. “We'll have the vote now. When you vote, please consider these things.” He pulled down a sliding blackboard and pointed as he spoke. “Content of argument...effectiveness of argument...and effectiveness of counter-argument. Not --” he pointed to a fourth item which had a line drawn through it, “Your friendship with or the popularity of the debaters.”

He gave the class a moment to consider what he'd say. “Now, everybody who felt the Affirmative - that's Karen, Pete, and Dana - won, raise your hand. Those who thought that the Negative - Lea, Ray, and Max - won, raise your hand. The vote is seventeen to twelve. Congratulations to the Affirmative team.”

There was a general round of applause and cheering. Karen, Pete, and Dana hugged. Lea came over and shook Karen's hand, the rest of her team following her lead. Mr. Snitter let this go on for a minute or two, then “Harrumphed” for the class to settle down.

“Let me say that I agree with the class' vote. Karen, you and your team did an excellent job of presenting the facts. May I ask where you got all that information?”

“A, umm, friend of mine from my part-time job. She's a history major over at the college, and she got some books from the library for us to use.”

“She showed Karen some tricks for digging out and organizing facts, too,” Pete said. “Karen showed them to the rest of us. They helped a lot.”

“They certainly did,” Mr. Snitter said, “and using them takes nothing away from your success in this debate. It's too late to do anything this year, but I'd like the three of you to considering joining the school's debate squad next Fall. We - the squad - could use students with your skills and motivation.”

The bell rang. “Alright, class. Read pages 245 to 263 for Monday, and answer the questions on page 264.” The class groaned. “And if you have any time left, have a good weekend. Class dismissed.”

As rest of the class headed out, the six debaters walked back to their desks to get their books.

“How about we meet after school to celebrate our victory?” Karen said. “I don't have to work today.”

“Sounds good,” Dana said. “Is our noble captain buying?”

“We kind of framed her into being captain,” Pete said. “I think we should pay.”

“How about we go dutch,” Karen said by way of compromise. She did appreciate the way Pete had jumped in with his suggestion. 'It was so sweet of him', she thought.

Dana and Pete agreed. Dana smiled and left for her next class. “We'll go modified dutch,” Pete said. “Dana and I will pay for ourselves, and I'll pay for my girlfriend.” He suddenly gave Karen a peck on the cheek and ran of to his own class, leaving her rubbing the cheek and smiling.

* * * * *

“Melanie, your date's here,” her mother called from the living room.

Melanie frowned. When she was Mel, She'd always hated how long it girls took getting ready for a date. Now that she was a girl, she was just as bad as any of other girl. Not that he had dated that many.

“Any other girl”? That's what she was all right, and would be - she did the math quickly in her head - for another nine days. It bothered her sometimes, despite the Boss' assurances that she'd change back. What really scared her was that she sometimes caught herself wondering what would be so bad about staying a girl. The Boss had said that she might want to - even after she became Mel again. But the Boss promised that it would be Mel, masculine Mel, who made the choice.

She shrugged, there wasn't much point except to “live with it” like the Boss had said. She finished doing her lipstick, fluffed her hair, and, satisfied with the total effect, went to meet her date.

She passed Lenny in the hall. He was heading back to his room with some comic books in his hand. “Hey, Squirt,” she said. Their relationship hadn't changed that much, the sort of good-natured teasing between siblings. “What's Superman up to this month?”

“Saving the world, same as always. I saw your boyfriend out front.”

“And?”

“He's a skinny so-and-so, isn't he?”

“Says the human skeleton.” Lenny was a little sensitive about his apparent lack of muscle. Mel had been the same way at that age, though he'd grown out of it after puberty added height - and muscles.

“Are you gonna kiss him? You gonna make out?”

“That, Squirt, is none of your business.” She ruffled his hair with her hand, something Lenny always disliked, and walked into the living room.

Ed was talking sports with her dad, but he stopped and broke into a smile when Melanie walked in. “Hi, Melanie. That's a beautiful prom gown.”

“Do you like it?” She swirled as if modeling a gown. She actually was wearing a blue tank top and a matching skirt that stopped a bit above her knees. “I love your tux.”

“Thanks.” He mimed straightening a tie. Ed wore a pale brown work shirt and a pair of dark brown slacks. He held a pin-on badge in the school colors, green and yellow, in his hand. He wore a similar one on his shirt. “I have your corsage right here. “He walked over and, with her father watching very closely, pinned the badge to her blouse.

The badge read “Class of 2001 Anti-Prom Gown” and matched the “Anti-Prom Tux” badge that he wore. School tradition from who knew how far back made the junior class dance an “Anti-Prom”, a casual mixer held the Saturday before Memorial Day weekend. A number of the conventions of the usual prom were kidded as a way of raising money for class projects. Their badges, for instance, had cost $10 each. A bit expensive, but - as the tradition said - a lot cheaper than buying or renting the real thing. Boys and girls usually each bought their own. Melanie and Ed had, and, again in keeping with the tradition, Melanie had given hers to Ed to hold until the night of the dance. Ed had paid for their tickets to the dance, an additional $10.

“I hope I'm not supposed to take an 'Anti-Prom' picture,” her father said. He pretended to be holding a camera.

Her mother swatted at her father's arm. “Stop it, Jack. I think it's a cute idea, pretending that it's real.”

“I suppose,” Jack Haywood said, squeezing his wife's hand gently. “I remember how pretty you looked at our junior prom.” He smiled at the memory. “You kids have a good time. Just remember the curfew. It's still in effect, and I hear the cops only give a half hour leeway to you prom kids.”

“Thanks, Daddy,” Melanie said. She kissed her father, then her mother, lightly on the cheek.

“We'll be back in time, sir,” Ed said as they left.

* * * * *

As arranged, Karen and Pete were waiting for them in the lobby. Karen was wearing an off-white pantset with dark red beaded trim on the top. Pete wore a green striped polo shirt and a pair of brown khaki slacks. They made the same “required” jokes about each others' “prom wear” as Pete drove them all to the school.

Tina and Harry Weiss met them near the door. Tina was wearing a double layer paisley skirt and a matching cami top that actually looked like a prom dress. Her badge was modified by a small piece of tape, so that it read “Anti-Anti-Prom Gown”. Harry wore a T-shirt colored to look like a tuxedo jacket, complete with tie and cummerbund, and a pair of black jeans.

“Figures you'd wear something like that,” Melanie said.

“Hey, you know us 'fashion geeks',” Tina said. “A prom is a prom - even an 'Anti-Prom'.”

“Nice tux,” Pete said.

Harry just shrugged. “Her idea, what can I say?”

“Why don't we just go inside,” Ed said. “We paid enough to go to this dance, we might as well go inside and enjoy it.”

The gym was decorated in paper mache with toilet paper streamers hanging down from the rafters. It was part of the tradition that some of the paper was still on rolls. A large banner with a pink ball gown and baby blue tux within the international “No” symbol hung over a stage at one end of the gym. “Tall Tommy” Thorpe, a local DJ, was playing music on a portable sound system set up next to the stage.

The three couples walked out onto the gym floor and began to dance. “Tall Tommy” played three fast songs in a row, the sort where each person just danced near, rather than with, their partner. Then, he called a “change of pace” and played a slow, romantic ballad. Karen stepped into Pete's arms. She could feel his body against hers as they moved to the music. It felt so very good to be in his arms. She sighed gently and rested her head on his shoulder. When she looked over, she could see Melanie a few feet off, dancing the same way, in Ed's arms.

The music ended much too quickly for both girls. “Tall Tommy” played another fast song, but then he followed it with two slow ones. Melanie and Karen found how much they enjoyed being their boyfriends arm, how safe and protected. It was nothing like the way they had felt as boys dancing with girls, but it was a wonderful feeling.

“Tall Tommy” began to play another fast tune. “How about we stop and get a soda or something,” Melanie said.

“Sounds like a plan,” Ed said. They walked over to where some tables and chairs were set up along a wall. Karen and Pete hadn't started dancing yet, and they followed Ed and Melanie over to a table.

Ed and Pete found out what the girls wanted to drink and headed off to the refreshment table. Melanie and Karen sat quietly munching pretzels from a bowl in the center of the table and listening to the music.

Dana and Tom Brill came over just as Pete and Ed came back with the sodas. “I hear congratulations are in order, Karen,” Tom said. “Dana said you guys wiped the floor in that debate in Snitter's class.”

“Teamwork,” Karen said. “Dana and Pete were great.”

“Hey, c'mon, Karen” Pete said. “You know very well that those guys would have ripped us to shreds without those books you got and all. If anybody deserves the credit, it's you.”

“It wasn't me, it was the books. I just got them for us.” Karen was enjoying the praise, especially from Pete, but she felt that she had to be at least a little modest.

“Where you get all that stuff anyway?”

“A friend of mine from the part time job Melanie and I have after school. She's a history major over at the college, and she got the books from the library and then showed me how to take notes and stuff.”

“Cool,” Pete said. “You know, I've been hearing you talking about that place where you two work so much that I'm getting curious. How about Ed and I come over and try it out some afternoon?”

“No!” Karen and Melanie both shouted at once.

“Why not,” Ed asked.

“Umm, well, it's - it's the place where we work, like Pete said.” Melanie was trying desperately to come up with a good answer.

“So?”

“So, we don't want you coming over while we're working,” Karen said.

“Umm, yeah! We get to keep working while our boyfriends hang out at a water park with a bunch of other girls.” Melanie said, guessing Karen's train of thought. “Tell me if that sounds fair to you?”

“No,” Pete said with a grin. “It might be fun for us, but it really wouldn't be fair to you - ouch!” He grabbed his arm where Karen had punched it.

“Besides, you girls would be the ones that we came to be with,” Ed said. “If we couldn't be spending the time with you, we really wouldn't want to go there. Would we, Pete?”

“No, we wouldn't.” Pete grinned. “Especially now that we know how hard you can hit if you really want to.”

“Now that we've settled that,” Tina said, “how about if we go over and see what sort of stuff they have to eat?”

They headed towards a long table where Susie Shaw and Danny Briscoe were selling food: soda, cookies, hot dogs, and cake, the Anti-Prom dinner. Tina and Harry were about to order when Wes Androchek burst in through a nearby door. “What's up, Wes,” Tom said.

“Ms. Gorki just caught a couple of kids fooling around in the health class.”

A number of people heard his words, and there was a quick run towards the classroom, halfway down the hall from the gym. The room had a large window, usually filled with health displays of one sort or another, but blinds blocked the view of the room. The door was open, though, and half a dozen people crowded through, stopping in the back of the room.

Ms. Gorki and Mr. Snitter were in the front of the room talking to a couple of students. The boy was tucking his shirt into his slacks, and the girl was rapidly buttoning her blouse. The textbooks and other materials that were normally on the desk were scattered on the floor around it. It was fairly obvious what the couple - Melanie and Karen stared in surprise - what Rita and Frankie had been doing when they were caught.

“This isn't a show,” Mr. Snitter said walking towards the door. He shooed the kids out of the room and closed the door behind them.

“Some prom night traditions keep on going strong,” Wes said.

“I wonder if Frankie did, too,” somebody said, and a number of kids - not all of them girls - giggled.

A few of the kids had headed back to the dance, but others had wandered over from the gym to see what was going on, when the door finally opened. Frankie and Rita walked out followed closely by Mr. Snitter and Ms. Gorki.

“There's nothing more to see here,” Mr. Snitter said. “Ms. Sandowski and Mr. DiAntonio let their exuberance get a bit out of hand.”

“Why don't you all just go back to the dance,” Ms. Gorki added.

Most of the kids headed back towards the gym, but Melanie and Karen lingered a bit. “Are you okay, Rita,” Melanie said, her concern genuine.

“A lot you two care,” Rita said. “This is your fault, Haywood.”

“My fault? I wasn't the one in there with Frankie.”

“I wouldn't have been in there either, if you hadn't messed things up with that Boss of yours.”

“The Boss?” Karen said. “Oh, I see. Still blaming everybody but yourself, aren't you, Rita?”

“Whoever's fault it is,” Mr. Snitter said, “Ms. Sandowski and Mr. DiAntonio here are on two-day suspension from class. They'll be leaving the dance as soon as their parents come to get them.”

“Two day,” Rita said, looking unhappy.

“Our - my parents, my dad? Shit!” Frankie looked much unhappier. The rumor around the school was that Frankie's father didn't care what his son did so much as whether or not he got caught doing it.

“I'm sure that Ms. Sandowsky appreciates your concern,” Ms. Gorki said to Melanie and Karen, “but you two girls should really go back to the gym.”

“Yes, ma'am,” Karen said, and the two girls hurried back to where Pete and Ed were waiting for them.

* * * * *

“Yo, Ormand, wait up.” Phil turned at the sound of his name. It was Frankie DiAntonio.

“Yeah, what do you want, Frankie? You're not even supposed to be around here until your suspension is over on Wednesday.”

“Never mind that,” Frankie said. He really didn't want to talk about getting caught - or about his father's reaction. His butt still hurt from the strap. “You're in O'Keefe's auto shop class, ain't you?”

“Yeah, why?”

“I hear you're one of the guys that he's letting try out that new diagnostic PC he got. Right?”

“Yeah, I'm one of them,” he said cautiously. “There's eight of us, even a couple of girls.”

Frankie spat. “Girls! Girls got no damn business being in auto shop.”

“Maybe not, but they're there, and I can't do a thing about it.”

“No, but you can do something about that PC. Is it as good as they say?”

“Better. That thing can tell just about anything that's wrong with a car.”

“Cool. You know, I bet there's a lot of guys, auto shops and like that, that'd pay good money for that machine.”

“It's not the machine. It's the program, those five CD Rom disks have the whole thing. You could load it into any good PC.”

“That's even better.”

“What do you mean?”

“A guy could get those disks, make a bunch of copies, and sell them for - oh, a couple thousand bucks each, easy.”

“Yeah, but who do you sell them to.” Phil smiled. The idea had a lot going for it if he could work out the details. “There's always the chance that somebody would tell the cops.”

“Yeah, but if you knew - or had, say, a partner who knew which auto shops would be interested enough not to go to the cops...”

Phil put his arm around Frankie's shoulder. “Tell me more, partner.”

* * * * *

Rita was waiting when Melanie came out Wednesday morning. She was wearing a very short green romper over a white tank top. Melanie and Karen each wore stone washed jeans. Melanie had a pale blue cami top, while Karen wore bright yellow sleeveless blouse.

“Umm, hi, Rita,” Melanie said. “You waiting for Frankie?”

“No, dammit. I've got to ride the bus with you losers today. Frankie's still mad at me for what happened Saturday night.”

“Why should he be mad at you?”

“I guess, I, umm, got a little loud.” She giggled despite her anger. “That's how they caught us. Somebody heard me and told Gorki.”

“But couldn't you talk to him while you guys were suspended?” Karen said. “Make up with him over the phone?”

The bus stopped at their corner, and they ran to meet it. Once they had gotten to some seats in the back, Rita continued.

“No chance of that. My parents are fit to be tied. They were ready to have him arrested for rape until I convinced that that I wanted to do it. They wouldn't let me near the phone or out of the apartment the whole time.”

“So you're going to make up in school today?” Karen said.

“No, I'm going to talk to him today. If he's not so mad that he won't even talk to me, we'll make up tonight.” The way Rita said it left no doubt as to how she intended to make up with Frankie.

“So then everything should be okay by tomorrow,” Karen said.

“Things should be great between me and Frankie, but I'm still mad at you two.”

“C'mon, Rita,” Melanie said. “What are you mad at us for? Taking that purse was your idea, remember. If anything, we should be mad at you.”

“Bull! I'm not sure that you two didn't set me up somehow with that Boss of yours. Maybe it was even one of you that ratted me out to Gorki last Saturday.”

“Aw, Rita,” Karen said. “You know that's not true.”

“Yeah, we were inside the gym dancing when you two got caught.”

“You got there quick enough, though.”

“Well, to tell the truth,” Melanie said. “We were at the refreshments, over by the door, when Wes came in and said that something was going on.”

“Your turn, Karen,” Rita said. “Your turn to change the story.”

“Stop that, Rita,” Karen said. “We both know that you're just looking for somebody to blame for your own bad luck.”

The bus pulled to a stop at the corner by the school. Rita stood up. “We'll see who blames who this weekend.”

“What are you planning, Rita,” Melanie said, following her off the bus. Karen did the same.

“Oh, you'll see.”

“A word to the wise-ass, Rita,” Karen said as they walked towards the school. “I wouldn't try to do anything at the park.”

“Yeah, why?”

“Look at yourself, Rita. The woman who did this to you owns Bikini Beach. If she did that to you for stealing her purse, what do you think she's going to do if you mess with two of her employees or - even worse - do something to mess up her water park?”

Rita shuddered. “Okay, maybe I won't do anything at the park, but I'm still pissed at you two for what happened.”

“If I were you, Rita, I'd be thinking about getting together with Frankie this weekend,” Karen said.

“Yeah, remember what happens Monday night,” Melanie added.

““What happens Monday night?”

“We get our old lives back.” Melanie paused and opened the door to the school for the other two. “Come Tuesday morning, we'll be guys again.”

* * * * *

“Haywood!” Melanie was doing jumping jacks with the rest of her gym class, when Ms. Serranno called her name. “Go get dressed and report to Mr. O'Keefe in auto shop.”

“Excuse me, Ms. Serranno, do you know why he wants to see me?”

“That's between him and you. All they told me was to send you over. Now get going.” She put her hands on her hips and stared at the rest of the class. “What are the rest of you looking at? Jumping jacks! One! Two! One! Two!”

* * * * *

“Please sit over there with the others, Ms. Haywood.” Mr. Snitter was waiting when Melanie got back to auto shop. Discipline was one of the duties of the assistant principal, and he was pacing the room trying to instill a fear of G-d into the students as they arrived. Phil Ormand, Carl Jackson, Wes Androchek, and Mike Schwartz were already there, sitting well apart from each other in the classroom section. Stacy came in just after Melanie had, so the two walked over together.

When they tried to sit together, Snitter said, “at least two seats apart, please, and Stacy shifted over. Fred Reinhart and Harry Weiss walked in a few minutes later.

“Mr. O'Keefe was putting things away after your 6th period class, when he discovered that the new CD Rom disks for the diagnostic computer were missing. Since they were here for your class, I'm afraid that you eight students are the prime suspects. Before we begin, does anyone have anything to say?”

“Yeah,” Phil said. “I'd like to call my father's lawyer.”

“I want a lawyer, too,” Fred said.

“Do you have a lawyer, Mr. Reinhart?”

“No, but I want one, anyway.”

“As of right now, all you are is a material witnesses. If you'd like to confess to anything, we'll see about a lawyer. That goes for the rest of you.” He sighed. “Mr. Ormand, since you already have a lawyer - or your father does - you can call him. However...school board regulations allow me to conduct a search for missing items. Detective --”

A tall man of about fifty stepped into view. He was wearing a suit. With him were a slender man of about forty and a rather trim looking woman of about the same age in police uniforms. “I'm Detective Sargent Jack Warrick,” the older man said. “These are Officers Dennison and Leiber. They'll be taking you, one at a time, to a couple of empty classrooms to conduct the personal search. Mr. O'Keefe, Mr. Snitter, and I will look through your book bags, and other officers are currently checking your lockers.”

“You've got no right to do this,” Carl Jackson said, jumping to his feet.

“I'm afraid that I do under state and federal law as well as school board rules. By the way, those disks cost in the thousands of dollars, so whoever did take them is looking at a charge of grand theft.”

“Why don't we start with Mr. Jackson and Ms. Brenner,” Sgt. Warrick said. “That will give young Mr. Ormand here a chance to call his father.”

* * * * *

“We've searched the kids' lockers, their book bags, we even searched them.” Warrick scratched his head. “If one of them took those disks, he - or she - figured a damned good place to hide them.”

Mr. Ormand bristled. How dare they accuse an Ormand of something like this? “If you have no proof of anything, then I'll be taking my son home. For all we know O'Keefe stole the things himself.” He chuckled to himself. The best defense always was an offensive move.

“I still have some questions,” Warrick said, not letting himself get distracted by the accusation.

Hess, the lawyer Ormand had brought with him, stepped forward. “I think that young Mr. Ormand here has answered all the questions he needs to answer.”

Melanie suddenly had an idea of how to find the disks. “Can - can I ask a question,” she said.

“I don't see what --” Hess said.

“This young lady has been a lot more cooperative than your client's kid,” Warrick said. “Ask your question, young lady.”

“Well, I was just thinking. This year, we're all taking American literature for our English class. One of the authors we studied was Edgar Allen Poe.”

“What has that to do with anything?”

“Let her continue, Mr. Hess.”

“Well, we read a couple of his poems, 'The Raven' and 'Annabelle Lee', and two of his stories, The Tell-Tale Heart and The Purloined Letter.”

“I remember that last one,” Warrick said. “And I see what you're saying. Mr. Snitter, where's your computer lab?”

Mr. Snitter lead them all to the lab, a large room on the same floor as the auto shop. Students were encouraged to do projects in the lab, so it was generally open, with a teacher or teaching assistant present to help out if needed. There was a rack or two of disks next to each of the twenty PCs in the room.

“You have their schedules, Mr. Snitter,” Warrick said. “Are any of the suspects taking computer lab?”

Snitter leafed through the papers on his clipboard. The computer lab is open to all of the students, but - yes - only Phil Ormand is taking it this term. As a matter of fact, he had it last period, just after auto shop.”

“That doesn't mean anything,” Hess said. “Any student can come in here.”

“Which PC do you use, Phil?” Warrick said.

“You don't have to answer that,” Hess said.

“No, but why shouldn't he? Besides, we can check all twenty PCs if we have to.”

Phil nervously pointed to one of the PCs, a newer looking unit on a desk away from most of the others. Warrick went over and began looking through the rack. He smiled after a moment and held up a handful of disks. “Found 'em. Would you care to explain, son?”

“Don't say anything,” Phil's father said. “It's some kind of frame.”

“Your dad's lawyer is here, if you want to talk to him first, son. You have that right, but I would like to know why you took the disks.”

“I - I wanted to try them out on another PC, that's all.” Phil's mind raced to come up with a good answer. “I was going to make a set, so I could use them on my own car. I - I was going to put them back, honest.”

“You know, son, that still counts as theft. You can't just take a program that somebody sells for money because you want it.”

“Look,” Ormand said. “My son's cooperated. He took the disks, but not for any sort of profit, and he's returning them now before he could even make a copy. If it's so damn important to the school, I'll buy it a back-up set. Just so nobody presses any charges against my kid. Is it a deal?”

Warrick frowned. This wasn't the first time he'd seen Ormand buy his kid out of trouble. “Well, if Mr. Snitter and the school don't press charges, and the disks are returned undamaged...”

“I'll have Mr. O'Keefe check the disks,” Mr. Snitter said with a sigh, “but I'm sure that they're fine. After all, the boy just wanted - wanted to copy them.” He took the disk from Warrick and stuck them in his coat pocket. “You students can go to your next classes. Tell your teachers that I'll speak to them shortly about your coming in late.”

The students left. Mr. Snitter walked over to Ormand and shook the larger man's hand. “I'm glad that we could resolve this matter, Mr. Ormand. We already have a back-up set of disks, but if you were serious about making some sort of donation, we're currently having a fund-raiser for a new PA system for the school.”

“I'll be glad to discuss that with you about that in your office, Mr. Snitter. My company may even be able to get a discount on the equipment. You go ahead to your office, and I'll join you on a moment. I'd just like to talk to my son for a bit first.”

“Certainly. I'll see you shortly.” Snitter shook Ormand's hand and left. When he was sure that neither of the Ormands or Mr. Hess could see him, he grimaced as if he'd just had to swallow something particularly bitter.

“Thanks, Dad,” Phil said.

His father turned quickly and slapped him in the face. “That was plain stupid, Phil. Do you know how much it's going to cost me to keep your ass out of jail this time?”

“But, Dad, that diagnostic system is fantastic. It would save us a fortune in keeping the cars running.” He wasn't going to mention Frankie. He knew enough about the other boy to know that that implicating him would without really strong proof would not be a smart thing to do. All he had was Frankie's handshake, and that was hardly enough to prove anything.

“You weren't trying to save me money. You saw something, you wanted it, so you just took it. Then, you were dumb enough to get caught. What is that 'Purloined Letter' crap, anyway?”

“It's a story by Poe. A guy steals an envelope with important papers. The cops know he took it to his apartment, so they search the place. Only they can't find any secret hiding places. Then the detective in the story figures out that the guy didn't put it any special place. He left it in plain sight with a bunch of other envelopes. That's what I did, I hid the disks with a bunch of other disks next to my PC.”

“Not bad, not bad at all. You may just be smarter than you look, son. Too bad that bitch had to figure it out.”

“Yeah, but I don't think she's going to get a chance to gloat much about it.” Now that he was found out, there was no way that he could get Frankie's help in dealing with Melanie. Still, he should be able to handle the little bitch by himself.

“Now that would be a shame.” He put his arm on his son's shoulder. “Just try to be careful this time, so they can't trace it back to you.” Ormand would have preferred that his son not do anything, but the kid was too stubborn for his own damn good. He'd just hope for the best and made a mental note to have that shyster, Hess, be ready to clean up any messes Phil left behind him.

* * * * *

After school, Phil followed Melanie and Karen's bus to the park. He wasn't going to do anything near the school; too easy to get caught or to have something traced back to him. Now a water park, that was different. Lots of slippery places where a person could fall and get hurt. And all those pools and everything, a person could get hurt there, too; she could maybe even drown. And wouldn't that be too bad?

He pulled into a parking space near the gate, waiting until the bitch was inside. He kept a spare swim suit and towel in his trunk, just in case, a lot of kids did in this oceanside town. He got them out and walked casually towards the gate. The blonde at the gate was pretty, if a few years older than he was, but he never worried about that. Dad's cash was a great equalizer.

“Hi. How much to get in?”

“This is a private park. We don't sell admissions.”

“Oh. Well, is there any way I can get in, then?”

“Yes, we sell passes, a lot of different types. How long...”

He tossed her his Gold Card. “Just give me the top of the line.”

The girl looked at him oddly. Impressed by the card, he guessed. She ran the card through a reader and entered an amount. A moment later, she handed him a pen and a receipt to sign. When he had, she gave him back the card along with a gold colored receipt. “Welcome to Bikini Beach, Phil,” she said with a smile. “The Men's Locker Room is over that way. Please shower before you go out. It's a Health Department regulation.

Phil headed in and found an empty locker. The place looked a lot smaller than the Women's Locker Room had. Good, that meant there were a lot more women than men around. He'd been meaning to check this place out, anyway. Maybe he'd hang around for a while after he took care of the Melanie. He found an empty locker and began to undress.

He pulled on a pair of speedos and walked over to admire himself in a mirror near the door. Phil ran track, and his body was long and lanky. The speedos showed off his “package” to good effect. He smiled at the possibilities the park might offer as he walked over and turned on a shower.

The shower was a surprise; it had a pulsating head that shot out the water just the way he liked it. Phil closed his eyes to better concentrate on the soothing feeling and never noticed the pink mist rising from the water.

After a minute or so, he turned off the water and headed for the door. His body felt strange, kind of out of balance. His chest felt heavy, and he seemed to be walking funny, swinging his hips a lot more than usual.

Phil looked down and saw his nipples darken and enlarge. A moment later, two bumps appeared underneath them, bumps that grew rapidly into two round, very female breasts. “What the...” he said then stopped. His voice had changed pitch from his usual deep tenor to a high sweet contralto.

He ran over to the mirror that he had posed in by the door. The girl looking back at him might have been his sister, if he'd had one. Her hair was the same color as his, a deep brown mass of curls that framed her face and hung down to just below her shoulders. The eyes were the same hazel that his were, and her face looked a lot like his. Only the chin was rounder and the cheekbones higher. There were long feminine lashes on those eyes, and her nose was smaller and a bit upturned.

The body didn't look like his. It didn't look like any male body. She was slender, almost boyish, but with two of the most beautiful breasts he'd ever seen, 36-C he guessed, a narrow waist, and lush hips. The legs were slender with more than enough curve to be interesting. In heels, they'd be fantastic. She wore a lacy french-cut bikini bottom that was smooth against her crotch.

She looked fantastic, but her expression was one of horror as Phil realized that she was him.

“The Boss doesn't allow topless bathing.” Phil turned to see Melanie standing there next to the blonde from the front gate. “You'd better put this on.” She tossed him a bikini top that matched the bottom he was wearing.

“What's going on here? What the hell did you bitches do to me?” He put the bikini top on quickly without even realizing that he had done so.

“She doesn't like language like that either, Felicia.”

“Felicia? Who the hell is Felicia?”

“You are, dear, Felicia Ormand,” the blonde said with a smile.

“You're crazy. That's not my name. I'm Felicia. No, that's not right. My name is Felicia, not Felicia. I'm not a girl. I was born a girl.”

“That's right, dear. As far as anybody else - even your parents - are concerned, you were born Felicia Ormand.”

“No, please, please change me back.” Felicia - even she couldn't think of herself as Phil anymore - startled herself by breaking out in tears. She collapsed onto the bench sobbing. Her mind reeled as reality shifted around her. She was confused and felt very afraid.

“Why should we,” asked the blonde, “assuming that we could.”

“My Daddy will pay you a lot of money.” 'Daddy'? That didn't sound right.

“Why should he pay anything?” the blonde asked again. “He's quite happy with his polite, obedient little daughter. She's a little too goody-goody for his taste, but she never gives him any real trouble.”

“What - what are you talking about? My Daddy doesn't have a daughter, just me.”

“Oh, but he does. You are Joe Ormand's daughter.” She paused for a second. “You see, Phil was a rich brat who learned early that his father's money and his silver tongue could get him out of almost anything. But he was never born. Felicia was. She's - you're -- a good girl, aren't you?”

“Yes, yes, ma'am. I try to be.” Felicia wanted to scream. She should be yelling, hitting, doing whatever she could to get changed back. But she - oh, Lord - she didn't want to. She had a second chance somehow, and she wasn't going to let her old self ruin it. She knew exactly who she had been, and she was suddenly very ashamed of him.

“Will I ever change back?” There were two possible answers, and each of them scared a different part of her.

“No. Phil was in such a hurry to get in here and hurt Melanie that he didn't stop to ask questions. He just asked for the 'top of the line', that's a lifetime pass. They're not refundable and can't be transferred.” She smiled. “You'll be Felicia forever. On the other hand, nobody ever tried to steal the computer disks from your school's auto shop.”

“I - I'm sorry about doing that.” She looked up at her classmate. “Melanie, I'm sorry for what I - Phil - I - whoever did, for even thinking about hurting you. Can you forgive me?”

“Sure. As far as I'm concerned, heck, as far as the rest of the world is concerned, it never happened.” She reached out for Felicia's hand and shook it gently in friendship.”

“I'm glad that everything is settled,” the blonde said. “By the way, I'm Anya. My grandmother owns the park. You two can talk later if you'd like. Right now, Melanie has to get back to work. You're welcome to stay and look around the park, Felicia. After all, you do have a lifetime pass.” She smiled and headed towards the door.

“I do have to go to work now, Felicia. I'll see you later, okay?”

“Okay, Melanie, and, Anya, - well - thanks.”

* * * * *

The park was crowded by early Saturday afternoon. The place was ready. Jenny had spent the last week going over every piece of equipment, particularly the pump and filter system. Melanie had helped, enjoying the opportunity to work with the skilled handyperson. Karen had worked with Belinda, Holly, and Norma, cleaning the kitchen areas in both Port Landing and the Tiki Hut.

Now they were working together on a food run, wheeling a cart from the supply room loaded with four metal bottles of soda syrup to the Landing. Karen sighed as they pushed the cart past the Lagoon. The water cannons shot out a blast of water that looked so inviting on such a hot afternoon.

“I know,” Melanie said. “Maybe we can go for a quick swim during our break.”

The Boss gave her staff a twenty minute break around the middle of the afternoon, honor system, or course. On a day like this, she actually encouraged the staff to use the facilities. Even with the new doctor on duty, heat exhaustion was definitely something to be avoided.

They unloaded the bottles and waited while Marta hooked one of them up to the coke machine. “Want to try it out,” she said.

“Yeah,” Melanie said. “It's pretty darn hot out there.”

“Orange for me,” Karen said. “Tall and cool is just what I need.”

“And put it on my tab.” Melanie and Karen spun around at the voice.

“Felicia,” Melanie said. “How are you doing?”

“Just fine - now.” She was dressed in a golden tankini with a matching wrap-around beach skirt, sandals with a one-inch heel, and a big floppy hat. It was hard to believe that she'd been Phil Ormand only two days ago.

“You look like you've really adjusted to being a girl.” Karen said.

“Oh, but I've always been a girl; just ask anybody.” She smiled as she said it. “Seriously, it's still something that I'm getting used to, but I'm enjoying it. I - it's hard to explain. As Phil, I had to keep proving just how much better I was than everybody else. Anybody got in my way - pow! I mean, that's what I was doing when I bought my pass, looking to hurt Melanie for figuring out where I hid those disks.”

“And now?”

“Well, some - no -- a lot of the aggression is gone. I still want to prove myself, but I have to prove myself to me, not to my Dad or the kids at school or anybody else. And I can prove myself by doing the right thing, not just the thing that makes me look good or gets me some money.”

“Sounds like you've really got your act together,” Melanie said.

“I hope so. I am still adjusting. It still feels a little weird to be dressing up like a girl, even if I do like the way I look.”

“What about boys?”

“What about them?” She blushed. “I - I'll admit that I'm starting to notice them in a way I didn't before. I think that's part of the reason that I came here. It's kind of the reverse of what that blonde - what was her name? Oh, yeah, Anya - what Anya said after I changed. Her grandmother created the park so females would have a place to go without having to worry about being ogled by men. I'm here now because, well, because, I was starting to worry a little about wanting to ogle men - or to be ogled by them.”

“It's going to happen you know,” Karen said. “You're a healthy girl now. Boys will start looking good to you eventually.”

“I know, I know. Part of me wants it to happen, but part of me is still a little afraid. Being here is helping me get used to the idea.”

“Well,” Melanie said, “if there's anything we can do to help, just ask.”

“Same here,” Karen added.

Felicia hugged both girls. “Thanks, thanks so very much. I - I'm so new at this. You two have been girls all your lives, and it's great that you want to help me. Especially after what I - what Phil wanted to do to you, Melanie.”

“All our..., but Karen and I - oof!”

“It never happened,” Karen said. “At least not since you changed. You're our friend now. As far as everybody else is concerned, you've always been our friend. Why shouldn't we want to help you?”

“I - ooh - thanks.” Felicia hugged them again, tears in her eyes. “But you two probably have to get back to work. I don't want to get you in trouble. Just let me pay for those sodas.” She broke the hug and reached for her purse.

Marta leaned across the counter. “It's okay, miss -- Felicia. Our Boss lets us get free drinks while we're working, so long as we don't abuse the privilege. On a day like this, with what they were just working on, a couple of free drinks is no problem.”

“We appreciate the offer, though, Felicia,” Melanie said looking at her watch. “But I'm afraid that we do have to get back to work.”

“Okay, then. See you later.” She smiled and headed off in the direction of the Old Swimming Hole.

Once she was out of earshot, Melanie turned to Karen and said, “why did you poke me in the ribs just then?”

“Because you were about to tell Felicia that we weren't really girls.”

“What do you mean? She knows - doesn't she?”

“Why should she? As far as Phil was concerned, we'd always been Melanie and Karen. Why should she find out otherwise just because she changed?”

“You're right. Wow! This place is even weirder than I thought it was.”

* * * * *

Karen was running a phone message to one of the members when she heard somebody crying nearby. She looked around. A young girl, maybe 10, with her hair in pigtails was sitting under one of the trees near the volleyball area, crying her heart out.

“Are you okay?” Karen asked. “Can I get somebody for you or something?”

“Yeah,” the girl said looking up. “Get me - me!”

“What do you mean?”

“You -- you're staff here, so you know how the place works. I mean how it really works, right?”

“I guess so.”

“My name's Tammy Sue, but it used to be Tammy Sue -- darn, I can't even say it any more. I used to be a seventeen-year old boy. I was supposed to graduate high school in a couple weeks and go on to college in the Fall. My brat of a sister -- she's thirteen, by the way -- got upset about how much everybody was paying attention to me instead of her. She talked our Mom into bringing us here, and, well, you can see what happened.”

“It may not be too bad. How long a pass did your mother buy?”

“Just for the weekend. Janie -- that's my sister -- called ahead and pretended to be Mom. She had them change me into a little kid like this, so she'd be the big sister.”

“Yes, but it's still only for the weekend. Even with the Monday holiday, its' not that long. Can't you manage it?”

“If it was the weekend, I guess I could. The problem is that my Mom's thinking of buying me a lifetime pass.”

“Why?” she asked cautiously. “Is there something that you're not telling me?”

“Mom had me, umm, before she got out of high school. It really bothered her to have a kid who was about to go to college when she wasn't even thirty-five yet.” The girl began to cry again. “Now, her two kids are still in grade school, and she doesn't feel like an old lady. I -- I don't want to be a g-girl, and I sure don't want to have -- to have to grow up all over again.”

Karen put her arms around the young girl and held her while she continued to sob. She stroked Tammy Sue's head and tried to comfort her.

“Can I help?” Karen and Tammy Sue looked up to see Anya standing near them.

“You!” Tammy Sue spat. “You're the one who sold my Mom that pass. Look what you already did.”

“I know, and I'm sorry, Tammy. I've been looking for you all over the park.”

“Why? Did you come to gloat, or to tell me that this is permanent now?”

“Neither, dear. Your mother came to me a little while ago to see about upgrading the pass to a lifetime membership. I told her that I wouldn't do it unless you asked me to.”

“You --you won't.” She smiled, and her whole body seemed to relax. “Honest”

“No, dear. Your sister's need for some extra attention and your mother's vanity are hardly reasons to totally change your life. The only reason that I agreed to the request was because Janie asked me over the phone. She told me that you were a bully who kept picking on his little sister and needed to be taught a lesson. By the time I found out the truth, you'd already been changed.”

“Can you change me back -- I mean right now?”

“I'm sorry, but our passes are non-transferable and non-refundable. The best I can do is to alter it, so you're your true age. You'd still be a girl, but you'd be the older sister again.”

“Could you really do that; change me into a seventeen-year old girl?” She thought for a moment. “While you're at it, could you give me a really good female figure?”

“Yes, if that's what you want.”

“I think so. I'd like a little payback on Janie.” She chuckled. “She's kind of self-conscious about how slowly her figure is developing. It would drive her up the wall to see me walking around looking like a centerfold. Come to think of it, I'm not sure that Mom would be that happy with a daughter who looked like a grown-up woman.”

“If you're sure that's what you want, Tammy, then go take another shower. You'll change into just the sort of girl we've described. But...”

“Great.” Tammy smiled and ran off before Anya could say another word.

“Well, you settled her problem,” Karen said.

“No, I replaced it with another one.”

“What do you mean, Anya?”

“As a ten-year old, Tammy Sue had no female sex drive. But at seventeen, especially with the 'centerfold' body she asked for...”

Karen shuddered. “I see what you mean. Tammy's going to be one horny babe for the next two days. She'll hate it.”

“Maybe - or maybe not. You and Melanie will be changing back on Monday. Tammy Sue could wind up as the replacement for one of you; a permanent replacement.”

* * * * *

Just after noon on Sunday, Melanie got to do a turn behind the ticket counter, while Anya had lunch.

“Now remember,” Anya said. “You don't sell a pass for anything longer than two days to a male. If somebody wants a longer one, use the phone to buzz Grandmother or me. You can play with the prices of the passes a little, but if you give too much of a discount to anybody, you'd better have a good reason. Grandmother doesn't believe in giving those things away.”

“I didn't know you two had cell phones.”

“We don't. We don't need them. The phone is so you or whoever else is working the counter feels comfortable. It works, well it works the same way a lot of stuff around here works.”

“Speaking of magic, if I do sell a pass to a male, do I get to decide what sort of a girl he turns into?”

“Good heavens, no.”

“What decides then?”

“Well, let's just say that, since Grandmother cast the spell that causes the change, it has her sense of justice. Understand?”

“I'm not sure that I do, but I'll take your word for it. Enjoy your lunch?”

“Do you want me to bring you anything?”

“No, I had a big breakfast - big for a girl, anyway, a glass of milk and a whole bowl of cereal. With fruit, too.”

“Okay, 'Blimp', I'll see you in about a half an hour.” Anya waved and headed off into the park.

The line was fairly long. Mostly it was women, a lot of them in fairly skimpy swim suits, not all of which were hidden by beach robes. 'Some girls want to be stared at even when they know there's no guys around,' Melanie thought.

A striking looking woman in purple shorts and a matching bandeau top strode past the line and into the park. Melanie was about to call for her to stop, when Belinda, who was back on stick detail, this time in the picnic area by the gate, spoke up. “Relax. That's Ronnie Harris. She's got a lifetime pass, and she and the Boss are thick as thieves. Besides, she's rich; owns that condo apartment building across from the park.”

“That place? Say, don't Jenny and Liz live there?”

“Anya, too. I hear she has a deal with the Boss. Her tenants get a discount on memberships, too.”

“No wonder she walked in like she owned the place. She almost does.”

“Yeah, but don't let it spook you. I've talked to her once or twice. She's real friendly.”

“Thanks.”

“Don't mention it, but hadn't you better get back behind the counter? That line isn't getting any shorter.”

Melanie scurried back behind the counter. Her next customers were a husband and wife with a little girl about seven. The husband kept muttering about having work that he should be doing. His wife's only comment was that it wouldn't hurt for him to spend the day with his daughter. Melanie sold them a one-day pass. A few minutes later, she saw the wife leaving the Locker Room and walking into the park with identical twin girls.

“A babe as pretty as you shouldn't be working behind that counter,” a voice said about five minutes later. Melanie looked up to see two boys about her own age, a tall freckled redhead and a shorter, well-muscled blonde.

“And where should I be?”

“Hanging out and enjoying this place with the best - us. How much are the tickets, Babe?”

“We don't sell tickets, but we do have one and two day passes.”

“How much?” Melanie told them the price, and the boys frowned.

“Cripes,” the redhead said. “Even that one-day pass is more than I've got. How about you, Jimmy?”

Jimmy, the blonde, shrugged. “Not enough, Mark.” He leaned forward and smiled at Melanie. It was meant to be charming, but the smile reminded Melanie of a lion looking at an antelope. “If you can't cut us a deal, Babe, you and all the other girls in the park, well, you won't know what you're missing.”

“We can't have that,” Melanie said, smiling back. “I think a couple of guys like you deserve to be in the park.” She gave a figure for two two-day passes that was about two-thirds of what a single one-day pass normally cost. The boys eagerly paid.

“Don't forget to shower,” Melanie said, handing them the passes. “It's a health department rule. And come back over when you're done. I have to work here for a while, but maybe we can arrange to meet afterwards.”

Mark, the redhead grabbed the passes and they all but ran for the showers. A few minutes later, two very pretty girls, a slender redhead and a rather voluptuous blonde, walked over to the booth. They were both wearing string bikinis, the bottom of the blonde's being little more than a g-string.

“We were, like, supposed to come back here,” the blonde said. Somehow, she had gotten some chewing gum.

“Yeah,” said the redhead, “but I'm not sure why. Hey, where's all the guys?” Her voice was a high soprano that made her sound like she was six years old.

Melanie smiled. “Didn't you know? This is a park for women only.”

The redhead pouted. “Aw, where's the fun in that? C'mon, Jamie. She says there's no guys here.”

“No guys? Are you sure, Marcia?”

“That's what she said. Let's head down to the real beach. On a day like this there should be lots of guys around.” They walked away, hips swaying invitingly. Mark and Jimmy had wanted to get laid. They would be.

Melanie spent the next twenty minutes selling or checking passes from a long line of women. One car, a green Chevy with three college guys in it, slowed down, then stopped near the entrance. The guys were about to get out, when Melanie saw one of them point to the “Bikini Beach” sign and say something to the others. There seemed to be some arguing, then the other two boys stared at the sign. They all nodded, and the car sped off.

* * * * *

The Boss was in her office working on some papers when there was a knock on the door. She looked up from a bill of lading. “Come in, Felicia.”

Felecia Ormand walked in and sat in a chair opposite the desk. “How did you know it was me?”

“It's a simple trick that a friend of mine showed me. He uses it all the time at his store. Now, what did you want to see me about? You aren't upset about your transformation, are you. We told you that the pass can't be revoked.”

“No, I've thought about it - thought about it a lot. My new life is much better than my old one was or ever could be.”

“What is it then?” She knew, but she wanted Felicia to say it.”

“I'd like to talk to you about a, um, friend of Phil's, a boy named Frankie.”

* * * * *

Karen was working as cashier at the Port Landing. It was the short lull between “afternoon snack” and “supper”, so she was relaxing, reading a Barbara Courtland paperback somebody had left behind the counter. The book was hardly the sort that Ken would have liked, but Karen had actually caught herself enjoying it.

“Are they sure that they want you at a cash register,” a voice said. “I mean, you do have a record for theft.”

“And hello to you, too, Rita. Come to hassle Melanie and me?”

“No, dear, this was just an added benefit of coming to the park today.”

“Why aren't you off someplace with Frankie - or maybe one of your other boyfriends?”

“Oh, I'm just seeing Frankie, now. I invested too much time in getting his mind off last weekend to throw it away. Anyway, he had to go with his family today, and he couldn't get out of it. We're getting together tonight.” She giggled at her unintentional pun.

“And in the meantime you decided to come here.”

“Why not. I've still got that damned pass. Why shouldn't I use it. This is a really nice place. I'd like to come back some time as my real self.”

“You know that's not possible. This place is girls only.”

“Yeah, I suppose.”

“You could always stay a girl.”

“So could you. Do you want to?”

“Heck, no! It's been interesting, I guess, but I'm looking forward to getting my old self back.”

“Me too.”

“You know, Rita, I think this is the first time we've ever really talked - just talked - like friends.”

“Yeah, it must be some weird girl thing. I'm not really sure that I'm even mad at Haywood anymore for screwing up and landing us in this mess -- or for last Saturday.”

“You know that neither of those was her fault. You - no, I hate to say it, but it was you and me that made Mel steal that purse. Why you and Frankie were in that classroom, well, that's between you and Frankie.”

Rita stared at Karen for a moment, her eyebrow arched in surprised. “You've changed, Geller, and I'm not talking about being a girl. You've got some kind of new attitude, and I'm not sure that I like it.” She turned as if to walk away from Karen.

“Well, you haven't, Rita, at least not where it really counts. You owe the park $4.73 for that salad and coke you had.”

* * * *

Melanie and Karen sat a blanket spread out on the grass watching the Monday night fireworks.

“May I join you, girls?”

“Sure, Boss,” Melanie said. “Would you like a chair?”

“No, thank you” she said, joining them on the blanket. “Enjoying the show?”

“Yeah, it's as good as any I've every seen. Where are they launching the rockets from, though” Karen asked. “I didn't see them setting up anything in the park.”

“What makes you think I'm using rockets?”

You're using - oh! I get it.”

“Yes, there's still all sorts of magic left in this old girl. I just don't use much of it - except for the park, of course. This is just a harmless change of pace for me.”

They sat quietly for a bit, enjoying the Boss's handiwork. Then she looked at them and said, “You know, of course, that your sentences are over tonight. You'll be Mel and Ken when you wake up tomorrow morning.”

“We know,” Melanie said. “We're looking forward to it.”

“No regrets?”

“I'd be lying if I said 'No',” Karen said. “It's been, well, it's been an interesting month.”

“I'm going to miss my friends,” Melanie added. "Not just here at the park, though I will miss everybody here a lot. As Melanie, I'm part of a 'crowd'. Stacy, Tina, Dana, they're all my friends.”

“And Ed,” the Boss added.

“And Ed, of course,” She blushed. “Oh, I've enjoyed him a lot.” She giggled. “Not like that! It's just been so great having somebody who cared about me and who I cared about so much. Mel, well, Mel is the new kid. He really hasn't got any friends.”

“He has me,” Karen said. “We've gotten to be pretty good friends this past month, and that is not going to change.”

“But other things will,” the Boss said. “I think you'll find that the reality you go back to is quite a bit better than you think. In that reality, Ken introduced Mel to his friends, Tom, Jeff, Harry, and the rest, and you all have become very good friends.”

“And Ed. What about Ed?”

“And Pete,” Karen added.

“Oh, you're friends with them as well. You've even gone on group dates with them and their girl friends, Felicia Ormand and Susie Shay.”

“Felicia,” they both said at once.

“The same. She has a life, too, you know.”

“Wait a minute,” Karen said. “You said we've gone on group dates with them. Who are we dating?”

“I think I'll let that be a surprise. Speaking of which, watch this triple
sparkler coming up next.”

* * * * *

Mel woke up the next morning to the sound of the sports call-in show on his radio. 'Am I...' A hand reached down into his pajamas. It was back! They were back! He looked down. His chest was flat - and a little hairier than he remembered. He let out a “Whoop”, a loud, masculine “Whoop”, and jumped out of bed to dress for school.

* * * * *

Ken was waiting when Mel came out of the building. They hugged and clapped each other on the back.

“You see Rita - Rudy - this morning?” Mel asked.

“No, and I'm not sure I want to. I got awful sick of her - his - her attitude the past month. He pushed me around all my life, telling me what to do. Well, if I learned anything this past month, I learned that I'm at least as smart as he is; maybe smarter. And when he comes out, I'm going to tell him so.”

“Are you guys talking about me?” Mel and Ken turned at the voice, the feminine voice. Rita stood in the doorway to the apartment building. She was wearing a blouse whose ends were tied just above her navel, cut-off jeans that barely went below her crotch, one-inch heels, and a scowl sharp enough to etch glass.

“What - what happened,” Mel said. “Why didn't you change back?”

“You tell me, and we'll both know. I have to go to school right now, but after that - well, there won't be a piece of that damn park standing if that old bitch doesn't change me back.”

“I wouldn't be too sure that you can pull that threat off, Rita,” Ken said. “Maybe Mel and I better go with you.”

“Come - don't come. I don't care. This is between me and her, and she's gonna regret whatever nasty idea she had about not ending this damn change.”

* * * * *

Mel and Ken tried to reason with Rita during the day. They suggested that she wait a day to cool down and both offered to go out and speak to the Boss instead of her. Rita was almost convinced until Mel slipped up and actually referred to the old woman as “the Boss”.

“The Boss!” Rita yelled. “The Boss, your Boss, your buddy, you damn suck-up. And I was gonna let you go out and apologize to her for me. For-get it.”

“Okay, okay. Can Ken and I at least go along with you?”

“It's your nickel; just don't get in my way.”

* * * * *

Ken and Mel watched for Rita after school to make sure they caught the same bus that she did. She didn't stop them, but she glared at them and practically bared her teeth and growled when they tried to sit near her.

The boys did manage to get off the bus with her. As they walked to the gate, Ken whispered, “Just remember, Rita, this isn't some kid you can punch out. This is a lady with a lot of power - real power. You've got every right to be mad. Just try to be smart enough to be a little polite.”

“You be polite. You two got your lives back. I'm - I'm still...this.” She ran her arm down the length of her body. “Oh, hell, I suppose it won't hurt to be a little polite. But if she - or either of you - so much as smiles or start laughing, all bets are off.”

Anya was at the gate. “Mel, Ken. I'm glad to see you again.”

“Are you glad to see me, lady?” Rita said.

“Rita?” Anya's jaw dropped. “Just a minute. Let me get my grandmother.”

“Get her here fast. I've got some damned important questions to ask her.”

“Is this fast enough?” The old woman came around the corner. She looked at Rita for a moment. “Yes, Anya, you were right to call me. I think we'd better continue this in the office.”

“We're not going to have to, um, change, are we?” Mel asked.

“No, no. That's part of the reason that the office is so near the gate. It's sometimes necessary for me to meet with males without having them shower. This way, they don't get an opportunity to bother my guests.” She looked at Rita again and frowned. “You boys go into the office. I want to check Rita over, so we'll be in the larger room next door.”

“Okay,” Mel said.

“You behave yourself, Rita,” Ken said.

“I'm sure she will.” She looked at the three of them very sharply. “It wouldn't do to get me angry, would it, Rita?”

Without quite knowing why, all three of the teens shuddered. “N-no, ma'am,” Rita said. She let herself be led to the room, while Ken and Mel hurried to the office.

* * * * *

The old women and Rita can into the office about ten minutes later. Rita was retying her blouse as she entered. Ken and Mel were already seated, and the old woman motioned for Rita to sit as well.

“I don't know what you did in there, lady,” Rita said, “but my whole body's still tingling from it.”

“That will pass in a moment,” the old woman said. “Are you ready for the answer? Can you take the truth, whatever it is”

“Damn straight I can. Okay, what's the verdict? How come I'm still a girl, and, more important, how soon do you change me back?”

“I'm afraid that I can't change you back.”

“What! Is this your idea of a joke? If it is, it's a bad one.”

“It's not a joke. It's, well, congratulations, my dear. There's only one way to say this: you're going to be a mother.”

“Lady, you have got to be kidding.”

“I would never joke about something like that. According to the, the exam I just gave you, you became pregnant about two weeks ago. You'll have a lovely, healthy little baby right around Valentine's Day. Would you like to know if it's a boy or a girl?”

“It can't be. I can't be. I don't care what I look like. I'm a guy, dammit.” Rita slammed her fist on the desk. “I-can-not-be-pregnant.” She said it slowly through clenched teeth.

“Don't get upset, dear. It's bad for the baby.”

Rita sank back in her chair. Her head was in her hands as she repeated over and over again, “I can't be pregnant.”

The door suddenly opened. “Did you call me, grandmother?”

“Yes, Anya. Rita just got some very surprising news. Would you take her into the Locker Room and splash some water in her face to help her calm down?”

“Sure.” Anya walked over and gently helped Rita to her feet. She put her arm around the younger girl's waist and led her from the room. Rita was still repeating “I can't be pregnant,” as if she were trying to convince herself, or, at least, her body, that the statement was true.

The old woman smiled at the boys. “She'll be back in a few minutes. In the meantime, we have a few things to talk about.” She opened a drawer and took out two envelopes. “I was afraid that I was going to have to mail these to you.” She handed them to the boys.

Mel opened his envelope. There was a check inside. “Fi - This check is for over five hundred dollars! Is this some kind of a mistake, Boss?”

“There's no mistake. You worked for me for a month with only a few days off for bad weather. I pay my employees. Ken, your check is for a bit less because you started two days after Mel did. Just because you were Melanie and Karen at the time doesn't mean that I won't pay you what you rightfully earned. I took out for taxes and such.”

“Thank you, Boss. It's more than generous considering how we got the jobs.”

“Perhaps, but you were good workers. In fact, if you'd like to earn more --”

“No,” Mel and Ken both shouted.

“No disrespect meant, Boss,” Mel said, “but Ken and I, well, we'd like to stay our real selves; guys, that is.”

“Yes, ma'am,” Ken said, “but thanks very much for the offer.”

“I thought you might say that, so I have a second offer. I think you both met Ronnie Harris here at the park, didn't you?”

“I did,” Ken said. “I took a package, some messenger brought, out to her at the Tiki Hut.”

“I didn't, but Belinda pointed her out to me once, and I've heard about her from Jenny.”

“Yes, I thought that you might have. Anyway, Ronnie mentioned to me that she was looking for a couple of boys to act as messengers and assistants at her offices downtown. It would be the same sort of odd jobs work that you did for me. Pays about the same as I do. You'd work after school for the rest of the school year, 4 to 5 or 6 o'clock and half a day on Saturday; then 9 to 5 or 6, weekdays and half a day Saturdays during the Summer. Shall I tell her you're interested?”

Mel and Ken looked at each other and smiled broadly. “Yes, Boss,” Mel said. “I think that you can tell her we're very interested.”

“Excellent. There's a letter of recommendation in each of those pay envelopes. I'll call her. You'll probably be able to start next Monday.”

“This is all great, Boss,” Ken said, “and we really appreciate it. But what about Ru - Rita? Is she really pregnant? Is she going to be okay?”

There was a knock on the door. “Excuse me, but I'm back.” Rita was standing in the office doorway. Mel and Ken stood up at the sound of her voice, which seemed to have lost much of the brashness from before.

'The water,' they both thought. 'It must have changed her.'

It had, and the changes were amazing. Rita's long blonde hair was pulled back and tied into a ponytail that stretched halfway down her back. Her make-up was redone and much more subdued, especially the pale blue eye shadow that replaced the electric blue color she had worn before. Her shorts and blouse were now a flowing blue dress that came to just below her knees.

“You look lovely, my dear,” the old woman said. “That outfit is so much more becoming to a young girl than what you had on before.”

“I guess,” Rita said. There was no sign of bravado in her voice now. “Is this what I'm going to be for the rest of my life?”

“Yes, with your pregnancy, I'm afraid that there's no way you can ever go back to being Rudy.”

“I -- I guess I deserved it. Rudy wasn't a very nice person.” She suddenly looked up at the old woman. “But that was my -- his own choice. When I became Rita, I acted the way I did because you made me act that way. It's your fault that I'm pregnant.”

“Don't put all the blame on me, girl. When I changed you into a girl, I made you very much Rudy's female counterpart. You had the same reckless attitudes and the same high sex drive that he did. You also knew how girls get pregnant and what precautions to take. I made certain that there were birth control pills in your room at home. All you had to do was take them.”

“You -- you're right. I saw the pills, and I decided not to take them.” The fight seemed to vanish from Rita. She began to sob. “I figured that I couldn't get pregnant because I was really a guy. I thought I could have a lot of fun as a girl and not worry about any of the consequences.”

“Now you get to live with your mistakes; with being a girl, at least. You can always make arrangements to give the baby up for adoption. There are a lot of families looking for a little one to love.”

“I -- I don't know. I think I want to think about that for a while. I've done enough stupid things because I didn't think them through.”

“Congratulations, Rita.”

“What do you mean?”

“Learning that some things need to be thought through is a lesson some people never learn. You have.”

“Thanks, but I've still got to figure out how I'm going to pay the bills for having a baby. My folks don't have much money.”

“How would they feel about your taking a part-time job? I've just lost two of my employees, and I need replacements.” She smiled. “I have very good health benefits, including full maternity coverage.”

“You -- you'd do that for me? After what I did, the way I acted.”

You didn't do anything, at least not anything serious -- except act rather foolishly about sex. Rudy did a number of things, not all of them to me, but I understand that he's not around any more.”

“I -- I don't know what to say.”

“'Yes, I'll take the job' would be a good start,” Ken said.

“Yes, I'll take the job.” Rita smiled unevenly. She seemed a little shaky on her feet.

“Are you okay, Rita?” Mel asked.

“I guess. It's just -- oh!” She started to collapse. Ken and Mel rushed over and helped her to a chair.

“Are you sure you're okay?” Ken said.

“I think so. Maybe it's the baby, or maybe just everything that's happened.”

“I think you need somebody to look after you; to help you adjust to your new life and with the baby and everything.”

Rita looked surprised; then she slowly looked up at Ken and smiled shyly. “Are you -- are you applying for the job?”

Ken took her hand in his. “Yeah, I guess I am.” He smiled. “If you'll have me, I mean.”

“But why? I -- Rudy -- always bossed you around. It's my fault you guys were girls for a month.”

“Yeah, but I think I learned something from all that. I never really took the time to think for myself. I let you -- Rudy -- think for me. Well, I'm thinking for myself now. I think that you need somebody, and, umm, I think I'd like it to be me.”

“I think I'd like that, too.” She lifted his hand in her own and gently rubbed her cheek against it.

“I think that Mel and I will give you a little time alone to talk about things,” the old woman said. “Come along, Mel. Let's go over to one of the tables just outside the park. I'll send Anya in for cokes, and we can talk some more about that new job with Ronnie Harris.”

“Okay. You know, I'm glad that Ken and Rita are both getting jobs,” Mel said. He smiled and looked back as they left the office, the old woman shutting the door behind them. “It was a nice thing for you to do.”

“Thank you, Mel. I was happy to help them out. When they leave here, they'll find that everyone thinks that they've been dating on and off for about a year.”

“But they'll still have those jobs, you mentioned?”

“Of course. They'll need them. After all, even if they do decide to wait until they finish high school next year, and I'm rather certain that they will, they'll find that setting up a new home costs money, especially for a couple of newlyweds with a baby.”

The End

up
174 users have voted.
If you liked this post, you can leave a comment and/or a kudos! Click the "Thumbs Up!" button above to leave a Kudos

Comments

This is one of my favorite

This is one of my favorite Bikini Beach stories. I really enjoy the sequel as well. I look forward to your third story.

--Brandon Young

One more new story

C Monster's picture

As I have read and enjoy this story over and over again, I would like to see another adventure like this where people who are not exactly friends, need to come together to survive.

As we will ask a local dance band have done that last song of the night, to do ONE MORE, and can we ask you of that?

Good Story.

Not that such a thing would be a surprise with you.

I hadn't read this one before, either, so it was a double treat for me.

Maggie

It's outstanding stories like

elrodw's picture

It's outstanding stories like this that gave me the idea to have Ellie help as 'guardian of the Beach' and keep its storyline going strong. Always a pleasure to re-read.

Imagination is more important than knowledge
A. Einstein

I can't believe I never read

I can't believe I never read this one before. Maybe I was too scared it was just another identity death story... Whatever, this one was great. It shows the very grey morals of the old woman. She really set Rudy up to end up as a girl and pregnant. Heaven, she's not even out of highschool and pregnant just so that an old woman can teach a lesson that could be taught otherwise. She's most likely damned the girl to a life in poverty as well as her child. I'm not sure I want to know how much the end persona of Rita is actually Rudy and not some construct of the old woman.

On the other hand she did give them a chance, so it was probably justified in her own mind. Not that I would agree, but I'm not her :D

Great story, thank you for writing,
Beyogi

No Set Up

Grandmother DID NOT set Rita up.

Yes, she gave Rita's a female sex drive as strong as Rudy's. In fact, Rita was very much based on Rudy's idea of the perfect female slut. The Rita that Anya brought back from the other room is also Rita, but it's a Rita with a much lower sex drive and a bit less masculine aggression. The basic personality is still the same.

But Rita had free will. She knew that unprotected sex can lead to pregnancy. She saw the birth control pills that Grandmother made sure were in Rita's medicine cabinet. Rita chose not to take them. And she chose to have sex with at least two partners, Brad and Frankie. Her pregnancy is very much her own fault, not Grandmother's.

Will Rita wind up in a life of poverty? Not likely. She took the job at the Park, so Grandmother will not only pay her well, but will take care of all the bills related to the pregnancy. She will graduate high school with her class, marrying Ken shortly thereafter. He'll be working for Ronnie Harris, so they both will have jobs, and, between Grandmother and Rita's parents, the baby will be well cared for while its parents are at work.

Rita's Pregnancy

Daphne Xu's picture

Rita, as a bimbo, would routinely forget to take her daily birth-control pill. Her bimbosity plus being a transformed boy might (and apparently did) lead her to think that she couldn't get pregnant, whenever she thought about it -- which was probably rare. Sure, the presence of birth-control pills would have clued her in, but she was a bimbo (and was made one by Grandmother). Finally, she had no indication that getting pregnant would trap her permanently as female.

This last bit was fully Grandmother and Anya's fault, not telling Rita. If this was the first such case, it might be forgivable as an inadvertent omission, but otherwise it was gross negligence or worse.

-- Daphne Xu

-- Try saying freefloating three times rapidly.

Rita Wasn't a Bimbo

A bimbo is generally described as a woman with a low IQ and a high libido. That DOESN'T describe Rita. Yes, she had a high libido, but that's because her male self had a high libido. Read her dialog and the descriptions of her actions. She's an intelligent, conniving female.

She was the female counterpart of her male self. She wasn't stupid. She knew what the birth control pills were for. She just wrongly decided that she didn't need to take them.

Still a Reasonable Mistake

Daphne Xu's picture

It's still an honest and reasonable mistake on Rita's part, in that she had no reason to think that anything (such as pregnancy) would keep her from reverting in 30 days. Nobody told her that pregnancy made the change permanent. In fact, as a transformed girl, it's not completely unreasonable to think that she might not be able to get pregnant. Again, it's not being informed.

-- Daphne Xu

-- Try saying freefloating three times rapidly.

Coin Toss

No, Rita didn't know absolutely that she could get pregnant, and that doing so would make her change permanent. But she also didn't know that she couldn't. She made a guess, and se guessed wrong, that she couldn't get pregnant. Then she really pressed her luck by have sex with multiple partners. Then she boasted about her sexual activity to someone she knew was working with the woman who had caused her transformation.

She could just as easily have refrained from sex, or, as a more likely choice, she could have taken the birth control pills just in case. She didn't make either of those choices.

She was as arrogant as her male self had been, and she paid for it. (Although finding love as a woman might not really be called a punishment.).

Information

Daphne Xu's picture

Requiring someone to figure out (or guess) anything whatsoever about transformations after only finding out about transformations just recently is unreasonable. Getting pregnant freezes your transformation in for life? He was not guessing anything. He was uninformed. Someone was grossly negligent in not telling him.

-- Daphne Xu

-- Try saying freefloating three times rapidly.

What negilgence?

Consider Rita's situation. She been transformed into a woman. She's dressing and acting in a highly slutty manner. There are birth control pills in her medicine chest. Is it that much of a leap to think that the pills were there for her to take? It was arrogance on her part to think that she wasn't at risk, that there was no reason to take such an easy precaution?

Good story - good morals

I liked that story very much and it had a good moral in thinking for ones self. It had the desired effect on all three. Rita is paying for her lack of respect and pigheadedness. I hope there is a sequel as I'd like to know where things go from here for all the characters. Thank you for a great story

Great story! Have only read a

Great story! Have only read a hand full of bb so
far but I hope to read that Melanie comes back..
She had so much going for her! Of course now his
head is on straighter but, given the choice.. .!

alissa

The Sequel

The sequel to this story, "Bikini Beach: A Punk's Story" tells what happens to Mel. He's happy as he is and very unlikely to ever become Melanie again.

I didn't like how rita was

licorice's picture

I didn't like how rita was taken back to the showers, again, at the end. I feel like she should've been free to make her own choices and reactions to this and that was robbed from her.

Why the Showers

Rita was still very much Rudy, arrogant and reckless. She might very well have done something stupid to hurt herself and/or the baby. The water from the showers took away Rudy's recklessness (and his higher than normal sex drive). Rita became a more demure person, but she was still herself. She wasn't programmed to accept the job offer, or to be attracted to Ken. Those were her own choices.

While Rita and Ken feel a strong attraction, it isn't a forced love. Their sexual attraction and their friendship will only blossom into love (and marriage) because they want it to, and because they work, over time, at making that love possible.

A great example of TG fiction

Iolanthe Portmanteaux's picture

It's a really enjoyable story. Certainly it was no surprise that Rita would force her way through the barrier at the end, and find herself unable to change back. It was the natural consequence of her recklessness.

Also, it was refreshing to see Mel and Ken decide to remain male at the end... although I felt the door was open to Mel, if he wanted to pick up the life he so briefly experienced.

I found a lot of the descriptions to be quite visceral -- I mean, I could feel them as I read.

The remarks in the other comments about moral tone are right on the money. The transformations aren't whimsical; they're justice.

Well done. I had a great time reading it, and I'm sure it will be bouncing around in my imagination for some time to come.

- io