Spells R Us: "Heads And Tails"
by J. John Seaver
Copyright 1999 by Jason Seaver; Spells R Us itself and it associated
characters belong to Bill Hunt. As always, ask before using my
characters and creations for your own fiendish purposes. This story
may be freely archived and distributed so long as it is left intact
and this disclaimer is included.
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Ken and Jamie left the arcade, disgusted. Not for the usual reason -
rather than being too crowded for them to get at a machine; the place
was all but abandoned. No, this time it was because after about an
hour, all videogames seemed to look the same. Ken's older brother
often spoke of the halcyon days of the early 1980s, when Atari was
king, graphics were crude, sound was mono, but games were more fun and
you could play all afternoon on a single quarter, if you were good
enough. Ken had always thought that Bryce was putting him on; twenty-
seven was too young for that kind of nostalgia. But now he was
beginning to decide that Bryce might have a point: He and Jamie would
have to guess to say whether the last game they'd played was Mortal
Kombat, Street Fighter, Tekken, or some other generic fighting game.
It was all the same, and they were getting sick of it. Now they were
just wandering the mall, hoping that something interesting to do would
pop out at them, or that they might meet up with some girls from one
of the surrounding towns... Anything to make up for the fact that
they weren't going to the Junior/Senior Prom that night.
Jamie and Ken were something of an odd couple. While Jamie wasn't a
straight-A student -- he tended toward high B's in social studies and
computer courses -- he had the academic curiosity, thin frame, quiet
manner and nearly-perfect recall of everything he'd ever read or seen
that caused classmates to peg him as an introverted geek. Those that
took the time to get to know him would learn that Jamie was an avid
outdoorsman who spent much of his free time camping, hiking, cross-
country skiing and mountain biking. On the other hand, Ken was on the
varsity basketball, baseball, and soccer teams, albeit as a
benchwarmer. He came across as friendly but slow, and he would be the
first to admit that he got confused fairly easily. He never
complained about having to work hard for what seemed to come to others
naturally, though. Jamie was nominally more assertive, so their first
stop in the mall had been the comics shop, followed by Software Etc.,
followed by Eastern Mountain Sports, and on until they'd reached Dream
Machine.
They shared few classes in school, but knew each other well from
having lived next door to each other until they were about twelve,
Ken's parents having moved to a smaller house across town when his two
older siblings went away to college and the navy. They were dateless
that night because it just happened that all the girls they knew had
boyfriends, and any girl either of them dated would always knock the
relationship down to "just friends" within two weeks. Most of those
former not-quite-girlfriends would have been glad to go with them, but
they were already going with...
So, not seeing the point of going stag at the time, they'd given the
whole thing a pass when tickets went on sale. Now doubts were
beginning to cross the two juniors' minds about the logic of that
choice. It was just quarter of six, and the movie they'd decided to
see instead didn't start for an hour and a half, so they had at least
that much self-doubt ahead of them. Joy.
"Hey, it looks like something's finally moved into where Musicland
used to be." Jamie turned to follow Ken's pointing finger. Spaces in
the mall didn't usually stay vacant for long, and this was evidently no
exception.
"'Spells R Us'. Huh, I wonder what they sell."
"I don't know; I've never heard of it. Maybe they're a magician's
supply shop. Maybe it's that new sci-fi bookstore you told me about.
Or maybe they have a collection of innocuous-looking objects which
actually hold various enchantments that, without the proper
precautions, turn on their users in an ironic manner. Or maybe they
sell shoes."
"I'm guessing women's clothing. Or, on second thought, how about
quote adult products and services unquote. I mean, what other kind of
store would have a solid front wall and door in a mall?"
"Good point. But, since I don't see anything about having to be
eighteen to even touch the doorknob, we might as well take a look."
The door creaked as they opened it, and a bell rang above the counter,
even though it was in no way connected to the door, or at least not
connected in any way Ken or Jamie could detect. Jamie thought it was
pretty clever.
An old man wearing what couldn't really be a bathrobe emerged from a
back room, carrying a gold coin in a plastic case, mumbling about how
it always turned up, just like the proverbial bad penny. He looked up,
startled, as if they bell hadn't signaled him of his customers'
arrival. "Hello, Kurt. How may I help you and your friend today?"
"Good guess on the name, but it's Ken, actually. Ken Kurtwood."
The old man's eyes slightly widened. "Are you sure it's not Kurt
Kenwood? I'm seldom wrong about these things."
"Positive."
Jamie had already stepped up to the counter to look at the man's coin.
"Hey, what's this... Wow! Shouldn't this be in a museum, rather than
a shop in a mall?"
The old man looked at Jamie. "Ah! Are you an amateur numismatist?"
Jamie grinned sheepishly. "A little; I can't afford much. I don't
actually own anything much rarer than a Buffalo nickel, but this looks
like a Viking coin."
"It is. It's the fabled wishing coin, although it's not terribly
fabled since its owner has kept it secret for the last four hundred
years or so."
"A wishing coin?" Ken didn't share Jamie's keen interest in the coin
-- he wasn't quite as bright as his friend, but that wasn't it.
Collecting just didn't interest him; he understood that the coin was
old and rare, or at least was a good replica of a coin that was old
and rare, but those facts didn't give something any intrinsic extra
value. Still, the old man seemed a bit eccentric, wearing a bathrobe
to work and stocking the place with odds and ends (the store looked
like a flea market); what was the harm if he placed spun unbelievable
stories about his wares?
"Yes. You toss it up in the air, like any other coin. While it's
tumbling, speak your wish aloud. Your wish will begin to come true as
soon as you catch it."
"Uh-huh. Any restrictions?"
"A few. The coin cannot be used for coercion; while it can change
circumstances, it cannot force a person to make an uncharacteristic
decision or otherwise override one's free will. Also, it cannot be
used again until the last wish has been completely granted. That's
why it's been out of circulation for so long."
Jamie decided to play along too, although he never took his eye off
the coin. "What do you mean?"
"Its last owner was His Majesty Ronald, Emperor of England, who used
it to wish the he would never die. Since his wish would not be fully
granted until he had, in fact, lived forever, the coin was of no use
to anyone else."
Ken grinned, seeing the old man's game. "So it wouldn't actually
grant wishes for us?"
"Oh, of course it will. Ronald used his long life to conquer the
world, outliving all his rivals, surviving any assassination attempts,
and using his many lifetimes of experience to stay one step ahead of
any threat. Until, that is, ten minutes ago, when someone used
another magical device to travel back in time and prevent Ronald, and,
ironically, himself, from ever being born. Ronald's reign would have
begun in 1547; instead Edward III became king, then Mary, then
Elizabeth... But you have probably heard all that." The old man
snapped his fingers. "That must be why I muffed your name; it's Kurt
in that other timeline. They can be so hard to keep straight when you
reach my age."
Jamie looked up. "I imagine it must be. I'm almost afraid to ask,
but how much are you selling this for? Just curious."
"For you? Thirty-five dollars ought to do it."
"No, seriously..."
"I'm totally serious. Most collectors would just place it on a shelf,
or in a museum, being the stodgy old farts that they are. You, on the
other hand, are young enough to still want to take things out of their
case and hold them, and use them, rather than merely preserving them
for history. I'll bet you only buy comics-" he tapped the bag of wares
Jamie had purchased at the comic shop, "that you intend to read and re-
read, and don't worry about variant covers and resale value."
Maybe the guy was senile enough to let something like this go, and
maybe it was just a very nice replica. Either way, it was worth the
miniscule amount he was asking, and Jamie happily paid it.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Jamie was happily examining at his new coin as he and Ken walked
through the parking lot on their way to the Papa Gino's across the
street from the mall. Ken waited until Jamie had looked up for a
second to swipe it.
"Hey! That's valuable!"
"Yeah, right. If it really were an actual Viking coin, the guy
wouldn't have let it go for thirty-five bucks."
"Even if it's not a thousand years old, that's still real gold; you
can tell by the weight."
"Sure you can." Ken took the coin out of its protective case and
hefted it. It was heavier than he expected. "Okay, so it's actual
gold. Let's see if that wishing thing really works."
"And you thought I was silly for thinking it might be a Viking coin."
"Hey, what's the harm?" Ken placed the coin on top of his clenched
fist, as though he were going to flip it to make a decision, and
grinned. "Call it in the air." He took a deep breath, and then let
the coin fly. "I wish that Jamie and I had tickets for the prom and
sexy dates that go to it with u--"
"You've got heads, I've got tai--"
The coin seemed to explode as it landed back in Ken's hand. There was
a flash of light and a concussion that knocked them both off their
feet; it was almost as if a flash-bang grenade had gone off between
them.
Ken stood up, somewhat woozy, and started dusting himself off. While
he was doing that, he noticed he was wearing a jacket, when he hadn't
been before. A tuxedo jacket, in fact... "Hey! Jamie, it worked!
That magic wishing coin actually worked!" He ran over to where his
friend had fallen and skidded to a stop.
"What do you mean it worked?" Eyes skyward, Jamie sat up and ran his
fingers back through his hair, and more hair, and still more hair
until... He kept his voice calm and spoke slowly. "Ken, I must have
bumped my head pretty hard. Why am I wearing a bra?"
There was a nauseated look to Ken's face and a withering tone to his
voice, and though his head was turning as if to look away, his eyes
just couldn't. "Because your breasts would be bouncing all over the
place if you didn't?"
Jamie's grip on the bra strap tightened until it was pinching his new
breasts painfully. He yelped and let go, then turned his attention to
the rest of his body. As he feared, it matched the breasts, feminine
in every detail, almost to the point of exaggeration. From long,
perfect legs through tight butt and wide hips, past a quite narrow
waist to two heavy, but firm breasts and beyond which his hands found
strong shoulders, slender arms, a smooth neck, pouty, kissable lips and
a button nose. Those delicate hands had fingers which terminated in
extended (but thankfully not claw-like) red nails, and the whole thing
was topped off with ash blond hair that dropped two or three inches
below the shoulders and wrapped in a blue prom dress that showed more
than a hint of cleavage and plenty of blue-stockinged leg, with a
matching blue purse slung over the shoulder. If Jamie could have seen
himself, he might not agreed that he was a babe, but it would have been
strictly on principle, not based on the facts.
Ken had changed, too, though not as drastically. He'd gained a few
inches in height, about twenty pounds of well-distributed muscle, a
squarer jaw and a slightly deeper voice. "Here, let me help you up..."
Ken took another step toward Jamie, who stared him back.
"I can get up myself, thankyouverymuch." Jamie hadn't realized he was
wearing three-inch heels until he tried to stand. He was very wobbly,
and his attempts to gain his balance only made him more so, until he
finally fell forward. Ken quickly stepped forward to catch him.
Jamie was having no part of that. "Hands off!" He shoved Ken in the
chest while he was yelling, but the force of Jamie's weaker arms
against Ken's broader chest simply caused Jamie to fall over backwards
again.
He laid there in silent fury, fists clenched as hard as was possible
without the fingernails drawing blood. After a couple minutes had
passed, he stiffly raised one arm, bending only at the shoulder. "Help
me up."
Ken obliged, his arms supporting Jamie's weight like it was nothing.
"Are you okay?"
"YOU did this." Jamie crossed his arms and stared daggers at Ken, then
uncrossed them when he realized how the position highlighted the
breasts. He dropped his arms to his sides, looking every bit a
petulant teenage girl.
"I didn't mean to! I just tossed the coin in the air and wished we had
tickets and dates who would go with us to the prom and--"
"AND what?"
Ken had to be very nervous to stammer, "And-and-and-and then we
changed!" He quickly looked around, found the coin on the ground, and
picked it up. "Look, we can use it to change back!" He tossed it up
in the air. "I wish Jamie was a guy again!"
Absolutely nothing happened when he caught it. "I don't understand..."
Jamie snatched the coin from Ken's hand. "Remember what the old man
said? We can't use it again until this wish is finished. We've got to
actually go to the prom." It just got worse and worse.
"But where are our dates?"
Jamie just glared.
"You mean we've got to go with (gulp) each other?" Ken received a
curt, affirmative nod. "Well, okay then. We go to the prom."
"Are you out of your MIND? I can't let anybody see me like THIS!"
Ken was getting exasperated. "Who'll know? All anybody will see when
they look at you is a blond-over-blue knockout; no-one will be able to
connect her with you. Look, I'm sorry that you've got to be a girl for
the evening, but it's just one night, and it could have been a lot
worse. Remember, the old guy said that there's stuff that can erase
you from existence! After we go to the dance, things can go back to
normal. We can do that!"
"'You've got to be a girl for the evening...' Do you have any idea how
preposterous that sounds?" Jamie sighed and cleared her throat.
"Yeah, I think I can handle it for a night."
"Okay. Let's just go to the car and drive to the Holiday Inn."
They made it almost all the way to Ken's car when Jamie stopped. "I
want dinner."
Ken turned around and stared. "What?"
"I haven't eaten since lunch and I'm starving. AND the wish specified
taking dates to the prom; I know neither of us has had a date in a
while, but buying her dinner is part of the ritual. AND it's the least
you can do after turning me into...this!"
Ken had to agree that Jamie had a point. "All right. We get dinner."
"And a corsage."
Ken chuckled. "You're really getting into this, aren't you?"
Jamie swallowed hard, trying to remain calm. "Look, if we have to do
this to change back, then we do it right. I am hating every minute of
this, and I will not be stuck like this for the rest of my life because
you wouldn't spring at the goddamned florist!" She'd tried to remain
calm, but she'd ended up yelling anyway.
Ken raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay, you're right. Should
I rent a limo, too?"
Jamie couldn't believe what she was hearing; was Ken not taking this
seriously? "You probably should, but there's no time for that." She
stomped past Ken and leaned against the car. "Let's just go and get it
over with."
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Jamie looked in the mirror, totally lost. Ken had gotten the corsage,
although the woman at the counter had chastised him, saying that she
was just about to close and he shouldn't have waited until the last
minute. After driving around for a half hour, they'd finally found a
restaurant with only a twenty minute wait for seating. Ken had looked
upset when Jamie had ordered the grilled shark, but she had shot him a
"You Owe Me" glare which kept him silent. She'd then retired to the
ladies' room, quite proud that she hadn't entered the wrong one by
accident. Small victories.
Her plan had been to just touch up her makeup so that she wouldn't be
as conspicuous - the fall and the tears she'd mostly choked back in the
car were sure to have damaged it - but she hadn't counted on the fact
that she knew sod-all about applying the stuff. Though there was a
compact in the purse, she didn't know what to do with its contents.
Jamie almost jumped out of her skin when she heard a toilet flush
behind her, then a snapping noise and a muttered "shit!" She stood
absolutely still until a voice came from the stall. "Um... Could
someone help me?"
Jamie didn't say a word.
"Look, I know there's someone out there. I just need a little favor."
Well, why not? "What kind of a favor?"
"Come here."
Jamie poked the door open and gasped. There was Jennifer Lindstrom
from Chemistry, practically naked. Sure, she had her panties on, but
her yellow tube dress was down around her ankles, leaving her topless.
Part of Jamie just wanted to reach out and touch the redhead's bare
breasts, but he remembered that there was a pair just as nice much
closer to hand, and Jennifer would probably think Jamie fondling her
now would be, well, weird.
Thankfully, Jenny misinterpreted Jamie's stare. "Yeah, I know, I
should have gone before I left, but it completely slipped my mind.
Could you help me do up the back? I can't reach them all."
"Um, um, um...sure. No problem." The snap at the neck was the only
one that really held the dress together; the others just allowed her to
step in. When all the snaps were done up, the back had a series of
oval spaces which showed Jennifer's back off to great effect.
Jenny walked with Jamie back to the mirror. "Thanks so much; I'd hate
to spend my junior prom hiding in the bathroom." She extended her
hand. "I'm Jenny."
"Jamie." It just slipped out before she could think of a substitute.
"Well, thanks a lot, Jamie. I don't remember meeting you before; are
you going to the Hillcrest prom?"
"Ah, well, yeah..."
"Who with?"
Jamie considered, and then figured she'd probably run into Jenny there
anyway. "Ken Kurtwood."
"Really? That's so weird; his best friend is named Jamie, too. Isn't
that funny?"
"Yeah, it's a riot."
"Well, I suppose you get that a lot. But Ken's cool. As my dad would
say - dad's a cop, you understand - Ken's a stand-up guy." Jenny
giggled at her own impression of her father; Jamie had to admit that it
was kind of funny.
"Yeah, he's all right, but it's just one date. Um, Jenny?" Jamie was
blushing.
"Yeah?" It was a friendly "yeah" as Jenny turned from fixing her
lipstick in the mirror to look at Jamie.
"I feel kind of silly asking, but could you help me with my makeup? I
don't have much practice and I think I just made it worse."
"Oh, no problem; I love a challenge. Wow, look at you. You really
don't have much practice, huh?"
"First time."
Jenny fiddled with Jamie's face, and by the time she returned to Ken,
one would have been hard pressed to tell that Jamie was wearing any
cosmetics. Ken certainly didn't fail to notice. "Looks like you've
got some hidden talents you never told me about."
"What? Oh, this? Jenny Lindstrom helped me with the clown paint."
"Oh, she did? That was nice of her."
"Well, I did help her get back into her dress." Jamie sipped her ice
water innocently as Ken's eyes bugged. At least she would have one
fond memory of this night.
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The prom itself wasn't so bad; it could have been worse. Lots of eyes
turned to Jamie and Ken, although most were people wondering if Ken had
been working out. A few tried to make passes at Jamie, but she
wouldn't leave Ken's side. After about an hour and a half, they ran
into Jenny and her boyfriend Roger.
"Ken, Jamie, hi! Wow, Ken, have you been working out?"
"A little." Ken had been sort of sheepish about it all night.
"I mean since, like, yesterday. I've never seen someone fill out so
well so fast..."
Jamie pointedly cleared her throat. She wasn't feeling territorial,
really, but there were conventions to be upheld.
"Anyway, you look great; Roger'd be in real danger of going home alone
if not for Jamie." Roger just smiled; Jenny had always been a flirt,
and he just made the best of it. "Hey, here's a thought: Is Jamie -
the other Jamie; the guy one - is he going to be here tonight?"
"I don't think so; why do you ask?" Jamie probably would have said
"maybe later," but Ken answered first.
"Becky Sullivan's boyfriend dumped her like last night because
evidently it's okay for HIM to notice how attractive other people are,
but not HER. Anyway, she said she tried to call Jamie last night, but
you know how his parents have an unlisted number."
"Really?" Jenny just HAD to be pulling his chain---Jenny just HAD to
be messing with their minds.
"Really. Evidently she thinks he's 'intriguing.'"
"Wow. Imagine that, Ken. That intelligent, funny, stunningly
attractive track star and first-chair violinist Becky Sullivan would
have gone to the prom with your friend Jamie, who for some stupid
reason or another couldn't be here tonight."
"Ummm..."
"Why don't you just call him up; there's still a couple hours left."
"Good point, Roger. Come on, Kenny dear, you would know that poor
fellow's unlisted phone number? I mean, it's hardly fair that you get
to come and he doesn't, isn't it?"
With Jenny and Roger watching, Ken had no choice but to try and call
Jamie. He knew what the answer would be, though. "He's not there; his
parents say he went to a movie."
"That's too bad; Becky was hoping to see him. Oh well. Anyway, we're
going to get back on the dance floor; see you guys later."
"Why did you do that?" Ken was sort of confused. "You aren't planning
to leave with someone else, are you?"
"Even if I was, I'm hardly in any position to leave with Becky right
now, am I?"
"Well, I've heard rumors--" Ken yipped in pain as Jamie "accidentally"
drove her heel into his toes. "But that's all they are, rumors.
Stupid, hateful rumors started by those jealous and covetous of an
absolutely wonderful girl. Obviously, you were just trying to make
sure that when you arrive home in your regular body, you would have a
legitimate reason to call Becky up and try and get together. I don't
know why I didn't see it before."
Jamie shook her head, wondering how these flashes of clear
understanding penetrated Ken's usual slow-wittedness.
They danced a little; Jamie wasn't very nimble on her feet with so
little practice. Besides, she barely knew how to dance the guy's part,
much less the girl's. The school had also hired a swing-rock band, and
dancing to them took a little more skill than either Ken or Jamie could
muster. There were only three or four couples that were really good,
though.
Finally, it was over. Stairway to Heaven had been played, the
punchbowl was empty, and Jamie had kicked her shoes off and sat on the
hood of Ken's car, massaging her aching feet. She flipped open the
purse, and pulled out the coin. Turning it over in her knuckles, she
was more inclined to be philosophical about the situation.
"It wasn't so bad, I guess. It was kind of fun to know everybody in
the room but not have them recognize me. But, I'm glad it's over."
She tossed the coin up in the air. "I wish to be a guy again."
Jamie caught the coin and absolutely nothing happened.
"Oooo-kay. Maybe since you made the wish you have to be the one to
reverse it." She tossed the coin to Ken.
"Ummmmm... I've got a slight confession to make."
"A confession?" There was a hint of danger in Jamie's otherwise sweet
voice.
"Uh, yeah. Remember how you called the coin when it was in the air
that first time?"
"Ye-e-e-es, you got to keep both your heads while I became a piece of
tail. What's your point?"
"Well, I was still talking while you were, and..."
"And what did you say, exactly?"
"Um, exactly. Exactly." Ken tugged at his collar. "Well, I think the
exact words were, and I may be wrong, 'I wish Jamie and I had tickets
to the prom and sexy dates who go with us and then...'" He cleared his
throat and looked around.
"'And then...'"
"'...and then go all the way with us afterward.'"
Jamie nodded. "Ah." There was a pregnant pause that stretched into
minutes, and then Jamie leaped from the hood onto Ken, not knocking him
over but making him stumble back a few steps. She squeezed his torso
with her legs and ineffectually pummeled at him with her fists. "What
the hell is the matter with you? Have you not humiliated me enough
tonight? Did you have to make the leap from embarrassment to living
hell? Why did you do this to me?"
Ken lifted Jamie off of him and set her down gently. "Look, I was just
joking! I didn't think any of it would actually come true, and
certainly not like this! I'm really, really, sorry!"
The parking lot was empty by then, so there was no apparent commotion
when Jamie let loose a primal scream of rage. She tried her hardest to
kick the hell out of Ken's car, but she wasn't strong enough to dent
it. Finally, she walked up to the cement wall of the hotel and pounded
on it for a while. A small portion of her anger spent, she walked back
to where Ken was standing.
"Okay. I have accepted that this was an accident and that you meant no
harm. I have also accepted that this will easily go down as the most
miserable day of my life, and that I will likely no longer count you
among my friends as of tomorrow."
Jamie opened one of the car's back doors and climbed into the seat.
She pulled her panties and pantyhose partway down, and pulled at her
dress so that her butt didn't stick to the knaugahide seats. "Here's
the deal. You wear two condoms. We get this over with as quickly as
possible. You don't touch ANYTHING you don't have to and get
permission for everything else. Understood?"
"Understood."
"Great. Now that we're clear on the rules, get in here and rock my
world."
Ken climbed into the back seat, closing the door behind him. Jamie
closed her eyes when he started to unzip his pants and waited.
And waited.
And waited.
"Ah, Ken... What seems to be the delay here?"
"I... Um, I can't seem to get it up."
"You WHAT!?" Jamie bolted upright, bumped her head on the roof of the
car, and dropped back down to the seat. "I'm sorry. I thought I heard
you say that you couldn't get it up."
"Ah, yeah, that's what I said."
"Ken, that's not acceptable! Now I'm going to count to ten, and if
you're not standing at attention by the time I get there..."
"Look, Jamie, you're not being a whole lot of help here."
Jamie choked back a laugh. "I'M not being a whole lot of help? The
ball is in your court, buster."
"I know, I know, I know. But the situation isn't exactly romantic, and
your attitude--"
"Okay. Fine." Jamie took a deep breath, muttering that she was going
to hate herself for this, sat up, and kissed Ken. An open-mouthed kiss
with plenty of tongue that seemed to last for ten minutes.
"Nothing."
"NOTHING? Good god, Ken, _I_ felt something from that!"
"Really?"
"NO! It's just a figure of speech!" Well, Jamie hadn't felt much, but
enough to scare the hell out of her. Seven hours plus as a girl and
already she was getting used to it to the point where a man could get
her a little excited. But she sure as hell wasn't going to let Ken
know that; she'd never live it down.
"I, I, I, I just don't think I can do it." Ken was actually crying.
Jamie pulled her panties back up; this wasn't getting anywhere. Maybe
it was time to try a different approach. She pulled the dress off over
her head, and moved closer to Ken. Trying to make her voice sound
breathy and erotic, she put her mouth by his ear. "Do you want to
touch them?"
Ken turned around and twitched in shock at seeing Jamie in only her
underwear. "What?"
Jamie folded her arms and leaned forward, pushing her breasts together
and out. "You know you want to. They feel sooooo gooooooood."
Ken slowly reached out and touched one of the orbs, quickly jerking his
hand back. Jamie smiled nervously, hoping it looked like pleasure.
"Don't be afraid."
Tentatively, Ken started to examine his friend's breasts, but still
didn't seem too sure about it, even as Jamie started to lay back in the
seat. "You're sure about this?"
"Oh, yeah!" Ken seemed to be getting into it, but there was no
telltale bulge in his boxers. She reached behind her back to undo the
latch of her bra. "Awwww, is this little thing getting in the way?"
Jamie removed the bra and felt an electric charge when a cool breeze
blew across her nipples. The feeling only intensified when Ken's thumb
brushed a nipple. Shaken by the intensity of the sensation, she pushed
him away.
"Huh? You asked me to touch--"
Jamie took a deep breath, shuddering as she let it out. "Yes, um,
yeah, I guess I did. I'm sorry, I guess I just wasn't ready... I
didn't know what to expect." She swallowed, and then was only able to
manage a whisper. "It doesn't feel like jerking off at all."
Ken began to stammer. "L-l-l-look, I just said 'afterward'. It
doesn't have to be right away..."
Jamie inhaled again, unable to ignore the way it caused her breasts to
move, and lied. "No, I'm okay. I want to get it over with."
Jamie slowly reached her left hand behind Ken's head, and pushed it
down between her breasts. This was partially to try and get them going
again, but mostly so he couldn't see her wince as she reached into his
pants with her other hand. Jamie was pretty sure she would feel dirty
for the rest of her life, but it appeared to be getting the job done.
A lusty smile was forming on Ken's face as he licked at Jamie's bare
bosoms, and was that movement she felt in his trousers...?
Of course, it was at that point that the police cruisers pulled into
the parking lot to respond to calls about a woman screaming as if she'd
been attacked.
No-one present would ever forget that moment: The film crew from "Cops"
got it all on tape.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Ken looked up from his book. He thought he'd heard a noise. Evidently
not.
There it was again. It seemed to be coming from his window. Oh!
There was Jamie, hanging from the drainage duct. He waved to her.
Jamie banged her knees against the window as vigorously as she could
without losing her grip on the gutter. She had to be dreaming, with
this being some kind of sick metaphor for her life. In fact, the
entire weekend was some kind of nightmare, and it would be ending real
soon. Just in case, though, she kept banging on the window.
Finally, Ken let her in. "Hey, where've you been? You look like
hell."
Jamie lifted a hand in the universal "wait a minute" gesture. She
dropped her backpack on the floor and flopped down onto Ken's bed,
sucking air into her lungs, causing her breasts to heave mightily.
"Where have I been? Well, first there was jail. You remember jail?
Prostitutes are such WONDERFUL company; let me tell you, I am SO never
paying for sex when I get my own body back. My skin is still
crawling."
"What, you mean your parents didn't come and bail you out?"
"Of course they didn't. First, calling my parents would have
contradicted the girl-you-met-on-the-internet story. You did pick up
on the girl-you-met-on-the-internet story, right? I mean, I did drop
enough hints about us meeting on the internet while we were in the
cruiser."
"Yeah, I got it. I'm not stupid, you know."
Jamie wasn't quite so sure about that, but she let it drop. "Second,
what would my parents' reaction be when the police told them that their
daughter was in jail? Confused probably doesn't begin to cover it.
And, of course, my fictional parents from Duluth were 'out of town',
which is why I spent the night in jail. With, I might repeat, the
prostitutes. I don't think the police really believed the story,
because they gave me a very informative pamphlet about a shelter for
runaways when they released me in the morning; evidently the night's
incidents are being chalked up to 'high spirits', and we aren't being
charged with disturbing the peace or lewd and lascivious conduct."
"And it's a good thing you were able to convince them you were
seventeen; a stat rape charge would have looked really bad on my
college applications. How'd you do that, by the way?"
"I didn't need to convince them I was seventeen; it's hard to bring a
charge when the victim is still a virgin. And I am still a virgin,
remember?
"So, I made my way here. I had to walk, of course. When I knocked on
the door, your mother started crying and your father chased me off,
saying I was 'a bad influence' and giving me bus fare to get back to
Minnesota, swearing he'd kill me if he ever saw me again."
"Oh, so that's what the noise yesterday morning was."
Jamie sat up. "Have you always been this oblivious? Don't answer
that. Anyway, I walked over to my house and waited for my mom and dad
to leave for their weekly couples candlepin bowling league game and let
myself in. Evidently they thought I was just out late and sleeping in,
because they didn't look panicked or anything. So I left a note on the
table saying that I was on a weekend bike trip and went upstairs to get
some supplies..."
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Jamie was glad to have received the pup tent for Christmas the year
before. Since it looked like getting to Ken was going to be trickier
than she thought, it would at least give her some shelter.
She opened her bureau to retrieve a change of clothes. She felt much
too feminine wearing her prom dress, and it was beginning to smell.
For that matter, so was she. Might as well make use of the shower
while she was there. Jamie ditched her shoes and padded to the
bathroom.
Getting undressed seemed to be more trouble than necessary. There were
things that needed to be untied, unhooked, unbuttoned and finally just
peeled off. She had just started to pull her panties off when she
caught a look at herself in the mirror, and paused.
She was gorgeous. Even with her hair a mess along with the grime of a
night in jail and a day spent walking across town in clothes not
designed for travel sticking to her, Jamie couldn't help but be
impressed by the perfection of her form: Slender, perfectly
proportioned limbs, a waist that was not so narrow as to make her look
bony but narrow enough to slightly exaggerate the size of her already
generous breasts and behind (both of which were firm yet soft to the
touch) and a pretty, dimpled, innocent face were sculpted from
perfectly smooth skin whose light, even tan was only broken up slightly
darker aureoles. In that stunned instant, Jamie saw the perfect image
of a girl next door who, while no-one was looking, had developed a
fantastic rack. She was sweet and virginal and had a look of
pleasantly surprised innocence which said that the first characteristic
would remain even after the boy next door had dispensed with the
second.
Staring at her seminude form in the mirror, Jamie couldn't help but
feel somewhat proud of what she saw. It wasn't the pride that comes
from accomplishing a goal after a period of hard work; rather, it was
the pride of a collector in possession of something valuable and rare,
even if they had only acquired it by accident. Jamie knew the feeling,
even if she didn't have the experience to differentiate it from real,
hard-earned pride. It was the same feeling Jamie had felt when he had
received an early issue of Fantastic Four as a birthday present from an
uncle. It hadn't mattered that Lee and Kirby were the ones with the
right to feel proud of the magazine; it was his, and that was all that
mattered.
Right now, though, this exquisite body was not quite in mint condition,
and needed some tending to. Jamie shucked her panties and climbed into
the shower.
The house Jamie's family lived in had its quirks, and one of them was
the shower. It was functional enough, but didn't quite drain as fast
as it sprayed, and by the time Jamie had put what was probably an
excessive amount of shampoo into her long hair, the water was about
three-quarters of an inch deep, just enough to cover her toes. The
pipes also made enough noise that Jamie was barely able to hear his
parents' car return to the driveway.
Panicking, Jamie turned off the water, but that wasn't enough -- the
drain made a gurgling sound as it did its job, and for some reason, the
stopper was sitting on the sink across the room. She tried using her
hands to plug the drain, but her fingers were too slender and didn't do
the job. Unable to think of anything else, Jamie sat on the drainhole.
There was a slight sensation akin to that produced by holding an
activated vacuum cleaner to one's skin, but the noise stopped.
Jamie hoped she would never have to explain the hickey that was being
produced.
Her solution came just in time, as she heard the door to the house
open. It was tough to hear any detailed conversation, but Jamie could
pick up the gist that her dad had forgotten his wallet and both could
have sworn that they locked the door behind them.
Jamie let out a sigh of relief, feeling she'd dodged a bullet. Then
the footsteps started heading for the bathroom, and Jamie realized that
she hadn't counted on her mother's amazingly small bladder. But that
was okay; her mother wouldn't see her unless she opened the shower
curtain.
Or spotted the clothes on the floor.
With only seconds to work with, Jamie peeled back the shower curtain
and lunged for the dress, panties, pantyhose and brassiere. She
couldn't lunge too hard, lest the noise give her presence away, but
still managed to grab everything. Having no place else to put the
clothes, Jamie just dropped them on the floor of the bathtub between
her legs, closed the shower curtain, and prayed.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
"Wow. And your mom didn't catch you?"
"No, that's the first thing that's gone close to right this weekend --
she did her business, didn't look in that direction, and left. The
dress was ruined, though, and the underwear took forever to get dry."
"Couldn't you have just borrowed some of your mom's?"
Jamie mumbled something under her breath.
"What did you say?"
Jamie was bright red. "It was too small."
Ken laughed for about two seconds before realizing that that it really
pissed Jamie off. "Sorry, dude, but it's just kind of funny, you
suddenly having bigger boobs than your mom, you know."
"For what it's worth, my mother is a very petite woman."
"Oh, no doubt, but still, two days ago, you didn't have any hooters
at--" From the look on Jamie's face, that was still evidently a sore
spot. "So, why'd you stop by?"
"Well, you know, I was in the neighborhood. I thought I'd do a spot of
climbing... stop by and see how you were doing... GET MY LIFE
BACK..."
"Hey, would you keep it down? My parents might hear us!"
"Look at me, Ken. Do you think I consider that a real concern? Ken?
KEN!"
Ken felt that the last bit of shouting was unnecessary; he'd only done
what Jamie asked and looked at her. Looked at the long, tanned legs
left bare by well-filled shorts... Shorts that were filled almost as
well as Jamie's T-shirt, which hung down from her breasts like a
tablecloth, tantalizingly exposing her midriff... The nipples which
made an impression on the shirt even through the bra, since Jamie had
just been sweating...
"KEN!!!"
"Right, right! Sorry, I, um, got distracted."
"You're a pig, Ken. But let's put that to use." Jamie started to free
up the T-shirt, which was at least tucked into the back of her shorts,
when Ken grabbed her arms, stopping her.
"Look, I'll help you out, but remember, my parents are home. If they
hear something... Well, I don't know what will happen."
Jamie thought for a second. "One of two things. Either I don't change
back in time, and your dad kills me, or I do change back and your
parents connect the noise with not hearing me come in..." She screwed
her face up in disgust. "Okay, we'll be discreet. We'll meet up at
the bike trail in after your parents go to bed."
"Okay. Sounds like a plan."
Jamie re-opened the window, and was halfway out before she turned back
to Ken and smiled for the first time in days. "It's almost over.
Thank god." And fell out of the window.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
"Hey."
"Hi."
Ken wasn't sure how to proceed. "Um, those are nice shoes."
Jamie looked down at her feet; it was easier than meeting her friend's
eyes. "Yeah, I bought 'em at the mall with some of the money your
father gave me to get out of town. None of mine would fit any more and
I couldn't stand another minute in those heels..."
"Yeah, I can see how that might be a problem."
A pause.
Ken was the one to break the silence. "So, we're out here in the
middle of nowhere and both looking pretty good. No-one to hear us. We
know what we've got to do."
"Right."
Ken and Jamie unbuckled their belts in unison, and had gotten their
zippers halfway down when Ken threw his hands up and started backing up
in a hurry.
"I can't! Look, don't take this the wrong way -- I want to get you back
to normal, but--"
"But what? You're afraid you might go back to normal too?"
"No!"
"Come on! I saw the way everyone was looking at you Friday night; you
were enjoying it!"
"No! I mean, yeah, I was enjoying it, but that's not it! Look, it's
kind of embarrassing, but... See, I look at you, and I start to get a
raging hard-on, 'cause you're just incredibly hot, but then I realize
that I'm looking at YOU, and, well, I just can't pull the trigger!"
"Don't give me any crap about not being able to pull the trigger; at
least you've still got a gun!" Jamie got right in Ken's face to yell
at him. "You think you've got the franchise on weird? It doesn't get
stranger than this, but I can do what I have to!" Jamie grabbed Ken's
forearm and roughly shoved his hand into her panties.
Almost immediately she staggered back and fell to her knees. She bent
forward and only had to vomit a little before straightening back up,
though she remained sitting.
"Oh, yeah, you're in control."
"Shut up. I've got to think."
Thinking didn't do much good. Five minutes later, Jamie was pounding
the ground. "Damn it! I can't go to school like this tomorrow and my
parents must be calling the police by now, I can't change back unless
we have sex, but the very thought make me sick and I make you impotent,
anyway! I am so fucked!"
"Actually, isn't the problem that you're not--"
"Shut up."
Another five minutes passed, and then Ken had an idea. "I've got it!
The coin can't change you back until we've had sex, but what if we went
back to the shop and got something else?"
"Tried it when I bought the shoes. The old guy wouldn't sell anything;
he said that different magic can interact like different drugs, only it
can affect the entire general area, with general area potentially
measured in states. I don't think he wants to be liable."
"Hey, he doesn't have to know."
"Ken. Buddy. Look at me. Do you want to be caught stealing from
him?"
"You make a good point. Okay, we can't use magic. Is there some kind
of scientific solution?"
"No, I was in the library until closing last night researching it.
Surgery and a lot of medication might be able to make me look like I'm
back to normal, eventually, but it's expensive, would take forever, and
is really only an imitation anyway."
"Whoa. So we can't use either."
A smile leapt onto Jamie's face; she snapped her fingers and let out a
whoop. "I think this qualifies as a eureka!" Ken looked confused, so
Jamie continued. "Look, we can't use science or magic, so what if we
use something that's neither?"
"Like what?"
"Remember when I did that research paper on meditation and hypnosis
last year? Science doesn't give altered states a whole lot of
credence, but there's nothing supernatural about them!"
"Right! You made Roger Trent cluck like a chicken during your
presentation!"
"Yeah, and I used autohypnosis to conquer my fear of heights! Hell, I
was the guy hanging the lights for drama this year!"
"Do you think it'll work for this?"
"It's worth a shot. I'll go first." Jamie dug into her purse (much as
it pained her to admit it, the thing was kind of convenient) and pulled
out a few dollars. "Look, this may take a while. Why don't you go
down to the 7-11 by the tracks and get us some snacks or something? I
didn't have much for supper."
"Uh, sure. You can do this yourself?"
Jamie nodded. "It's actually easier without any distractions."
Ken shrugged, pocketed the money and walked over to his bike. When he
looked back, Jamie was already sitting cross-legged, staring blankly
into space and whispering to herself.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Ken had returned and had been watching Jamie for almost an hour when
her reverie broke. She looked around as if confused and shook her head
as if to clear some cobwebs out.
"So... Are you okay?"
Jamie grinned wolfishly. "I don't know. Let's check." Without
warning she pounced on Ken, surprising him enough to knock him on his
back. She straddled her friend and gave him a passionate kiss, ending
it slowly, not releasing Ken's lower lip from her gentle bite until the
last second. "What do you think?"
"W-w-w-well, you did do that before."
"True. But how about this?" She took Ken's beefy hand and pushed it
down the neck of her T-shirt. "I left the bra off because it would
just get in the way." She delicately maneuvered Ken's limp fingers so
that his hand was cupping her breast and shivered. "You've got no idea
how good that feels."
Ken jerked his hand out and pushed himself back, knocking Jamie onto
her behind. "My god... You've turned into some sort of sex-starved
nimbus...number...what's the word?"
"Nymphomaniac?" Jamie smiled and backed off. "No, I don't crave sex
any more than I did when I was a guy and I won't sleep with just
anyone. I just shed some of my shame and convinced myself that sex was
a natural thing. I mean, come on!" She spread her arms, which lifted
her shirt to expose her midriff. "That's what this body was made for!"
Ken looked more terrified than ever. "So what's the deal? You don't
want to change back?"
"Of course I still want to change back! I mean, it's nice to visit,
but I wouldn't want to live here. Besides, what would I tell my folks?
It's just a matter of enjoying the trip back, is all. But come one,
we've got to get started on you."
If Jamie's explanation had relieved some of Ken's tension, her last
sentence brought it back. "What do I have to do?"
"First, you've got to relax. Here, sit up, spread your legs out
straight so that the blood can flow and drop your arms to your side.
Is that comfortable?" Getting a response in the affirmative, Jamie
continued her instructions. "Now it's a clear night, so I want you to
look up at the stars. Can you find the North Star?"
"Yeah, it's right there--"
"Don't point, just leave your arms by your side. Now I want you to
quietly count the stars, starting with the North Star and proceeding
outward in an ever-widening circle. Don't worry if you lose count or
miss any; there's enough stars that it's okay if you're off by a few.
You can start now. With each star you count, you will become more
passive. The world around you will become less important; all that
will matter is the stars above and the sound of my voice."
Ken felt like a fool, but he started counting. By the time he reached
the sixties, his voice had become a steady monotone which would just
trail off, rather than coming to a full stop. Jamie softly walked
toward him and began to speak. "Ken, when you reach seventy-five stars
you will stop counting and concentrate on my voice until I tell you
that you may continue counting again. Do you understand?"
"Seventy-four... Seventy-five... Seventy-five. Yes, I understand."
"Good. You are starting to think that it's silly to be unable to make
love to me. After all, I am a very attractive girl who wants to make
love to you."
"N-no. Not a girl. A guy. You're my friend, not my girlfriend."
Jamie frowned, her first try not meeting with success. Neither did her
second, or third, or twelfth. No matter how Jamie tried to convince
Ken that having sex with her was okay, he still couldn't get around
that block. It was getting late, or early, and Jamie was almost ready
to give up when he thought of a different approach.
"Ken, open your eyes. Can you see me?"
"Yes."
"Look at me and remember how your friend Jamie looked a week ago.
Picture us side by side."
"But you are Jamie..."
Jamie clucked maternally. "How can that be. Look at my hair. What
color is my hair?"
"It's sort of a light blond..."
"And is it long or is it short?"
"It's long..."
"Very good. And what about Jamie's hair?"
"It's brown, and cut short..."
"Very good..." Jamie went on like that, comparing every aspect of her
current physical appearance to what it had been like a week ago. Then
she compared voices, with Ken agreeing they were different.
"And finally, Ken, before three days ago, did Jamie ever say he wanted
to make love to you?"
"No... Jamie is a straight guy, and wouldn't want to make love to me."
"But I do, Ken. I do because I am a girl and think you're the sexiest
man I've ever met." That much was true; the coin had improved Ken's
natural good looks to the point where few others were in the same
category. "Would Jamie say that to you?"
"Only if he were joking..."
"Of course not. So I cannot be Jamie, can I?"
"You're not Jamie..."
"Very good." Jamie suspected she was in way over her head, but it
seemed to be working. "I'm not Jamie. You haven't seen Jamie since
Friday. You and he went your separate ways when you and I met. My
name is Jessica Freeman. I have to go home soon, but before I do, you
and I are going to make love so that we never forget each other. Now
what is my name?"
"Jessica..."
"When did we meet?"
"Friday..."
Jamie thought she heard a noise in the bushes, but it must have been a
squirrel or something. It didn't break her concentration, and was
somewhat hidden by the sound of an approaching train. "Very good. In
a few moments, I am going to kiss you, and you will come out of your
trance remembering only what I have told you. You will remember only
that until a gold coin is placed in your hand and someone says to you,
'let's make a wish.' Do you understand me, Ken?"
"Yes..."
Jamie crossed her fingers, leaned down and kissed Ken on the lips.
Ken shook his head, confused, until he saw Jessica's face before him.
He stood, wrapping his arms around her body and kissed her
passionately. "Do you really have to go?"
"Yes, my time is short." Jamie couldn't believe he had actually said
"my time is short." But his first drafts were less than inspired in
English class, too. "I can't stay long, so we shouldn't waste any
time."
Looking down at Jessica's body -- she was still incredibly sexy despite
the ill-fitting clothes she was wearing -- Ken had to agree. He was
unbuckling his belt when a shape in the shadows moved.
Without making a sound, the man grabbed Jamie's purse and made a swipe
at Ken's handlebars. Before Ken or Jamie could react, he had gotten
the bike upright and headed into the bike path.
Jamie shrieked. The coin was in her purse, and without the coin, sex
with Ken would just be a good time. She shoved the shocked Ken aside
and jumped on her own bike, letting out a long stream of obscenities
fly as she pursued the thief.
She made up some distance quickly; the thief wasn't a good fit for
Ken's bike and didn't know the trail nearly as well as Jamie. Still,
the man's longer legs gave him something of an edge.
Ken followed, running as fast as he could, but was slowly falling
behind.
Jamie just caught up with the other man as their bikes burst out of the
bike trail and onto the empty road. She actually jumped off her bike,
knocking the man off of Ken's cycle, and bringing them both to the
ground. The thief recovered first, and started to run. Jamie stayed
on her heels for a quarter of a mile. She set her jaw, half- smiling
because she knew what the other guy was running toward.
Despite the obvious noise, the thief was shocked when he came upon the
freight train crossing the street. He wasn't a professional snatch-
and-run man by any means, but looking at Jamie approach with murder in
her eyes, he could see the value of cutting his losses. He angled away
from the girl, throwing the handbag in the air and running -- straight
into Ken's fist.
Jamie didn't see that, though -- her eyes widened in terror when she
saw her purse land inside an empty container car with an open door.
Adrenaline pumping, Jamie could think of only one thing -- she had to
get that purse back. She ran toward the train and then ran along with
it, grabbing one of the ladders mounted to a car's side as she went by.
Lifted off the ground, she looked over her shoulder and saw a very
confused Ken falling back into the distance, and wondered if jumping
onto a moving train was really a good idea. But now that she was on,
she certainly wasn't jumping off. Like something out of a movie, she
clutched the side of the train and sidestepped until she reached the
car her purse had landed in. She grabbed the purse and checked inside.
There was probably just enough money in there to get a ticket back home
from the next stop -- Ken wasn't going anywhere. Most importantly, the
coin was still there. She kissed it and slipped it into her pocket.
It was already three in the morning, she hadn't slept more than an hour
at a time since Friday, and the endorphins from the chase were rapidly
leaving her bloodstream. Curled up in a corner, she fell asleep and
slept straight through the next stop.
And the one after that.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Seven years, three months, and twelve days later.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The life of a major league baseball player definitely had its perks.
Ken knew he wasn't a real major leaguer; just a September call-up.
Still, he wore the uniform, the salary bump to the league minimum was
considerable, the hotels were better, and flying into town sure beat
taking the bus. And if he did well, he might make the team out of
spring training next year.
It had taken hard work to get to this level, even after going through
the mother of all growth spurts in high school. He'd been drafted in
the forty-sixth round out of high school, but signed anyway. A lot of
his friends washed out during rookie ball; others went back to college
rather than become a career minor leaguer. But he had pressed on, and
after five and a half years in the minors, had finally made the show.
That man in the mirror was a major league outfielder, who'd just made
his major league debut in Yankee Stadium.
He walked out of the bedroom and looked at the redhead just now
stirring in his bed. Yes, even the women who threw themselves at you
in the bars after the game were better in the big leagues.
She smiled and motioned for him to come back over. What the hell; he
could shower again. Ken sauntered over toward the bed, dropping his
robe and starting to undo his towel. The girl wagged her finger no,
not yet, and reached into her handbag for another condom.
Only it wasn't a condom she pulled out, but a gold coin, which she
placed in his hand. Ken smiled. "After last night, I should be paying
you."
She smiled back. "Let's make a wish."
Ken staggered as the full memories of three important days of his
junior year came rushing back. "J-Jessica? You're the same Jessica?
And Jamie too?" He sat on the bed, stunned. "Oh, wow."
"Kind of a rush, isn't it?"
"Yeah. Whoa. What happened to you, anyway? The last thing I
remember, you jumped on a train after your purse got snatched. I guess
the coin must have been in there, but why didn't you come back?"
"I didn't wake up until someone found me when the train hit the docks
here in New York. All the money had been taken out of the purse. I
couldn't even afford to make a phone call, and even when the
harbormaster offered, who could I call? My parents? Wouldn't
recognize me. You? What could you do? I got about ten miles
hitchhiking before someone tried to attack me, so I didn't try that
again. No, I stayed a few nights at a runaway shelter, got a job that
paid me dirt under the table, crashed with a co-worker until I could
afford to pay rent and get a better job."
"So what are you doing now? You must be a model!"
"Ha! I figured I'd try it, and went to a few auditions. I had the
look, all right, but at first there was just nothing feminine about me
aside from my body. I didn't have 'it.' Even after I started
acclimating, though, I just couldn't do it. Trying to pose and smile
on cue and just all around being treated like a prop drove me nuts.
No, I wound up being a waitress at the Ground Round. If I'm lucky, I
might get promoted to assistant manager next month."
"Wow, that sucks. You're so smart; why didn't you go to college?"
"Ever try to apply to college with a G.E.D. and a waitress's salary?
You don't get very far."
She grabbed the coin out of Ken's hand. "Now all that's going to
change..."
Ken started to fidget. "Um, Jamie?"
"I'll be able to get my own life back..."
"Are you sure about this? It's just that..."
"Don't worry! I know I was mad at you at first, but it's not your
fault; it was an accident. I'll be very specific, so that I don't
screw up your life."
"Well, that's awful nice of you, and I'm glad you feel that way,
really, I am. It's just I noticed last night that you're not a virgin.
Of course, I'm not either..."
Jamie froze, and smiled a little too much. Ken had seen that smile
once before, and remembered that Jamie hadn't smiled for long.
"No, I've had a few boyfriends. Nothing serious, and not always
physical. But why, Kenny dear, is that important?"
"Well, it's just my wish -- my exact wish, that is -- and I didn't
mention it before because it wasn't really important at the time, since
neither of us had had sex before -- was that we'd have tickets to the
prom and sexy dates who would go all the way after for the first time.
"You're mad, aren't you?"
(the end)