Majorette
By Lynn LeFey
Majorette: Day One
Glen Camdon walked the halls of Marshal High, toward his fourth period
class. His books were held in his left arm, resting on his hip, in a rather
feminine fashion. His steps were small but hurried. His dark hair was wavy,
and matted from the perspiration of the quick walk all the way across
campus. His hazel eyes watched several school football players with dread as
they approached. He resigned himself to the inevitable torment.
'Hey Glen. Got a date for the dance coming up. We hear you're quite a
dancer' one said. His name was Levi Adams. He was a big lineman for the
football team.
'Yeah Glen. Oh, wait... you do ballet, right? You plan to wear a jacket or
dress?' Joined another. That one was Keith Patterson. Another football
player. They all had a good laugh at that one.
The third finally knocked the books from Glen's hands, and pushed him
against the row of lockers. This third one, Mike Mazzy, was a wrestler. He
went all state. He was built like a brick wall.
'So, Glen, what's the scoop? You a fag, or what? You know... I don't much like
fags.' As he threatened, Glen simply looked into his eyes, showing no
emotion. Glen had learned from years of this kind of treatment that the best
way to defuse it was to let these guys puff their chests, and they'd
eventually get tired, seeing they got no reaction, and go find a more
interesting game.
Out of the corner of his eye, Glen saw Laura Sanders approaching. His gaze
shifted, and alerted the three antagonists to someone's approach.
'What do you jerk-offs think you're doing?' She said.
'Laura... hey... we're just, you know, talking to your girlfriend... I mean
boyfriend here.' Keith said.
'Well, back off!' she demanded. Keith and Levi slowly moved away. Mike
leaned against a locker next to Glen calmly, smiling innocently.
Glen began gathering his books, with Laura's help. Mike watched the process.
'Catch you later Glen!' Mike said as Glen and Laura marched off to their
class.
'Jesus, Glen. Why do you let those guys treat you like that? You ought to
stand up for yourself.' Laura chastised.
'Right, and get mauled by three of the toughest kids in school.' He said.
'So you just plan to take that crap for another year and a half?'
'Pretty much... yeah. The school's not going to do anything to three
award-winning athletes, and you know it. The only reason you have any
control over them is you're popular yourself. Gymnastics, cheerleader, God...
you're everything...' Glen cut off his sentence. Laura looked at him intently.
'Anyway... thanks.' He finally said. Laura stepped in and gave Glen a hug. She
felt comfortable with him. He was probably the only boy she could hug that
didn't get an erection. They had been best of friends for years, but
sometimes Glen's passive nature frustrated Laura.
The two stepped across the threshold of the classroom just as the bell
rang. Professor Mueler looked at them with his usual eye, following the two
as they went to their seats. They were intensely aware that they were
holding up the professor's class. He let them know it with his glare.
The professor retrieved a stack of readout sheets from his desk, and began
handing them out individually to each student. Not a test, but a genome
reading. His class in life science had allowed each of the honors students
to test for the Conrad Sequence a full year earlier than other students
would be tested.
'Before we go over the results, would anyone like to refresh the class's
memory on what the point of this genome search was?' The professor asked.
Beth Mitchell raised her hand first.
'It's to detect the presence of the Conrad Sequence, and whether that
sequence is dominant or recessive.' She said, giving a textbook reply.
'And the presence of the Conrad Sequence indicates what?' This time Andrew
Paine was first.
'It tells us whether we have the potential for superpowers.' He said, full
of excitement.
'Super... powers...' Professor Meuler said with a bit of disdain. 'In this
class, Mr. Paine, we refer to them as "Beneficial Mutations", but yes. Due
to academic excellence, you fine youth are allowed to know a full year
before your legal age of maturity what every other student will be waiting
to know. This test will show you whether or not you have paranormal
abilities, or the potential for them.' The professor paced across the front
of the room as he spoke.
The students fidgeted as he drew out the suspense. The test forms had a
cover sheet, and anyone braving a peak would take a severe tongue lashing
from the professor. Finally he relented.
'You are now free to read the results.' The class erupted with the
simultaneous sound of 17 sheets of paper turning in unison. Sixteen of the
students in the class held their breath. Steven Andrews alone showed no
particular anxiety. His beneficial mutation had manifested at puberty. He
was given the nickname 'Sparkshower'. He was a low grade projector, one of
three activated paranormals in the school.
Glen turned his page, and prayed. Every person in the world had a desire for
some particular power. Glen was no different. His eyes scanned the text. He
finally exhaled, deflated. Nothing.
Laura flipped her page and looked. Glen saw a reaction on her face.
'Oh my...' she whispered. She forced herself to take two deep breaths, and
read it again, more slowly.
'Oh my God.' She said aloud.
'Is there something of interest in your reading, Ms. Sanders?' The professor
asked.
With a wavering voice, Laura stood up and announced 'I have a recessive
trait, with external activation potential.' She was nearly squeaking with
excitement. The class applauded. She received several hugs from other female
students, and from Glen.
The class went on after everyone settled down. One other student had a
recessive trait, with no activation potential, which meant, unless he was
artificially activated, nothing would ever come of it.
The class eventually came to an end, and they filed out when the bell rang.
Professor Meuler watched as they filed out.
'Glen, could you stay for a moment?' He asked, as Glen passed.
'Sure professor... what's up?' Glen asked... still somewhat melancholy from the
news that he had no mutation.
'Glen... did you read your analysis thoroughly?' The professor asked.
'Well... mostly. I kind of got off track when Laura read hers.' He admitted.
'I guess I should just be up front with you, Glen. Your results indicate you
have a faulty gene, which will likely cause some hormone problems. Were you
aware of this?' The professor looked concerned.
'No, sir.' Glen said. He was feeling very down now.
'Your parents are going to be contacted this afternoon, and we'll be able to
discuss with them and your family physician the best course of action.' The
professor stated calmly.
'What is the likely treatment for this condition?' Glen held onto a thin
glimmer of hope...
'Most likely gene therapy, and possibly testosterone boosters.' the professor
said. Glen felt his heart sink. They were going to pump him full of boy
juice. He would get hairy, and smelly, and his... muscles... would grow.
Glen wandered out of the classroom nearly in shock. He hadn't realized until
this moment how much he'd waited, and held his breath, hoping that the
Conrad Sequence would grant him an escape. He wanted nothing more than... just
once, to feel at home in his body.
The next two hours rolled past, and Glen sank into a deep depression.
Seventh period, an announcement came over the P.A., requesting him to report
to the head offices.
With lead feet, he dragged himself to the offices. His stomach rolled in
sick lurches, and he felt like a wild animal, trapped. He wanted out so
desperately. Finally, he arrived at the head office, where Mr. Chadwick, one
of the vice-principals, was waiting.
'Glen, would you please step into my office?' He said pleasantly. Glen could
see his parents already seated inside. He sat in the large, comfortable
leather chair between his parents, facing Mr. Chadwick's desk.
Mr. Chadwick closed the door and sat in his own chair, facing the three.
'Mr. and Mrs. Camdon... As you remember some time back, you signed a release
form for Glen to have DNA testing performed. His scholar's class in life
science was searching for Conrad Sequences...' at this, Glen's father
brightened a bit, looking intensely interested, almost proud. Mr. Chadwick
noted the reaction.
'He did not test positive for the trait. However, there was an anomaly in
the test... the presence of a gene causing weak testosterone reception.'
'That figures', Mr. Camdon said, deflated. Glen tried to shrink into himself.
He knew he wasn't what his father had expected him to be. Glen's father had
been a promising athlete, running track in college. Glen had performed
mediocre in virtually every athletic endeavor he'd attempted, except ballet,
and Tai Chi. His body just seemed to have a fluid grace to it. Glen couldn't
even say he was great at ballet. He lacked the leg mass and upper body
strength to perform required lifts of his partners.
'You are now in the position of making some decisions about Glen's biology.
He could have a simple gene therapy treatment to augment the failing gene,
as well as hormone therapy. You might also consider psychological gender
testing. If the...'
'I think we can make the decisions on our own, thanks.' Glen's dad intoned.
There was a note of finality to the statement.
'Alright... well, here's a copy of the genome reading. I hope it wasn't too
inconvenient for you to come down here for this meeting, and I look forward
to seeing you both again.' Mr. Chadwick said, smiling pleasantly. Glen's mom
looked at him with worried eyes, but said nothing.
After Glen's parents were escorted out, Mr. Chadwick returned and again sat
down. He watched Glen closely, and finally said, 'Is there something you'd
like to talk about, Glen? If you don't feel comfortable speaking to me, you
could maybe talk to your guidance counselor...' He saw Glen was staring off,
out the window, his eyes on the verge of tears.
Glen looked at him, wanting to express his feelings. Mr. Chadwick was a nice
guy, but Glen couldn't bring himself to open up. He hadn't even told Laura
how he felt, for fear of rejection. How much more awkward would it be
telling someone in charge of his school?
Finally, through a breaking voice he managed to speak softly.
'No Sir... thanks. I would just like to get back to class.'
'Alright then, but remember we're here to support you, Glen. If you feel a
need to talk, I hope you feel comfortable talking to us. Everything you say
will be held in strictest confidentiality.' Mr. Chadwick said. Glen thought
he must have been trained as a social worker. Maybe for other kids that
would have been enough, but Glen felt that his differences were a bit beyond
the scope of what Mr. Chadwick was prepared for. Then again... the folks here
also had to deal with...
Leaving the office, he was passed by Gerald Johnson, another of the
activated paranormals in the school. Gerald didn't bother opening the door
to enter the office. He simply became transparent, and passed through the
door as if it weren't there. Gerald held a slip of blue paper in his hand.
He was in trouble again, apparently.
The final bell rang as Glen walked toward his class. The regular school day
was over. He turned and walked to the stairwell, now swelling with the
current of kids anxious for freedom. He worked his way to the next floor up,
and to his locker. He stood for a moment, focusing on clearing his
thoughts. He turned his emotions off again. It was something at which he'd
become a master. He was a good looking, intelligent young man. But his world
was wrong at a fundamental level, and the future had suddenly turned quite
bleak.
He gathered his gym bag, stuffed it with the necessary books, and walked out
of the main building toward the sports complex. He saw Laura with several
other girls. He knew she was headed to gymnastics practice. She caught a
glimpse of him, and waved. The other girls saw him, and waved as well,
yelling and signaling for him to catch up.
Just then, Glen heard the familiar chirp of his cell phone. He retrieved the
little folding phone, and checked the number. It was from home. He signaled
the girls to go on, and opened the phone, expecting the worst.
'Hello?' he spoke.
'Honey? Your father and I managed to squeeze you into a four PM appointment
with Dr. Roberts. Can you make that?' His mother asked.
Glen looked at his watch. He had almost an hour, and the doctor's office was
maybe 20 minutes away. He wanted to make something up and say he couldn't,
but he had no good excuse.
'Yeah mom...' he finally admitted.
'Great! See you when you get home, hun!' she said and hung up.
Glen stopped in his tracks. Control. Don't think... just do. Don't panic.
First, he knew he'd have to go talk to Ms. Lynn, his Tai Chi instructor. He
was supposed to be there at her class in ten minutes.
He set a quick pace, and got to the open aerobics room in no time. Ms. Lynn
was shuffling through various tranquil-sounding CDs.
'Ms. Lynn? Sorry to bother you, but I'm going to have to skip class today.
My parents just called to tell me I have a doctor's appointment." Glen
blurted out. Ms. Lynn turned to look at him, and nodded.
'Glen... You've been doing very well with this, and I don't think missing one
session will make you fall behind. Are you still planning on coming back
Tuesday for Aikido?' She asked. She taught several forms of martial arts, as
well as yoga, Tai Chi, and various other forms of meditative practices. Glen
had moved smoothly from Tai Chi to Aikido months ago. He hadn't told anyone.
He didn't want people at school having more reason to challenge him to a
fight, or to start something. Glen felt certain that earlier today, he could
have given those three a reasonable run for their money, but ultimately
would have lost, and for no good reason.
'Yes, ma'am... Thanks.' He said. He always felt better around her. She
radiated positive energy. Glen loved that about her.
Finally though, he walked to his little civic, and drove to the doctor's
office. After a brief exam, Dr. Roberts began filling out a sheet of paper,
placing 'X's over various spots on some kind of form. A page requested his
assistance in another exam room, and he excused himself. Glen glanced over
at the form the Doctor had finished filling out. It was a sheet indicating
modifications in genome. Glen picked the sheet up, reading the changes to be
made. His heart then skipped a beat. The sheet had been torn from a pad of
these standard forms, and a second blank form lay beneath. Don't think... just
do. He tore the sheets apart, and checked several boxes. He'd just filled
out very similar screening sheets in class. Where was the gender section?
Soon, he realized the sheet was male specific. DAMN!!
Still, all hope wasn't lost. He marked all the places required for insertion
of the Conrad Sequence, and noted dominant trait with immediate spontaneous
activation. A crap shoot was better than a certain strong masculine change.
He frantically scratched the desired modification, and finally set the new
sheet in place of the old. He held the old sheet, looking at it for a
second, and as the shadow of Dr. Roberts fell on the frosted glass of the
office window, he folded it and stuck it in his pocket.
Glen knew what he'd done was a huge risk. The Conrad Sequence was
uncontrollable. Glen knew whatever modification happened, it would be
biomorphic. That much he could control. But whether than meant shape
shifting, sprouting bat wings, or growing gills, he had no control over. He
might end up becoming a huge hulking burly guy after all, but at this point,
he would rather take a chance at something good, than be definitely stuck
with something bad.
The doctor didn't even take a second glance at the paper. Debates still
raged over the ethics of intentionally inserting the Conrad Sequence into
someone not born with it, but laws, as usual, lagged a bit behind. Glen
feared that if this little trick were caught, it might affect Dr. Robert's
career. For a moment, he hesitated, as the doctor began feeding the
completed form into a sequencing machine. In moments, it would insert the
requested changes into a virus, which would rewrite Glen's entire genetic
makeup.
Beyond that... everyone was screened for the Conrad Sequence these days. It
was controlled by the ATF, like guns. The government couldn't have people
running around with paranormal abilities, and not be able to track them.
Glen's negative results had been registered when he was tested. The
paperwork would arrive in days, with his registration. He was sure there
would be legal consequences if he were ever determined to have a mutation
later on.
The paper quickly fed through the reader, and the computer blinked various
lights as it processed the information. Glen's mouth went dry. Dr. Roberts
droned on about what to expect over the next few days, and said the usually
things... get plenty of rest, and lots of clear fluids. The virus would behave
somewhat like any other virus, making for a few days of unpleasant symptoms.
What would Glen do if one of those unpleasant symptoms was having his legs
fuse into a giant snake tail?
'Beneficial mutation, my ass!' Glen thought. Not all so-called beneficial
mutations were actually beneficial, and some were downright life-wrecking.
Finally, he closed his eyes again, and cleared his thoughts. Don't think...
just do. Ms. Lynn was fond of that phrase. How very Zen of her! Glen
resigned to put himself in the hands of fate, and further vowed to accept
the consequences. His sense of being trapped in a prison of flesh couldn't
get any worse.
The sequencing computer completed it's blinking, and now the serum was being
produced. The viral agents were genetically programmed, and the liquid...
mostly saline, was slowly dripped into a small vacuum vial. Doctor Roberts
inspected the results, loaded the vial into an air injector, and swabbed
Glen's shoulder. The 'pfft' sound was brief, as was the minor sting of the
injection. So, it was done.
Dr. Roberts wrote some prescriptions to be filled if Glen experienced muscle
cramps, or other problems from the rapid increase in testosterone. Glen ran
through what the doctor expected to happen in the next few days. The
increase would deepen Glen's voice, broaden his shoulders, increase his
muscle mass over time, and ... well, there was the whole issue of libido.
Glen had never thought about how horrible all the aspects of masculinity
felt. He had been fortunate, in his own mind, in that his build had remained
slight, his skin fair, and his body hair nearly non-existent. His hands were
fine, compared to other males his age. His brow had never grown heavy, like
other boys. His sexual organs were ... well... not impressive. His voice was
high and effeminate. The only thing even remotely masculine about him was
his height. He'd reached five feet, nine inches. Not that girls were never
that tall. It was just somewhat rare.
He pondered all this while returning to his little car in open parking next
to his doctor's building. He would probably have six to eight hours before
the effects of the shot were noticeable. He headed back to his school to
catch up with Laura. She would be finishing her gymnastics practice soon,
and she'd need a ride home.
In the main gym, Glen found a spot on the bleachers, spreading out several
books and looking over his weekend assignments. A shadow fell over his books
shortly after he began to read. His eyes lifted to meet those of a young man
from his sixth period class, Brandon Shay.
Brandon was... well, gorgeous. He was on the swim team. He was the editor for
the school newspaper. He was in Men's Chorus. Glen could feel his heart
flutter. He'd never had the guts to make a move on anyone before, but if he
had to choose someone, it would have been Brandon. Like Glen, Brandon was
obviously not a standard model of masculinity. Everyone assumed Brandon was
gay, but then everyone assumed Glen was gay too, everyone except Glen. He
saw himself in a different light. He knew he was... Well, aside from the
obvious physical evidence, he knew he was a young woman.
'Hi Brandon.' Glen said, trying not to glow with excitement.
'Hey Glen. I just saw you here and wanted to see if everything was okay. You
looked pretty down today in class.'
'Yeah. Our life science class did gene testing and the results came back
today. I had a... faulty gene, and had to go to the doctor for a shot' At
this, Glen pulled up the sleeve on his polo shirt, showing the red bump from
the injection.
'Ouch. I hope it was nothing serious.' Brandon said, gently rubbing the
bump.
'Oh, God... He's touching me!' Glen thought. He couldn't do anything but let a
coy smile slip through.
'No, it was nothing big.' Glen suddenly had something click in his head.
'Apparently, it was why I'm not all that... you know, manly.' He admitted,
hoping Brandon would feel some connection to the statement.
'I don't know, you always seemed like you were manly enough for me...' Brandon
suddenly flushed... 'TO me...' he corrected, almost whispering. But the slip was
obvious to both young men.
'Look, Glen.' Brandon looked so nervous to Glen. It was so cute. 'Would you
like to go out with me...' Brandon clamped his eyes shut, blushing almost
painfully. 'You know... for some pizza or something.'
' Yeah... that would be great.' Glen said, feeling so excited he was about to
burst.
'How about tomorrow night?' Brandon asked.
'Sure, I'd... Oh, crap. I'm probably going to be sick from the shot tomorrow.
God. I really want to do this... Are you busy tonight?' Glen asked.
'Well, I'm just going to the game to help with concessions. I'd be free
after that, by about ten.' Brandon said, still quite flush.
'Sure... that would be great.' Glen said. He was a junior, it was about time
he went on a date. Was it a date? It seemed pretty clear that Brandon wanted
it to be more than a study session or something.
Glen saw Laura was approaching. She had the slyest look on her face, seeing
Brandon standing there.
'Hey boys!' she said as she walked up.
'Hi, Laura. You know Brandon don't you?' Glen said.
'Yeah, we've had a few classes together. So... what are YOU TWO talking
about?' She said in a knowing tone.
'Well, I think Glen and I are going out for pizza after I close concessions
this evening. Wanna come along?' Brandon offered.
'No, but thanks. I have a date after the game... and I wouldn't want to
intrude.' Laura said, smiling ear to ear.
'Okay... well... I guess I'll see you at the game this evening, Glen?' Brandon
asked.
'Sure.' Glen felt like he sounded lame, but could hardly think through the
strange nervousness he felt.
Glen gathered his books and packed them in his gym bag, then slung it on his
shoulder.
Both Glen and Laura watched as Brandon walked off. Glen imagined there was a
newfound spring in Brandon's stride.
'He's a hottie', Laura said.
'I... guess. I wouldn't know.' Glen lied.
'Uh, he SO has it for you, Glen. Stop acting like you're oblivious!' Laura
teased, tickling Glen in the ribs as she said it.
Glen looked into her eyes. She had never once in the time they were friends
made any statement about his sexuality. She'd never teased him about never
having dates, and never asked if he was gay. Glen thought perhaps that she
simply accepted, and it would never have to be said.
Glen didn't know exactly what he wanted from life, or whether his feminine
side could express itself in his male form. All he knew is that he did find
Brandon just irresistible.
'Laura?' Glen began as they walked toward his car.
'Yeah, Glen?' Laura knew whatever it was, it was serious.
'I want to tell you something' he looked intently in her eyes. Don't think...
just do.
'What is it?' Laura looked very concerned.
'I know when you look at me, you probably see a gay guy... but that's not how
I feel. Since I was a little kid, I've always known I was...' Glen looked
almost miserable with the burden of trying to speak the words. 'I've always
felt like I should have been a girl.' He said. He waited for the big moment,
when Laura would blow up, and tell him he was a pervert. Or the Hallmark
greeting card moment where they would hug and cry...
'I know' she said.
'What?' Glen was stunned.
'I know you're a girl, Glen.' She said in a perfectly matter-of-fact tone.
'How?' Glen asked, as he unlocked his driver's side door.
'Oh, come on... I make you over every now and then. When we hug, you don't get
all hot for me. You're the only "guy" I know that will walk into Victoria's
Secret with me and not turn bright red.' Laura stated.
'Maybe... Maybe I'm just a really femmy boy.' Glen tried to argue.
'Well, if you are, it comes across to me like you're a girl. It's how I
think of you. I know there's the clich? saying of a girl thinking of a boy
as "just a friend", or "like a brother". I always thought of you as my
sister.'
'Really?' Glen said... somehow feeling very proud to have the female word used
in describing him.
'Yeah, Really. If you wanted... if you had a female name, and would prefer me
call you that, it wouldn't bother me.' Laura said seriously, looking at him
across the roof of the little car.
Glen blinked, stunned. In all the years he'd considered himself female in
his mind, he'd never given that persona a proper female name.
'Not that I am pushing you or anything...' Laura added. Glen sat in the car
and unlocked the passenger side door. Laura pitched her book bag in the back
seat and sat down.
Glen had the keys in the ignition, but sat staring forward.
'Laura, I'm really confused about the Brandon situation. Okay, I think he's
hot. But, I think he's attracted to me because he sees a femmy boy, not a
girl.' Glen said, still looking ahead.
'So? Do you want to kiss him?' Laura asked bluntly. Glen's heart raced at
the thought. He'd only kissed Laura on the lips before, and there was never
anything sexual about it, strictly friendship.
'Yes...' he admitted, somewhat embarrassed by his own feelings.
'Well... you're never going to find out if it works out between the two of you
unless you try, right?' Laura continued her grilling.
'Why... Ms. Sanders, you have exceptional clarity of thought for a
cheerleader!' Glen said in his best person-in-authority voice.
'Why... Ms. Camdon, you are exceptionally pretty when getting wet over
Brandon!' Laura returned in kind.
Glen burst out laughing, rolling the sentence over in his mind. 'Pretty' and
'Getting wet' were as far from masculine as he could imagine, but somehow
felt very right.
A vision of a clean table of green felt streaked by passing red dice flashed
in his head. He realized the dice were still in motion. His beneficial
mutation was going to spontaneously activate shortly, and just today, he
seemed to discover his own sexuality. It had been a day of risks.
He started the little car, and began his brief trip to Laura's house. She
lived in a nice middle-class section of town, not more than a mile from his
house. He didn't speak for a few minutes, letting himself go on autopilot.
His mind conjured visions of his body becoming that of a beautiful young
woman.
He kept running over the thought of his potential beneficial mutation. Then
it occurred to him, Laura had just today learned she was likely to activate
at some point as well.
'So... what do you think your mutation will be when it finally comes?' Glen
asked.
'I don't know. It's recessive, and likely neural from the tests. Maybe I'll
have telekinesis or something. That would be cool.' Laura seemed only mildly
enthused.
'You don't sound nearly as happy as I thought you'd be. Neural enhancements
are great. There are no obvious signs, and as a recessive, it's not likely
that the government will push you into some security position.' Glen said.
'Yeah. I don't know. I guess I always dreamed of being able to fly, you
know?' Laura said.
'I do know how you feel. I mean, we all have dreams of powers we wish we
had, but like the lottery, very few of us every see those dreams come true.'
Glen stated. They sat silent for a moment, then Laura spoke.
'Glen... what were you wishing for when you flipped that sheet today?' She
asked.
'You want to know the truth?' Glen asked.
'Yes. The 100% honest truth. I told you what my wish was.' Laura said.
'I wanted to be biomorphic. I hoped I'd be a shape shifter. I don't know if
you could ever understand the... ' Glen sighed in frustration. There was no
good way to explain the feelings he had to someone never feeling so out of
place in their own body.
'It's like being the kind of person who should drive a small sportscar, but
being in a big 4 by 4 truck with the doors welded shut, eternally trapping
you in. Being a shape shifter, I could make my body into what felt
comfortable to me, for once.'
'Would you give yourself big tits?' Laura joked.
'I'd probably be a petite build Caucasian, 5'2", auburn hair, green eyes,
light freckles, B-cup, about 115 pounds.' Glen said without effort.
'That's pretty specific... I guess you HAVE been thinking about this for a
while.' Laura held his hand for a moment, feeling some of Glen's life-long
pain. Glen smiled through just a hint of a tear.
'Yeah' came his harsh whisper through a voice nearly cracking.
Glen finally pulled up at Laura's house. She grabbed her bag from the back
seat, and stepped out of the car.
'Well, I'll see you at the game this evening. Call me if you're feeling down
before then, okay?' She said leaning into the open passenger side.
'Okay. Don't worry. I've lived with this seventeen years. I'm sure I'll make
it till you see me at the game. Besides, I have Brandon to look forward to.'
Glen said.
'Okay. See you tonight.' She said, closing the door and walking up the steps
to her home.
Glen drove off from her house, with his mind in a fog. He felt like ten
thousand things were fighting to get his attention at once. He'd just come
out to Laura, opening the most vulnerable part of himself. He could never
undo that. He noticed a slight dizziness. He had a sudden flash of heat wash
over him. Suddenly he thought of the virus coursing through him. It
shouldn't be acting this quickly, he thought. No, a virus effecting his
testosterone regulating hormones shouldn't act this quickly. He had no idea
how that might differ from one installing the Conrad Sequence into his DNA.
He turned a corner, only blocks from his house. In a flash, there was a
young girl in front of his car on a bicycle. Glen acted on reflex, jamming
the breaks, and cutting the car hard to the right, into someone's lawn. In
his peripheral vision, he saw the girl swerve into the other lane, and could
see the oncoming car approaching. That driver also screeched their breaks,
but there was a disturbing metallic crunch, followed by screams.
Glen was not thinking. He'd killed his engine, and was out of his car,
heading toward the accident as fast as he could move. Time seemed to be
moving too slow. He ran around the front of the car, seeing the small
bicycled mangled under the passenger side. Glen dropped on his belly, trying
to find the little girl. She was pinned under the car, and looked like a
mass of cuts and blood. The exhaust system of the car was lying across the
girl's left arm, and Glen could smell a sick scent of burning flesh. Moving
utterly on reflex, he ran around to the back of the car, and grabbed the
back bumper. He heaved up, and the plastic molding of the car tore away.
Glen pitched this aside and grabbed the raw metal underneath, lifting again.
He lifted the bumper to chest level, and took five sidesteps to his left,
feeling the car pivot on it's front tires. He could see the little girl to
his right now, no longer pinned under the car. However, the exhaust system
had been torn free and still lied on top of the still form. Glen dropped the
car. Again without conscious thought, he grabbed the smoking metal of the
exhaust system and tossed it off the little girl.
He fell to his knees beside her. She looked very bad. Glen feared moving her
at all. He reached down to feel her pulse, but noticed blood tricking from
his outstretched hand. He turned it palm-up to see the problem. It was a
mass of shredded flesh, seared in places, giving rise to large white
blisters even as he watched.
His adrenaline rush began to die with this sight, and a flood of pain washed
over him. He was vaguely aware that several people were coming near. One was
the driver of the car he'd just...
He wasn't thinking clearly. His body was beginning to hurt all over. His
head spun, and his vision grayed around the edges. He felt nauseated, and
suddenly tears were welling in his eyes. His hands felt like they were on
fire. His shoulders were screaming like his arms had been torn out of
socket. He wanted so desperately to help the little girl he'd seen, but his
body was failing him. He heard broken fragments of conversation around him,
and the sound of far-off sirens.
A horrific, repulsive odor snapped him back into reality. He coughed, and
pulled away from the scent of smelling salts. An EMT knelt beside him with a
medical kit, examining his hands. Glen glanced around and finally spotted
the little girl on a stretcher, just being loaded into an ambulance. There
was a car, turned nearly sideways in the road, with it's bumper and muffler
torn off. His car was on the other side of the road.
Glen looked at his hands. The technician said he had some minor cuts, and
had bandaged them. Glen moved his fingers. The joints ached, as did his
forearm muscles. He followed directions from the EMT, in a rather dreamlike
fashion. A police officer drove him home, in his own car, followed by the
officer's partner in a cruiser.
Every part of Glen's body hurt. He managed his way into the house, dropped
his gym bag near the front door, and wandered to the couch, where he fell
face down on it, and did not move for two hours.
In a fevered dream, his mind replayed the accident. His body twitched as the
scene played out. His mind was hazed with fever, as the virus ran through
him, warring with his immune system. In a massive micro war, the virus was
rewriting the fundamental blueprints of its host. Glen shivered, sweat,
convulsed, and finally awoke in a terrible need of food.
He looked around. He was at home. His hands were bandaged, and his body felt
very weird. Opening and closing his hands felt slightly foreign. His
biomechanics seemed different, slightly shifted center of gravity, different
resistance to movement. And his senses registered hypersensitive. It seemed
painfully bright and loud even in near silence. Glen touched his forehead,
and noticed he was drenched in sweat.
He altered course from his unconscious destination of the kitchen to the
main bathroom upstairs. He pulled off his shirt as he climbed the stairs,
noticing blood, dirt, rips, and burn marks. At the top of the stairs, he
dropped his pants, kicked off his tennis shoes, and staggered into the
bathroom in just his underwear and socks. He reached down with great effort,
pulling off the socks, and dropping his underwear around his ankles.
He turned on the water in the shower, and while he let it heat up, he
unwrapped his hands. Under the bandages, there was only undamaged flesh,
with areas of slight pinkness. He stepped into the shower, under the bright
white light of the bathroom. His eyes hurt. It was like watching water under
a strobe light. He was not seeing the water streams, but the individual
droplets fall. The sound of the water hitting the tub was not a constant
white-noise, but separated into each individual droplet splashing, breaking
into smaller droplets, and splashing down again.
Glen began with his hair, shampooing it, rinsing, conditioning, and rinsing
again. The scent was much clearer than it had ever been. He then began
soaping, first washing his face, and then rinsing it. It was when he started
with his shoulders and arms that he noticed the first changes. His arms were
thinner. Perhaps only fractionally so, but he could see it clearly. He could
feel very clearly defined musculature under the thin layer of fat. His bone
structure looked about the same to him. He felt very relaxed as the warmth
of the water seeped into him. He washed the rest of his body, taking note of
the change.
Stepping out of the shower, he stood naked, staring at himself in the full
length mirror on the bathroom door. He looked so thin! His effeminate
features were somewhat enhanced with the weight loss. He stepped on the
scale and was shocked to see it read 120 pounds. He weighed 155 when he got
up this morning. He thought the virus might have burned a lot of energy in
its rewrite. He wrapped a towel around himself and walked quietly to his
room. He slipped into a clean pair of briefs, and a set of shorts. Then he
pulled on a torn up T-shirt and gathered his dirty cloths, thinking of
putting them in the hamper. He could hear the garage door opening. He tossed
his pants, socks and underwear into the hamper, still holding the shredded
polo shirt he'd worn to class today.
The alarm clock in his room said it was 7:38 PM. He wanted to hold out for
dinner until he could go out with Brandon, but he was absolutely famished.
Glen could hear his dad's keys rattling in the garage. He could also hear
faint conversation.
'Well, he had better not be.' Glen's dad said.
'Glen's not like that. I'm sure it's nothing, dear.' His mother said.
Then Glen heard three clicks as lock tumblers slid against a key, and the
lock was turned. Glen concentrated harder. He seemed to almost be able to
hear the softest impression of their heartbeats. Not quite a sound, but just
below. Maybe it was just his imagination. Maybe it was just fever.
'Glen?' his mother shouted. The sound was like an air horn in his ears.
'Yeah, mom. I'm coming.' Glen trotted down the steps, and into the kitchen.
'What's up?' Glen said, looking somewhat concerned.
'Glen, hun... we received a call from the police saying that you had been in
some kind of accident, and that they'd brought you home. Are you all right?'
Glen's mother looked at him full of concern. She glanced at the shirt he
still absently held in his hands.
'Yeah mom, I'm fine. I wasn't in the accident myself. This little girl rode
out in front of me, but I avoided her. She got hit by another car, and I
just... you know. I was just there helping get her out from under the car.'
Glen said, carefully selecting his words.
'They seemed to think you may have been injured, son.' His dad said. Glen
noted with some pride that his dad actually sounded more concerned than
angry.
'I think I might have cut up my hands some while moving the car... parts,
but...' Glen looked at his unmarred hands. 'I guess I might be in the Francis
Window.' he added.
'The what?' His mother asked.
'Well, for a short time after someone is subjected to a DNA altering virus,
the human body exhibits some regenerative properties. There are cases of
people regrowing eyes, fingers... there was one guy who had a kidney removed
from cancer, who then grew a new one, and then had another kidney removed
from cancer. Probably the first human ever to live normally after losing two
kidneys without a replacement.' Glen said.
Glen presented one hand for examination, and showed the shredded shirt in
the other.
'Sorry about the shirt, mom.' Glen said, but his mother stepped in and
hugged him. She pulled back, looking a bit concerned, then pulled his shirt
tight around his waist.
'Honey, let me get you something to eat.' She said. Glen smiled most
sincerely.
'Thanks, mom.' He said.
'Dr. Roberts suggested we let you rest tomorrow and Sunday, so you just take
it easy okay?' Glen's Dad said.
'Um... Dad... I'm supposed to meet some friends at the football game tonight. We
were maybe going out after the game for pizza, if it's okay. I mean, Dr.
Roberts said it should be at least eight hours before I feel the effects of
the shot. So, I thought I'd have my fun tonight, and take it easy through
the rest of the weekend.' Glen stated, searching his father's eyes, hoping
he'd go for the plan. Glen wanted nothing more than just one evening with
Brandon. At the mere thought, he felt a slight stirring in him.
Glen's dad was pondering the matter, and his mother was busy making Glen a
sandwich. He stood, awaiting the verdict. Finally Mr. Camdon's expression
softened.
'Okay. How about a midnight curfew?' His dad yielded.
'Oh, dad... thanks.' Glen beamed a smile, and sat that the island in the
kitchen to eat his sandwich.
By 8:30, Glen was in his car headed back to the high school to meet Brandon.
It was long past dark, and he was driving cautiously through his
neighborhood. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he imagined a young girl
coming out of nowhere and riding her little pink bicycle out in front of
him. As he drove, he wondered how the little girl was doing. She'd looked
very bad.
The thoughts were replaced as Glen approached Marshal High. The lights on
the football field cast a glow into the sky, illuminating the whole area.
The parking lot was reasonably crowded, and Glen ended up parking by the
main building and walking across to the Athletics area. As usual, he had his
gym bag slung on one shoulder. He planned on getting some studying done
until Brandon was ready. The field didn't seem like the best place to
concentrate, so he decided to see if he could get into the gym. Maybe he
could sit in the aerobics room. It should be quiet enough there. Glen opened
the door into the breezeway, and passed through into the main foyer. Only
the lights leading down the hall to the equipment room were on. Glen turned
down the other hall, into a darkness only interrupted by emergency exit
signs. The door to the aerobics room was locked. Glen breathed a sigh and
turned around.
In the darkness, his vision adjusted to new levels of acuity. While he could
see much better than he could in the past, it was somewhat more grainy, with
occasional misreading creating something like static in his vision. Overall,
vastly superior to how he normally saw in such poor light.
He moved silently on the soft soles of his tennis shoes. As he again
approached to foyer, a young man stormed past trophy cases and burst through
the doors of the foyer, into the breezeway, and out the building, muttering
something to himself. Glen didn't recognize the young man.
'What of fucking queer.' was about all Glen could hear. Impressive,
considering the young man had only whispered it. Glen stood there pondering.
Somewhere in the building, there was echoing of movement. Glen concentrated,
wondering if he could pinpoint the location. It appeared to be thumps on
pads, like the one's in the gym, perhaps. He moved toward the main gym,
along the lit hallway. To his left were the multiple doors leading into the
gym; to his right, the equipment room.
Another thump, more clear this time, and definitely from the gym.
Glen opened the door, and looked in. The gym was dark. He stepped in and let
his eyes adjust. In the darkness, at the far end of the gym was Mike Mazzy.
He was leaning against the stack of wrestling mats against the wall.
'Who's there? Is that you Eric?' Mike said. He turned and walked toward the
door Glen had just come in from. Mike's pace increased.
'Who IS it? You better say something or I will put you in a world of hurt.'
Mike continued, sounding nearly enraged.
Glen reflexively stepped back out the door and turned to move down the hall.
Then he thought better of it, knowing he wouldn't get away in time, and
stepped instead into the equipment room.
A moment later, the door to the equipment room opened again, and there stood
Mike Mazzy. He wore his wrestling tights, and was covered in sweat. His
penis stood in full erection, and there was a wet spot on the front of his
uniform showing his obvious sexual arousal.
Through the small windows of the storage room, light fell across Glen. There
was nowhere to hide now, and nowhere to run. Mike looked almost insane with
emotion. His face was twisted with rage.
'You!' Mike almost spat. 'It's fucking queers like you that have ruined my
life.' Mike stepped menacingly toward Glen.
Mike shoved Glen against the wall, and put an arm to either side of him.
Glen could smell the strong scent of sweat. He could actually hear Mike's
heart pounding.
Mike grabbed Glen's wrist, twisted his arm in an arm lock that forced Glen
to turn, facing the wall. Glen remained calm. He thought he would not likely
be able to outwrestle Mike, but was probably now stronger than him. He would
just have to wait for the right moment...
Mike pushed Glen against the wall, pressing his body against him. Glen could
feel Mike's erection against his butt. Mike seemed to settle it neatly
between Glen's cheeks. Mike threw his free arm around Glen's throat.
'You fucking... faggot. You want my cock, just admit it. I'll fuck you till
you bleed, you little queen.' Mike was shaking, almost shivering. Glen
remained calm. Something was wrong with Mike. Glen didn't want to start a
physical confrontation.
'Mike... you don't want to do this. Whatever's wrong, I'm sure we can figure
something out.' Glen surprised himself with the soothing quality in his
voice.
'Shut up. Maybe I like this. Maybe I'm a ...' Mike stopped pressing against
Glen. He was still shuddering, but Glen heard something else. Ragged
breathing. Mike was on the verge of tears. Mike released the arm around
Glen's throat, and let go of his arms. Glen turned to face him. Mike held a
hand over his eyes, but the tears rolled down his face. Glen had a deep
swell of pity for Mike. He was somewhat shocked that someone who had
tormented him for so long could raise such feelings in him, but Glen
understood the pain of hiding who you are all too well.
Glen reached forward, and embraced Mike. Mike reluctantly returned the
gesture. Mike's embrace was strong, like someone clinging to another out of
fear, as he sobbed on Glen's shoulder. Finally Mike pulled back, and looked
into Glen's eyes. A look of disgust came across Mike's face, and he shoved
Glen against the wall, then walked out slowly. He seemed in a daze.
Glen just stood there for a moment, wondering if there was any possible way
that this day could get weirder.
He turned to look out the little windows, to the football field beyond. The
game raged on. Glen looked at his watch. 9:17 PM. He looked over the field
and the crowds. He opened the window to see more clearly. Apparently, not
only his night vision had improved. He could see very clear details at a
distance now.
He saw Brandon working the concessions stand. He then spotted Laura with the
other cheerleaders. She looked so cute in her outfit. Another of the
cheerleaders, Lisa Cross, was the third and last activated paranormal in
their school. Lisa could make photonic effects. Mostly just defracting
light, or making little bursts. 'Wow, sign her up for saving the universe!'
Glen thought to himself. Many students and a lot of the faculty sat in the
stands. Glen hadn't gone to any sporting events, except some of Laura's
gymnastics meets. He didn't realize how big a thing these were.
Out in the parking lot, he could see a couple people standing around,
smoking. One of them was Gerald Johnson. He was smoking pot with a couple
other kids. Glen wasn't surprised. No wonder Ger was always in trouble. He
didn't have the common sense to take his illicit activities off school
property.
Glen realized what it was that had made him take note of those individuals.
He was now one of them, whether they knew it or not.
Another movement caught Glen's attention. There was a young man walking
through the crowds. He had green spiked hair, and wore a black shredded
T-shirt. He also had on red vinyl pants. The color pattern seemed familiar.
Green, black and red. Was he thinking of a country flag? He watched more
intently, and noticed he moved with a small clique of other people: two
males, one female.
A memory clicked. A group of paranormals, calling themselves the Vandals,
had a member who only appeared as a blur in pictures and on film. The person
possessed superhuman speed. The group had only done minor crimes, but had
hit several High School sporting events. What a stupid gig, Glen thought.
High profile, low reward. They were probably High School kids themselves,
with something to prove.
Which meant there was going to be trouble. Glen decided he might get to find
out the extent of his newfound powers this evening. He ran the scenario
through his mind. He'd have to go out, in front of his entire school, and
display superhuman abilities. He would get busted for sure. He needed a
disguise.
He turned to the equipment around him. He frantically dug through boxes of
school uniforms. Several departments had spare boxes of stuff stacked about.
Glen dug frantically, looking for anything to hide his identity. Football
jerseys, a band uniform... and finally, at the bottom of one box, a majorette
uniform. It was basically like a one-piece swimsuit, covered in blue
sequins. There was an attached pleated skirt with red and white pleats. Glen
dug some more and came up with the gloves. They were really only arm covers
in red, with while fringe. Glen considered that uncovered shoulders would be
all right, as well as his uncovered legs. He had virtually no body hair, and
was more thin and femme now than ever before. The outfit came up in the
front to a collar that encircled the throat. That would hide his Adam's
apple. He still would need to cover his face.
He continued to dig, and finally found another pair of gloves. He tore the
seam of one, and hastily made a mask, using a little pair of scissors he
carried with him in his gym bag.
Hair... Damn... He knew his hair would be another give away. It was too short
for a girl. He stopped, and looked back outside. He again found the four
people he'd spotted earlier. They had split up, and were headed in different
directions. Damn. He felt like he didn't have much time.
He threw items from boxes, in a vain attempt to find some solution to his
predicament. There, in the bottom of a box of theater equipment came the
solution, an old wig of wavy blonde hair. Perfect. The disguise was
complete. Now, to muster some assistance.
Glen locked the door to the equipment room. He dropped his pants, and took
off his shirt. He would have to stick with his shoes, but they were plain
white tennis shoes, and could easily pass. He pulled out his cell phone and
started flipping through memory. Laura was in there, but she probably didn't
have a phone out with her. Glen finally came to Steve Andrews. Sparkshower...
the only paranormal of any power in the entire school. Thank God for study
groups. 'Please, please, please', Glen thought. The number dialed.
'Hello?' Steve said. Glen froze for a moment. He realized he was about to
speak like a boy.
'Hello?' Steve said again. Glen could hear the sound of the crowd in the
background. At least he was at the game.
'Hi, I umm... I would like to talk to you. Would you meet me behind the Gym in
about ten minutes?' Glen tried using his best girly voice. This was stupid!
It would never work.
'Who is this?' Steve pursued.
'Just a friend.' Glen said.
'Okay, ten minutes. This had better not be someone playing a trick.' Steve
said somewhat suspiciously.
Glen clicked off his phone. What the hell was he thinking? He rubbed his
face with his hands and hastily pulled the majorette uniform up his legs. As
strange as Glen found it, he was thrilled. It was like a dream come true. It
fit fairly well, to his surprise, with just a slight emptiness in the chest.
Even his somewhat narrow hips were well hidden with the pleated skirt. He
finally decided to pad his chest. He pulled out some foam pads form a
football uniform, the ones that slid into the sides of the hips. He managed
a halfway descent job quickly, and luckily the padded cups of the uniform
smoothed any bumps reasonably. Finally he put on the wig and mask. His only
measure of how he looked was from his reflection against the window. That
was dim, at best. Glen pulled off his watch and put the gloves of the
uniform on.
He pulled a roll of medical tape from one of the boxes, and retrieved the jo
sticks from his gym bag. It would have to do to replace the batons. He
wrapped them in medical tape, and used the fringe from the glove used to
make his mask to make tassels for the ends of the sticks. At least if he was
forced to fight, these would be more useful than batons. He didn't have lots
of experience with weapon kata, but had a good grasp of the basics.
He suddenly felt his tummy roll. Butterflies. The worst he'd ever had. He
stuffed his clothes into his gym bag, climbed on a chair, and removed a
ceiling tile of the drop ceiling. He slid the bag inside, and replaced the
tile.
He sat back down on the chair. He now only had his internal sense of time to
tell him how soon he had to be outside. He had about three minutes. He
noticed the sensation of the hair on his bare shoulders and the look of the
bumps on his chest. He ran his hands down the sequins of the uniform, and
brushed at the pleats of the skirt. He sat with his legs crossed at the
knees for a moment. His heart was racing. Finally, he stood up fighting
waves of fear.
With the 'batons' in his left hand, he unlocked the door, and stepped into
the lit hall. He took a deep breath and exhaled. Don't think, girl... just do.
He... SHE walked down the hallway toward the foyer.
In the bright reflection of the foyer lights on the breezeway doors, she saw
herself. She looked very good. Long thin legs with a hint of muscle
definition, narrow waist, and ample chest. Her skirt swished from side to
side and the cool air of mid-autumn caressed her bare legs. She pushed the
door into the breezeway open, with confidence. She likewise pushed the door
to the outside open with all the authority she could muster.
She could see Steve approaching from her left. She stood there, with the
light of the breezeway spilling across her. Her skirt fluttered in the light
breeze. Her heart raced. She felt so alive.
He stopped a few feet from her, looking a bit puzzled. He looked her up and
down, and restrained a smirk at the sight of a mask.
'Hi.' he finally said.
'Hi... Look, I don't have much time to get this out, so here goes. There is a
group of paranormals here at the game. They call themselves the 'Vandals'.
There are four of them. I want to be in a position to stop them, if they
decide to start something.' Glen said, in his best girl voice. No, He was
not a he, and he was not Glen. Not at the moment. SHE had said it. She was
finally free, and refused to be referred to by male pronouns.
'Great... well, umm... miss, I'm not a superhero. I just have some...'
He began in a matter-of-fact manner.
'You're Sparkshower, and you have the ability to project a hail of plasma
sparks. You're also academically brilliant, and I would hope you have a
strong sense of civic duty. You are the single most powerful activated
paranormal within five miles at the moment... and I need your help.' She again
asserted.
'Who are you?' Steve asked. He was totally shocked by her manner, her
confidence, her... appearance. While he thought she was a little tall, she
looked pretty hot in her uniform.
'Just call me Majorette!' She said, extending a hand to be shaken. Steve let
out a little crooked grin and took her hand, kissing it. She flashed a huge
smile, rolled her eyes, and blushed.
'What do you want me to do?' Steve asked.
'Just hang out near the concessions. If they're here for money, that's where
they'll hit. Keep your cell phone handy. If anything starts going down. Call
the police, okay?' She turned from him to her next meeting and paused,
looking over her shoulder. She saw Steve watching her.
'Sparkshower... see if you can talk to the activated cheerleader, she may be
able to help.' Majorette turned and sprinted toward the main parking lot.
Steve watched her go. He was amazed at her speed and athleticism. Without a
doubt, Steve knew she was paranormal. A cute young lady... another activated
paranormal, like himself, and one who knew him. He pondered the mystery.
As he came back around the building, he found himself watching the crowd
intently. He moved toward the concession stand, and ordered a Sloppy Joe and
drink. The young man serving him was named Brandon, he thought. Smart kid,
but a little... Well, a bit girly. Steve leaned against the stand, ate his
sandwich and thought. Just today, Laura Sanders had been found to be
paranormal, but apparently hadn't activated yet. Actually, the test only
determined whether you WOULD activate, not whether you HAD. He pondered
this, and crossed toward the area where the cheerleaders congregated. He
thought Laura was on the squad. If she was here, that would eliminate her
from being the mystery girl. He also needed to try to get Lisa Cross's
attention.
Across the main parking lot, Majorette sprinted toward a beat up old
four-door sedan. Four guys stood there in a little circle. She had been
sprinting for nearly two hundred yards and didn't feel in the least winded.
Majorette just relished the feel of the wind rushing past her. When she
reached the car, she didn't bother slowing, but instead used the side of the
car as a springboard to leap into the air. Midair, she rolled, and turned,
then came down of the far side of the group, landing almost silently.
The two facing her stared, shocked. The other two turned in surprise.
'What the...' One began.
'A bust!' shouted another.
'Run!' came the final verdict from a third.
Gerry Johnson didn't run. He just looked at the girl before him with a total
look of apathy. She stood her ground, and finally spoke, when she felt the
others were safely away.
'Gerald Johnson... I need your help.' She stated.
'That's nice. I'll have my agent call your agent. They'll do lunch. Love ya,
hun.' He said mockingly. He turned and walked away, through the car directly
behind him. Majorette launched herself forward, vaulting over the car, and
again coming to rest before Gerry. He stopped and became solid.
'Why should I CARE if you need my help?' Gerry said, now angry.
'Gerry... look. I'm sure you have some strikes against you. You may even have
a juvenile record, but there are four paranormals over in those crowds who
are felons. Even if you don't care for the jocks and the other folks there,
helping them could only help your record. I'm asking you to help me, and to
help yourself.' Majorette implored him. She again was shocked by her own
actions. Somewhere, her mind must have been working some of these details
out subconsciously.
Gerald looked at her, trying to figure her game.
'Forget it. It's not my problem.' Gerald said. Majorette felt something new
growing in her. She felt anger.
'Okay, I tell you what. If anything goes down, cops are going to be all over
this place. Even if they don't catch you, I WILL! If anything happens to
the people here because you were too chicken-shit to help, I will never give
you a moment's peace. And don't think you're ghosting powers will help you.'
She said with a burning voice.
'Jesus, you've read too many comics girl! Get your panties out of a bunch.
I'm not helping you, and I seriously doubt that anything you could do would
make my life worse, okay. So, just go play hero by yourself. ' Gerald said
bitterly.
Majorette felt suddenly deflated. She had gotten a little wound up, and
threatened this guy. She felt suddenly very egotistical and thoughtless in
her handling of the situation.
'Look... Gerry... I'm sorry about the threat, but I have a lot of people I care
about in that crowd. You have to believe me when I tell you I know what it
feels like to be an outcast, but I truly need your help. If you change your
mind, they have a member who can teleport. If they try to escape, I'm
guessing he can't take all four of them far, and will likely come out here
for a car. Just... keep an eye out for them.' She tried hard to undo the
damage she'd done. She didn't feel like she had time for more. She turned
and bolted, sprinting back toward the game.
'Yeah... whatever...' he said.
Majorette thought about her and Sparkshower against four paranormals. She
didn't like the odds. She could hear the band playing. It must be halftime.
She ran around the corner toward the bleachers. Several hundred people
meandered about, talking, eating. She slowed to a trot.
She climbed the bleachers, noticing several heads turning to watch her. When
she reached the top, she scanned the area for the four faces she'd seen
earlier. Nothing... nothing... Then she spotted the girl that had been with the
speedster. She was talking to the police officer assigned to security at the
game. He was walking away from the game with her.
What was going on there? She kept scanning the crowd. She spotted Steve down
talking to several cheerleaders, including Lisa Cross and Laura. Why Laura?
It took her a minute to realize Steve would be trying to discern her
identity, and Laura's announcement in class today would make her a
candidate. Majorette felt a brief sense of pride at the thought that someone
might assume she was Laura.
'I really have to come up with a better name for myself than Majorette.' she
thought. She studied the area around the concessions. If they were here for
money, that would be their only target. She looked at Brandon hustling
hotdogs, and felt a flutter, which was cut short by spotting green hair in
the crowd. Majorette thought it was time she moved.
'Aren't you supposed to be out on the field honey?' An older man asked. He
was most likely the father of one of the players.
'Hardly.' Majorette said, giving him a stern look and vaulting the rail on
the top of the bleachers. She fell twenty five feet and landed lightly. She
wondered briefly how far she could jump, or fall... and what her running speed
was. Well, it certainly wasn't up to the speed of the green-haired kid she
approached. He was her first concern, and her mark.
She wandered near the green haired boy, just sort of watching him casually.
The mask drew a few odd looks on occasion, but she generally stood
undisturbed.
Where were the other members of the group? She watched the marching band
leave the field. Brandon made the last call for concessions. The stand
always shut down just after half-time. The green-haired boy walked past
Majorette, looked at her with interest, and finally stopping within feet of
her. He flashed a smile. He was rather cute, but Majorette wasn't falling
for his flirtations.
'Hi. What's the mask for, cutie? I think you look fine not covered up so
much.' He said.
'Wow, you move kind of fast. Is that your best pick-up line?' She asked
coldly.
'Honey, you have no idea what fast is.' He replied, moving closer to her.
'What's your game, green?' She asked point blank.
'What, can't a guy have pleasant conversation?' he looked shocked. Now
Majorette stepped closer. She was virtually equal in height to him.
'I mean you and your friends. What are you here for? I have folks in the
bleachers waiting to make calls to 911 at the first hint of trouble, and I
have you and several of your friends covered. Perhaps you'd like to
reconsider starting anything.' she bluffed. She did it well, with the