The Class Project - Chapter 9 free porn video

The Class Project By Janice Dreamer Chapter 9 "Brad?" Robyn asked, feeling a little thrill course through her heart. She fought to dispel her sleepiness. "Yep, it's me," he replied. "How're you doing, Sweets? I hope I didn't wake you." She shifted in bed slightly, moving the phone to her other ear. "No, you didn't wake me," she lied, "I was just lying here resting my tired feet. Cathy took me shopping and nearly walked me to death." "Are you too tired to come over," he asked. "I just happen to have some killer massage oil to soothe your aches and pains." Robyn smiled. A massage from Brad sounded lovely. But then that would probably lead to other things... She realized it was 'normal' now for her to menstruate but she was irrationally embarrassed by it. "Um, I don't know if I feel up to it right now, Brad." "Oh? You must really be beat then. Maybe I could stop over there for just a minute and give you a good night kiss?" he persisted. Robyn yearned to have him come over and cuddle with her. Perhaps just a short visit and then she'd go back to bed. "Yes, that would be nice," she said. "Good! I'm on my way." Robin slowly got out of bed and yawned widely. The towel around her hair had come partially unwound so she pulled it loose and dropped it on the floor. Leadenly she plodded into the living room. At least she wasn't wracked with cramps just now. Thank the Lord for the power of modern pharmaceuticals. By the time she managed to reach the door Brad was already impatiently ringing the bell. His expectant smile froze in place as he took in her tired, disheveled appearance. "Wow, that shopping trip must have been a marathon. Are you sure I didn't wake you? You look whipped," he said. The critical look in his eye was not lost on Robyn. Robyn pushed at a stray lock of hair that had fallen into her eyes and did her best to look perky. "Oh... I guess I'm just tired." She gestured vaguely toward the couch and said, "Why don't you make yourself at home while I go freshen up a bit?" She padded off to the bathroom without waiting for an answer. She was already growing accustomed to seeing her beautiful new face in the mirror but when she looked at herself now she could understand why Brad had looked so disappointed. Her eyes were bloodshot and sunken with dark circles under them. Her complexion was so pallid that her lips were almost white. Her hair was damp, limp and stringy with spidery snarls all through it. In short, she looked a total wreck. She brushed her teeth to get rid of the dragon breath. Cold water splashed in her face followed by a vigorous scrubbing and toweling put a bit of color back in her face. She ran her fingers through her hair, tugging out most of the knots and fluffing it as best she could. She finished up with a spritz of perfume on her neck and the insides of her wrists. There, she thought, that's as good as it's going to get. Brad was standing in her bedroom when she emerged. He didn't waste time, she thought somewhat irritated. He was staring distractedly at the mess. There were shopping bags scattered everywhere. Her bed was rumpled with the heating pad lying discarded in the center of a pile of covers. She moved quickly to block his view of the nightstand and the open box of tampons on it. Taking his hand she sat on the edge of the bed and tugged gently on his arm until he gingerly lowered himself to sit beside her. She leaned into him, snuggling against his warm chest, and kissed him softly on the underside of his jawline. Resting her head on his shoulder she whispered, "Mmmm, this is nice. I'm glad you stopped by." Brad seemed distant at first. Robyn feared he was turned off by her haggard appearance but he slowly began to respond to her caresses. He put his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. She was a boneless warmth molding herself to his body. He placed a finger under her chin and tipped her head up to receive a soft kiss. Robyn snuggled closer to her man. This was what she needed to make the whole horrid day disappear. She sighed contentedly. Then she felt Brad's hand slide up under her tee shirt nightgown and lightly stroke her thigh. She stiffened slightly, enjoying his touch but dreading where it might lead. His first soft kiss turned more passionate as he slid his tongue into her mouth. She uttered a tiny moan of protest and tried to discreetly pull away from him. But he held her tightly with one strong arm at the back of her neck. She felt his other hand glide upwards from her thigh, brush lightly against her belly and gently cup her breast. She lacked the strength to pull away so she leaned into his embrace instead, turned her head slightly to break the kiss and slid her cheek across his, bringing her lips to his ear. "Brad. Don't. Not tonight," she whispered, trying to make her refusal as gentle as possible. Brad's hand on her breast froze. He pulled back from their embrace and searched her eyes. "Why not," he asked. His tone was sharp. "You've been acting strange ever since I got here. What's wrong, Sweets?" She reached up and caressed his cheek, gently ran her fingers through his hair. She rested her palm softly along his jaw with her fingertips lightly tickling his earlobe. "Nothing's wrong, I'm just not in the mood." She shrugged ever so slightly. "Why can't we just cuddle tonight? This is so sweet." Brad's expression darkened. His eyebrows lowered and he removed his hand from her breast, pulling his arm out from under her shirt. He roughly shrugged off her hand on the side of his face. Robyn felt him shutting her out like a physical blow. This was a side of Brad she'd never seen and it frightened her a little. "What is wrong with you? You look like hell. This place is a pigsty. And you're all over me one minute then pushing me away the next. I thought we might have something here but I guess I was wrong," he snapped, sounding like a sullen child. Then he switched tactics to gentle and cajoling. He took her hand and said, "What is it, Sweetie? You can tell me." Robyn bit her lip. All she wanted was to be held. But Brad wouldn't give up without an explanation. "I got my period today," she confessed. "Oh is *that* it?" he asked. His eyes narrowed in momentary calculation and he nodded to himself. He continued in a soothing voice, speaking as if to a skittish animal, "Well that explains why you're so flighty. And you look so wrung out." The change that had come over Brad both irritated her and made her nervous. His condescending tone grated like fingernails on a chalkboard. And any traces of desire had vanished from his demeanor. That was a good thing for now, she supposed, but she wondered insecurely if he would ever want her again. She couldn't bear it if he rejected her. She smiled tentatively and shifted imperceptibly closer. "I guess I am a little wrung out," she said, looking hopefully up at him through lowered eyelashes. "I sure could use a hug." "Awww, poor Baby." Brad wrapped his arms around her and drew her into his chest. Briefly Robyn wondered if he was merely humoring her but he was the picture of understanding and compassion. He rocked her ever so gently. Robyn closed her eyes and smiled contentedly. She was in heaven. If she were a cat she'd be purring. But she didn't see him check his watch surreptitiously. She felt so safe and cherished she began to drift off to sleep. Then Brad stirred, rousing her gently, and said, "You've had a tough day. You need your rest, so I'll take off and let you sleep." Robyn looked up at him, crestfallen. "No, you don't have to go," she was all but pleading. "We could snuggle a while longer." "No, that would be selfish of me. You need your rest," he briskly dismissed her pleas out of hand. Brad gently but firmly pulled away from her and eased her shoulders down onto the bed. He pulled the covers up to her chin and tucked her in like a little girl. He kissed her tenderly on the forehead and stood to leave. Robyn looked up at him imploringly. She wanted him to stay but she had too much dignity to beg. Why did he have to leave? She doubted that Greg would leave Cathy in similar circumstances. "Good night Sweets," Brad said from the doorway. He blew her a kiss and turned off the light. "Will I see you tomorrow?" she asked, precariously close to whining, before he turned to leave. She hated how pathetic she sounded but she had to know. Brad cleared his throat. He shifted his eyes uneasily. "I dunno, Sweets. I've got a paper due next week and I haven't even started it yet. Besides you need your rest. I'll try to stop by for a bit if I get a chance. If not, I'll give you a call, okay?" Robyn nodded silently. She forced a watery smile, doing her best to hide her disappointment. Whew, I dodged a bullet there, Brad thought as he pulled her bedroom door closed behind him. He checked his watch again and noted with satisfaction that it was still relatively early. He could head over to the frat house and maybe find some action. There was a casual mixer for kids stranded on campus over the holiday weekend tonight. With luck some homesick freshman girl would be working on her third or fourth drink of the night and be in the mood for some fun. Too bad about his little birdie, Robyn, though. He'd been all set to give the na?ve little beauty another of his patented lessons in lovemaking. Now he'd have to wait until at least Wednesday or Thursday before he could dip his wick in her sweetness again. * * * * * Jim Harper opened the front door to the apartment he shared with two other computer science majors. He hadn't planned on coming back to school until Sunday evening but he was bored hanging around his home with 4 sisters and his Mom. They made him feel like he was always underfoot and out of place. So he'd packed up his belongings and driven most of the night, arriving early Saturday morning. He was looking forward to a little peace and quiet without women constantly telling him to move over or hurry up in the bathroom or stop dropping crumbs everywhere. He loved his Mom and sisters very much but ever since his parents' divorce he felt they classified him together with his philandering father. He was guilty by association just because he was a pointer rather than a setter. He stretched lazily, working out the kinks from his long drive. Jim was physically quite different from Bob. Where Bob was huge Jim was almost painfully slim. He was tall like Bob but he carried himself proudly as opposed to Bob's slouching posture. Everything about Jim was neat and organized, from his short sandy brown hair to his immaculate living space. His mind was orderly and disciplined as well; he was a runner and used his daily five-mile runs to help work out complex programming problems. He dumped his duffle in a chair and flopped down on the couch. Maybe there was a game on TV or something. He didn't bother to check for his roommates. He figured Scott was home with his family and Bob was probably at the computer center or maybe at the library finishing up the big project he had with that Goth chick. Jim flipped through the channels idly, searching for something decent to watch. But he quickly gave up; there was absolutely nothing. Bored, he switched off the television and went in search of something more interesting. Maybe he could try that new game Bob just bought. He got up and headed back to see if he could find the game in his roommate's room. Bob's bedroom was dark as a tomb so he switched on the lights. Typically the bed was unmade, with the covers all heaped up in the middle. There was less dirty laundry lying about than normally but this was offset by a myriad of shopping bags piled everywhere. Uncharacteristically none were from Bob's favorite stores like Electronics Boutique, Borders or Sharper Image. Instead they were all from women's clothing stores. That was a bit weird but Jim just shrugged and turned toward Bob's desk. "What is all this shit?" he muttered as he maneuvered his way towards the desk. He made a bit of racket as he moved some of the packages out of his way. Jim did a quick double take when he heard a groan coming from Bob's bed. He turned to look and saw the covers shifting around a little. Damn, he hadn't meant to wake his friend. He'd thought the bed was empty at first. In fact he was a little surprised that his rather large roommate created such a small lump under the covers. "Sorry Dude, I didn't know you were sleeping." He tried to make a bit less noise as he continued on toward the desk. "I'll be out of here in a minute. I just want to borrow GunEmDown-2 for a bit." "Huh? Who's there? Is that you, Jim?" he heard a very sleepy, very feminine voice coming from under the covers. Whoa Bob, you dog! This was the first time Jim could ever remember Bob having a girl in his bed. "Whups! Sorry! My mistake. I'll just go now," he said, heading rapidly for the door. "Hang on a sec, Jim. It's just me," the girl answered, sounding a bit more awake now. And sexy as all get-out. The lump under the covers began moving purposefully now, as if seeking an opening. It's just me? Jim thought, me who? Maybe it was that Goth girl, Katie or Cathy or Caitlin or something like that. He'd met her a couple times when she and Bob had worked at the apartment. She was a little scary, at least Jim thought so, and he didn't really want the image in his mind of her popping up semi-clothed out of his friend's bed. But this girl didn't sound like her. She was way sexier. "Um... do I know you?" he asked a bit warily. Robyn hesitated, staying hidden under the covers. She hadn't really given her roommates much thought. How much should she tell them? Jim was her best friend but how could she prove that she was really his very large, very male roommate? If he didn't believe her would he kick her out? But if she didn't tell him the truth he'd kick her out anyway when it became apparent that Bob wasn't going to appear. There really was no other option; she would have to try to convince him of the truth. Robyn sighed then, choosing her words carefully, said, "Yeah, you know me, Jim. But this is kind of weird. So first you gotta promise to keep an open mind, okay?" Jim paused for a moment. What kind of game was this chick playing? He doubted she was dangerous. From what he could tell of her size she must be tiny. And she sure didn't sound like a threat. He supposed it wouldn't hurt to hear her out. "Okay, I can do that," he said. Robyn wanted to see Jim's expression when she broke the news. She slowly pulled the covers away from her face and squirmed around until she was sitting up in bed with her back propped up against the pillows. First making sure her tee shirt afforded her sufficient modesty, she lowered the covers and arranged them around her lap. She looked up at Jim and smiled broadly, searching his face for a hint of his thoughts. She hoped he couldn't tell how nervous she was. "Hi Jim!" she said in a bright friendly voice. "Hello," Jim replied, deadpan. She claimed he knew her but he was certain he'd never forget such a gorgeous girl. Even with no makeup, her hair in damp snarls and her eyes all bleary and puffy she was stunning. His first instinct was to find out if she was available - and convince her he was the guy for her. But he had to force himself to remain aloof and wait for her explanation. Centerfolds didn't just suddenly show up in his apartment. Unless he was composing a letter to Penthouse. Something was definitely up and he needed to be on his guard. Robyn saw the attraction in his eyes. She was still adjusting to it, but she knew she was hot. She also saw the doubt. Could she use the one to overcome the other? No, Jim might cut her some slack because she was pretty but ultimately she'd have to convince him of the truth. She couldn't stoop to some cheap sexual tricks to sway him. He was her best friend, after all, and she owed him the truth. She bit her lip, considering how best to continue. Jim waited, giving her a chance to explain herself. But when she just sat there smiling up at him he grew impatient. Then she bit her lip in a cute sexy way and he couldn't stand the suspense any longer. "Okay. You say I know you. And you, at least, know my name. So who exactly are you?" Robyn took a deep preparatory breath. Her slim shoulders rose and she felt the fabric of Brad's tee shirt stretched tautly across her breasts. She noticed Jim's eyes shift downward from her face. Briefly she hoped she wasn't giving him too much of a show. "Here goes..." she muttered under her breath. Aloud she said, "I'm Bob." She saw the look of disbelief on Jim's face and continued in a nervous rush, "Or I mean I was. Bob, I mean. I used to be Bob. But I'm Robyn now. For a while anyway. At least until I can change back. To Bob, that is." Jim shook his head. He waved his hands trying to stop the torrent of words pouring from her mouth. He'd been prepared for weird, but *this*? "Do what?!" Robyn smiled weakly. "I know. I know. It's hard to swallow..." "Hard to swallow!" Jim interrupted. "Girlie it's straight up impossible! Have you *seen* Bob? Do you have *any* idea how so different you look?" "Come on, Jim. You said you'd keep an open mind. You promised. You're the one who believes in UFOs and all that crap. I'm supposed to be the skeptic, remember?" "Okay, so Bob told you I allow for the possibility that UFOs could be real. Did he put you up to this?" Jim looked around the room more thoroughly than before. "Where is he, anyway? Is he hiding somewhere watching us and laughing?" Robyn knee walked to the edge of the bed. She stared up at him unflinching, willing him to believe her. "I'm right here. I'm Bob, I told you." She thumped her chest for emphasis. "And I can prove it. You told me yourself that you believed in aliens. We've argued it back and forth for years. Ask me something else. Anything at all." "Okay. Let's see..." Jim's tone was growing derisive. He was habitually very polite toward women but her little game was getting really old now. Time to end it. How much had Bob told the little bitch anyway? Only one way to find out. "When did Bob and I meet?" "It was in the third grade. You were the new kid in school, with that horrible southern accent. I didn't call you hillbilly and you didn't make fun of me cause I was fat," Robyn said confidently. "Then I had to move in the middle of fifth grade cause my father got transferred. But we both had computers by then and we kept in touch by email. I can't believe how many hours we spent in online gaming. I lost a lot of sleep in those days." She grinned fondly at the memory. "We didn't meet face to face again until we started freshman year here at the university. And we've been roommates ever since. Okay?" Her eyes glinted with cocky self-assurance. "Now ask me something hard." Jim had to admit that she'd been thoroughly briefed. But she couldn't have memorized everything. "That was an easy one," he grudgingly conceded. He looked at her slyly and said, "Here's another easy one. What's my older brother's name?" Robyn laughed. "You think you're cute. You don't have any brothers. Your sisters' names are Beth, Megan, Shannen and Sara. Your Mom's name is Rita. She and your father, Steven, got divorced a few years ago. Your whole family resents your Dad for leaving your Mom for a younger woman. Your sister Beth's a couple years older than you but she still lives with your Mom. I think she does something in banking now. She was always bossing us around back when we were kids. Megan's a sophomore at Michigan. Pre-Med. She was always smart and she's going to make a wicked good doctor. And the twins are still in high school." Robyn stepped off the bed, moving with unconscious grace. She approached Jim and looked up into his face with challenge in her eyes. "Next question?" This girl reeled off details so effortlessly it was uncanny. She spoke naturally, not at all like reciting memorized facts. And she talked like an active participant in all the events she recounted. More importantly she talked *exactly* like Bob did, even down to her inflection, pronunciation and mannerisms. Even her slightly argumentative tone was vintage Bob. Everything about her (except the obvious impossibility of her appearance) served to lend credence to her claim. But if she was telling the truth... well that was just too bizarre to even consider. "All righty then. If you're Bob, then you remember when I told you my net password. What is it?" Jim asked, confident he'd come up with the one question no one but his best friend would have the answer to. "That's easy. It's 'Mary-Kate-n-Ashley'," she grinned wickedly. "And I'm not *even* going to comment again on how freaky that is." "Hey, I like twins. They remind me of my sisters," Jim said defensively. He smiled ruefully and held up his hands in helpless admission. "What can I say?" "Yeah, right." Robyn snickered. Jim's smile faded as realization set in. How could she have possibly known that? "Hey! Bob swore he'd never tell a soul. Just wait till I see him. He's a dead man." Robyn's expression was earnest. "Dude. I never *did* tell a soul. I swear. Your secret's safe. Just like I'll never tell how you accidentally crashed the whole university LAN when you downloaded that virus from a porn site. Believe me, I'm Bob. Really." Could this pretty little girl *really* be his lifelong friend? Was it possible? Jim felt a distinctly Twilight Zone-esque chill run up his spine. Robyn saw him waver so she pressed her advantage. "Come and look at this video. I'll try to explain things as you watch it. Just watch it, okay?" She looked up imploringly into Jim's doubtful eyes. She took his hand, pulling him toward the living room. Jim nodded his head, looking like a punch-drunk boxer. He allowed her to steer him to the couch. He sat and watched the tape in silence. As the video played, Robyn walked around the room animatedly explaining the events unfolding on the screen. She filled him in on what their project was supposed to accomplish. When the video degenerated into static she described her encounter with the demon and how it tricked her. She even dragged the box containing the ruined computer over for Jim to examine when the static cleared to reveal she and Cathy slumped on the floor. "Look," she said. "Here's my computer, all melted just like it is on the tape." She gestured at the image still on the screen for emphasis. "And don't forget Cathy! I'll call her and ask her to come over in a bit. She'll back up my story. Remember how she was all creepy and Goth looking? Well, wait 'til you get a look at her now!" Jim rubbed his eyes. "Le me get this straight. You called up a demon and it turned you into your own fantasy woman?" Robyn nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! Except it tricked me. I didn't *ask* to be a girl." Jim waved off her qualification and plodded onward. "And Cathy was in on this with you?" "Yes. She got changed too. But she was too smart to be conned like I was. She got the body she always wished she had. You'll be amazed once you see how good she looks!" "I don't know," Jim said uncertainly. "It's all just too freaky. But I'm finding it harder and harder to doubt you." "Jim! You believe me! You really do?" she asked, wide-eyed. Jim nodded his head. The stunned look on his face would have been funny if the situation hadn't been so serious. "Yes, God help me, I believe you," he said solemnly. "Yes!" She jumped up and down excitedly then bounced over to give him a spontaneous hug. Jim felt her soft curves pressed against him. She was perhaps the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen and his penis began stirring. He responded automatically, hugging her back. Then with a guilty shock he realized what they were doing and he pushed her away as gently as he could. To his knowledge Bob never showed any tendency towards homophobia but Jim didn't want to risk freaking him out. He couldn't imagine how much stress the poor guy was under walking around in that sexy body. He was afraid of how Bob would react if he knew what Jim really wanted to do with him. Much as he enjoyed feeling those firm breasts pressing against him, he just couldn't bring himself to take advantage of his best friend's situation. Robyn looked confused for a moment as he held her off at arms' length. She looked like she might be on the verge of tears. Who knew what all those new hormones were doing to her? Oh God, Jim thought, if she -- *he* -- starts to bawl then I'm a goner! "Dude! Get a hold of yourself," Jim said, hoping to stave off the impending tears. "You're a guy. We need to remember that and I don't think it's helping if we go around hugging like that." Robyn stepped back, vaguely disappointed at Jim's reaction. Sure they'd never hugged each other before but it felt like the natural thing to do now. His rejection hurt her feelings more than she wanted to admit. Jim had never seemed homophobic before but now he was acting all weird. She wondered what he'd think if he knew what she'd done with Brad. She blinked back her tears and smiled tentatively. "Yes, I suppose you're right." "Of course I'm right," Jim replied. He needed a change of subject quick - she still looked like she could start crying any minute. He wracked his brain but could only come up with the inane question, "So Bob what are you going to do now?" Robyn dropped her eyes shyly. Strangely she felt a little awkward with her old friend now. "Jim? Um... you see, Bob is a guy's name. I've been calling myself Robyn for now." Jim nodded his understanding. "Okay. Robyn it is then -- for now. So what are you going to do now, Robyn?" Robyn smiled, pleased that Jim so easily accepted the name change. But he was still way too intense. Maybe a little teasing would get him to lighten up. She stretched lazily and yawned theatrically. "First off I should take some more Advil, then I'll probably take a shower. I still feel kind of yucky. After that... I haven't decided." "No, you twit. Be serious." How could she joke at a time like this? Didn't she realize what a mess they were in? "I meant what are you going to do about... this?" Jim gestured wildly at his newly gorgeous friend seated across from him. "About being a girl?" Robyn's grin faded. God he was being such a stiff. "As soon as possible I suppose I'm going to have to try summoning up that demon again and ask it to change me back to a guy." "Well what are we waiting for? Let's do it! Where do we start?" Jim rose from the couch and stood ready for action. The quicker he had his buddy back to normal the better. Robyn shook her head. "Down big guy," she said. "It's not that easy. I can't repeat the experiment yet. I'm kind of stuck like this for the time being." Jim slowly sank back to a sitting position. He looked confused and frustrated. "Stuck? Like this? For how long? How're you ever going to manage as a girl?" She shrugged, feeling more than a bit irritated at the implication that she was somehow inferior now. "I have no idea how long I'll be like this. I've been kind of taking things day by day. It's definitely different, but it's not so bad. Besides, half the human race manages it all their lives." She smiled, remembering how Cathy had told her practically the same thing just three days ago. And she'd been as horrified then as Jim looked now. His over-reaction suddenly struck her so hilarious she started giggling. "What's so funny?" he asked. He was beginning to worry for his friend's sanity. Robyn waved her hand, dismissing his question. "Oh, you wouldn't understand," she said. To herself, she thought, of course not, you're a man. Jim held a quick internal debate and decided not to pursue the issue. Arguing with her would only make things worse. Instead he tried to steer the conversation back to more practical matters. "So why *exactly* can't you change back yet?" he asked slowly and clearly in a tone suited for dealing with a particularly obstreperous child. She cut her eyes at him and said in a huff, "Why is it that men treat a pretty woman as if she hadn't a brain in her head? I sure hope I wasn't ever that condescending." Of course she knew she had been. And even worse. Jim threw up his hands and rolled his eyes. He snapped back at her, "Why is it that a woman *always* changes the subject? If I was condescending then I'm sorry, Robyn, okay? I'm doing my best to adjust to the situation here." "Oh, *you're* doing your best to adjust?! Hello?" She leapt to her feet and gestured with both hands at herself. "I'm doing a little adjusting of my own here!" Jim's attitude just totally deflated. He felt like such an utter ass. Could he be more insensitive? He was lecturing her when she was *living* this nightmare. "Robyn! I'm sorry! Really. Please believe me, I... I'm just trying to help." "Oh you're sorry all right," she snapped. As soon as the words were spoken she wished she hadn't been so nasty. He really was a sweet guy -- and her best friend. She pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling a pounding headache coming on. "Shit! I need an Advil. I'll be right back." She wheeled about and hurried to the bathroom. "Are you okay?" Jim called to her retreating back. She didn't answer; just shut the door behind her. Man, he thought, this was so bizarre. He no longer doubted that Bob - Robyn - had somehow changed into a female. An astoundingly beautiful female. He couldn't explain it but there it was. The worst aspect of the situation was that he had no clue how to deal with her now. One minute they were fine, just like old times then she'd get all pissed off at the slightest thing. They'd never had to tiptoe around each other's feelings in the past. Could the change have affected her mind? Had the stress of dealing with it all caused her to snap? He resolved to handle her with kid gloves until he was certain she was coping. Once in the bathroom Robyn quickly swallowed two Advils. She gripped the edge of the sink with both hands and took a deep calming breath. Get a grip, she thought, Jim means well. She hated hurting his feelings and had no idea why she was so touchy. Was it the hormones? Is this what all women dealt with? She wondered if she'd be like this every time she got her period. Well, she'd try to be extra careful from now on. She took the opportunity to wash her face, brush her teeth, and take care of other essentials. When she was finished she prepared to remove her tampon and change her pad. Jim paced restlessly around the living room. What was taking her so long in there? He hoped everything was all right. What if something happened to her? What if some strange side effect of the change had suddenly stricken her? He couldn't stand it any longer! He strode purposefully down the hall and stood facing the closed bathroom door. Restraining the urge to pound, he tapped lightly and waited. "Robyn?" he called softly when she didn't respond. Robyn wrapped the used tampon in some tissue and dropped it in the wastebasket before answering. "Yes?" "Are you all right in there?" Jim asked. He was struggling to keep his voice calm and even. Since when had Jim ever checked up on her in the bathroom? She sighed, but held her tongue, reminding herself that he wanted to help. He was concerned for her. She finished her business, counted to ten and opened the door to her very distraught roommate. "I'm just fine, Jim," she said sweetly. God please make those pills start working, she thought. "What took you so long? I was worried," Jim said. He really did look quite concerned. "Oh just girl stuff," Robyn said a bit flippantly. "You know how much time *we* take in the bathroom." Jim reached out as if to stroke her arm but let his hand drop to his side, the gesture uncompleted. "Come on Robyn, I said I was sorry. Let's call a truce," he said with equanimity. "I want to help. But I can't if you won't confide in me." Jim's words hit home. Robyn still felt extremely embarrassed about her period. But this was *Jim*, she reminded herself. They'd shared *everything* together. He'd accepted the fact of her transformation with relative aplomb. And he was prepared to stand by her without question. He wasn't a macho jerk; Robyn knew that from long familiarity. He just wanted to help in any way he could. She lowered her gaze and said, "I've got my period. And it's kind of freaking me out, okay?" Jim's eyes grew round. Robyn could practically see the light bulb going off over his head. "Ah! *Now* I understand..." Brad's behavior last night instantly came to mind. She thrust her hand in his face, index finger raised in a gesture for silence. "Don't you *dare* say it!" Jim quickly held his hands up in surrender. He fought the impulse that was trying to twist his mouth into a smile. Man, but she was just so damn *cute* all stirred up like this. He knew in his mind this sexy little spitfire was his best friend but Bob had never looked this good when he was angry. Eventually he lost the struggle and his mouth stretched into a wide grin. Robyn glared at him. He was smiling at her like a loon. "What?" she snapped. "Dude!" Jim said to get her attention before attempting to calm her down. But he lost his train of thought when he realized how ludicrous it sounded - she was certainly not a 'dude'! He broke down and started laughing uncontrollably. Robyn stared at him dumfounded until she realized how ridiculous the whole situation was. Jim's laughter was infectious and she too began to giggle. Then to laugh uproariously. Soon they were doubled over, tapping each other lightly in their mirth and leaning on each other for support. It was all so silly. If one of them sobered briefly the other would splutter some comment that would send them both back into fits of hilarity. Finally they both settled down, gasping to catch their breath. "Oh I needed that," Robyn gazed up at Jim. She smiled companionably. "Thanks, Jim. For everything." Jim glowed at her words. He was chivalrous, and not in a put on way. He had the old-fashioned kind of courtliness, ingrained so deeply that it came automatically to him. Which was one of the main reasons his siblings' lumping him in with men like his father bothered him so much. The tiny beauty before him might be his formerly male best friend but in his gut she was a girl. And to his way of thinking she deserved the very best. He knew how cranky and out of sorts his sisters got during their periods. He also knew it was a physiological reaction and not their fault. His friend Robyn was now experiencing this feminine 'joy' for the very first time and from the totally alien perspective of growing up male. What guy ever expects to have a period? Knowing all that and being the kind of guy that he was, there was only one thing Jim could do. "You're welcome," Jim said. He gave her a friendly hug. "But there's something else I know you need right now." She looked up at him questioningly. "Huh?" "Hold that thought," he said. He disappeared into his bedroom and returned a moment later with a pair of sweats he'd bought in the wrong size and never taken back. They were too small for him but should be only a little baggy on her. "Put these on and come with me," he directed. Robyn pulled the warm soft pants on. They were loose in the waist and so long that they bagged around her ankles. But she pulled the drawstring at the waist snug and tied it off to keep them up. The pants were comfy and she immediately began feeling warmer. She'd been chilly but more important issues had forced her to ignore the draft on her bare legs. Feeling confused she allowed Jim to lead her back to the living room sofa where he had her stretch out with her head pillowed by an arm rest. He covered her with an afghan his Mom had sent from home and walked off into the kitchen. He returned momentarily carrying something behind his back. All the while Robyn had been watching his activities in bemused silence. "Your breakfast, Madame," he said, handing her a dish and spoon with a flourish. "Chocolate ice cream?" she asked, surprised. "But of course, only ze most elegant ladies have ice cream for breakfast," he said, affecting a supercilious French accent. She hesitated, looking doubtfully into the bowl. He switched back to his normal voice and admonished, "Eat. I bet you skipped dinner last night." She took a spoonful and closed her eyes in pleasure as the ice cream melted on her tongue. She hadn't realized how hungry she was. "Mmmm. You're right, this is the perfect breakfast!" He sat down on the couch and placed her feet in his lap. With a strong and practiced technique he began massaging her feet. Robyn nearly jerked her legs out of his reach in surprise but he held her firmly until she relaxed into the experience. She actually moaned aloud as he expertly kneaded her instep. "Oh my god! That feels incredible!" she said between spoonfuls of ice cream. "Good," he said, basking in her obvious appreciation of his ministrations. He felt good knowing he was easing her trials a little. He'd need to remember to jot down the date so he could be on alert in four weeks' time. Not that he planned to pamper her this much every time but being forewarned he might avoid exacerbating her crankiness. He hadn't survived in a houseful of females without learning a few tricks, after all. Then it hit him that he was thinking like this situation was going to be permanent. "Robyn we can chat while you get comfortable, can't we?" he asked, switching to her other foot. "Sure," she said, setting her empty bowl on the coffee table. She was grateful Jim had the decency not to avoid her like she was some kind of nut case because of a natural bodily function. She still felt generally yucky but he'd succeeded in easing some of her aches. He seemed to know just what she needed to lighten her mood. She looked at him expectantly and asked, "What d'you want to talk about?" "Why don't you explain to me again why we can't change you back to a guy right now? It might help us come up with some ideas if we talk it out." "It's complicated," she said slowly, considering her words carefully. "My PC's fried, as you saw. If I weren't so weak now I'd have already tossed what's left of it in the dumpster. Like an idiot I never made a backup of my work and it was all on that machine. The program is way too complex to reconstruct from memory. I worked on those routines for weeks. So I can't just get a different PC and run another summoning ceremony. What's worse, the reference book I based the program on was also trashed. So I don't even have the original to work from. I thought there might be a chance of using that video tape I just showed you to help me recreate the whole thing but as you saw the most important parts are totally distorted." "Are you saying you've given up hope?" Robyn shook her head. "No. Not completely. Given time I think I can rewrite the code if I have another summoning spell to work with. Cathy promised me she'd try to come up with similar reference works. She said the book we used was a one of a kind with no known copies in existence. I don't know. She's the occult expert, not me. She says there's a chance that we can piece the spell together from other contemporary works. But those ancient books are difficult to interpret and often completely erroneous." "She never came right out and told me but I know she's worried. I'm not completely stupid. I know those old medieval books are rare and require special permission to access. If we can even locate them. I got the impression she found the original book in some kind of flea market over in Europe or something like that. The university library might not even have the kind of books we need. A google search might turn up something but do you have any idea how many sites that kind of search would turn up? Millions. And all of them, except the tiniest fraction, would be bogus. So basically it's going to take time. Maybe even longer than it took us originally." "And how long was that?" Jim asked. "All together a couple of months," Robyn replied. Jim sat silently considering the problem. He continued rubbing Robyn's feet but his mind was elsewhere. Robyn had seen Jim like this before. She recognized his deep problem- solving reverie and knew he might be lost in thought for quite a while. But she was content to lay back in companionable silence and enjoy the sheer heaven of the foot massage. Eventually his hands stopped kneading her feet and he turned to her and said, "Robyn, don't throw your PC away. I want to take it to the lab. I also want the video tape." Robyn looked confused. "But the PC is garbage and the tape's worthless." Jim shook his head and explained, "We're both programmers. Your specialty is cryptography. Mostly pure number theory and algorithms. But mine is system security. I overlap a lot with some of the hardware guys who work on data recovery. And their specialty dovetails naturally with some guys who work on image enhancement. Between us I think we might just be able to recover your program from your PC's hard drive or clean up that videotape enough to make it useful. Maybe even both." Robyn shook her head doubtfully. "Do you really think that's possible?" "You really wouldn't believe what those guys are capable of. A couple of them are working on cutting edge research for NASA to enhance images from space, like what we get from Hubble. And there's another guy who does classified stuff for NSA and FBI on recovering data from all sorts of media. Of course even he doesn't know where the media comes from and how it was obtained. I think we should give them a shot." "Sure. It's worth a try," Robin said. She looked a little apprehensive as she asked, "I wonder how long it will take?" "I don't want you to get your hopes up, Robyn," Jim said cautiously. "Probably as long or longer than recreating the whole thing from scratch. These guys are really busy and I'm sure they'll do this as a favor for me, but they'll be squeezing it in during their free time. So you and Cathy should continue trying to reconstruct the spell on your own. Then if we fail in one effort we'll still have alternatives." Contrary to Jim's expectations, Robyn actually looked relieved when she heard his time estimate. "So it looks like I'm going to be Robyn for the foreseeable future then," she said. "Yeah. Looks like," Jim agreed. "How do you feel about that?" "I dunno," Robyn sighed. She twirled a curl around one finger while she stared off into space a moment. "It's really not all that bad. But I'm going to have to get a job. I need some kind of income. And I'd like to continue my studies. I'd hate to lose a whole semester..." Jim nodded in agreement. "That's not all, Robyn. Just to get a job you're going to need an identity. That's where my specialty really comes in handy. It's illegal as hell but I'm pretty sure I can tap into Social Security and the DMV. I think I can also set you up as a transfer student from out of state." Robyn looked at him with open affection. "Oh Jim! You'd take that kind of risk? For me?" Jim blushed. For the first time in his life he truly understand Homer's description of Helen of Troy. Robyn's face could launch a hell of a lot more than a thousand ships! "No problem, Robyn," he said modestly. "What are friends for?" She leapt up and sat in his lap, hugging him tightly and pressing her lips lingeringly to his cheek. "Thank you!" she squealed excitedly. Jim hugged her back and wondered how he was going to survive the weeks ahead. To be continued...