At the Prom
Ellie Dauber

Jerry Nicholas wants to prank his high school's prom despite his best friend, Fred Paxton's, request that he behave. Jerry gave his friend his word -- sort of -- but where there's a will AND a Fairy Godmother, there's a way

At the Prom
Ellie Dauber

"Jerry, I want to talk to you."

Jerry Nicholas turned at the sound of his name. He saw Fred Paxton coming towards him, cutting quickly and carefully through the hallway traffic.

"What is it, Fred? I'm hungry, and we've only got thirty five minutes for lunch."

"I just wanted to warn you. Jack Andresky heard you talking about the mixer yesterday."

"So?"

"So, Jack still remembers some of the stunts you pulled last year. He's chairman of the Sophomore Mixer, and he doesn't want it messed up."

"Again, so?"

"So? So, he told me to warn you that if anything happens, he and his friends on the football team are going to be looking for you. And it won't be to shake your hand."

"Right, like I'm afraid of those goons.” He was. Jack and his friends could do serious damage, and they didn't have the brains of a tree toad between them. But he wasn't going to let Fred know that he was scared.

Fred paused for a moment. "Look, Jerry, I'm your friend. Hell, we've known each other since kindergarten, and I've gone along with more than a few of your hair-brained stunts. Only now I'm class Treasurer. I don't want to have to use what little money we've got to pay for any damages you do. Will you promise me that you won't wreck the mixer?"

Jerry thought for a moment. He owed Fred for more than one favor, and he'd worked hard to get the guy elected Treasurer. It really wouldn't look good to have Fred paying for what he was planning. Still -- not all the stuff that he had planned would do permanent damage.

"Okay," he said, raising his hand as if taking an oath. "I promise that I will cause no serious damage at the mixer tonight."

"No damage, period."

"You, sir, are a spoilsport of the first order. ‘…that I will cause no damage period at the mixer tonight.’"

"I'm not sure if that covers everything, but I think I'll take what I can get."

"It doesn't. But it's all you're going to get. I reserve the right to have a little fun, even if I have taken you off the hook for any of the class' money."

"Yeah, I'll remind you of that when I visit you in the hospital. Jack and his band of merry men aren't worried about monetary damages. They're worried about you doing something to ruin their chances of scoring with whoever they're bringing to the dance."

"Relax, man. I can handle those guys, and still have some fun. Now let's go see if there's anything edible in the cafeteria today."

*****

That afternoon found Jerry sitting on his bed going over his list of the booby traps and other tricks he'd planned for the mixer. 'Damn that Fred,' he thought. 'And damn me for promising him.' Some of the stuff, like the flour bomb over the dance floor, might still work. Flour wasn't really "damage", it would just be a mess to clean out of everybody's clothes. It was just a question of how far he was going to go to keep his word to his oldest friend. The trick was to figure out ways to disrupt the mixer without doing any damage.

He knew that Frank had been telling the truth about Jack Andresky, though.

*****

Jerry's locker was near the main inside entrance to the gym, and he had walked past the entrance to get the books for his last two classes. Stan Hellinger and Marty Groves, two varsity linemen, were standing near the door. It looked like they were just hanging out by the gym. But when they saw him, they had shifted position, like cops or guards suddenly coming on duty.

Stan had stayed near the door, but Marty had walked over to Jerry. He was a good five inches taller and must have had thirty pounds - all of it muscle - on Jerry. "Can I help you with something, Nicholas" he said. Clint Eastwood had used the same tone in that movie, when he said, "Make my day."

"Yeah, would you mind getting out of my way. I've got to get some stuff from my locker over there.” He pointed down the hall. When Marty turned to look, Jerry bolted around him and headed straight for the locker.

Marty walked over to the open locker, while Jerry was switching books. "Me and Stan heard somebody was gonna try something at the mixer. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you, Nicholas?"

"I don't think so."

"Good. Cause half the team's gonna be taking shifts watching the place. We see some little turd like you doing anything suspicious - Wham!” He threw a punch that deliberately missed Jerry's head by just inches. The locker door swung back from the impact and slammed into the front of the next locker over."

"I'll remember that, Marty."

"See that you do.” Marty turned and walked back towards the entrance and his friend.

*****

It had happened over two hours ago. Jerry was still shaking. Partly, it was the fear of what Marty and the others might do if they caught him. But partly it was also anger at the way that jock asshole had threatened him

Promise be damned. There was no way he was going to let them get away with that. The trick was getting in and pulling off whatever stunt he was going to do without Andresky or any of the others catching him.

It takes some kind of disguise or something. But what? And could he afford it --- whatever "it" was. He'd been trying to think of something even as he paired down the list of possible tricks and booby traps.

"I wish," he said aloud, "I just wish that there was a way to walk into that dance and not be recognized.” He looked out his window and saw the full moon rising above the trees. Heck,' he thought, while I'm at it, I may as wish that I get to set off at least one prank, and that the jocks don't hassle me about anything afterwards.'

Suddenly it seemed as if a shaft of moonlight was shining straight into his bedroom. Then the shaft of light disappeared leaving only a glowing circle on the bedroom floor. The circle glowed silver for a moment, then the glow changed to a blue color. A wavy blue shape seemed to rise out of the floor. As Jerry stared, too scared to move, it wavered, shimmering as it changed shape and became more solid. The colors flowed in the air, then settled down and turned into a short, silver-haired woman in a long blue gown. She had smallish butterfly like wings on her back, and she was holding what looked like -- no, it couldn't be -- a magic wand.

"What the? What are you, lady?"

The woman smiled. It was a smile Jerry recognized. He got it three or four times a year from his Great Aunt Ruth. Aunt Ruth thought he was still six and treated him that way. Worst of all, when he tried to explain that, no, he was fifteen; she gave him that smile and pinched his cheek. "Isn't that cute," she'd say. "Little Jerry thinks he's all grown up."

The woman looked kind of like Aunt Ruth, too, only not as old. She was in her fifties or sixties. No wrinkles but kind of plump. "Look at me, Jerry," she said. "What else can I be but a Fairy Godmother? I've come here to grant a wish."

"Sure, like in Cinderella."

"Oh, I always loved that girl. And she was so grateful after that nice Prince married her. I'm glad that they're still telling that story."

"Oh, so you've come to help me get into the ball - I mean, the mixer, and to not meet those handsome princes on the football team.” Jerry said the word "princes" carefully, as if he wanted to pronounce the letters "ce" more like a "k."

"Something like that, my dear?"

"My dear? Hey, wait a minute. You're not going to turn me into a girl are you?"

"You want to get in unrecognized. If they're looking for a boy, they won't notice a girl."

"No way, lady! They won't notice me as a black guy or an adult, either. Turn me into one of those. I'll go in disguised as a male teacher, or you can keep your dumb wish."

The Fairy Godmother scowled. "Just because I wear fairy wings doesn't mean I'm a pushover, Jerry. I'll transform you the way I want. Once a wish is made, it's up to me to decide how to grant it."

"Then I cancel my wish."

"Oh, very well. How about a compromise?"

"What did you have in mind."

"Neither of us decide what you get turned into. Hold out your palm."

When Jerry did so, she tapped it slightly with the tip of her wand. A coin about the size of a half dollar appeared in his hand. "That coin," she said "was minted by Theodacer, second Duke of Naples, in honor of his marriage to his child bride, Alcuin, in 538."

Jerry looked at the coin. It was an old Roman gold piece. He recognized it as such because he and Fred (of all people) were avid coin collector, and both had several Roman coins in their collections. One side showed the face of a man in his thirties, the other a girl about his own age. There was some sort of Latin inscription around the images on each side.

"Flip the coin in the air," the woman said. If it lands with the Theodacer side up, I'll change you into a thirty year old Black man. If the other side comes up, you get to be a girl your own age. Agreed?"

Jerry didn't like the odds, but it seemed to be about as fair a deal as he was going to get. Besides, he still wasn't convinced that this wasn't some kind of trick. "Agreed."

He held the coin up between finger and thumb and looked at it closely. It didn't seem to be a trick coin, but he was hardly an expert, even with his love of pranks. Such things always seemed more like cheats. 'Here goes nothing,' he thought. He flipped the coin with his thumb and watched it spin over and over as it flew through the air. It seemed to be going in slow motion, like something in a movie. He was also trying to keep an eye on the Old Lady just to make sure she didn't try anything.

He held out his palm, and the coin landed squarely in the middle of it. The girl -- what did the Old Lady say her name was, Allison, no, that wasn't it -- stared up at him. "Tail," he said making a lame joke. Damn! If this old lady was telling the truth, he was about to become a girl.

He felt the coin get warm in his hand. Then the warmth seemed to sink down out of the coin and into his hand. It spread out through his hand to his fingertips. His hand became smaller. His fingers grew long and slender, and his nails grew out about a half inch. The warmth moved rapidly up his arm. He saw the hair on his arm fall out as his arm grew thin. Then it seemed to smooth out as if an extra layer of fat was forming.

He was wearing a shirt, so he couldn't tell at first what was happening as the warmth reached his shoulder then spread down into his chest and stomach. Then he noticed that the shirt seemed to be growing on him. No, he realized, his body was shrinking. He looked down to see a shirt that was now much to big for him. Then he saw a movement under the shirt. Two small bulges appeared under the shirt, bulges that grew larger as he watched in horror, until two female breasts were pushing the shirt well out in front of him. The nipples, erect with fear, could be seen through the fabric.

The warmth moved over to his other shoulder and down his arm. Well, he'd watched that already, but it was also spreading up his neck. It reached his chin and spread out through his head. "Tickles," he said aloud, hearing his voice come out not as his usual tenor, but as a high alto, a girl's voice. He felt movement on his face, felt the muscles under his skin moving to new places. His scalp began to tingle, and he felt his hair grow longer. It slid down over his ears and brushed against his neck as it grew down to his shoulders.

The warmth in his chest moved down to his stomach. His waist suddenly felt as if it was caught in a vise as it grew narrower. He felt his pants grow loose. Then, a little lower, they became very tight as his hips and butt grew wider and more curved.

The warmth reached -- oh, no! no! it reached his groin. He relaxed for a second, as he felt himself become erect. Then the sensation changed. His penis and balls began to tingle the way an arm or leg does when it goes "to sleep" from lack of circulation. He looked down. A feminized hand reached for the bulge in his shorts. It found it, but the bulge grew steadily smaller as he tried to hold onto it. His testicles seemed to move up into his body -- he could feel the movement within him somehow -- leaving the sack behind. These grew smaller as his penis, still shrinking, settled down within them. In moments all he could feel were two small folds of skin with an opening between them. He probed with a finger and felt it slip in -- into his new vagina.

Now the warmth continued on down his legs. He watched them swell within his slacks, growing the curves of a woman's legs. Finally, it reached his feet. He wriggled his toes as his shoes became looser and looser. He now had the tiny feet of a young girl.

Jerry stepped out of his shoes and walked over to get a better look at his new self in the mirror above his dresser. He saw a girl that looked a lot like his cousin, Sandi, or maybe a younger version of his Mom. His hair was still the same dark blond color, but now it hung down to his shoulders. His eyebrows were narrow slits, and his lashes seemed longer. His nose was smaller and turned up a little. His cheek bones were higher, and his lips seemed fuller. His square jaw was gone, changed to a gentle curve that made his whole face seem rounder. His neck was definitely more slender.

So was the rest of him. He was no athlete, but he'd kept his body in fairly good shape with sports and his weekly chores. Now that was gone, and he had the slender body of a girl. His breasts looked pretty good pushing out his shirt. He couldn't tell the size, but, as the joke said, they were at least a handful. It was hard to judge the rest of his figure in his current clothes, but he knew that his waist was a lot narrower, and his hips and butt looked pretty good when he turned sideways for a look.

"My, you turned out very nice, Jerry," said the Fairy Godmother. She certainly had the powers of one, so why not call her that? "By the way, your name can also be spelled J-E-R-I, so you needn't change it if anybody asks. I would change the last name, though. Two Jerry Nicholas would be too much of a coincidence."

"So now what? You gonna turn a pumpkin into a Porsche, so I can drive to school?"

"You're too young to drive, Dear. Besides, you can't go to school dressed like that."

Jerry bristled at the word "Dear" and braced himself for what was about to happen. The Fairy Godmother waved her wand at him, and he was sure that she said something that actually sounded like "Bibbity, Bobbity, Boo!” A stream of sparks shot out of the wand and circled around his feet, then swirled up around his body and, eventually disappeared over his head.

He looked down and saw his socks change from a baggy gray cotton to a tight, shear mesh that seemed to climb up his legs. His pants were moving up his legs, too, fusing together to become a single tube of material that stopped several inches above his knees. He could see his legs now through the smoky gray mesh covering them. They were slender and hairless, smooth with a nice feminine curve to them.

His shirt moved down, growing tight against his body, as it merged with what had been his pants. He felt the mesh reach his hips and grow together to become a pair of pantyhose. Beneath them his shorts grew tighter. They seemed cooler and silky somehow against his butt, and he realized that he was now wearing a pair of panties. The same thing happened to his undershirt. It shrank until it was just below his new breasts, then tightened to enclose and support them. The material of the new bra was cool against his breasts and tickled his nipples.

The sleeves disappeared from his shirt, and the collar grew out until only two thin spaghetti straps held the shirt up. The material changed colors to a dark blue as pants and shirt merged, transforming into a rather tight fitting dress that hugged his new curves and showed the tops of his full breasts. The skirt loosened just below the hips to allow the sort of movement that a girl was likely to do at a dance. It would also swirl around, giving a good look at his stockinged legs.

Then Jerry noticed something on one of his fingers and took a closer look. As he watched, the nails shaped themselves and turned a dark red as polish appeared on them. He felt something on his mouth. When he stuck his tongue out, he tasted an oily sweetness that could only be lipstick. He looked in the mirror again. He was wearing not only lipstick but blusher on his cheeks. As he watched, his lashes became fuller, and a dark blue eye shadow and liner appeared on his face.

He took in the whole picture. He was hot, the sort of babe that guys dream about, in that tight blue dress and that "come hither" face. If he'd still been male and found her in his bedroom, he'd have been trying to talk her out of her panties in a minute. And she looked like that might not be too hard to do, either. Only it was him.

Fairy Godmother smiled. "You'll find, Dear, that you have the body language of a girl, too. You even know how to walk in those heels."

"What heels?” He looked where she was pointing. His sneakers were lying on the floor near the bed. Right where he'd stepped out of them. Then they shimmered, kind of like a hot road in the Summer, and did a movie quality morph into a pair of high heels the same color as his dress. Jerry walked over and slipped the shoes on. The heels must have been two inches, but he seemed to have no real trouble, as he walked across the room in them.

He did notice that he took a smaller step when he walked and his hips swayed in a very feminine manner, but, somehow, it seemed natural to be walking that way. He tried walking the way he usually did, a long, sort masculine stride, and that didn't seem right.

Fairy Godmother handed him a purse that also matched his dress. He looked inside and found his wallet, some make-up, and some change in a small purse. He took out the wallet and looked for his school ID. He couldn't find it, but he did find a Student Bus Pass. The picture looked the way he looked now, and his name was spelled J-E-R-I. His last name was listed as Whiting, his mother's maiden name.

"Curious about the name, Dear?" Fairy Godmother said. "I told you that you shouldn't use Nicholas, and Whiting is a name that you can identify with. There are enough students in your school that you shouldn't have a problem with people not knowing you. Now put that all away and sit down. There are a few rules that I must tell you."

Jerry put the ID back in his wallet and returned them both to the purse. He sat down on the bed and waited for her to continue.

"First, the magic only lasts until 10:30. You must be home by then."

"10:30! What happened to the stroke of midnight?"

"You're not old enough to stay out until midnight. Besides, that mixer you want to go to is over at 10 PM. Secondly, you'll notice that you're still holding on to the coin.” She stopped, and Jerry looked into his hand. Sure enough, the coin was still there. "You must keep the coin with you at all times. Put it in your purse. If you are more than five feet away from the coin, you will begin to change back ten minutes after you and the coin are separated. The extra time is a safety factor. You don't start changing, the instant you lose the coin. You'll feel a tingling, though, so you'll know that you have to go find it."

She paused again. Jerry put the coin into his change purse.

"One final point. The coin is designed to change you into a girl, and it will stay potent for twenty-four hours after you change back. So after you do change back, carefully put it some place where you won't touch it again for that length of time. If you do touch it again, there may be a reaction."

"I'll turn back into a girl?"

"Yes, and other things may happen as well. The magic of the coin wants you to be a girl. It may actually get stronger."

"Wow! Thanks for the warning. Can other people touch it?"

"Anyone can touch it, Dear, but it's magic is linked to you. You are the only one that it will transform while the spell lasts."

"Great. Well, thanks for helping me out like this, and thanks for the warning, too."

"That's all right, Dear. Try not to get into any real trouble.” The Fairy Godmother waved her wand above her head and slowly began to fade away. The last thing Jerry heard was "Have a good time and remember...."

Jerry stood up and took one last look in the mirror. Nobody would recognize him like this, and the only danger he was in from Jack Andresky and his buddies was that they might try to dance with him. He giggled at the thought, then caught himself. Girls giggled. Well, it would only help the disguise.

He looked at his watch and noticed that it was somehow 7:10 already. "Must have been my Fairy Godmother," he thought. "She took longer than I thought, or she sped up time some how." Either way, it was time to get to the Mixer. Asking his parents for a ride was out. He could never explain what had happened. But school was only a couple blocks away. Jerry grabbed his purse and hurried out the bedroom door. His father had evening shift this week, and he could hear his mother on the phone in the kitchen. He tiptoed down the steps and was out the front door. All his mother heard was the door slam behind him.

The walk to the school was uneventful, though it felt strange to feel his legs brushing against each other in the pantyhose. The breeze on his legs and up his dress felt odd, too, but he got used to it fairly quickly.

The dance had already started by the time Jerry got to the school. It took longer than he had expected because he was taking shorter steps in those heels he had on. He stood in the shadows near the school entrance and watched for a few minutes. Some of the kids had brought dates, but a lot were going in alone or in small groups of all boys or all girls. Jerry also saw a few members of the "goon squad", the football players that he knew were looking for him. Well, they'd see him soon enough, but they sure wouldn't recognize him.

As he came to the door, Jerry realized that he didn't have any ID. Nobody would recognize him in his new form, and he might not even get into the building. Worst of all, Fred was working at the ticket table.

Jerry took a breath and decided to just go for it. He got into the short line and waited as he slowly to the table. Fred looked up, but somehow, it took him a minute to get to Jerry's face. Jerry felt a little embarrassed when he realized that Fred was looking at his new breasts. 'Well,' Jerry thought, 'my breasts don't look anything like Jerry Nicholas. Maybe he won't know who I am behind them.'

Fred didn't really look at her face. The line was too long to talk much, even to a pretty girl. He just took her $2 and stamped her hand. "Next," he said motioning for her to go inside. He did try to remember what she looked like. He didn't know her, but he wanted to.

Jerry walked into the building. Even if he really had been new to the school, it was easy to find his way to the gym by just staying with the line of kids walking in the one direction. He noticed Stan Hellinger and Marty Groves standing near the lockers talking. They were still "on duty", watching for him -- the male Jerry Nicholas -- to try to sneak in. Fat chance they'd recognize him looking like this.

He stopped and walked over to the pair. "Excuse me," he said. Both boys relaxed and gave Jerry's new body an appreciative look over. "Could one of you tell me where the little girl's room is?"

"Oh, sure," Stan said. "Down that hall, second door on your left.” He pointed towards the entrance to the Girls' Dressing Rooms.

"Thank you.” Jerry turned and started in that direction. He stopped and looked back over his shoulder. Stan and Marty were both caught looking at his pretty new ass. He smiled as they quickly tried to look away.

Jerry had sometimes wondered what a girls' bathroom looked like. It wasn't that much different from the boy's bathroom that he was used to. There were a couple extra stalls along the wall, instead of a row of urinals. Near the row of sinks there was a dispenser on the wall. Sanitary napkins and tampons. Jerry looked down at his groin and shuddered, thankful that he wasn't going to be a girl long enough to deal with that problem.

He looked around and checked the stalls. He was alone. Before he'd left the house, he'd stuck a black grease pencil in his purse. He pulled it out and began writing on the large mirror over the sinks, "So this is what the girls' john looks like. Thanks for the great show this evening.” He smiled. He'd printed in bold letters and now he signed it, "The Peeper". The writing wasn't obviously his, but it sure didn't look like a girl's. It should start things jumping.

He left the bathroom and headed back down the hall. It would probably be a while before his little message was found. As he walked past where Stan and Marty were keeping watch, Jerry stopped. "Thanks again. I knew you were the sort of boys who'd know where the girl's bathroom was.” Jerry could barely keep from laughing at their reaction to the obvious put down as he turned and walked towards the gym.

He went into the gym, where the Mixer was actually being held, and leaned against the wall. The band wasn't bad. Jerry listened to it for a while, and tried to decide which of the other pranks he was going to try. He'd rigged a small smoke bomb -- no, that could cause a panic, and he really didn't want people to get hurt. Besides, it was in his locker, and how could he explain "Jeri" knowing the combination.

Maybe the air conditioner? He knew where the controls were. If he set it for ultra high, the place would get too cold. Only, with over a hundred kids in the gym, and a lot of them dancing, it would almost need to be on ultra-high to keep the place comfortable. Jerry decided to take a walk around the halls and think about it a while longer.

*****

Fred felt a tap on his shoulder. It was Mitch Resnick. "I'm back," Mitch said. "Thanks for taking my place at the table, so I could go to the can."

"My pleasure, believe me," Fred said. He stood up and ran inside to try and find the new girl. It was weird. He'd never seen her before, but he felt like he knew her. He meant what he'd said, too. If he hadn't spelled Mitch at the ticket table, he'd probably never have seen her.

Once inside he stopped and looked around. She was walking near the trophy case near the entrance to the gym. He slowed to a walk and tried to look casual. He smiled at the pretty new girl. "Hi, I'm Fred Paxton. I was the one at the ticket table." he said. "Welcome to Grissom. Is this your first time here? I don't think I recognize you."

"I'm Jeri Whiting, and tonight is my first time anywhere near Grissom. My folks just moved to town, and I'll be starting school here next Monday.” It was a quick lie, but one that Jerry thought he could work with. Besides, Fred had only just recently boasted to him that he knew every one in the sophomore class on sight. He doubted it, but he didn't want to take any chances.

"Well, then let me show you around the school a little."

Jerry smiled, knowing his friend only too well. "Let's wait until I know you a little better before I let you lead me down any dark hallways."

"Okay, then. How about if I take you into the gym, and we dance?"

"Sounds like a plan.” Fred offered Jerry his arm. Jerry smiled at his success in fooling his best friend. Fred took the smile to mean that this new girl liked him, so he smiled back and lead her into the gym and onto the dance floor.

The first two dances the band played were fairly fast. Jerry just had to move in time to the music and smile at Fred from a distance. Then the band began a slow ballad. Jerry was stuck. There was no easy way to refuse Fred's outstretched arms.

Fred took Jerry's left hand in his right and put his left hand around Jerry's waist. He pulled the girl close, but not too close. He didn't want to scare her off, and, besides, the chaperones were watching.

Jerry felt Fred's body next to his own transformed body. He moved with the music, trying very hard to remember not to lead. As he did, his new feminine instincts came into play. Jerry moved in a little closer and rested his head on Fred's shoulder. It felt like the natural thing to do. It felt good, too. In fact, it bothered Jerry just how good it felt to be there in Fred's arms.

Jerry tried not to think about it. He tried to remember that Fred was just part of the camouflage, somebody to dance with so he wouldn't be recognized as Jerry Nicholas. But it wasn't easy.

The music stopped. Jerry found his throat was getting a little dry, and he wanted to move off the dance floor, to get his mind off how much he was enjoying dancing with Fred. "Is there something around here to drink?"

"Sure, just wait here, and I'll ---"

"No, that's all right. I'll go with you.” There was no good reason to stand and wait. Somebody else might ask him to dance.

She wants to stay with me,' Fred thought. Aloud he said, "Okay, it's a little crowded, though, so give me your hand.” He reached over and gently took Jerry's hand. If she didn't want to hold hands with him, she could easily slip free. Instead, Jerry grasped Fred's hand and let him lead her into the crowd.

Jerry found himself enjoying being led through the crowd. It was nice to walk in somebody else's "wake", rather than having to ask people to step aside or to dodge around them. He was enjoying the feel of Fred's hand in his, too.

The refreshment table was just ahead. There were two punch bowls and several trays of cookies and cakes. Four classmates of theirs were behind the table since the food was being sold, rather than just given away. Jerry reminded himself not to recognize any of the kids.

Lisa Morris, a cute redhead that Jerry had dated in his Freshman year was one of the four. "Who's your friend, Fred? I don't think I know her."

"Hi, Lisa, this is Jeri Whiting. She's new in town, and she'll be starting here at Grissom next week. Jeri, this is Lisa Morris."

"Hi, Jeri. Welcome to Grissom."

"Thanks, Lisa. It's nice to meet you."

"Same here. Now, what can I get for you two?"

"Some of that punch, I think," Fred said. "Two cups, please, and three of Mrs. Hardesy's oatmeal cookies for me. Do you want anything to eat, Jeri?"

Normally Jerry would have chosen a couple of Mrs. Telarico's fudge brownies. But he didn't feel as hungry as he would have in his own body. Besides, as a new girl, he wasn't supposed to know which of the parents who supplied food for the Mixers was or wasn't a good cook. "Those cookies you're getting look good. I'll have one of them."

Lisa poured the punch and put the cookies onto a couple of small paper plates. "That'll be $2.20, Fred, unless you're going to make this poor girl buy her own food and drink?"

"No, no, I'll get it."

While Fred fumbled for the money, Lisa asked, "So, Jeri, are you having a good time?"

"Yes, I have to admit that I was nervous coming to the Mixer here before I'm even registered, but I'm glad I came. Everybody's been very nice."

"I think Fred's glad you came, too.” She winked as she said it. Fred handed her $3.

Jerry noticed that Fred was blushing a little. 'Not only doesn't he recognize me, but he's actually attracted to me as a girl.'

Once Fred had his change, he steered Jerry over to one of the tables set up nearby. An empty table Jerry noticed. He held the chair for Jerry to sit then sat down next to him. "I heard what Lisa said, and I have to admit that I am glad you came."

Jerry smiled in spite of himself, and Fred continued. "No, I'm serious. I'm normally a little shy around girls, especially one as pretty as you, but I have the feeling that we've met before."

Jerry wasn't sure how to react. Fred was actually coming on to him. "Thank you -- about being pretty, I mean."

"But have we met before tonight? I know it sounds like an old, dumb line, but I'm sure I know you from someplace."

"I don't think so. I -- my family -- we're new in town.” Jerry was starting to get a little uncomfortable. He didn't want to lie to Fred, but he could hardly tell him the truth. "Um, why don't you tell me a little about the school?” He smiled. "Then later, maybe, you can take me on that tour."

"Well, there's not much to tell. Grissom's a pretty good school. We won the District basketball title last year."

"Great!"

"Yeah, but we kind of blew it in the play-offs. Are you into basketball?"

"A little. I -- umm -- I had a boyfriend on the team at my last school."

"Oh, was he -- was your team any good?"

"Not too bad, I guess. We came in second in our District. One of the other schools had this great player that nobody could stop?"

"Really, anybody I might have heard of?"

"I -- um -- I forget his name.” Jerry realized that he'd dug himself a deep hole. He needed to change the subject. Fast. "I'd just as soon talk about my new school instead of my old one. Okay?"

"Gee, I'm sorry. I guess it is kind of tough having to leave all your friends and start over at a new school."

"Kind of, yeah.” Safe! Now if he could just keep the conversation on Grissom.

"Well, if it's any help. You've got at least one friend here. Me. I'm class Treasurer, so I know pretty much everybody. Anything you need help with, you come to me."

Jerry felt a warm glow run through his body. He'd always thought Fred was a good egg, but he'd never realized how sweet he was. "Thanks, that's very kind of you."

"I'll admit to an ulterior motive. I like you, and I'd like to see more of you. I -- I mean -- I'd like to spend time with you. Are you doing anything tomorrow night?"

"We -- umm, we're still moving in. I don't know if I'll be able to get away tomorrow night. A lot of the furniture is coming tomorrow.” Now Jerry had to figure how to let Fred down gently. He didn't realize that a part of him was disappointed that they couldn't go out tomorrow night.

"How about if I call. What's your number?"

"Our phone -- it isn't connected yet. I think they're coming to do that tomorrow, too."

Fred pulled a pen from his shirt pocket and wrote on one of the napkins. "Here's my number then.” He handed it to Jerry. "Call me tomorrow either way as soon as your phone is installed."

"I -- I'll see.” Jerry put the napkin in his purse. This was definitely getting out of hand.

"Hey, what's that," Fred said pointing to her purse.

Jerry looked down. The magic coin was clearly visible. "It's -- it's a good luck coin that my Godm -- umm -- my Grandmother gave me."

"I collect coins. Can I see it."

Jerry was glad to change the subject and reached in for the coin. She handed it to Fred who examined it very closely. "It's a Roman coin, looks to be Fifth or Sixth Century. You should be careful with it. Coins like that are sometimes pretty valuable."

"This one is," Jerry said. Then she stopped not wanting to give anything away. He thought quickly of an answer. "Umm -- at least to me. My Grandmother passed away last year."

"Gee, I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I miss her and all, but she was over ninety, and she went peaceably in her sleep." Jerry relaxed, happy that Fred had accepted the story. Both his grandmothers were still alive and well. He squeezed Fred's hand to show that he wasn't upset about mentioning "her" Grandmother. It was sweet that he was so concerned.

The band started another tune. "Great song ," Fred said, happily changing the subject. "Would you like to dance some more?"

"Sure," Jerry said, standing up. Fred couldn't ask a lot of questions while they were dancing. He didn't want to have to keep track of a lot of lies about who "Jeri Whiting" really was.

Fred took Jerry's hand and led him out onto the floor. The band danced several fast dances in a row. Jerry found that his new female body seemed a lot more graceful than his old male one. For the most part, he just made the standard moves that went with the music. One or two of the songs had kind of a sexy beat to them, though, and Jerry swayed his hips and moved in a more suggestive way. A few of the people dancing nearby stopped to watch the new hot babe that was dancing with Fred.

Finally, the band switched to something slow. Jerry stepped into Fred's arms, and they swayed back and forth to the music. Jerry found himself thinking how good it felt to be dancing like this. That startled him. The dumb spell must be making him think like a girl. Well, he had caught himself doing it, so he could watch out for thinking like that in the future. The main thing was to try to figure out what else to do for a prank. He'd think about it right after this dance

Just as the dance was ending, a scream ran through the room. Everything stopped, and all eyes turned towards the door. Lindsey Palmer, one of the cheerleaders, was standing in the doorway while a crowd, mostly boys hoping to comfort the pretty blonde, gathered around her.

"A boy," she panted. "There was a boy in the girl's bathroom."

Ms. O'Brien and Mr. Tornambe, two of the chaperones cut their way through the crowd. "Who was it?” Ms. O'Brien asked. "Did you recognize him?” Ms. O'Brien was head of the Phys Ed Department, an unusual position for a woman. She was a commanding presence: tall and muscular, in her mid-thirties. Behind her back, a lot of the boys (and not a few girls) referred to her as "Xena". She knew about the nickname and was actually rather flattered by it.

"No," Lindsey said. "He was gone when I went in. He -- he left a note on the mirror, so we'd know he was in there. He -- he was watching us in -- in there.” She broke down and began to cry in Ms. O'Brien's arms.

Ms. O'Brien signaled to one of the mothers that was helping out at the dance. The woman came over, and Ms. O'Brien gently moved Lindsey into her arms. "Jeff," she said to Mr. Tornambe, "take Lindsey and Mrs. Wallachek to the teachers' lounge. Lindsey can lie down there till she feels better."

Mr. Tornambe nodded and lead the two out of the gym. Ms. O'Brien stood and walked purposefully towards the girl's bathroom with much of the crowd following behind her. "You all stay out here," she said as she opened the door and went in.

The crowd milled around outside waiting for Ms. O'Brien to come out.

"Who do you think it was," somebody said.

"Damned, if I know," another answered.

"Hey, Fred," somebody called. "Where's Jerry Nicholas? This sounds like something he'd do." A few other voices muttered in agreement.

"If it was him, he's gonna be missing a lot of school.” Stan Hellinger smack his fist against the palm of his other hand for emphasis.

"Hey," Fred said. "Jerry isn't here. He hasn't been here all night. You and your goon squad scared him off, okay."

"What's it to you little man," Marty Groves joined the crowd.

"He's my friend, and I don't like the way you guys threatened him,” Fred said. Jerry was amazed. He hadn't expected Fred to stick up for him like this. He wanted to kiss Fred for being so brave.

"I got a right --"

"To keep one of the members of this class away from our Mixer? Who gave you the right to decide who can and can't come to school events?"

"Wait a minute," Stan said. "You all know the sort of stuff Jerry does. We were just trying to protect the Mixer."

"Look," Fred said. "I told Jerry myself that I didn't want him wrecking the Mixer, and he promised me he wouldn't."

"Right, and we can trust him," Marty said sarcastically.

"Maybe not, but I trust him, and you all can trust me. After all, you made me Treasurer, and I haven't run off to Brazil with all your money.” He paused for effect. "At least not yet, anyway." The crowd laughed.

"I still think he's around here someplace," Marty said.

"Then maybe you'd like to keep watch in the girl's bathroom in case he comes back," Fred said.

"Maybe I would."

"You try it, Mr. Groves, and you'll spend so much time in detention that you'll be on a first name basis with the janitors.” Ms. O'Brien had come out just in time to hear the end of the argument. She turned to the crowd. "Nobody's in there. Believe me, I've checked everywhere. I think somebody snuck in before the dance and left that message on the mirror."

"Then it could have been Nicholas," Stan said.

"Or not," Ms. O'Brien said. "For all we can tell, it could have been done by a girl. We'll investigate later.” She looked at her watch. "Right now, it's almost 9:30. You can stand in the hall and gossip or go back into the gym and dance. We're not extending the Mixer because of some foolish prank."

The crowd turned and headed back for the gym. Jerry took Fred's hand as they walked. "It was very brave of you to stick up for your friend like that."

"Stan and Marty just ticked me off. They think they're so high and mighty because they're on the football team.” He squeezed her hand. "Thanks for saying so, though."

"I meant it. They could have really hurt you."

"I don't think so. I do hope they catch whoever did write on that mirror. Practical jokes are fun, but poor Lindsey really got scared."

Jerry thought about that for a minute. Lindsey was something of an airhead, but he'd known her since second grade. He hadn't thought about how the girl who saw the message might react. "Do you think they'll catch whoever did it?"

"I don't know. I just hope it wasn't Jerry Nicholas. If it turns out to be him after they way I stuck up for him, well, he won't have to worry about Stan and Marty. I'll kill him myself."

Jerry looked at Fred. He was really serious about the threat. Maybe he -- Jerry -- deserved it. Pranks were fun, but it bothered him, it bothered him a lot all of a sudden, how scared Lindsey had been. Maybe it would be better to just stay with Fred and not do anything else.

As they walked into the gym, the band started playing again. It was another slow song. Fred looked at Jerry, holding his arms out in anticipation. Jerry felt suddenly shy. He smiled and looked down at Fred's shoes. Fred took Jerry in his arms and moved out onto the dance floor.

Jerry laid his head on Fred's shoulder. It felt nice. He felt safe, protected in his arms. Stan, Marty and the rest of Andresky's goons couldn't hurt him while Fred was around. He was such a great guy: sweet, brave, cute. He was everything a girl could want in a boy friend. A girl? Wait a minute, he was a boy. Wasn't he? The spell was getting too strong. Jerry wriggled free of Fred's arms.

"What's the matter?"

"I -- umm. I have to go to the girls' room.” Jerry turned and walked quickly towards the door. Fred stared at her a minute then started after her.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, yes! I just -- I have to go. I'll be back in a bit.” He reached into her purse and took out the coin. "Here, take my lucky charm as a promise that I'll be back.” Jerry handed Fred the coin and ran from the room.

******

Jerry felt his body begin to tingle almost as soon as he walked away from Fred. He looked back and saw that Fred had begun to talk to somebody. With a sigh, Jerry turned and headed out the front door of the school.

He had ten minutes to get away from the school before he started to change back. The last thing that he wanted was to be spotted by Jack Andresky or any of his goons as Jerry Nicholas. It would be so embarrassing for Fred after that speech -- what was he thinking? If any of them caught him near the school, they'd beat the crap out of him. It was too bad, though, that he had to miss the last dance with Fred, but if they were together when the Mixer ended, Fred would want to walk him home, maybe even come in for a -- "Stop it!" he whispered to himself. "You're a boy, or you will be in about five minutes. Now get moving."

Jerry ran down the street, the tingling spreading through his body and getting more intense. Running in heels wsn't easy, especially when your body felt like an electric current was shooting through it. He was about a block and a half from the school when he felt a sudden wave of dizziness. Somehow he knew that he was about to change back.

Jerry looked around. He couldn't see anyone, but that didn't mean that he wasn't being watched. He ducked into the shadows between a parked car and an oak tree. As he knelt down, he saw his hands begin to change, his fingers growing thicker and his nails shrinking. The dress became tight as his body grew into the more muscular male form. Jerry actually felt some regret as he saw his breasts shrinking down into his chest. Then, wonder of wonders, he felt his penis grow out and push against his panties, tenting his dress.

Panties, dress? No, for a moment later, he was wearing the Grissom High T-shirt and faded jeans that he'd had on when his Fairy Godmother had first appeared. "I'm back," he shouted. Then he cupped his hand in front of his mouth, hoping no one, especially any of the "goon squad" had heard. He stood in the shadows a moment more while his two inch heels reverted to a pair of old sneakers. Checking to make sure that there was no one in sight, he ran the rest of the way home.

******

"Here, take a look at this coin.” Fred flipped the coin towards Jerry who caught it instinctively. He felt a tingling as it touched him. He dropped it almost at once, but it was already too late.

He saw his hand begin to shrink, his fingers becoming long and slender. His nails grew, turning a pale pink as polish appeared on them. The tingling spread up Jerry's arm. The skin grew paler as his hair whitened and faded away. The arm itself grew thinner.

Jerry looked over at Fred. He was frozen in the position he'd been in at the moment the coin had touched Jerry's hand. His mouth was open slightly, as if he was about to say something, and his eyes stared at Jerry unseeing.

The tingling spread through the rest of Jerry's body. His shoulders narrowed as he grew more slender. His hips began to widen as his waist narrowed. His legs grew supple and curved. He felt the tingling in his groin and instinctively put his hand against his crotch. Through his pants, he could feel his penis shrink as it retreated into him. When Jerry stuck his hand down into his pants, all he could find was a girl's vagina. Now there was a pressure in his chest. He -- no, she -- looked down to see breasts swell up beneath his shirt pushing it out as they grew.

Jerry's face began to tingle, and she put her hands to it. Her nose shrank beneath her fingers. Her chin became more rounded. Her eyebrows, though see couldn't see or feel it happen, narrowed to thin lines. Her scalp itched as her hair grew down over the tops of her ears, to her neck, then on part way down her back.

Now her clothes changed. Her boxers crept up changing to french-cut panties, her undershirt shrinking and tightening around her breasts to become a matching bra. Her cross-trainers changed into a pair of girl's tennis shoes. The fabric of her jeans shifted to a more feminine cut that showed off the lovely curve of her hips and ass. Even her Star Wars t-shirt changed from a battledroid fight scene to a comic picture of JarJar Binks. She had light pink polish on her nails, with a matching lip gloss and blusher on her face.

Jeri looked down at herself. The changes were complete. She was a girl now, perhaps forever. Yet the coin still seemed to be pulsing in her hand. She looked around the room to see the furniture changing colors. The sofa moved to a different angle, and her father's beloved recliner became an ordinary, if overstuffed, chair with a rather feminine looking pillow on it.

Then she saw the picture on the mantle above the fake fireplace. The family portrait was done two years before to celebrate her parents wedding anniversary. It had showed the male Jerry at age 13 standing with his father to his left and his mother to his right.

The child in the middle was now a girl, the new Jeri, but that was not the only change. Her father's image was becoming shorter, more slender. His hair growing longer. At the same time her mother was growing taller and more rugged. Her hair was getting shorter, and a shape that looked like a mustache was forming over her lip. The clothes they wore seemed to be switching bodies, so that it was now her father in the blue dress and her mother in the sports jacket and tie. The change took only a few moments.

Jeri stared at the painting, suddenly realizing what had happened. Her Fairy Godmother had said the coin would become more powerful. In order to permanently change Jerry Nicholas into Jeri Whiting, it had transformed his parents, Pete Nicholas and Stella Whiting Nicholas, into her parents, Patty Nicholas Whiting and Steve Whiting. Most likely, neither they or anyone else would any memories of ever being anything else.

And now new memories flowed into her mind as well. She still remembered growing up as Jerry Nicholas, but now those memories seem to belong to someone else. She remembered a new past of dolls and tea parties, dresses and hair ribbons. And of a boy named Fred who teased her mercilessly, until their teens when they discovered how much they meant to one another.

Her mind adjusting to the new reality, Jeri smiled at her boyfriend Fred. He blinked and smiled back at her. "So you had a good time at the mixer, Jeri?"

"Of course, the music was great.” She smiled back, feeling a little shy and uncertain about her new life and the feelings she seemed to be having.

"Anything else you liked about it?"

"Well, I suppose being there with you was nice, too.” She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. He took her hand and sat down on the couch. Then he pulled her down next to him and returned the kiss, only not on the cheek.

What little was left of Jerry Nicholas wanted to scream. He still knew that he was really a boy. Only, it felt so good to be kissing Fred. His -- no, darn it, her, her, HER! -- body was tingling, but it was a nice warm tingle that centered in her breasts and her groin. She decided not to worry about it and concentrated on kissing Fred back.

They were still on the couch, kissing and holding hands, when Jeri's Mom slammed the kitchen door to let them know that she was in the house. They quickly separated and straightened their clothing. Jeri realized that she was still holding the coin. "Here, Fred, a dinar for your thoughts."

"I think Fred had better leave, or his parents will wonder where he's at," Jeri's Mom said coming into the room.

"I think you're right, Mrs. Whiting.” He took the coin from her hand and headed for the door. "Bye, Jeri."

"Bye, Fred.” Jeri looked at her Mom wondering what the woman had seen.

"Oh, go kiss him goodbye, Jeri," her Mom said smiling. "You might as well."

Jeri smiled back and ran over to where Fred stood waiting.

*****

On another plane of reality, the Fairy Godmother leaned back from watching the last of the transformations in her crystal ball. "An elegant solution, I must say, to such a tangle of wishes." She gestured, and a tall glass of pink ambrosia, chilled just the way she liked it, materialized in her hand. She sipped a little. "Fred didn't want Jerry to ruin the Mixer, and he wanted a loving girlfriend. Jerry wanted a chance to pull some prank, but he didn't want to be punished."

"Jerry got to have his fun, but, in Jeri's new reality, it never happened, so she can't be punished for it. And as Fred's girl friend, she won't be interested in causing any more mischief." She took another sip. "It's so satisfying being Fred's Fairy Godmother."

And they all lived happily ever after.

The End

The End