Genesis ran home as fast as her legs could carry her. What Mirna had said about casting a mass memory-altering spell really scared her. She did NOT want her father to forget the son that he had-and, okay, Genesis supposed her stepmom could be in on it, too. She'd need their help to figure out a way out of this mess.

When Genesis got home, she threw open the front door and ran into the kitchen. There, she saw her stepmom working on washing the dishes. Paulette looked up at Genesis and frowned. "Who are you?" she asked.

"I'm your stepson Gene," Genesis answered. "I just had a run-in with a witch, and she turned me into a girl!"

"What's going on here?" Genesis' dad asked as he came into the room.

"Dad, listen," said Genesis. "I'm Gene. I just got turned into a girl!"

"I'm not your dad," said Reginald.

"Yes, you are." Genesis struggled to think of something only her father would know. "Remember when Mom-not Paulette, my real mom-left us when I was seven? And then she got a job as a middle school History teacher, and died in a school shooting?"

Reginald's jaw dropped. "What...how did you..."

"She took me with her at first," said Genesis. "When she died, the government decided I'd get to live with you again."

"That's exactly what happened," said Reginald. He looked closer at Genesis and realized that her features did somewhat resemble that of Gene's. "And you...you do kind of look like Gene..."

"Do I?" Genesis hadn't given a thought as to what she now looked like. She hadn't even seen a reflection of herself.

"Well, not exactly like him," said Reginald. "But if Gene were female, I think he'd look like you."

"I am Gene," said Genesis. "And I guess I am female now."

"What's your girl name?" Paulette asked.

"Genesis," Genesis answered. "That's what the witch said."

"So you paid Cassy a little visit at the mall, did you?" Genesis turned to see Ramona entering the kitchen with a sadistic, triumphant smile on her face. "Got a little more than what you bargained for?"

Genesis' jaw dropped. "Ramona?" she said. "You knew Cassy's boss was a witch?"

Ramona nodded. "I worked at that bookstore last summer, you know," she said. "Mirna let me in on some of her secrets. And, since you just had Cassy dump you, I figured you'd be going out to try to get back at her, and then catch the eye of her boss. And it looks like I was right."

"Hold on," said Paulette. "She turned you into a girl just for talking to Cassy?"

Genesis hung her head. "No," she admitted. "There was...a little more to it than that." She explained how, as Gene, he'd tried to get Cassy to have sex with him, only to be rebuffed. Then she launched into the story about what really happened at the hot dog stand, and the horrible scene in the mall bookstore.

By the time Genesis was finished, Reginald was shaking his head. "I'm very disappointed in you, young...lady," he said. "I hate to say it, but Cassy's boss is right. You do need to learn how to respect women."

"But-but I just wanted to have sex with someone!" said Genesis. "I just wanted to know what it felt like! And Cassy was my girlfriend, so I figured-"

"Girls aren't just toys to be played with," said Ramona. "We're people, just like you are. And we don't like being objectified. You, Gene-excuse me, Genesis-have been an insufferable womanizer all throughout high school. And now you're finally getting what you deserve."

Hearing Ramona talk like this made Genesis' blood boil. Since the moment Gene met her, Ramona had been spying on him and keeping track of everything bad he did, as if she was hoping she could find something to blackmail him with. And of course now that Gene had gotten himself into a load of trouble, Ramona was taking the opportunity to walk all over him. Bitch was not the right word to describe how Genesis felt about Ramona right now.

"Yes, thank you, Ramona," Paulette said sternly. "Now, Genesis, did Cassy's boss say anything about changing you back?"

"She said not until I 'learn to respect women,'" Genesis answered.

"Like that'll ever happen," Ramona scoffed.

Well, that was it for Genesis. Looking back, she wasn't sure what happened. Maybe, somehow, her male hormones hadn't quite worn off yet, and they were contributing to her aggression. Whatever the case, she lashed out and hit Ramona across the face. "Would you just shut the fuck up!" Genesis screamed.

"That's it," Reginald barked. "To your rooms! Now! Both of you!"

Genesis and Ramona glared at each other, but they complied.

***

Genesis paced inside her room. It now looked quite different from how it had before. When she entered, a wave of magic sparkles had passed through it and completely changed it. The boy clothes in her dresser and closet were replaced with girls' clothes, and a mirror had appeared above her desk. All her action figures and video game guidebooks had vanished and were replaced with stacks of romance novels (thankfully, without Twilight among them). This, Genesis presumed, was the result of Mirna's mass-memory altering spell. It not just changed people's memories, but the world around them, too.

Genesis was just starting to wonder if the memory-altering spell had affected her parents' minds when Reginald knocked on her bedroom door. "Yeah?" said Genesis.

"It's me, your dad," said Reginald. "Can I come in now?"

"Sure," Genesis said, though she had a feeling her dad would've come in no matter what she said.

Reginald opened the door and looked around Genesis' new room. "So the spell changed your room, too," he said.

"What-you still remember?" said Genesis. "That I was Gene?"

"Yes, I do," said Reginald. "Somehow, Mirna's spell didn't affect me or Paulette."

"Maybe because I told you before it took effect?" Genesis suggested.

"Perhaps," said Reginald. "Which brings me to what happened just now."

Genesis breathed really heavy out of her nose. "Look, I know I shouldn't have hit Ramona," she said, though she honestly didn't feel any shame. Now that she was a girl, it felt a lot less "wrong" to hit another girl. "But she said-"

"Yes, I know she was egging you on," said Reginald. "But if you give in, then you're just encouraging her to keep being mean to you."

"What is her deal?" Genesis asked. "Why has she been out to get me all throughout high school?"

"Because she sees that you haven't been very respectful to women, and she doesn't like that," Reginald said simply.

"It's not just me," said Genesis. "She walks over everyone else at school, too. She's just such a bitch all the time."

Reginald slowly nodded. "I know she's not very easy to get along with," he said. "But there's a lot about Ramona that you don't know."

"I know what I need to know," said Genesis. "She's a bitch who hates everyone around her. End of story."

"There's more to it than that," said Reginald. "There are some deep wounds inside of Ramona that still haven't healed. I've told you before about how she and Paulette have been recovering from a very bad marriage."

Genesis rolled her eyes. She did know the story...sort of. Paulette had married some guy who'd turned out to be really awful, and the marriage had fallen apart. Reginald and Paulette had told Gene the story a few times over, but it had mostly gone in one ear and out the other. All he knew that Reginald marrying Paulette would make Ramona his sister, which he was very much opposed to.

"Yeah, I know," said Genesis. "Ramona's dad was a dick, blah blah blah."

It was Reginald's turn to sigh. "Gene-er, Genesis-I understand you have a hard past with Ramona. But, like it or not, she is family now. You're going to have to put aside your differences with her somehow."

"If she'll even let me," said Genesis.

"We'll have to work with her on that," said Reginald. "And we'll have to work with you, too. Not just on bonding with Ramona, but adjusting to your new life as a girl."

"Well, if everyone else besides you and Paulette-and Ramona-remembers me as Genesis, then that's one less problem," said Genesis.

"Yes, it is," said Reginald. "The real problem is adjusting to living as a girl. We'll have to have Paulette teach you how to wear girl clothes, and do your hair, and..." He trailed off, wondering how to word what he wanted to say. "Well, you do have a...different body now..."

"Yeah," said Genesis. Suddenly, she became aware of a sensation down in her pelvic area. She'd felt a sensation like this as a guy, but this time, it was in a different configuration. "Speaking of which..."

"What?"

Genesis smiled awkwardly. "I have to pee," she said.

To be continued...