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Author's Note: Here's 8. I'd like to thank djkauf and Indy for the magical editing and everyone for enjoying this universe.

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EIGHT:

When I woke up, the first thing I noticed was the weight on my chest. I groaned, because I knew whatever they did had failed. I just lay there, my eyes closed; wondering if this was going to be my life from now on. After returning last night, I spent some time in my room wondering what my life was going to be like now---that is if they couldn’t fix it. If I had to be a girl for the time being I suppose there were worse things. Not that I wanted to be one but at least I didn’t have horrible acne or a huge nose. I still looked like myself, if only a softer, more emotional version. I tried calling Mom again, to tell her what happened but I still only got her voice mail. Whatever my parents were doing must have been more important than making sure their child was safe.

If only they knew.

Safe sure, happy not so much. Ravencrest was a messed up place and it only seemed safe to the oblivious. I’m not sure how anyone could consider this a safe place to live. What with witches freely using magic, vampires running about, Weres running schools. Who knows what else was out there. Sure, there were rules and things like that but I’d seen how much the Unseen follow rules. Mary had rules, things she wasn’t supposed to do. She broke those rules as soon as she felt they didn’t apply to her and now I was a member of the fairer sex.

In my room last night, I tried thinking about what she’d done. Sure, I could forgive her but only slightly. Mary does stupid things. Was I pissed, definitely; was I going to hold a grudge the rest of my life over it---probably not. I thought about it a long time and it all came down to living. I’m not sure how long I was going to be here and it was better if I at least tried to get along with them. I’d have a miserable time at things if I was pissed at Mary and glaring at my grandmother. So I’d try to look past their collective flaws and play nice. It wasn’t going to be easy but the alternative was worse.

After thinking for a while last night, I went downstairs.

Mary and my grandmother were in the kitchen, poring over several leather bound books. They didn’t acknowledge me until a few minutes after I arrived. I dropped into an empty chair and waited as they talked. When they did finally talk to me, they told me they think they knew how to reverse the spell. They rambled on about the specifics and made me drink another potion. Nothing happened, of course, but according to my grandmother, it might take time. So after that I went about the rest of the night, trying to be normal. Well as normal as a guy turned girl could be. I ended up feeling a bit off after a few hours and hit bed earlier.

Before drifting off, I vaguely remember hoping that this would be all over with.

Apparently, I wasn’t so lucky.

I finally opened my eyes, blinking a moment or two. The weight was still there, pressing on me. It’s funny because I don’t remember them being that heavy yesterday. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, getting rid of the groggy and groaned. There was a huge lump of gray on my chest. The weight in question was in fact Diamond. Stupid cat. I shook myself, twisting left and right. The cat let out a low meow before jumping off me. As soon as he was gone, I saw a miraculous sight: a flat chest. I threw off my blanket and sure enough, there were no mounds under my shirt. I could have screamed in joy instead I sat up and patted my chest just to make sure. It was confirmed, no breasts. I took a quick peek inside my bed pants; everything was all right down there, too.

I let out the biggest sigh ever. So whatever they did worked like a charm. Thank God for small miracles.

I threw the rest of the blanket off me and crawled out of bed. As soon as I stood, however I felt a slight tickling on my neck. I reached up and felt hair there. My hair had always been a bit shaggy; something my father never truly cared for. It was a pseudo skater boy/Emo look and I liked it but he thought it was too long. I suppose if I did have it a bit shorter people wouldn’t mistake me for a girl as much but I could never bring myself to cut it that short. However, I always made sure that it wasn’t touching my neck, that felt like a little too much.

I left my room quickly, making my way down the hall. I slipped into the bathroom and locked the door behind me. Then I rushed to the mirror. Sure enough, my mop was now longer. Not overly long but to my shoulders. It looked a little fuller too and maybe a tad bit shinier. I couldn’t help but groan. At the same time though I was glad it wasn’t down my back. If I’d stayed as a girl there was no way I could have hair that long. I could deal with a little more now just as long as it stayed at my shoulders.

I stripped off my clothes, dropped them in a heap and got into the shower. As the warm water washed over me, I was glad that it was my body and not a girl’s. I’m not sure I could handle washing a girl’s body. Not that there was anything wrong with it but I would feel a little put out. For a guy who still hasn’t gone through puberty, a naked female body did nothing for me. Sure, I recognized them for what they were but I didn’t get the least bit aroused by them. I liked girls well enough but I didn’t fantasize about what was underneath all their clothes. Yesterday I had tried my hardest not to think about what was hidden under mine.

I cleared yesterday from my thoughts---hopefully forever---and tried to enjoy the shower.

As soon as I was done showering, I went back to my room and got dressed. I made sure to wear my hoodie and went downstairs with the hood up. I didn’t want either of them to see my hair. Mary was at the table again, eating cereal. She looked at me when I entered, watching me.
“There’s some cereal if you want it.”

I looked from her to her bowl then to the fridge. “I think I’ll skip the milk today.”

I took the cereal from the cupboard and poured it into a bowl. I sat down and she continued to stare at me. It was kind of freaking me out. After another few minutes or so of the staring, I let out a huge sigh. “Yes it worked.”

“That’s a relief, there’s too much estrogen in this house to begin with” she joked, probably hoping it would make me feel better.

It didn’t.

“Look I comforted you last night because you were a wreck but just because I did it that doesn’t mean we’re friends. What you did was unforgivable.” I held up my thumb and index finger, a few centimeters apart. “I was this close to running to Aunt Grace.”

“I’m sorry,” said Mary, tearing up.

I wasn’t going to fall for that again. Last night I’d been weak, trying to avoid any more conflict. Today I would tolerate it because I had too but I wasn’t going to be happy about it. So I made no attempt to comfort her, instead I continued to eat my dry cereal. A few minutes later, our grandmother came into the room. She took one look at me and nodded.

“I see it worked” I nodded. “Just to be on the safe side, there’s somewhere I want you to go after school today”

“You’re sending him to the Coven?” asked Mary, her shock the same as mine.

Our grandmother laughed. “Hardly. There’s a witch in town who specializes in transformation magic. I want her to take a look at Kelly, make sure whatever it is you did, didn’t have any lasting effects on him.”

She turned to me. “So after school today, I want you to ride your bike to the Drake house, I believe you’re friends with Maggie Wilkes?”

I nodded.

“Miss Wilkes will show you the way.”

It almost sounded like I didn’t have a choice but I wasn’t going to say that. Instead, I nodded my head. After I saw the way she handled McC, there was no way I was going to cross my grandmother. She scared me before but she terrified me now.
Breakfast was eaten in silence after that then Mary and I headed to school.

“You’re not going to talk to me at all?”

Ten minutes into the ride---ten minutes of not saying a thing---Mary got annoyed.

“There’s nothing to say,” I said, which was the truth.

“Look I said I was sorry, can’t you just leave it at that?”

I groaned. “You violated me. Not only did I tell you no, you went behind my back anyway and tricked me. You were pissed off because I was being friends with someone you didn’t like and you wanted to teach me a lesson.”

“That’s not the real…”

“Bull” I snapped, the two of us were stopped by now. “I thought a bit about it last night. Everyone either fears you or let’s you get away with shit. I know what they call you Mary; I see how they look at you. You’re a big bad scary person. You put on this act, all this dark clothes, dark makeup---you try to scare people away with it. I don’t know why you don’t like Misty and frankly, I don’t care. You don’t scare me, you’re not going to intimidate me and you’re NEVER going to pull shit like that with me AGAIN!”

I left her there after that, putting on the speed as I pedaled away as fast as I could.

I didn’t look back once.

When I got to school, I slammed the bike into the bike rake. I set the lock, making sure it was secure. When I turned around, Maggie was standing behind me. I nearly jumped out of my shoes. I took a moment to recover. She looked scared; I think it was the way I approached.

“Sorry, bad morning” I said apologetically.

She nodded. “I heard about yesterday. There’s a rumor about the new girl being found unconscious in the boy’s bathroom?”

I groaned. “That’s all I need.”

“Everyone thinks that you were there to…well…you know.”

Well that’s just great. Here only three days and everyone was labeling me the new school slut.

I rubbed my temples. “Mary decided to dose my cereal with a potion yesterday morning, halfway through Gym class I turned into an actual girl. I realized it in the bathroom and passed out from the shock.”

The two of us started toward the school. I was already starting to get looks---some of them rather nasty.

“What the hell is that girl’s problem?”

I shrugged. “I think she was dropped on her head one too many times.”

We both laughed.

When we got into the building, there were more stares. A few people started mumbling “slut” and “whore” under their breath as we passed. When we got to my locker, there were nasty names written all over it. I absolutely loved the rumor mill. If a girl was found unconscious in the boy’s bathroom, it meant only one thing: she was there for sex. As I was opening my locker door, someone slammed into to me from behind. I ignored it just like the names. I got my books, closed my locker and started for my first period class. Halfway there someone slapped the books out of my hands. They went scattering all over the floor. There was a lot of laughing. The thing that pissed me off the most was the fact that these people thought I was a girl. I could handle the whole slut thing; I’d been called names all my life so it didn’t bother me.

Now I was a female slut. I had half a mind to strip to my boxers in the middle of the hallway and scream I’M A BOY as loud as I could.

Instead, Maggie and I picked up my stuff.

“I got to go to class, I’ll see you later.”

I nodded and she disappeared.

When I got to class, there were a lot of stares. I ignored them and the name-calling. You’d think I was in middle school again or something---this whole thing was overly juvenile. Thankfully, it stopped as soon as class started. Sadly, it happened in everyone of my morning classes. The only sympathetic people were Misty, Maggie and my stalker Jack. Misty kept giving me these sad smiles, out of the three of them she was the only one who could truly understand.

By the time I got to lunch, I’d heard several versions of my bathroom incident. My favorite was that I was found in a stall in my panties, my mouth wide open---supposedly waiting for more. It was by far the grossest rendition and also the funniest. It was amazing how people took things and twisted it one way or another.
In the lunch line, I ran into a problem.

“Hey baby, you want to have a fun time later.”

I only half acknowledged the ass wipe of a jock in line behind me.

“Next period the boy’s bathroom on the second floor is usually pretty quiet. I can reserve us a stall if you’d like?”

I groaned. I turned around and looked at the towering ass. He was one of those typical overly muscled jerks who would have picked on me regardless. If I was a boy to him, I was a sissy and if a girl, I was a dyke. I could never win with these types of people.

“Go fuck yourself!”

“”No, I think that’s your job” he said to his own laughter, joined in by a buddy in line behind him.

I rolled my eyes. “Here’s any idea. Why don’t you take your friend to a stall, I’m sure he’d suck anything you threw his way.”

Neither one of them laughed at that.

Instead, Ass Wipe Jock looked pissed. He grabbed me by the shoulders and pulled me into him, pressing his lips aggressively against mine. I was a little shocked to say the least. I’d been called a girl more times than I could count but never had any of those blind asses tried to kiss me. He held me for a long time, trying to force his tongue down my throat. I finally started to fight back but he was too strong. When he finally stopped, I was more than disgusted.

“Did that change your mind babe?”

I was still shocked. That faded quickly though, replaced by a rage I’d never felt in my entire life. I shoved him way. He and his friend laughed. I wanted to tear off his head, I wanted to shove my hand into his chest and pull out his innards. I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs and hope to God that everyone heard it. I didn’t do all those things of course; instead, I stared at him with a burning fire. I forced all my anger into that stare.

That’s when it happened. He and his friend were still laughing. They walked away laughing, their backs turned to me. They got about five feet away when Ass Wipe’s belt snapped. He was one of those jerks who wore pants a size too big. I’m not sure why and it didn’t matter. What mattered was that as soon as the belt snapped, his pants dropped down to his ankles---while he was still walking. Suffice to say seeing a jock asshole get tripped by his own pants was the best payback ever.

It was even better when he threw his tray into the air and it landed on one of those cheerleaders.

The whole cafeteria fell silent then erupted into laughter.

Me, I just stood there and stared, not really sure what just happened.

The rest of the day went by without incident or rather without any ass kissing me again. I did have some problems in Gym class though. Ass Wipe---whose name was Troy Stanton by the way---was there, as were his friends. I think it took a few minutes for them to put two and two together---after all, I was wearing a t-shirt and shorts. As soon as they did though, they glared at me through the whole class. It didn’t take long for it to get around that Troy kissed a boy in lunch. They gave me hell too, going out their way to slam me into the wall or trip me up. The funny thing about it was that they didn’t seem to connect me to the new school slut---it was almost as if we were two different people entirely.

Guys were dumb that way.

I don’t include myself in that group because I’m different than normal guys---I actually think before I act.

Things were better after Gym but only slightly.

When I finally got to my locker at the end of the day, I was happy that it was finally over. Maggie was standing there waiting for me with a big smile on her face. She had a nice, warm smile that always seemed to make me feel better. That smile dissolved as I got closer, my slight limp must have become apparent to her. I was hoping that it wasn’t too noticeable but I guess I was wrong. At the end of Gym, Troy got a cheap shot in, stepping on my foot and elbowing me into the wall. Unfortunately, for me no one saw but him and his friends.

“Are you limping?”

So she did notice. “It’s nothing, I stepped wrong, it doesn’t even hurt.”

That wasn’t false bravado either. Though it kind of stung at the time, the pain was all but gone. I was sure by the end of the day it would be a distant memory.

“Can you ride a bike?”

I nodded. She didn’t say anymore about it. Instead, I did some book swapping---put away and take out. Then I slung my pack on my shoulder and followed her out to the bike racks. Mary and her friends weren’t there which I was grateful for. I thought I could get over what she did to me, put it behind me but this morning she really ticked me off. Now if I saw her, I’m not sure how I’d react. I guess it was for the best that she didn’t try to show her face. I’d have to deal with it at home of course but I could at least lock myself in my room there.

We didn’t waste any time getting on our bikes and setting out. Maggie told me a little bit, about where we were going as we rode. The Drakes were one of the first families to settle in Ravencrest, they were here nearly as long as the Lockes and the Crawfords. They lived in a large house on the lake. It was strange but I didn’t even know the town had a lake, apparently a lot of people didn’t. Crowley Lake had been there longer than the town in fact. It didn’t get a name of course until Ravencrest was formed. Before that, she didn’t know much about it. The lake was old though. She said there were books in her library back home---books written before the town was formed---that talked exclusively about it.

The lake was a twenty minute bike ride from the school. It surprised me how big it was and how I never noticed it before. Ravencrest University was practically smack dab in the middle of town. In fact, the town was centered around the old Ravencrest manor, which now served as the main building of the college. Crowley Lake was large enough to actually have part of the college built on it. Some of the dorm buildings actually overlooked it. When we got to the lake---riding down the path that followed its bank---I couldn’t help but look out at the inky black water. Never in my life had I see a lake so calm with water so dark.
It sent chills down my spine.

The Drake house seemed to come out of nowhere.

It was kind of eerie how there was nothing but flat black water and trees and then bam, a house. It was a good size house too, something that one couldn’t exactly miss. I didn’t know much about houses but it looked old. It had one of those wrap around porches, lots of gambles and a widow’s walk, which I always thought were cool. It also had a wheelchair ramp where stairs should have been. That kind of surprised me but no more than usual. Maggie rode her bike up to the large oak tree in the front yard, resting it against it. I did the same.

“I used to come here a lot when I was younger, sometimes Alex would pretend to babysit me.”

“Pretend?”

Maggie laughed. “She was a few years older than me. We both knew the age difference was too close to call her my babysitter so we used to say she pretended to babysit me.”

I think that made sense.

Maggie led me up the ramp to the front door. When she rang the doorbell, I was surprised when the door opened. I realized the ramp was meant for a wheelchair but what I didn’t think was how young the wheelchair user was going to be. It was a kid who answered the door, a kid that was far too young to be in a wheelchair as far as I was concerned. He couldn’t have been more than 12. He looked from Maggie to me then back to Maggie---a smile spread across his face when he looked back at her.

“Hey Charlie” she said in a sweet voice. “This is Kelly; he’s here to see your Mom.”

“That’s a Dude?”

I couldn’t help but groan. I didn’t say anything though; I didn’t want to snap at a kid in a wheelchair.

Instead, Charlie and I stared at each other for a minute.

A few seconds after that, he called out. “Mom, there’s someone here to see you!”

He turned his chair and rolled off down the hall, disappearing around the corner. From that, very same corner came a woman with long brown hair. She looked about my Mom’s age, made apparent by the few visible grays. The thing about Mom was that she didn’t look to be in her late forties; in fact, she looked about thirty at the most. It had something to do with the way witches aged---which was slower than normal humans. Rumor had it there was Fae blood in them but that was a happy fairy tale that all good little witch boys and girls were told growing up.

I’m sure it had everything to do with magic.

The woman smiled as she approached. She had a pleasant smile, nothing like her son.

“You must be Kelly,” she said, I nodded. She smiled. “You’ve grown quite a bit since the last time I saw you.”

Last time? As far as I knew this was the first time.

She laughed. “Becky and I go way back. The last time I saw you though you were small, barely a year old. It’s a shame how two best friends are always busy, never giving one another enough time to stop and visit.”

Best friends? Wow, this was Cassie. Mom often talked about her best friend Cassie, the two of them used to do everything together. I just never made the connection between them. I couldn’t help but smile at this woman, trying to imagine her as the wild girl from my mother’s stories. I probably knew more about this woman than her own children. Mom was a talker about those things; she liked to share a lot about herself when she was young. I think she thought if she told me her mistakes then I wouldn’t race out and replicate them.

“You look like her a bit,” continued Cassie as she stared at me. “Got your father’s eyes though.”

“His hair too.”

She laughed. “A non-red head Crawford, what will they think of next.”

I smiled. I could see why she and my mother were friends.

I was technically not the first non-redhead, my cousins weren’t redheads either. But I think I saw what she meant. It seemed kind of strange though. Why was it that my sister and mother both had red hair but I turned out with dirty blonde like my father? Even yesterday, when I was a girl I still retained my normal dull color. Was I meant to be dull no matter my gender, was it some kind of cosmic joke?

“Maggie dear” continued Cassie “why don’t you go see what Charlie’s doing in the den, I need to speak with Kelly alone for a few minutes.”

“Ok, Cassie” she said and left.

“Is this the part where you poke me with needles?”

She laughed. “How about a drink first?”

She led me through the house to the kitchen. It was a much more modern kitchen then my grandmother’s which kind of made me jealous. I was glad to see a TV mounted on the wall though. I was starting to think that all witches in Ravencrest were like my grandmother, unwilling to accept change. Cassie didn’t seem to be one of them. She pointed to the little table in the corner, which I sat at while she poured two cups of tea. I wasn’t much of a tea drinker but this one smelled really good. A minute or two later, she sat in the chair across from me. I couldn’t resist the tea, picking it up and taking a sip. I was surprised at the taste because it was amazing.

Cassie smiled. “Your mother taught me how to make that you know.”

Mom never made tea for me.

“Has she called you?” I asked suddenly, hoping that at least she’d made contact with someone.

Cassie shook her head. “Your Mom is the kind of person who gets herself involved in her work. She’s always been like that. I’m sure once things quiet down, you’ll be the first person she calls.”

“I hope so,” I said softly.

I was starting to get worried about her and Dad. Not that I said that aloud of course.

“So Agatha told me about yesterday. Do you want to talk about it?”

I shook my head but then only a few moments later I found myself telling her everything. It was strange really because I didn’t normally open up to strangers like this. I was nearly done with my explanation when I took another sip of that wonderful tea. When I was completely done with the story, Cassie smiled again.

“How does that make you feel? You said everyone mistakes you for a girl, so how did it feel to be one?”

I shrugged. “Besides the longer hair and weight on my chest….”

“You didn’t notice the difference did you?” she finished, I nodded.

Did that make me a freak or something? I’d been trying not to think about it actually but it was the truth. Why didn’t I feel any different? Of course, my emotions were all over the place yesterday but I should have been freaking out. Sure, I was scared but I didn’t hate it. I didn’t like it either but I wasn’t screaming at the top of my lungs. Initially of course, I passed out but I should have been vomiting or something. Guys don’t turn into girls everyday and not only did I do it but I was pretty damn calm about it.

“You’re scared that you liked it aren’t you?” I didn’t say anything so she continued to talk. “It’s ok to be scared; it’s also ok to like it. Many people deal with transformation in many different ways. I’ve talked to quite a few Weres who have had problems after their first initial change.”

It clicked right there. How did I not see it before? “You’re not a transformation specialist,” I blurted out abruptly. “You’re a shrink?”

She laughed. “Your grandmother told you I was a transformation specialist?” I nodded, she laughed again. “Does it bother you that I’m a shrink?”

“No but it does bother me that that woman lied to me.”

“You and your grandmother don’t get along then?”

I scoffed. “She doesn’t even try.”

“Would you like to talk about it?”

“No.”

Cassie smiled. She changed the subject after that, asking me more yesterday. We talked for a while. She then wanted to know how things had been the last few days, especially how I was handling the Black Cross incident back at home. So I told her all about that too. I found myself opening up to her, all the while shocked that I was doing so. I sipped the tea a few more times too, it didn’t take me long to figure out that she put something into it. I should have been mad about that but I was kind of glad that someone went out of their way to at least try to figure me out. I’m not saying I’m complicated but no one ever really stopped to talk to me. Mom used to do it but lately she’s been so busy at work. Dad doesn’t talk, at least not about feelings.

It was kind of nice talking to Cassie.

I’m not sure how long we talked for but I think I finally stopped to take a breath.

She laughed. “A lot on your mind then?”

“You could say that.”

“One last question and you’re free to go” I nodded. “Has anything strange happened to you? Maybe yesterday or even today? You can take your time before answering; anything you say is strictly confidential.”

I did take a moment to really think about it but I couldn’t think of anything well not at first. Then I remembered what happened in lunch today. I couldn’t help but laugh. “Some guy wouldn’t stop hitting on me today; he even went so far as to kiss me.”

“How did that make you feel?”

“Angry” I snapped.

“Did you lash out at him?”

I shook my head and laughed. “No but as he was walking away, his belt snapped. His pants fell around his ankles and he tripped, throwing his food tray on one of the cheerleaders.”

Cassie and I laughed together. How could you not laugh at something like that?

When we were done laughing she said. “I think our time is up but I’d like to talk to you again. If you want to?”

I nodded. “I think that can be arranged.”

She smiled. “So much like your mother.”

We got up from the table and she surprised me by giving me a nice long hug. I kind of liked that, I think I needed it, too. She led me back out to the living room where Maggie and Charlie were waiting. The two of them were busy playing a game on the Xbox. I knew the game well; I was surprised that Maggie was owning Charlie. She mentioned being a gamer but I didn’t know she was that much of a gamer. It took them a few minutes to realize that we were standing there watching. When they did, Maggie blushed and dropped the controller.

“Don’t be embarrassed Mags, you were doing really good” I said, which only caused her to blush even more.

Cassie took over from there. “Charlie, why don’t you show our guests out.”

He groaned. “I was in the middle of….” His mother shot him a look. “Fine. C’mon Maggie, new guy.”

New guy? Seriously?

Charlie wheeled himself around Maggie’s chair and toward the door. Maggie and I actually raced to catch up.

When we got to the door, Maggie elbowed Charlie. Charlie sighed and reached into his shirt. He pulled out a index card and handed it to me. “Here, Maggie wants you to come, too.”

“Ummm thanks,” I said as Maggie opened the door.

“I’ll see you this weekend Charlie” she said before ruffling his hair and walking out the door.

Charlie shot me a look as I left. Whatever did I do to him?

When we got outside, I took a look at the card he handed to me. There were four words on it: DUD CLUB. BE THERE.

“What the heck is this?” I asked, flashing Maggie the card.

She smiled. “You’ll see this weekend.”

Great, something else to look forward to.

Author’s note: As I’m sure all of you know, comments are life blood to an author. I’m not begging or demanding, but I certainly would appreciate anything you have to say (or ask). It doesn’t have to be long and involved, just give me your reaction to the story. Thanks in advance...EOF