Introduction: This is another story in the Cynthia Chronicles series. Other stories in the series are An Incremental Journey, Cynthia and the Reluctant Girlfriend, Cynthia and the Dumpster Diver, Cynthia and the Moment of Truth, Cynthia and the High School Years - Part I, Cynthia and the High School Years - Part II, Charli and the Girl Cave, Bobbie and the Glass Ceiling, Randi and the College Professor, Adam and the Three Wishes, Lisa and the Culinary Quest (aka Howard and the Completed pass), Cynthia and the Solicitous Sisters-in-Law, Cynthia and the Queen of the Knight, and Cynthia and the Dropped Ball. The time frame of this story follows about three to four years after Charli and the Girl Cave. This story takes place a little more than a year after Bobbie Anderson wins the (British) Open and about ten years after Simoné and the Second Time Around.

Their intervention goes far better than they could have hoped. They gain two more cabin mates. Lanu learns that her mother wasn’t always a busty platinum blonde.

“What do you think?” Lanu asked. “We need to do something.”

“It never ceases to amaze me what you can do. I think it might work. Do you think you can get Susan and Edna to go along?” Rhonda said after contemplating the plan Lanu laid out for her.

“I don’t think we’ll have any problem with them at all. Edna’s pretty adventuresome as it is, and Susan is quite the intellectual. I know Tamesha and Tonya won’t be a problem. We just have to get Wanda to come out of her shell.

“I think tomorrow afternoon after lunch would be an ideal time. That will give me time to get things set up with Edna and Susan. There aren’t any rules as far as I know about being in cabins other than your own during quiet hours. We’re just supposed to be quiet.”

“That’s correct, Marti. In fact it’s encouraged. We want everyone to know everyone else in the camp. You can’t do that staying only with your five roommates.”

“Now, these are the rules. You will be blindfolded. No peeking allowed. Each of you will be given a number; however, you will know only your number. The point of this exercise is to see how much you really know about your campmates. No talking is allowed. You may touch the other person’s face and hands only; no touching hair. Please remove any rings and earrings.”

Rhonda gave each girl a blindfold. They were rather special blindfolds. Marti had put a nice little spell on them that made them light impenetrable. Of course the blindfolds Lanu and Marti had were illusions. Most of the exercise was pretty straight forward and nothing happened that wasn’t expected, except the results were far better than they hoped; especially the results for numbers one and seven.

Tamesha was number one. Rhonda removed her blindfold and led her to each of the blindfolded girls in no specific order. They first grasped hands before each gently examined the other’s face. Then the unexpected happened.

The routine was the same until Tamesha reached Wanda, number seven. Actually it was the same up to a point. She started to turn, but then turned back to Wanda. She gently put her hands on her face and leaned in putting her lips on Wanda’s. Wanda might have been startled, but she didn’t pull away. In fact the kiss lingered quite a while, and there may have been more than a little tongue exchanged.

Finally, it was Wanda’s turn. Once again, it was pretty routine until she stood before Tamesha. It wasn’t quite like what had happened twenty minutes before. It wasn’t missed by the three observers that there was a tear in Wanda’s eye. She didn’t wait but put the most passionate kiss one could imagine on Tamesha’s lips. It was immediately and enthusiastically reciprocated. There was no question in the observers’ minds that Tamesha knew exactly who was bestowing the kiss of the century on her. There was also no question now that Wanda knew it had been Tamesha who’d kissed her. Wanda was quietly crying when Rhonda led her back to her chair.

Rhonda had everyone take off their masks. Some were wondering why Wanda seemed to be in tears and Tamesha had such a broad smile. Marti and Lanu knew exactly why and they had known since the day before. As they expected, few got more than one or two correct. Marti and Lanu didn’t reveal their results and said they would explain why in a few minutes. There was only one case where two people guessed correctly each way. Of course they were Tamesha and Wanda.

“Alright, what did we learn here?” Rhonda asked.

“That our visual impressions prejudice reality,” Susan answered. “There were only two people here that got it right. We all made some right guesses; however, they weren’t far off the probability odds. Some of us have some rather distinctive features. I’m short and my face is a bit rounder than some, but I did stand on a stool. Lanu and Marti are tall, but for their difference in skin pigmentation, it would be very hard to tell them apart. Tamesha and Tonya are relatively tall also, and I was only correct in guessing one of the four.

“Anyone else want to say something?” Rhonda asked.

“Yes,” Wanda replied. “I am a total ass. I’ve been hiding behind an image created by someone else. I’ve been trying to be someone to please someone else. I know Lily has been a victim of the same influences. We’ve known each other all our lives. We’ve gone to the same church and the same schools. Lily’s known I was gay since we were twelve, and she’s stuck by me. She’s never wavered, and I love her for it.

“I know we are only fifteen but I think it’s time we stopped being someone we’re not. We have to grow up. I’m tired of living a lie. It’s not just that I’m gay. It’s this whole thing we’ve grown up with. I’m coming out when I go home, and if they try to send me to that aversion therapy I’ll kill myself.

“No you won’t,” Tamesha said. Edna had ceded her seat to Tamesha and she had taken Wanda’s hands in hers. “I wouldn’t let that happen. I knew who you were when I first arrived. Behind that façade you and Lily put up was a beautiful person trying to escape a horrible fate. I will do everything in my power to help you. You let me know the real you this afternoon and you will never be able to go back.”

“Okay everyone,” Marti jumped in, “Before this goes any further there are some things you need to know. What happened this afternoon has been something that Lanu and I have put together with Rhonda’s okay. As Lily and Wanda already know and Rhonda has known since we, or at least I arrived is that Luna and I are witches. You may find that hard to believe; however, we’ll be glad to demonstrate for you later on.

“Right now we have more important things to deal with. A couple of you have mentioned how much this South Pacific beauty and I resemble each other. We are first cousins and our mothers are twin sisters. We just found that out. Our mothers aren’t aware of that, yet. We have quite a project to put together regarding that.

“You will not be able to discuss what has gone on this afternoon with anyone but the nine of us. That’s just one of the rules. Most importantly, we wanted to eliminate any strife among us. We’re here to have fun and grow.

“Edna, how’s your finger?”

“Pretty good, why?”

“That lizard lacerated your skin in a couple of places, it wasn’t serious. Lanu healed it. You would have bled a bit if she hadn’t and you might have gotten an infection.

“Wanda, do you want to tell them what happened. You don’t have to.”

“Gladly, Lanu cured my acne. I had terrible scars and zits everywhere. Now my skin’s perfect. She fixed it in five minutes.”

“I want to add a couple of things,” Lily said. “I’ve been really stupid in many ways. I too have been a real asshole, and I’m not sure how I’m going to face my parents when I go home. I’ve learned quite a bit today.

“Now I need to talk about what I learned yesterday. I’ve been stupid and careless. I let a smooth talking asshole take something from me that I won’t be able to give to anyone else. He also gave me an STD. Thankfully, Lanu fixed that problem. I will be forever grateful to her for that. Wanda and I had a big talk at the lake yesterday. There hasn’t been one other person at this camp who acts like we have been acting. That’s over with here and now. It won’t be easy for us as we have a lot to unlearn. Please forgive us if we fall back on old habits every once in a while.”

The cabins were designed to hold up to ten. Later that afternoon there was a redistribution of campers. No one but the nine girls were aware of what had happened. There were a few whispers and knowing glances as the other campers noticed Wanda and Tamesha were holding hands as they arrived for the evening meals. There was an interesting result. Two other couples came out the next day.

“Lanu, were you aware your mother used to be a brunette?”

“What? Mom’s a natural blonde. That’s why my hair has all these wonderful reddish and golden highlights. I love it.”

“Well, she didn’t used to be a natural blonde. About 24 years ago my family and Bobbie’s family visited The Wizard in his shop for the first time. Cindy had very emphatically warned everyone about not touching anything and not to eat any free samples. By this time Cindy and The Wizard had become very close. Randy, the first Randy was dying and they hoped The Wizard might find a way to cure him. That was not to be. There was too much of the other universe still in him and if The Wizard had tried to do anything there would have been a horrible mess.

“Okay, much more happened that day, and I’m sure you’ll meet many of the participants someday. The thing was, Mom saw a wig. It was a platinum blonde wig. She’d always wanted to be a blonde, so she decided to try it on in spite of Cindy’s warning. Unfortunately, it was a “Bimbo Blonde Wig”; something The Wizard used to specialize in. He doesn’t do much of that today. The wig did three things. Mom became a permanent, natural platinum blonde, her IQ dropped by 50 points, and her breasts went from a B+ to a DD. The Wizard had an antidote ready, and Mom got her mind back rather quickly; however, the other changes were permanent.

“There was a huge cascading event. Due to the DNA changes Cindy went from light brunette to the golden blonde you saw on the Sports Illustrated Cover. Tom went from light brown to blonde. That’s why I’m a redhead and your hair is the way it is. That’s why you and I are going to have to keep buying new bras until we end up at least a D.

“We think The Wizard set Mom and Dad up. Mom was always very pretty. We’ve been allowed to see what she looked like before the change. Dad being the sex maniac he is couldn’t keep his hands off her. Little Randi was created shortly after and when Randy died his spirit was transferred to the new Randi. Mom knew all about it, but didn’t tell anyone until Randi discovered for herself who she was.

“Thinking about the time difference between the east coast and Samoa, I’ll bet your mother went to bed a brunette and woke up the next morning as the enhanced blonde you know. Your older brothers might be aware of what happened. I’m sure your father is and your Great Gramma is. I’m sure they were quite surprised and mystified by the changes. I wouldn’t bring it up to them, though, until we decide to break this entire thing wide open.

“One other thing, The Wizard can change boys into girls and girls into boys. He may or may not change their genders. These days he’s more of a therapist. He makes sex match gender.”

“Oh my, he needs to come to Samoa. We have so many fa'afafine. Some go to Thailand for surgery, but it is so expensive. They just live as women. They are accepted as they are.”

“What about the women who want to be men?”

“There are not so many.”

“And the gays?”

“Homosexuality is illegal, but largely ignored. That law will change.”

The girls meet Arnold, aka Ricky. He’s not too happy about the appellation. Says it’s prosaic. They take their first big hike and climb to almost 10,000 feet. They also discover there is a very unhappy attendee at the boys’ camp not far from them. Marti and Lanu have a project to look forward to.