When Zoe got to school the following Monday, she was surprised to run into Brittany at the front gates. "Hey Brittany," she said.

"Hi Zoe," said Brittany. "How are you?"

"I'm alright," Zoe answered. "Are you doing okay?"

"Yeah."

"I'm guessing you're through with Isaac?"

"Of course I am. And when I find him, I'm gonna give him the real breakup talk."

"Hell yeah," Zoe said with a hint of malice. "Give him what he deserves."

"I'll let you know how it goes," said Brittany.

***

A little while later, Zoe was leaving First Period when she ran into Alan. "Hey Zoe," said Alan. "Did you see that they started building the memorial for my mom in the park?"

"No, I did not see that," Zoe answered.

"You should go check it out," said Alan. "Me and Skylar are planning on hosting an opening ceremony for it when it gets finished. We'll invite everyone from the club-well, except maybe Isaac and Brittany."

"Oh, yeah," Zoe said sadly. She'd totally forgotten that Brittany was in the breast cancer awareness club because of her relationship with Isaac. "Brittany said she was gonna give him the real breakup talk today."

"She already did."

"What?"

"I saw it happen," said Alan. "They're both in the same First Period class as me. Brittany told Isaac that they're through, but she gave him a little box as a parting gift."

"Parting gift?"

"I know, it's weird," said Alan. "But she told him to open it in private, behind the gym where no one would see him."

A disgruntled girlfriend giving her ex-boyfriend a box and telling him to open it in private? What could that mean? Unfortunately, an idea was forming in Zoe's mind. And it was not a good one. "Did he already go behind the gym?" Zoe asked.

"I don't know. Maybe?" Alan replied.

"I've gotta go," said Zoe. She turned and ran down the hall towards the gym. When she was nearing the gym, she burst through the door and went out to the area behind it. This was a spot kids at Interstellar High went to all the time when they wanted to do something private-making out, smoking cigarettes, holding secret meetings. In fact, rumor had it that Gary Larson and Hailey Henderson had had sex out here two and a half years ago. Of course, Gary and Hailey had been real tight-lipped about the matter, and nobody was able to prove it. But that was besides the point.

Zoe rounded the corner and saw Isaac standing there, holding a small black box that was six inches across in every direction. "What the-Zoe?" Isaac asked.

"What is that?" Zoe asked.

"Oh...it's a little box," said Isaac. "You know my girlfriend-well, ex-girlfriend now-Brittany Meier?"

"Of course I do!"

"She was pretty mad about the Homecoming dance, but she gave me this and told me to open it in private. It sounded pretty suspicious, but I'm kind of curious-"

"No, Isaac, don't!" said Zoe.

Too late. Isaac had already popped off the box's lid. When the lid came off, there was a flash of blue light that blinded both him and Zoe. After some blinking, they could see again-but what they saw was not a pretty sight. Isaac's build was starting to shrink, and his hair was starting to grow out.

"What the fuck?" Isaac asked. He looked down and saw a pair of boobs growing on his chest. "Am I growing tits?"

"Yeah, you are," Zoe answered. She watched as Isaac's ass flared out and became more feminine.

"Holy shit," Isaac said in a higher voice. By the count of twelve, he had become a she. She was several inches shorter, her clothes had shifted to a blouse and tight jeans, her blonde hair went past her shoulders, and her breasts and ass were shapely enough to get a guy's attention. Isaac had turned into...Iris? Wow. There really weren't a lot of girl names that started with "i," were there?

"Oh no," said Zoe. But before she could think further, she felt a wave of magical energy wash over her body. Magic sparkles danced before her eyes, and all of a sudden she felt different. Her body felt larger, her hair wasn't brushing against her shoulders and back anymore, and in her pants, she felt...wait...could it be...

Zoe looked down and felt herself all over. She'd turned back into a guy! "What the heck?"

"You changed, too," said Iris. "Wait..." She squinted at Zoe's face. "You look like Zack Fletcher..."

Zoe pulled out her, or now his, phone and looked at his reflection in its turned-off screen. No way. She'd reverted back to her guy form before she was turned into a girl! Zoe was now Zack again!

"But-but that doesn't make any sense," said Zack. "I'm a girl, and-" He'd barely even spoken when he felt the magic energy coursing through him again. And, just like that, Zack turned back into a girl.

"Whoa," said Iris. "You just...changed gender!"

"I did?" Zack looked down at her now-female body, trying to make sense of it all. Just seconds ago, she'd been a guy again, but now-

The thought had barely even formed in her head when she magically shifted into a guy again-body, clothes, and all. "How is this possible?" Zack asked.

"I don't know." Iris closed her eyes and concentrated, but nothing happened. "But I don't think I can change," she said miserably.

"Maybe because I was already changed before," said Zack. "That cursed bathroom magically changed me into a girl. That magic box was supposed to change people's genders, but since I was already changed, it must've messed up the magic on me and somehow gave me the ability to change gender at will."

"What? You were turned into a girl before?" Iris asked.

Zack ignored her. He was starting to realize just how bad the situation really was. The source of all this trouble was that magic black box Isaac had opened. And he'd gotten the box from...

"I've gotta go," said Zack. He turned into Zoe and added "It's an emergency!"

Iris watched with puzzlement as Zoe turned and ran away. "What the hell is going on?" she asked.

***

Zoe caught Miles just as he was getting to his Third Period class. "Miles, this is important," she said.

Miles read the look of panic on Zoe's face and immediately believed her. "What is it?"

"It's Brittany. She's the one. She's the witch!"

"Brittany? Brittany Meier?"

"Yes." Zoe gave Miles a rundown of what had happened with Isaac and the black box. When she was finished, she shifted back into Zack to prove that her story was true.

"What the-Zoe?" Miles asked in shock. "Or...Zack?"

"I know, it's weird," said Zack. "But-"

"So Brittany's the one we've been looking for. She's the one who cursed that bathroom and turned you into a girl."

"Yeah, I know. And it fits everywhere else, too. Right after Ralph posted that video of me online, Brittany was like 'That asshole has to pay for what he did.' Next thing we know, the locker room's cursed to turn peeping Toms into girls. And Michael-"

"Brittany was there at the party," said Miles. "She was operating the food table Michael ate that cookie from."

Zack nodded. "And what Mr. Al said about how that guy Tommy was turned into Tammy by a girl with blonde hair-Brittany dyes her hair all the time. She could easily have been blonde at one point."

"Then this is it," said Miles. "We've got to tell Mr. Al about this."

"You're right," said Zack. "We'll have to go to him after school to-"

"No, I'll text him right now," said Miles. "This is way too urgent to wait!"

"Alright," said Zack. "You do that." He turned back into Zoe and went to go to his Third Period class. But it wasn't until halfway through the class period that she realized what was really happening. He'd been crushing on Brittany for months before that bathroom incident over the summer. Now, after tutoring her in math and taking her to the Homecoming dance, she'd scored more points with her than she could ever have hoped for. If Mr. Al went after her and killed her, then Zack/Zoe would lose the relationship she'd built up with Brittany. Could she really go back to Square One in this girl-dating game?

Zack, don't be stupid, said a voice in the back of Zoe's mind. It was Brittany's curse that turned you into a girl and caused this whole mess. But looking back now, that whole bathroom mistake was Zack's fault. HE had gone into the girls' bathroom against his better judgement. Brittany had probably meant that curse for some other cheating boyfriend or peeping Tom. Sure, there was Ralph/Ruby and Michael/Michelle and Isaac/Iris, but they'd kind of deserved what they got. Right? Right? Now that Zoe was thinking rationally, she wished she hadn't told Miles what she'd found out, and that they hadn't agreed to tell Mr. Al. But now there was no going back.

What could Zack/Zoe do now?

To be concluded...