In this magical romantic mystery, a teenage boy wakes up one morning to find himself afflicted with a strange musical curse. The boy tries to find the source of the curse to end it but finding magic in today's world isn't easy, especially when love is involved.

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This is a complete story of four parts and I'll post one part every Sunday.

Music Magic
by Terry Volkirch

Emotional Arpeggio in B Major

"Come on, Mom," Steve whined from the open front door of his house. The clock read one o'clock in the afternoon but time flowed at a different rate for the anxious teen. "I want to get there before the stores all close."

Sue smiled at her son as she put on her coat in the entry way, loving how they both shared a love of shopping. 'If only,' she thought.

They both climbed into Sue's car and as she drove them to the mall, Steve worked up the nerve to bring up a difficult subject. "I'm thinking of telling Amber about… Steph."

Sue turned briefly to look at him. "Really? Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"No. That's why I'm talking to you about it."

His mother didn't say anything.

"I found out that she's only attracted to girls. She wants to be my girlfriend but she can't."

"Damn," Sue said, so quietly that Steve couldn't hear it.

"I'm really torn, Mom. If I'm Stephanie, Amber and I can be together. But I can't be a girl!" A tear rolled down Steve's cheek.

His mother noticed him acting more and more like a girl and it broke her heart to see him in such emotional pain. Still, she felt she had to push him to do what she thought best. "Can't or won't?" she asked.

"I'm a boy, Mom. I was born a boy!"

"Oh, Honey. You've never been very masculine. I'm sorry but you're nothing like your brother."

Steve turned away and pouted as he looked out the passenger side window.

"It's true, Steve. But you're right to be a little apprehensive. We still don't know how we could explain a sudden sex change, and we still don't know if it's ever going to become permanent."

Steve sniffed and dried his tears with his sleeve.

"Come on, Steve. Don't cry. We're going shopping!" She tried a little humor but her son wouldn't let himself be amused, and he continued to sit in silence, hoping she could find the right words to help ease the pain.

"Okay. Okay. Let's see if I can come up with something." She remained silent and thought long and hard about the problem for the rest of the drive and well into their shopping excursion.

~o~O~o~

After forty five minutes of aimless wandering, Steve and his mother ended up at Nordstrom. He found the perfect coat — even better than the one he got at Macy's — but he still wasn't happy. Neither one of them had been enjoying themselves. The problem of what to do about Amber still loomed over them. It wasn't until they were out of the store that Sue finally decided on a good strategy. She pulled her son over to a bench and both of them sat down to have a discussion.

Steve added a few more interesting pieces of information that both intrigued and frustrated Sue. Not knowing where Amber lived seemed odd, as did Mrs. Griffin's observation about Amber's parents having some sort of aura that repelled people.

"Something's not right about Amber and her family," Sue began. "It really does sound possible that they could be some sort of witches. But we still don't know for sure so I say you should test the waters."

Steve gave his mother an inquiring look.

"You mentioned being able to see auras. Bring up the general subject of auras with Amber and watch carefully how she reacts. Don't tell her that you can see them right away like you did with Dan and his mother. Be patient. See if she tries to change the subject or looks uncomfortable."

"Right. I get it," Steve said. "I'll talk about it with her at lunch on Monday and then tell her that I can actually see auras after school."

"I don't think you have to wait that long but it would be best if you're alone when you tell her. It's not likely she'll confess anything with others around."

Steve nodded again. "Test the waters. I like it. I should've thought of that myself. I did it with Dan's mom, though it wasn't planned. I guess I've been too emotional to think straight when it comes to Amber."

"Maybe it's that time of the month," Sue joked.

"Mom!"

She chuckled. "Sorry. Couldn't resist."

"It's okay," he said, smiling. "But anyway, your idea is a good start so I think you've earned a little reward."

Sue's eyes went wide. "Really? You're not just saying that?"

"Naw. Let's go to that music store. I've been wanting to check that place out for a long time but they always play music so I've avoided it."

"Are you sure?" his mother said. That's what her voice said anyway. Her eyes were saying, "Oh please oh please oh please!"

"Yes, I'm sure."

His mother wasted no time. She grabbed him by the hand and began half dragging him towards the music store.

~o~O~o~

Shortly before reaching the music store, Steve asserted himself. He managed to pull back and stop his mother so he could talk to her.

"Mom!" he said in a loud whisper. "Slow down! I need you to hold my bag. I don't want my coat to change like last time."

"Oh! Right. Sorry." Sue's eyes gleamed. "I'm anxious to see Steph and her new outfit."

"Hey. Thanks for reminding me. Let me take my Mephistos off and put those in the bag. I don't want to lose another pair."

"Wait a second," Sue said, looking a little sheepish. "I want you to try something. Please. Leave the shoes on."

"Are you nuts?! These shoes are expensive!"

"Your father and I make good money. We can afford another pair so please leave them on. I want you to try something."

"Oh oh."

"Don't 'oh oh' me. I want you to imagine having a pair of Louboutin pumps as you change… to see if you can affect your new clothes."

"Louboutins? No way! They're a lot more expensive than these." He pointed to his shoes with a look of shock.

"Just try it. And while you're at it, imagine wearing some makeup."

"Mom!"

"Come on. Loosen up and try it. Please? For me?"

"Fine then," he huffed. "You might as well bury me. Steve is dead."

"Oh, Honey. Don't be that way. No matter what clothes… or skin you wear. You'll still be you. You'll always be you."

"Hah."

"People change all the time. Experiences change us, shape us. And there are lots of things we have no control over but we always control one thing."

"What's that?" Steve asked with a pout.

"We control how we react. You can let life push you around and beat you down or you can try to find something good about situations that you don't like. At the very least, you can look at bad experiences as life lessons and move on with a smile."

"I guess." He didn't look too sure.

"Just let your inner girl out and have some fun. Who knows? You might even like it. Didn't you like your first shopping trip?"

He blushed and looked down at his shoes. "Yes, but that was just supposed to be a one-time thing."

"But why deny yourself something that you like? If you like something and you have the opportunity, then do it!"

"Okay, Mom." He gave her a faint smile. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. Now let's get moving! We only have another…," she looked at her watch, "six and a half hours before the stores close!"

Steve laughed at his mother's enthusiasm, especially since it was contagious. "So many stores…," he began.

"And so little time to clean them all out," his mother finished.

He passed his shopping bag to her and they linked arms, walking the last little way to the music store.

~o~O~o~

The first couple songs playing in the music store had male vocalists, giving Steve a little more time to change his mind. To make sure he didn't chicken out, he busied himself with looking at CDs, shuffling from aisle to aisle in the pop rock section.

Sue hovered nearby the whole time, staring at her son, even though she could tell that it bothered him a little. He did notice but he understood how excited she was and left her alone.

By the time he got two-thirds of the way through the pop rock bands, a song with a female vocalist started playing. Sue gasped and Steve stopped browsing to give the song proper attention.

He had the sheet music to the song. He knew the words and melody but he'd never heard it sung before. The powerful energy of the music would've made him tingle even without his curse. He closed his eyes and let each and every note and tone caress him with its magic.

Remembering his mother's request, he managed to picture himself dressed in a nice skirt and Louboutin heels, and he added makeup, but only because the nice outfit that he imagined cried out for Stephanie to look her absolute best.

He remembered the chorus fairly well and mouthed the words to it the first time through. When the chorus came up a second time, he quietly sang along, knowing that no one would notice, no one except his mother. As he sang, the tingling hit a crescendo and he felt himself rising in height. He was getting new shoes with a much taller heel and it made him smile.

Wake me up
Wake me up inside
I can’t wake up
Wake me up inside
Save me
call my name and save me from the dark
Wake me up
bid my blood to run
I can’t wake up
before I come undone
Save me
save me from the nothing I’ve become

Once again, the song seemed to match his mood and current reality. He felt like a nothing, with a strange secret life that he'd been fighting for so long, and the longer it went on, the more he distanced himself from virtually all of his friends. Only Amber held a special place in his heart but he'd never get anywhere with her unless he became a girl. He was so screwed.

The song ended and Stephanie looked over at her mother, crying tears of happiness. "You look so beautiful, Steph," she said quietly. Then she looked down and actually squealed. "You got them! You got Louboutins!"

The girl looked down and lifted one foot to see the tell-tale glossy red sole. Adding just a splash of red to catch a man's eye was brilliant. Louboutin was a genius, and the cost of his shoes reflected it. Now Stephanie had a pair of her own and she was most pleased. She basically got them for the price of a much less expensive pair of Mephisto shoes. From what she could see, the rest of her outfit looked very nice as well, with a white shell top, blazer, skirt and thick black tights to keep the chill off her legs. She had to fight the urge to run and check herself out in the mirror of the women's restroom.

After breathing deeply a few times, she took a short step, then another, and another. The shoes didn't seem to give her any trouble or slow her down at all. It was almost as if she'd been born with high heels.

"Come along, Mother," she called over her shoulder as she walked out of the music store.

Sue followed, giving her daughter an appreciative look from behind before catching up to her. "I know. I know I shouldn't say this but you look beautiful, Steph." She looked closely at her daughter's face. "You have a little makeup too. Just the perfect amount to go with your nice outfit."

Stephanie blushed and said in a quiet voice, "Thanks, Mom."

~o~O~o~

The two of them had a nice time time together, mostly window shopping but still accumulating two more shopping bags full of clothes and accessories. And the girl surprised her mother, first by picking up a little more makeup and then by getting her ears pierced.

"You realize that the holes might be gone after you change back, right?" Sue asked.

"Yes, but I'm not really worried about that. I'm more worried that I'll still have them. I'll have to keep these studs in my ears to keep the holes from healing shut, and that means I'll have to explain my pierced ears to my friends."

Sue chuckled. "Ever the worrier. You forget that plenty of boys and men have pierced ears these days."

"Not around here," Stephanie muttered.

"Just leave the studs in your ears tonight and let come what may. That's what I say."

"You're so poetic, Mother."

"Well… the rhyming was purely accidental, but I'm happy about it."

They both laughed.

"This really does suit you… Steve," Sue said, suddenly very serious.

"I know. But I'm still scared."

"I know, Sweetie. But I have a good feeling about it. Things will work out. You'll see."

"I hope you're right."

Sue smiled and looked down at their shopping bags. "I'm hungry," she said. "I think we've done enough shopping… for now. Let's go home and start dinner."

"What about Dad?"

"He's out with his buddies tonight… something about college football or something."

"Right. He loves his football."

"I'm just glad he doesn't foist it on us. I'm happy to let him go free for one night a week."

"Me too. I mean about not having to watch it. I'd much rather shop."

Sue smiled again, a smile of love and pride. "Here, Steph," she said, holding out the Nordstrom shopping bag. "You can wear your new coat. We have a long walk in the cold to get to the car."

Stephanie wrinkled her nose with slight displeasure at the thought of wearing a boy's coat. She'd much rather have her new wool coat that she got a couple days ago but she figured she'd cost her parents enough money for the time being — girls could be so expensive! She accepted the shopping bag and pulled out the coat to put it on, purposely not looking at it as she did so.

Sue gasped before her daughter got her second arm in the sleeve and Stephanie turned to look at her mother. "What? What is it, Mom?"

"Look at your coat, Dear," Sue whispered with a look of awe on her face.

Stephanie looked down and gasped. "What the f…."

"Watch your language, Stephanie."

The girl blushed and took the coat off to get a better look at it. She saw a tag that read "faux mink" and smiled. "Fake fur. That's good," she said. "I wouldn't want to wear a real fur coat. This is pretty cool though. I think I like it."

"But I was holding the bag," Sue whined. "How did your coat change?"

Stephanie shrugged. "I guess you were too close to me," she said. "But I'll take it. You have to admit it's a very nice coat."

Sue nodded but had to add. "Except now you still need a men's coat for school."

"What?! Oh… crap."

~o~O~o~

Steve sat and moped on his bed all morning the next day, wanting to get another coat but afraid to go to the mall. The temptation to turn into a girl was too great. It was also far too easy. So many stores played music and even ear plugs couldn't block it well enough for his taste. Even if he could barely hear it — so it wasn't enough to make him change — he'd want to rip out his ear plugs and listen.

He'd been changing into a girl far too often lately and it really did scare him, especially since it currently took him so long to change back. That and the fact that he found himself disappointed and even depressed after turning back. Wanting to be a girl — liking being a girl — was the real reason he moped. It wasn't the lack of having a nice men's coat.

He could add his preference for girl's clothes to the list of things that disturbed him that day. Even some of the nicer male clothing he'd accumulated no longer held his interest. He hated the limited variety and mostly drab colors that he found in men's clothing.

"But I was born a boy," he told himself. "I am a boy. The school, state, whatever all say I'm a boy. I must be a boy!"

He flopped on his back and tears rolled down the side of his face. He cried for several minutes, until he felt an all too familiar call — the call of the closet, more exactly, his female wardrobe.

His girl clothes called him, implored him to wear them, to give himself a fashion show and adore himself in the mirror. But the pronouns were all wrong. He'd have to be Stephanie to even fit in the clothes.

"Stupid clothes," he grumped.

He quickly got up and turned on the radio, this time tuning into a radio station that played modern hits. It only took the first song he heard for his inner girl to get what she wanted. A woman sang and Steve raptly listened. The first verse wasn't exactly relevant but the second verse fit his current state of mind fairly well and the third verse nailed it. He didn't know the words so he couldn't sing along at first. He just listened.

Cause I am here and it eats me up
But I love the way it feels
I really shouldn't stay
But I can't give up
The more it hurts, the more I need

A short form of the chorus played and then two verses repeated. The back of Steve's neck tingled, his torso hummed, and as the song wore on, it homed in on exactly how he felt at that moment. The words of the chorus repeated and he stood next to his bed, singing along in a clear soprano voice.

It's like an addiction
And I just can't break free of the madness
It's like an addiction
Am I the only one with the sadness

I can't let go
I, I, I can't let go
I, I

"That was brilliant," the girl said, pouting. "Now I'm stuck hiding in my room… with lots of new outfits… and makeup to practice with." She slowly smiled. "Just what was I thinking?"

She moved towards her closet, intending to have a private fashion show, and suddenly stopped. "Yes, Steve. Just what were you thinking?"

He didn't think. He reacted… like an addict. The clothes, the makeup, becoming a girl was an addiction, and he had no rehab center to go to for a cure. He had to find the person responsible for his curse, and he had to find them soon.

~o~O~o~

Sue came up in the early afternoon to find her part-time daughter sitting on her bed, wearing turquoise jeans, a black bra and nothing else. She held a bra in her lap with several more bras in a heap next to her.

Stephanie looked up at her mother with a sad face and said, "They don't fit. I had another… growth spurt."

Sue wasn't sure if Stephanie was upset because she'd miss the bras or because she didn't want larger breasts. It didn't matter though. Her daughter needed a hug so she sat down next to her and hugged her.

They both had a good, short cry and then Sue scooted a bit farther away on the bed. "What about your bra from last night?" she asked.

"It pinches and squishes like all the rest." She gestured towards the heap of bras.

"How does that one feel?" Sue asked, looking at the black bra.

"It's a perfect fit of course. Here. Check out the size." Stephanie turned her back to her mother and reached around to pull out the tag.

The tag read "34B" and the cup size was definitely larger than all of the other bras. They were all a size 32B and they fit well when she first got them, though lately they had started to feel a little tight. She wondered if she'd been growing slowly up until her latest change that morning. Maybe she'd been a part-time girl enough to develop a little on her own. And then her body got impatient and had a growth spurt to catch up to where it felt it should be.

Sue looked concerned. "So you've only got one bra? Will that be enough? Would you like to go get some more today?" she asked, her voice tinged with hope.

"Naw. I'm good. I mean, I have enough."

"Are you sure? You look so unhappy."

"I was trying to have a fashion show but it got cut short. I can't wear my black bra under a white blouse. It looks so tacky."

Sue nodded agreement and then quickly shook her head. She barely recognized her son. In his place was the daughter she always wanted, but her daughter's sadness kept her from celebrating. That and the fact that she felt guilty for her enjoyment of having a daughter.

"Come on," Sue said, grabbing Stephanie's hand and pulling her up. "Get dressed because we're going shopping. You like it. I like it, and you should have choices. No daughter of mine is going to be caught wearing a black bra under a white blouse."

"Okay," Stephanie said in a small voice, grabbing a thick turquoise sweater and pulling it over her head. She pulled her long hair out and looked in the mirror to make sure her bra didn't show — it didn't. And as she looked in the mirror, she realized that her breasts weren't the only thing to have a growth spurt. Her hair looked to be a couple inches longer and it made her smile. She decided the longer hair flattered her. Somewhere deep inside was a boy screaming at her to stop but she could barely hear him over the excited pounding of her heart. She really did like the way she looked, and she loved clothes shopping. She couldn't wait to get going.

~o~O~o~

The girl and her mother snuck by Jack easily enough. He found himself glued to the television set watching pro football. Mother and daughter looked at each other and gave each other a look that said, "Ugh. Men."

They both smiled all the way to the car and broke into laughter once they were safely on the way to the mall.

Once the laughter ran its course, the two of them settled into their own thoughts for a good distance before the girl turned to a serious topic.

"Mother?"

"Yes, Steph?"

"Please take it slow. This'll be my first time shopping for lingerie."

"Oh! Okay. Does that mean Victoria's Secret is out?"

"Mother!"

Sue laughed. "Sorry. Your new bra you got this morning looked rather plain. I thought you might want to spice things up."

"Nice try but I don't think I can handle a sexy bra… at least not today." She flashed an impish grin and her mother laughed.

"Oh, my. I think we're having too much fun. But look. We're here! Time to shop."

They pulled into a parking spot fairly close to the entrance and walked briskly into the mall. The weather started to turn clear and cold and neither one of them thought to bring a coat.

Sue stopped to hug and rub her sides once she got inside. "Oh! It's freezing out there!"

"Just about. Maybe we should find a nice jacket as well as some lingerie."

"Because wearing nothing but lingerie under coats is so sexy!" Sue joked.

"Mother!"

"What? Parents have sex too."

Stephanie held her hands over her ears and hurried ahead of her mother. "Too much information! I can't hear you!"

"And we like it!" Sue shouted but her daughter was going "la la la" and didn't hear her.

The two of them were having so much fun they didn't notice a familiar face approaching.

"Hi Mrs. Hamblin," Amber said. "It's nice to see you again. How's Steve? Is he here?"

"Steve?!" Sue squeaked, looking ahead at Stephanie who had turned around and started walking back.

"Yeah. Is he here?"

Sue looked back and forth between Amber and Stephanie, waiting for a collision. It was like a train wreck. She couldn't stop it and she couldn't look away.

"Mrs. Hamblin?"

"Hey Amber," Stephanie said as she walked up next to her friend, forgetting for the moment that she wasn't supposed to know her.

"Do I know you?" Amber asked. "Wait… you look familiar."

"Oh! She… she's my niece, Stephanie. She knows you through Steve. He talks about you… a lot."

Amber blushed and looked away. She didn't see through Sue's lie. She just knew that she felt flattered and embarrassed at the same time, and she was unsure of what to say, giving the part-time girl time to realize the situation.

"Oh!" Stephanie yelped. "Yeah. I'm sure I saw your picture or something. Somewhere." Her voice suddenly got very quiet as she realized how nervous and suspicious she sounded. "Steve really… likes you."

"I'm going to leave you two alone," Sue blurted out. "I need to use the ladies room. I'll be right back." She turned to Stephanie and mouthed the word "auras" while moving her eyes to point to a relatively isolated bench where they could have a semi-private discussion. Then she rushed off.

Stephanie understood her mother's message but she felt tongue-tied. She wasn't supposed to talk to Amber about auras as a girl! She'd be a stranger to her friend and wouldn't get anything out of her.

At the same time, Amber felt uncomfortable. She felt a sudden strong attraction to Stephanie and didn't understand it, other than just finding her attractive. Love had much more to it than physical attraction though. She knew that but she couldn't seem to think straight.

"Let's sit over there on that bench," the part-time girl said.

"Okay."

The two of them slowly made their way over to the bench and sat down, staring straight ahead. Their brains worked furiously to think of something to say but their mouths remained unused for the moment.

"So!" they suddenly chorused after a few awkward minutes, then laughed.

"You first," Stephanie said.

"No, you."

"Well… my… aunt was just saying that Steve talks about you a lot. Maybe too much?"

"Oh? And what does he say?"

"Something about you kind of bugs him."

"Yes?" Amber's eyes had a slightly angry look, making Stephanie cringe a little.

"It bothers him that he doesn't know where you live."

"Oh! That." Amber looked away. "He isn't supposed to notice," she said quietly to herself, but Stephanie heard. Still, she filed it away for the moment. She really wanted to know where her friend lived.

Stephanie waited a short time and spoke up. "Your turn."

"Yeah. My turn. Um… you look a lot like Steve."

Stephanie frowned. She wasn't sure how to take that.

"I mean as a cute, feminine version of Steve," Amber quickly added.

"Thanks. Cousins sometimes look a lot alike, just like siblings… I guess."

"Sure. I can so see a family resemblance." Amber stared a little too long and turned away again, blushing.

Stephanie guessed why her friend blushed and joined her. Both girls looked diagonally away from each other, desperate for something to talk about.

"So?" Steph started. "You gonna tell me where ya live or am I gonna have to mess ya up?" She tried a little humor to loosen things up.

"Sure. 1313 Mockingbird Lane," Amber said with a smirk as the two of them slowly started turning towards each other.

"I've seen the Munsters. Your name isn't Marilyn but you're too cute to be a monster." Stephanie remembered that Marilyn was called the plain one in a family of monsters but was actually considered to be very good looking by most people's standards.

"I am the Marilyn in my family but… wait…. You really think I'm cute?"

"Yeah! I mean… sure." Stephanie blushed again, especially since she saw a brightening glow of pink surrounding her friend. Amber's aura glowed the color of love.

"Did Steve tell you that I find girls attractive?"

"No. He didn't tell me but you just did. So did your aura." 'Oops!' she thought. 'Too soon!'

"What was that about my aura?"

"Can you see auras?" Stephanie asked, deciding to dive right in since she already gave away the fact that she could see them.

"No, but I know they exist. Did you just say that you can see my aura?"

"Yeah. It's glowing a bright pink. I can tell you like me."

Amber smiled. "Interesting. Steve and I would never work out, but something tells me you and I might."

"What?! No. I… can't."

"Can't or won't? Do you like girls or don't you?"

"I do but I can't."

Amber sighed. "I'm sorry," she said. "I'm not usually this forward, but my parents always tell me that if you really want something, you should try your best to get it. 'No regrets,' they say."

The mentioning of parents reminded Steph that she still didn't know where her friend lived. She decided to try the same tact that her friend was using on her.

"That's actually very good advice. And that's why I have to ask you again. Where do you live?"

"I'm sorry but I can't tell you that."

"Can't or won't," Steph said with a smirk.

Amber smiled. "Touché," she said. "But I meant what I said. I can't tell you. I'd have to show you and I'm sorry. I don't have time to show you today. I need to get going."

She stood up and when Stephanie followed her lead, she reached for the part-time girl's hand and pulled it up to her mouth, kissing it. "I feel like I already know you," she said. "I hope we can be more than friends. Until we meet again, Stephanie."

Stephanie gave a nervous laugh and blushed.

"You even laugh like Steve. Weird… but cute."

The two girls gave each other a finger wave and Amber walked quickly out of the mall. Stephanie turned around to look for her mother and almost ran into her.

"So? How did it go?" Sue asked, anxious to hear all the details.

Stephanie blushed for the umpteenth time. "A little awkward. I think we'd be kissing in the back of a movie theater by now if she had her way."

"What?! What happened to testing the waters?"

"Oh, I tested them alright. I ran a bath, dipped my toe in and then slipped in for a good, long soak."

Sue just stared.

"Can we shop now? I think I need some retail therapy."

"Sure," her mother said. "But I'll want to hear all about your conversation with Amber before we get home."

"Whatever."

Stephanie sighed and found herself drawn to the same music store she'd visited the day before. She didn't have to worry about turning into a girl so she walked in and resumed browsing where she'd left off in the pop rock section. She tried to focus on the albums but her thoughts kept returning to Amber.

She briefly looked up, noticing that her mother had drifted over to the DVD section, and then listened as a song began playing with a female vocalist. If she'd been anywhere near the store as a boy, she would've changed into her current form for sure. As before, the lyrics fit her life all too well and she couldn't help but listen. When the chorus played, tears started rolling down her cheeks. The beauty of the song and the painful yearning in her heart for Amber combined to create a perfect storm of bittersweet emotion.

I have died everyday waiting for you
Darling don't be afraid I have loved you
For a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more

The song continued and Stephanie cried the whole time it played. Her mother noticed and came over to check on her.

"Steph? Honey? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Mom. I need to get that song that just played. Then we can get some bras."

They left the music store with the soundtrack to The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 and moved on to Macy's, buying a half dozen bras and two nice, warm matching red coats that they wore as they left the mall.

~o~O~o~

Back at the Jones residence, with Amber doing homework in her bedroom, her parents met in their inner sanctum in the basement to discuss a very important and disturbing matter. Surrounded by bookshelves and narrow tables filled with various magic items, the couple stood in the center of the room on a thick, round carpet with a pentagram design.

"Are all of the privacy seals in place?" Kate asked her husband, her eyes wide with fear.

"Yes, Dear. Now please. Tell me what's got you so upset."

"This!" she thrust a letter in his face.

He calmly took it and read the following:

I'm coming back to finish what I started.

You will pay me in full for what you did to me.

- Morgan

The text was typed but the name appeared to be signed in blood with a calligraphy pen. It wasn't the blood that upset the man though. It was the name.

"Her again!" he spat. "Why can't she leave us alone?! Hasn't she harmed our daughter enough?!" It took great willpower but he managed to take several deep, calming breaths. One of them had to stay calm.

"What are we going to do, Cam?"

"I'll ask the Council for options. I don't think they can do much on their own but they might know a specialist that can help us."

"Isn't that what got us into this mess in the first place? A specialist?"

Years ago, when the proud parents took baby Amber to their coven's meeting place for her magic christening, a strange woman interrupted the ritual, shouting obscenities and literally breathing fire. Everyone backed away and the mad woman rushed to the front of the large room to pick up Amber, holding the infant above her head.

Kate and Cam stood horrified and paralyzed with fear. If they got too rough, they might cause Amber harm. But the baby's mother found enough courage to speak up at least. "Who are you?" she asked in a meek voice.

"Oh? You don't know me?" the woman mocked, still holding the baby high in the air. "I'm the priestess you hired to christen your daughter! That's who I am! You didn't wait for me but I came anyway. I'll show you what it means to humiliate me!"

After hearing negative rumors and doing some research, the Jones couple decided against having the priestess named Morgan christen their baby daughter. Although they never met the christening specialist before that day, they called the agency to cancel and decided to have a local member of their coven do the christening.

Canceling the appointment wasn't too bad in itself, but because of a mixup, Morgan wasn't notified by her agency. The priestess only found out about it from a couple of gossiping witches at the agency who looked at her and laughed as they openly talked about it in front of her. Morgan was outraged.

Of course the Jones family was innocent of any wrongdoing. But that didn't stop Morgan from blaming them for everything. The unbalanced priestess prepared for the christening in spite of the cancelation, though she changed the ritual to suit herself rather than the child. When she showed up for the christening, she meant to seal away Amber's magic instead of releasing it, and she succeeded. Her powerful magic ensured that virtually no one else could overcome her seal, leaving Amber to be essentially no different from any mundane human.

Morgan performed her dark ritual and escaped before the magic authorities showed up. She'd been in hiding ever since.

"Morgan was… or is a specialist," Cam conceded, "but she isn't exactly sane."

"Isn't exactly sane?! She's bat shit crazy!"

Cam rolled his eyes but knew better than to ask her to calm down. Her magic power far exceeded his own and he didn't think it would help the situation if she shrunk him down to three inches tall like she did the last time he said the wrong thing.

'My wife isn't crazy or evil,' he reminded himself. 'She's just volatile and impulsive… nothing like Morgan, who planned her actions with great malice when she sealed away my daughter's magic.'

"I still want to consult the Council," Cam said. "We need help. And in the meantime, I think it might be best if you handle arrangements to get Amber safely to and from school. We certainly can't let her walk by herself like she's been doing."

Kate's face showed that she didn't think about the danger of Amber walking to and from school. She started crying and Cam hugged her.

"It's okay," he murmured in her ear. "We'll stop Morgan. No one's going to harm our daughter."

Kate sniffed and whispered back, "What do you think she'll do to Amber? What more can she do?"

"I don't know. I just don't know."

~o~O~o~

Steph remained quiet on the drive home from the mall. As they pulled up in the driveway, her mother couldn't stand it any longer. She had to know.

"Please, Steph. What did you and Amber talk about?"

The girl paused a short time and asked, "Why did you leave me, Mom? It was really awkward."

Sue just looked guilty and didn't respond.

"Oh, no. Please say it isn't true. You left me because you hoped we'd get together and I'd stay a girl? Mom!"

"Yes. Okay. I admit it. That was part of the reason. But I also left you alone so she'd be more likely to give something away. Remember the plan? Testing the waters?"

"Right. She didn't give much away, but you're probably right. I doubt she'd have said as much if you were there."

"So what did she say?"

"I tried to get her to tell me where she lived and she said something very strange. She said that she couldn't tell me. She'd have to show me… someday… later."

"That is strange. What else?"

"She knows about auras. When I told her I could see them, she wasn't surprised. She can't see them herself but she's certain they exist."

"That's interesting… and promising. Anything else?"

"Not really." She suddenly looked away, out through the passenger side window.

"Steph…."

"Okay. Fine. She flirted with me. She… likes me. But I sort of already told you that." The girl turned back and stared at her feet, blushing.

Sue smiled but didn't say any more on the subject. "Okay. Enough chit chat. Let me have a head start to distract your father. Give me five minutes and come through the garage. Okay, Sweetie?"

"Sure, Mom. Thanks."

Sue got out of the car, leaving her daughter with her thoughts and a bag full of new bras that begged for a fashion show.

~o~O~o~

Monday arrived, cold and wet, and Steve still didn't own a decent coat to keep him warm. He quickly got dressed and begged his mother for a ride to school between nibbles of some toast at their small kitchen table.

"Only if you hurry and eat," Sue said. "I don't want you skipping breakfast. You're still a growing… boy."

Steve knew she wanted to use feminine pronouns but he ignored it for the moment. Desperation for a ride kept him civil. "I'm hurrying! I'm hurrying!" he said between mouthfuls.

"Please don't talk with your mouthful, young man." She mostly caught herself from making a gender mistake that time. She stuttered a little on the last word but didn't pause.

"Hah! You sound like my mother," Steve joked.

"Hey! I am your mother!"

Steve stuck his tongue out at her. "No. You're Steph's mother. I can hear you talking to her. Me? Not so much."

"I'm trying," Sue said, pouting. Then she got a mischievous look on her face. "How would you like me to sing a song for you? Any special requests?"

"Mom! You wouldn't dare."

"Wouldn't I? Just name a song. Any… and I'll sing it."

Steve shrieked and ran upstairs to brush his teeth.

Sue chuckled and something just occurred to her. She waited impatiently for her son to come back downstairs and ambushed him as soon as he returned to the kitchen. "Steve…," she said with a slight lilt.

"I mean it, Mother. No singing!"

Sue pouted and then suddenly reached up with both hands to finger his ear lobes. "Feel anything different?" She let go and laughed as she watched his face.

"Mom!" he shrieked as he fingered his ear lobes. "I've still got my studs! I still have pierced ears!"

"Yes. I can see that."

Steve frowned and took a few deep breaths to calm himself. "They don't look too girlie, do they?"

"They look fine, Steve. They're just studs, not dangly hoops or anything."

He gave her a pleading look and she just responded with a reassuring smile.

"Come on," she said. "Let's get you to school."

~o~O~o~

They pulled up in the driveway loop that passed by the front of the school. Steve gave his mother a peck on the cheek and quickly got out of the car, ready to run for the comforting warmth of the school, but his mother had some last minute wisdom to impart. She rolled down the window and shouted for all to hear.

"Don't forget to clean your pierced ears so they don't get infected! Bye! Love you!"

Steve turned to wave, and he kept waving as Sue drove off. It didn't occur to him to be embarrassed — as most teenage boys would be by such a display from their mother — until he turned to run for the entrance. Luckily, school wouldn't start for another thirty minutes and no one cared to stand out in the cold just for the chance to insult him.

The teen went inside and stood looking out one of the large front windows in the school lobby. His breath fogged the window a little and he found himself drawing little hearts on the glass with his finger. After amusing himself for several minutes, he watched with interest as a large black sedan pulled up and Amber emerged from the front passenger side. It looked like he wasn't the only one to get a little relief from the weather. So why did Amber look so unhappy?

"Hey Amber!" he called as she entered the school.

"Hi Steve. You're here early."

"So are you. I got a ride to escape the cold."

"I'm not sure why I got a ride. It's all hush-hush."

"And it's pissing you off."

"Yeah," she agreed, a sour look on her face. "I like to walk. I've got a nice coat that keeps me warm and the exercise wakes me up nicely. But my parents nearly went ballistic when I tried to walk this morning. They insisted that I get a ride to school… and they wouldn't say why." She growled in frustration.

Steve admired her coat for a few seconds before blurting out, "I like your coat." He almost added that he wished he had one just like it.

She gave him a sideways glance but didn't say anything.

"Anyway, I'm sorry," he said. "Family secrets suck."

Amber turned to look at him directly and studied his face for a minute. It made him a little nervous at first but he soon turned hopeful as he wondered if she might have a change of heart about dating.

"I met your cousin yesterday," she said suddenly. "I saw her at the mall with your mother."

"Oh?" he said, feeling a stab of fear.

"Yeah. Where've you been hiding her? She's hot." Amber kept focusing on his face.

"Really? Thanks… I mean she'll probably be happy to hear that… if you don't mind me telling her… um…," he trailed off. He tried to look away but felt mesmerized by his friend's eyes. Her two green truth detectors bored into his soul, making him gasp, thinking she could see his deep, dark secret. He didn't dare lie. He couldn't.

"I…," he tried to say and stopped.

"Yes?" she said, encouraging him to continue.

"I have to go," he said, breaking free of her eyes and quickly hurrying to his locker. "I'll see you at lunch!" he called over his shoulder.

Amber stared at his back, thinking how feminine he looked. Something didn't quite add up but she couldn't figure out why. If she didn't know better, she'd say that Steve and Stephanie were the same person. But that was impossible. She knew Steve's family had no magic ability.

The girl shrugged and slowly walked to her own locker, biding her time until she could get some answers at lunch. Her parents might be able to keep secrets from her but she wouldn't tolerate any more from her friend.

~o~O~o~

Amber caught up with her friend for their first class. She wanted to stare at him some more, liking the way he squirmed whenever he even thought about lying, but she managed to focus on Mr. Packwood's droning voice as he talked about math theorems and proofs.

She liked proofs. They laid bare some of the truths of the universe, just as her eyes did when Steve tried to lie to her. She couldn't wait to uncover yet more truth during lunch. She only hoped she'd like what she found.

Her mood brightened when she anticipated having a serious discussion with Steve, and she almost considered humming, something she did when she felt brimming with a strange mystical energy. Overflowing with energy happened more and more frequently, even causing her to hum in class a couple times. Humming seemed to dissipate the energy so she could concentrate. She meant to discuss it with her parents but kept putting if off, thinking they'd just say she was crazy.

Her parents had been upsetting her a lot lately, being more secretive than ever. She hated secrets! She did. And she meant to uncover them all. Soon.

~o~O~o~

Lunch came and Steve approached Amber ever so slowly across the lunchroom. She watched him closely and noticed that he looked scared. She wondered what could scare him so much and decided to be considerably gentler than she'd been in her imagination, where she interrogated him using a spotlight and a leather riding crop.

"Hi Steve," she said, smiling.

"Hey Amber," he responded as he slowly sat down next to her.

"I'm sorry if I seem a bit cranky," she told him. "My parents have been really weird lately."

"Yeah. Me too," he said absently.

"What?"

Steve continued to mutter and she let it go for the moment. She turned to look at him and wait for him to look back so she could gauge his answers. That's when she noticed his earrings.

'What the hell?' she thought. The studs looked familiar and it soon clicked. She remembered Stephanie having the same pair. To be fair, the plain silver studs were common, but they looked like starter earrings. Both Stephanie and Steve just got their ears pierced. Coincidence? She didn't think so.

"Nice earrings, Steve," she said, smirking.

He snapped his head around to look directly at her. Her eyes caught his and tightly held them. There was no escape this time.

"What? I…." He almost said it. He wanted to tell her so badly. If only the words didn't kept sticking in his throat.

"Say it, Steve. Tell me what's going on with you… and Stephanie. Who is she?"

She had him. She'd know if he lied and she wasn't taking any prisoners, not after the way her parents had been acting. He had to tell the truth so he swallowed once and said it, "I'm Stephanie."

Amber's eyes went wide. He told her the truth that she suspected but didn't believe. Steve and Stephanie were the same person. It was impossible! Stephanie was definitely all girl and Steve, though he looked somewhat effeminate, was all boy. He couldn't fake being being a true girl, not without magic.

"Impossible!" she shouted as she quickly stood up, causing everyone in the lunchroom to stop and watch.

The silence after Amber's shout was nearly absolute, until she started shouting again. "You can't be! You can't!" Tears rolled down her cheeks. "But you are," she said, much more quietly, accepting the truth that she saw in her friend's eyes.

She rode an emotional roller coaster as she thought about all of the ramifications of her friend's confession. Steve's family had no magic ability and yet Steve clearly needed magic to pull off his transformation, so it had to be her parents doing. She used a bit of irrational logic to deduce that they transformed Steve into a part-time girl so they could get the two teens together. In spite of what they told her, maybe they didn't accept her being a lesbian. Maybe they were somehow trying to get her used to loving Stephanie so she'd eventually love Steve. That made her angrier than anything else and it took all of her willpower not to try slapping the smirk off of all the boys she saw staring at her. Instead, she stomped out of the lunchroom and out of the building. There was no way she could concentrate on school so she headed home for a showdown with her mother. Her mother normally worked from home and she was the one who was to ferry Amber to and from school. Amber should've called her to ask for a ride home. But she wasn't supposed to skip class. She didn't think she could get her mother to pick her up so she walked home. At least that was her intention. She never made it home that day.

Steve watched her go as a single tear zig-zagged through his beard stubble and dripped from his chin onto the table. "Good bye, Amber," he said. Then he threw away his lunch after barely nibbling one corner off his sandwich and he slowly scuffed his feet to his next class. It was going to be a long day.

~o~O~o~

Morgan waited near the school in her small compact car, drinking hot chocolate to ward off the chill. She didn't have the money to keep the engine running for the heater — the price of gas was too high and she had limited savings — so she settled for hot chocolate.

"I'll get plenty of money," she muttered, "after I steal that girl's magic."

She almost kicked herself for sending the letter, alerting Amber's parents. She gave herself away by sending that letter because her huge ego seemed to thrive on attention. She couldn't help herself.

"I'll be lucky to grab her," she muttered again. She saw that Amber was delivered to the school by car that morning. She fully expected the girl to be picked up too but just in case, she sat outside the school. And her determination paid off. She couldn't believe it. The girl was walking towards her, on the same side of the street where she parked! And there was no one else around. Perfect.

The powerful witch nearly drooled with anticipation, waiting for the right time to cast a powerful sleep spell and steal her precious cargo away to her hideout, where she intended to suck every last bit of magic out of her for as long as she could. She'd keep the girl well-fed with normal food to keep her alive, but she'd starve her of magic, just like she planned so many years ago. A witch didn't come into power until a couple years into puberty so Morgan had to wait. She sealed away the girl's magic to keep it all for herself, like a magical human battery.

Amber never noticed being stalked. She walked right into the trap, barely noticing as she suddenly got very sleepy and barely missed collapsing on the sidewalk, instead falling into somebody's arms. She fell asleep and dreamed of Stephanie. Whatever else happened, she'd always love Stephanie.

~o~O~o~

Steve made it to his second class after lunch before deciding it was hopeless. He wasn't learning anything. He couldn't concentrate. So instead of going to his next class, he wandered outside and walked home. The weather chilled him to the bone, enough that his teeth chattered, but he barely noticed. All he could think about was Amber.

A blast of wind hit him when he was still several blocks from home. He hugged himself and picked up his pace, daydreaming about coat shopping with Amber. Everything was about Amber, and when he got home, he grabbed a blanket off the back of the couch, wrapped it around himself and headed upstairs to his room to drown himself in music. He got to his bedroom and turned on his radio just in time to hear the perfect song. He let the first verse wash over him as he lied on his bed. Then he joined in with the familiar chorus and felt the tingling start.

Look into my eyes
Eyes are the windows to the soul
Look into my eyes
Eyes, oh you will know
There is no surprise
Eyes, because love is plain to see
Look into my eyes
Eyes

The song continued along with his transformation. By the time the song reached the second verse, Steve was no more.

Truth is truth
And time can never leap it
This I know
We will always keep it

'How ironic,' Stephanie thought. She told the truth and appeared to lose the girl of her dreams when they should be together, celebrating. The chorus repeated and she sang along in her clear soprano voice until the song ended and the tears began.

~o~O~o~

Stephanie had fallen asleep on her bed and only just started waking to the sounds of shouting. What little light peeked through her curtains told her it was just around sunset. She must have slept several hours but she shrugged off the idea of wasting a free afternoon and listened.

"Where is he?" a man shouted, someone she didn't recognize. "Where's Steve?"

"Who are you?!" she heard her mother shout. "What are you doing in my house?!"

"You tell him, Mom," Stephanie said quietly with a grim smile. She had no idea what was going on or why someone was looking for her male self and she didn't care. They wouldn't find Steve even if they checked every room. She continued to listen and it sounded like that's what the strange man intended to do. She heard footsteps stomping closer and sat up in anticipation.

A man threw open her door and looked at her in the dim light coming from the hallway. "Who are you?" he asked with a demanding tone.

"I could ask you the same question," she shot back. "This is my house. But instead, I think I'll just ask you to leave… before I call the cops."

The man smirked just as Sue entered the room behind the man. "Don't bother using the phone, Stephanie. It's dead. My cell phone is dead too."

"I'm very sorry," the man said. "I know this looks bad but I'm desperate. My daughter went missing this afternoon."

"Who's your daughter?" Sue asked. "What are you talking about?"

Stephanie suddenly had a sick feeling in her stomach. She felt certain that she knew who he was talking about. "Amber?" she asked. "Amber Jones?"

"Yes! Of course, Amber. Oh. Wait. I guess I haven't introduced myself. Again, I'm sorry. My name is Cameron Jones, Amber's father."

"And you used magic to kill our phones," Stephanie said, followed by a sigh. "You can restore them now. We won't call the police." She looked at her mother and patted the bed next to where she was sitting. Sue noticed and sat down.

"You know?" Cameron asked, looking a little surprised.

"My mother and I know about magic and figured out that you're a family of witches," Stephanie said. "It was fairly easy to come to grips with magic and witches since I've been cursed to become a girl. Whenever I hear a woman singing or humming, I turn into a girl for several hours. Only magic could do something like that."

"What?!" the man asked.

"Yes, I'm Steve… or at least I will be in a few hours, after I change back into a boy. I go by Stephanie when I'm a girl."

Cameron stared at the girl for a short time, looking all around her but not directly at her. "You've got the strangest aura I've ever seen," he remarked. "It's got all the colors of the rainbow."

"Oh. You can see auras too?"

"What?!" The man looked shocked. "You can see auras?"

"Yep… ever since your daughter accidentally changed me into a girl at school by humming in class and then later rejected me as a boyfriend. According to what I read on the Internet, I was traumatized into seeing auras."

"Hah," the man scoffed. "The Internet is a nuisance. But I think you're right in this case. Fascinating."

"That's one word for it," Stephanie said. "It's not the first word that comes to my mind though."

"I suppose you've had a rough time of it," he said softly, "seeing as you're a mundane. Not having had any exposure to magic and then turning into a girl? I'm truly sorry."

"So you're saying you had nothing to do with it?" Sue suddenly asked.

"I had no idea. If some witch cursed your son, it's no one I know… unless it happens to be the same woman that kidnapped my daughter."

"Wait a minute," Sue said. "You said your daughter went missing. You didn't say anything about kidnapping. Is that why you came here looking for your daughter? You don't think we had anything to do with the kidnapping, do you?"

"No! Of course not." He looked a little embarrassed. "It's just that I know your son is friends with my daughter and I hoped she was here. Now that I see she isn't here, I'm sure it's a kidnapping. My wife and I were warned it would happen." He bent his head down, looking a little embarrassed.

"Hey," Sue said. "It's okay. I'm sure I would've done the same thing for Stephanie."

"Steve!" the girl said.

Sue just waved her hand a little and said, "Whatever."

"So what about Amber?" Stephanie asked. "What are you going to do? Can't you use magic to find her? Can I help?"

Cameron held his hand up to interrupt. "Slow down there, Stephanie. We've been trying to use magic to find her but the witch that most likely kidnapped her is very powerful and has strong privacy wards to block most scrying magic."

"But if she was here, wouldn't your magic been able to tell?" the girl asked.

"Very good," he said. "But there are a few natural sources of magic interference, like… love."

Stephanie looked down and blushed.

Amber's father looked thoughtful for a short time before continuing. "I'm not sure there's anything my wife and I can do but now that you mention it, you might actually be able to help since you two are very close. I know because she's mentioned you as well as Steve. She really likes you." He stopped then and raised an eyebrow just like Amber did when she detected a lie. "But she thought you were two different people."

Stephanie looked down and said in a quiet voice, "We didn't now for sure if she knew about magic so we didn't want to give away my curse. We told her I was my own cousin."

"You actually managed to lie to her?" he asked. "I didn't think that was possible."

"Actually, I remember her looking down and to the side a lot," Stephanie said. "She was a little shy when we met. Doesn't she have to look into your eyes and concentrate to really be sure if you're lying?"

"Yes, of course. You're right about that."

"I always thought it was amazing that she could tell whenever I was lying but I didn't think it had to anything to do with magic."

"We're not sure that it does. It's probably related, but not directly. But enough of that." He turned to Sue. "Mrs. Hamblin, may I please take your daughter to my house to see if we can use her to find my daughter?"

Stephanie tried to interrupt to say that she wasn't her mother's daughter but Sue just talked over her. "Of course, Cameron. But please. Call me Sue."

"Thanks, Sue." He turned back to the girl. "Come on, Stephanie. Let's get going."

"Right, Mr. Jones."

Sue and Stephanie got up and headed for the stairs, followed by Cameron but they all forgot one little thing.

"Honey?" Jack called. "What's going on? I tried to park in the driveway and some car is blocking it."

Sue's husband showed up at the base of the stairs and looked up at the three of them. He recognized his wife but had no idea who the other two were, though the girl looked vaguely familiar.

"Jack! You're home early!" Sue shouted nervously.

"No, I'm not. I'm right on time," he said, scowling. "Who are these people?"

Cameron spoke quietly behind Sue. "I take it he doesn't know anything about Stephanie?"

Sue shook her head slightly and the man behind her went into action, aiming a quick spell at Jack. "You are getting sleepy," he said.

"I'm getting sleepy," Jack agreed, and then yawned.

"You will go right to bed and forget everything that happened since you arrived here at home."

Jack said he'd go to bed and forget everything. He started up the stairs, even saying, "Excuse me," to Stephanie to get by her. He continued on to the master bedroom and shut the door.

"Will he be okay?" Sue asked.

"He'll be fine. He'll forget this ever happened, though he'll likely be hungrier than usual in the morning since he'll be skipping dinner."

Sue and Stephanie nodded.

"You should park your husband's car in the driveway after I leave. That should prevent any awkward questions tomorrow morning."

"Right," Sue said. Then she kissed Stephanie's forehead. "Good luck, my darling daughter."

"Aw, Mom."

Sue smiled and wandered off into the living room to flop down on the couch and relax after all the excitement. Cameron and Stephanie continued on to the front door.

"Now then, Stephanie. Are you ready to go?"

"Yes," she said as she opened the door to leave. "I've been trying to get an invitation to your house for a long time. It's a shame it took a kidnapping for it to happen."

"You've actually noticed that you've never been able to visit us?"

Stephanie nodded. "Amber said something about that too. She was surprised that I noticed."

Cameron shook his head as he got in the car and unlocked the passenger side door. He waited until Stephanie got in the car to continue. "Amazing," he said. "We have some strong protection enchantments on our home. You shouldn't have been able to notice anything was amiss."

"I guess it has something to do with my curse then."

"I guess so."

~o~O~o~

Playlist for Part 3

6. Bring Me to Life by Evanescence
7. Addiction by Medina
8. A Thousand Years by Christina Perri
9. Eyes by Kaskade

~o~O~o~

 © 2012 by Terry Volkirch. This work may not be replicated in whole or in part by any means electronic or otherwise without the express consent of the Author (copyright holder). All Rights Reserved. This is a work of Fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional and any resemblance to real people or incidents past, present or future is purely coincidental.