Convergence

by Tyrone Slothrop

  

With respect to Twilight Zone, Groundhog Day and Memento

 

Chapter 1: Zero Point

Gene knew he was going to lose it all. No amount of cramming or prayer would get him past the Math Final. He thought that Finals were aptly named. It would be the end of him.

Boxwood Academy had withstood the anxiety of sixteen year olds for over one hundred years. Situated on a hill overlooking a river town, it catered to the education of both the heirs of fortune and the academically gifted, as long as they were male. If you had the opportunity to be a young woman who was academically gifted or heir to fortune, you could go to Boxwood School, the next valley over.

Libertarian in approach, conservative in philosophy, Boxwood emphasized self reliance and individuality. Young men were not told what to do, just the outcomes which were expected. If they were inconsiderate of others, they were asked to leave by their peers. If they were dangerous to themselves, they were removed, but only as a last resort. The selection process tended to find students who were capable of excellence without being sociopaths, or at least not overt sociopaths.

Gene was both academically gifted and an heir to a wealthy family. However, he had a mental block about trigonometry which was eating him alive. He had fallen into the trap of those with quick intelligence and had never developed the ability to master a topic which did not come naturally. As a result, he had avoided study all this session until he was faced with 80% of his grade on the final after failing the preliminary exams. He now had one more hour in his sleepless night before breakfast. The test was scheduled for ten am.

He looked over at his sleeping roommates. Roman was snoring softly, his bedsprings squeaking as he stirred. Norman was out cold. He pushed himself so hard in his sports he always slept like someone had just switched him off. This was their third year together, one of the few triple rooms who had stayed together since they were freshman. Somehow, they complemented each other without competing.

Gene finally nodded off in his chair.

In that peculiar way the sixteen year old brain works, grand cosmic significance, life and death issues and the fate of the rest of your life all bounced inside Gene's head. He could not conceive of what blowing this test would do to him, he would not conceive of it.

Now it is theorized that the universe may just be a switching center of human consciousness, with you being plugged into one reality for a while, then turned off, then plugged into another. All your memories go away and are rebuilt each time. You may be only there for a second, but it will seem like a continuous life to you. Of course, it has also been theorized that unicorns walk down the street in broad daylight but nobody ever looks at them, so they are never seen. The first one sounds better if it is said by someone with a degree, wearing a jacket with leather sleeve patches, the second one usually is uttered by someone adjusting their tinfoil hat. Both are probably lunatics, but for the sake of this narrative, go with the first one. Imagine the sleeve patches, maybe a vaguely Eastern European accent.

So Gene, being of powerful yet undisciplined mind was stoking the fires of his own stress, at the time of night when humans are most vulnerable. Check the death incidence between 3 and 5 am versus any other two hour period. Go ahead, look it up.

So something happened which occurs more frequently than most would assume. He slipped over into a close reality. By slipping over, he did not reset his memories which would have normally occurred had the universe worked as theorized by that Eastern European fellow. Those Europeans, all accent and they say nothing useful. Or maybe they do.

 

Chapter 2: Just A Little Outside

Gene knew he was being shaken awake, and he knew it was Roman doing it. He just wanted to refuse Roman the satisfaction of an easy victory.

"Dammit, Gene, get up! Trig final today! Come on, we have to get ready for breakfast." Roman assumed everyone would react to the concept of breakfast like he did, which was to get up from any amount of sleep to get some food. Gene hated breakfast unless it was lunch. Except he had grown fond of coffee lately.

Norman was doing stretching exercises in the common area. His six foot three inch frame was well muscled but not excessively so. Norman was probably heading for an Olympic Gold if he could just settle on a sport. He loved them all. Norman was the anomaly of being the Jock who was not a jock. He played sports benchmarked against himself and while he was a team member when necessary, he was not one socially. He preferred his few old friends and stuck by them.

One thing about Boxwood, the rooms were first rate. A separate room for each boy, with their own bath and a large common area. There was a television, but it only worked after eight pm, and then only got two channels. Of course they had a DVD player and they could get almost any entertainment through the various computers they had between them, but the Boxwood curriculum demanded a lot of their time. Only the flunk outs watched much TV during session. Boxwood offset the rigorous schedule by only running six week sessions followed by three weeks off. During the session time, the students did two things, study and exercise, with sleep and food as a secondary luxury.

Roman dragged Gene out of the chair and into something approximating an upright position. Roman was pudgy. Actually , Roman was fat. But not too fat. Fat enough to have everybody know he was fat but not fat enough to repel most people. He had a belly and a round face and was anything but jolly. But he was a stalwart friend, a stand up guy who would cover your back, lie to your parents and all of the other things you needed when you were sixteen. He was also a scholarship kid, here solely on the merits of his aptitude and grades.

Gene fell into the shower and stood under the running water, attempting to use the flow as a substitute for rest. It worked for about twenty seconds.

He was the regular looking one of the three, five eleven and 170 pounds, short brown hair, no scars, no tattoos no body piercing, no glass eye, in full possession of arms, 2, standard issue, legs, 2 standard issue, fingers and toes per regulation. He was not handsome, not pretty, not ugly. His mother called him cute, once, when he was four, and Gene did not remember a lot of people agreeing with her. He liked sports but was not exceptionally gifted, he liked girls but was not really frequently lucky, he liked school and had always done well enough without much effort. Until now.

Boxwood did not believe in uniforms, just an unspoken dress code which had varied little over the last ten years. It seemed to mutate on seven to ten year cycles. The current one consisted of casual pants and dress shirts coupled with sneakers, not very different from lawyers or bankers off duty.

Gene put on his clothes while still suffering from sleep deprivation. For some reason, he kept fumbling his shirt buttons. It was like his reflexes were all screwed up.

"For Christ's sake, Gene, wake up. Let me help you with that." Norman said as he fixed the buttons on Gene's shirt.

The three wandered down to breakfast in the dining hall, a central area which connected the four dormitories at the center. Mrs. Fredricks, the Boys Headmistress was there to greet them as they filed past on line. Gene always wondered about her background. Current theory was that she was a retired hired assassin/professional stripper, or maybe a librarian. No one had ever seen Mr. Fredricks but it was rumored that it had been overheard that he was overseas or killed, since she occasionally mentioned him as the Colonel. She was still really great looking even for someone so old. Gene thought she might even be like forty or something.

"Hello Gene, ready for Trigonometry today?" She asked. She was wearing her standard headmistress uniform, a skirted suit with a white blouse. Her hair however, was stunningly red and flowed down over her shoulders. Gene knew that freshman at Boxwood had the experience of a shared sexual fantasy about her, and assumed that she was the reason the school recommended new boys bring a significant number of underwear changes.

"I hope so, Ma'm. It's not easy stuff." Gene answered. Mrs. Fredricks always sounded sincere and deserved a sincere answer.

"Nothing good ever is, Gene. Good luck." She turned to the next boy in line.

The three roommates sat in a corner nook to consume their food.

"Gene, let me help. We've got about thirty minutes to review the material." Roman offered.

"God, Roman, I know you're smart but thirty minutes? I need thirty hours!"

"Gene, look at it this way. I bet I can make sure you get at least one more question right than you would if we didn't do it." Roman said.

"Thanks Roman, but I'm just going to nap until the test."

 

Chapter 3: It's In The Details

Gene skipped his first class and went back to the room. He had about an hour to rest before the test and kept debating whether to study or sleep. Sleep won but was derailed when he realized what was wrong. As Gene tried to unbutton his shirt, the buttons were on the wrong side, the women's side.

"What the hell is going on?" he said aloud.

He inspected his other shirts in his closet. All were buttoned left to right. So were Norman's. And Roman's.

Gene was familiar with women's blouses. He had borrowed his mother's clothes on several occasions when he was alone back home. Dressing in women's clothing had become part of his sexual fantasy, often thought about but rarely done for real. His fear of getting caught was overpowering and he had been very careful. No one knew his secret and he never felt the need to indulge while at school, at least so far.

So now Gene had anomaly number one. It was not to be the last.

He looked at the time and realized he had to get to the test. After a breakneck sprint across campus, he arrived at the exam room.

The first question was gibberish to him. Nothing came to mind. The next was no better. It was the longest ninety minutes of Gene's life.

He left the test and walked back to his room in a complete daze. Utter defeat surrounded him like a magnetic field. Somehow he found his bed and collapsed, letting sleep take him away.

 

Chapter 5: A Brand New Day, Strangely Familiar

Gene knew he was being shaken awake, and he knew it was Roman doing it. He just wanted to refuse Roman the satisfaction of an easy victory.

"Dammit, Gene, get up! Trig final today! Come on, we have to get ready for breakfast." Roman said.

Gene shot upright. "What do you mean, the final was yesterday, or this morning or "

"Calm down, Gene. The final is today. You must have fallen asleep cramming last night." Roman backed up. Norman entered the room.

Gene looked at them and blinked. They looked just like Roman and Norman, dress shirts and casual slacks, ready for breakfast. It was just that they were each wearing long dangling jeweled earrings. He then noticed the bracelets, rings and necklaces. He also saw that the shirt buttons were left to right.

"What's with the earrings?" Gene asked, addressing both of them.

"They were my Dad's. He gave them to me for Christmas this year. You knew that, Gene, you even borrowed them twice." Norman said.

"Like you need ours Gene. You've got a branch of Tiffany's in your case." Roman grinned.

Gene got up and showered. His watch, now a thin gold case with diamonds instead of his bulky chronometer had indicated it was the day of the exam. And he did have an extensive jewelry case set on a vanity in his bathroom. In the mirror he noticed gold posts in his ears.

Gene started to tremble. He stood there in a towel, still wet, droplets falling with the shaking of his body.

"Gene, hurry up. Don't forget your lucky bracelets!" Roman called out.

Gene got himself under control. He selected a shirt and pants and got dressed. Sitting at his vanity, working out of instinct or habit, he combed his hair and selected his jewelry. After removing his posts, he put in some emerald bangles and a matching necklace. He grabbed a handlful of bracelets, well worn and nicked in several places. His lucky bracelets. He noticed his dress shirts were three quarter sleeved.

While this was underway, Gene's mind was racing. He knew this was not right, not normal. He had also seen enough science fiction shows, especially that old series from the fifties to know that he was going to keep his mouth shut and play along. The people who were suddenly someplace else always got in trouble by not playing along.

He looked at himself in the mirror. He felt ridiculous and normal. It was very disconcerting. The three went to breakfast.

"Hello Gene, ready for Trigonometry today?" Mrs. Fredricks asked, dressed as Gene always remembered her.

"I hope so, Ma'm. It's not easy stuff." Gene answered.

"Nothing good ever is, Gene. Good luck." She turned to the next boy in line.

The three roommates sat in a corner nook to consume their food. All of the boys in the room were wearing a lot of jewelry.

"Gene, let me help with the math. We've got about thirty minutes to review the material." Roman offered.

"God, Roman, I know you're smart but thirty minutes? I need thirty hours!"

"Gene, look at it this way. I bet I can make sure you get at least one more question right than you would if we didn't do it." Roman said.

"Thanks Roman, but I'm just going to nap until the test."

Gene went back to the room. He examined Roman's and Norman's rooms and the only difference was their jewelry cases. He also noted Norman's swimsuit calendar was unchanged, the girls were just like they should be.

 

He looked at the time and realized he had to get to the test. After a breakneck sprint across campus, he arrived at the exam room.

The first question was gibberish to him. Nothing came to mind. The next was no better. It was the longest ninety minutes of Gene's life.

He left the test and walked back to his room in a complete daze. Utter defeat surrounded him like a magnetic field. Somehow he found his bed and collapsed, letting sleep take him away.

 

Chapter 6: Got The Tee Shirt

Gene knew he was being shaken awake, and he knew it was Roman doing it. He just wanted to refuse Roman the satisfaction of an easy victory.

"Dammit, Gene, get up! Trig final today! Come on, we have to get ready for breakfast." Roman said.

Roman was standing there in a waist high girdle gartered to sheer black stockings. The crotch was clearly cut for a man and even had snaps for a fly. His earrings were large hoops today or yesterday or whatever day this was. Other than that, everything seemed normal.

"Gene, you asked me to shave your back today, I've been waiting and you haven't even showered or done your legs and pits. Norm and I have already done each other and we're waiting.

Norman walked in wearing fishnet hose attached to a garter belt over his satin briefs. He had stayed with the dangling rubies. Gene noticed that he was almost hairless which made him look very different from the Norman he knew. That Norman had looked like he was part bear or sheep with the curly black hair on his chest and back.

"Gene, get a move on, we only have twenty minutes or they won't let us eat." Norman said.

Gene jumped in the shower and raced through the shampoo and soap process. He noticed the odd brand of shaving cream and contoured handled razor. When he picked it up his body took over the process of shaving his legs. Gene noticed that his crotch hair was neatly trimmed back and realized that body shaving was an old habit for this version of him. The fog free mirror let him shave his face and underarms.

"Are you ready for me now, Gene?" called in Roman.

Gene decided to go with the flow. "Sure Roman, come on in."

Roman opened the shower door and lathered Gene's back, keeping himself out of the shower spray. He then took the razor and carefully shaved the lathered area.

"Ok, you're smooth and manly now, buddy. You owe me a few of these. Now get dressed for Chrissakes!" Roman said as he went back to his room.

Gene studied his clothing selection. His underwear drawer contents had changed. First of all he now had three drawers. An assortment of satiny briefs, garter belts and hosiery met his frantic hands as he looked for something to wear. One drawer had an assortment of what he knew his mother called "foundation garments", girdles like Roman's, waist cinchers, and some things that looked like an old fashioned corset but with modern materials. At least no bras he thought to himself, and checked his chest to make sure it was still two dimensional. It was.

Gene decided he would do without figure support today since he did not think he was fat. Not lean and sculpted like Norm, but far from Roman. He grabbed a shirt and found that a lot of them were sleeveless tops with necklines that plunged almost to his nipples. There was almost no back to them at all. Well, at least he wouldn't be too hot outside, he thought.

After struggling with the garter belt over the briefs he was fumbling with a pair of sheer black stockings. He decided that if Roman was wearing them, he could probably get away with how they looked. The briefs brought him back to his few actual crossdressing ventures. They felt so much like the panties he wore then, and they fit perfectly. It took him a few minutes to control his erection.

So Gene ventured out, necklaces and hoop earrings, bracelets jangling with a sleeveless top over casual pants. The pants seemed little changed, maybe a bit softer fabric. He had found a selection of shoes and chose a pair of black loafers which seemed to go with the stockings better than his usual sneakers.

 

"Hello Gene, ready for Trigonometry today?" Mrs. Fredricks asked, dressed as Gene always remembered her.

"I hope so, Ma'm. It's not easy stuff." Gene answered.

"Nothing good ever is, Gene. Good luck." She turned to the next boy in line.

The three roommates sat in a corner nook to consume their food. Gene's attire fit right in with the crowd. Roman looked a lot better with his belly constrained, and Gene saw that Roman was not the only one to have a more svelte appearance.

"Gene, let me help with the math. We've got about thirty minutes to review the material." Roman offered.

"God, Roman, I know you're smart but thirty minutes? I need thirty hours!"

"Gene, look at it this way. I bet I can make sure you get at least one more question right than you would if we didn't do it." Roman said.

"Thanks Roman, but I'm just going to nap until the test."

Gene went back to the room. He examined Roman's and Norman's rooms and their wardrobes were changed just like his The swimsuit calendar was unchanged, the girls were just like they should be. Gene touched the calendar with an outstretched hand, as if to anchor himself to something he could count on.

 

He looked at the time and realized he had to get to the test. After a breakneck sprint across campus, he arrived at the exam room.

The first question was gibberish to him. Nothing came to mind. The next was no better. It was the longest ninety minutes of Gene's life.

He left the test and walked back to his room in a complete daze. Utter defeat surrounded him like a magnetic field. Somehow he found his bed and collapsed, letting sleep take him away.

 

Chapter 7; No Setback For Freedom Hard Won

Gene knew he was being shaken awake, and he knew it was Roman doing it. He just wanted to refuse Roman the satisfaction of an easy victory.

"Dammit, Gene, get up! Trig final today! Come on, we have to get ready for breakfast." Roman said.

Roman was standing there in a waist high girdle gartered to sheer brown stockings. His earrings were large jeweled studs today or yesterday or whatever day this was. His formerly short hair was now long and pinned up on the back of his head. Gene could not determine how long it was. Other than that, everything seemed normal.

"Gene, you asked me to shave your back today, I've been waiting and you haven't even showered or done your legs and pits. Norm and I have already done each other and we're waiting.

Norman walked in wearing black hose attached to a garter belt over his satin briefs. He had gone with hoops today. Gene noticed that he his torso was still hairless but most of his attention was focused on the blonde pageboy wig on his head.

"Gene, get a move on, we only have twenty minutes or they won't let us eat." Norman said.

Gene jumped in the shower and raced through the shampoo and soap process. He removed the scrunchie and now had to deal with shoulder length hair. He let himself go on autopilot and used the shampoos and conditioners which seemed natural to him. The selection he had was extensive. He picked up the razor and his body took over the process of shaving his legs. The fog free mirror let him shave his face and underarms.

"Are you ready for me now, Gene?" called in Roman.

Gene decided to go with the flow. "Sure Roman, come on in."

Roman opened the shower door and lathered Gene's back, keeping himself out of the shower spray. He then took the razor and carefully shaved the lathered area. Roman was wearing a redhead version of Norman's pageboy over his pinned up hair.

"Ok, you're smooth and manly now, buddy. You owe me a few of these. Now dry your hair and get dressed for Chrissakes!" Roman said as he went back to his room.

Gene had no choice but to let his body handle the brush, comb and blow drying process. After what seemed like an eternity, he then just let his hands do the job of putting his hair up and then turned to his selection of twenty wigs all arranged on forms. His whole bathroom/ dressing area seemed to have tripled in size. He noticed that some of the wigs were in a clear wrap with a ticket attached labeled "Fred's Wig Service, we pickup and deliver".

 

Gene studied his clothing selection. Not much change, except the pants. They had no pockets and were tighter around his rear and his thighs. They also rode lower on his waist, which meant if he bent over his middle would be exposed. The legs were belled out with slits from the knee down. Gene noticed a selection of purses, one of which seemed to be loaded with his wallet, comb, keys and what he guessed was a cologne atomizer. He smelled it and it was similar to his aftershave, a little stronger. He decided on emeralds again.

He finally got the garter belt placement right and picked a pair of hose, sheer with a diamond pattern. Somehow a lot of his shoes were now open toe sandals so he went with the simplest pair he found.

 

So Gene went into the common area and Roman laughed at him.

"Wake up, idiot. After finally getting those old stuffy guys to change the dress code two years ago so we could wear our wigs, here you go starting a counter revolution. Do you want to have to style your own hair? That was our only alternative, you know." Roman went on, continuing to laugh. Norman grinned.

"Sorry, not awake yet fellas." Gene retired back to his room.

Gene selected a black version of the pageboy and pulled in onto his head. He found his hands reaching for bobby pins out of reflex and let them do what they wanted. He was learning to relax and let the body and reflexes do their work.

The crew of three went to breakfast.

"Hello Gene, ready for Trigonometry today?" Mrs. Fredricks asked, dressed as Gene always remembered her.

"I hope so, Ma'm. It's not easy stuff." Gene answered.

"Nothing good ever is, Gene. Good luck." She turned to the next boy in line.

The three roommates sat in a corner nook to consume their food. Gene's attire fit right in with the crowd. The riot of colors from the wigs made the room much more vivid. Some of the younger boys were opting for blues and purples.

"Gene, let me help with the math. We've got about thirty minutes to review the material." Roman offered.

"God, Roman, I know you're smart but thirty minutes? I need thirty hours!"

"Gene, look at it this way. I bet I can make sure you get at least one more question right than you would if we didn't do it." Roman said.

"Thanks Roman, But I need to ask you to listen to something."

Gene tried to explain what was happening to him, how the world changed everyday but the same things happened over and over. Roman was not just smart, he was unconventional in the way he thought. He also knew when Gene was telling the truth. Norman also showed concern, but kept silent.

"So Gene you want us to believe you keep waking up and repeating the same day and the only thing that changes is everybody's clothes? And you go and screw up your final and then collapse just to start it over? Now I would say that you are just waking from an anxiety attack of some sort and this will all blow over tomorrow, but you are obviously worried so here is what I can do. I'm going to write down a few words which only means something to me. Memorize them and then hand me back the paper. If the next time you wake up and Norman over there has short hair or I am suddenly thinner or you have a pair of hooters like Mrs Fredricks, then explain this to me again and tell me the phrase. But only say it so I'm the only one who can hear you. Now forget this, calm down and go do your best on the final. I told you I would help you on the math."

After Gene left, Roman and Norman looked at each other.

"I'm worried about him, Roman. I think he's losing it." Norman said, quietly.

"So am I, Norm. He was always so tightly wound and it all came too easy for him. I only gave him that stuff to get him off this silly fixation he's got." Roman said, his voice showing unusual concern. He check his wig in the mirror on the wall and patted it into place. The boys grabbed their purses and left for class.

Gene went back to the room. He examined Roman's and Norman's rooms and their wardrobes were changed just like his The swimsuit calendar was unchanged, the girls were just like they should be. Gene touched the calendar with an outstretched hand, as if to anchor himself to something he could count on.

 

He looked at the time and realized he had to get to the test. After a breakneck sprint across campus, he arrived at the exam room.

The first question was gibberish to him. Nothing came to mind. The next was no better. It was the longest ninety minutes of Gene's life.

He left the test and walked back to his room in a complete daze. Utter defeat surrounded him like a magnetic field. Somehow he found his bed and collapsed, letting sleep take him away.

 

Chapter 8: Crossing the Hemline

Gene knew he was being shaken awake, and he knew it was Roman doing it. He just wanted to refuse Roman the satisfaction of an easy victory.

"Dammit, Gene, get up! Trig final today! Come on, we have to get ready for breakfast." Roman said.

Roman was standing there in a waist high girdle gartered to fishnet stockings. His earrings were pearls today or yesterday or whatever day this was. His long hair was pinned up on the back of his head. Other than that, everything seemed normal.

"Gene, you asked me to shave your back today, I've been waiting and you haven't even showered or done your legs and pits. Norm and I have already done each other and we're waiting."

Norman walked in wearing brown hose attached to a garter belt over his satin briefs. He had gone with hoops again today. Gene noticed that he his torso was still hairless but and he was wearing a blonde beehive wig on his head.

"Gene, get a move on, we only have twenty minutes or they won't let us eat." Norman said.

Gene jumped in the shower and raced through the shampoo and soap process. He removed the scrunchie and now had to deal with shoulder length hair. He let himself go on autopilot and used the shampoos and conditioners which seemed natural to him. The selection he had was extensive. He picked up the razor and his body took over the process of shaving his legs. The fog free mirror let him shave his face and underarms.

"Are you ready for me now, Gene?" called in Roman.

Gene decided to go with the flow. "Sure Roman, come on in."

Roman opened the shower door and lathered Gene's back, keeping himself out of the shower spray. He then took the razor and carefully shaved the lathered area. Roman was wearing a brown pageboy over his pinned up hair.

"Ok, you're smooth and manly now, buddy. You owe me a few of these. Now dry your hair and get dressed for Chrissakes!" Roman said as he went back to his room.

Gene let his body handle the brush, comb and blow drying process. After what seemed like an eternity, he then just let his hands do the job of putting his hair up and then turned to his selection of twenty wigs all arranged on forms.

Gene selected a long blonde model which fell to his midback and pulled it onto his head. He found his hands reaching for bobby pins out of reflex and let them do what they wanted. He was relaxed and let the body and reflexes do their work.

 

Gene studied his clothing selection. Not much change, except the pants. They were skirts. He had a few pairs of pants way in the back, but they looked like something for sports or outdoor work The skirts seemed to vary from knee length to floor length. He selected one about in the middle.

He got the garter belt and picked a pair of hose, black sheer. He grabbed another pair of open toe sandals, welcoming the lack of heels. He had tried walking in Mom's heels and nearly wiped out his ankle.

 

So Gene went into the common area and Roman laughed at him.

"I thought we were all going to be daring today and show some knee. Here you are, Mr. Prim and Proper." Roman and Norman were both in knee length skirts.

"Just couldn't handle it today, guys." Gene said.

 

The crew of three went to breakfast.

"Hello Gene, ready for Trigonometry today?" Mrs. Fredricks asked, dressed as Gene always remembered her.

"I hope so, Ma'm. It's not easy stuff." Gene answered.

"Nothing good ever is, Gene. Good luck." She turned to the next boy in line.

The three roommates sat in a corner nook to consume their food. Gene's attire fit right in with the crowd. The riot of colors from the wigs made the room much more vivid. Some of the younger boys were opting for blues and purples.

"Gene, let me help with the math. We've got about thirty minutes to review the material." Roman offered.

"God, Roman, I know you're smart but thirty minutes? I need thirty hours!"

"Gene, look at it this way. I bet I can make sure you get at least one more question right than you would if we didn't do it." Roman said.

"Thanks Roman, But I need to ask you to listen to something."

Gene tried to explain what was happening to him, how the world changed everyday but the same things happened over and over. Roman was not just smart, he was unconventional in the way he thought. He also knew when Gene was telling the truth. Norman also showed concern, but kept silent.

"So Gene you want us to believe you keep waking up and repeating the same day and the only thing that changes is everybody's clothes? And you go and screw up your final and then collapse just to start it over? Now I would say that you are just waking from an anxiety attack of some sort and this will all blow over tomorrow, but you are obviously worried… " Roman said.

Gene interrupted. "Roman, the last time you said the same damn thing, but you also gave me a phrase. Let me show you and then talk."

Gene ripped some notepaper and wrote a few words, carefully masking the writing. He handed the note to Roman.

Roman went white, as if the blood had all drained from his head, and then started breathing in short spurts. Norman got up to help but Roman waved him off. He started ripping the note to small shreds.

"You say I gave this to you the last time? You don't know what it means?"

"I don't have a clue, it's just three words, one of which could be a town or city. The only thing different about you is you were wearing pants and a different wig. So was Norm and so was I." Gene said.

"I haven't worn pants indoors since I was six. That must be a weird place." Roman said.

"Not really. After a while , it's just clothes. People are the same."

Roman thought and finally pronounced. "Gene, based on your sad tale I can only recommend you do one thing. Pass the test. All this started with you panicked about the test and keeps repeating every time you blow it. So let's start now and I get you past at least one question. Just make sure you get me to work on a different topic every time. "

"You think that will get me back? " Gene asked.

"I have no idea. I just know that you need to change a variable and your anxiety seems to be part of this. So listen up. We now begin 'An explanation of the Pythagorean theorem' for your enjoyment."

Gene focused on the fifteen minute lesson.

After Gene left, Roman and Norman looked at each other.

"I'm worried about him, Roman. I think he's losing it." Norman said, quietly.

"So am I, Norm. He was always so tightly wound and it all came too easy for him. I only gave him that stuff to get him off this silly fixation he's got." Roman said, his voice showing unusual concern. He check his wig in the mirror on the wall and patted it into place. The boys grabbed their purses and left for class.

Gene went back to the room. He examined Roman's and Norman's rooms and their wardrobes were changed just like his The swimsuit calendar was unchanged, the girls were just like they should be. Gene touched the calendar with an outstretched hand, as if to anchor himself to something he could count on.

 

He looked at the time and realized he had to get to the test. After a breakneck sprint across campus, he arrived at the exam room.

The first question was easy. Then he drew a blank. The next was no better. It was the longest ninety minutes of Gene's life.

He left the test and walked back to his room in a complete daze. Utter defeat surrounded him, but he had a glimmer of hope. Somehow he found his bed and collapsed, letting sleep take him away.

 

Chapter 9: School Daze

Gene knew he was being shaken awake, and he knew it was Roman doing it. He just wanted to refuse Roman the satisfaction of an easy victory.

"Dammit, Gene, get up! Trig final today! Come on, we have to get ready for breakfast." Roman said.

Roman was standing there in a waist high girdle gartered to black stockings. His earrings were crystal and dangled in the lights. His long hair was set in rollers. Other than that, everything seemed normal.

"Gene, you asked me to shave your back today, I've been waiting and you haven't even showered or done your legs and pits. Norm and I have already done each other and we're waiting."

Norman walked in wearing brown hose attached to a garter belt over his satin briefs. He had gone with hoops again today. Gene noticed that his hair was past his shoulders and in a classic 1960's flip. He did not think it was a wig.

"Gene, get a move on, we only have twenty minutes or they won't let us eat." Norman said.

Gene jumped in the shower making sure to cover his own rollers with a large shower bonnet. He picked up the razor and his body took over the process of shaving his legs. The fog free mirror let him shave his face and underarms.

"Are you ready for me now, Gene?" called in Roman.

Gene decided to go with the flow. "Sure Roman, come on in."

Roman opened the shower door and lathered Gene's back, keeping himself out of the shower spray. He then took the razor and carefully shaved the lathered area. Roman had not taken his hair down yet.

"Ok, you're smooth and manly now, buddy. You owe me a few of these. Now fix your hair and get dressed for Chrissakes!" Roman said as he went back to his room.

Gene let his body handle the brush, comb and styling process. After what seemed like an eternity, he then just let his hands do the job of arranging his hair into a curly pageboy.

 

Gene studied his clothing selection. Not much change, except the skirts seemed to be either mid thigh or floor length. There were also some dresses in the same lengths. He picked out a slip and a minidress and then realized he needed a girdle to make it fit. He put it back and selected a skirt at floor length with a slit up the side, with a camisole top.

The shoes had one inch heels, but they weren't that hard to get used to.

So Gene went into the common area and Roman laughed at him.

"I thought we were all going to be daring today and show some thigh. Here you are, Mr. Prim and Proper." Roman and Norman were both in mini skirts.

"Just couldn't handle it today, guys." Gene said.

 

The crew of three went to breakfast.

"Hello Gene, ready for Trigonometry today?" Mrs. Fredricks asked, dressed as Gene always remembered her.

"I hope so, Ma'm. It's not easy stuff." Gene answered.

"Nothing good ever is, Gene. Good luck." She turned to the next boy in line.

The three roommates sat in a corner nook to consume their food. Gene's attire fit right in with the crowd.

"Gene, let me help with the math. We've got about thirty minutes to review the material." Roman offered.

"Ok Roman, pick a topic and let's cover it."

 

After the lesson Gene left. Roman and Norman looked at each other.

"I'm worried about him, Roman. I think he's losing it." Norman said, quietly.

"So am I, Norm. He was always so tightly wound and it all came too easy for him. I only gave him that stuff to get him to calm down." Roman said, his voice showing unusual concern. He check his hair in the mirror on the wall and patted it into place. The boys grabbed their purses and left for class.

Gene went back to the room. The swimsuit calendar was unchanged, the girls were just like they should be. Gene touched the calendar with an outstretched hand, as if to anchor himself to something he could count on.

 

He looked at the time and realized he had to get to the test. After a breakneck sprint across campus, he arrived at the exam room.

The first question was easy. Then the second was easy. Then it got harder.

He left the test and walked back to his room in a complete daze. Defeat surrounded him, but he had a glimmer of hope. Somehow he found his bed and collapsed, letting sleep take him away.

 

Chapter 10: Repeat After Me

As Gene got more trig questions right, the pace of change slowed down.

The radians and arc length lesson was coupled with nail polish.

Sines and cosines brought lipstick and foundation makeup.

Tangents and slope ushered in the need to keep male nipples covered. Roman had to wear a bra for his overweight chest. Gene learned he should wear one in 'polite company'. Norman wore one to cover his well defined pectoral muscles.

Inverse functions were coupled with eye shadow, liner and mascara.

Solving oblique triangles added high heels. Gene hated that one. Norman never wore more than a two inch to keep his leg muscles intact for sprinting. Roman loved four inch and higher, being the shortest of the three. Gene found he favored three inch according to his closet.

Secants and cosecants came along with skirted suits. Hems just above the knee.

Gene was getting really tired of the breakfast choices. He knew he could ace the test today, he probably had the last time. As he left the dining hall, Mrs. Fredricks gently tugged on his arm.

"Gene, can I see you in my office? It will only take a minute." She asked.

"Yes Ma'm. I'll be right there." Gene said.

Mrs. Fredricks nodded and turned to leave the hall. Gene looked at her walking away and realized that his hair, his suit, his shoes and makeup were almost an identical match for Mrs. Fredricks, with the exception of colors. He looked around the dining hall and realized that all the boys were paying the same homage.

 

Chapter 11: Divine Discussion

Gene entered Mrs. Fredricks' office through the open door. Closed, it required a knock.

"Sit down Gene." She said, closing the door.

As the sound of the wood meeting the jamb, Gene found himself sitting in a white void. Mrs. Fredricks was across from him, her legs crossed. He always loved when she did that.

"Gene, it took a while to follow your trace. You do know you weren't supposed to escape your fate? Failing that exam was supposed to make you learn to deal with difficult challenges. Instead you slipped across several realities. But you did learn in another way. So what do I do with you?" She said.

"Who are you? Are you God?" Gene asked. He felt amazingly relaxed and at peace.

"Heavens no. I'm more like a maintenance routine fixing circuit breaks. God is much too busy for this stuff, all those meetings and things. So where do you want to go? You have to pick someplace to go. One of the places you been to or maybe you want to be a little more feminine? I have one where the boys have bigger boobs than the girls, or bigger butts. How about where you are female completely? I'm only suggesting this because that seems to be where your mind wandered on its own. "

"I get to pick? I know I should ask about the catch, it it's not too disrespectful." Gene said.

"You are a smart one. And polite too. The only catch is you won't remember this. Wherever you end up, it will be as if you were there your whole life, because you will have been. Take your time, we have all you want. Eternity, so to speak."

"Tell me about the one with the boobs." Gene said.

End

  

  

  

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