Author's Note : I've written this story under the intention of creating a serial. Each individual story is complete, but the progression of the main character will be the connecting thread between each one. I have no idea how this will work out, but I thought it would be a lot of fun.

The whole idea came to me while reading some of Aesop's tales. As I read them, I started to think of how some of them could be used to create a connecting tale of a young person growing up. There are some timeless lessons in these fables and they would make great vehicles for a serialized story as each individual part of the serial introduced a new fable with a twist. The first is The Ant and the Chrysalis.

This particular story is M rated. Any resemblance to persons living or dead would be surprising since magic doesn't actually exist. However, if it does, it was unintentional so don't put a hex on me. The usual copyright rules apply and if TG fiction is banned in your region, you should consider moving, but the risk of reading it is yours alone. Feel free to publish this on any site that is not for profit. If you would like a particular format, just email me and I'll see what I can do. Now, on to the story...

  

Presdoh! The Ant and the Chrysalis

by Joanne Foxcourt

© 2003

  

Prelude: Aesop's Tale

An Ant nimbly running about in the sunshine in search of food came across a Chrysalis that was very near its time of change. The Chrysalis moved its tail, and thus attracted the attention of the Ant, who then saw for the first time that it was alive. "Poor, pitiable animal!" cried the Ant disdainfully. "What a sad fate is yours! While I can run hither and thither, at my pleasure, and, if I wish, ascend the tallest tree, you lie imprisoned here in your shell, with power only to move a joint or two of your scaly tail." The Chrysalis heard all this, but did not try to make any reply. A few days after, when the Ant passed that way again, nothing but the shell remained. Wondering what had become of its contents, he felt himself suddenly shaded and fanned by the gorgeous wings of a beautiful Butterfly. "Behold in me," said the Butterfly, "your much-pitied friend! Boast now of your powers to run and climb as long as you can get me to listen." So saying, the Butterfly rose in the air, and, borne along and aloft on the summer breeze, was soon lost to the sight of the Ant forever.

Appearances are deceptive.

Chapter 1: Shapes of Things to Come

*fzzt* *crack*

"Damn it!"

*crackle*

"Damn it again!" The young man swore at the rapidly disappearing ball of flame that had previously been dancing on his hand.

"Charles!"

Charles Stewart, the young man, glanced up from his mildly scorched hand and look at his mother. "What?"

"There is no call for foul language," Alison Stewart, his mother, told him with a severe look.

"It's just not working mom! I can keep the fire for a couple of seconds and then it dies. It's driving me crazy!"

Alison sighed and sat beside her son on the bed. The Stewart family had a long, proud, tradition of witchcraft and Charles was but the latest to be initiated into it. The problem was, Charles was impatient. He expected to be tossing spells about within weeks of first learning the basic principles. "Charles, the craft takes time. The more you try to rush it, the harder it will be. I keep telling you this and you keep ignoring me."

"But Julia can keep the fire for as long as she wants!"

"Julia has had more practice and she has learned to control herself better. Listen to me. Witchcraft can be dangerous. Be patient and it will all come in good time."

Charles knew his mother was right, but he couldn't help himself. He watched his sister, Julia, seemingly toss spells about as if they were nothing and he wanted to be able to do it as well. Part of his motivation was his size, odd as that may seem. Charles was a small boy, smaller than average, and he had delicate features. This caused him to endure a lot of teasing at the hands of schoolmates and he looked forward to a means of defending himself.

Alison frowned as she felt his thoughts flitter by. Carefully, she grasped his jaw in her hand and frowned at him. "The craft is not a weapon," she said. "If I find you using it as such, I'll cut you off from the source."

Charles blushed under the fierce gaze.

"I'm serious Charles! The last time the craft was used as weapon, even in defense, the Salem witch trials were spawned. We have to be very careful."

"Okay mom," Charles mumbled. "I promise." Every witch knew about the trials and the effect that it had on their craft. This was in spite of the fact that many of the "witches" were completely innocent. None of the witch folk wanted a reprise of those dark days.

Alison ruffled his hair. "Alright then," she smiled. "Just keep practicing and be patient, it will come." Alison left him to his devices.

Charles watched his mother leave and then began the process of cleansing his mind and calling upon the witch fire. He held his breath as the small flame began to flicker on his palm. One second… Two seconds… Three seconds…

*fzzt*

Charles sighed. "Well, it's a start," he grumbled.

"Not much of one," came the snide commentary from the doorway.

"Buzz off Julia," Charles instructed without looking.

"Just three seconds?" Julia sneered as she wandered in, ignoring his instructions. "I was doing a whole minute within days of learning the basics. What's taking you so long?"

"Just shut up, will ya?"

"At the rate you're going, it'll be decades before you get to try morphing."

"Morphing?" In spite of himself, Charles look intrigued.

"Yeah, changing shape! It's so cool," Julia announced smugly.

"You get to morph?"

"Mom is giving me the first lessons tonight!"

Charles just stared at her trying to keep the jealousy off his face.

"If you keep working at it, little brother, maybe you'll get to morph someday as well. Well, in a century or so!" With that Julia laughed and skipped out of the room.

Charles gritted his teeth in frustration. Ever since he had begun studying magic, Julia had been constantly teasing him, especially about how much further ahead she was. It was a constant reminder to him that in the craft, girls became stronger, faster.

Charles sighed and began concentrating on the fire again.

*****

Julia ran to meet her mother in their workshop in the basement and she was barely able to contain her excitement. Tonight was her first chance to learn really powerful magic. Not the simple magic of conjuring flame or casting simple illusions, but the magic of altering your basic form.

Julia jumped as she felt fur brush against her ankle. She glanced down to see a small kitten purring at her feet. Surprised at an unfamiliar animal in the house, she bent down to pick it up only to have it turn into her mother before her eyes.

"Uh... Wow!"

"Wow, indeed," Alison smiled. "It is impressive and yet, it is dangerous. Sit."

Julia sat as her mother indicated before asking, "How is it dangerous?"

"A true morph, unlike illusion, is a change for the real. You become that which you have pictured and your form wants to stay in that shape. Because of this, it is imperative that you prepare the spell and your return carefully or you may remain that way forever."

Julia shuddered. "You mean, you could have been a kitten forever?" she asked.

"Well, for as long as cat would live, yes. However, I prepared my spell to prevent it. The key to finding your way back is to make it a part of the spell. In most cases, we use time, but sometimes other triggers may be used. You already know how to time limit your spells, so that will suffice for now. I've placed a minor spell on you that will not allow you to cast a morph for more than fifteen minutes. Once you've become competent in the spell, then I'll lift the restriction."

Julia nodded her agreement with that.

"The other thing you must learn is that the more complex the form, the harder it is to cast the spell and the greater the risk of being stuck in the process regardless of the protection you cast."

Julia's eyes widened.

"Yes dear, it is dangerous, but not if you're careful. Besides, being a cat can be fun!" Alison gave her daughter a reassuring grin.

*****

Charles silently crept down the stairs of the basement. While he hadn't managed to keep witch fire burning very well, he had managed to learn how to cloak his noises when he walked. Even his mother was unaware how good at that little lesson he was.

Charles grinned to himself as he took up a position near a vent to the workroom and began to eavesdrop. "Besides, being a cat can be fun!" came his mother's voice through the ventilation system. Charles rubbed his hands together as he grinned widely.

*****

"The first key to beginning the morph is to visualize the shape that you want. You must do this clearly and distinctly in your mind. Try to visualize a kitten now," Alison instructed Julia.

Julia concentrated on the shape of the kitten she had seen her mother use.

"Not bad," Alison murmured as she listened in on Julia's thoughts. "Make the tail a little shorter and the paws a little bigger."

Julia complied, altering her vision accordingly.

"Now, beside that image of the kitten, picture yourself."

Julia complied.

"Honey, you aren't that well endowed."

Julia blushed and altered her self-image.

"Don't be so self-conscious, everything comes in time," Alison told her.

Julia's brows furrowed as she fought to hold the images.

"Now, project the image of yourself into the kitten. When you cast the spell, I want you to limit your time to five minutes."

"Five? I thought you said fifteen!"

"Fifteen is the upper limit, but five minutes is sufficient for now. Believe me Julia, you will be very, very tired after this. You need to learn to use such power over time and using it requires a great deal of strength."

Sighing agreement, Julia reached out with her mind and drew upon the energy from the lines of force surrounding their house. She could feel the flow of magical energy enter her body and seek an outlet.

"Repeat after me," Alison instructed and proceeded to softly chant the Latin-sounding words of the spell which, without the connection to the ley lines, would do nothing to her.

Julia concentrated and repeated the words a little more slowly and carefully. As she neared the end of the spell, she could feel the energy infuse her body and create a tingling sensation throughout. With the last words, she felt her body flow and shift and she let out a startled mew.

Alison laughed and then clapped her hands. "Wonderful!" She reached down and picked up the kitten that was her daughter and scratched between her ears. In spite of herself, Julia began a tired purr.

*****

"That doesn't sound too hard," Charles told himself as he concentrated on memorizing the words of the spell. "Being a cat sounds a little boring though. I want to do something a little more interesting."

Charles grinned excitedly as he silently slipped back upstairs to the main portion of the house. Already, his mind was turning over neat and interesting ways that he could apply the spell that his mother and sister had inadvertently taught him. Tired, yet full of excitement, Charles fell into a fitful sleep dreaming of all of the pranks that he could pull with this skill.

 

Chapter 2: Best Laid Plans of Mice and Not-quite Men

When Charles woke in the morning, his mind was still awhirl with the possibilities of the morph. However, he realized that he needed to shield his conscious thoughts better or his mother would see that he had eavesdropped last night. Sitting on his bed, legs crossed, Charles pictured a black dome closing over his mind as he drew upon the ley lines and made the spell happen. "It's a good thing that shielding is the first thing they teach you," Charles grinned to himself. "Even better that I can actually do it."

Feeling sufficiently prepared, Charles made himself ready for school. Alison frowned as she sensed his shields when he entered the kitchen. While she suspected that Charles was up to something, she tried to respect the privacy of her children as much as possible and so avoided probing him. "He's probably got some prank planned for his sister or something," Alison decided.

*****

Charles spent the entire day at school anxiously awaiting the final bell. He had had to be reprimanded by several of his teachers for failing to pay attention, so it was with relief that bell rang and he was able to bolt from the school. As soon as he got home, he dropped his books by the door and ran up to his bedroom. Hands shaking, Charles sat himself on the floor and took several deep breaths. Feeling calmer, he decided that the first thing to try was the same thing his mother had Julia try. Carefully, he envisioned a black cat side by side with himself. Drawing upon the ley lines, he pictured his image merging into that of the cat and chanted the words of the spell.

Charles jumped as his perspective in the room changed. "Oh wow!" he thought. "This is incredible!" He began exploring his room finding that he could leap onto narrow places and keep his balance. Fortunately for him, he was back on the floor when the timer on the spell eventually expired.

Despite his sudden exhaustion, Charles did a dance of joy around his room chanting, "I did it! I did it!"

"Did what doofus? Keep the fire going for five seconds now?" Julia asked from the doorway.

Charles just smirked at her.

Julia, deciding that she wasn't going to get a rise out of him, just shrugged and walked away.

Charles had to admit, however, that Julia had raised a point. Just how, exactly, was he able to do the morph spell when he couldn't keep witch fire going for more than a couple of seconds? "Oh well, why complain? This is much more fun then playing with little flames!" Charles grinned.

Despite being tempted to play with his newfound ability some more, Charles decided it was best to leave it alone and do his homework. Besides, he was feeling really tired after that last spell. As he tried to concentrate on his work, his mind kept wandering back to possibilities. Suddenly, with a massive grin, he sat up from his desk. "Perfect!" he almost shouted. Glancing about, with a guilty look, he clamped his hand over his mouth. "I've got to keep this in check, Mom would kill me!"

*****

The next day, at school, Charles carefully monitored the girl's change room at the swimming pool. He figured that he'd would put a five minute spell on himself and then pretend that he was looking for somebody and wander into the room as the swim practice ended. "Hee hee," he chortled to himself. "This is going to be so cool! If I look like a girl, they won't be suspicious. Besides, I've always wanted to see Mary Deckert in the buff." For years, Charles had held a secret crush for Mary, but she just wasn't interested in him.

Ignoring his twinge of conscience, Charles formed the image of a pretty teenaged girl in his mind. He had his ideal girl all picked out, honed from years of imagination and a myriad of sketches. She was shorter than him, but not too short. She had long, black hair and a delightfully cute face with a small button nose and large, almost luminous eyes. Charles had the soul of an artist; his vision was proportionally endowed, not too small, and not too big. She had well-toned legs without being muscular. Charles mentally sighed to himself as he examined the image he formed. Perfect, he decided. Quickly, he formed an image of himself. Unlike yesterday, he settled on a half-hour for the spell and drew upon the lines of force. He stumbled, briefly, over the words of the spell but shrugged it off as he felt the change happening.

This time, he could feel himself changing shape much more slowly. His chest grew heavy, his hair lengthened, and his butt felt like it was getting wider. As the spell completed, Charles examined himself and realized that his clothes hadn't changed. "Oh shit!" he swore out loud. "How the hell am I going to do this?" His pants felt uncomfortably tight in odd places and his new breasts moved freely under his shirt making him feel very self-conscious. Charles started to panic a bit, suddenly afraid of being caught dressed as he was. He decided that the best course of action would be to get home as fast as possible and wait for the spell to end.

By the time he got home, he was a nervous wreck from hiding and dodging various people and keeping his shoes on his feet. Finally, he made it to his bedroom and collapsed with his back against the door. To ease the pressure of his jeans, once he had brought his heartbeat under control, he shucked them and climbed into a pair of track pants. Despite a rare opportunity to see a girl in the nude, Charles was more interested in changing back and revising his plans for the next time.

Mentally, Charles checked the Wheel of Time, a mystical clock that all witches had access to, to see how much time was left on the spell. "Whew, less than a minute now," he sighed in relief. Patiently, he waited for the spell to end while reading one of his many comic books. By the time he reached the end of the comic book, he realized that the spell hadn't ended.

****

Julia jumped at the shriek that came from her brother's room as she entered the house. "What the hell was that?" she muttered as she ran up the stairs and burst into his room.

"Who the hell are you?" Julia demanded of the girl crying on Charles' bed.

"Julia..."

"Do I know you? Oh my God! Charles!"

Charles nodded, trying to dry his eyes with his hand. The pretty, delicate, hands that he now possessed from his failed spell casting.

"What happened?" Julia demanded, suddenly very concerned. "Is this an illusion?"

Charles hiccupped and shook his head. "No. I eavesdropped on you and Mom the other night."

"You morphed!"

"Yeah. I put a half-hour time limit on it, but I haven't changed back." Charles started to cry again.

Julia held her morphed brother as she realized the implications of what he had done. "You must have missed the first part of the lesson," she said.

"The first part?"

"The part where Mom told me that the more complex the morph, the more likely you are to make mistakes and the harder it can be to return back."

The shock of that stopped Charles' crying mid-stream. "You're joking!"

Julia pulled away slightly and stared into her brother's face. "I'm dead serious," she told him without a hint of her usual acidity.

"I'm not very good at this yet," Charles admitted. "Maybe you're powerful enough to change me back?"

"I don't know how."

Charles slumped.

"You know what that means?" Julia asked.

"What?"

"Mom will have to try."

"Oh God!" Charles looked panicked.

"What else are we going to do? You can't change back and maybe Mom knows how."

"I guess..."

"On the bright side," Julia mentioned. "You're gorgeous. Who is she?"

"Nobody," Charles mumbled. "She was my dream girl."

Julia couldn't help herself; she started laughing.

"It's not funny!"

"Sorry, bro, um, sis!" Julia giggled.

Charles stood up and stamped his foot. "I'm serious! It's not funny." He placed his hands on his hips and glared at Julia.

With an effort, Julia brought herself under control. "I'm sorry," she said. "It's just that you have such a great imagination and the way you're standing is, well, too perfect."

Charles sighed and then giggled himself as he realized that he was standing in the classic pose of a teenaged girl in a snit. "Okay. Are you sure Mom can help?"

Julia shrugged. "She isn't going to be happy though."

Charles nodded.

 

Chapter 3: First Alterations

"Mom?"

"Yes Julia?" Alison asked as she prepared the roast for the oven.

"We have a small problem..."

Alison turned and regarded her daughter. "Oh?"

Julia beckoned at the doorway and then shoved a petite teenage girl into the kitchen. She was quite the pretty girl, Alison was thinking, but she needs to lose the boyish clothes.

"She would be the problem," Julia noted.

"Huh?" Alison looked at the girl more closely. She sent a mental probe at the girl and ran into rock solid shields.

"Mom..." Charles said as he felt the probe.

"Charles! What the hell have you done?" Alison eyes widened as she suddenly realized the problem.

"I..." Charles looked around hopelessly, tears forming in his eyes. "I didn't know. I just wanted to play a prank and I..."

"Oh baby!" Alison gathered her "son" into her arms. "You just couldn't wait, could you?" She could feel Charles shake his head against her. "Did Julia teach you this?" She glared towards her daughter.

"No," Charles admitted. "I spied on you when you were teaching it to her. I guess I missed some stuff."

Alison wiped his tears away. "I guess you did. Did Julia tell you what this might mean?"

Charles nodded. "Can you help me?"

Based on the strength of the shields she had just encountered, Alison didn't think so. Somehow, with this gender change, Charles had become significantly more powerful as a witch. "I can try," she told him anyways.

Charles looked hopeful. "What if you can't?" he said as he worried his lower lip.

Alison sighed as she sat down at the table. "Then we'll think of something."

*****

"Sit in front of me Charles," Alison instructed as Charles joined her in the basement. "This is going to be very difficult. I need you to drop your shields and then visualize yourself."

Charles sat and allowed his shields to drop.

"Charles!" Alison looked shocked.

"What?"

"I can't believe that you did this for that purpose. I'm not very pleased."

Charles blushed. "I'm sorry, I didn't think..."

"I'm tempted to not even try to change you back, just to teach you a lesson!"

"Please Mom! I'm sorry! I really am."

Alison sighed. "I said I'll try and I will. Now form your image."

Charles concentrated on forming the image of his real self and resisted the urge to add height and weight to it. He felt his mother's mind link to his as she began to draw on the magical energy in the earth. He closed his eyes and patiently waited for the feeling of change as she chanted. And he waited.

"Nothing," Charles said, slumping.

"Not entirely," Alison said.

Charles looked up at his mother. He could tell she was exhausted from the effort, the strain showing on her pale face. "Not entirely?"

"I've managed to adjust the spell, somewhat, but it will require an effort on your part."

"What do you mean?"

"I read your mind for the exact wording you used and saw that the mistake you made forced this form to become your primary one. If you concentrate, and maintain it, then you can take your original form. However, if your concentration fails you'll revert. It will also be very tiring. Try it."

Charles concentrated on his original form and felt himself change. He could feel himself sweating at the effort and struggled to maintain his form. After a few moments, he relaxed his effort and felt himself change back into a girl. He was just too tired from the day to keep it up.

"Hard, isn't it?" Alison asked.

"What about using the morph to change back?" Charles asked as he nodded agreement.

"You would have to stumble in exactly the same way for it to work and that is nearly impossible. One slight difference in the casting and you will fail. You might also find yourself stuck in an even worse situation trying to fake an error."

Charles shook his head and blinked back tears. "What now?"

"I don't know," Alison admitted. "I need to talk to your grandmother to see if she has any ideas. In the meanwhile, I've put blocks in place to prevent you from casting the morph again."

Charles nodded, not surprised that his mother was blocking him from the spell. "Can grandma help?" he asked.

"Maybe," Alison cautioned. "Julia has prepared some clothing for you, just in case, so why don't you go see her?"

Charles looked reluctant.

"I've warned her, she'll be gentle. Besides, you wouldn't be able to keep the concentration up in your sleep. Now go see Julia, I'm very tired and I still need to talk to your grandmother."

*****

*Alison?* Abigail Williamson sounded startled at the mental contact from her daughter. Normally they just chatted on the phone.

*Yes Mother,* Alison mentally sent as she gathered her strength.

*What's wrong dear?* Abigail asked, sensing the fear and concern over the link.

Alison quickly filled her mother in on the events of the day. *What do we do Mother?*

Abigail sighed and put aside her knitting as she thought about it. *If you couldn't change him back completely, then he is probably stuck for the most part.*

*The school is expecting Charles Stewart tomorrow, not, um, Charlene Stewart or whatever. His ability to concentrate is weak, he won't be able to retain his form in school and still work.*

*Charlene?* Abigail chuckled.

*It just came to me,* Alison admitted with a chuckle of her own.

*The coven can deal with that I think,* Abigail assured her. *We might be able to further modify the spell.*

*What do you mean?*

*Perhaps we can move the change to female to some form of trigger. I don't know, but we can try. Keep Charles home from school tomorrow, we'll see what we can do.*

*Alright mother, I'll do that.*

*Good. This should be a valuable lesson for young Charles. Imagine using the power to sneak into a girl's change room!*

*I'm amazed that he could even cast the spell though,* Alison admitted. *He's been struggling to keep witch fire going.*

*The morph requires imagination, not continuous effort. Charles has an incredible imagination, it's the artist in him. He lacks concentration for directed will, which is what something like witch fire requires.*

*Hmm... Very true.*

*Get some sleep Alison. Goodnight dear,* Abigail said.

*Goodnight mother.*

*****

"Why do I have to wear a nightgown?" Charles' newly feminized voice came floating down from the top floor of the house as Alison dragged herself up the stairs.

"Because I don't have anything else and your pajamas won't fit you!" Julia sounded frustrated and Alison could almost picture her standing with clenched fists on her hips.

"I could wear these track pants..."

"Wear the track pants," Alison said from the doorway. "You'll learn, quickly, that they aren't the most comfortable for sleeping."

"Thanks mom," Charles sighed in relief.

"But, mom!" Julia protested, looking disappointed.

"Julia, I realize that you're dying to teach your brother a few lessons here, but I'm too tired for the argument. Let it rest."

Julia pouted and sniffed.

"What did grandma say?" Charles asked.

Alison plopped down on the bed and briefly closed her eyes. "She'll be by with the coven tomorrow," she informed them. "I don't think you'll be able to maintain enough concentration to hold your form Charles, so she wants to try other options. So, tomorrow, you stay home sick."

"Can she fix it?"

Alison shook her head. "She doesn't think so. She does, however, think she can alter the trigger. Now, I'm going to bed and so should the both of you. It will be a long day tomorrow."

 

Chapter 4: Gaea Has Mercy, Sort Of.

Charles woke in the morning feeling better rested. His new form still felt very weird as he sat up and felt his breasts shift under the t-shirt. He also felt all hot and sticky from sweating in his track pants all night, but he refused to admit that they were uncomfortable to sleep in.

Experimentally, Charles concentrated on his original form and felt his body flow into shape. "Whew," he thought. "This wasn't too hard. Maybe sleep helps." While he had to consciously think about his shape, it didn't seem as great a strain as the night before. Feeling a little better, he bounced himself out of bed and made a dash for the bathroom before Julia could beat him to it.

"Damn it!" Julia cursed as the bathroom door closed in front of her. Charles laughed from the inside and she was surprised to hear his voice. "Did you change back overnight?" Julia called through the door.

"No," Charles replied. "I'm just concentrating."

"Well, hurry up then. I have to go to school you know!"

Charles didn't answer as he peeled off the slightly damp track pants and t-shirt. He smiled at himself in the mirror and then checked to make sure all the parts appeared to be there. "Well, it seems to work," he muttered as he turned on the shower and climbed in. The hot spray of the water relaxed him and he felt his concentration slipping and his form wavered back to female.

"Ouch!" he shouted as the water suddenly felt too hot for his more sensitive skin. He could hear Julia giggling outside the bathroom at his feminine shout as he quickly adjusted the water temperature.

Charles was surprised at how his new body felt in the shower, but he was too upset at losing his concentration to become preoccupied with it. As quickly as he could, he finished his shower and climbed out. He was only half way through drying off when Julia decided to barge in anyways.

"It's about time!" Julia announced.

"Hey!"

"Relax sister, I've seen your equipment before," Julia grinned. "Besides, you probably need some help."

Charles just muttered under his breath as Julia showed him how to wrap his hair.

"Mom's waiting for you," Julia told him as he wrapped himself in a bath towel and picked up his discarded clothing.

"Why?"

"I don't know. Go find out."

Charles shrugged and went back to his bedroom. He found his mother waiting with some of Julia's old clothing. "Uh, I can just wear these," he said, holding up the track pants.

"No you can't, I can smell them from here. Besides, some parts of you need support."

"But girl's clothes?"

"Charles, in case you haven't noticed, you're currently a girl."

"Not for long!" he protested.

Alison shrugged. "That remains to be seen. For now, you need to get dressed and I'm here to help. These are just jeans and a t-shirt, besides the bra and panties. Nothing too feminine. I'm not going to force makeup on you or anything."

Charles sighed and capitulated. The bra felt uncomfortable, but Alison adjusted the straps and repositioned the cup so that it felt a bit better. "It's not quite the right size," Alison noted. "We'll probably have to go shopping."

"Shopping?" Charles whined, already uncomfortable with the whole bra process.

"Stop whining. I think we can expect that you'll be spending some of your time in a female shape, so it's better if you have some of your own things."

Charles didn't look convinced, but let it pass as he dressed in the remainder of the clothing.

"Let me guess," Alison commented as he unwrapped his hair from the towel. "You just lathered on shampoo and didn't think about tangles?"

Charles nodded.

"Washing long hair is a delicate process. Well, I'll help you detangle." Alison grabbed a comb from his dresser and sat him in a chair. He yelped a few times as she had to pull through some of the nastier tangles, but eventually it was combed out. "There," Alison announced as Julia entered the room.

"Wow, you look great," Julia said.

Charles blushed. "I'd rather look like me."

"Yeah, well, if you have to be a girl, it's better to be a pretty one. Boys prefer pretty girls."

"Julia!" Charles looked shocked.

"Julia, don't you think you should be getting off to school?" Alison asked, heading off the brewing argument.

"Okay mom," Julia said. "Later sis!" Her giggles could be heard all the way down the hall.

*****

"Hi grandma," Charles said as he opened the door.

"Hmm... Yes, quite pretty. You certainly make up for your lack of common sense with your imagination," Abigail commented as she hugged and kissed her grandson.

"I'm sorry grandma," Charles said, having the grace to blush.

"Well, you'd hardly be the first witch to mess up. Don't feel too bad. Are the others here?"

"Yes ma'am. They're already in the work room."

"Good," Abigail smiled. "Well, don't dawdle girl. Let's get started."

*****

Charles tried not to blush as he sat, naked, in the middle of the circle of elder witches. He'd protested losing his clothes, but got overruled by the coven. Besides, as one of the witches pointed out, he had nothing they hadn't seen regardless of his gender. "Which is true," Charles mused. "I think I've been babysat and spanked by everyone here." Charles tried to ignore his far too prominent breasts that we're feeling quite chilly and reacting accordingly.

The witches began their chants around him and he found it impossible to follow the words. He could feel them drawing on the ley lines, their house sat on a junction, but he couldn't see what they were doing. As the chanting progressed, he could feel his body tingling and changing. "It's working!" he told himself, feeling massive relief.

The chanting stopped. The witches surrounding him look tired, but his grandmother gave him a smile of encouragement.

"It's close," Alison murmured.

"As we expected," Abigail agreed.

"What do you mean?" Charles asked. "I'm back to normal! It must have worked."

"Not exactly," Abigail maintained. "You're male, but things can trigger a change back to female and vice-versa. The only problem is, we don't know what they are."

"I don't understand," Charles admitted.

"It's simple," Elaine Jacobs, a senior member of the coven told him. "There are things that can happen that will cause you to change your gender. It could be a word, an event, something you see. We don't know and it will be different each time."

"Each time? That would mean I would change back at some point."

"Only if you found the appropriate reverse trigger," Alison said. "If you didn't find the trigger, then you would stay in female form."

"Another thing," Abigail interrupted. "If you enter menses as a female, you'll remain for the full cycle. If you get pregnant, then you will remain female until the child is weaned."

"Pregnant!" Charles exclaimed, his eyes widening. "I'm not going to get pregnant! That would mean sleeping with a boy. Not going to happen." Charles shook his head side to side, his lips pressed firmly together.

"It is only a warning," Abigail said. "You will, when you are female, find that you have female drives and urges. The Mother of Us All is, after all, a mother."

Charles looked a little sick.

"Gaea is watching over you Charles," Elaine told him as she finally stood up. "She allowed us to modify the spell, but only so much. She desires you to see the female side, to what end we don't know. Your path to return from a trigger will be a puzzle, but it will be related to the trigger. Solve the puzzle and you will return."

"How will I know what is the trigger?"

Elaine shrugged. "That's for you to figure out."

"What if I change in class?"

"The spell will alter perception, people will just continue if nothing has changed. Of course, if you are in the middle of something that the opposite gender wouldn't be doing, then it will still be very awkward."

"I'm not feeling reassured," Charles said.

"Next time, wait for me to teach you," Alison told him as she shook her finger. "You're actually kind of lucky that Gaea is even giving you this chance. You have only yourself to blame."

"Yes mom," Charles mumbled.

 

Chapter 5: Trigger Unhappy

"Well, now I know what pins and needles are like," Charles thought as he made his way into the school. Every time he heard a voice or somebody looked his way, he flinched.

"I've gotta get over this," Charles muttered as he opened his locker.

"Hey, Chuck! Where were you yesterday?" David Ames, Charles' best friend asked as he sauntered up to the row of lockers.

"I wasn't feeling too good. Something I ate I guess," Charles lied.

"Julia was weirder than usual yesterday. When I asked he where you were, she just started laughing at me."

"She's a girl, what can I say?"

"Yeah, I guess. Sue was looking for you too." Dave was grinning at him. Sue Brown was very interested in Charles but, because she was rather ordinary looking, Charles wasn't interested.

"Will you lay off," Charles grumbled. "Sue's nice, but I'm not interested."

"You've got to get over Mary Deckert. Yeah, she's hot, but she doesn't even know that you're alive. Even if she did, she'd look at you like a bug. Come on man, she's a total snob. Sue likes you and she's a really nice person."

"You know what they say about nice girls..."

"Don't be an idiot," Dave told him.

Charles shrugged and closed his locker. "Look, she doesn't interest me. Aim high is my motto."

"Sleep alone goes along with that motto."

Charles rolled his eyes.

*****

"Hey Charles! Wait up!" Sue Brown called from behind as she rushed to catch up with him on the way to lunch. "Are you feeling better?" she asked.

"Yeah," Charles managed to grunt out.

"What are you doing for lunch? Mind if I join you?"

Charles wanted to say no, but he didn't have the heart. "Sure, okay," he said, regretting it since it would prevent him from trying to ask Mary to the upcoming dance.

"Cool."

Sue followed him into the lunch room smiling and joined him at the table. She was feeling a little nervous. She really wanted Charles to ask her to the upcoming dance. "He's too shy," she had convinced herself in spite of the evidence. "If you want to go with him, you have to ask him yourself." Sue had been fighting the mental battle over asking him for a week.

As they ate their lunch, Charles glanced around the room trying to spot Mary. Finally, he saw her in a middle of a group of friends. He wanted to ask her to the dance, but sitting with Sue, he felt obligated to wait.

"So, Charles. Do you have a date for the dance?" Sue fished for information.

"Uh, no. Not yet anyways," Charles admitted and then kicked himself.

"Me neither," Sue said as her eyes brightened. "I was wondering if you would, um, like to, you know, go to the dance with me?" Sue held her breath.

Charles, caught a little by surprise looked at her for the first time since they started eating. His mind kept comparing her to Mary and he mentally made the rejection. "I, um. Wow. I," Charles stumbled initially. "I'm flattered, but..."

Charles trailed off as he felt the tingling of magic cross his body. "Not now!" he shouted mentally, to no avail as his body shifted form to female.

"... but I don't think I'll be going to the dance," she finished saying to David Ames.

"What?" Charles shouted at himself. "Did Dave just ask me to the dance?" Dave nodded and gave her a dejected smile as he walked away from the table. Charles shook himself and felt his breasts shift under his blouse.

"He's a nice guy, Charlene," Sue told her as Dave walked away.

Charlene nodded. "Charlene?" Charles asked himself. "Charlene? I guess that's me."

"It's not that I think he isn't nice," Charlene said. "I'm just not interested, he just kind of plain and dull."

"The jocks are lame Char. All they want is to get into your panties," Sue added.

Charlene nodded again. "What's going on," Charles thought to himself. "Now why was Dave asking me out to the dance?"

"Earth to Char. Come in Char." Sue waved her hand under Charlene's nose.

"Huh?" Charlene returned a semi-dazed look.

"You look kind of out of it. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Now that you mention it, I don't feel that good."

"Why don't you call your mom and go home? I'll get your homework."

"Yeah," Charlene muttered. "I think I'll do that."

*****

"What was the trigger?" Alison asked as she picked up her daughter, formerly her son, at the school.

"I don't know mom," Charlene admitted. "I was talking with Sue and then, all of a sudden, I was Charlene."

"Charlene?" Alison looked surprised.

"Yeah, Charlene. At least that's what people seem to call me."

Alison laughed.

"What's so funny?" Charlene demanded.

"I jokingly called you that when I first talked to your grandmother. It looks as if Mother Gaea has a sense of humor."

"Yeah, my funny bone is going nuts."

"Well, Charlene, until we figure out the trigger, you're stuck. That poses a bit of a problem."

"No kidding," Charlene said.

"Well, in this case it's clothing. I was right that you would need girl's clothing. It seems that the spell takes care of what you're wearing, but not what you have in the closet. I checked before I picked you up."

"Oh Goddess!"

"Don't take Gaea's name in vain!" Alison favored her with a stern look.

"Sorry."

"Just remember, the power of the witch stems from Gaea. If you anger her, you could find yourself without power."

"I said I was sorry."

"You have to mean it Charles, I mean Charlene. Oh hell, this is going to take getting used to."

"You're telling me."

"Well, let's go shopping."

 

Chapter 6: Making Over Charlene

"You've got to be kidding!"

"No Charlene, I'm not. You need this stuff whether you believe it or not," Alison insisted.

"Makeup? Why do I need makeup?" Charlene grumbled.

"Because, sweetie, you're a teenage girl and teenage girls wear makeup."

"Not all of them," Charlene insisted.

"If you want to fit in..."

"You're going to insist aren't you?"

"You know Charlene," Alison said with a thoughtful look. "This is a great opportunity for you to learn about the other side of the fence."

"I'd rather not."

"Yes," Alison mused, not really paying any attention. "This is a good learning opportunity."

"Mother, are you paying attention at all?"

"No, I'm not. I've decided, young lady, that you will become a young lady until the reversal trigger is found. That's final."

Charlene sighed and threw up her hands.

"This will be good for you Charles," Alison said, deliberately using her male name.

"I'll take your word for it mother."

*****

"Okay dear, if you would remove your top and bra, I'll measure you for the fitting."

Charlene blushed. "Do we really need to do that?" she asked.

The saleslady gave her a strange look. "It's essential to the proper fit. Don't be shy, it's only us here."

Blushing, Charlene removed her top and bra and crossed her arms uncertainly.

"Stand up straight dear." The saleslady quickly took some measurements around the bust and across her chest before ducking out of the booth. Charlene looked around at a loss over what to do in the meanwhile.

"Here we go," said the saleslady as she popped back into the booth. "This is a 32B, let's try it on and adjust it."

Charlene fumbled with the bra, not really sure about the best way to put it on. She tried to ignore the strange looks that the saleslady kept giving her as she finally managed to get the bra on and reasonably adjusted.

As soon as it was clasped, the saleslady began adjusting the straps and testing the fit. Charlene stood there trying not to blush furiously. When the lady had finished the adjustments, Charlene admitted to herself that it was a lot more comfortable than what she had been wearing.

"How does it feel?" the saleslady asked.

"Great," Charlene replied, unable to keep the surprise out of her voice.

"A professional fitting is always best for comfort. Your mother said that you needed at least seven new bras, so why don't you take that one off and I'll get some more in different colors and designs for a fitting."

"Okay," Charlene said, resigned to standing around half-naked in a store for a while longer.

By the time they were done, Charlene had acquired enough bras and panties to last a week. "It seems a little excessive for a short duration," Charlene commented.

Alison shrugged. "Who knows how long it will take," she commented. "Best to have enough to see you through a week. You may have to get a part-time job though. I can't afford to buy for two girls and a boy on a regular basis."

"Uh... What about my lessons?" Charlene looked desperate to avoid the job possibility, especially as a girl.

"We'll see. In the meanwhile, we still need to get you more clothing and then I'll spring for a real treat."

"Treat?"

"You'll see." Alison gave her a mysterious smile.

"Why do I feel nervous?"

"Because you're a silly girl."

*****

"I was right, I should have felt nervous."

"Oh come on," Alison said. "This is a wonderful experience. It's so relaxing."

"I agreed to buy that dress on the assumption that this was a treat I would enjoy!" Charlene looked grumpy. Her mother had found this dressed that she simply wanted Charlene to have. From a rational standpoint, Charlene had admitted that the dress looked fabulous on her. From an emotional standpoint, it was, well, a dress. She only agreed to it on the promise of the "treat" after they were done.

"Listen missy, you don't know what you're talking about. A full spa treatment and makeover is a lot of fun and so very relaxing. I'll tell you what, if you don't find it relaxing and pleasant, honestly, I'll buy you that video game console you've desperately wanted."

Charlene weighed her options. She knew that there was no way to lie to her mother, so that was out. "Oh well," she thought. "What have I got to lose?"

"Well?" Alison asked.

"Okay, it's a deal."

*****

"Ears pierced? Mom, only gay guys get their ears pierced!"

"Honey," Alison said, trying to look patient. "In case you missed it, you're neither gay nor a guy."

"But..."

"Let her pierce your ears. Do you know any girls without pierced ears?"

"No, but..."

"So, let's keep you from looking weird at school."

Charlene capitulated.

"Diamond studs," Alison instructed the girl with the piercing gun.

The girl prepared that gun and carefully marked Charlene's ears where the holes would go. Within a minute, Charlene was sporting a diamond stud in each ear and was more surprised that it didn't really hurt.

"Now, remember to rotate the studs frequently and apply an alcohol solution to them at least twice a day. Okay?" the girl asked.

Charlene nodded.

"You can change earrings in about six weeks or so," the girl added. "That'll give you plenty of time to shop around for some new earring styles."

*****

"You have an autumn complexion," the beautician noted as she sorted various colors of makeup on a tray.

As before, Charlene had resisted the makeup experience, but Alison had insisted.

"Autumn?" Charlene asked, confused by the discussion.

"The darker, more rich, colors suit you better."

"Ah." Charlene decided it was better to remain silent as the beautician went to work. She made facial contortions as directed.

"Done!" the beautician announced after what seemed like hours. "So?"

Charlene looked at the image of herself in the mirror and had to admit that she looked very good. "In fact, if I was Charles right now, I'd be drooling!" she admitted privately.

"Wow," Charlene agreed.

"You're a very pretty girl, the cosmetics only enhance it."

Alison whistled as she walked into the booth. "Amazing," she announced.

Charlene looked uncomfortable as the beautician beamed.

"We'll take a selection of what you used plus any additional colors that you think would be suitable," Alison decided.

"Mom!"

"Hush Charlene, these are perfect for you."

Charlene just glared.

 

Chapter 7: Getting In the In.

"Whoa, who's the babe?" Julia whistled as Charlene and Alison returned home.

"Very funny Julia," Charlene grumbled.

"Take a chill pill sis," Julia advised. "I kind of figured something had happened when I heard that my 'sister' had turned down David Ames for the big dance. Have you figured out the trigger yet?"

Charlene shook her head, looking miserable.

"It happened in the middle of lunch," Alison noted. "I picked her up and we went shopping for a few things, so we didn't have a chance to go over the events."

"What happened Charlene?" Julia asked.

"How did you know it was Charlene?" Charlene asked.

Julia shrugged. "Part of the magic I think. Everyone knows you as Charlene now. You're dodging the question."

Charlene plunked herself into a chair at the kitchen table. "Sue Brown asked me out to the dance. I started answering her, trying to turn her down nice, when I felt the tingling. Next thing you know, I'm telling Dave that I wasn't going to the dance."

"Why don't you like Sue?" Julia asked.

"I dunno," Charlene admitted. "I wanted to ask Mary Deckert to the dance. Sue's nice and all, but she's kind of plain."

"You didn't have a chance with Mary."

"Yeah, especially now."

"And you look too much at the cover. Mary is a bitch."

"Julia!" Alison stepped in.

"It's true mom, she is," Julia defended her opinion. "Charles is fixated on her boobs, not her personality. Sue is a really great girl, just not stunning."

"That is pretty shallow Charlene," Alison commented.

Charlene shrugged. "It doesn't matter now anyways. If I can't figure out the trigger, I'm stuck."

"I think it's related to Sue," Julia decided.

Charlene shrugged again.

"Suit yourself, it seems obvious to me."

"Maybe," Charlene conceded, looking doubtful. "But I think if Gaea wanted me to be with Sue, she wouldn't have turned me into a girl over it."

"Gaea works mysteriously," Alison reminded them.

"Anyways," Julia said, obviously suppressing a smirk. "I hear that Gerald Thompson is anxious to ask my sister to the dance."

"What!" Charlene looked surprised.

"Believe it or not sis, you're a babe. The guys like you, but Gerald has put out the word that he's interested. Given that he's Mister Guy around the school, the others are backing off."

"Huh."

"He is cute," Julia grinned.

"Whatever. I don't need a jock trying to get my attention."

"You'll get it anyways."

Charlene sighed.

*****

"Hey Charlene!"

Charlene looked around to find the smiling face of Gerald Thompson at her locker. "Hi Gerald," she said.

"You're looking great," Gerald told her.

"Uh, thanks I guess." Charlene was kind of surprised at that, she hadn't spent any effort on her appearance at all hoping to avoid attention.

"I like the 'mussed' look in girls, it's sexy."

"Yeah, I guess." Charlene started looking for an avenue of escape.

"Listen," Gerald said. "Some of us are going to hit Dairy Queen after school today. Are you interested?"

"I, uh..." Charlene suddenly felt tongue tied. "What the hell is the matter with me?" she demanded to herself.

"It's no biggy, we're just going to grab some ice cream and hang. I'd like you to come."

"Sure." Charlene kicked herself mentally. "Why did I say okay?"

*****

Charlene was feeling a little nervous as school ended. Sue had gotten on her case about accepting a date from a jock, warning her again that they only had one track minds. Charlene had agreed with her, but still found herself strangely interested. "He is cute," she admitted, shocking herself. "Besides, he's athletic and talented."

Gerald met her at her locker after the bell rang. "Ready to go?" he asked.

"Sure."

Gerald took her arm and her school books as he led her out to his car. "The gang'll meet us there," he noted.

Charlene felt strange as he took her arm, almost a little tingly.

Gerald drove them to the Dairy Queen in silence. Charlene stared out the window trying to figure out why she agreed to this in the first place. "Still, he's been a gentleman," she argued with herself. "Nothing like the dire predictions that Sue gave. Heck, he even carried my books. He is a guy though."

"Penny for your thoughts," Gerald asked.

"You'd waste your money."

Gerald laughed. "You're as funny as you are pretty."

"You're just saying that," Charlene ad-libbed, feeling a bit awkward in the situation.

"No, really. That was funny and there is no mistaking that you're gorgeous."

Charlene blushed.

*****

Gerald and Charlene walked into a crowd of jocks and cheerleaders at the Dairy Queen and Charlene immediately felt awkward. This wasn't her crowd even as Charles, especially as Charles.

"Hey all, you know Charlene?" Gerald asked, giving her a proprietary squeeze on the shoulder as everyone nodded. "We're going to the dance together."

Charlene looked surprised. "Hadn't you better ask me first?" she demanded.

"Oh, sorry babe! Would you go to the dance with me?" Gerald gave her a winning smile.

Charlene was momentarily lost for words. "On the one hand," she argued with herself. "He just assumed. On the other, well, he is cute and his friends are all here. Gaea, just what are you doing to me?"

"I guess so," she finally acceded.

"Cool. What do you want from the counter?"

"Um... a fudge sundae I guess."

"Be right back." Gerald disappeared towards the counter leaving Charlene in the middle of the group.

"So, Charlene, when did you finally decide to dump the geeks?" Lisa Crowe, one of the cheerleaders, asked.

"I, well..."

"Yeah," Mike Holmes, one of the school football players added. "You're far too hot to be hanging out with those losers."

"Mike!" Amy Ferguson protested.

"Nobody is hotter than you babe," Mike soothed his girlfriend.

"They're okay," Charlene finally managed.

"You're too good for them," Gerald noted as he handed her a sundae and gave her another winning smile.

"I heard that that loser, David Ames, asked you to the dance," Lisa said.

"Yeah," Charlene replied, feeling bad for her friend.

"You were nicer than I would have been," Amy added. "I would have laughed at him."

"I would have killed him," Mike said, cracking his knuckles.

"Have you ever thought of being a cheerleader Charlene?" Lisa asked.

"Um... no?"

*****

"It was weird mom," Charlene noted.

"How so?" Alison asked.

"They just accepted me, like I was a long lost member of the group. Gerald was quite nice to me too." Charlene look a little surprised.

"And?"

"We're going to the movies on Saturday."

"I'm a little surprised that you've hooked up with this crowd. They haven't been your style in the past."

"Well, Gerald seems nice and he was a gentleman." For some reason, Charlene was feeling a little defensive all of a sudden.

"I see," Alison replied without much inflection in her voice.

"It's just the movies, no big deal. They liked me and they even thought I should be a cheerleader."

"Will they accept Sue and David?" Alison was beginning to get an inkling of what the triggers to the spell might be.

Charlene shrugged. "Well, probably not. You know there's the geek crowd and the cool crowd. It seems like the cool crowd finally likes me."

"Is it worth it?"

Charlene shrugged again.

*****

*Well mother,* Alison commented. *I think I know what the triggers are. Gaea is wise, I can't step in or it will fail.*

*Are you really surprised?* Abigail asked.

*No.* Alison had to suppress a smirk. *She has plans for Charles and Charlene I think, but they need to learn.*

*So they must.*

*Goodnight mother.*

*Goodnight dear.*

*****

"Hey babe," Gerald said as he hugged Charlene from behind.

In spite of herself, Charlene felt a small tingle from the contact. It was weird, but she was feeling pretty good about being accepted with the "in" crowd and Gerald kept treating her really nice. "Hey yourself," she responded, smiling.

"Join us at lunch?"

"Sure."

"Okay, cool. I'll see you then." Gerald gave her a quick kiss.

Charlene was too surprised by the sudden kiss to react either happily or angrily over it. Instead, she just gazed at Gerald as he sauntered down the hall.

"Earth to Charlene," Sue said from behind.

"Huh?"

"You're going to be late for class."

"Oh yeah." Charlene shook herself.

"What do you see in that guy?" Sue asked, looking curious.

"He's been nice to me," Charlene protested.

"He's got a wall of panties and he wants yours to add to the collection."

"Sue, give it a rest! He hasn't made a single attempt to put the moves on me."

"It's only a matter of time," Sue muttered darkly. "It's your business, but David really likes you and he's a nice guy. He wouldn't try to screw you and leave you. Gerald talks about the four 'f' process all the time."

"Four 'f's?"

"Feel 'em, finger 'em, fuck 'em, forget 'em."

"Sue!"

"I'm just trying to warn you," Sue commented.

"He's not like that, I can tell."

Sue shrugged.

"Is it jealousy?" Charlene asked, suddenly feeling she was sure about why Sue was so dead set against her seeing Gerald.

"Jealousy?"

"He's a pretty hot guy," Charlene said. "Now where did that come from?" she demanded of herself. "Hot guy?!?"

"Oh, please."

"Maybe they're right, maybe I am too good."

Sue got a disgusted look on her face. "You know Charlene, I love you like a sister, but I guess you have to learn for yourself. Come see me when you grow up." With that, Sue turned on her heel and walked away.

Charlene stared after Sue and finally shrugged. "Jealousy. Well, I'm in the 'in' crowd now, so look out world!" Charlene grabbed her books and hurried to class, pointedly ignoring Sue and joining Amy Ferguson instead.

*****

"We still on for tomorrow?" Gerald asked at lunch.

"You bet," Charlene replied as she ignored the sad look that Sue gave her in passing.

"Cool." Gerald slipped his arm around her waist. The action made Charlene feel as though she was being put on display, but she shrugged it off.

*****

"What's up with you and Sue?" David Ames asked her in study period.

"Nothing," Charlene replied. "She's just jealous, that's all."

"About what?"

"Gerald asked me out to a movie and to the dance." Charlene was oblivious to the hurt look David got in his eyes.

"Don't judge a book by it's cover Charlene." David stood up and left her with that pronouncement.

"What has gotten into them?" Charlene demanded to herself.

*****

"What's gotten into you Charlene?" Julia demanded after they had gotten home from school.

"What do you mean?" Charlene looked surprised by the question.

"A couple of days ago you were Charles and you hung out with David and Sue. Now, you're Charlene and you're hanging out with the loose and easy crowd. How does my brother go from being a pretty normal guy to a flake of a girl in days?"

"What's so bad with Gerald and the others?"

"Are you trying to be a notch on a bedpost?"

"What is it with you guys?" Charlene complained. "He hasn't tried anything at all."

"He will. What I can't figure out is how you managed to adapt to the whole thing so quickly."

Charlene shrugged. "The spell I guess. It's better than being upset and struggling."

"Do you want to change back?"

"Yeah! It's just that I don't feel uncomfortable like this either. It's weird, I guess, but I just do what feels natural."

"Must be some sort of acclimatization thing."

Charlene shrugged again.

"Oh well. A word of advice sis: you should have accepted David's offer. You'll find out soon enough that Gerald is a pig."

"Give it up Julia! I'm not going to sleep with him," Charlene told her. "He's been really nice, acting like a gentleman, and he looks good too."

"Don't judge a book by it's cover or it's first chapter."

"Have you been talking to David?"

 

Chapter 8: Show Time!

"Julia! Help!" Charlene shouted from the top of the stairs.

"What's the problem?" Julia called up.

"I don't know what to wear!"

Julia had a giggle fit over the plaintive cry and quickly muffled her laughter as she joined Charlene in her bedroom. "You're kidding right?" she asked.

"No! I'm stuck and I have no idea about how to do makeup either."

"I have to admit, I never thought I would be helping you with this," Julia grinned.

"Are you going to help or not?" Charlene glared.

"Relax, I'll help."

"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"First things first," Julia started. "Lose the jeans. I'll loan you my jean skirt."

"Um..." Charlene looked a little unsure.

"Don't worry about it. You've already basically adapted to the whole girl thing, so what's a skirt?"

"I guess."

"You'll look good in it, trust me." Julia retrieved the skirt from her room and stood patiently as Charlene held the skirt in front of herself. "Well?"

"Are you going to just stand there?"

"Well, yeah. Why? Oh come on Charlene!"

"It's a little weird for me, you know." Charlene was blushing.

"Get over it. By this time next week you'll be showering the girl's change room."

"Oh yeah!" Charlene got a bit of a dreamy smile on her face.

Julia gave her a curious look. "If the thought interests you so much, why are you going out with Gerald?"

"I don't know. Whenever he comes around, I get all tongue-tied. As weird as it sounds, I think he's hot." Charlene finally began changing into the skirt.

"Didn't you think the same thing of Mary?"

Charlene nodded as she did up the button on the skirt.

"You really fixate on looks you know," Julia observed.

"So sue me."

"Not worth it. Oh well, sit down and I'll help you with your makeup. You know, if you're going to be Charlene for any length of time, you need to learn this."

"I don't plan to be Charlene for long, but I might as well have some fun."

Julia rolled her eyes. "Well, pay attention anyways. First things first: foundation."

"Foundation?"

"Pay attention grasshopper and you will learn."

*****

"Wow! You look great!" Gerald smiled his compliment as Charlene made her entrance. Not surprisingly, Julia made her wait a few minutes despite objections that it was just games playing and real girls didn't really do that.

"Thanks! You look good too." Charlene beamed at the compliment.

"Ready to go?"

"I think so."

"Don't be home too late," Alison called from the kitchen. "Eleven at the latest."

"Okay mom!" Charlene grabbed Gerald by the arm and dragged him from the house before more instructions could follow. "Sorry," she apologized.

"No worries," Gerald commented. "Eleven is actually better than most girls I know get."

"Really?"

"Yeah, it'll give us lots of time together." Gerald said as he handed her into the car and closed the door.

"So, what movie are we going to see?"

"I was thinking the new horror flick, you know with Freddie versus Jason."

"Oh," Charlene said, trying hard not to sound disappointed.

"Hey, we can catch something else if you want, but there isn't a lot of choices."

"No, it's okay." Charlene smiled at him for the offer.

Gerald squeezed her knee and then started the car. "Alright then, it's decided."

*****

It was stupid, it was dumb, but there were just enough scenes to cause Charlene to scream involuntarily and grab onto Gerald at random intervals. All of which made her miss the fact that Gerald was grinning over his success. "Nothing beats a horror flick to get a chick crawling in your arms," he grinned to himself as he stroked her back and arms each time.

In spite of the occasional twinge that Charlene got whenever she thought of the fact that it was a guy stroking her shoulders, she actually enjoyed herself. So far, Gerald had been really nice to her, buying her snacks, and honestly telling her when she could look at the movie again. Charlene was beginning to relax and even trust him.

Gerald eyed Charlene from behind as they left the movie theatre and his smile became almost predatory. "What do you say we take a walk in the park?" he asked. "We have a few hours before you have to be home."

"Sure, why not?" Charlene responded, feeling pretty good about how the date had gone. She felt a small tingle as Gerald took her hand in his and led her towards the park near the theatre.

It was a warm night and there was a glorious field of stars in the sky. Gerald and Charlene found a quiet spot and laid down in the grass to stare in to the heavens. Eventually, Gerald leaned up and kissed Charlene. Surprised, at first, she didn't respond, but then she felt herself reacting and returned the kiss. Within seconds, the two were making out madly in the grass and Charlene suppressed any sense of wrongness that she might have felt over kissing a boy.

After a few minutes, she felt Gerald's hands getting more familiar, but her mind blanked it out. Gerald was a good kisser, she was enjoying herself too much. That ended when she felt his hand climb under her skirt. "Stop," she whispered.

"What's the problem?" Gerald asked, looking surprised.

"You're going too fast."

Gerald shrugged and began kissing her again, his hands seemingly content to roam outside her clothing. However, Gerald could sense her breathing become more shallow as her excitement was beginning to rise, and he got a little more bold with his hands.

Charlene almost gasped at the touch of his hand on her breast, outside of her clothing fortunately. She wanted to tell him to stop, but it felt too good. His hand moved across her tummy and she felt a shiver of pleasure. The feeling of his hand reaching under her skirt was like a bucket of ice water.

"I said no!" The images of Sue and her sister talking about panties and notches came flying back to her. She backed away from him.

"What is with you?" Gerald demanded. "I can tell you want it."

"No, I don't."

"Bullshit. Look, I brought a condom, what's the big deal?"

Charlene looked shocked. "You did what?" she sputtered.

"I brought a condom," he explained, trying to look patient. His face showed that he expected that they would use it.

"One date and you think you're going to have sex with me?"

Gerald shrugged. "Sure, it wouldn't be the first time."

Charlene was stunned. She'd heard of moving fast, but this took the cake! "You think you're that special do you?"

"Let me put it this way," Gerald told her. "Without me, you're a school loser. With me, you get out of that bunch and become part of the real scene. There's a price, though, and I think you know what it is. Put out or get out."

Charlene just laughed as she watched Gerald's face go red. She stood up. "I'd like to be going home now," she told him.

"You walk away from me and you'll stay a loser," Gerald told her, still sitting in the grass.

"I didn't think you would be gentleman enough to take me home. Goodbye Gerald."

 

Chapter 9: Chrysalis

Charlene tried to hide the results of her crying, but it was useless. What was even worse is that Sue and Julia had tried to warn her. "Hell," she admitted to herself. "I should have been able to warn me. I knew his reputation." She finished washing off the last of the makeup.

"You're home early," Alison commented from the doorway. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Everything." Charlene didn't turn around.

Alison gently turned her former son around and looked her squarely in the eyes.

"Oh mom," Charlene cried. "I've been such an idiot."

Alison hugged her. "You learned something tonight, didn't you." She could feel Charlene nod her head. "Do you know what it is?"

"I... I think so. I have to talk to David."

*****

David was surprised to see Charlene at the door when he answered the doorbell. "Hey, I thought you were out with Gerald?" he greeted her, a little coldly.

"I was," Charlene told him, shivering slightly at the response. "Can I come in?"

"I guess." David swung open the door and led her to the kitchen. Charlene sat in one of the chairs as David stood there looking at her. She could see the hurt in his eyes. The hurt she had caused by her rejection that was a lie.

"David," Charlene said, taking a deep breath. "We've been friends since we were in kindergarten."

David nodded.

"I hurt you," she added.

"Yeah, you did."

"I've had a hard time looking beyond the outer shell," she said, visibly struggling with her words as David winced. He knew he wasn't the handsome guy like Gerald. "I assumed that what I could see was the same as what was inside."

"Charlene, if you came over here to insult me..."

"No David!" Charlene clenched her hands and choked back her tears. "I'm talking about Gerald. I should have know better, but I just couldn't see. He may look great on the outside, but the inside is rotten."

David visibly relaxed as he began to understand what Charlene was struggling to say.

"I ran around with an ant and I was missing the butterfly in a cocoon." Charlene felt her body tingle and looked directly at Sue. Momentarily surprised at the sudden change, Charles realized that he must have found the trigger. He blinked rapidly.

Sue sat down across from Charles at the table.

"Da... Sue, I'm really sorry," Charles said. "I would be really honored to go to the dance with you."

*****

Julia was still grouchy over the sudden loss of her favorite skirt, the one that she was going to wear to the dance. Oddly though, she was kind of happy to have Charles back even if the cost was having it turn into a pair of blue jeans on him when the change happened.

"Hey sis," Charles called into her room. "Am I forgiven?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Julia replied as she let him in.

"Do I look okay?" he asked. He was dressed pretty good for Charles. New shirt, no jeans, and no running shoes.

"Yeah, Charles, you do."

"Thanks." His tone conveyed a deeper meaning and Julia smiled at him.

"See you at the dance," she said, pushing him back out of the room. "Now go pick up Sue, I still have to figure out what to wear."

*****

Charles was nervously waited for Sue in her parent's living room. Sue's father was having the standard chat, despite the fact that he had known Charles for years. Still, it was his daughter's first date and he had to play the role. Charles tuned him out as much as he could while he waited for Sue.

Finally, he heard footsteps at the doorway and stood up almost to fall back into his seat. "Wow," he mustered. "You really are a butterfly."

  

  

  

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