The Witches of Fairmont High

THE WITCHES OF FAIRMONT HIGH

The world got weird my junior year at Fairmont High. As the school year began, I had just gotten my driver's license, so I was able to explore the world a little more. My parents hoped it wouldn't affect my grades. I was an Honor Roll student, though, and I planned to stay that way. I would need the grades to get into college since I wasn't an athlete. Fortunately (or so I thought at the time), I had a photographic memory. For outside activities, I was becoming active in speech and debate, and I was looking forward to trying out for plays and musicals during my junior year. One of my closest rivals for speech and drama honors was Dave Marshall, my best friend, so it promised to be an interesting year.

There were some changes at the school that fall. Mr. Reynolds, our principal, had retired, and a new principal, Ms Hammond had been hired from outside. She had hired Ms Lester to be the new girl's coach, but other than that, things were pretty much unchanged at the school, or so I thought.

The first inkling that something was wrong came the first day of classes. Marsha Jacobs and Cindy Forbes came over at lunch to sit with Dave and I. We talked about who we had for classes when Marsha said, "I like most of the teachers this year, but Ms Breen is kind of dingy."

"You mean Mr. Breen?" I asked munching on a potato chip.

"Mr. Breen?" Marsha and Dave said at the same time. Cindy didn't say anything, but she looked at me oddly. Then, Dave added, who is Mr. Breen?"

"He taught Freshman English," I said. "You remember him, don't you. I mean, we didn't have him, but a lot of the girls complained about him. They said he always seemed to be mentally undressing them. Carol Davis's mother even complained about him."

Marsha and Dave looked at each other and shook their heads. "Sorry, Paul, but we don't remember him. He must not have been here very long."

I let the subject drop. Mr. Breen had taught at Fairmont for about five years. He had been one of the advisors to the debate team our freshman year. I had no idea who Ms Breen was, but Mr. Breen was probably the most notorious teacher on the staff. He was the master of innuendo, and none of the girls liked him. He was married to a woman who worked as a secretary for Midlowe Industries where my father worked. The rumor was she was long-suffering and had stuck with her husband in spite of two seedy affairs.

During library period, I decided to walk by Mr. Breen's classroom. I had begun to think Dave and Marsha were having a joke at my expense. The door to Mr. Breen's classroom was open, and no class was in session. At the desk, which had been Mr. Breen's desk last year, sat a woman. She was a woman dressed in a conservative blouse and skirt. She had long, straight brown hair and light makeup and a rather plain face, but her body was absolutely incredible. She had large, firm breasts under her conservative blouse and the legs of a model. She looked up at me and said, "Hello, Paul, what can I do for you?"

My mind was racing, but I had the presence of mind to say, "Oh, nothing, Ms Breen. I was daydreaming and took a wrong turn."

"Are you going to be on the debate team again?"

"I hope so," I replied with a little smile.

She smiled back, "Good for you!"

I left quickly, my heart pounding. I began to wonder what was wrong with me. Ms Breen was normal to everyone except me. I remembered a Mr. Breen who was about thirty with a small mustache and receding hairline who liked to tease the girls. Ms Breen had the same color hair and was about thirty, but there, the resemblance ended.

I went back to the library and pulled out the previous year's year book. Under the faculty, I found Ms Breen's picture, but there was no mention of a Mr. Breen at all. Was I the only person who remembered a Mr. Breen? I had to be wrong. Even the yearbook said I was wrong. I decided I had somehow slipped a mental cog. Maybe I was working too hard. I decided the best thing I could do was to forget the entire thing.

Two weeks later, classes were in full swing and I had put the Breen incident in the back of my mind. I was busy with all my new courses, and debate practice ate up two afternoons a week after class. Fortunately, Ms Breen hadn't attended any of our debate practices yet. Also, I had had a couple of dates with Cindy Forbes. Cindy was one of the best looking and most popular girls in our class. She was about five-five with long blonde hair with a classically beautiful face and a great body. I couldn't believe my good luck, but it turned out that Marsha and Cindy had become friends over the summer, and since Marsha was interested in Dave, Cindy started hanging around with me. Her father was Milton Forbes, the president of one of the larger banks in the city, so Cindy was considered a prime catch.

Just when I thought things were returning to normal, I got another taste of weird. I was sitting with Dave in Junior Assembly when an Hispanic girl came in and sat across the aisle from me. She was wearing too much makeup and about a ton of long dark hair. She was wearing a short black dress that looked as if it has been painted on her. I couldn't believe I had never noticed her before.

"Who is she?" I whispered to Dave.

Dave looked surprised. "That's Rachel Hernandez. You know her. Good lord, what guy in the school doesn't recognize her?"

My alarm bells were going off again. "Oh, she just looks different. Is she any relation to Chet Hernandez?"

"Who is Chet Hernandez?" Dave wanted to know.

Okay, that was it. Chet Hernandez, as everyone in the school knew, was the biggest bully in our class. Freshman year, he had nearly broken Dave's nose in a fight. Also, Chet had been seen by Dave and I just the day before mouthing off to our new principal. Dave could never forget Chet Hernandez. Or so I thought. I made up an answer quickly. "Chet is that guy who dropped out of school last year. He was a year ahead of us."

Dave shook his head. "I guess I don't know him. Besides, with all the guys on the football team taking turns with her, she doesn't need a brother."

That night, I went through my copy of the yearbook. Something was weird, and I wanted to know what it was. I looked through the entire book but couldn't find any mention of Chet Hernandez. I did, however, find several references to Rachel Hernandez. It was the Ms Breen situation all over again. I looked through the rest of the book and could find no other changes. Still, two changes that no one else was aware of were enough.

Saturday evening, Cindy and I went to a movie. I casually asked her how she was doing in Ms Breen's class.

She shrugged. "Okay, I guess. She's kind of odd."

"Odd? How?"

"Well," Cindy began, "she has a fabulous body, but she's always dressing so plain. I mean, she doesn't have a great face, but her body should be enough for some guys."

I was surprised to hear Cindy talk this way. It was as if she wanted Ms Breen to be some kind of a tart. "Does she act normal, though?"

"Sure," Cindy replied. Then her eyes narrowed. "What are you getting at anyhow?"

"Nothing," I lied. I really wanted to know if she was disoriented in some way. I knew there had been a Mr. Breen, yet he had somehow been replaced by Ms Breen. It was as if reality had somehow shifted.

I honestly began to question my own sanity. Why did I notice these changes when no one else did? It didn't seem possible that two people could suddenly have their sex changed and not have anyone notice. At least, I would think those two people would notice. I couldn't tell anyone. Who would believe me? For my own sanity, though, I had to figure out what was going on.

What else had changed during the year? We had a new principal and a new girls gym teacher. Could those changes have anything to do with the more fantastic changes? It was possible. But how could I prove it?

The next week, there were no big changes, but there was one little one. Ms Breen had started dressing a little more daring. I saw her just before classes wearing very high heels and a very short skirt. At lunch I told Cindy, "It looks like you got your wish."

She frowned. "What wish?"

"You wanted Ms Breen to dress a little sexier. I saw her this morning with a lot of leg showing."

Cindy just smiled and said nothing. I wanted to press her, but something told me I had just noticed another change no one else had seen.

I felt I had to do something before anything else changed. I was sure now that it wasn't just my imagination. Something or someone was editing my reality. It was possible this was happening all over town. Harper Falls wasn't a large city like Fresno an hour away, but we had a population of nearly fifty thousand. Perhaps men had changed into women all over town, or maybe some women had changed into men. It didn't have to be just sex, either. Maybe a flower shop was now a book store, or new people had suddenly appeared out of nowhere or, I shuddered, old people had disappeared into nowhere. Anything was possible, but I suspected Fairmont High was the center of it all.

Ms Hammond had been hired and Mr. Reynolds had retired. Could that have been what started it all? Ms Hammond had been brought in from a suburb of San Francisco where she had been an assistant principal. One of the school board members, a Mrs. Barney, had recommended her, and she had been hired very quickly. It might have been a coincidence, I thought, but the changes began as soon as Ms Hammond arrived.

Next Thursday and Friday were holidays for us, since the teachers would be having conferences off site. I might be able to sneak into the school and check things out. Perhaps there were records in the principal's office that might tell me what had happened.

That Thursday, I was ready to go to the high school to see what I could find. It was nearly noon, and I figured even most of the skeleton staff would be out for lunch. Just as I was leaving, the phone rang.. It was Cindy and she wanted to know what I was going to do that day.

"You haven't called me," she said, "so I didn't know if we were going out today."

"Sure," I said, "but I have a couple of things to do first. Then we can go to a movie. I'll pick you up about two."

"There's a movie I've wanted to see starting at twelve thirty," she pressed. "Maybe we could make it."

"I'd like to," I said truthfully, "but I need to go by school first."

"Can't it wait?"

"I forgot my algebra book," I lied. "I want to make sure I get it before they lock up for the day."

"Okay," she agreed reluctantly.

I hurried to the high school and immediately tried the principal's office. No one was around, but the door was locked. I was about to try to figure out a way to get it open when I heard voices from the direction of the gym. As quietly as I could, I sneaked over to the entrance of the gym in time to see Ms Lester, the girl's coach talking with Mike Clancy, one of the forwards on our basketball team. Mike was a friend of mine. He was a good basketball player, but not a starter. Since I wasn't much good at sports, I didn't see much of him from the start of fall practice through the end of the season.

"I appreciate your coming in today to help me with the girl's basketball practice, Mike. With our big game against Jefferson coming up on Monday, we need all the help we can get," she was saying.

I could hear Mike reply," No problem, Ms Lester. I'm glad to help."

I'm sure he was. This was probably a way for Mike to get dates. I carefully peeked in the gym and saw Mike in shorts and a sweatshirt looking as if he were ready for practice.

"Oh, you'll be a big help," she replied. "A bigger help than you could ever imagine."

She made a gesture with her hand, and Mike seemed to freeze in place. She smiled an evil smile at him. "As Mike Clancy, you're just a second string forward, but as Michelle Clancy, you'll be a lot of help to our team."

My heart jumped as Mike suddenly began to change. His short red hair became long, tied itself back into a pony tail. He lost some of his six three height, but was still about five ten as his body developed curves and breasts. In less than a minute, a tall, attractive girl stood where Mike Clancy had been. She looked somewhat like Mike - enough to be his sister if he had had one. But this was Mike as he would have been if he had been born a girl. In less than a minute, Ms Lester had changed him.

"Now," Ms Lester said, "You are Michelle Clancy."

"I am Michelle Clancy," the new girl repeated in a daze.

Ms Lester went on to tell her that she was the starting forward for the girl's basketball team. Mike - now Michelle - nodded at each suggestion. I began to realize this was what had happened to Mr. Breen and to Chet Hernandez. As they had become female, they never realized that they had ever been anything else. And for some reason, everyone around them believed the same thing.

A hand was suddenly on my shoulder. I jumped and turned. It was Cindy.

"What are you doing here?" I whispered.

"I followed you," she whispered back. "I didn't believe your story about the algebra book for a minute."

I looked back. Ms Lester was talking intently to the new Michelle and hadn't noticed us.

"Look," I said, "we have to get out of here."

She nodded. "I know. I saw, too."

She saw! I was thrilled. someone else knew what I had suspected. I wasn't alone any more. We walked hurriedly down the hall as I explained to her about what had happened to Mr. Breen and Chet Hernandez. I told her my plan to look in the principal's office.

"I don't know anything about Mr. Breen or Chet Hernandez," she told me, "but I do know how to get into the principal's office."

"You do?"

She smiled and took my hand. "Sure. Her secretary always puts the key in her pencil drawer."

"We'd better hurry," I told her quietly. "She could be back any minute."

The key was just where Cindy said it would be, and we were in the principal's office in no time. I began searching the file drawers as Cindy watched the door. It took me ten minutes, but at last, I found a Confidential folder that looked promising.

"I think I found it," I called to Cindy without looking up.

"Yes, you have," a new voice said as my world went dark.

I woke up a few minutes later sitting in a chair facing Ms Hammond as she watched me from behind her desk. My head cleared at once, but I found to my distress that I couldn't move anything but my head.

"He's awake now," a voice said. With a sinking feeling, I realized it was Cindy's voice. While I had been spying on Ms Lester, Cindy had been spying on me. Ms Hammond smiled and nodded in agreement.

"You've created quite a problem for us, Mr. Mitchell," Ms Hammond said.

"I know," I managed to say. "I saw what you did to Mike."

"Yes," she agreed. "I was afraid you were immune to our revisions. That's why I had Cindy keep an eye on you."

"What are you?" Oddly, I wasn't afraid. I was relieved to know that there were answers to the questions which had plagued me for weeks, and my curiosity was piqued.

"You'd probably call us witches," she replied. "It's not entirely accurate, but it will do. We learned to do magic when we were in college as part of what you would call a coven. Mrs. Barney on the school board, Ms Lester and I were classmates."

"But why have you changed some of the guys into girls?"

"It's a long story. It was a trick we learned in college. Some of my friends and I had become interested in magic and formed what you would call a coven. Then, one night, I had a date with a creep who tried to rape me. I managed to get away and told Carol Lester and Jan Meyer - Mrs. Barney now - about it. They were part of the coven. We decided to look for a proper spell which would teach him a lesson. We studied hundreds of texts in every college library in the area until we found a fitting spell. It's the one you know about - change of sex. We confronted my would-be rapist and changed him into the girl of his dreams. We made him - her by then - very sexy and very horny. She dropped out of school and became a stripper. It was the perfect punishment, except she didn't remember any of it. She thought she had always been a girl, and so did everyone else."

"Everyone except us," a new voice said. I turned to see Ms Lester enter the room. "Members of our coven have a magical immunity to adapting to the changes."

"But why did I notice the changes?" I asked.

Ms Hammond shook her head. "We don't know, really. From our readings, we know that some people do have a natural immunity to the spells. You seem to be one of them. That's why we had Cindy keep an eye on you. She's the newest member of the coven."

Cindy smiled at me in reply. "He told me he has a photographic memory."

Ms Lester nodded. "That's probably what gives you your immunity."

"So," Ms Hammond began again, "the problem is, what do we do with you?"

It was a good question. If I was immune to the spell, they couldn't just turn me into a girl, and they couldn't make me forget. I didn't think they would kill me, but I wasn't sure.

Ms Lester grinned, "Maybe we should turn him into a frog."

My heart seemed to stop for a moment until I remembered, "You can't. I'm immune."

Ms Hammond shook her head. "No, we can change you. Notice we were able to paralyze you without any trouble. We just can't make you forget. Your immunity means we can't make you forget who you were. Since you would remember being human, though, we couldn't change your thoughts to match those of a frog, even if we knew and were willing to use such a spell."

I had reason to be frightened again. They could change me.

"But," I argued, "you can't change me into a girl. I would remember."

Ms Lester smiled suddenly. "Wait! Maybe we can't make him forget, but we can make him do other things."

"What do you have in mind?" Ms Hammond asked.

"We can make him fall in love and obey his lover's every wish. Then, all we have to do is get his lover to suggest the behavior we want."

"And I suppose my lover would be someone like Cindy?" I challenged.

Ms Lester laughed, "Oh, no! Your lover will be you best friend, Dave Marshall, and you'll be a girl!"

"Do we really have to do this?" Cindy asked suddenly. I saw she was becoming uncomfortable with my situation.

Ms Hammond nodded. "That's the best solution, Cindy. And since we can't make him think he's always been a girl, it will be up to you to train him. Let's begin now."

It's hard to describe the horror that was going through my mind at the moment. They were really going to change me into a girl! I knew they could do it. I had seen them do it to Mike. The difference was Mike and all the others now thought they had always been female. That might not be so bad. If you didn't know any different, it would be okay. But for me, it would be a living hell. I would remember what it had been like being male. I would still have male thoughts and male memories, but I would be a girl. I would have to wear makeup and nylons and perfume. I would have to wear bras and have periods. Everyone except the people in this room would think I had always been a girl. I tried without any success to break the spell which held me and run for the door, but my body refused to move. My heart began to pound wildly as I realized the process had already started.

"We'll start with the most important parts," Ms Hammond said. I knew at once what she meant, for there was a tingling sensation between my legs. I became hard for a moment, and then the familiar feeling was replaced by -- nothing. There was a sudden void between my legs, and I knew I now had a vagina. At the same time, there was a sudden swelling on my chest, and my nipples rubbed hard against my T-shirt. I looked down in horror as two large breasts grew on my chest.

"I could use another basketball player," Ms Lester commented.

"Oh, no," Ms Hammond said. "I want her to be as feminine as possible. When we're finished with Paula here, she's going to give every boy in the school a hard on."

She looked at me carefully. "You can feel it, can't you? You have breasts now. In fact, you have probably the most lovely breasts in the school."

My entire body began to tingle. I could feel changes occurring from my scalp to my toes. Even my clothes seemed to ripple and become fluid.

Ms Hammond continued, "Paula, I want you to understand what we're doing to you in detail. First, there's no going back. A male can be changed into a female by changing his y chromosome into an x, but there's no way back. You will always be a girl."

My jeans had become a short jeans skirt, and instead of running shoes, I was wearing low black pumps. My legs were hairless and shapely, and as I watched, a thin layer of nylon crept over them.

"We will adjust your intelligence. Instead of an A student, you will get Bs and Cs. We don't want you too bright. Also, you'll get a very healthy shot of hormones so you'll be strongly attracted to boys physically. Mentally, you'll still like girls, but that will change shortly. We'll link you and Dave Marshall in a strong love spell. The two of you will spend a lot of time looking for quiet places to be together."

I could move again, but I was too stunned to do much. My shirt had become a cream-colored, sleeveless knit top, and my arms has become smooth and hairless. I had tapered fingernails which had been painted bright red. Thin gold bracelets were on my right wrist and a small, dainty watch on my left wrist. A gold necklace hung at my neck, pushed out slightly from the slope of my impressive breasts.

"You'll get used to this pretty quickly, but I need to warn you. If you cause any trouble, we will change you for the worst. We can't change you back into a boy, but we can make you into any girl we want, and some of the choices will be much less pleasant than this one."

"That's right," Cindy said. "Dave is cute and you'll enjoy being his girl. It could be a lot worse."

I could feel hair growing longer on my head and felt a slight tickle as it cascaded down my back and over my shoulders. I felt a small pinch at my earlobes, followed by a tugging sensation. I knew I was now wearing earrings. Even my eyelashes felt odd, and I realized they were probably longer. There was an odd taste on my lips, too, so I must be wearing lipstick. The smell of a gentle, feminine perfume filled my nostrils.

"There!" said Ms Hammond. "We're all done. Now, that wasn't so bad, was it, Paula?"

"Let her see herself," Ms Lester suggested, opening a closet door to reveal a full-length mirror. The paralysis was gone, and I found I could move again. Shakily, I got to my feet, balancing carefully on my first pair of heels. I felt the skirt slide down over the nylon on my legs, but it didn't slide far. The hem was a good four inches above my shapely knees.

It was at that moment that I looked into the mirror and saw myself as a girl for the very first time. Cindy had to prop me up, for I nearly fainted. The person I saw in the mirror looked a little like the Paul Anderson I had been. The skin color was the same, my hair was still brown, and my eyes were still blue. But beyond that, I was completely different. I was a girl, and an incredible looking girl at that. If I had been my old self, I would have done anything for a date with this girl. My proportions were absolutely perfect.

"Oh my God," I uttered, hearing for the first time my musically soprano voice.

"Well, Paula, what do you think?" Ms Hammond asked. I couldn't answer her. I was too busy staring at the gorgeous creature I had become. I was a brunette with an absolutely angelic face. My body was sensational, from my breasts to my legs. I was one of the best looking girls I had ever seen. I walked toward the mirror for a closer look. Even given the awkwardness of walking in heels for the first time, the motion of my body was sheer poetry.

A thousand thoughts began to race through my mind all at once. Looking back on it, I began to change mentally from the moment I saw myself in the mirror. At first, the girl who stared back at me was a stranger. She was someone my male mind found attractive. But from almost the first minute, I began to think of this person as me. Have you ever had friends move away and then meet them again five years later? Before you see them again, you remember them as they were, but once you see them after five years, the new image is imprinted on your mind. You haven't forgotten the old image, but you can't relate to it any more. That was how it was with me. I remembered being a boy, and I regretted that I wasn't a boy any longer, but I saw myself as a girl, and realized with a pain of loss that extended beyond the physical that I would always be a girl.

"Cindy," Ms Hammond said, breaking my reverie, "you had better take Paula home."

I felt Cindy's hand on my arm, and wordlessly, she led me out of the school. "You don't know how lucky you are," she told me. "You could have been changed into a lot worse."

"How?' I moaned.

"You don't know all of it. Ms Hammond and Ms Lester hate men. They can change someone and make them remember who they were."

"But that's what they did with me!"

She shook her head as we walked. "They didn't have a choice with you. It's that near photographic memory of yours. I know of a man who accused Ms Lester of being a dyke. Ms Lester changed him into a woman and made her a prostitute. She has to have sex several times a day now, and Ms Lester made her remember who she was. The reason I'm telling you this is that if they really get mad at you, they could do that to you. Right now, you have an identity. You are Paula Anderson, but they could take that away from you and change you into some nameless whore. I've come to like you as a boy. Now that you're a girl, I'd like to be your friend, but you'll have to act like a girl all the time."

"But I don't know how," I objected. I suddenly realized I didn't even know how to apply makeup or dress right or act as a girl. Most girls my age had learned all of this from their mother or sisters or other girls. My mother had never taught me most of what I would have to know. I suppressed a sudden urge to cry.

"You heard Ms Hammond say I was to train you. Your training starts right now. I'm taking you back to my house to teach you the basics. Then, I'll teach you other things as you need them."

We made it to Cindy's house without incident, but I did notice as we walked to her car that a couple of my old male friends who were throwing a football on the practice field took great interest in us. I had never experience before the feeling I felt then. To my knowledge, when I was male, no girl ever looked at me the way these two boys looked at me. I now knew how a deer must feel when a wolf sights her and begins to stalk her. I had known both of those guys since we were in kindergarten, and I never dreamed they could stare at anyone the way they were staring at me.

"It won't be so bad," Cindy consoled me as we drove to her house. "If you just relax and let things happen, you'll find it's fun to be a girl."

"For you, maybe," I sniffed. "You've always been a girl. You wouldn't know what it's like to be a guy one minute and a girl the next."

"True," she conceded as well turned into her driveway, "but you'll have to make the best of it."

Cindy's room was bright and very feminine.

"Your room probably looks a lot like this," she said. "Everything around you will change to fit the person you have become."

I tried to imagine what my room must look like without all the model planes I built when I was younger, or the sports posters and equipment which was always strewn around the room. It wouldn't seem like my room anymore.

"I though I'd give you a few lessons in makeup first," she said.

"Look," I replied, "you may be able to change me physically into a girl, but I don't want to know about makeup or any of that stuff. As soon as I get home, I'm going to put on a pair of jeans and never wear a skirt again."

Cindy smiled, "You may think so now, but that will change. Your body is producing female hormones, and before you know it, you'll start thinking like a girl."

She sat me down on her bed and opened a magazine for me to look at. The picture was of a handsome boy about my age. I had seen him on some TV show, but I didn't know his name.

"He's a hunk, isn't he?" Cindy said.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I replied, but I found I was staring at the picture.

"Come on, Paula, he's hot. You can feel it, can't you?"

I didn't want to admit it, but I did think he was hot. I found I was looking at him with the same thoughts I might have had looking at a girl in Playboy only a few hours ago. Ms Hammond had told me I would like boys now. To my horror, I realized she was right.

"Now," she said, "think about Dave Marshall."

I could see Dave in my mind. Dave and I had been friends since we were five. We had been good friends, played sports together, and chased girls together for as long as I could remember. But I wasn't seeing Dave as just a friend now. Something was stirring within me - something I couldn't control. I felt a shudder I would later realize was desire when I thought about Dave.

Cindy could tell what I was thinking. She laughed, "Okay, now you know you're really a girl. You can't wait to be alone with Dave."

"No, I...," I began, but I didn't know what to say. To deny it would be a lie. I had become a girl physically and was starting to become one mentally.

Cindy shook her head. "I just wanted you to understand that you don't have a choice. You have to learn to live in your new body, and you're going to need me to teach you all the things girls learn from their mothers and from each other if you're going to be happy."

I shrugged without a word. No matter if I liked it or not, Cindy was right.

With that, the lessons began. Cindy had me strip down, and for the first time in my life, I saw a girl's naked body. I examined my breasts, and was surprised to find the nipples were so sensitive. I watched in amazement as I stroked them and they became erect. Between my legs lay an even more mysterious area. Carefully, I probed the lips of my vagina as Cindy told me how to handle my periods and personal hygiene. I had never realized being a girl could require so much... well, preventative maintenance. Slowly, though, I began to think of this body as mine, and I knew that in a few days, it would seem as if I had always looked and felt this way. The most shocking aspect of my self examination was that I wasn't turned on by it. If I had had the opportunity just a few hours before to examine a female body, I would have been exited, but now, I felt no thrill.

I got dressed again, and Cindy walked me home. Mom and Dad and my brother, Dan were already there. I felt awkward having my family see me for the first time as a girl. It took all of my will power to keep from turning around and running away so I wouldn't have to face the humiliation of being a girl.

"Hi, Paula," my brother, Ralph said as I walked in. Ralph is two years younger than me. I had taught him how to play every sport he knew. If anyone was to remember me as a male, it would be Ralph. But Ralph had greeted me with the same disinterest my friends had greeted their older sisters. Older sisters were a burden. They were the substitute mothers all boys hated. I had become just an older sister.

"Paula, honey," my mother called from the kitchen, "your father will be home any minute now. I need some help in the kitchen."

I cringed. Mother never asked me to help in the kitchen before dinner. Of course, I had dishes to do and the table to set, but as a girl, my mother was going to expect me to help with the cooking. I did the best I could, but I'm sure my mother remembered teaching me to cook.

"Honestly, Paula," she sighed, "you act as if you've forgotten everything I ever told you about cooking." If only she had known how close to the truth that was.

I wasn't very hungry that night. Part of the reason was that I was upset and apprehensive due to my transformation. The other part, I was to learn later, that in this girl's body, I didn't have the need for as many calories as I did when I was a boy. Also, Ralph teased me unmercifully as I had seen my friends tease their older sisters. He kidded me about being fat (which I was not), and he kidded me about being in love with Dave (which, to be honest, I wasn't sure about even then). I was relieved that my mother decided to have Ralph help with cleanup, and I was allowed to go to my room. I told Mom and Dad I was writing a paper which was due Monday. In fact, I just wanted to get away. I wanted a little time to become more familiar with my new self so I wouldn't cringe every time my Mom called me "honey" or my Dad called me "princess."

I have started and erased this section of my narrative a dozen times. It's difficult to put into words what happened to me that evening. Everything previous to my examination can be stated as hard fact, but that evening, changes began in me which were psychological. For the first time, alone in my room, I was forced to come to grips with the fact that I was going to be a girl for the rest of my life, with all the likely details that would include.

I started by actually trying to write a paper which was due on Monday. It wasn't much of a paper. It was just a little three page paper on the life of Julius Caesar for history, and I was able to knock out a page of it before my mind started straying. The changes which had been forced on me were causing me to look at things differently. As I wrote the paper, I found myself wondering less about the life of Caesar and more about what his wife must have been like. I began to think of Caesar not as brave and powerful, but as handsome and strong. In my mind, he began to look more and more like Dave.

Frustrated, I saved the single page to a floppy and decided to get ready for bed. I rummaged around in my drawers cringing at each new feminine item I found. I was looking for pajamas, but Paula, it seemed, wore only nighties. I selected one which I thought would be a little less feminine than some of the others. It was cream colored and not too soft, but I was disappointed when I put it on, for it seemed to irritate my newly enlarged nipples. I was forced to settle on a very satiny nightie in a rose pink. I flushed with embarrassment as I put it on, but at least my nipples felt okay again. Without thinking, I selected a matching pair of pink satin panties and put them on. With a start, I realized what I had done, and how natural it had felt. Shaking, I climbed into bed and pulled the covers up far enough, I hoped, to disappear from the world.

I awaked slowly the next morning, aware only that I had had vivid dreams in the night. I couldn't remember what they were; only that they were..... different. As I began to awaken, I remembered what had been done to me on the previous day. I wanted that to have been the dream, but I knew it wasn't. I knew I was a girl because I could feel everything. I could feel the weight of my breasts on my chest and the rounded padding of my new hips. I could feel the silkiness of my nightie, and I could feel the long, brown hair, disheveled from a night of restless sleep.

I got up to take a shower. I stripped off the nightie in front of the mirror in the bathroom and stared at myself. I felt a dozen different emotions - fear and panic among them, as well as a sense of unreality. But the emotion which bothered me the most was an odd desire to be held, and when that emotion rose to the surface, my overtaxed mind provided a picture of Dave. I decided the best thing to do for my own sanity was to get my shower and get dressed as quickly as possible.

My first shower in female form was easier than I had thought. I carefully avoided any unnecessary touching of my breasts or the space between my legs. I gently shaved under my arms and shaved my legs as Cindy had taught me the day before. I found it easier than I would have imagined. I had more trouble washing my hair, which now hung below my shoulders. I thought I would run out of hot water before I managed to get all of the soap out of it. Besides, I thought I would gag from the herbal smell of feminine shampoo.

I spent what seemed like hours drying my hair. Then I managed to but on as plain a bra and panties as I could find, along with a unisex sweatshirt and jeans. Athletic socks and shoes finished off my wardrobe, and I actually felt almost normal.

Dad had already left for work, and Ralph was hiking with some friends from school, so it was just Mom and I at the breakfast table.

"Paula!" she scolded as I walked into the kitchen. "You should see yourself!"

"What's wrong?" I asked, suddenly alarmed. Had I made a major error already?

"What's wrong?" she echoed. "You should look in the mirror. Your hair isn't brushed well. You're not wearing any makeup, and you don't have on any earrings. Also, in that outfit, you look like your brother."

I almost blurted out that I really did wish I looked like my brother, but I remembered who I was and replied, "But, Mom, it's not a school day. Who's going to see me?"

"How about Dave Marshall?" she asked with a knowing smile.

"What?"

"He called while you were in the shower. He wanted to come by in about a half hour, and I told him you'd be happy to see him. That was about a half hour ago."

"Oh, my God!" I bolted from the kitchen, running toward my room. I realized even as I ran up the stairs two at a time that what I was doing didn't make any sense to my male mind. I was acting instinctively, letting my new female hormones think for me. All that was running through my newly pretty head was "I can't let him see me like this!"

Once I reached my room, my masculine mind began to reassert itself. I could hide out in my room, I told myself. But the mind was no match for my new hormones. Just as many males are accused of "thinking with their dicks," I seemed doomed to think with the new parts of my anatomy. With instincts I didn't know I had, I dressed quickly in a short denim skirt and pale blue knitted blouse. I was also in pantyhose and a pair of black shoes with a small heel - casual, but just enough to be sexy. I carefully combed my hair and applied the last of my makeup just as the doorbell rang.

I was relieved I had gotten ready so quickly, but with the pressure of getting ready out of the way, my male mind screamed "What are you doing?" It's hard to explain what happened. The witches had put a spell on me to be attracted to Dave, so whenever he was around (or on his way over), I was doomed to be the sweet little girlfriend.

When I saw Dave at the front door talking with my mother, a small wave of nostalgia passed over me as I remembered the fun Dave and I had together when I was male. As quickly as the thoughts came up, they were overtaken by the thought of how great it would be to touch him...

"Hi, Paula," he called cheerfully, practically causing me to melt on the stairs.

"Hi, Dave," I responded with a tone that spoke volumes to Dave about how I felt about him. Without thinking, I reached out and took his hand. I felt a warm glow as he wrapped his larger hand around mine. When we were younger, Dave and I used to arm wrestle, so I knew that my hand - my old hand - was about the same size as his. Now, my hand and his were a study in contrast. Mine were much smaller, and the pointed red nails seemed to shout femininity.

"You want to go to the mall and maybe see a movie?" he asked.

I smiled. I would have walked to hell with him. "Sure that sounds like fun. Is it okay, Mom?"

My mother smiled a softer smile than I could remember as Paul. "Of course, dear."

As we started out the door, my mother called, "Paula, you forgot your purse!"

Oh, right, I thought. There was one more problem with being a girl. I would have to carry a purse wherever I went. So far, the only positive thing about being a girl was being with Dave, and a rational corner of my mind realized that my attraction to him was artificially induced.

As we rode to the mall in Dave's car, I started to realize that it didn't matter that the attraction had been artificially induced. Attraction was attraction. I found myself laughing easily at his jokes and sneaking peaks at his body. I felt warm and happy and... safe with Dave.

At the mall, we ran into Cindy and a couple of other girls. They all said "Hi" to me as if we were old friends, but except for Cindy, I barely knew the other two girls. Of course, that was as Paul. As Paula, I was one of them - a cute girl. Cindy gave me a knowing wink and said, "Paula, call me when you get home. It's important."

Dave and I strolled around the mall, hand in hand. It should have felt odd, but it didn't. A day before, it would have seemed very queer, but given who I was now, it was very enjoyable. I tried to fight the feelings I was experiencing; honest I did. But the spell had worked all too well. I might still like football and miss my former life, but I had Dave.

"Not interested in anything?" Dave asked.

"What do you mean?" I asked cautiously.

"Well, you've passed at least half a dozen clothing stores and haven't dragged me into any of them. Usually, you want to try on everything in the mall."

So that's the kind of a girl I was. I was a clothes horse. "I guess I'm just not feeling like myself," I replied, chuckling inwardly at my private joke.

"Do you feel okay?" he asked solicitously.

I thought about that for a moment. Yes, I did feel okay. Deep down, I felt as good as I did when I was Paul. The clothes felt a little odd, but not unpleasant. My long hair tickled a little, and I didn't think I would ever get used to the taste of lipstick, but I felt okay.

"Sure."

He smiled and we headed toward the movie.

I don't really remember much about the movie. It was one of those innocuous Jim Carey movies where he makes a perfect ass of himself, but I was too busy thinking about what was happening to me to concentrate on the movie. Also, I had to content with the new feelings I had for Dave. I knew they had been artificially induced, but that didn't make them any less real. I felt a tingle in all my new places when he put his arm around me and held me closely.

Most of my first date as a girl is a blur. After the movie, Dave drove me home. "See you tonight? There's going to be a party at Jim's place. His parents are out of town."

"Sure," I replied without a thought.

"Great. I'll pick you up at seven." With that, he gave me a long, hard kiss that literally took away my breath. In that moment, I would have done anything for him.

I walked into the house as Dave drove away, almost in a trance. In spite of what had happened to me, I couldn't have been happier. All I could think of was Dave and how I needed to be a sexy as possible for our date that evening.

"Is that you, Paula?" my mother called.

"Yes, Mom!" I replied, and I really meant it. It was me - Paula.

"Honey, Cindy called and wants you to call her."

That's right, I thought. Cindy told me to call her. She said it was important. I would have to do that right away. She answered on the second ring. "Oh, hi, Paula."

"So what's so important?"

"I just wanted to see if you wanted to double date tonight."

"I guess so," I said uncertainly. "Dave asked me to Jim's party. Is that where you guys are going?"

"Of course, silly! Everybody knows about Jim's party."

Actually, I hadn't known about Jim's party before my change. Jim was part of a sort of wild crowd. With his parents out of town, I suddenly realized this was not going to be the bobbing for apples kind of party. There would be liquor there and I would have to be careful. I didn't drink, and I was sure this new body wasn't used to alcohol either.

I must have hesitated too long, because Cindy said suddenly, "Oh, come on! You have to go with us. It'll be fun. Besides, you need someone to help you get ready."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you can't go looking like you do now. You need to look really sexy for Dave. It's almost five. When is Dave picking you up?"

"At seven."

"That doesn't give us much time. We'll get you an outfit from your closet and we can go over to my place to get ready." Before I could stop her, she was in my closet. She pulled a couple of outfits off the hangers and said, "Let's go."

I had no choice but to follow her. I was going to the party with Dave, and because of the spell, I wanted to look really sexy for Dave. I couldn't do this alone, so Cindy was going to be a great help to me.

We raided the refrigerator at her house and polished off a leftover chef's salad. My new body didn't seem to need as much food, so the salad was just the right amount. I found myself starting to like Cindy. Unlike the witches who had done this to me, Cindy seemed to accept me as a girl and acted as if she wanted to be my friend.

"Cindy," I started, "I want you to know I appreciate your help in getting me through this."

She smiled and replied, "I'm glad to help. I liked you as Paul, and I know I'm going to like you as Paula. I didn't want them to do this to you."

"Then why did you help them?"

She sighed, "I have an aunt back in Boston who is a witch. She's a really good person; not like Ms Lester and Ms Hammond. They know my aunt, though, so they asked me to help them. At first it was fun. Guys like Mr. Breen and Chet Hernandez have always been real pigs, so it seemed right to change them. Then, they started getting carried away."

"But they said you were the newest member of the coven," I pointed out.

"Paula, wake up!" she cried in exasperation. "What else can I do? You know, it isn't just boys they can change. If I defied them, they could change me into the school slut or God only knows what else. I'm either with them or I'm against them."

"It sounds to me as if you're with them," I challenged. "You seemed happy enough when they changed me into a girl."

She frowned. "For your information, Miss, I don't think of being a girl as a punishment. Once you get used to it, you'll feel the same way. Besides, considering some of the other things they could have done to you, this isn't so bad, is it?"

I didn't reply because I didn't have a good answer. As a girl, a lot of things I had always enjoyed were denied me. I couldn't play football again. I would never know what it was like to have sex as a man. I mean, sure, I had masturbated. What boy hasn't? But sex would be... different. But no, it wasn't so bad. I was attracted to Dave. Sure, I realized it was the spell, but that didn't take away the pleasure of the attraction.

I took a close look at Cindy, and I could see that I had hurt her. Yes, she had helped them, but maybe she didn't have a choice. I felt.... intuitively (oh, my God - you mean there really was such a thing as "feminine intuition?") that she was telling me the truth. I had to let her know how I felt, so I walked over to her and gave her a sisterly hug. She smiled at me, tears in her eyes, and I smiled back, realizing that there were tears in my eyes, too. Damned hormones!

"Okay, then," she said at last. "Let's get you ready for the party."

I hadn't realized what I had let myself in for. For the past day and a half, I had been wearing nothing but skirts. I found that a little odd; I wondered if that was part of my spell: a strange impulse to wear skirts most of the time. But even wearing the outfits I had been wearing didn't prepare me for the outfit Cindy had picked out for me. The dress was an off white, almost a pale pastel yellow. When I put it on, I realized it was the shortest, tightest thing I had worn yet, with a neckline that practically exposed my ample breasts. The sleeves were long and tight, which somehow made the whole thing even more revealing by drawing attention to my breasts and legs. I felt as if it had been painted onto my butt. My stockings were white, and I carefully slipped on a three inch heel.

When I looked in the mirror, I saw that Cindy had done the full number on my face and hair. She had darkened my eyelids to a smoky gray with lilac overtones and outlined my eyes and lengthened my lashes. My lips looked full and dark red, framed by my long brown hair which fell perfectly over my shoulders. She had loaned me a gold bracelet and matching necklace which seemed to draw even more attention to my breasts.

"I look like I'm dressed up for the prom," I moaned.

"Don't be silly," Cindy scoffed. "You look perfect for one of Jim's parties."

"I wouldn't know," I admitted. "I've never been to one of his parties before."

Cindy looked stunned. "You haven't? Why not? You're a good looking boy - or at least you were. Didn't you and Jim get along?"

"Not really," I told her. "Jim's friends are mostly jocks, and I never fit in with them much."

"But Dave was invited."

"I know, but Dave and Jim used to live next door to each other. They were friends since elementary school. Also, Dave has always helped Jim with math and science, so they're still friends. I don't think Dave gets along too well with some of Jim's other friends, though. Come to think of it, who are you going with tonight?"

Cindy smiled. "Brad Williams."

Brad played football, but he was a pretty decent guy. I mentally approved of her choice, and I guess a little smile of mine confirmed it.

Cindy got ready quickly and was dressed very much like me, only her dress was black and her stockings were nude, as I was to learn later. "I called Dave," she told me. "I told him to pick you up over here."

I gulped. "I thought we were going together. I mean, I thought Brad and Dave and you and I..."

Cindy gave me a sisterly hug. "Of course not, silly. I mean, Brad and I will probably want to be alone sometime tonight, and so will you and Dave."

"But aren't we double-dating?"

"I meant after the party. We won't stay long enough for it to get wild like Jim's parties usually do. I just thought you should spend a little time alone with Dave before the party."

I didn't have the guts to ask what "alone" meant. I mean, I liked Dave a lot, even though I didn't exactly have any choice in the matter, but I wasn't ready to have sex with him. I had only been a girl for a day and a half, and deep down, the idea of having sex was more than I could stand. Besides, even if I had been a girl all my life, I was only sixteen. I didn't want to be like some of the slutty girls I knew who, as a boy, I had laughed at for being had by every slick guy in the school.

Cindy must have understood my concern, because she hugged me again and said gently, "Look, they made you love Dave, but how you love him is up to you. You don't have to go to bed with him, but you can if you want to."

"I don't want to!"

"Then don't. If there are any problems, I'll be right there with you."

I felt a little better after that, so there was a perky smile on my face when Dave picked me up fifteen minutes later. Dave was dressed up a little, too. He wore a sport coat but no tie. I thought he looked pretty sharp. I found once again that I experienced a thrill just being with him. Even knowing it was the spell the witches put on me didn't lessen my pleasure at being with him.

When we reached the party though, my feelings began to change. I felt like a lamb entering a lion's den. As we entered Jim's house, every male eye seemed focused on me, often accompanied by a noticeable leer and a stage whispered comment designed to reach my ears, such as "nice piece of ass!" from Steve Wilcox, the captain of the football team.

Dave, to my relief, was ever the gentleman. He whisked me past the worst of the comments, but he couldn't stop them from looking. I felt as if my dress covered nothing, and that they were staring directly at my new breasts as if there was nothing covering them.

This was it, I suddenly realized. This was the exact moment that it all soaked in. This was the moment I realized what it was like to be a girl.

Much of the party is still a blur in my mind. It was almost like a surrealistic fantasy in which girls would walk up to me with a sisterly greeting of "Hi, Paula," while the boys would walk up to me with eyes surreptitiously darting toward my ample breasts as they greeted me. But all in all, I had a fairly good time during the early part of the party. I managed to nurse a single glass of wine for over an hour. My parents had always let me drink wine at meals with them, so I was familiar with its taste. The single glass allowed me to look like I was in the swing of things without getting out of control.

Several couples were dancing, and Dave and I managed to dance with them for a while. The fast dances were no problem, since there isn't a great deal of sex-oriented roles in them. I had to remember to stand still since I wasn't used to heavy gyrations on high heels. But the slow dances were another matter. First of all, I wasn't used to letting someone else lead. And secondly, I found myself getting very hot and bothered when I was so close to Dave.

I looked around for Cindy, but she was making all her moves on Brad, so I could barely get her to acknowledge that I was there. After about an hour, the two of them disappeared.

Things began to fall apart, though, in the second hour. Chet - now Rachel - Hernandez burst into the party like a sudden storm. She was with Matt Jefferson, our star fullback, and both of them looked very disheveled. It was obvious that they had both been drinking heavily, and we could all guess why none of us had seen them for the last hour. Rachel's provocative moves began to have an effect on some of the jocks who had come to the party alone. Matt had come alone and he had scored. Maybe they could get lucky, too, and being someone else's date wasn't going to protect me from their advances.

I began to feel very vulnerable. Dave was busy talking with Jim, and I suddenly realized that several of the more unsavory players on the team were looking in my direction. Suddenly, I felt a strong hand on my arm and turned to look directly into the leering face of Bryan Jacobs, one of our defensive ends. "Hey, Babe," he began, "how's about me and you ---"

"Let go!" I demanded, frustrated with being too weak to break free, although I have to admit, I might have had trouble breaking free from Bryan even if I was still Paul.

"You know you want it," he oozed. As frightened as I was, all I could think of was where he managed to dig up those tired B-movie lines.

"I know I don't," I growled, debating as to whether I should kick him in the balls or not. I decided to save that as a last resort, since it would only make him madder. I had never felt in more danger in my life. My body was female, but inside, I felt male rage at what was happening. I began to squirm to get out of his grip, but he held me all the tighter. "Let go," I demanded. "You're hurting me."

Bryan gave me a slimy grin. "Aw, come on, Sweetcakes."

"Bryan," a stern voice behind me said, "let her go."

I turned and saw Dave standing there. He looked solemnly at Bryan without moving.

"Take off, pal," Bryan growled. "This is between me and the cunt."

I shuddered at the term "cunt." At the same time, I felt an unnatural affection for Dave. He was coming to my rescue!

I suddenly saw Jim standing beside Dave, along with Sam Brown and Wally Mitchell, two of the bigger linemen on the team, and Brad Williams, with Cindy gently holding his hand. "Not any more it isn't, Bryan," Jim said menacingly. "I think it's time for you to leave."

Bryan looked around for support, but even the most Neanderthal of the players realized that Bryan was out of control. If Bryan had chosen to fight, it would be a short battle. I felt the pressure on my arm lessen reluctantly. Without a word, Bryan hurriedly left the party.

Suddenly, Dave and I were alone in the crowded room. I looked deeply into the eyes of the boy who had been my best friend until yesterday and realized that I wanted him in me. The thought was a complete shock to me. I was, I was certain, a virgin, and I was only sixteen. I knew that there were sixteen year olds who were sexually active, but as a boy, I hadn't been, and now that I was a girl, I would have to use every ounce of my will power to remain a virgin. I felt a pleasant dampness between my legs, and knew that I would soon have to have sex with Dave. I realized now that the feeling had been building in me all evening. If I had not been distracted by the incident with Bryan, the feeling would have built more slowly, and I would even now be leading Dave to the back seat of his car.

"Dave," I managed to whisper with all of my remaining will power, "I need to go home."

"Don't worry, Paula," he said to me with concern as he held my hands in his. "Bryan won't bother you any more."

I managed a weak smile. "I know, Dave, but I'm a little upset. Would you take me home?"

He looked into my pleading eyes for a moment before saying, "Sure. Let's go."

I was quiet as he drove me home. I had nearly lost my virginity, and I hadn't been given anything to protect myself. I knew Dave well. He wouldn't have had any protection either. The results could have been devastating.

At the door, Dave waited shyly for me to give him a good night kiss. I complied, and I found that I enjoyed it every bit as much as I had that afternoon. Physically, I wanted him to stay with me, but I knew where that would lead, so with a smile, I wished him a good night and slipped into the house.

The next day, I went to church with my parents, but I couldn't concentrate much on the service. I kept thinking how Cindy had set me up. She even said she thought Dave and I would want to be alone. And the way she and Brad had disappeared, it was as if she knew what was coming and wanted me to face it on my own.

After church, I didn't even bother to change out of the dress and heels I had worn to church, but instead stormed over to Cindy's house.

"Wow!" was all Cindy could say when she saw how I looked. Then she noticed the fire in my eyes. "What's wrong, Paula?"

"You set me up. That's what's wrong!" I practically yelled at her. "You wanted Dave and I to do it last night."

"I did not! I mean, if you two wanted to do it, I guess that's okay, but-"

"Then where did you and Brad go? You left me alone with Dave!"

Cindy gave me a hard look. "I left you with Dave in a crowded room. I hardly think that qualifies as leaving the two of you alone to do it. Besides, why should I worry about you and Dave? You've only been a girl for a couple of days. I figured you could take care of yourself while Brad and I found someplace to make out for a while."

I thought about that for a moment. Cindy knew I would be attracted to Dave. She was there when the spell was put on me. Maybe she really didn't know how much I was going to be attracted to Dave. I had wanted him so badly I could hardly stand it. It took every ounce of willpower I still had to resist making love to him. If he had been just a little more forceful, I wouldn't have resisted. What was I thinking? I was terribly confused.

"Wait a minute," Cindy said, seeing tears forming in my eyes. "You really did almost do it with Dave, didn't you?"

"Yes!!!" I screamed hysterically.

The gravity of the matter seemed to hit Cindy all at once. "When they changed you, they must have expected you to go to bed with Dave. They were trying to force you to do it. I think maybe they wanted you to do it without any protection. That would be a great way to get rid of you once and for all."

"What do you mean?" I said, somewhat calmer.

"Don't you see? If you and Dave made love and you got pregnant..."

Oh my God! I suddenly realized that I could get pregnant. I was a girl now, with all of the right plumbing and everything. "So if I got pregnant, I'd have to drop out of school."

"And Dave's a nice guy," Cindy continued. "He'd probably want to do the right thing an marry you. So suddenly, you're a mother to be married to a high school dropout who's had to go to work to support you and the baby."

I felt suddenly sick.

"Paula, tell me the truth," Cindy said quietly while looking me straight in the eye. "Do you want to go to bed with Dave?"

My body practically quivered as I answered, "I want it more than anything else. If he asks me, I'll do it, protection or not. I can't resist again."

Cindy hugged me closely, and I realized we had both begun to cry. "My god, Paula," she sobbed. "I never meant for this to happen to you. This isn't right."

Holding Cindy, I longed to be male again. The feel of her soft body and the smell of her perfume brought back memories of my male life. But I could do nothing that I wanted to do. It was as if I had two sets of emotions in me at once. The male set wanted Cindy in the worst way, but there was nothing physical to back them up. I felt no stirring of a penis between my legs. Instead, my female body ruled the day. I could love Cindy as a friend, but nothing more. My female emotions were backed up by a strong dose of female hormones which, along with the spell, demanded that I be a normal heterosexual female who was madly in love with her former best friend, Dave Marshall.

Reluctantly, I pushed myself away from Cindy. We just stared at each other for a few moments before I managed to say softly, "Cindy, what are we going to do?"

Cindy shook her head. "It isn't what we're going to do," she said. "It's what I'm going to do. I got you into this mess, and now, I have to get you out of it."

"I've really never understood why you've been helping them," I ventured. "At first, it seemed like you were one of them, but now, I'm not sure. Is this just another trick?"

"It's no trick," Cindy said forcefully. "Yes, I helped them at first. I was still helping them when they caught you, but now, I feel like I've been on the wrong side."

"Why did you help them in the first place?"

"Ms Hammond told you about the coven she formed with Ms Lester and Mrs. Barney, but they weren't the only members of the group. There were a total of thirteen members in the coven, which is apparently the required number. One of the members was my Aunt Marcie. When Ms Hammond came here, she looked me up, told me my Aunt had referred her to me, and asked for my help.

"At first, it wasn't so bad. Mr. Breen was their first target. He deserved what happened to him, and to be honest, I think he's happier now as Ms Breen."

I couldn't argue with that. Mr. Breen was probably only a leer or two away from a sexual harassment suit which would have ended his teaching career. As Ms Breen, she would have an honorable career and a chance for happiness.

I nodded slightly in skeptical agreement. "Go on," I urged.

"Then they went after Chet Hernandez."

"I didn't think much of Chet," I admitted, "but he wasn't a bad guy."

"Oh, no?" Cindy said with irony. "You just don't know, Paula. Do you know Nancy Bristol?"

"Sure," I said. "She's that cute girl on the freshman cheerleading squad."

"Well, Chet raped her."

"When?"

"A few days before Ms Lester transformed him. Nancy came to her sobbing and told her what happened. Ms Lester called Chet in, changed him, and in Nancy's mind, the rape never happened. So you see, what they did wasn't all bad."

"But what about Mike Clancey?" I asked her. "All Mike did was try to help out the girl's basketball team. Then Ms Lester decided to turn him into Michelle to be the star forward on her team."

"I know," Cindy nodded solemnly. "I was there, remember? That was the first time I ever saw any of them change someone who didn't deserve it. I didn't dare say anything, though. They could always change me, too, if I got in their way."

I was puzzled. "What could they do to you? You're already a girl."

"Yes, but they could play with my mind and make me the class slut right up there with Rachel Hernandez. Or they could make me into another girl, maybe fat and ugly." She shuddered at the thought.

"So they can change people into anything," I surmised.

Cindy shook her head. "No, they can't change a girl into a boy."

"Yeah, don't remind me." I was silent for a moment, and then asked, "What did you mean when you said you'd do something to get me out of this? I thought you said I'd always be a girl."

Cindy nodded. "You will, but I don't want you getting pregnant and dropping out of school. Besides, someone's got to stop them before Fairmont High becomes Ms Hammond's School for Girls. I'm going to call my Aunt Marcie. She's been in Europe, but mom told me she gets back tonight."

"But what if she really is in on this with Ms Hammond?" I warned.

"She can't be. Aunt Marcie would never do anything like this. She learned witchcraft back in her college days and taught me about it when I was only five years old. She said it was a beautiful art and promised to begin teaching it to me when I was eighteen. Eighteen is the youngest age a girl can become a witch. She told me that witchcraft wasn't really a demonic art but rather a healing art."

"Sure," I scoffed. "I got healed right out of my manhood."

"That's right, you did," Cindy agreed. "But if a witch can use her art to cure a disease or heal a broken limb, what's to say that she can't make a more major change, like sex?"

"Then why can't they change me back?"

"I don't know much more about that than you do. Apparently, they can't just postulate a y chromosome, but since girls have two x chromosomes, all they had to do is change your y into another x."

"But how did that change my drapes from tan to pink and put all those skirts in my closet. And why do my mom and dad and brother remember me as always being a girl?"

"It's a side effect of the spell. It protects the witch from detection. Say you were a witch who had just cured someone's cancer. That someone would know he had cancer, and so would his family. The next thing you know, the poor witch would have every victim of every disease lined up at he door."

"So," I reasoned, "the same thing happens when a witch uses a spell for evil purposes. And the only people who are immune are people like me with a photographic memory."

"Exactly. Now enough about that. We have a history test tomorrow, or had you forgotten?"

Oh my god, I thought, I had forgotten. Or more likely, the spell had caused me to forget. I recalled Ms Hammond saying that I would no longer be an A student. Making me forget the history exam was probably part of that. Although they couldn't change my memories, they could nudge them by heightening my emotions, it seemed.

In an odd way, I felt relieved, though. This meant they planned to make me a worse student by distracting me rather than by actually dampening my intelligence. If I could find a way to maintain my concentration without allowing my emotions to flare up, I could probably keep up my grades. I might be doomed to remain a girl for the rest of my life, but I would be an intelligent girl, able to make my own way in the world.

My new-found confidence was shaken by a sudden thought, though. I doubted if my plan would meet with approval from Ms Hammond. The minute she saw my grades were still great, she would find some way to bring them down. I only hoped Cindy's aunt could do something before it became a problem.

Cindy and I buckled down and studied for the rest of the afternoon. We were studying the Roman Empire, a period which had always been intriguing to me, so I was able to concentrate fairly well and help Cindy through some of the rough spots. But as I studied, I had to keep my mind from drifting toward thoughts of Dave. I wondered what he was doing. Probably studying for the same test I was studying for. Maybe I should have studied with him, I began to think. I could imagine him with me as we studied at my kitchen table, or, better yet, side by side on my couch with his arm around-

"Paula!"

"What?" I said, startled.

"I asked you a question," Cindy said with concern, "but you were just staring out into space."

"Sorry. What was the question?"

"It says Julius Caesar was killed on the Ides of March. What are 'ides?'"

"Oh," I said, slowly coming back to reality. "The Ides of March means..."

My voice trailed off. I knew the answer as well as I knew my own name. But, of course, there was some confusion about my own name as well. I was now Paula, but a large part of my mind was still Paul. Or was it? I was in the middle of a huge mess. Middle?

"Middle!" I cried.

"What?"

"Middle. Ides means the middle of March." I had better be able to come up with an answer quicker than that, I thought, or I was going to have trouble on the test.

We studied for a while longer until it was nearly time for me to go home for dinner. At least I felt as if we had accomplished something. As we had continued to study, I found that I could improve my concentration if I put my mind to it. School would not be as easy for Paula as it had been for Paul, but I was confident that I could do it.

As I was leaving, Cindy said, Paula, remember to wear a dress tomorrow."

"A dress?" I asked. I had planned to wear jeans. Most of the girls did, except for special occasions. I certainly didn't want to be showing off my legs on my first class day as a girl. "Why?"

"Because Ms Lester and Ms Hammond will expect it. They will expect you to be as feminine as possible, probably to impress Dave. If you don't, they may suspect something is wrong. They might have a way to turn up your emotions so you have no choice but to go to bed with Dave."

She was right, I agreed. As a compromise, Cindy agreed to wear a dress, too, so I wouldn't feel out of place.

I got home in time to change into a T-shirt and shorts and help mom with dinner again. It was getting easier to help her as I was truly learning my way around the kitchen. But I envied my father and brother as they watched a football game while mom and I worked.

At dinner, I noticed I was falling into a new routine as Paula. Things no longer seemed quite so alien to me. I found my mother would ask me to help her serve or carry off, and I complied as if it were my normal task. My brother gave me an obligatory ration of little brother crap, but I handled it with the same dignity that I had seen other girls (sisters of my old male friends) handle it. Mom and dad asked me how my day with Cindy went and were relieved and happy to hear that we had studied for most of the day. I made a mental note to check my grades. Something told me that Paula's transcript was not all that great.

After dinner, I announced I had more studying to do, and my little brother found himself suddenly saddled with helping mom clean up. "After all, Ralph, Paula helped me make dinner," mom told him.

"But I did cleanup last night," Ralph whined. I considered this ample payback for Ralph's teasing at the dinner table.

I fully intended to study all evening as well. History was one of my better subjects when I had been Paul, so I was determined to keep my grades up in that subject. However, I had only had a chance to study for half an hour when mom called, "Paula, a phone call for you."

Who could it be, I wondered. Probably Cindy, I told myself.

But it wasn't Cindy; it was Dave.

"What's up?" he asked nonchalantly.

I nearly melted into the phone. "Just studying," I replied coyly. A small part of me kept trying to tell me Dave was just my old friend, but the warnings I had shouted to myself the day before were becoming nothing but whispers now. I liked Dave and I wanted him to like me. He may have been Paul's friend, but he was my boyfriend.

"Why don't I come over and we can study together?"

"I'd like that," I said softly.

"Give me fifteen minutes."

I held the receiver for at least a minute after he hung up. Then, with shock, I realized I only had fifteen minutes to get ready for him. In retrospect, I was on auto pilot where Dave was concerned. I began to act and think like every young girl in love must surely act and think. I wanted to look my best for him, so I rushed to my room and quickly dressed in a tight white sweater and dark blue miniskirt. I even thought about hose but decided that would be too much, so I settled on the bare look with a pair of dark blue flats.

I tried to remember everything Cindy had taught me about makeup, but as Paul, I would never have realized there was so much to learn. I settled on a look which I decided was a little understated and innocent. I was still brushing my hair when the door bell rang.

Ralph had already let Dave in by the time I came charging down the stairs from my room. He looked up at me and grinned. "Are you ready to study?"

I grinned back, "Sure."

Ralph made a typical little brother gagging noise and went back to watching TV with my parents in the family room.

I led Dave up to the second floor loft where we could have some privacy. We sat on the couch for the rest of the evening, studying occasionally. But most of the time, we just held each other and talked in meaningful whispers. There was a lot of touching and giggling going on, and I found I enjoyed every minute of it. The spell was continuing to work on me, and the little voice in my head telling me this wasn't right kept getting softer and softer until I finally fell asleep in Dave's arms.

Mom let Cindy in the next morning since I was busily getting ready for school. We had planned to walk to school together. She entered my room as I was completing the finishing touches. "Wow!" she managed to say.

"You said that yesterday," I told her, turning away from my mirror to face her.

"I know," she said, "but yesterday, you just looked great. Today, you look incredible!"

I had taken her advice. To keep Ms Hammond and Ms Lester from thinking I had their love spell under control - well, somewhat under control - I had chosen to appear as feminine and demure as possible. It wasn't all that hard. I had had the weekend to practice, and I knew as a former male what would look particularly sexy. I was wearing a light blue knit minidress, complete with hose and a small white heel. I had worked on my hair and makeup for nearly an hour until everything was perfect.

Cindy was wearing a dress as well. I knew she had done it just to make me feel more at ease. "My god, girl, you are going to drive Dave crazy."

"I didn't do it for Dave," I replied uncomfortably. "I did it to throw Ms Hammond off the scent."

"Right," Cindy scoffed. "Dave never entered your mind."

"Well," I said slowly, feeling my face flush, "he may have entered my mind just a little bit." Changing the subject, I asked, "Did your aunt ever call you?"

"No," Cindy sighed. "I tried to call her again this morning, but there was no answer. Maybe she had a flight cancelled or something. I'll try to call her again tonight."

I picked up my book bag and walked out with Cindy. "What are we going to do then?"

"Just act normal. Ms Hammond won't do anything else to you as long as she thinks she has you under control. Moon over Dave when you see him." She grinned mischievously. "That shouldn't be too hard for you."

"Thanks."

"And don't act too smart in class. They think your grades will suffer because of your obsession with Dave, so act worried about the test."

"I am worried."

She frowned at me. "I thought you were going to study when you got home."

"So did I," I sighed, "but Dave came over."

"Oh."

I felt odd going into the school in a dress. Sure, I had worn one to church the day before and to the party the night before that, but school contained too many male memories for me. As we approached the school, I began to feel more and more as if I was Paul in drag.

Cindy was quick to sense my discomfort, for she said, "Just act natural. As far as everyone here is concerned, you've always been Paula."

I quickly saw she was right. No one seemed to notice anything different about me. As far as they were concerned, I had always been Paula. I was just beginning to feel a little bit normal when Jack McKenze and Norm Walters, two guys I had known since grade school approached us. Neither boy could keep his eyes off our legs. "Nice outfits, girls," Jack said, followed by a quick "yeah" from Norm.

We smiled at them - Cindy's smile was natural, but mine was forced. "Thanks, guys," Cindy said sweetly.

With embarrassment, I tugged at the hem of my dress to try vainly to cover more of my legs. I felt as if every guy in the school could see all the way up to my crotch.

"Relax, Paula," Cindy said softly. "You look fine."

"Fine? I look half naked."

"When you were male, did you think girls looked half naked when they were dressed like us?"

"No," I said slowly.

"Then don't worry about it. You look like a normal teenage girl. And remember, Ms Hammond will expect you to look like this."

"I know," I had to agree as we entered the school building.

Fortunately, Cindy and I had the same first hour class. It was an math class, and I had always been very good at math. We sat quietly, waiting for the PA system to spew out the morning announcements before class started.

I practically jumped out of my seat when I heard Ms Lester's voice on the speaker. "Today at three PM, the Fairmont High School Lady Warriors will play the Jefferson High Tigers in the school gym. Be sure and support our star player, Michelle Clancy, and all of the Lady Warriors in this important game."

I shuddered. Mike Clancy was now Michelle Clancy. I felt sorry for him until I looked down at my own breasts. At least Michelle didn't realize she had ever been Mike. Maybe she should feel sorry for me.

Math class began right on time, with out math teacher, Mr. Richards, diving directly into the day's assignment. I wondered idly how long it would be before Mr. Richards suddenly found himself Ms Richards. I hoped for his sake that it never happened.

"Ms Mitchell?"

It took a few moments for me to realize that Mr. Richards was addressing me. "Uh... yes, Mr. Richards?"

"I'm waiting for your answer."

I had been so deeply in thought that I hadn't even heard the question. "I'm sorry. Could you repeat the question?"

Mr. Richards sighed. "I asked you for the answer to the equation on the board."

I looked up at the equation. It was an easy one, or at least it had been an easy one for Paul. As Paula, I wasn't quite as quick at math, it seemed. I hesitated too long, for Mr. Richards suddenly called out, "Mr. Patterson, do you know the answer?"

As Mark Patterson confidently gave the answer, Cindy looked at me with sympathy. It was going to be a long day. I made a mental note to take more time to study math. Keeping my grades up wasn't going to be easy. It was almost as if the spell had kept me from accessing all the parts of my mind.

"I'll help you with math tonight," Cindy said as we walked together after class.

"Thanks," I replied. "It looks like I'll need all the help I can get."

"Sure," she said as I broke away from her and started down the corridor.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

I turned. "I have home room this hour."

Cindy sighed and shook her head. "Not any more you don't. Second hour is girl's gym. You and I have it together."

"Oh no!" I cried out. "I can't go to girl's gym."

"Why not? You're a girl."

I couldn't argue with that. "But Ms Lester teaches girl's gym," I protested.

Cindy shrugged. "You knew you were going to have to face her as Paula some time. Just remember what we discussed. You're just one of the girls now with a so-so grade point average and the hots for Dave Matthews."

If I had been Paul Mitchell instead of Paula Mitchell, I would have thought I had died and gone to heaven. There I was in the girl's locker room, surrounded by naked and semi-naked girls of all sizes, shapes, and descriptions, and they weren't paying a bit of attention to me! Why should they? I was one of them.

"Quit staring," Cindy mumbled to me as we disrobed. "You want them all to think you're a lesbian?"

"No chance of that," I mumbled back. "Not with the spell on me." It was true. A few days ago as Paul, I would have had a hard-on that wouldn't quit surrounded by all this female flesh. But as Paula, the sight of a naked girl meant nothing to me.

I laid out my gym clothes, but something was missing. I began searching through the pile of clothes for...

"What are you looking for?" Cindy asked.

With a start, I realized I had been looking for a jock strap. I giggled in spite of myself. "Oh, nothing," I managed to tell Cindy.

Gym was a new experience for me. Although not a great athlete as a male, I could hold my own with most of my peers. I was pleasantly surprised to see that held true in my new body as well. We played volleyball, a sport I had always enjoyed as Paul. Once I got used to the fact that I was several inches shorter and not nearly as strong, I was able to adjust and play the game as well as any of the other girls. The only annoying part of it was feeling the sudden sway of my breasts when I jumped or dodged too quickly. As compensation, though, my lighter body was actually easier to control. No wonder girls tend to be more graceful than boys. After all, they generally are carrying around a lot less bulk.

Ms Lester treated me as just one of the girls, but I thought I saw her making critical mental notes of my performance. I tried to be just one of the girls. I groaned when we lost a point and cheered, laughed, and hugged my teammates when we scored a point. It all actually was beginning to feel rather natural. My fears of being seen as a boy in drag were gone. I was fully accepted as the girl I had become.

"You did great!" Cindy told me as we were showering off together.

"Thanks," I said, truly proud of myself, both as a girl and as an athlete. After all, I had scored the winning goal for my team.

"By the way," Cindy said quietly so that only I could hear, "Ms Lester asked me if you were giving me any trouble."

"And?"

"I told her you were busy being a good little girl and that Dave Matthews had screwed you twice."

I looked around in shock, afraid one of the other girls might hear, but Cindy and I were the only two in the shower. "Why did you tell her that?" I hissed.

Cindy shrugged as she turned off the water. "You know that's what they expected you to do. I just told them what they wanted to hear. If they think you're going to be a good little slut, they'll leave us alone until my aunt can do something."

"But what if you can't reach your aunt in time?" I asked as I began to towel off my still alien body.

Cindy became very serious. "I don't know," she said. "How long will it be before you have to have sex with Dave?"

"Have to?" I repeated. "What do you mean?"

"Paula, it's only a matter of time before that spell of theirs causes you to give in. You've been able to fight it with my help, but unless someone stops Ms Hammond and Ms Lester, the urge will grow stronger until you can't stop it."

"Oh," was all I could manage to say.

I spent the entire study period before lunch getting ready for my history exam. I was relieved as I scanned through the material to see that I remembered most of what I had studied the night before. My classes weren't going to be as easy for Paula as they had been for Paul, but with hard work and concentration, I knew I could do it.

"Come on, Paula," Cindy said suddenly.

"Huh?" I managed.

"It's lunch time. Didn't you hear the bell?"

"I guess not," I admitted, closing my history book.

"Wow, you've really gotten into studying for this test," she said.

"I should study through lunch," I told her. "This isn't easy for me any more."

Cindy smiled. "You'll do fine. C'mon."

I sighed. I guess I had to eat. We headed off for the cafeteria.

"Paula!" Dave's voice called out from a table as Cindy and I finished filling our trays. "Over here!"

I felt my heart jump, my knees grow weak, and my palms grow moist just hearing Dave call my name. I must look awful after gym, I thought. I cursed myself for not going to the girl's room before lunch and ...

What was I thinking?

The spell on me was increasing in intensity. Cindy was right. I was going to fall more and more hopelessly in love with Dave until some moment when we were alone and I had spread my legs for him. To be sure, I had to remember to take birth control pills every day. Had I done so this morning? I didn't think so. Oh, God! What was I going to do?

Dave scooted over to make room for me, and Cindy slipped in the seat across from us. I found my now wider hips lightly touching Dave's. The feeling was more sensual than I could ever have imagined a few days before.

"How was your morning?" Dave asked casually.

"Fine," I managed.

"Paula scored the winning goal for us in volleyball this morning," Cindy volunteered.

I felt myself blushing.

"That's great!" Dave remarked. "Maybe we can get up a coed volleyball game after school tonight."

I had thought I would study my math after school. I certainly need to bone up on it, but I found myself saying, "Gee, that would be great, Dave."

I felt him slide a little closer to me and began to feel a warmth between my legs. I managed to eat a bit of the sloppy Joe on my plate just to take my mind off it. It almost worked, but not quite.

We continued to eat and chat until nearly time for my history class.

"We'd better get going," Cindy said. "It's almost test time."

"Oh, sure," Dave and I managed to say in unison. With Cindy in the lead, we headed for history class, but I was having a hard time thinking about history while Dave had his arm gently around my waist.

Reluctantly, we parted and went to our seats. Since Mr. Jordan, our history teacher, always arranged his classes alphabetically, that meant Dave was only two desks away. We were separated by Erin May, a cute little redhead who had always interested me before my change. Now, I found myself envying her for being so close to my love.

Concentrate, Paul - er - Paula, I told myself as the tests were being handed out. History had always been one of my best subjects, so I had to make this the cornerstone of the new Paula Mitchell, honor student campaign. I looked over the test paper, successfully fighting the urge to gaze at Dave. I was relieved to see that the test was fairly easy. With a hidden smile, I pulled a pencil out of my purse and began to answer the questions.

I managed, barely, to resist the temptation to look at Dave. I knew my mind would start drifting at the sight of him, and it would cost me points on the test. There would be time for Dave later. If Cindy's aunt didn't show up to save the day, I might have a lot more time for Dave than would be good for me.

I can't say I breezed through the test. The witches had curbed my ability to recall facts as quickly as before. My once photographic memory had been short circuited somewhat. Still, there was enough of it left that, coupled with my intensive studying the day before, I was able to confidently answer every question. As Paula, I was going to be almost as good a student as I had been as Paul.

I turned in my test just as the bell rang, nearly colliding with Dave in the process.

"How did you do?" he asked me as we walked out together.

"Well, I think," I replied with a smile.

"Great. I'll see you at the basketball game," he replied with a quick kiss to my cheek that nearly made me shudder with pleasure.

Cindy came up beside me. "Girl, I thought you were going to strip for him on the spot."

"I wanted to," I admitted. Thank God I didn't have the next class with Dave. I thought the attraction for him had built up to the point that I probably would have thrown myself prostrate at his feet half way through my biology lab.

Cindy and I were lab partners, it seemed. It figured, I suppose. In this altered reality, she and I were the best of friends, so it stood to reason we would be lab partners. It gave us a chance to talk. I was busy preparing a slide while she ducked out, supposedly to the restroom. In fact, she was trying to reach her aunt again.

"Any luck?" I asked when she returned.

She shook her head. "All I get is her answering machine."

The bell rang suddenly, and I realized with relief that I had successfully made it through my first day of classes as a girl without any serious problems. Now, all I had to do was sit through the girl's basketball game which had replaced the last period of the day and I was home free.

Dave was waiting for me at the lab door to take me to the game. I smiled and let him take my hand as we headed for the gym. I turned suddenly and said to Cindy, "Aren't you going with us?"

"Not today," Cindy said. "You two go on without me."

I really didn't know why she decided not to go. Maybe it was because she wanted to keep trying to reach her aunt, and maybe it was because she saw the look in my eyes when I gazed at Dave and decided to leave the love birds alone. Whatever the reason, I was actually happy to have Dave all to myself. My God, how I had changed in just a few short days.! Even though I knew it was part of the witches' spell, I was learning to enjoy it. With my new-found abilities to control my yearning for Dave, things might actually work out.

Granted, I was a girl. There was no getting around that, and in my heart of hearts, I would have preferred to have been a boy again. But I was realistic enough to realize that I had to make the best of things. That meant I had to keep my grades up so that Paula Mitchell had the opportunities in life that Paul Mitchell would have enjoyed. It also meant that I had to keep Dave as a boy friend. After all, he had been my best friend when I was male, so why shouldn't we be even closer now?

Just as I smugly decided things were going my way, Marsha Jacobs came up beside us. Given all the changes which had occurred in my life, I had forgotten that Dave and Marsha had been developing quite a relationship. All that had changed since my transformation, of course.

"Hi, Dave," she said musically, a smile in her voice. "Hi, Paula." The smile in her voice was gone.

I had only been a girl for a few days, but I knew the message that Marsha was delivering. It said: Dave, I'm yours; Paula, get lost. When I had been Paul, I sort of liked Marsha. She was cute, blonde, and was very popular. As Paul, I probably would have encouraged Dave to get involved with her. Who knows? I might have even been Best Man at their wedding. But all that had changed now. Now, I was Dave's girl, and I planned to keep it that way.

"Hi, Marsha," I answered before Dave could speak. There was enough syrup in my voice to cover a stack of pancakes. I tugged Dave's hand and quickly pulled him down the hall, away from Marsha. "See you later, Marsha," I sang, suddenly putting my arm around Dave's waist in her full view. Marsha read my message, too. It said: Hands off, sweetheart - he's mine!

The gym was filling up fast for the game. With my memory of the true reality, I knew the girl's basketball team had done very poorly that season. But everyone else remembered a different reality. In that reality - the current one - Michelle Clancy, the team's great All-State forward, had led the team to a nine and one season and a ranking of fifth in the state. Ms Lester was being talked up for Women's Coach of the Year honors.

Ms Lester already had her team on the court, and I saw her giving them a pep talk while Ms Hammond and Mrs. Barney from the school board looked on. I had no doubt that the three witches were adding a little magical oomph to the team. The work of three witches had come a long ways since Macbeth.

Dave and I took our seats and got ready for the game. I saw Cindy sitting with Brad Williams. It looked like they were going to be an item. I was happy for Cindy, and the female thoughts which were slowly taking over my mind realized he was a great looking guy.

My thoughts were interrupted by cheering from the opposite side of the gym as the Orange and black clad girls of the Jefferson High Tigers took the court. I felt sorry for them. Without Michelle Clancy and a little magical help, the Tigers would probably handle Fairmont without any problems. The pre-season poles had pegged them to be number one in the state. Only an unexpected loss to Ridgeview had put them two spots below us in the pole.

I watched the Tigers as they started their warm-ups. These girls were good. Even with the transformed Mike Clancy and the magical oomph, Fairmont was going to have its hands full.

Dave and I had a great time when the game started. We laughed and cheered, hugging when Fairmont did well and groaning when they didn't. By the end of the first period, Fairmont had a shaky two point lead,

"Who should we get for the volleyball game?" Dave asked during the break.

"Huh?"

"The volleyball game I talked to you about earlier."

"Oh, sure." I had forgotten about that promise.

"I'll get Brad and Jack. Do you want to ask Cindy?"

"Sure," I agreed.

"And how about Marsha?"

"Oh, she's busy," I lied glibly.

"Oh."

The second period began, and it proved to be as exciting as the first. Jefferson had a brunette forward who was nearly as tall as Mike - Michelle. She kept him pretty well under control, allowing her teammates to outscore us in the period. After the second period, the score was tied.

I didn't much care about the game, though, because midway through the period, I had noticed Ms Hammond watching me with a critical eye. Did she suspect that her plan wasn't going completely right? Although she had won the first round, changing me into a mediocre student with the hots for Dave Marshall, I had been slowly but surely getting back into the game, sort of like Jefferson High. Cindy was not to be my tormentor as they had hoped. Rather, she was now my friend. Dave would be my boyfriend, and who knew where that would lead, but we weren't going to be passionate lovers in our junior year. My grade were, I'm sure, mediocre (although I hadn't checked them yet), but they would get better. Hard work would see to that. And if Cindy could somehow reach her aunt, we might be able to stop Ms Hammond and her little coven before they did any more damage.

By the third period, we began to realize we weren't watching a game - we were observing a war. I knew our team had received more magical enhancements at the half, but there were limits to what Ms Lester could do. If the team suddenly started making twenty foot leaps and shots from the center court, there would be too many questions to answer. She had to make it look "normal." Given those limits, the Jefferson girls were playing inspired basketball. They were aggressive and accurate unlike any team I had ever seen before. The word that would appear in the paper the next day would be, I was sure, "inspired."

The score was still tied after three periods, but I could see our girls were getting tired. Even the newly great Michelle Clancy was starting to show signs of strain. The fans were on the edge of their seats, jumping up at every other play. In frustration, I realized I was no longer as tall as Paul had been, so I missed much of the action, including the spectacular dive at the basket made by the super Jefferson forward with two seconds left in the game to take a narrow one point lead.

Ms Lester took a time out and huddled her girls around her. The crowd was riveted with anticipation. Could Fairmont do it? It would be a miracle if they could, but as I knew, miracles were not out of the question.

Fairmont passed in bounds to Janice Stevens, a good, sure-handed player, who immediately threw the ball to Michelle at mid court. I could see it coming. A shot from mid court was nearly impossible, but it could be done, even by a girl with lesser arm strength than her male counterparts. Michelle turned and released the ball as the buzzer sounded.

I didn't think it was possible, but time really does slow down in such moments. All we were missing was the slow, haunting music that always accompanied such moments in the movies. The ball arced on target, seemingly on a wire, headed for the basket. Then, at the last moment, as if nudged by unseen hands, the ball clipped the rim, spun around it once, and fell away onto the hardwood.

The visitor's stands were going crazy, wild with glee as their team hugged and high-fived their way off the court. Our own girls looked stunned and dejected, looking suddenly at their coach for some sign that it wasn't really over. But their coach offered them no solace. Ms. Lester's face was a grim combination of shock that even her magic, combined with her coven sisters, was not up to the task, and a look of anger which was enough to make me want to run for cover.

In fact, I did move toward the exit, towing Dave behind me when I suddenly hear Ms. Hammond's voice call up to me from the court, "Paula! Paula Mitchell! I need to speak with you - now!"

My heart caught in my throat. Whatever had happened - and whatever was about to happen - couldn't be pleasant. I fought the urge to continue toward the exit, pretending that I hadn't heard, but I knew it would do no good. I looked down on the court to see Ms. Hammond standing next to a very worried Cindy. Ms Lester and Mrs. Barney were there, too, flanking Cindy.

"I've got to go, Dave," I said, feeling his hand gently on my arm.

"Do you want me to go, too?" Dave didn't have the slightest idea what was going on, but he knew I was worried and wanted to help. As much as I wanted his support, I didn't dare have him go down there with me, or there might be still another new girl at Fairmont High.

I tried to smile bravely as I looked at him. "No, you go on and get the volleyball game started. I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Okay," he agreed reluctantly. As he walked away, I had the horrible feeling that when I saw him again, nothing would be the same. With a heavy sigh, I turned away and walked down to the court.

The team had trudged away, heads lowered, silently heading for the dressing room, so it was just the three witches, Cindy and me on the court together. I could tell from Cindy's worried look that this was not going to be pleasant. Were they aware of Cindy's efforts to contact her aunt? I hoped not, for there was no way Cindy and I could face them alone.

"Well, Ms Mitchell," Ms Hammond began, "you don't seem to be cooperating with us."

"What do you mean?" I asked, trying very hard to keep a nervous quaver out of my voice.

"I mean this!" she said, suddenly producing a paper from behind her back. I looked at it with obvious confusion. It appeared to be my history test.

"I don't understand..." I managed.

"Oh, you don't, do you?" she asked sarcastically. "We all wanted you to be out of our hair, Paula. We wanted you to be just an average student nobody would notice."

Sure, just an average student, I thought. An average student who barely got by in classes and majored in Dave Matthews and got pregnant and left school. The, nobody would notice Paula Mitchell ever again.

"Instead, you're fighting us," she went on. "Look at this test paper."

Reluctantly, I took the paper as she thrust it in my face. In big letters, I could see me history teacher had written in red, "Great work, Paula! Keep it up - A+."

As I looked with disbelief at my grade, Ms. Hammond went on, "I had Mr. Jason grade that one for me on the spot. Given the academic credentials we gave you when you became Paula, Mr. Jason was very surprised. So was I. You weren't supposed to do this well."

"I studied a lot," I managed to say.

Ms. Hammond nodded. "Yes, I can tell." Then, turning to Cindy, she said, "You were supposed to be watching her. She's not becoming what we expected."

"But she's dating Dave," Cindy protested.

"She's supposed to be screwing Dave," Ms. Lester countered.

"I was never told that," Cindy replied in her own defense.

"That's because we didn't completely trust you," Mrs. Barney explained. Turning to Ms. Hammond, she said, "I told you she couldn't be trusted, any more than her aunt could be trusted."

"You all told me you were just doing this to men who deserved it!" Cindy broke in. "You said only the sexists and perverts would be changed - not guys like Mike Clancy and Paul."

"Wake up, little girl!" Ms. Hammond hissed. "If I could, I would change all men into women. Men are filthy animals who can't be trusted. They should all be happy to become women. The ones with potential would become good women, and the ones without, well, they would become just what they want all of us to be - whores and bimbos."

"Did Paul want all women to be whores and bimbos? Of course not!" Cindy spat. "But you wanted him to be a bimbo for Dave. And Dave is one of the greatest guys in the school. Yet you wanted Dave and Paula to have to get married and drop out of school!"

"It's not always easy," Ms. Lester protested. "Paula remembers. We have to get her out of the way if we're going to continue to do what must be done. In a war, innocents are sometimes casualties."

"Listen to yourselves," I said suddenly, unable to stomach another minute of this sanctimonious drivel. "You talk as if there were a war between men and women."

"There is a war," Ms. Hammond said ominously, "and your side has lost."

"What are we going to do with them?" Mrs. Barney asked.

Ms. Hammond smiled a smile I hope never to see again. There was pure evil in its intent. "I have something in mind for them both."

My god, what more could they do to me? Cindy and I were already girls, Cindy by birth and me by magic. I looked at Cindy as Ms. Hammond suddenly gestured. Cindy froze as I had seen Mike Clancy freeze a few days before. I watched in horror as her hair became longer, falling nearly to her ass. her face remained beautiful, but suddenly, it was covered in exaggerated makeup with heavy eye shadow and brighter, less natural lipstick. Her small, conservative earrings were suddenly brassy loops with prominent red hearts attached to them. Cheap imitation diamond studs suddenly appeared from a second, then third piercing of her ears. Another cheap stud was suddenly attached to her nose. Her skirt became black, shorter and tighter, emphasizing a newly smaller waist and exaggerated hips. Her flats became shiny black four-inch heels, accented by dark net stockings. Her blouse had become a bright red tube top, barely able to contain larger breasts. There was a small rose tattoo over the right breast. Even her fingernails had become longer and redder.

"Since you have decided to defect to the enemy, Cindy, you'll suffer with them," Ms. Hammond said. "You now have quite a reputation here at Fairmont, Cindy. You have such a high libido that a day without a good fuck is a day without sunshine. You're failing every course and will probably drop out by the end of the semester. An old friend in Las Vegas will be able to get you on as a stripper and an escort with a club that doesn't pay much attention to the age of their girls. You'll wake up just as soon as we finish with Paula and start your new life."

She turned to me. "Paula, you've been more trouble than you can ever imagine. Because of your mind, we can't make you forget your old life as we've done with Cindy, but we can heighten the sexual urges we gave you. Only this time, the urges won't just be for Dave. They'll be for everyone with a penis between their legs."

I didn't really feel any differently, but I knew they had done something to me. The idea of having sex with a guy - any guy - was making me wet between my legs.

"Now as for that intelligence," Ms. Hammond said. "we can't exactly end it, but we can make the need for sex so overpowering that you can think of little else."

"You should have done this in the first place," Mrs. Barney muttered.

I tried to resist. I tried to think of something "intelligent," but my mind kept filling with images of guys with big pricks. My mouth began to water, just thinking about going down on one of them. Dave? Well, he was cute, but he was too much of a nice guy. I wanted somebody like Bryan Jacobs. Why had I turned him down at Jim's party the other night? He was a hunk, with big strong hands to stroke my boobs. I'll bet he had at least an eight-incher. It practically made me orgasm just to think about it.

"That's right, Paula," Ms. Hammond said soothingly. "You and Cindy are two of a kind. Let's make you a little more like her."

My skirt became suddenly shorter, and I felt my feet arch, knowing I was wearing heels as high as Cindy's. I could feel my hair growing longer and my breasts and hips growing larger. There was a new taste on my lips, and I knew my lipstick had changed into something more trampy.

Suddenly, Cindy was moving again. "Gee, Paula, you look hot!" she said, breaking into a giggle.

I couldn't help myself. I giggled, too. Unlike Cindy, I knew in the back of my mind what was happening, but it made no difference. I was really a prisoner of this exaggerated female body. The old Paula might have managed to struggle to a decent life. This Paula was going to be a tramp. Like Cindy, I'd be a stripper and a whore, probably pregnant within the year, or stuck with a venereal disease. We had lost.

"Okay, girls, we've seen enough."

We all looked up suddenly. We had all been so preoccupied with our own situation that none of us had noticed that the Jefferson team had congregated at the entranceway to the locker rooms.

"What are you girls doing here?" Ms. Lester bellowed.

The tall brunette forward walked toward us, her arms folded. "Oh, just watching."

Ms. Hammond made what I had come to realize was a magical gesture at the girls. "You won't remember any of this," she pronounced.

"Oh yes we will," the brunette said, suddenly blurring and shifting into...

"Aunt Marcie!" Cindy managed to say.

The high school girl had shifted into an attractive brunette in her late thirties. She looked at Cindy with concern. "Oh, honey, what did they do to you?" She made a gesture with her hand, and I watched as Cindy returned to normal.

"What happened?" she asked.

"Nothing that can't be fixed," her aunt said matter-of-factly. "Now for your friend." She gestured at me, and I felt myself returning to "normal," if being Paula Mitchell could be considered normal.

It seemed strange to me as my intelligence returned that Ms Hammond and her cohort had done nothing as all this was going on. I turned and looked at them. They were all frozen as Cindy and I had been moments before, surrounded by women in their twenties and thirties where the Jefferson High team had been moments before.

"Cindy, Paula," her aunt said with a sweep of her hand. "Allow me to introduce you to members of my coven."

Nine other witches smiled, then went back to their work of controlling the three witches upon whom they had "gotten the drop."

"Oh, Aunt Marcie!" Cindy cried with an affectionate hug. "I was so worried you hadn't gotten our message."

"Oh, I got it all right," she said, "but I didn't want to alert our friends here. They might have prepared defenses against us. When you told me what you and Paula here had been doing, I was certain they would be on to you before long."

She turned to the other witches. "Okay, girls, let's do what we just discussed a few minutes ago."

The witches gestured at Ms. Hammond, Ms. Lester, and Mrs. Bailey, and we watched with amazement as each of our tormentors became younger, bustier women. Their own clothing suddenly became similar to what Cindy and I had been wearing moments before.

Marcie walked over to them with a wicked smile on her lips. "Since each of you felt being a whore was a significant punishment, you will each suffer that fate."

Each of the transformed women looked frightened at first, and then confused. Then the one who had been Ms. Hammond looked at her two companions and said in a sultry voice, "Come on, girls. We ain't gonna make any money hustlin' high school studs. I know a place out in Vegas that'l take care of us."

The three young women turned and walked out, the click of their four-inch heels echoing impertinently across the basketball court.

Everyone remaining on the court giggled, including, I'm afraid, me.

"But how are we going to explain their disappearance?" Cindy asked her aunt. "Or can you change everyone's reality like Ms Hammond could?"

"I could do that," Marcie admitted, "but shifting reality can cause some additional problems I don't want to go into now. I think there's a better solution. Gloria! Michelle!"

Two of Marcie's coven moved to her side, and all three women began to blur and change. In less than a minute, duplicateS of Ms. Hammond, Ms. Lester, and Mrs. Barney stood before us. Marcie had assumed Ms. Hammond's appearance.

"Then you have the same powers that they did," I surmised, a little nervously.

Marcie/Ms. Hammond nodded. "That's right, but don't worry, Paula. What they did was wrong. The three of us have made arrangements to act in these roles for the next few months. Other people will cover us in our real identities. Then, at the end of the school year, after we've had a chance to right a few of Ms. Hammond's wrongs, we'll quietly resign our positions and leave. Gloria may stay as Mrs. Barney. She knew Mr. Barney in college."

"He was cute," the new Mrs. Barney laughed. "She used magic to catch and marry him, and I always thought that without that, he would have liked me better. I may decide to keep him."

"Good luck," I said with a smile. I suspected Mr. Barney would make out okay in the change of wives. Then, I happened to think of something else. "Marcie, you said you would right some wrongs. Can you change me and the others back into guys?"

To my disappointment, she shook her head. "I'm afraid not, Paula. Once the y chromosome is gone, there's no way for us to magically recreate it. You'll always be a girl, but all the other spells they put on you and any of the others will be removed. I've already removed yours. In fact, I'll make sure your records show you to be the great student you were as Paul."

That was good news. I wouldn't have to worry about grades any more. As for the other spells...

"Uh, Marcie," I began.

"What's wrong, Paula?"

"I thought you said you got rid of all the other spells."

"I did."

I didn't know quite how to say it, so I just blurted out, "But I just thought about Dave and... and... I still, well, I..."

"Love him?" Cindy offered with a smile.

Love? "Well, yeah, I guess so."

"How about that," she said sweetly.

"Yeah," I said slowly, understanding at last. "How about that."

As I said before, the world got a little weird my junior year...