Mark Lansing never wanted to stand out. He was perfectly happy disappearing into a football huddle with the rest of the team until one play made him the talk of the town. Thrust into a spotlight he never wanted, every choice can reshape his future, and every decision could transform him in ways he never believed possible. Mark’s destiny will be determined on the field … assuming he can figure out how to dress the part.

Chapter 30

Mark tried to call Emily but got no response. He tried texting - ‘Can we talk?’- but the words sat unread. He thought about calling Bridget as well but didn’t have the patience for another long conversation that led nowhere.

Coach Denny used to say the only difference between a comeback and a collapse was the will of the participants. ‘When the world is falling apart, that’s when you stop looking at the scoreboard, and put your head down. Focus on the path ahead, ignore everything else, and press forward with all your might.’

Mark closed his eyes and tried to forget. Time to move forward.

He arrived at the field hockey office at 1:55. One of the team managers tossed him a couple of old jerseys, pointed to a box on the floor with some beaten up equipment. "Coach told me to give this to you."

Mark down and began to get dressed.

His football socks slid on with ease, too easy, while the sports bra was just the opposite. His lucky undershirt came next, a relic of past football seasons, but now stretching as it pulled tighter across his chest than he remembered, then draped down loose well past his waist. It looked ridiculous, but it was the only thing in the room that felt real.

The field hockey garb was new … new to him at least.. The equipment manager had given him a box of shin guards and goggles. Mark picked the ones that looked the least beat up.

That left the practice uniform. Decades ago, the district had decided the school’s official colors would be wine and rose, a color palette that had aged poorly for the boys' teams but remained a staple for the girls. While the football team stuck to maroon and white, the girl’s teams preferred to drape themselves in pink with maroon highlights. As Mark pulled it on, he felt the weight of the pink fabric, and the stark reminder he no longer wore the maroon.

The final pieces of equipment felt like old friends, Mark doubled knotted his trusty football cleats and somehow his old football mouthguard despite the changes to his face.

The manager opened the door. "I thought you were supposed to help.”

“Almost done.”

Mark didn’t need to look at the clock - he knew he was running late. He didn’t have time to worry about Emily. He didn’t have time to worry about the way this new outfit showed off his legs either. Everything felt tighter and out of place as Mark took a deep breath. Head down. Move forward. Ignore everything else.

The manager handed him a pink field hockey stick when he exited. Mark tried to catch it but the stick clattered to the ground. "You better get moving. Coach Ryan hates it when people don’t live up to their promises and I promise you one thing - if you flake out, she will make your life a living hell.”

Mark looked in the mirror and saw a red-headed girl in a pink field hockey jersey staring back.

The cold actually surprised him when it struck. He didn’t bother to force it anywhere until he realized it was headed for his feet. Another change there and he’d never be able to keep his cleats on. He pressed the energy up his legs and running out of options, sighed when it settled in his chest.

"Shit."

A look in the mirror showed he was bigger than Emily now. Big enough that some of the football players might be impressed but Mark didn’t have time to consider the ramifications. The team managers were waiting and Coach Ryan waited for any one.

"Hurry up ladies. We don’t have all day." The command from Coach Ryan carried over the field causing Mark to speed up his pace. The entire team took a knee near the south goal where Coach Ryan held court.

"We have two days until our next game which means we have two days to improve. Now’s not the time for slacking so give me five."
Mark didn’t move as the rest of the group jumped at once.

Coach Ryan shouted, "Move your ass Lansing or I’ll make you run double."

Mark nodded as he jumped to his feet, the rest of the group already twenty yards ahead and moving fast. He grabbed his stick and ran after the pack.

Running with a field hockey stick wasn’t much easier the second time, though Mark blamed the new additions on his chest. Left, right, left, right. Bounce, bounce, bounce, bounce.

As had happened the day before, the girls separated into two groups. Despite the new bouncing and swaying, Mark found he could pick up the pace, eventually settling for a position between the two groups, chosing a safe position in the middle of the pack.

Coach Ryan blew the whistle as they passed. "Everybody, find a stretching partner."

The girls started to pair though Mark saw many of them whispering and sneaking peeks at him.

Coach Ryan blew the whistle twice more, "I meant now ladies. Not in five minutes." She muttered to herself, as she walked towards one of the bigger groups. "You’d think we’re still in August."

Mark tried to get Emily’s attention but she ignored him. He asked Alice instead. "Can we partner up for stretching?"

Alice smiled. "Sure."

They sat across from each other similar to what they’d done in the gym two days earlier but so much had happened to both of them since then. Their cleats touched and as they took each other’s hands, taking turns pulling and stretching towards the other until their legs bowed out at about a 150 degree angle.

“How are things with Aden?”

“Good.” Alice blushed, “I really like him.”

“I’m glad to hear it.” Mark said, somewhat relieved. ““Aden is one of the good ones.” He still felt bad about what he’d done to this girl but Alice seemed like the type who hadn’t dated much. They were alike in that regard.

Coach Ryan shouted, "Stretch, don't pull ladies."

At the command, Alice let up, and Mark breathed a sigh of relief. While the stretching hadn’t hurt too much, he didn’t relish the thought if he and Alice were able to push themselves to 180 degrees. He hated to think what weird magical happenings might occur if their crotches made contact.

Alice stood up and leaned forward to speak directly into Mark’s ear. "Just so you know … they’re coming after you." She spoke in a voice so low Mark barely heard the words.

"What?" Mark looked around.

Alice began a series of arm swings. "The other girls on the team."

Mark copied her actions before looking over at Emily. "Why?"

“Seriously?” Alice moved on to do some leg lunges. "You’re new to the team, you insulted our sport last week, and then you pissed off the team’s captain."

Shit. "Emily? That was a private fight.”

Alice smiled. "Watch yourself when we get on the pitch. It’s about to get brutal."

Miss Ryan called, "Everyone line up."

Every girl ran to the middle of the field and began pounding their sticks on the ground. Mark arrived last and took a spot on the line next to Alice.

Emily shouted, "Other side, noob. You’re not a starter."

Mark crossed the line.

"Scout team. You’re wearing the mesh today."

Mark watched as a team’s trainers dumped a pile of faded maroon jerseys on the ground. The girls around him started putting one on so Mark did the same. As he pulled the practice jersey over his head, he thought he recognized the design. His seventh grade football team used similar practice gear. This one hung well down past his waist.

"Tuck your shirts ladies. I’m not running a brothel here."

As Mark followed Coach Ryan’s instructions, he realized other girls had already tucked in their shirts.

"Everyone take your spots." All the girls moved except Mark who had no idea what that meant. "Lansing, you’re at right forward."

It didn’t take a genius to figure out what that meant. There were 22 girls on the pitch and each ran to a different spot. He knew enough to know ‘Right forward’ meant on the right side and in the most forward position. Alice was on the side opposite of him. He waved when he saw her. She didn’t wave back.

A second later the whistle blew.

Mark watched the girl in the middle of the field pass the ball back to someone behind her. Both teams ran for the ball but Mark decided to remain in his spot…

… until someone put a shoulder into his gut flinging him to the ground. When he looked up, he saw Alice running down the field and speaking with a smirk.

"I warned you. You gotta pay attention Marcy."

Mark picked himself off and did his best to follow the action. The teams split into three lines as far as he could tell. The first line, the forwards, ran down the field. The last line, protected the goal. The middle fielders did a little of both. As he watched the action, someone blindsided him in the back, causing Mark to fall face first on the ground.

"You gotta keep moving Marcella." This time it was Emily.

The girls took turns taking cheap shots at him. It was clear none of the girls on his side of the field were interested in coming to his defense. The next twenty minutes were more of the same.

"Gotta keep your head on a swivel Marcella." Mark didn’t recognize this one, but she was the big girl who lined up next to Emily.

He hadn’t ever played field hockey but knew some of these hits would have been illegal on a football field and football players wore padding. Mark looked over to Miss Ryan but she appeared not to notice.

"Make way, noob." Mark ducked as Emily approached but she smiled just the same.

Even with all the hits on him, a couple of things started to make sense. The varsity girls moved the ball one way then reversed it to the other. Even with his lack of knowledge about the game, Mark could see the difference in skill between the older and younger girls. He watched as Emily made a nice pass to Alice who smacked home a goal.

Mark stared at the celebration for only a second before he felt himself flying through the air.

"You can’t stand still Marcella."

Mark rolled over to see Gwen standing over him.

"Aren’t you supposed to be in goal?"

Gwen smiled. "Yeah. I usually never get to join in on the fun back there."

At least she offered him a hand. He gave a quick look towards Coach Ryan in hopes of getting some support but it did little good. In fact, she appeared to be smiling.

After a restart, Mark watched helplessly as the varsity scored three more times in quick succession. On a positive note, he avoided most of the cheap shots.

Miss Ryan blew her whistle one time. "Two minutes."

Mark turned his head at the sound. When he turned back he saw another girl almost on him, but he dodged, avoiding the brunt of the blow. Mark watched from the ground as the varsity put another shot past the keeper's grasp.

The teams reset and started again. The ball went back to his team’s midfielder who sent it flying towards him. It didn’t take a genius to know this was a set-up. Three defenders converged hoping for a grand finale smash-up, but Mark saw it coming, and slid under the trio.

When he stood, Mark saw the ball on the ground in front of him. He didn’t know much about this game, but he knew enough to understand the defenders had gotten over aggressive.

Mark had the ball and nothing but green field ahead. He gave it a hard whack, sending it down the field then chased after it at a sprint. He could hear the feet pounding behind him but didn’t dare look back. When he caught up to the ball, he hit it again, and after catching up to it a second time, did his best to control it as the sound of the chasing girls got closer with every step. Mark waited until they’d almost caught him before rearing back and firing a shot at the goal. A moment later four girls hit him from all sides. The last thing he saw was the ball sailing towards Gwen.

When Mark regained his senses he saw Emily and another girl laying on top of him.

Mark asked, "Did it go in?"

Emily said, "Gwen blocked your weak-assed shot, but it wouldn’t have counted anyway. You have to be inside the shooting circle to take a shot, dumbass."

"Oh." He wanted to ask her about ‘the shooting circle’ but knew the question would only give Emily another chance to call him names.

Coach Ryan blew her whistle three times then added a few more for good measure. "That’s enough for today. Hit the showers."

Mark tried to stand, but the pain on his right side forced him to sit back down.

Alice offered a hand, "I tried to warn you."

Mark pulled himself to his feet. "You didn’t warn me you’d be joining in."

"You deserved it." Alice smiled, "The whole team got excited after the coach mentioned you might be joining us in a scrimmage. It was the only thing anyone could talk about at lunch."

Mark wanted to laugh but it’d hurt too much. "I started to do better near the end."

Alice nodded. "You did ok. You’re definitely faster than most of the girls on the team."

"I’m faster."

Alice smiled. "So you keep claiming."

Mark smiled back. He did have some fun near the end.

Miss Ryan called after them. "Enough chatter you two. Miss Bryan, get to the shower. Miss Lansing, I need to talk to you."

Mark hobbled over to the bleachers. "How do you think I did?"

Miss Ryan repeated the question back to Mark. "How do you think you did?"

"I don’t know." Mark rubbed his shoulder. "I didn’t realize field hockey was so physical."

"It’s not … not usually anyway." Miss Ryan grinned. "I let things get out of hand, but it’s been a long season so I decided to let my girls have a little fun."

"At my expense?"

"It was a bit much." Miss Ryan whispered, "How about we make a deal? If I promise not to call your mother to discuss your scuffle with the cheerleaders, and you promise not to tell the school board about a little light hazing on my watch?"

Mark looked at Miss Ryan to see if she was being serious. Coach Denny let seniors practice all sorts of torture on incoming freshmen, and he doubted anyone on the school board cared a whit about that. He knew his Dad didn’t. When he complained his freshman year, his father’s response was to ‘man up’.

Mark nodded, "It’s a deal Coach."

"Good." Miss Ryan said, "Now for some advice Miss Lansing. Skip the shower – go straight for an ice bath, or you’re going to really feel that tomorrow."

Mark nodded, "Will do coach."

Mark waited a second before attempting to stand. When he did, he saw Coach Ryan about halfway up the stairs to the press box.

Mark called after her. "Hey coach?"

"Yes Miss Lansing?"

Mark asked, "Seriously … how’d I do?"

"Not bad, Miss Lansing. I’ve seen worse."

Chapter 31

Walking the hallway towards the training room gave Mark a strange sense of deja vu. He’d practically lived in this hallway the last four years. When the town decided to build a new facility for the football team, the builders placed the school trainer’s office midway between the football locker room and weight room. The women’s locker room was on the other side of the gym.

"Can I help you?" Doc Glenn was in the middle of the room, placing a wrap around Vince’s left arm.

Doc Glenn wasn’t actually a doctor. It was a name everyone gave him after years and years of taping thousands of ankles and applying gallons of ointments.

It felt weird for Doc Glenn not to know him. For years, the man had taped his ankles before practice. "Coach Ryan sent me to use one of the ice tubs."

Doc Glenn shook his head."Sorry. The football team is using them."

Four male voices called from on the other side of the room:

"I’ve got room in mine for one more."
"She’ll never go out with you Baker. I’ll make room for her in mine."
"She never fit with you in there you fat fuck."

The school’s ice tubs weren’t anything extravagant like you might see in a fancy gym. Stanton High didn’t have that kind of money. A booster of the school bought a bunch of horse troughs made out of heavy plastic material and they did the job well enough. Every afternoon Doc Glenn poured a mix of ice and water into them just before football practice ended for the team’s use.

No one on the team enjoyed the ice baths, but the coaching staff insisted on them, especially for their stars to aid in the healing process. Most of the time, the guys listened to music to make the time go faster. Today Mark saw all of them had taken their headphones off and every last one was staring at him.

Mark suddenly felt naked, "I can come back later."

The entire room objected, "No. No. No … You should stay."

Aden Cutler stood up, his body’s glistening from the cold. "You can have my spot, Marcy. My fifteen minutes are about finished anyway."

Mark nodded a response. "Thank you, Aden."

"Ahhh…" The guys in the room all echoed the same tease. "What’s Alice going to think about you giving a bath to another girl?"
Mark had been around the guys long enough to know there was no winning an argument against this mob when they got on a roll. Aden was smart enough to know that too. He didn’t say a word as quietly he dried himself and hurried out of the room.

Seven pairs of eyes stared at Mark as he strode over to the tubs. He knew from experience most of the guys wore compression shorts in the cold water and thankfully the dark black plastic tubs made it tough to see inside. Even so, he found it disconcerting that all of them had at least one hand in the water.

Mark had done this a hundred times over the years and took off his practice jersey and lucky undershirt before realizing what he’d done. When Mark saw his shiny white sports bra was now the room’s center of attention, he jumped into the water to hide.

Mark said, "Oh god." He always forgot how cold this water got at the beginning.

One of the guys laughed."Don’t worry baby. It only hurts for a second."

As the rest of the room laughed Mark felt the chill envelop his hips.

"Oooooohhhhh!!!" Mark squealed.

"Oh my." Another guy shouted. "If her screaming keeps up I’m going to need a cigarette."

Most of the guys in the room jumped in the tubs in their boxer briefs. Thankfully Mark had jumped in with his shorts on. He could only imagine what this group would say if he’d jump in the tub wearing only pink panties.

"Brrrrr…"

A massive shiver caught him, but not one person in the room said a word. A look down showed the root cause of their silence. Mark had gone far enough into the water to wet the bottom of his bra so now nipples stood out like two beacons, beckoning all eyes gaze at Mark’s chest.
Mark dropped down into the water when he realized, ignoring the cold until the water was up to his shoulders. But it wasn’t only areas under the water that felt cold. He felt it on the top of his scalp and the feeling moved quickly toward his spine.

“Shit.”

He’d reacted like a shy girl to a room full of boys. The icy chill of Maiden’s Delight had entered his body but the ice tub was even colder.

‘Please not the boobs. Please not the boobs.’ His sports bra was already straining from the cold snap in the girl’s locker room, he didn’t want to think how these guys might react if they grew any more.

Mark did his best to intercept and redirect the spell but his body was so cold he couldn’t find it. All he knew was after a few seconds, the change had gone somewhere.

A voice boomed from down the hallway. "What’s the hold up? We’ve got a crowd of guys gathered around the door."

Mark looked to see the crowd of guys staring at him through the door’s frame.

Doc Glenn looked to the clock and pointed at four tubs in succession. "You… you … you … and you. You’ve all been in for long enough. Out now."

Coach Denny burst into the room and stared at his shivering players as they hurried out of the room. "What the hell is going on Doc?" He looked across the room towards Mark and frowned. His stare to Doc Glenn spoke volumes. Mark tried to sink lower into the water but it was already up to his neck.

"She’s one of Miss Ryan’s girls." Doc Glenn added, "She’s pretty beat up."

"From playing fucking field hockey?"

Doc Glenn lowered his voice, "You know how Deidre gets. She doesn’t send her girls over here often."

Coach Denny didn’t bother to whisper, "You’ve got to stand up to her Glenn or next thing you know this whole damned place is gonna be overrun with them." Coach Denny didn’t bother looking in Mark’s direction.

Doc Glenn said, "I’ll speak to her but you and I both know it’ll just piss her off."

"Then she’ll be pissed off." Coach Denny shouted as he turned, his booming voice echoing down the hallway. "Simmons. Get your ass in here. A spot in a tub just opened up." A few seconds later Jeffrey appeared wearing nothing but a pair of compression shorts. As usual, he had an ice pack sitting on his right shoulder.

Jeffrey said, "Heya Doc. I’m gonna get a quick soak."

Doc Glenn said, "Hop in Jeffrey. You should have told me you were waiting."

Coach Denny watched his star quarterback start to undress then spoke to Doc Glenn in a low voice. "Did I ever tell you Deidre and I went to high school together?"

Doc Glenn smiled, "You’ve mentioned it a couple of times."

"She was a real ball buster back then too. We even went out on a couple of dates if you can believe it." Coach Denny laughed then patted Doc Glenn hard on the back. After a wink and a smile, Coach turned and disappeared down the hall. A few seconds later his booming voice found another target.

Jeffrey looked embarrassed. "Sorry about that, Doc."

Doc Glenn smiled. "No problem."

Mark listened to the conversation while seriously considering dunking his head completely under the water. He didn’t want to stand up and knew he couldn’t run. The last thing he needed was for his best friend to see him like this.

Mark couldn’t help but notice the outline of Jeffrey’s manhood pressing against his compression shorts. Mark looked for a moment then forced himself to look at Jeffrey’s face and found he couldn’t look away.

Jeffrey’s face lit up when he saw Mark staring. "Marcy?"

Mark wished the curse would allow him to turn invisible, "Yeah?"

Jeffrey didn’t say anything for a couple of seconds as he stared at Mark, “You look different." He smiled. “I like whatever you’ve done.”
Mark wasn’t sure how to respond. He could see the other guys laughing. He was sure the story of his cafeteria fight with Emily and the hallway spat with Gina had made its way around the whole school by now. Mark wanted to speak. He wanted to say something to explain. Instead, he jumped from the ice tub and onto a nearby rubber mat.

"I have to go."

Every head in the trainer’s room turned though it took Mark a couple of seconds to understand.

Up to this point, Mark’s white sports bra had done a fantastic job. At practice, it had adapted to the increased size and while straining the material to the max, it had done its job to keep Mark’s boobs from bouncing around too much. But the one thing this sports bra was not designed to do was double-duty as a bikini top. The white material clung fast to Mark’s chest making it look transparent. He covered himself as soon as he realized, as he watched the jaw of everyone in the room hit the floor.

Even Jeffrey struggled to speak. "Marcy … uhhh …"

Mark grabbed his things and ran. He tried to put on his shoes, only realizing after a half a step that Maiden’s Delight had gone to his feet in the ice tub and now his shoes were much too big. With no other choice, he stuffed his shoes and socks into the sports bag and ran barefoot out the door.

Laughter followed as did the puddles of cold water. He’d almost made it to the second set of doors when a voice called after him.

"Marcy?" Jeffrey called.

"What?" Mark called back.

Jeffrey said, "Why are you running?"

Mark did his best to cover his chest as he turned. After feeling like a ghost to his friend the last few days, it was good to hear Jeffrey’s voice but he’d prefer it happen under different circumstances. “Why do you think?”

“You have nothing to be embarrassed about.” Jeffrey smiled, then walked towards Mark, both of them shivering in the cool fall air. “You left this behind.” Mark did his best not to look at the impossible-to-miss bulge in his friend’s compression shorts. Jeffrey handed Mark his lucky t-shirt. “I know how much it means to you.”

"Yeah." Mark took the t-shirt and held it up. "Thanks. I’ve fought a lot of battles in this shirt.”

“I know.” Jeffrey said, "Why don’t you come back inside and warm up? They have warm towels in the trainer’s office. You’re going to catch a cold if you go outside like that."

A smattering of laughter echoed through the hall.

Mark shook his head even though his teeth had started chattering. "I’m fine." He saw a couple of guys peeking their heads from around the corner. One of them threw a towel. Another one shouted, "Give her your warm towel Jeffrey."

Another guy adding, "Give her your big hot throbbing towel Simmons."

Jeffrey leaned down to pick up the towel. "Ignore those idiots."

“I can’t.” Mark moved away from his friend, the two doing a strange sort of dance walking backwards down the hall until Mark felt his back hit the wall.

Jeffrey asked, "You don’t want the towel? Your teeth are chattering."

Mark took the towel then draped it over his shoulders and began to dry himself off. “Thanks.” As he did so a rush of warmth surged to Mark’s cheeks and to other places he didn’t want to think about. Not knowing what else to do, Mark gave his friend a shy wave before pressing the door open and exiting the building.

Chapter 32

‘A wave?’

The word echoed in Mark’s mind as he sprinted across campus. His breath came in jagged gasps, as the rough concrete tore at the soles of his bare feet. He’d waved to his friend a thousand times over the years but now a thousand thoughts invaded his brain like a swarm of buzzing bees he couldn’t shoo away. Memories of the football team’s stares didn’t help either. He’d spent years ignoring their jibes and comments but as he became the center of their attention in the freezing cold of the ice tub, he could still feel the heat. He’d felt their eyes on him and, despite his best efforts to push them from his mind, had enjoyed it.

Mark stopped near the edge of the parking lot, a glance down showing new dainty toes unused to asphalt. He dialed Emily’s number. When the line went to voicemail, he shifted to text.

M - ‘Hey Emily. I know things are bad between us but I need your help and I can’t talk to anyone else. Please give me a call’
Mark watched the text box for a response. He stared at it for a minute before seeing the three dancing dots meaning the other person was composing a message. The message started and stopped several times before a response popped up.
E - ‘What do you want?’
M - ‘Can you give me a ride?’
E - ‘No’
M - ‘I’m sorry about yesterday. I’m an idiot and I hate the idea we will never talk again’
E - ‘Give me time. This hurts more than I expected’
M - ‘I’m desperate. None of my shoes fit. I need a ride to the mall.’
E - ‘Unbelievable.’

Mark sent several more texts but got no response.

*****

“That’s an interesting choice of footwear.”

Mark hadn’t seen the two girls until he nearly collided with them.

“Bella? Kaya?” Mark nearly fell as he stopped in the gathering darkness. “What are you doing here?” They were standing in the exact same spot he’d seen them that morning. Bella wasn’t looking at his face. Her gaze had drifted downward and currently stared at his toes.

Bella smiled. “Where are your shoes?”

“They don’t fit.” Mark shrugged.

“None of them fit?” Bella asked.

Mark didn’t bother to explain. “I need to go to the mall and get a new pair but I haven’t been able to find a ride.”

Kaya drew on something that wasn’t a cigarette before turning to Bella, “I could go for a slice.”

Bella looked at Mark, “I guess we’re headed for the mall.” She said, “You can come too, provided you’re willing to be seen with us.”

“What does that mean?”

“You walked past our table at lunch to sit with that cheerleader.” Bella said, “I figured you decided you were too good to be seen with us.”

“That’s not true.” Mark insisted, shaking his head. “You’ve just … you’ve caught me in a weird week. That’s all.”

Bella didn’t argue, but she didn't smile either. Instead, she pointed a well-manicured nail toward a nearby black sedan. It was a luxury model, far nicer than anything a typical teenager should be able to afford. Mark wondered for a second if it was a guilt-gift from her Dad, or maybe Bella had a secret life as an influencer. He caught himself immediately, doing his best to shake off the snap judgment. After all, he was currently a boy-turned-girl with no shoes, standing in a parking lot, and in desperate need of a ride. He was in no position to critique anyone else.

Mark walked with small controlled steps as they made their way through the mall. It seemed weird to be here without Emily. He’d tied the laces of his high-tops, then double-knotted them around his ankles which was the only thing preventing his shoes from sliding off with every step. It was nice to be at the mall. He’d become a shut-in over the past few years and this place had started to feel like an escape when he’d come here with Emily. It felt different with Bella and Kaya though, less like a refuge and more like a stage play where he was playing a part.

"Can I help you, ma'am?"

The words addressing Mark from the teenager behind the pizza counter didn’t hit as hard today. Mark didn't even flinch. He simply stared at the menu board and told the boy what he wanted.

"Two slices of meatlovers. And an extra large Mountain Dew."

Bella smiled when she saw him carrying his food back to the table. "I don't know how you drink that stuff." She held up her cup that appeared to be full of water.

Mark took a big drink straight from his cup. "You don’t know what you’re missing. It's got all the sugar and caffeine a growing guy… errr ... rlll needs," he managed. He paused for a second, expecting the cold chill of change to appear, but nothing happened.

Bella and Kaya didn't say a word as they ate, sitting in a synchronized silence of a couple familiar with each other’s movements. Mark watched as each of them sipped their water through plastic straws before taking a bite of pizza. Then he took another big gulp of his too.

"That stuff does things to your insides," Kaya said, shaking her head.

He noticed both girls had purchased a single piece of pizza, both eating with a caution Mark hadn’t expected. He shrugged as he stuffed the slice into his mouth taking a large bite as pizza grease stained his lips. "“You have certain chemicals you like to ingest.," he mumbled, chewing with a mouth full of dough. "I have mine.”

The two girls watched and ate but didn’t say a word as Mark consumed both slices in the time it took them to finish one. After another big slurp of Mountain Dew, Mark wiped his mouth with a napkin and found it stained orange with grease and red from the remainder of the lipstick he’d applied that morning.

Bella sat back, her eyes giving Mark a curious look, “So what happened after you left us in the parking lot this morning? We heard you got into it with the cheerleaders.”

“I’m not exactly sure how to describe it,” he admitted, while shaking his head. “Gina’s crew jumped me as soon as I got to my locker. She thinks I’m trying to steal Jeffrey from her.”

Kaya nodded, her expression one of curiosity. “That’s crazy. She knows you’re a lesbian, right?”

“Yeah … I’m definitely into girls.” Mark blushed. While what Kaya was saying was technically true, it sounded weird to hear the word out loud. “Gina didn’t care. She mocked my clothes, she mocked my very presence. I wanted to hit her so bad.”

Kaya leaned forward. “Next time, go with your instincts and slap the bitch.”

“I can’t slap her.” Mark blinked, “I’ve already spent too much time in Coach Ryan’s office this week. Her patience is wearing thin.”

“Who cares about detention? Those cheerleaders need a lesson,” Kaya said, leaning back wearing a grin. “Besides, you won’t be alone if you get detention. We’ll be there.”

Bella shook her head as she glanced at her friend, “Ignore Kaya. She’s obsessed with those cheerleaders.” She turned back to Mark, her expression softening to a smile. “But if you do want to cause them pain, you have to hit them where it hurts.”

Mark stared at Bella, “What do you mean?”

Bella nodded. “Gina has lorded over us since eighth grade. Everyone is tired of her and her little minions walking all over us. People were talking all day about how you stood up to her.”

“I didn’t stand up to her. I was literally shaking in my high tops.” Mark said, his voice barely above a whisper. He touched his cheek, his fingers passing over skin that felt impossibly soft.

“It’s your call but you know what tomorrow is gonna be like. It’s gameday. All those little cheer clones are gonna show up in their little cheer outfits, looking like a bunch of plastic dolls, start puking out their little cheers, and expect all of us to fall in line,” Bella paused as a smile spread across her face. “I say screw that. I say we make them realize their reign of terror is over.”

Kaya nodded, the amused smile growing on her lips, “A war on the ‘posh people’. I love it.”

Mark nodded slowly, as the weight of the coming day began to dawn on him. He’d been through dozens of gamedays and had firsthand knowledge of the cruelty behind the pageantry. Gina was sure to be pissed when she heard the details of what had happened at the ice tub and Mark had no doubt she’d be planning a repeat performance at his locker tomorrow morning. He had to prepare. He had to be ready. But this was no ordinary battlefield, and his normal armor of jersey and shoulder pads no longer fit.

Mark asked, “Are you two going to be sticking around for a little while?”

Bella looked at Kaya who returned a shrug. “We can stay if you need us to stay.” Bella said, her eyes showing flickers of curiosity. “Why?”

“I need a new uniform. Mark said, as a warm feeling built in his stomach. “And I’m going to need more than a pair of shoes.” He leaned forward as if letting the pair in on a secret. “To win, I need to beat them at their own game, but I don’t know how to dress the part.” As he spoke, a small smile pulled at the corners of his lips. “Thankfully, I know someone who does.”

The bells chimed their melodic warning as Mark stepped inside the store. Caitlyn smiled at his approach, her face nearly exploding with glee.
“Marcy! Look who’s back for more!”

“I need shoes.” Mark said.

Caitlyn looked down, her expression shifting to one of genuine horror at the sight of his feet. “I’ll say.” She appraised Mark with an appreciative eye. “I know exactly what you need.”

Mark shrugged, “You’re the expert.”

“Do you know your size?”

“No idea.” Mark smiled.

Caitlyn knelt, measuring the length of his foot against a metal slider. “A nine,” she announced.

Mark blinked, confused at first. He’d always been a nine and he’d worn the same size since middle school. Then he remembered the scale for women wasn't the same as the scale for men so his foot had gotten smaller, it just had the same number on a different scale.

Caitlyn returned with two pairs of shoes. First were white canvas low-tops, safe and versatile and similar to the shoes Mark had worn for years. Next came leather ballet flats. Mark hesitated before sliding his foot inside but he didn’t expect the feeling as the material clung to his arch in a way that felt surprisingly natural.

He didn’t expect the cold either.

“Shit.” How many of these changes could there possibly be? Was there a limit? Everything on his body had changed so many times Mark had no idea where to tell it to go.

The other women in the store seemed oblivious to his plight as Mark stared in a nearby mirror. He watched as his face matured, with the remaining baby fat disappearing along with the other features hinting at girlhood, revealing the beautiful young woman’s features that took their place.

Caitlyn didn’t appear to notice either, “Will there be anything else?”

“Lots more.” Mark nodded, “Do you carry cleats? I need them for field hockey.”

Caitlyn shrugged, “Do you like pink?”

Mark shrugged, “Sure.”

“Then we have cleats.”

“Have I told you I was a cheerleader in high school?” Caitlyn said, her eyes looking lost in nostalgia.

Mark shook his head, “No.” But this was the least surprising thing he’d heard all week.

“I was the head cheerleader at Rockford High School my senior year,” she added, her voice taking on an aura of command. “We ruled that school with an iron fist.”

Mark didn’t doubt that for a second. As he looked at Caitlyn - the symmetry of her face, her well stacked body, and eyeliner so perfect it didn’t seem human - she reminded him of Gina. They both carried themselves the same way - both graceful with just enough crazy to put people ill at ease. But as they sat and talked in the clothing store, Caitlyn didn’t scare him at all. In fact, she seemed excited to share her secrets.

Mark asked, “How old are you?”

“Twenty. I go to Rockford Community College.”

Mark smiled.

Caitlyn gave him a look, “What’s so funny?”

Mark said, “I sat on the bench when Rockford played Stanton High your senior year,” the memory resurfaced in Mark’s brain with vivid clarity. “We beat you 28-27 with a last minute touchdown pass.” That game put Jeffrey on the radar with all the football recruiting services in the state.

“I remember it well. I cried for a week.” Caitlyn nodded. “Were you a team manager?”

Mark nodded, “Something like that.”

Caitlyn leaned in, her eyes narrowing as she evaluated him, “I’m surprised you weren’t a cheerleader. You’ve got the look.”

“Me? A cheerleader?” Mark did his best not to react. “No way.”

“What’s wrong with cheerleaders?”

“Nothing.” Mark backtracked, not wanting to annoy one of his few remaining allies. “I play field hockey.”

“Oh, that’s right. That’s why you needed the cleats.” She smiled. “So you said you need an outfit so stunning that it will put the cheerleaders at your school on their heels?”

Mark nodded, “That’s the plan.”

Caitlyn nodded, “I’ve got the perfect dress for you.”

“No dress!” Mark protested. “ A dress would be overkill … I can’t walk into school wearing a dress.” He also didn’t know what it meant if he gave in to the curse.

Caitlyn stood back. “If you’re trying to overawe cheerleaders, you can’t go for ‘safe’ or 'pretty' - you have to go for ‘jawdropping.'”

“No dress.” Mark said firmly. "I’m not wearing a dress unless it's absolutely necessary,"

“OK.” Caitlyn said, clearly disappointed. She shrugged her shoulders then gave Mark a painted smile. “You’re the boss. I have a couple of ideas. I’ll be right back.”

She laid five outfits on the table.

• Option one: a high-waisted charcoal mini-skirt with an oversized button-down.
• Option two: opaque black tights paired with a form-fitting velvet tunic.
• Option three: black leather pants, and a cropped cashmere sweater that ended just above the hip.
• Option four: A pencil skirt with a daring slit and a well-tailored silk blouse, designed to highlight the curves
• Option five: A blazer with a cami underneath and a pleated knee-length skirt.

Mark stared at the leather pants. The idea of walking into the cafeteria wearing them filled him with a warmth he couldn’t describe. He’d always been invisible but wearing something like that, and inside this body, it would make him be seen in a way few ever experience. By Monday, the curse would be over and the opportunity would be gone. But now…

Mark smiled, imagining as a silence fell over the room. The world would react to him instead of the other way around. He’d be … dangerous. But wearing something like that would also get kicked out of school.

"I'll take the blazer-skirt combo," Mark decided, his voice sounding firmer than it had all week.

The cold hit him at once. The feeling surprised him as he’d bought several outfits this week but he realized Emily had chosen them all. He’d picked this one out himself.

The feeling rose higher and higher, settling in his fingers, the thin digits undeniably feminine now, with nails a quarter inch beyond the tips.

“Are you sure?”

“Do you paint nails?”

“Of course.”

“What about ear piercings?”

“Sure.”

“I’ll need a makeup kit too.”

“Of course.” Caitlyn smiled, "Will that be credit?”

Mark nodded, pulling his Mom’s credit card out of his purse. He’d have more changes tonight and there’d be hell to pay when his Mom saw this month’s statement, but it would be worth every penny if he could put those snooty girls in their place.

Chapter 33

Kaya seemed more animated than Mark had ever seen her. “Remember what I said - slap the bitch if you get a chance.”

She had frowned when she saw the top Mark purchased but she grew more animated the further they drove. Bella just smiled and didn’t say a word until she dropped Mark off at his house.

“I’m looking forward to tomorrow.” Bella said, her voice a sharp contrast to Kaya.

Mark nodded and watched as Bella backed out of his driveway and sped down the street. As soon as her car turned the corner, he grabbed at the phone in his purse, finding his new painted nails made retrieving it more difficult.

*****

“I was starting to think you weren’t going to call.” Bridget said.

“I went shopping.”

“Buy anything fun?”

Mark smiled. “I needed some shoes.”

Bridget said, “Tomorrow’s the big day. Are you ready?”

Mark said, “The cheerleaders hate my guts, my girlfriend is ghosting me, and every time I catch my reflection, I look more and more like a supermodel.”

Bridget said, “There are worse fates.”

“Yeah.” Mark looked in the mirror. His face had changed even more. When he added some makeup, he wondered if not only Mark would disappear but maybe Marcy would too. “I guess.”

Bridget’s voice took on a more serious tone. “You sound more confident than you did yesterday if that’s any comfort. I have an entire Order strike force on hand so if the Miller’s or anyone else try to do something, we'll be there to stop them.”

“Sounds good.”

Bridget said, “We’re almost at the finish line. One more day.”

“I know.”

Bridget said, “Try to get a good night’s sleep. That’s the best thing you can do right now.”

“I’ll try.”

Mark couldn’t sleep. He tossed and turned. His phone beeped at a quarter ‘til eleven.

? - ‘You give any more thought to my proposal?’

M - ‘Who is this?’

? - ‘Who do you think?’

M - ‘Tina?’

T - ‘I’ve decided to help you’’

M - ‘I’m not helping your brother’

T - ‘Gina is coming for you’

M - ‘So?’

T - ‘You need my help.’

M - ‘Why would you help me?’

T - I’ll be on your doorstep at 5a. Don’t make me wait in the cold’

Mark left several text messages in response but got no reply.

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