From: "Ellie Dauber" SRU: Bully Protection (1/1) Sunday, April 23, 2000 SRU: Bully Protection By Ellie Dauber “Kendall, what are you doing here?” Mike Kendall froze. He knew that voice, and he hated it. Abe Tierney had been picking on him, since they were in third grade. Now they were seniors in high school. Abe was captain of the school wrestling team, and he seemed to delight in making life miserable for his non-athletic victim. “What do you mean, Abe? This is a public mall. Anybody can come in here to shop.” “Not if I tell then they can’t.” “But you never said that.” “I said that I didn’t want to see you within a hundred yards of me anyplace but school. If I’m here in the mall, then you can’t be.” Abe flexed one muscular arm and pointed towards an exit. “Get lost, punk.” “But, I – I can’t. I’ve got to pick up some stuff for my mom.” “Aw, for your mommy. Well, I’ll tell you what. You can pick up _one_ package. Then you go outside and wait till I leave. After that, I don’t care what you do in the mall.” “That’s ridiculous. I’m not going to just stand out side and wait for you.” “Getting cocky, eh.” He held his fist, the size of a small ham, under Mike’s nose. “You can wait outside, or you can wait in the first age station.” “Uh…okay. My first stop is at the Rite Aide drug store just down this side aisle.” “Fine. I’m coming with you; just to make sure you don’t get any ideas about staying in the store – or sneaking out and hiding someplace.” ‘Damn,’ Mike thought, since that was exactly what he had planned. They walked down the aisle with Mike slightly in the lead, just so he couldn’t get away from Abe. Mike looked back from time to time as they walked. Abe just glowered at him, clearly enjoying Mike’s discomfort. He was almost hoping Mike would try something just to have an excuse to beat him up once again. The problem started when they got to where the Rite Aide was – or, rather, where it was supposed to be. It wasn’t there. In it’s place was a closed storefront with a sign, “Spells ‘R US” over the wooden door. It looked like some kind of curio shop, with all sorts of weird stuff in the windows. “Is this some kind of joke?” Kendall. “If it is, I don’t think it’s very funny.” “Abe, I – I swear there was a Rite Aide here last week. They must have moved.” “Yeah? Where, and how’d this new store get set up so quick.” “I don’t know. Let me go inside and find out. You can come in with me.” “Why bother? I’ll watch through the window. You try to sneak out the back or anything, and I’ll be on you like white on rice.” He made another fist. “You understand.” “Yeah. I understand.” He turned and walked through the door. At least he would be free of that Neanderthal for a few minutes. It looked like an interesting place, too. Kind of like a throwback to those 60s headshops he’d read about, even to the jingling bell over the door. “I’d like to think the place is more modern than that,” came a voice from the back, a very feminine sounding voice. “Who said that,” Mike said. He walked in the direction the voice had come from. When he rounded a counter, he saw a pretty brunette a few years older than him standing behind a counter. “I did, Mike.” She smiled. She was even prettier when she smiled. “Why, thank you, Mike.” “You’re welcome, I guess, but how did you know my name?” It was like she could read his mind. “As a matter of fact, I can. I’m an apprentice to the wizard who owns the shop. Mind reading is one of the simpler spells that he’s taught me.” “If you can read my mind, then what am I thinking?” He tried to think of himself making love to the girl. It was a nice thought in any event, and it would mess up her powers in the unlikely event that she _could_ read his mind. The girl blushed slightly. Then she giggled. “That’s a very good tactic, Mike, though, to tell the truth, you’re a bit too young for me. But, other than _that_, your main concern is this boy, Abe, who’s waiting outside to beat you up.” “How did you…” She could read his mind. It was the only answer. ‘When you reject all possible solutions…’ “‘Then the only solution left, no matter how _im_possible, is the true one.’ I just love Sherlock Holmes.” She reached under the counter and pulled out a silver chain with a small figure of a muscular man in boxing trunks. “Here. This will solve your problem with…” She closed her eyes for a moment. “With Abe. Just wait till you leave the shop to put it on.” “What’ll it do? It looks like a boxer. Will it give me the skill of one?” “Let’s just say that it’ll solve the problem.” “Great. Thanks.” He started to leave. “That’ll be five ninety-five. This _is_ a store you know.” It was worth a try. She certainly seemed to have magic powers. Mike took out his wallet and handed the girl a five and a one. She put the necklace in a small white box and handed it to him with his change. “Well, that was sweet,” came a voice as Mike left the store. Mike had hoped Abe might have gotten tired of waiting and gone off to bother somebody else. No such luck. “And what was that crap you bought in the store?” “I don’t – it was just a lucky necklace. I only bought it cause – cause the girl that waited on me was so pretty.” He fumbled with the box. Maybe he could get it on and invoke whatever power it had. “Only a pussy like you would think you could impress a babe like that by getting a six dollar necklace.” Abe yanked the box out of his hand and opened it. He held up the silver figure of the fighter. “Ooh, a boxer. Isn’t that just soo tough? Okay, fag, here put it on.” He tossed the necklace at Mike. Mike grabbed it and put it over his head. As it settled on his shoulders, time seemed to stop. A tingling sensation ran through his body. He could feel it changing. His clothes didn’t seem to fit him right any more. Mike looked down. He saw two small lumps appear under the shirt, lumps that swelled outward into a pair of firm, feminine breasts. Body contours changed as muscle tissue gave way to soft, luscious curves. Hair grew down, curling at the shoulders, hips widened, as legs grew long and developed the same feminine curves. Mike felt his clothing change to fit his new form. He was five or six inches taller now, all of it solid muscles. He looked over at Abe who was staring up at him in astonishment. Abe who was now wearing a sheer lycra blouse and a miniskirt that hugged her sweetly rounded hips. Abe, who suddenly grew taller, as Nike trainers changed to woman’s shoes with a two inch heel. Abe, who grew even more lovely, as lipstick and eye shadow materialized on his – no, on her face. “What – what happened to me?” Abe, who was suddenly crying, terrified by the sound of her cute new soprano voice. The door to the shop opened. It was the girl. “It’s very simple, Abbie. The magic in the figurine transferred most of your masculinity to Mike. What was left was the femininity that every male has. “No, please change me back.” Abe – Abbie felt fear. Was she trapped like this – in this horrible form forever? Mike wasn’t sure why, but he suddenly put his arm around Abbie. “Don’t be afraid. It’ll be all right.” What was he doing? Regardless of how he looked, this was still Abe. Abbie felt a warm feeling run through her body. She felt safe, protected. Mike was strong, now. He could protect her. She looked up at him and smiled. “I’m – I’m okay, Mike.” What was she saying? This was that punk, Kendall. Only, now, she was afraid, and he seemed – he was somebody, no – no, he was the one she wanted, she needed to protect her. Without realizing it, she reached up and touched the hand on her shoulder. “That is, I’ll be okay – as long – as long as you’re here with me.” Mike Kendall, captain of the school wrestling team, smiled down at his girl friend, Abbie. “I’ll always be here for you, Abbie. You know that.” He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. “Now let’s go run the rest of the errands for my mom. Then we can go someplace and talk – or something.” She squeezed Mike’s hand. Everything would be fine now with him here to love and protect her. “Or something.” And they walked back through the door into the Rite Aide. The End Copyright Ellie Dauber, 2000. This may be posted to any FREE site.