Karen laughed as Jon slapped her rear end.
"Hey, I thought you didn't want to fool around."
Jon cringed. "No Karen, I don't. I think you know that already."
Karen smiled at Jon. "Relax bud, I was only kidding. I'm sorry."
"Yeah, I know," Jon, said awkwardly. "It's just that this," Jon motioned towards his body, "is so damn weird. It's hard to take. I'm me, but I'm not. I feel like a stranger in my own skin."
Karen gave him a reassuring smile. "Look on the bright side Jon, it's only for six hours, and unless someone gets up close and personal with us, they'll never know the difference."
Jon took a deep breath. "I hope you are right. I guess we better get down to the mall and pick up Zoe."
The drive to the mall was an exercise in anxiety. Jon was still nervous about being discovered, and more than a little pissed that Karen had turned him transsexual, but he was also angry that they had fought over the rock, making even more foolish wishes, resulting in their both becoming gender bent versions of their previous selves. As they were driving, a song came on the radio. It was a country song, "Man! I feel like a woman." by Shania Twain. Karen chuckled to herself, but Jon's face twisted into an instant grimace.
"Stupid damn radio," he said as he turned it off, and shot Karen an angry glance. "Not another word out of you."
Karen gave him an innocent look. "I wouldn't dream of it," she said, but then promptly started laughing again.
Finally, they made it to the mall parking lot, but instead of being at the main entrance, Zoe was nowhere to be seen.
"Dammit!" Jon wailed. "Where is that little brat?"
Karen looked around but saw no sign of her. "I don't see her Jon. I guess she's still in the mall. How about just leaving her here?"
Jon shook his head. "No can do Karen, Zoe would tell, and mom would kill me. I guess we're going to have to go in and find her."
"Where do you think she is?"
"It's a big mall Karen. She could be anywhere," Jon said with dread. "Hopefully we won't run across any of our friends while we're in there. I don't know what I'm gonna do if anyone finds out I'm a girl."
"I don't really like the idea of anyone finding out I'm packing a penis now either Jon," Karen said as she then lowered her now masculine voice to a rough sounding John Wayne voice. "But pilgrim, sometimes a man's got to do, what a man's got to do."
Jon rolled his eyes. "Oh brother."
He then parked the car, and the two made their way into the mall, hoping against hope that Zoe was somewhere nearby
Of course she was not, as that would have made things too easy.
