Jon stared at his textbook and tried not to cry. Why were things turning out so rotten today? First, he had lost his rock, and all attempts to find it had come to nothing. Then, he had ended up having to spend the entire class next to Biff! Did Kyla really have to accept that jerk into their group?
Of course, he knew the answer. Nobody could deny Biff anything he wanted. He only had to frown and flex his muscles, and people would fall over themselves to appease him. The guy was a bully, through and through.
To make matters worse, Biff had immediately taken control of the study session despite having arrived last. Jon's ill-conceived attempt at defiance had been subsequently shot down, leaving him feeling helpless. Kyla had also been less than helpful. So, now they were stuck.
You could always leave and join another group, a reasonable part of his brain told him. Another part replied, Yeah, but staying has its benefits, too.
Jon's eyes flickered over to the subject of his interest across the table, and an odd sensation warmed his insides. Ronald seemed like a nice enough person, someone worth getting to know better. On the other hand, Jon felt confused about this attraction he was experiencing whenever he laid eyes on him. It seemed both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.
What's going on? These feelings are getting very confusing.
Ronald watched the jock carefully while Kyla assigned Jon and Jay the remaining sections. Biff seemed to get a bit more comfortable as his study partners continued to change. Perhaps the decrease in resistance was putting him less on edge. Judging by how he kept stealing glances at Kyla, however, it seemed more likely that he simply had more motivation to invest himself.
Certainly, Kyla was making fine progress. Her acne had vanished, leaving her skin clear and smooth, and when she smiled, Ronald could see that her teeth had straightened out. She also seemed to be getting more assertive, speaking up when something had to be done and making sure the others stayed on task. Much to Ronald's annoyance, she also smiled at Biff a lot.
Kyla's leading him on, Ronald thought hopefully. It's all an act. It's gotta be! My wish made sure she'd be attracted to guys like me, and Biff sure doesn't fit the picture. Then again, he never specified that she would no longer be attracted to other types of guys, right? For the first time, Ronald started to worry if his plan could stay intact.
For a second, Ronald reached into his pocket and touched the stone. Perhaps, he could make a wish to steer things in his favor. Or remove Biff as competition. His overbearing dominance might be a lot more tolerable coming from a spunky little flyer on the cheerleading squad.
Ronald resisted the temptation, though. For now. As aggravating as the situation may be, it was not quite that desperate yet.
Besides, Biff did seem to be contributing some good to Ronald's plans. Thanks to him, both Jon and Jay had become quite petite and unassuming, their features softening to match. At the same time, their hair had grown out to about chin-length, enough to conceal their faces a bit and add to their submissive appearance. If this kept going, they would likely end up as a couple of shrinking violets.
Hm, maybe it's time to intervene, thought Ronald, taking some pity on them. Cute and shy is fine, but not when it lets Biff do whatever he wants. Let's give those two some strengths of their own.
Zeroing in on Jon, Ronald noticed him looking back for a moment before turning to glare at Biff. Had he detected his own annoyance with the jock? Typical Jon. His eyes picked up everything, though right now, they were mainly occupied with shooting daggers at the enemy. We should put a little more power into that stare.
A small mental tweak caused Jon's eyes to get subtly larger and more striking. Lashes grew out, drawing one's gaze to those vibrant irises that lightened from brown, right past sapphire, to settle into a stunning lapis. Dark mascara lined his eyelids to add even greater emphasis. It certainly gave his feminine face an air of otherworldly mystique.
Watching those lovely orbs continue to bore into Biff's soul, Ronald whistled to himself. If looks could kill Anyway, now for Jay.
