Putting a dainty hand on Ronald's chest to gain some maneuvering room, Jon leaned over to crack the door open and listen for any sound of footsteps. The focused expression on his little face looked downright adorable, and Ronald found himself chuckling at the image. Immediately, those big, azure eyes emphasized by a hint of mascara snapped back to his face.
"What?" Jon asked. By now, his sweet soprano was clearly audible despite his whispered tone.
"What what?" Ronald replied innocently.
"What's so funny?"
"Nothing," Ronald deflected. As he watched, a bouncy brown curl dislodged itself from the others to dangle past Jon's cheekbone. The tip had reached his shoulder, left bare by his now sleeveless top, before continuing its inexorable crawl downward. His hair seemed to be growing at quite an accelerated pace compared to that of the rest of his body's alterations, indicating that it was destined to be unusually long.
Suddenly, Ronald detected a sweet flowery scent permeating the cramped closet space. "Is that lavender?"
Jon took a small sniff. "Oh, yeah. That's probably me. My mom makes her own soap, and she likes to add herbs and that essential oil stuff. She says it's good for the skin."
"So, your whole family's into this, too."
"Each in our own way, yes. Our house is, like, half greenhouse and half history museum."
Ronald thought of Zoe, Jon's sister, seeing her oddball Goth lifestyle in a different light. "That must be interesting."
"You can blame it on my grandfather," Jon continued, taking a peek outside the closet. "He was an archeologist of sorts, and he always had something amazing to tell us about whenever we saw him. I guess it just made us extra aware of how deep and mysterious this universe is. How many secrets were uncovered and forgotten over the eons? How much can we still learn if we never stop looking for answers?"
A bit of fire lit up Jon's eyes before sudden self-consciousness snuffed it out. Smiling, Ronald commented, "You're really serious about this, aren't you."
"Kinda."
Glancing to the door, Ronald changed the subject. "So, you think the coast is clear?"
"No sign of movement, so I guess. We'd better get going."
When Ronald nodded, Jon opened the door a bit wider and started trying to squeeze his way past the doorframe. The task proved a bit more challenging than anticipated.
"Huh?" He gasped, realizing his predicament and trying to stay calm. "Hey, I'm stuck. How did that happen?"
"Beats me," Ronald shrugged. "It's probably just easier getting in here than out." Plus, you weren't exactly shaped the same when you came in here.
"C-Could you maybe try to make some room for me to get by?"
Ronald made a token attempt but found the handle of a stand-up dustpan digging into his spine. "Something's behind me. I don't think I can move without knocking it over."
An exasperated Jon tossed his head and rolled his eyes, incidentally getting more hair in his face. The silky tresses had reached his feminine butt at this point and still kept up their journey towards the smooth skin of his legs. His pants had shrunk out of sight, and possibly out of existence, beneath the skirt of the flowy, thigh-length sundress that had once been his t-shirt. The color of the garment had turned a light tan, and the hand-stitched embroidery along the front and edges gave it a subtle peasant vibe in spite of its more modern cut. Below that, a pair of simple sandals, no doubt made from natural materials, left his blue painted toe-nails on full display.
"Here, let me see if I can get at it," Jon said. To Ronald's pleasant surprise, his fellow prisoner pressed up against his body and reached a hand behind him for the unseen obstruction. This, of course, mashed those perky breasts into his front. "D-Don't get any ideas," the blushing Jon added.
*Too late *
Soon, Jon's questing fingers had located the handle and slowly shifted the dustpan aside. Instantly, Ronald stepped back before the other could back away. As a result, Jon tumbled headlong into him, knocking him backwards. Coincidentally, the taller boy's leg accidentally ended up between those slender thighs, detecting the sensation of a warm and unmistakably flat crotch.
Satisfied with the implications, Ronald grinned up at his latest girlfriend candidate. "That did it."
"Sure did," the new girl agreed, misinterpreting his meaning. "Uh, sorry about that."
"No problem." Not bothering to get up, Ronald gestured towards the door. "After you, m'lady."
A giggle rewarded him as the brunette righted herself and hopped over his leg to freedom. He followed her out soon afterwards. Finally getting a good view of the former Jon, he saw a petite yet striking girl with a jaw-dropping mane of shimmering caramel waves that hung down to the backs of her knees. If one straightened those curls, they would probably reach her ankles at least. "Whoa," he blurted out. "Your hair! It's wow!"
The girl grimaced. "Yeah, I know. Crazy long. But it's a curse. No, really, it's an actual curse. With a little blessing mixed in, but mostly curse." At the confusion on Ronald's face, she held up a hand. "Another artifact. Don't ask. Let's just get back before we really get in trouble, shall we?"
Well, boring she is not.
"Alright, then. Lead on."
