I was half tempted to wait and see if the strange naked man in the other room left. In all honesty though, as much as the idea of wearing men's clothing, or doing anything for that matter that might help me reassert my masculinity was appealing, I seriously doubted that anything in his closet would fit me. He'd been several inches taller and his hips had been far too narrow. There was another possibility though, I realized as I backed out of Tiffany's closet. My I mean Tiffany's mom had left for the day. I'd never seen her before, and I didn't really know her proportions but it was possible that her wardrobe might be a little more conservative than her rather promiscuous daughter's. I'd noticed a few doors on my way down the hall, but which one belonged to Tiffany's parents? The only way to really know for sure was to open them and look inside. The last time I'd randomly opened a door in the house, I'd been greeted by the sight of naked man ass and, for many disturbing reasons, it was an experience I didn't relish repeating.
Taking a resolute breath and trying to ignore the sensations I felt as my chest expanded against the constraining fabric of the bra, I started toward the bedroom door. I was about to turn it when I suddenly heard the annoying hook from that stupid Kesha song, "Your Love is My Drug." When it ended, it started right back up again and I realized I was probably listening to a ringtone. I followed the sound of the music until I found myself looking at a small black cell phone on her desk. Slowly, afraid of what further damage I might do, I picked up the phone. The name and image of the person calling came up on the screen and I immediately recognized her as Athletic Girl from a few minutes earlier. The name flashing was Amber.
That was one mystery solved at least.
"Hello?" I said softly as I put the small phone to my ear.
"Tiff, what the hell is taking so long?"
"Sorry," I said meekly, "I just wanna look my best." I hoped she bought the impromptu excuse.
I could almost hear her rolling her eyes on the other side of the line. "Well, just hurry your ass up."
"Just give me five more minutes," I said, and I hung up quickly. I also started breathing again. What had I gotten myself into? Was I really going to go out in public in Tiffany's body? I found myself wishing Karyn was here. Somehow she'd know what to do. In the past, whenever I'd gotten myself into trouble, she'd always been the one to pull my ass out of the fire. If she were here, we'd have a plan and we'd probably be well on our way to acquiring the stone. For a moment I thought about calling her, but after my failed attempt to call me, this morning, I decided to hold off. My track record today for talking to others wasn't exactly stellar. I knew I didn't want to go to the mall with Tiffany's trashy friends and flirt with some guy. I wanted to get to school. My best hope, the more I'd thought about it, was that whoever was in control of my body, and I still wasn't completely sure who that might be, would be stupid enough to leave the rock in my locker. If that happened, it would be as good as mine.
It should have been that simple, but my mind didn't seem to be processing at its normal speed. I felt a strange need to do what I needed to do without anybody realizing that there was anything wrong with Tiffany. I suddenly knew how it felt to have your life uprooted from you, and I didn't want Tiffany to return to a life she didn't recognize. Besides, if I went with them to the mall, maybe I could convince them to only skip a half day of school. Then I'd get there in plenty of time to find the rock.
But first I had to get dressed.
Actually, as much as I hated the idea, first I was going to have to pee. Thus far I'd chosen to ignore the urge, but pretty soon the choice was going to be taken away from me. There was another door in her room, near the vanity. Taking a chance I walked over and opened it. To my relief it led to a small, but surprisingly elegant bathroom. Her family must have been doing really well. Closing my eyes and doing my best to use the tips of my fingers lest I accidentally touch anything I didn't want to, I slid my underwear down and sat down on the cold toilet seat. I felt an instant surge of relief as I felt the pressure release and heard the gentle sound of a steady stream of liquid splashing. It felt strange, both physically and psychologically, to sit down to relieve myself, but I tried to ignore that for now. If I didn't pay too much attention to myself I could still imagine that I was Jon. I had to hold onto that.
As the stream stopped, a horrifying thought crossed my mind. I was going to have to wipe it dry. I couldn't just leave it, could I? I entertained the idea for a moment, but decided against it. Taking a deep breath, thinking the most manly thoughts I could muster, I tore a piece of toilet paper and reached down between my legs. I patted it quickly, as though I was touching something radioactive, and decided it would have to do. Standing up with my eyes closed, I bent over to pull my underwear back up, and stood up.
Okay, that hadn't been so bad. I just had to remember not to drink too much of anything today, because I didn't want to repeat that if I didn't have to. Releasing a breath I didn't know I'd been holding, I felt as though I'd just performed some kind of complex surgery. Avoiding the mirror above the sink curiosity overtook me and I opened the cabinet beneath the sink to take a quick look. Amidst the other feminine items that graced the cabinet, my eyes locked on the box of tampons.
I hadn't even thought about that. I hoped that I could figure out a way to fix things before I had to deal with her female problems. I couldn't even bring myself to think the real words. Of course, she might be pregnant I realized. I wouldn't have to deal with my eyes glanced at the female product again and I thought that., but I didn't exactly relish the idea of having a baby either. My breathing started to get ragged and I felt like I was going to hyperventilate. I snapped the cabinet shut, sorry that I'd ever decided to look upon its mysteries and hurried out of the bathroom.
I still needed to get dressed, and if I didn't hurry I was liable to get another annoyed call from Amber.
Making sure I'd go unnoticed, I made my way out of Tiffany's bedroom. I didn't hear the mystery man moving around anymore which made me feel a little better, but I still decided to be careful. I'd been Tiffany for the better part of twenty minutes now and I'd already done enough damage to last a life time.
You wanted something interesting to happen.
"Shut up brain," I whispered in Tiffany's soft voice. Turning the knob on the first door I came to, I slipped quietly inside. It was another bedroom, and there was nobody inside. The décor and the pictures and knickknacks that adorned the walls and nightstand told me this room probably belonged to Tiff's mother. Turning the light on, I made my way over to the closet and peered inside. Her mother's choice in clothing was definitely on the more conservative side and I would have to try it on to be sure, but it looked like it might fit me. Taking a few minutes, I picked out a pair of black slacks and a long sleeved black button-up shirt. It definitely had a feminine feel and cut to it, but it was much better than Tiffany's ensembles.
A moment later, having buttoned the shirt up, rather happy about the fact that it didn't cling to me and draw unnecessary attention to my chest, I was pulling the slacks up around my hips. Finishing the look off with a pair of black socks, I walked over the mirror on the other side of her mom's room. I didn't relish catching Tiffany's reflection in the mirror again, but I had to know that I looked at least presentable. I was surprised at the effect a few items of clothing had on my bearing.
"One second," I thought out loud, picking an errant rubber band up off of the dresser top. Tying her messy hair back into a ponytail, I decided that the look was complete. At the very least I didn't look, or even feel, quite so feminine. I quickly made my way back down stairs and found a black pair of dress shoes that seemed to fit. I wasn't sure who they belonged to, but I didn't particularly care.
"Shit," running back upstairs, I grabbed Tiffany's cell phone and her little black purse before I made my way outside to face the day
