Karen called in the morning and checked with Linda Madison. Once it had been okayed for Jenny to go to the lake with them, she got the kids up and made breakfast. That went smoothly, and after they'd eaten, she gave Jenny a list of items to pack. She complained at first, but got everything together before long; after all, a camping trip was definitely worth doing a little work, even on a Saturday.
When the packing was finished, Karen took her younger daughter aside. "Listen, Jenny," she said. "You need to remember that, even though you and I are comfortable with our boy parts, a lot of other people wouldn't be. Many people would think it was weird or creepy for girls to have what we have, and they might treat you badly if they knew. I don't think the Madisons are those kind of people, but all the same, I want you not to let them know your secret, all right?"
Jenny nodded. "I won't tell anybody, Mom." Michelle already knew, of course, but she wouldn't tell anybody else. Karen smiled. "Good girl."
No sooner had they finished their talk than they heard the rumble of an engine outside. It was the Madison family van, an older full-sized affair with a built-in wheelchair lift. Attached was the camper, which was a little small, but workable nonetheless. "All right," Karen said, as Jenny picked up her duffel bag and headed out the door. "You listen to what Ed and Linda have to tell you, and have a good time!"
After Jenny had left Karyn had Becky help her tidy up a bit. When that was done, Becky went up to her room and spent the morning gaming and listening to music, then went over to Andrew's house for the afternoon to psyche herself up for the sleepover. Karen worked on the book she was reading and watched a little TV.
It was nearly noon by the time Jason woke up. He knew that staying up late was something older kids did regularily, but he still needed some practice, it seemed. But hadn't there been something...oh, he had been worked up about something last night, but he couldn't remember what. Guess it couldn't have been that important.
He doffed his pajamas and threw on a pair of jeans and a shirt, then went downstairs. The house was empty; his mom was gone, probably doing the grocery shopping, and his dad had left them years before. Jason had a bowl of cereal and then crashed on the couch while he finished waking up. Muffled infomercials blathered in the background as he tried to remember what it was that was bothering him last night, but he couldn't remember.
Well, no sense worrying about it. Jason turned on the Playstation and messed around on one of his favorite fighting games, trying some of the different characters he didn't usually use. But after about a half-hour, his bladder was screaming bloody murder. He paused the game and headed to the bathroom.
He had to empty the colon as well, so he sat down and reached for his penis. He grabbed nothing, and tried again. Still nothing. He looked downward, and let out a scream. It hadn't been a dream after all.
It was real, it had actually happened! Somehow that post-it out in the back alley had given Jason a girl's private parts in place of his own! It was magic, and it had made him part-girl! He thought briefly that maybe this was what had really happened to Benny, but he was too busy freaking out to think about anything very seriously.
Eventually, Jason calmed down from "incoherent panic" to merely "majorly freaked." He couldn't believe that this was for real, but he couldn't deny it, either; he could see it with his own eyes, and even feel it as part of his own body. What should he do? He didn't want to tell anybody, but how could he have any hope of returning to normal if he didn't? His mom was out, and would probably be gone until that evening, if she made it one of her long shopping days. And he couldn't go to Becky - after the way he had treated her, she'd only mock him, and that wasn't what he he needed right now.
Maybe it was like a cold or something; maybe ifhe toughed it out it would go away. He certainly hoped so.
