She didn't really leave me much choice, and I didn't really fight her. I knew I couldn't afford anything in here, but what would it hurt to try a few things on. I started checking out the racks and feeling the material, imagining how good it would feel against my bare skin. I was looking at one particular article when I happened to glance up, and found myself staring right into the eyes of
"What the hell are you doing here?" I demanded, as I found myself looking into the eyes of the stranger I'd met an hour or two ago.
"Right now, I'd say I'm making you look a little bit foolish," He told me with a cock-eyed grin. He gestured around the store, and when I looked around I saw several pairs of eyes focused on me, including Jill's.
"There staring at me," I said quickly, "Why are they staring at me? You're the one who's out of place here." I did a quick look around to make sure that I was still inside the lingerie store, and that the current population was predominantly female. "You're the one they should be staring at," I pointed out. I noticed that this small revelation didn't serve to divert anybody's attention from me.
"Um, yeah," he said, "about that. You're actually the only one who can see me."
"You're kidding right? You're pulling my leg?" I really wasn't in the mood for a practical joke right now, especially coming from this Whatever the hell he was. "You can't possibly be serious."
"As a heart attack," he answered, "so if I were you, I'd do my best to look a little more casual."
"Great," I whispered under my breath, "My own imaginary friend." I rolled my eyes at about the same time I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned to see Jill looking at me. She looked extremely worried. Just great! Now everybody's going to think I'm some kind of loon! I tried to smile at her, hoping I could quell her obvious apprehension with a glance. No such luck.
"Nice job on your sister by the way," he told me. It took all of my will power not to turn and smack him. I don't need this! I just wanted to be a girl. "She was kind of a prude before." He smiled in a sideways fashion.
"Are you okay Nat?" Jill asked me.
"I'm fine," I told her, "It's just been a long day." I shook my head. "First day of school and everything."
"I can see why you'd be so anxious," she said softly. "Especially after last year."
"That's right," I told her. Later I would have wished I'd paid more attention to that last bit. Right now, I was just glad to have a hand hold to grab onto. "Just a little stressed out." I glanced around the room, and tried not to glare at the strange man. Later, he and I were going to have serious words. Right now, I was just going to have to deal. "I think I'm gonna look around a little more," I told her, hoping for a little alone time. She nodded, and headed over to the other side of the store.
"So," I began, checking out a lacy black bra that I rather liked. "I didn't imagine you earlier."
"Nope," he said. I'd hoped he'd follow that up with something, but he didn't.
"So, exactly what the hell are you?" I asked, occasionally picking up some things that I wanted to try on.
"I told you," he said, "I'm a Guardian."
"Right," I said dryly, "How could I forget? Some kind of Memory Guardian, but what the hell does that mean?" I tried to appear casual as he followed me around the store. Karyn was definitely going to hear about this one. "And," I added, "why can't anybody else see you. I mean you look real enough to me and," I reached out and poked his shoulder. "You're definitely, really here."
He smiled a rather arrogant smile. Part of me wondered why I found him so attractive, and the other part of me wondered if there was any chance of getting him alone.
"You don't really understand how the rock works, and I don't have time to explain it right now, but suffice it to say that when you make a wish, the world around you changes."
"With you so far big boy," I told him, unconsciously making my way toward the dressing room. "I make a wish and wham, everything changes."
He nodded. "Part of my job is to keep track of those changes, to keep track of what reality was like before the wishes were made. Because of that, I've been allowed to exist outside of the rock's influence, as I told you earlier." He paused for a moment. "You can see me because you're tied to the rock Jon or Natalie rather. That's why nobody else can see me."
"Because I own the rock?" I asked as I approached the dressing room.
"Not exactly," he told me. "It's not that you own the rock, it's that you're tied to it. Your very destiny is intertwined with it."
"I don't follow."
"No," he said sullenly, "I didn't think you would, but you will."
"And you knew my grandfather?" I asked as I opened the dressing room door.
He nodded, "Very well."
"Okay," I told him. "You're going to tell me all about it." I added, "In great detail, but first." I closed the door and stepped into the small booth, grateful for a moment to myself. This was ridiculous! I had to be imagining this! But I'd touched him, and he was really there. Earlier I'd felt his warm breath on my cheek I pushed that thought away. Right now, I didn't want to think about that. I just wanted to try on some of the underwear I'd picked out.
So, I thought, unbuttoning and unzipping my jeans and shimmying them to the floor, I receive this rock from grandpa, a rock capable of granting any wish I might make Why would he get rid of it in the first place? I'd meant it when I'd told Karyn I didn't believe he was dead. At least not in the traditional sense. Without paying much attention, I slid my silky purple panties down around my ankles and stepped out of them. So for some reason, he had to get rid of the rock, and he chose me. He never said anything about this Guardian. Wouldn't he tell me about that? I pulled my shirt up over my head and set it on the bench. Why wouldn't he? So this stranger tells me it's his job to keep track of reality, pay attention to the changes but why? I reached back and unclasped my bra, letting it fall back on top of my shirt. *And he starts delivering this line about destiny . And then there's the fact that only I can see him, and *
My attention was drawn away by the image in the mirror, and I realized that I was seeing myself naked, in this body for the very first time
