Back at Lakeview Academy, Zoe was anxiously waiting for final period to be over. Searching for her lost stone at lunch had been a total bust, but she wasn't about to give up on it. She just needed more time to look, without hall monitors and faculty trying to herd her and Athena back towards the cafeteria. Speaking of Athena, she cast a worried look over towards her friend who was muttering and rubbing her temples at her desk near the back of the room. (Ms. Finley used a randomized seating chart that kept the two from sitting next to one another.) It was obvious the magically attuned girl was paying even less attention to their teacher's lecture on Lewis and Clark's expedition than she was, and Zoe was getting seriously worried about what was going on to set off Athena's inner eye so much.
"A Scarlet Lady steals a Golden Prize, all will be hers, all will be hers..." Athena muttered a bit too loudly drawing strange looks from Larry and Lexi sitting near the Victorian Goth.
"Did ye say something, Athena?" Ms. Finley asked in her trademark Scottish Brogue. The history teacher was actually among the nicer members of faculty but even she could get annoyed at being interrupted in the middle of her lecture.
"Uh, Athena's been having really bad migraines all day," Zoe blurted out when Athena didn't respond, "the nurse gave her some medicine but told her to come back to the office if she still wasn't feeling well." That was more or less true, just ignoring Nurse Robin's skeptical comments towards the occult cause of Athena's troubles, and the fact that Athena had avoided taking her medication to avoid dulling her sixth sense until they had the stone back in hand.
Ms. Finley frowned and checked the clock, "well, we're almost done for the day anyway. Athena, you can wait in the teachers lounge where it's quiet if you like until the bell rings, Zoe, please make sure to give her notes on what she misses."
Zoe nodded and breathed a sigh of relief as Athena grimaced and walked unsteadily towards the door. All she had to do was get to the end of the period then she and Athena could rally the rest of the Goths to find the stone and figure out what in the hell was going on.
"Actually," Esme added while the new Richard and Stephanie still stared at her open mouthed, "Richard should really be in school right now. I wish Richard was back at school, and wouldn't in anyway reveal who he used to be."
FLASH
Stephanie, the original Richard McMillan, stared blinking where the boy who'd looked like a teenage version version of herself had been standing moments ago. The older woman was experiencing severe whiplash, having not only her body but her name and her life rearranged like they were mere playthings by the woman standing in front of her. The new Esme was physically very close to the original, but she radiated a confidence and a power that the new secretary found unnerving. "Um, what's going to happen now?" It was a lame question and not what she really wanted to say. She wanted to demand a return of her life and body, but she was wary of the incredibly powerful and already shown to be vindictive younger woman before her; she had enough self awareness to know her new 'boss' could easily make things worse for her.
Esme's plump painted lips curled into a smirk, "well, Ms. Devereux, I'm going home to my family, at my mansion to get ready for this evening's gala. You'll stay here and finish your new work duties for the day before going home to your little apartment." The undoubtedly gorgeous woman leaned down to retrieve an expensive black leather purse from her desk before tossing her glorious long red hair back as she stood. She then strutted towards the exit, seeming to revel in each sway and jiggle of her new form before giving Stephanie a little wave, telling the former McMillan "toodles!" and leaving the new Stephanie alone in an office that had been her's until a few minutes ago.
