Karyn hadn't been answering Jon's texts all day. He knew that he should be getting more and more worried with the more time that passed, but instead he found himself increasingly distracted the closer he got to the afternoon. His mind kept on drifting in the direction of the McMillan mansion, where he'd be spending the night. What should he bring? What would they be doing? How had Karyn fared, and how would his night be different?
The itch to get going became too strong, and by 3pm Jon found that he was as packed and ready as he was ever going to be, knocking on his dad's office door and asking for a ride. He had nothing else to do that day, and nobody said you couldn't get to a sleepover a bit early.
As much as Jon's conscious mind knew that he should be concerned, that something magical was happening which he did not understand and could not control, at the same time he couldn't stop himself from feeling almost giddy as his father's car got closer and closer to the McMillan mansion. Even if he was being flippant when he'd made the initial wish, there really was something exciting to him about being at a cheerleader sleepover, even if there was only going to be one cheerleader there. And even if that one cheerleader was going to be Sarah McMillan. It was still one of those adolescent fantasies that spoke directly to his libido, and he was about to live it for real.
Finally, his father parked his car and Jon walked up the pathway to the front door. He rang the doorbell, and he waited a moment, and then it opened to reveal...
"Karyn!?"
Instead of Sarah McMillan, as Jon had expected, it was his closest friend. But she was not as he had ever seen her before: her hair styled just-so, her face covered in tasteful makeup, and her body... well, "covered" would have been a very generous word to describe what the tiny pink bikini she wore did for her.
"Jon!" she cheered. "You're here early, that's so great!"
"What are you doing here?" Jon nearly dropped his overnight bag. "Shouldn't you be hosting your own sleepover?"
Karyn cocked her head in mild confusion. "I am hosting my own sleepover. This is my sleepover. I am the host, and you are the guest. And all of my guests must do as I say."
A shiver ran down Jon's spine as she said this, and his posture straightened. "O-okay?"
"Now come on inside," Jon found himself following the instruction without any intentional impetus, "there's a lot we can do! Did you bring your swimsuit? No, of course you didn't. No matter, there are plenty of swimsuits in the men's cabana. Follow me!"
Jon closed the door behind himself and followed Karyn across the solid granite tile. "Is it okay for me to take one of..." Jon took a stab in the dark, "one of Sarah's dad's swimsuits?"
Karyn waved off the concern without even turning around. "I have free reign to use anything in this house as I wish. And I wish you to wear a swimsuit from the men's cabana."
Any remaining protest died on Jon's lips, as the two exited out a great sliding glass door, and Karyn directed Jon into a small wooden hut that sat alongside an absolutely massive swimming pool that featured a waterfall and a jacuzzi. A matching hut was on the other side of the pool, but the one before Jon had a little man symbol like you'd see on a restroom door.
At Karyn's prodding-- Jon was simultaneously weirded out and fascinated by her state of dress-- the boy entered the men's cabana and found himself confronted by a rack full of clothes hangers. And upon each and every hanger was a speedo.
"Don't keep me waiting in there!" Karyn called. And Jon's hands began to remove his clothes, without conscious thought from Jon.
