Jon kept trying to pull at the skirt of his cheerleader uniform as he hurried to his locker. The fabric swishing along his legs, the cool air coming into contact with more leg than he had ever exposed in public before... what a nightmare. He felt like there was a spotlight on him non-stop, although he knew that was probably just internal panic and frustration at his current situation.
Karyn was trying to be sympathetic but couldn't think of anything to say. Her eyes were moving back and forth and she slowed down in the hall. "Jon... I know that people aren't supposed to notice anything about what you copy, but it seems like people are noticing."
Jon stopped and looked around. He was getting casual glances in his direction. Nothing mocking or what he would normally expect from high school ridicule, though. Almost like... confusion?
Melissa Smith started to walk by, saw Karyn and Jon and did a brief double take. "Jon? Did you join the rest of us on the cheerleading team? Why didn't anyone tell me?"
Jon opened his mouth to answer, but no words came out. He was at a total loss.
Karyn came to his rescue. "Oh, he's not. There was a food accident in the cafeteria and his clothes got destroyed. Sarah helped him get something to wear."
Melissa smiled. "Oh, that was nice of her. Too bad you're not actually on the team, Jon. With those arms, I bet you'd be great at the bottom of the pyramid!"
Jon was still at a loss for words. So the wish to make everyone not notice anything out of the ordinary when I copy something means that it isn't weird that I'm wearing a girls' cheerleading uniform... it's only weird because I'm not actually on the team? But apparently I could be and it wouldn't be weird? He shook his head. There's too many layers to this thing.
Just then, another student hurrying to class bumped into Melissa from behind. She dropped the book she was carrying, and her purse fell from her shoulder. When it hit the ground, everything inside scattered around the floor. "Oh, come on!" she yelled, and got down to start picking things up. A few other students stopped to help her.
Karyn began to bend down, then froze. She suddenly shot up and grabbed Jon by the front of his uniform. "Jon," she hissed in a low voice, her face as close to him as she could get, "Where's the rock?"
Jon looked at her confused. "What are you talking about?" he whispered back. "It's in my pocket."
"Jon," Karyn's eyes bore into him. "Cheerleaders don't have pockets. They carry purses because they don't have pockets. You don't have pockets anymore."
The color drained from Jon's face. He slapped at his jeans pocket - which didn't exist anymore, and instead just slapped the skirt against his leg. He grabbed all around him, and looked at Karyn in horror. "It's gone. I don't have it. When the uniform got copied onto me... it disappeared."
Karyn's grip tightened. "Check your locker. NOW."
Jon spun and opened his locker as quickly as he could. There was nothing inside other than the usual. He checked his backpack - nothing in there either. "It's not here."
"Okay, okay, hold on, just think, just think," Karyn closed her eyes. "There's got to be a solution. It's got to be somewhere."
Jon tossed things around in his locker. "I can't find it! Everything from my pockets is just - it's just gone! No wallet, no keys, no rock!"
Karyn's eyes flew back open. "That's it! Okay, Jon, we have to get you a purse."
Jon's head snapped back to her. "What? Why?"
"Trust me," she held her hands up, and turned to Melissa. "Melissa! I know we're about to be late to class, but Jon needs your help."
Melissa had just finished putting her things back in her purse, and stood up, brushing herself back into perfect cheerleader poise. "Why? What's wrong?"
Karyn tried to smile but it was clearly tense. "Jon doesn't have pockets anymore because he's wearing a cheerleader skirt, and he doesn't have any way to carry things. I don't carry a purse like you do to solve that problem, but don't you think he could really use a purse to hold all the things that would normally be in his pockets?"
Melissa rolled her eyes like Karyn and Jon were both being a little silly. "I mean, yeah, Jon. If you're going to wear something like that, you need to have a purse to carry all your things from your pockets!" She smiled. "Here! Copy off me!"
Melissa reached to her shoulder, and pulled a second slim black purse off her shoulder out of the one already hanging there. She held it out to Jon.
"Um, thanks, Melissa," Jon took it, unsure of himself, wary of it being in his hands.
"Happy to help!" she said in a sing-song voice, and headed off to class. The bell rang as she departed.
Karyn grabbed Jon's arm. "I know this is crazy, but if she said it right, it should have all your things. Like your wallet, your keys, and..."
Jon unsnapped the top of the purse and looked in. There sitting at the top, was the wishing stone. He gave a sigh of relief and slumped back against the lockers. "Oh, thank God. It's there."
Karyn pumped her fist. "Yes! I knew it would work."
Jon pulled Karyn in for another fast hard kiss. "You are absolutely brilliant. I can't believe you came up with that on the fly."
Karyn grinned smugly. "Thank you."
He tilted the purse upside down and caught the rock. Behind it, out fell his wallet and keys to the floor, and a pen ... followed by a tube of lipstick, eyeliner, and mascara. "What the..."
Karyn bent down to help him pick them up. "Okay, look, so the copy got filtered through Melissa's view of what 'all your things' might mean, but you got everything else back."
"But that means that this is also my lipstick and makeup stuff, too, right?" Jon looked at her.
"Okay, maybe, but-"
"Which means now part of who I am to everyone here is also someone who would carry makeup. Which is another layer we're going to have to deal with." Jon hung his head.
"Yes, but Jon, look at me," Karyn grabbed his arm. "You've got the rock back, so we can fix this, okay? The rest of today is probably going to keep getting weirder but we'll deal with it. Together, okay?" She smiled at him. "We've got a date later, don't forget."
"Right. Fine. You're right. Okay," Jon calmed himself down. He grabbed a notebook from his locker, closed it, and then, unsure of himself, swung the purse over his shoulder. "At this rate, I'll be taking you out while in a mini-skirt and heels."
"And I will bask in the beauty of your legs if that is the case," she comforted him. "Now let's go, we're both late for our classes. I'll see you later. She gave him a peck on the cheek and headed off.
Jon took a quick second, and headed in the opposite direction. "Maybe if I just don't talk to anyone, we can get through this next period." He hurried off, his new purse slapping at his side.
