Girl For A Spell
By Ellie Dauber

Email Ellie Dauber

Saturday

I slept in Saturday morning, something I often did as Alan. I put a robe on over my nightie, a pair of fuzzy slippers on my feet, and went down to get something to eat. There was a note on the table. Aunt Therese had gone out to run some errands. She said that, if I was dressed "and looked presentable", she'd drop me off at the mall after lunch. I wasn't sure what I'd do at the mall. I mean, Alice didn't have any friends to hang out with, but, somehow, it seemed like something to look forward to.

I had a quick breakfast and ran upstairs to get dressed, I put put on a pale green pair of panties and a matching bra. I dug an old T-shirt of Alan's out of the closet and put it on. It fit pretty good except for being a little tight in the chest. I decided that I liked the way it accented my figure. I'd wear a light sweater, at least till I got to the mall, so Aunt Therese wouldn't object. I'd have liked to put on a pair of jeans, but Aunt Therese hadn't let me get any, so I picked a light brown skirt that matched the colors in design on the t-shirt. It was a little shorter than the skirts that I'd been wearing, showing off my long legs. I put on a pair of yellow socks and my brown sneakers. I grabbed a light brown sweater from a hanger and tossed it over my arms and head. I pulled my hair out from inside the sweater, and I was ready.

As I looked in the mirror to put on my make-up, it occurred to me how much I was enjoying the way I looked. "I'll worry about it Monday, when I'm Alan," I thought. "No, wait a minute. Just how much _am_ I enjoying being pretty little Alice? This isn't right. I'm the victim of a spell, and I should resent it. Shouldn't I?" This was getting damned confusing. I decided that the best course would be to go with it. Just not get too caught up in being Alice, since she -- I -- she was only temporary.

My mind was definitely made up -- sort of. I finished doing my face and went down stairs. Aunt Therese wasn't back yet from her errands. There didn't seem to be anything really interesting on TV, not even the cartoons that Alan used to enjoy. I found the strawberry embroidery that I'd started the night before and began working on it again.

Aunt Therese came back just before lunchtime. I helped bring in a couple of boxes and some groceries from the car. She fixed us both a light lunch, salad with a little chicken. "We girls have to watch our figures you know." I thought that I'd still be hungry afterwards and planned to grab something at the mall, but it was surprisingly filling. I guessed that Alice's stomach was smaller than Allen's.

Aunt Therese kept her promise and agreed to drive me to the mall. If she had noticed the tight shirt that I was wearing, she didn't say anything. On the way over, she asked, "I need to take some boxes down to the basement tomorrow. There's some stuff down there of your Aunt Liz's that I want to sort through as well. Would you be mind helping for an hour or so?"

"No, Aunt Therese," I said, sensing an opportunity. "But it's a little dusty down the basement by the storage shelves for me to wear a good skirt. I know that you don't approve of a girl in pants, but may I buy a pair of jeans to wear?"

I wasn't sure how Aunt Therese would react. She'd been very stubborn the day I changed about buying me pants. Now I was asking her again. She got a funny smile on her face while she thought about it. "Very well," she finally said. "I agree with your reasons. In fact, you may buy two or three pair, so long as you agree to only wear them around the house."

When we got to the entrance to the mall, she pulled over to let me out. She turned off the engine and reached into her purse, taking out $60 dollars. "This should cover the pants. I expect to get the change and the receipt."

"Thank you, Aunt Therese." I wanted to hug her. Pants just like every other girl wore. Every other girl? What was I thinking? But now, I was so happy to be getting permission to shop for jeans that I just didn't care.

"I'll expect you home by 6. There's a bus stop here at the mall entrance."

"I know. The 5:15 bus should get me home on time."

"See that it does. Oh, and make sure that you get nice jeans -- and not so tight that you look common." She started the car again and drove off.

I went into the mall and just wandered around for a bit. I couldn't help thinking of how different it was from last Sunday. Then, I'd been terrified at the thought of being a girl. Now, I'd gotten used to it. I was even enjoying myself -- a little.

I was looking at some books on a rack in front of the B. Dalton's when I heard a voice behind me. "Excuse me, but do I know you from school?"

I turned and without thinking said, "Oh, Hi, Grace."

Grace was Grace MacAvoy. She was a short, cuddly brunette that I -- Alan -- had dated for a while. We'd had a fight over something -- a really stupid, sexist joke that Alan told her -- and sort of split up about two weeks ago. That was part of why I'd gotten drunk the week before, I missed her. She still was as pretty as ever. Her hair was styled differently and she was wearing the cutest -- but what was I thinking? Worse yet, what had I just done?

"I'm sorry," she said. "I thought I recognized you. We must know each other, or you wouldn't know my name. But I can't for the life of me remember who you are?"

"Well," I said, trying to recover. "You really don't know me. But you do know my cousin, Alan Webster. Everybody says that we look a lot alike."

"Oh, umm, sure, Alan. But how did you know me, then?"

"I'm staying with him and our Aunt Therese while my parents are out of the country. Alan showed me your picture. He talks about you a lot. He said that you two had some kind of fight, and he was really sorry about it and wanted to make up."

"Well, he should be sorry. I'll tell you about it later -- maybe. Anyway, welcome to town. Will you be going to the school while you're here?"

"No, my parents got so much stuff from my old school that I can stay home and study."

"Sounds like fun, but you won't meet many people at home."

I suddenly had an idea. I'd wanted to get back together with Grace. If Alice got to be her friend; I could pick up a lot of pointers that Alan could use. "Well, I met you. How about giving me the grand tour of the mall? I need to pick up some jeans for working around the house."

"Great! A new friend _and_ an excuse to shop, what more could I ask for." We both giggled. Alice, it seemed, had a friend.

Grace took me to a "Jean Shack" store. We passed right near "Le Moderne". I could see Mariah watching me from inside the store. When she saw me, she got a funny smile on her face, kind of like a cat watching a canary.

"Jean Shack" sold jeans, blouses, and some accessories. It was full of teenaged girls, all sizes and shapes. "What size are you," Grace asked.

I didn't know. I hadn't really been paying attention last week when I got all those dresses. And weren't there some differences between dress and pants sizes because of hips and length of the leg or something? I stammered for a minute while Grace looked at me. Was she getting suspicious? Would she somehow guess that I was really Alan? Finally, I blurted out, "I -- I'm really not sure. I just lost some weight."

"Lucky you," Grace said. "I'd guess that you're about my size. "Here. Try these." She handed me several pair. "If they fit, I can borrow them from you." We both giggled at that.

"It's a deal," I said and walked back to the changing rooms. It was a busy afternoon, and two were in use. There were some clothes in the third, a dress and a pair of heels, but nothing else. I went in and closed the curtain behind me. I was just hanging my own skirt up on a hook, when I heard somebody else come in.

"Well, there should be enough room for us both." I turned. It was an absolutely gorgeous blonde a few years older than me. She gave me a smile and walked over to the other side of the small room and began to wriggle out of the jeans she was wearing.

I recognized her almost at once, Sheila Hartman. She'd been a senior when I was a freshman, head cheerleader, homecoming queen, and the fantasy of almost every male in the school. Now here she was, even prettier than I remembered, and she was stripping her luscious body for me.

And I didn't care.

Alan would have been in _lust_ with her in a minute. Alice studied the way she did her make-up, glanced for a moment at her pretty undies, then looked away. Partly out of politeness, but partly because I found myself comparing my body to hers - and coming out a poor second.

I couldn't believe what I was thinking. Sure, I was a girl at the moment, but if this vision couldn't get a reaction out of what little remained of Alan inside me, then he - I - must be dead. Or all girl, which might be worse.

I realized that I was beginning to stare at her again. I turned away and undid my skirt. I stepped out of my shoes and my shirt and hung the shirt on one of the hooks. I stepped into the jeans and started pulling them up. I had to yank some to get them past my hips, but it was worth it when I looked in the mirror.

Shiela had left, and I was alone in the room. The jeans looked great. The weren't tight enough to look "slutty", but they really showed off the curve of my leg, my round hips, and the narrowness of my waist. I turned, posing, and saw that my butt looked pretty good, too. I had just the right amount of curve and bounce to be interesting to Rick - or any other boy, I guess.

I went out to show Grace. "What do you think?"

She studied me for a moment. "Boy, I wish I looked that good in jeans."

I decided to start my campaign to win her back. "Alan told me you had a great figure. He said that he loved walking with you, watching all the boys looking at you, and knowing that you were his girl."

"His girl? You mean like he owned me. Why that --"

"No, no. I asked him about that, too." I had to think fast, or I'd have made things worse. "He - umm - he said that he felt lucky knowing that such a pretty girl - um - wanted to spend her time with him."

"That's better. He is a nice boy, but he can be a little dense at times."

"How so?" This was it. Grace was going to tell me how to get her back.

"Oh, you know how boys get. Look, I know I'm probably going to forgive him in a few days - don't tell him that - but I'm still a little mad for that dumb joke he told. So, can we change the subject and talk about something else?"

Darn! I'd hoped to pump her for more information. Still, she _had_ said that she was almost ready to forgive me. I decided to change the subject and smiled. "Okay, my aunt gave me enough money for three pair of jeans. What colors do you think I should get besides these?"

"Let's see what they've got." We spent almost an hour looking at and trying on jeans. A couple of times, Grace and I were in the dressing room together. The first time that it happened, I was really looking forward to seeing her undressed again. (Let's just say, that we were passed the stage of holding hands, okay.)

Grace took off her skirt, and I snuck a glance at her. _Nothing_! I mean, I looked at her slender legs, at her butt in that little pink bikini panty that she was wearing - especially when she bent over to take off her shoe. And nothing happened. I could appreciate how pretty she was, but she was just another girl. That was the problem. I was a girl, too, and whatever Alan might have appreciated seeing Grace half-naked was lost on Alice.

I wound up getting a second pair of jeans, in the same style but chocolate brown. Then Grace talked me into trying on some regular slacks. I remembered what Aunt Therese had said, but Grace persuaded me that I could talk Aunt Therese into letting me keep them as long as I just wore them around the house. I chose a dark green pair with a bit of lace at the ankles and on the pockets. They looked very pretty on me, and I had a couple of ideas about which of my blouses would look best with them.

After we left the Jean Shack, Grace and I walked through the mall window shopping. I was never much on shopping as Alan - even with Grace. Now it was fun. We talked about the clothes, sometimes making jokes. Grace told me one about a girl on her wedding night while we were looking in the window at the Bridal Boutique. It was just as dirty as the one I'd told her as Alan, the one that had started the fight. I was a little shocked, but it _was_ funny. I giggled at the punch line and tried unsuccessfully to think of a topper.

As we walked on, we passed a Piercing Pagoda. Grace looked at me critically for a moment. "Want to get your ears pierced, Alice? You'd look really cool."

"I think I'd better ask my Aunt first." I was tempted, I admit, but I was afraid that the holes might still be there when I changed into Alan. I was also afraid that they'd disappear when I was Alan and not be there when I changed back into Alice. "Changed back?" Great, now I was beginning to think of Alice as my true body and Alan as the magic trick.

I had another problem when we turned down one of the rows of stores. Grace started talking about the Victoria's Secret about halfway down that row. In my mind's eye, I started visualizing all those great commercials for the store, those sexy babes posing in really hot lingerie or modeling them on a fashion show runway. I liked the image. That meant that there was still at least a little of Alan left in me after all.

Then I saw myself - Alice - in some of that same lingerie, and I liked that image, too. Alice was walking down the runway wearing a skimpy little babydoll nightie with a thong panty, matching thigh high stockings, and three-inch heels. I saw her looking down at the people and smiling, and I felt scared. I tried to think of her walking slowly, slumping over so nobody would want to look at her. Then I saw Rick in the audience, looking at me - at her - and smiling. I - the Alice in my mind - smiled back. She straightened up and put a really sexy strut in the walk, wiggling her butt just for him. At the same time, I suddenly felt my body - my real body - tingling.

This I did _not_ need. I looked around for a way to talk Grace out of going into the store. About four stores past the Victoria's was the mall cineplex. The marquee said that RUNAWAY BRIDE was starting at 2:45. I looked at my watch. It was 2:30. Grace had mentioned the movie while we were in the Jean Shack.

I grabbed her hand. "Hey, look. Didn't you say that you wanted to see RUNAWAY BRIDE?"

"Yeah," Grace said. "I hear it's a great movie."

I pointed at the marquee. "It's starting in 15 minutes. C'mon."

"I thought we could shop some more."

"We can -- later. Hey, I'll buy the popcorn." That did it. She forgot about the store, and we headed in to the theatre.

I've always enjoyed watching Julia Roberts. She has that hip, girl next door look about her. The kind of girl that a guy knew could be a pal, who knew about football and other "guy" stuff the way Julia did in the movie, and who'd also be fantastic in the sack. This time it was just like back at the Jean Shack. Julia was just another girl. Oh, but Richard Gere! When he told Julia the way he'd propose to a woman, I found myself sighing right along with Grace and probably half the other females watching the movie. My body tingled a more than a few times, a female response that I was getting to both like and hate. Still, it was better to be turned on by a movie star that I was never going to meet than by thoughts of the guy who'd be picking me up in a few hours.

"A few hours!" I suddenly remembered that Rick was picking me up at 6. If I waited to catch the 5:15 bus; I'd never get home in time to get ready. What time was the movie over? I began to panic. "Grace," I whispered. "I may have to leave before the movie's over.

"What's the matter Alice."

"I didn't realize how late it was. I -- I have a date tonight."

"Well, that was fast. Who is it?"

"Rick Medford."

"Not bad for somebody new in town. He's cute. As far as getting home, relax. My Dad's out of town, and Mom let me drive over to the mall. I can get you home in ten minutes."

"Thanks."

"No problem. Now be quiet. I want to watch the rest of the movie."

I sat back and watched the movie. I had definitely lucked out meeting up with Grace, even if I hadn't learned much about how to get back together with her when I was Alan. But now that she and I -- as Alice -- were friends, there was still time for that. The movie ended about 4:30, and we headed out to Grace's car.

"Are you doing anything tomorrow," Grace asked as she pulled out of the mall parking lot.

"No, why?"

"The Alpha Aides -- that's the school's service club -- is having a picnic over at Morton Park. Everybody's invited, and I thought you might like to go."

"I don't know." I wasn't sure about spending a lot of time with my -- Alan's -- classmates. I was sure that somebody would recognize me, or that I'd give myself away. Besides, somehow I didn't feel as confident at the thought of being around a lot of people as Alan would have been.

"You can bring Rick."

Suddenly the idea got a lot more interesting. "I'll see how the date tonight goes," I said, smiling at an excuse to spend more time with Rick.

The car pulled up in front of the house. "I think I'll head back to the mall," Grace said. "If Alan sees me, he might get the idea that I want to get back together with him."

"Don't you?"

"Yes, I really do like him, but I want him to stew for a while more." I giggled at that, even though Grace's actions were really at my - well, at Alan's expense. I grabbed the bag with my new pants from the backseat and got out of the car. Grace started the car and did a U-turn to get back to her own house. Then she stopped, rolled down the window, and added, "Don't forget about the picnic. Alan can give you directions to Morton Park. He can even come, if he wants. It starts at 2."

"I'll try," I said, but she was already driving off.

The house was locked. I guess Aunt Therese wasn't expecting me home so early. I used my own key to get in. There was a note on the table, "Alice, I've gone on an errand. Please leave your new clothes on the table for me to look at." I smiled at that. Let her look. I had done what pretty much she wanted. I put the bag on the table with the receipt and her change next to them.

Then I headed up to get ready for my date. _My_ _date_!?

I stripped down and headed towards my bathroom. I stopped short when I saw Alice's reflection in my new bedroom mirror. I'd seen her body naked every time I changed clothes, but I'd never really done a detailed inspection. I turned this way and that posing her lovely body in ways I remembered from _Playboy_. I was really enjoying myself until I happened to look over towards the clock by my bed. It was almost 5 o'clock.

I ran into the bathroom and started the shower, while I got out a couple towels. I climbed into the shower and began to soap my body. I normally shower in the morning - as Alan, so this was the first time I had showered as Alice. It was surprising how good it felt. I found that my nipples had grown a little tight from the posing, and was trying to be careful as I lathered them. It felt even better. I moaned and closed my eyes, enjoying the sensation for a moment.

I found myself picturing Rick in my mind. I pretended that it was his hands that I felt touching my breasts, kneading my breasts. I felt his hand moving slowly down my body touching my stomach, my navel, then tickling at the edge of my vagina, slowly caressing the lips. I moaned again and began to spread my legs to - What the hell was I doing?

Part of me - the Alice part - was suddenly embarrassed to realize what she was doing to herself. Another part - the Alan part - was embarrassed at finding myself reacting like a girl. It was probably the first time that Alice and Alan had agreed on something.

My hands were shaking as I picked up the soap from where I dropped it and finished washing. My hair got wet when I reached for the soap, so I decided to wash it. If nothing else, it would take my mind off the tingling I still felt throughout my body. I had some shampoo on one of those bathtub shelves. As I lathered it into my hair, I found myself wishing that it was a scented shampoo, not just Head & Shoulders, a little of Alice coming back, I guessed. Well there was nothing I could do about it. I lathered up, rinsed, and shut off the water.

When I got out of the tub, I reached for a towel. But I found myself wrapping it around my hair instead of using it to dry myself. Considering the way my hair was dripping, it seemed like a good idea. I used a second towel to get dry. I found that I had to rub myself more gently than I had when I was Alan. And I had to be particularly careful drying my breasts. They were still sensitive from what I'd done to them. It didn't hurt, it was - well - very _distracting_ when I touched them with the fluffy towel.

I dried myself, then took a third towel and wrapped it around me the way I saw the girls do it in the movies, like a swimsuit from just above the nipples to as far down as the towel would go. I caught myself giggling at the way I tucked the end of the towel in between my breasts. 'So _that's_ how they do it, I thought.

Then I unwrapped the towel from around my hair and used the air blower that Aunt Liz got me for my birthday last year to dry it. It seemed like it took forever. I don't know how girls managed it, but I had to admit that it looked real nice all fluffed out like that, curly and more feminine.

I was just coming out of the bathroom when I heard Aunt Therese. "Alice, dear, I'm home. It's 5:30. You had best hurry if you want to be ready when your young man comes for you."

5:30! I pulled open the underwear drawer and started looking for clean underwear. I found a matching ivory set that Aunt Therese had barely let me buy. She said it was too mature for a young girl like me, but Mariah had argued that every girl had a special set of "grown-up" lingerie. "It makes them feel especially _feminine_," she said, winking at Aunt Therese. I wasn't sure that Aunt Therese was convinced, but she did let me buy them.

I hadn't liked the idea of feeling "particularly feminine" last Sunday. I did now. I was dressing to impress Rick, dressing that way from the skin out. These were my best, my prettiest lingerie. I chose them, like I was choosing everything else because I really wanted Rick to like me.

I slipped into the panties and pulled them up around my hips. They were French cut with a lacy trim, and they made my legs look extra long and sexy. With a week of practice, I had no trouble putting on the bra. My nipples were still a little tender, and the satin felt so very good rubbing against them.

I would really have loved to have a garter belt and stockings, but there was no way I could talk Aunt Therese into buying something that overtly sexy. And last week, when I was just changed and still thinking so much like a boy, I'd cringed when Mariah had suggested a set. I had been thrilled to hear Aunt Therese say "No". Now I wished that she had.

Well, she had allowed for a couple pairs of panty hose. I pulled one out of its egg and sat down on the bed. I scrunched one leg up, again, like I'd seen in the movies or someplace, and carefully put my toes into it. I pulled it part way up my leg, then repeated the process with the other. I pulled them up carefully, I certainly couldn't afford to snag them. Success! I stood up and pulled the top into place at my waist. I could barely feel them when I stood still, but when I walked over to the closet to get a skirt and blouse, I felt little caresses all along both legs.

Then I realized what I was thinking. "Dressing for Rick from the skin out?" Was I planning to let Rick see me in this sexy underwear? NO! I was dressing in them to feel adult and confident as a female, not to feel sexy. Or was I? Was I a transformed boy going out with a friend who didn't really know who I was, or was I a girl going out on a date with a boy that I really liked, and who I wanted to really like me?

I decided to think about it later. Right now, whichever I was, I had to get ready. I took down a light blue sleeveless blouse and put it on. I left the top two buttons undone. It was more comfortable that way, and, a part of me said, it was a lot sexier. I thought about wearing one of the new pairs of jeans, but part of me wanted to look as feminine as possible. One of my skirts was the same color as the blouse. It was a little short, but that only showed off how pretty my legs were. Next came a pair of shoes with two-inch heels.

They were a darker blue than the shirt or blouse, but I thought that they all worked as an outfit. I'd never worn shoes with that high a heel, so I tried walking in them. I wobbled for a minute, but then the same magic that gave me the knowledge of how to act like a girl kicked in. I couldn't run laps in them, but I could walk comfortably. I watched my reflection as I walked towards the mirror. My hips were swiveling in a very feminine manner. It wasn't overly sexy, but it sure wasn't the way a boy walked.

I took a pair of silver earrings from a small tray on my dresser and fastened them to my unpierced ears. Then put a silver and turquoise bracelet on my left wrist. I also fastened a long silver chain around my neck. The chain hung down almost to the top of my breasts. I stared at my reflection for a minute. Should I be trying so hard to make myself look sexy for Rick? I found myself asking this as Alice, a girl who was uncertain about how far she wanted to go in making herself attractive for the boy she was about to date. Alan's male concerns didn't even enter into it. It was weird, but what I was worrying about was whether Rick would like me.

I sat down at the small make-up table in the corner. I pursed my lips and applied a pale pink gloss. Then I added a little blusher on my cheeks. I'd been doing that all week, so I had some practice. What came next was trickier. I picked up some eyeliner, trusting again in Aunt Therese's magic to show me how to use it. The magic was there, and I was able to apply both the pale blue eyeliner and, later, some mascara as if I'd had years of experience. I stared into the small mirror behind the table. I looked -

"Lovely, my dear." I started in surprise. "I didn't mean to startle you, Alice. I just came up to see if you needed any help. It's only a few minutes until 6."

"No, I'm fine, Aunt Therese. It's just that I feel so confused."

"Is Alan giving you a problem?"

"No, and that's part of what's confusing me. Shouldn't I feel embarrassed to be dressing up like this and going out on a date with a boy?"

"No, Dear. Part of the magic is to make you think like a girl while you're Alice. If it helps any, think of Alan as a brother whom you're very close to, rather than as your other self."

"My _real_ self."

"For now, your _other_ self. The spell makes Alice as real as Alan is. Now is there anything else that's bothering you?"

"Well, I'm a little nervous about the date. I want Rick to like me, and I'm afraid that he won't."

"That just proves how real Alice is. You're having the normal reaction of any girl about to go out on her first date. Just remember this: if he didn't like you, he wouldn't have asked you to go out with him. Have more confidence in yourself, dear."

Somehow, I felt better. Aunt Therese had sounded like a friend, not the hateful witch that I had been thinking her to be. She almost sounded like Aunt Liz. I wanted to hug her, but I was still much too nervous. I looked at the clock near the bed. It was 5:55. 'Well,' I thought. 'In for a dime, in for a dollar.' I stood up and headed for the stairs with Aunt Therese right behind me.

Just as the bank clock started to chime the hour, there was a knock at the door. I jumped up and started to run towards it. "Slowly," Aunt Therese said. "You are a lady." I stopped, caught my breath, and walked to the door. It was --

"Rick, um, hi."

"Hi, yourself. Am I early? You did say 6, didn't you?"

"I did." I smiled. "Please come in."

Aunt Therese was suddenly standing beside me. "Yes, do come in. Punctuality is a great virtue."

"Thank you, Ma'am." Rick came in and offered his hand to Aunt Therese. "I'm Rick, Richard Medford, Alice's date for the evening."

"And I am her Aunt Therese." She turned, walked over to a large chair and sat down. She motioned for us to join her. We walked in and sat down on the couch. We made sure to sit a discrete distance apart, but I tried to sit close enough that I could hold Rick's hand if I thought Aunt Therese would approve.

"Now, Richard, tell me a little about yourself."

"Well, I'm a senior at City High. I start at State next fall as a history major. I'm hoping to get into the pre-Law program. I'd like to be a lawyer like my cousin, Joe - um, Joe Medford."

"Yes, I believe that I know the man. He handled part of my cousin Elizabeth's estate. This was her house, you know."

"No. Ma'am, I didn't."

"Yes, she was the one who raised my nephew, Alan."

"I know Alan. In fact, I was wondering where he was."

"I was forced to reprimand Alan for serious misbehavior. He's - what do you children call it - he's grounded until he corrects that behavior."

Rick nodded. He may have sympathized with Alan for being grounded, but right now, his job was to impress Aunt Therese. "Is there anything else you want to know about me?"

"Yes, what are your plans for Alice this evening?"

Rick swallowed. He'd been expecting the question, I guess, but not exactly in those words. "Well, Ma'am, we'll go to Burger King for some supper, if that's okay with her." He looked over to me for approval. I nodded, then looked down quickly.

It struck me that Rick and Aunt Therese were talking as if I wasn't even in the room. Somehow, I felt a little relieved. It felt good to have somebody else planning the evening for me. Rick made the plans and just checked to see if I had any problems with what he wanted to do. And, of course, he was so nice and so considerate that I wanted to go along with whatever he said.

"Then, I thought a movie would be nice. My sister and her friends have been talking about this film RUNAWAY BRIDE, that's come back for a second run at the mall theater. I thought I'd take her to that. You haven't seen it yet, have you, Alice?"

I had and only a few hours before. But I somehow knew that seeing it with Rick would be an entirely different experience then seeing it with Grace. And I _wanted_ that experience. "No, I'd love to see it with you, Rick."

"After the movie, well, I, umm, understand that you want Alice home early, but I thought that we might just go someplace and sit and talk for a bit and get to know each other better. Most of the time I've been with Alice has been in the Library, and you can't really talk there. You can't talk in a movie either. I asked Alice out because I wanted to get to know her better, and this way, we'll have some time to do just that."

It was a good answer, and I was almost convinced. I don't think Aunt Therese was, either. "Talk, eh. Just remember, young man, Alice is to be back home by 11:30. I will not take any problems lightly."

Rick took Aunt Therese's words as the standard sort of parental threat and nodded gravely. I was afraid that if we were late, I'd have a new girlfriend named Rikki to study with at the Library. I reached out and took his hand. "Aunt Therese is very concerned with my welfare, Rick. I really wouldn't want her to be upset because I came home late." I couldn't say any more than that, but he seemed to understand.

Rick put his hand on top of mine. "I understand your concern, Ma'am. Alice is very special, and I wouldn't do anything to make you upset. I'll have her home at 11:30. I promise."

I felt like I was suddenly floating. Rick said I was special! I smiled and squeezed his hand a little.

He squeezed back, and then he looked at his watch. "But if we're going to have something to eat before the movie, we'd better get going." He stood up and offered me his hand. "It was nice to meet you, ma'am."

I stood up. "Good night, Aunt Therese. I'll see you later."

"Have a good time, children, but remember, home by 11:30." Aunt Therese gave me a look that had "Or Else" written all over it. I glanced at my own wrist, glad that I had decided to wear a watch, as we left.

In a few minutes, we were in Rick's car heading for the Burger King. "Boy, your Aunt really laid it on thick back there. She made it sound like my life depended on getting you home on time."

How could I tell him? His life did depend on it. He wouldn't be dead, but he or _she_ certainly wouldn't be the same Rick Medford. "It's just her way of watching out for me, Rick, but she would be upset if we weren't back on time. Please. I have to live with her. Can we try - can we really try - to be home by 11:30?"

"Well, if it means that much to you." He reached out and put his right arm around my shoulders. It felt - it was nice. I slid over a little and snuggled against him. His hand reached down, not to touch my breast or anything, but just to pull me closer. I felt warm, protected - safe. I was actually a bit disappointed when he pulled into the Burger King and parked the car.

We went inside. The place was about half empty, and there wasn't much of a line.

"So what do you want?" Rick said.

"Um, a salad and small diet Pepsi," I said, surprising myself. Normally, I - that is, Alan - would have had a Whopper, fries, and a large Pepsi, but, as Alice, it was hard to even think of eating that much.

"Girls and their appetites." He made a sour face, and then broke into a grin. "Well, I guess you want to keep that pretty figure."

I all but lit up! He thought I was pretty. "If I don't watch it," I repeated the old joke, "then you won't want to, either."

Before he could answer, the counter asked us what we wanted. Rick got my salad and drink, then ordered a Whopper, onion rings, and a root beer for himself. We didn't say much while she got the food ready. Then Rick carried the tray while I walked us over to a booth in the non-smoking area. There were a lot of empty tables, but a booth gave us more privacy.

We sat down and started eating. I caught myself watching Rick once or twice while he ate. He looked up and smiled. "So, how do you like Bradford?"

Whoops. Alice was supposed to be from out of town someplace. I'd grown up here. How do I answer? "I, umm, I haven't really seen much of it. Aunt Therese has kept me on a real short leash."

"Well, I'll have to loosen it a little. I'll give you the grand tour after the movie."

"Will we have time?"

"To tell the truth, It's not that grand a tour. Bradford's a big town. Say, where _are_ you from? You've never talked about it, and Alan never said anything - he never even talked about you."

"Oh, and how often do you talk about your cousins?" With any luck I could change the subject away from me.

"Yeah, I guess I see your point. But where are you from?"

'Think fast, Alice.' I needed something believable. "I'm not from anyplace. We - umm - my Dad's got this dumb job with Dartex Corporation, and we travel around a lot."

"Gee, that's kind of sad." He reached out and took my hand. "Well, for as long as you're here, this is your hometown. Okay?"

I felt tears welling up in my eyes. I stood up, leaned over across the table, and kissed his forehead. His arm reached up behind my head, holding me in place. Then he stood and we kissed again, this time on the lips. It was just a short kiss. We _were_ in a fairly public place and had to sit down. Besides, the position, with each of us on one side of the table, was kind of awkward, but I felt tingly all over.

Rick had kind of a goofy smile on his face. "That was nice," he said.

He picked up the onion rings and held them towards me. "Want one?"

"Thanks." I took one and nibbled on it. I guess we both wanted the kiss, but we were both uncertain what to do -- at least there at Burger King.

"How's your paper coming?" I still wanted to change the subject away from me. "We've worked together every night at the Library, but we've never talked about it. What's it on, anyway?"

"Civics. I'm doing one on Roosevelt - he was the President in the 1930s. He did these chats on the radio, and I'm writing about how the people reacted to them. The books say he got a lot of mileage out of them, putting his ideas out to the people and everything."

"Sounds cool."

"Yeah, I didn't think it would be, but it's kind of interesting. They didn't have TV and the Internet back then. A lot of people got to know him from those talks, and he got a lot of support for his programs."

"You sound like you're interested in government."

"I guess I am. Like I told your aunt, I want to be a lawyer, but I think that it's partly because I'm interested in politics." He took a last bite of his burger. "What's your paper on?"

"That 'Get Out the Vote' thing MTV did in 1992, and how much it helped Clinton."

"So we're both doing papers on communications and politics. It's like we were in the same class or something."

Oops! That was hardly what I wanted him to start thinking. "Yeah, umm, that's what Alan said, too. Aunt Therese, umm, Aunt Therese said that a lot of schools use the same lesson plans 'cause they come with the text books. We shouldn't be surprised about it."

"You should ask about going to the school." He took my hand again. "It' be great to see you every day. Maybe we could even be in the same classes."

"Yeah, but I change schools so much that I just didn't want to do it again. When Aunt Therese offered to let me stay home, I thought I'd try _that_ for a change." I squeezed his hand. "Of course, you do make a good argument for going to the school. Let me think about it, and maybe I'll ask Aunt Therese to enroll me."

"That'd be great - hey look at the time!" He was pointing at a clock on the wall behind me. I turned. It was about 7:20.

"The movie starts at 7:45." He stood and picked up his tray. "We'd better get going." We dropped our trash and trays at the station by the door and headed for the car.

The Burger King was at the edge of the mall, but it took a few minutes to find a parking place anywhere near the outside entrance to the theater. We didn't need to stop for any munchies, but even so, the reviews started just after we took our seats.

Even though I'd seen the movie a few hours before, it was different seeing it now. The movie was just as good the second time, though. From Julia Roberts' ride alone at the start to where they ride off together into the closing credits. I loved the whole thing, but _boy!_ was it different watching it with Rick instead of Grace.

The part of me that was still Alan could appreciate the easy way Richard Gere's character made friends with the whole town. The Alice part could sympathize with the way Julia Roberts' character felt while it was happening. Then I felt something and looked down. Rick was holding my hand.

I looked over at Rick. He looked at me, then down at his hand. He started to take it away. I quickly put my other hand down on top of his, trapping it between my hands. He looked at me again. I was kind of embarrassed at the way I was acting, but I sort of smiled and nodded my head "Yes". He smiled back, a big grin that made me tingle. When I took my other hand away, he left his where it was.

When Richard told Julia the way he'd propose, I sighed - I couldn't help it. Rick squeezed my hand. I felt warm, good, and happy. I leaned over and rested my head against his shoulder. He lifted his arm and put it around me. I sighed again and snuggled in closer.

I think I started to sniffle a little when Julia panicked and left Richard at the altar. Rick leaned down and kissed the top of my head. "It'll work out, Alice. You'll see." He hugged me closer and began to gently rub my arm. It was just like somebody petting a dog or stroking a baby to calm them down.

And I did feel better. Rick kept gently stroking my arm. Then he moved his hand. He - he was stroking my breast now. It was the same slow, gentle motion as before, but the effect was _so_ different. My whole body began to tingle, and my breasts --- my beasts were tinling even more. I could feel my nipples beginning to get hard, to push against my bra. My Lord, it felt so very good that I hoped it would never end.

Rick kept on softly rubbing my breasts for the rest of the movie. I felt myself getting warm all over, especially down in my groin. When Julia got down on her knee and proposed to Richard, I sighed again and squeezed Rick's hand. He lifted his hand off my breast and gently turned my head so I was facing him. He leaned over and kissed me. My mouth was open a little, and I tasted his warm breath. Then his tongue darted into my mouth, teasing my own tongue. I felt my panties get really damp, and it seemed like my skin was on fire from the way it was tingling.

I don't know how long we kissed, but I suddenly heard music swelling. Then, suddenly, the lights went on. The movie was over. We broke the kiss and looked around to see if anybody was watching us. Nobody seemed to be, but I thought that I saw a smirk on the faces of a couple sitting a few feet away.

My face flushed, and I felt like I just wanted to shrink down into the seat and disappear. I had loved what we were doing, but the thought that somebody had _seen_ us doing it - oh, Lord, I just wanted to fade away.

Of course, in the darkness, they may have been doing the same sort of things that Rick and I were. They just hadn't been caught, and _that_ might have been what they were smirking about. (Too bad I didn't think of that until I was home in bed.)

I stood up to move out with the rest of the crowd. Rick stood up a moment later. As he stood up, I noticed a rather large lump in his pants. I felt kind of tingly again knowing that I had done that to him. Then he saw where I was looking and grinned. I looked down, feeling my face flush again. How could Rick smile like that? Then I realized that, even though my head was hung down, I was smiling, too.

Rick put his arm around my waist and steered me through the crowd and back to his car. "Would you like to stop for a soda or something?" He asked as he started the car.

"Maybe, but I'd kind of like that tour of the town you promised me." I really just wanted to be there in the car with him, but I didn't want to say that.

"Let's compromise." He switched lanes and headed for a Long John Silvers fish place just inside the mall. There was a bit of a line, but he got into the drive-through lane. "This way, we can get something to eat and do the tour."

We didn't say much as we moved up in the line. The place had a loudspeaker mounted outside that was blaring '70s elevator music. When we got to the speaker, I got another diet coke and a small fries. Rick got a root beer and large fries. By that time traffic had thinned and we headed straight out of the mall.

"So, what would you like to see first?"

"If I knew that, I wouldn't need the tour, would I?"

"No, I guess not." He took a sip of soda. "Let's see, I guess the Library is out. How about the Green?" He steered south onto N. Main and towards the center of town. "Bradford's named for Colonel Bradford. He was a big hero in the Revolutionary War and owned a big chunk of the land up around here. City Hall was built where his cabin used to be, and - here we are."

We pulled up in front of City Hall, a three-story brick building that I always thought was trying too hard to look like some kind Greek temple or something. "Let me guess," I said. "That's your City Hall."

"Yeah, but that's not the reason why I brought you here. C'mon." He turned off the engine and got out of the car. He came over to my side and opened the door. "I want to show you something."

Rick took my hand and led me into the park across the street from City Hall. "This is the Green. It used to be farmland. Colonel Bradford left it to the town when he died, and they made it into a park. That cannon over there is from the Civil War." He pointed to the old town cannon that, in a bit of irony, was pointed right at City Hall. "When they want to tear down the building for a new town hall, they just load 'er up and _Boom!_, instant urban renewal."

I laughed at the joke, even though - as Alan - I'd heard it years before. Somehow, it was funny when he said it. Then I realized _where_ he was leading me.

We stopped by an oak near the center of the park. "This is the Sweetheart Oak," Rick said. "Col. Bradford planted it for his wife 'cause she liked acorns. Bradford made the city promise to never cut it down. If they do, then the park belongs to some cousin of his or something. They say that if a couple kisses under the tree, then they can hear Bradford and his wife singing to them. Do you, umm, want to try?"

I felt my cheeks flush again. 'Oh, Lord,' I thought, 'he's asking if he can kiss me.' Aloud I quietly said, "Well, I've always liked music."

I leaned back against the tree. I could feel the roughness of the bark through my blouse. Rick leaned forward, resting one hand against the tree. The way he positioned his body effectively trapped me. I felt trapped and _very_ vulnerable. It was scary. But at the same time, it wasn't scary. It felt, it felt nice. Rick was sheltering me, protecting me, as much as he was trapping me.

I felt my body getting warm. Nerves. No, it wasn't nerves, I realized, it was arousal. My nipples felt an inch long as they pushed against, rubbed against the silky fabric of my bra. My groin felt warm and wet and - and empty. I half closed my lips as Rick leaned forward and gently kissed me on the mouth. It felt good, and I moaned slightly as my body reacted to what I was feeling.

"I think I heard something," Rick said.

"So did I, but I couldn't tell if it was music or not."

"They do say that the better the kiss, the louder the music."

I smiled and lifted my arms up around the back of his head, pulling him closer. "Only one way to find out."

The second kiss was longer and deeper; mouths open and tongues playing back and forth. I felt my breasts flattened against Rick's chest. I ground myself against his hardened penis as if trying to form a link, to share the heat she was feeling.

I sighed and broke the kiss.

"Is something the matter. Alice?"

"No," I looked down, wanting to say what I was about to, but embarrassed to admit my need. "It's just that, well, if we're _really_ going to be 'hearing the music', I'd like to do it some place with a lot more privacy than under a tree in the center of town?"

Rick grinned. "Well, I did promise you a tour. I think I know just the sort of place you'd like." He leaned over and kissed me gently. Then he took my hand and led me back to the car.

Morton Park was about ten minutes away, a bunch of green space at the end of town. There used to be a zoo there when I was a kid. They still had a small amusement park -- with a roller coaster even, and picnic grove. But for a lot of the older kids, the highlight was Taylor Point.

The point was on the top of a hill, parking area just north of the picnic grove. If you parked in the last row facing east, you got a great view of the whole town. At night, you could watch the Moon rising over the Nesquehonney Mountains on the other side of the valley. It was a great place to bring a girl for some fun. I'd brought Grace there a couple of times, not that I'm going to say what we did. Now Rick was bringing me there.

I didn't say anything the whole time we rode there. I was trying to decide what to do. My body wanted Rick. Boy, did it want Rick! I was tingling all over just from feeling his hand in mine as we drove. Somewhere, deep inside, though, Alan was still there, and the thought of making love to Rick scared the hell out of him. Part of him - part of me - still thought of himself as a guy, and guys didn't do things like that with guys. And part of him - part of me - was scared that he - that I might enjoy it; enjoy it much too much.

We pulled into the park, and Rick drove straight for the point. There were only a couple of cars there, each parked a discrete distance from the other. We pulled in to a corner spot, and he turned off the engine and the lights. Then he put a CD in the player under the dash and turned it on.

Then he reached over and started to turn _me_ on.

He reached over and undid my seat belt. Then he took my head in his hands and pulled me gently to him. We kissed again, like we had done under the Sweetheart Oak, long and deep. I responded, opening my mouth to let his tongue in. My arms went around his back, pulling him toward me.

While we were kissing, his hands reached down and began caressing my breasts. Bolts of energy, of pleasure shot through my breasts to all parts of my body. Especially down to my groin. It felt warm and moist and, oh, so wonderful.

My own hand reached down to his pants. I found his erection pushing out his pants. I ran my finger along the edge, tracing its shape with my nail. Now it was Rick's turn to moan. His hands stopped caressing my breasts. I was disappointed until I felt him fumbling with the buttons of my blouse.

I could feel his eagerness, and I was afraid that he'd pop one of the buttons. I broke the kiss. The look on his face, his eagerness, I felt proud and happy that I was able to do that to him. And a little embarrassed as I found myself wanting it as much as he did.

I smiled back. I didn't want him to see how eager I was. I looked down and slowly unbuttoned my blouse. When I was done, I took it off. I was about to toss it into the back seat. Then I thought that it might be better if the blouse stayed up front, and _we_ got into the back.

Rick saw my expression, I guess, and the way I was looking at the back seat. "Wait a second," he said, getting out of the car. He came around and opened my door. He was standing so as to shield my body in case anybody was watching. I got out quickly and, just as quickly, got into the back seat. He ran around and got in from the other side.

"Now," he said. "Where were we?"

"About here," I said, kissing him again. When he kissed me, I felt his hands on my bra. He ran a fingernail around the right nipple. The sensation was amazing, little tiny jolts of pleasure ran all through my breast. Then he repeated what he did with my left breast. I moaned and kissed him harder.

I felt him fumbling behind me at the catches on my bra. I was afraid that he'd tear it. Then, before I realized what I was doing, I reached back and unsnapped the bra. Now Rick was really smiling. I took it off and laid it carefully on the floor half under the front seat.

"They're so beautiful -- you're so beautiful," Rick said. He kissed me again. Then he slowly worked his way down, kissing my chin, my neck, down to my left breast. He ran his tongue slowly around the nipple. The rough, moist wet sensation was even better than before. I was tingling all over. My breasts sent a jolt of pure pleasure down to my groin. It felt so hot and wet. I rubbed my legs together trying to satisfy the craving I seemed to feel down there. The feeling just got worse -- or better, because it felt so good. Now Rick was sucking my nipple. His hand gently rubbing the other one. I heard moans as if from a long way off, then I realized that it was me who was moaning.

Suddenly, I felt Rick's other hand. Not on my breast, but on my thigh. His fingers were running along up under my skirt, tickling my legs. I spread my legs apart to give his hand more room. A finger touched my panties. Then another. They moved along, searching for my pussy. They found it and I felt him rubbing it through the material.

He moved the elastic and put his fingers inside them. My pussy was moist and ready. He found it and began running a finger along the outer edge. Then he thrust in two or three fingers and began moving them in and out in steady strokes. His other hand kneaded my breast to the same rhythm. I felt my nipples grow tight and waves of warmth spread out from breast and groin throughout my body.

My hand seemed to have a mind of its own. I found myself reaching down. I felt his prick stiffen under his slacks. I rubbed it a bit. I could hear Alan, a tiny voice in my head, telling me to stop, to remember that I was really a guy. But I couldn't help myself. I ran my finger along the length of his prick. It seemed enormous. I felt panic, but it was the fear of the size of the thing, not any idea of doing something like this with another guy. I giggled at the thought. Another guy? I was a girl, and happy to be one.

Rick's own hips began to move at my touch. I could feel his prick through his pants, stiffening in my hand. I fumbled at the zipper, then at his underpants, to free it. It sprang free, enormous, red, and, oh, so beautiful. I thought about kissing it, maybe even taking it in my mouth, but for once Alan and Alice agreed. Alice was shocked at the boldness of the idea, and Alan still rebelled at the thought of doing _anything_ with another guy's penis.

Then I had another idea, a wonderful idea. I raised my hips and slid my panties and panty hose down my legs. It felt like I was taking off armor, and I shivered a little at my vulnerability. Then I lay back against the corner of the back seat and raised my arms, inviting Rick to come to me. He did. He leaned forward over me. His arm reached down, pulling his pants and his shorts down below his knees. I moved my left leg, so he was between them.

He leaned forward and kissed me again. His arms went around me, so that he was more or less resting on his elbows even as he was pulling me to him. My hand reached down. I found his penis and gently took it in my hand and guided him to me. I felt the nub rub against my vaginal lips, then slowly slide inside of me.

My eyes half closed from the intense pleasure as it filled me. He moved slowly, stopping when his balls were touching me. He held still for a moment, then he began an equally slow withdrawal. I wanted to talk, to tell him how good he was making me feel, but we were beyond that. We were both breathing heavily, panting from the sensations. I moaned and threw my head back. He pulled almost all the way out, and then slid back in.

It was easy; I was loose and very, very wet. He continued, picking up speed. I moved my hips to match his motions. We were thrashing around all over the back seat, grabbing at each other, kissing each other on the mouth, the cheeks. He was sucking on my breast, while I was chewing his ear.

Suddenly he froze, lifting himself off me. I heard a grunt and felt something shooting into me. I heard a scream high and shrill from far away, only it was me screaming. Bolts of purest energy shot through my body until I felt like I was about to just melt down. I grabbed at Rick throwing my arms, my legs around him. I pulled him as close as I possibly could. He was moving again, pumping harder as I struggled to match him.

Then it was over. Over for him at least. He collapsed down on top of me. I felt his penis soften even though he was still inside me. He was breathing hard as if he'd just run a twenty-mile race. I wanted more. He leaned down and kissed me softly on the lips. Then he moved slowly down, kissing my chin, my jaw, my throat, eventually sort of hunching over and reaching my breasts.

It was like doing cool-down exercises after a game of hardball or a session jogging. Oh, my, it felt good. We just lay there on the back seat enjoying the feel of each other's bodies.

Then, off in the distance, I heard the bank clock chime. I counted: 9-10-11. Eleven! We had half an hour to get me home, or that wonderful penis of Rick's would be gone forever. I was sure of that.

I sat up, pushing Rick off me. "Eleven! Rick we've got to go."

"What? Oh, yeah, your Aunt. I promised I'd have you home by 11:30." He reached down and picked up a towel that was lying on the floor of the car, folded up just under the front seat. He kissed me on the forehead and handed it to me. "I'd love to stay here with you all night, but a promise is a promise." He smiled. "Unless you'd like to try to talk me out of it."

I took the towel. "I'd love to try, Rick, but my Aunt, she's - umm - well, she can be very difficult. It'd be better if we tried to get me home - darn it!"

Rick pulled up his shorts and his pants. I used to towel to clean up some of the sticky mess that was leaking out of me. I left it there against my crotch, while I picked up my bra and fastened it around me, carefully adjusting my still tender breasts. I took the towel away, cleaned up the last of the mess, and lifted my butt to pull up my panties and hose. Then I re-fastened my skirt. I re-buttoned my blouse and tucked it into the skirt.

We were presentable enough now, so we got back into the front seats. Rick started the car and we headed back down the hill. A couple blocks from the park, Rick pulled over and turned on the car's interior light, so I could touch up my make-up. We hurried the rest of the way, and Rick pulled up in front of my house just after 11:20.

Rick came around and helped me out of the car. We held hands as he walked me to the door. "Can I see you again, Alice?"

"Oh, yes. Umm - what are you doing tomorrow afternoon?"

"Nothing much. Why, what did you have in mind?"

"I met a girl a the mall this afternoon, Grace - umm, Grace MacAvoy. Do you know her?"

"Yeah, as a matter of fact, I think she dates your cousin, doesn't she?"

"Yeah, but they had a fight. Anyway, she said there's some kind of picnic tomorrow over at Morton Park. She invited me. Do you want to go along?"

"Sure, what time should I pick you up?"

"She said it starts at 2. How about a quarter to?"

"Great."

I looked down into my purse for my keys. Rick took my head in his hand. I looked up at him and he kissed me. It was a gentle kiss, but I was sighing for more. I was hearing bells. It was 11:30.

"Time to go in," I said unhappily.

"Till tomorrow." He kissed me on top of the head. I turned the key in the door, and he started down the steps as I opened the door.

Aunt Therese was waiting inside. "Prompt," was all she said.

"And more," I said smiling. Then I yawned and realized how tired I was. Even if I wasn't going to need sleep to change back, my body had gotten used to going to bed early. "Good night, Aunt Therese." To my surprise - and hers, I think, I gave her a light peck on the cheek. I turned and headed up to bed. I didn't bother to change, just stripped down to my panties and bra. In five minutes, I was happily asleep.

...continued on Sunday