Cheddar moped around the stall that Spencer had set up behind his parents' garage. He munched on the trough filled with oats, and slurped some water between chewing his cud. He could hear muffled voices in Spencer's house. Then it was quiet. Chad went to sleep standing up.
In the morning, Cheddar woke with wet dew on his back.
"Oh, she is a fine animal, Spence," a woman said, "I'm sure she'll be a good milker, and you will ace your project." There was a hesitation in her voice. She continued, "But you cannot go around making your classmates disappear. I phoned Cheddar's mother this morning, and explained that you were having a sleepover."
"Mooo?"
"Oh, you're awake, dear. Your mother was far more understanding than most mothers would be about their daughter spending the night with a strange boy-"
"MOOO!"
"Oh," Spencer's mother said, "Oh," she said again. "Well, Spencer, I -uh, well since the boy is a were-cow, I guess I can still have grandchildren," she said awkwardly.
"Moo!"
"Cheddar, calm down. Mother dear, you're getting ahead of yourself," Spencer said.
"Well, Spence, you do know that in order for your - boyfriend to give milk- she needs to be mated with a bull, and I assumed you would minotaur out to do that."
"Well, yes, but I never said anything about grandchildren," Spencer replied.
She shook her head, "What do they teach in sex ed? Did you think because he was- and I repeat was- a boy that he couldn't get pregnant as a cow?"
"Well?" Spencer didn't want to admit that he hadn't thought about it one way or the other.
"In any case, he cannot miss school on Monday. So you do what you have to do with your project today and tomorrow, but Monday morning, Cheddar is going to be human again - at least until the next weekend," she said firmly.
"Alright, but I didn't cast the spell to be reversible, mother," he laments.
"Well, that's what mother's are for, I guess. Perhaps, I'll change him back Sunday night, so he can have dinner with your father and us?" she said.
"Father? You're not going to tell him about Cheddar?"
"Now, son, you know he will be happy that you found a young man who loves you enough to let him turn him into your cow."
Spencer swallowed. He didn't want to admit that he had tricked Chad. He just shrugged and frowned.
"Well, you should get Cheddar cleaned up, she needs a good brushing, and without hands, you cannot expect her to curry herself."
Cheddar lowed softly as he felt the curry brush in Spencer's hand ride across his/her left flank.
After his mother left, Spencer started muttering to himself. "Damn, they'll probably expect us to get married now. I never, well, maybe I kinda. You are or were one hot stud Chad, but I never. Well, never thought I had a chance, and damn you make such a sweet cow.
Chad wandered around the fenced backyard munching on the high grass and wildflowers. He heard footsteps behind him, and expected to hear Spencer's voice. Instead it was Spencer's mother.
"Cheddar, I just wanted to let you know how happy you've made Spencer. I hope you two will be very happy together. Now come over here and eat these berries, they will help with you becoming a werecow," she says. You keep chewing. She adds, "So you can be human again." Chad hears her rattling the berries in a bucket.
"Moo?" you say turning.
The berries are yellow-green and speckled with white and brown spots like birds had pooped on them.
"Moo?"
"Yes, Cheddar, eat!"
"Moo."
Cheddar ate all the berries.