Edgar stopped when he thought he saw something on the ground. Reaching down to pick it up, he thought at first it was some kid's costume jewellery. But then seeing the word stamped on it, the image on the front and the back, he smiled. Plans of revenge coming to mind, the nineteen year old stuffed the Amulet of Zulo in his pocket and hurried on his way, thinking his flatmate needed to hear about what he'd found and what they could do with it.
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Sitting at the table in the small apartment he shared with his best mate since before kindergarten, Mark stared at the application to the local community college. It was his hope that applying to college he could get a fresh start on his life, as all through junior and senior high him and Edgar had continuously bullied and ridiculed by nearly everyone. But now, a year after he and his best mate had graduated, gone on to get an apartment, separate jobs, they were still struggling to get out of the shadow of being known as the two weenie dorfs who were likely butt plugging each other in private.
The last bit wasn't true, but was something a particularly nasty jock named Declan had started spreading about late in junior high. And it had stuck, pretty much guaranteeing neither of them would get a date. But now, now he was sure that there was a way to definitely get away from it all by going to college, bettering himself, and getting a fresh start where people didn't know him or the things people whispered about him and Edgar.
A sigh escaped him and he began to re-read the information printed on the paper application as he forced his mind away from the negativity of the last nine or so years. Checking a box, he skipped down to a different question and began to read what it was asking for. Having only gotten a couple lines in, he nearly jumped when Edgar suddenly came running in, clutching a plastic bag from a local department store and an excited look on his face. Watching as his flatmate dumped the bag on the only counter in the kitchen, Mark listened as his friend exclaimed, "Dude. You are never going to believe what I found. It is literary the answer to all our prayers," and before Mark could say anything, Edgar reached into his pocket and fished out a grubby-looking bronze medallion on a chain that might have also been bronze coloured at one time, but was now more a green shade.
Curious and leery about the thing his friend dropped on the table, he started to reach for it, hesitated and instead said, "Umm, how is a piece of jewellery supposed to do anything?"
"It's not just any old piece of jewellery," Edgar exclaimed and pointing at his, he announced, "This is the Amulet of Zulo. I've read about this in number of magazines and books. And until I saw it, I thought it was something made-up. But now. Now, I do not believe so. And if it does what the stories and articles claim, dude, this is out ticket to so much. Like popularity. Or even the fresh start you think you can get by going to college."
Unable to believe what he'd been told, Mark continued to look at the amulet on the table as he asked, "So, what? One of us puts on this necklace and suddenly everyone thinks we are cool?"
"Nah," Edgar immediately replied. "It's more than just that," and before his friend could say anything, he launched into an explanation of what the Amulet of Zulo could do, followed by his plan for revenge against a Declan and his jock, crony friends for what they had done in junior and senior high.
After the nineteen year old had finished, Mark sat in silence, thinking of what he had been told. Thinking it all sound incredulous, he said after a moment, "I have my chance at a fresh start," and indicating the application, he added, "As soon as I finish this one, I am going to start on a second one. But I am hoping to go to the local community college, where I can study computers for two years before I transfer to a four-year university, where nobody knows me, and where I can reinvent myself."
"You know that Declan and his friends got accepted at that college," Edgar said and seeing the look on his friend's face, he pushed on. "It's why I didn't apply there. They all have a free ride, courtesy of a series of football scholarships and their daddies' money."
Crestfallen, his hopes and plans crashing down, Mark glanced at the application he'd been working on, and then pushed it away. No longer wanting to go to the local community college if Declan and his neanderthal friends were attending, he considered tearing up the application and starting on another.
As if sensing what his friend was thinking, Edgar quietly said, "Hey. If this amulet does what I think it does, you can still attend, we can have our revenge against Declan and the others, and maybe for once experience a taste of popularity. Maybe finally get to go to a party."
The whole plan of his friend's sounded questionable, and Mark could see any number of ways it could go wrong. After a moment, he asked, "What if we are caught? Do you know what those types of guys do to those of us who even think, let along carry out, the sort of plan you are suggesting?"
"Yeah, I do," Edgar stated. "But it will be worth it if we can get them to go all the way, as I plan to take photos."
Still unsure, Mark glanced at his friend, back to the necklace, thinking. As he did this, Edgar explained, "I plan to go through with this. If you do not want to, that's cool. But, I do not know about you, but I am sick of people like Declan and the damage they can do. It is time for them to be brought down a peg or two. And with the Amulet of Zulo, I can do exactly that. I would like you to be there with me. But, if you do not want in on it, it's cool. I can understand."
Thoughts about how Declan and his friends and others like them should be put in their placed, showed for the cretins they really were, danced through Mark's head and after a moment, he asked, "What do we do? Just put it on and tell it what to do? Make a wish?"
A quick slap to his forehead and Edgar said, "Derf. I forgot the most important part," and going to collect the bag he had left on the counter, he explained, "See, it's like this. We each hold the amulet and a article of clothing. Touching the two together, we make sure they are touching exposed skin. From there, we should turn into girls, more specifically, female versions of ourselves, since we will be touching something that hasn't been worn by anyone else," and reaching into the bag, he tossed to garments onto the table.
Reaching for them, thinking they might be underwear, he gazed at the white floral pattern on the blue pair, noted the tag said the style was a bikini brief and that there was an S/M printed on the back of the cotton panties, which he guessed was the size. Picking up the other pair, which were white with a splash of rainbow lines over it, he didn't know if it was underwear or what, as it had a triangle section that tapered down into a thin piece that eventually became another, but smaller, triangle that had sequin design of a butterfly. Connecting the two triangle pieces together were a series of thin, elastic straps that were bright pink and blue, which he guessed would sit high on the girl's hips or waist. Dropping the garment on the table, even as he noted the cardboard tag attached to it stated the size as M, he looked at Edgar, and asked, "So we each touch a garment, then what? Go about in nothing but a pair of girl's panties?"
"I have other things," Edgar answered. "Do not know the first thing about buying girl's clothes, so I guessed, going by what I saw most of the popular girl's wore," and setting the bag on the table, which Mark could see had other things in it, Edgar took a seat, clearly waiting.
Mark, still hesitant, and not wanting to be a girl, thought for a moment before asking, "How long will we have to be like this. Cause, no offense, I do not want to be the opposite sex and gender."
"Only until we get our revenge," Edgar replied without a pause. "We transform ourselves, pretend to be girl's get out revenge, and some pictures, turn back, and go from there. Trust me. It will all work out. Nothing will go wrong. Nobody will suspect we were behind this. And we will finally get back at Declan and his cronies."
The plan still sounded questionable to Mark, but at the same time he could see the merits of what his friend was telling him. Thinking it over a bit longer, he again reached out and picked up the skimpy garment. Feeling the soft cotton in his hand, he reached out with his other hand and picked up the Amulet of Zulo. Taking a couple deep breaths, he glanced at Edgar, and then, before he could change his mind, touched the two together, making sure they also touched his hands in the process.