You don't know it, but reality has been shifting about you since you first got a static shock from the Amulet of Zulo. From the fact that you're back in school now for another year, despite the fact that it's supposed to be out for summer, to your brother's odd disappearance. The only thing you are aware of is that you've shrunk down to about five foot seven now and for some reason you keep wanting to do girly things.
Currently, your mind has gone on a trip and you've signed up for the girl scouts. Wondering how you're going get out of this mess, you breathe noisily out your nose and head up to the apartment.
Mother's cooking dinner and Steph is watching a program on the telly. Not wanting your mind to be enveloped in the fog, you head for your bedroom. The Hello Kitty sheets have been removed and replaced with your normal set. The only thing really out of place is the fairy princess costume now hanging up in your closet and the skunk plush that is sitting on your desk.
Lying down on your bed, you try and think about all that has happened, but are unable to come up with an answer. Suddenly you sit bolt up right and dashing to the desk, telling yourself, "Of course, these problems started about the time I found the Amulet of Zulo."
Digging through the five different drawers, you can't seem to find it. Wondering what has happened to it, you see the stuffed animal and angry about all this, you tell it, "This is all your fault."
Slamming the desk drawer, you sit down in the chair. Looking at the skunk plush, you hall off and punch it so that it falls off the desk. Suddenly your mind goes funny and you jump up and pick the creature off the floor and hug it to you, all the while saying, "I'm sorry, mommy loves you," over and over.
Lying down on the bed, you hug the creature and without thinking about it, stick your thumb into your mouth. As you lay there, cuddling the animal, sucking your thumb, you hear someone knock on your bedroom door and then your mother is saying, "Thomas, dinner is ready."
Something about hearing your name brings you back and leaving the skunk on the bed, you head for dinner.
The weeks pass and you keep checking the mail, wondering what to do if mother finds a letter in the box for the parents of Kim Patterson. Eventually the letter does come and along with it is a certificate that gives you half off of the Girl Scout uniform. Seeing this, your mind begins to grow hazy and you attempt to fight it.
In the end, you wind up stuck somewhere in between and collecting your allowance from your room, you head down to the center for the Girl Scouts.
The recruiters say nothing to you, except a greeting, as you purchase the uniform and handbook. Afterward, you head back to the apartment complex. In your room, you shrug off the odd feeling and looking at the uniform, you ask yourself, "What have I gotten myself into."
Looking at the form that was given to you by one of the recruiters, you read it over and are glad when you read, 'Date expected to start'.
Glad that this leaves open a commitment date, you hang the Girl Scout uniform in your closet, next to the fairy princess costume and fold the form up and stick that into the handbook; which you leave on the closet shelf.
As you close the closet door, it comes to your attention that mother is in the kitchen and Steph is watching the telly. Wondering how you missed both of them when you came home, you breathe a sigh of relief that they didn't see you and what you were carrying. Stepping out of your room, you wander into the living room and see that your sister is watching a program aimed toward young kids. For some reason you find that you can't turn away and enraptured by this program, you sit down.
The hazy feeling is back and suddenly you feel out of place. As if witnessing yourself from a great distance, you stand and head for Stephanie's room. There, you take from the drawer a pair of her pink underwear and pair of white tights with hearts on them. From her closet you take a pink skirt, an undershirt and one of her blouses.
Next, you return to your room and start to dress yourself in the clothes you've taken. After you've dressed, you pick up Miss. P.U. and head back to the living room. By now you are so far into a feminine frame of mind, you don't even think what you are doing is strange.
Lying down on the couch with Miss. P.U., you pull a pink Hello Kitty Fleece throw over your body. Lying there, you stick you thumb into your mouth and watch the telly program with Steph.
You must have fallen asleep because you're awoken by your mom saying, "Dinner time. Come and get it while it's hot."
As your sister runs into the kitchen, you brush a strand of long red hair out of your face and feeling the tightness of what you’re wearing, you suddenly recall the odd events of the past hour or two. Realizing how exposed you are, you wrap the blanket around you, tell your mom, "Be right there," and high tail it back to your room.
Telling yourself over and over, "That was really stupid, you could have been caught," you undress and put back on your normal clothes.
Entering the kitchen you sit down and eat. The meal passes in silence and afterward, your mom starts the dishwasher. After that, she begins to get ready for work. You meanwhile are in the bathroom, looking in the mirror. Your not sure why, but you think there is something different about you. The reflection offered is that of a male eighteen year old with pale skin, hazel eyes, medium red coloured hair that goes down past your shoulders and a height of five foot seven.
Unable to figure out what has changed, glad you weren’t caught doing what you did, you exit the bathroom. Your mother greets you with a kiss on the cheek and tells you, "Don't forget to remind Steph to wear her Pull-Up. Her bedtime is the usual nine thirty. Love you, bye," and with that said, she's off to her third shift job.
Heading into the living room, you see your sister watching a telly program. Looking at the clock, seeing it's about seven, you tell her, "Bed time in two and a half hours."
You are just about to leave to go to your room, when Steph asks you, "Thomas, do you want to play with me again, like before. You can be Kim and bring Miss. P.U. if you want and we can play all sorts of games again. And if it's okay, we can sleep together."
Feeling your mind going foggy, you close your eyes and count to ten. Not sure if made a difference, you turn to your sister and brushing a strand of red hair back, you give her your answer.