Karl was confused.
He'd thought that Transform and Dare worked of its own accord, without outside influences, so it was with befuddlement and increasing alarm that he's heard about the arrest, and the cheerleading squads being sent home for the week.
Karl had gone through his freshman year as a bit of the laughingstock. The prototype geek, he'd suffered excruciating torment at the hands of the East Hampton Hyenas's defensive backfield and linebacker corps.
It hadn't bothered him as much as Jennifer Smith's betrayal. She had actually sought him out and invited him to take her to the junior prom last year. He couldn't believe it: a scrawny geek being invited to the prom by a girl who was, if not the most beautiful girl at East Hampton, definately in the top five.
She'd even kissed his forehead and hugged him as he agreed.
When the time came, his father had rented out a limousine for him to use. In a rented tux, he strode up the driveway of the opulent Smith home...only to be quite snidely turned away by Mrs. Smith.
"Jennifer's boyfriend picked her up half an hour ago. I could not imagine why she would talk to you. Good evening," and quickly shut the door.
It got worse. Jennifer told her friends that Karl had presumed to ask HER of all things, as if she'd even give him the time of day. Within a week after the prom, Karl was a "man" in disgrace.
Now, six months later, his plan for revenge seemed to be getting out of hand. Some of the girls that would be affected were just ordinary people, innocent of any harm to him. The harsh reality hit him hard when his father had come home looking very sad.
"I'd examined five of the girls today," he'd said at the dinner table. "Four of them have been taking exotic hormones for at least a year. They're going to change...it's not going to be pretty for them."
Karl had called Jennifer just after eight...but he found out that the arrest of Coach Cromarte had taken place three hours earlier.
Even if the call had happened later, Karl knew full well that he was in danger...if indeed Transform and Dare was real. The curse was now Jen's to pass on...did she know that, or had she simply passed it off as a coincidence...an astronomically improbable coincidence but a coincidence nonetheless? It had also occurred to Karl that while he had given Jennifer a way out, that escape was not necessarily open to the rest of the afflicted girls.
There was nothing for it but to get back in touch with Jennifer, and hope that her mind was too preoccupied with cursing him, or operating on the assumption that she was compelled to believe what he would say.
"Tennouheika Banzai!" Karl chuckled wryly to himself as he dialed Jennifer's phone number.
"Er, oh hi Mrs Smith, may I speak to Jennifer please?"
"She's at her friend's house, I can give you her number. I'm on my way right now to pick her up."
Jennifer and Lisa had just stepped out of the bathroom when Carol came rushing up to them.
"Jen," she said, "your mother is coming to take you and Lisa shopping in the city so that she can see you both..." she choked a second before finishing with, "...one last time, before bringing you back to live with me."
Jen's stomach churned with mixed emotions. She was going to live with her best friend...and her mother had just rejected her like a bad budget?
"That's...that's wonderful Carol. She hugged the older woman silently.
The phone rang. "Just a minute," said Carol. "Jennifer, it's for you. Some young man," she said with a smile.
"Hello?"
"Jennifer," said a low voice. "Hey, it's Karl. Look....Jesus....I'm sorry, I had no idea."
"K-..." She rushed into the bathroom.
Karl continued. "Look, Jennifer, I don't know if what I said yesterday is a very weird coincidence or not. I certainly didn't mean for anyone else to be affected...but Jen, the escape clause only applies to you. I need you to pass it back to me...if it really works, I can rectify the situation somewhat. T&D me, and then dare me to T&D you. When I do, wait for one minute."
She did so without thinking.
"Jennifer, your transformation will continue as before, but the escape clause is open to anyone who ingested the hormones. Jennifer, you will never again be affected by Transform or Dare after I hang up. This curse is too dangerous, so it dies with you. The dare is that you will never again say Transform or Dare, and anyone who mentions it to you, you will assure that it is just an old wives tale. Finally you will remember only that I called to offered my sympathy, and that I have nothing to do with what happened...becaue it was only hormones; but of course you and your friends SHOULD find a man who will love you for what you really are."
He paused, hesitating. "Jennifer, I really mean that," and he hung up.
"What was that all about," asked Lisa.
"That was...Kyle Perkins, just calling to wish us well."
"Karl? Ka-? Was he the..."
"No, that was just an old wives tales. It's hormones, not a curse."
Lisa's face fell. "So we really have no hope?"
"Lisa, we always have hope. We still need to find a man who will love us."
Lisa's face did a 180. "So that means he won't be affected!"
"How would he, it's not like these things are contagious!"
Lisa sighed with relief. "Cool!"
The two girls turned as they heard a knocking on the door.
US DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES - Manhattan
"So what do we have on East Hampton, John?"
John shook his head. "Coming to you direct from the subcontinent, Bovine-Human Growth Hormone Combo-12!" He handed to sample and lab report to his supervisor. "Guess these girls are screwed?"
"Carefull with that, Johnny, it can be absorbed through the skin! I hope you wore gloves. Yeah, they're in for a rough time. I guess I'd better notify the girl's physicians.