It was bad enough that the hairs they were normally predisposed to grow could no longer be shaved off, but as they slept, additional hairs formed so each follicle would soon be producing 3-5 hairs. This tight grouping would flatten the individual hairs, forcing them into wiry curls.
Jennifer awoke, a strange tickling sensation covering her body. Tiny hairs, about two millimeters long had appeared on her hands and arms. Very soft, like velvet, she thought, as she ran her hands over the fuzzy growth, but so dense that it almost hid the skin. She removed her pajama top and saw that the same thing had happened to her torso, though the fuzz on her breasts and chest was now about a half a centimeter.
“Mmmm…Jen?”
“Oh, Lisa, look at m-…oh Lisa…”.
Only a few bits of skin could be seen just in front of the Greek girl’s ears. It was no longer just fuzz, but hair that was beginning to curl. A few wiry hairs also appeared on the upper corners of her mouth, and the fuzz…still fuzz…on her cheeks and chin had gotten thicker.
“Morning Jen…Jen, you’re definitely fuzzy. How do I look?”
Fearing what they would find, they went to the bathroom.
Jennifer’s face wasn’t as obvious as Lisa, but the growth was thicker on her cheeks. They were both developing unibrows and a thin layer of fuzz appeared between their eyebrows and their hairline.
Lisa’s arms and torso had the same growth that Jennifer did, but the bluish-black growth had darkened her skin by several shades.
The girls pulled down their pants.
Even though Lisa’s pubic hair was only half a centimeter long, it had already begun to curl, and was so dense that her lower abdomen appeared to have been covered with a black mat of Velcro. Her legs too, had gotten darker.
Jennifer noticed that her pubic hair had darkened to a sandy beige. It was starting to curl like Lisa’s and covered a larger area – all the way to her fuzzy belly button.
“You know, Jen. It’s Thursday. We don’t have to go to school for the rest of the week if we don’t want to.”
That was so unlike Lisa that Jen immediately put her arm around the girls waist in a gentle squeeze.
“I know,” she whispered. “But Lisa, this is going so fast. In four days…we want people to see us before then, right?”
Jennifer had a good point.
They walked to the bus stop, thankful that it was a seasonably cool New England November day. Only their faces were visible. Katie was already there. The three girls hugged each other.
“How bad is it for you guys,” asked the freshman.”
Jennifer took off her glove to show Katie her fuzzy hand and wrist. “I just noticed this growth this morning, but we have fuzz all over our bodies,” she whispered. “How about you?”
“Nothing yet, but I only got a light dose. Kelly though…had she always been eating seconds on spaghetti night?” Jen and Lisa shared a look. Kelly’s metabolism had been a source of envy for many a girl at East Hampton. She could eat everything in sight and not put on ounce.
“Yes!”
Katie sighed. “We won’t be seeing her again. I dunno what happened, but she’s gonna be homeschooled.”
Kelly was only a junior…but still a double-dose?
“We have to visit her, guys,” said Lisa.
Sean Preston, a junior, approached them. “Uh…good morning. Are you…okay?”
Jen rolled her eyes. She knew that he was just concerned, but being so awkward…well at least he’s trying, she chided herself.
“We could be better.”
Sean nodded stiffly. “They didn’t really say anything – but with Cromarte being arrested, and you guys being out, it didn’t take much to figure what was going on…well, I’m really sorry.”
He said this as he was staring, while trying to look as if he wasn’t staring, at the fuzz on the Lisa and Jen’s faces. He put out his hand. Jennifer gently took his hand and brought it to her face.
“You feel that, Sean? Do you feel that? It’s gonna get worse. A lot worse.” She smiled at the young man bitterly. “But thanks for your concern.”
That pretty much summed up the whole day. There was no open hostility. There were whispers the girls overheard: “poor thing…,” “just awful,” “sucks to be them.”
Mostly though, it was just stares. Or worse, averted faces.
“You girls were drugged, and yet you came back after just two days. I like that kind of dedication.” The principal had called the seven girls that had showed up into his office for the final period of the day. Of the seven, it was obvious that Lisa and Jennifer had been the most affected…but except for Katie, all were producing the hormone.
“The state and federal prosecutors are filing charges as we speak if we haven’t done so already. One count each of importing illegal substances and possession on behalf of the United States, and the state prosecutor will be charging Miss Cromarte with twenty counts each of aggravated battery, reckless endangerment of a minor, and assault.”
Well deserved, thought Lisa.
“We expect her to plead guilty, or at least nolo contendre.” He saw five confused faces. “Nolo means that ‘I do not wish to contend,’ you throw yourself on the mercy of the court. We want all of you girls to testify at the sentencing hearing, if it goes to a full criminal trial, you’ll get a notice to appear, probably in a week or two”
The cheerleaders were disappointed, but not surprised to learn that the cheerleading program had been suspended indefinitely. That there would be a swimming program beginning in January did not mitigate their disappointment in the least.
Yeah, right, thought Jennifer. Sign me up for that.
“Girls, most of the students at this school are decent…if perhaps a bit shallow. But if anybody harasses you about your appearance, I want to know about it. Okay, you are free to do what you want…within reason mind you…for the rest of the day.”
Since there was only twenty minutes before the final period ended, they simply collected the homework they missed over the past two days. The seven girls agreed to call the other thirteen and see about setting up a meeting on Saturday or Sunday.
“It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be,” said Jennifer as she received the umpteenth sympathetic shoulder squeeze from a passerby that day.
“Yeah, well, for the most part we’re still two gorgeous babes, girlfriend,” said Lisa, a bit cynically as they boarded the bus. “We ain’t out of the woods by a long shot.”