Jen quickly got dressed and raced down to the kitchen. Her parents were already gone but Rick was sitting at the table going over what needed to be done on the grounds. He had come to Glendale seven years ago and Jen's parents had hired him to do odd jobs around the estate. Now he had a crew of six people to do the odd jobs and he supervises them. She really liked him since he always took the time to talk to her if she needed it. "Morning Jen," he said looking up from the work list.
Jen smiled and said, "Morning Rick. When did you get here?"
"Well I heard you slam the phone down and run to your room," Rick said with a smile. "Why are you in a hurry?"
"I'm running late," Jen explained pouring herself a glass of orange juice and quickly drinking it. As soon as she finished her whole body started tingling.
"Relax Jen you're not running late," Rick said chuckling.
"I woke up late and the clock in the hall says I'm late," Jen said shocked that Rick would be so calm.
"The batteries in the hall clock are dead and I'm guessing you were half asleep when you set your alarm last night," Rick said smiling at Jen. His smile faded and he asked, "Are you feeling ok Jen?"
"Just my whole body tingling since I drank my orange juice," Jen said shrugging. "Why?"
"Well your skin is turning orange," Rick said looking worried. "You sure you're not ill."
Jen looked down at her hands and screamed in horror at what was happening. She was indeed orange and thinking back to what Kyle said she knew that she was turning into orange juice. "It's... it's the curse," she said with wide eyes, "it's real."
"How were you cursed?" Rick asked with a note of urgency to his voice.
"Kyle said my body would turn into the next liquid or semi-solid I touched excluding my own bodily fluids," Jen said shaking her head as if that would make it go away. "He also said that I would be able to change my size and shape."
"Take your clothes off quickly before you completely become liquid and your clothes start absorbing at least part of your body," Rick said trying to remain calm.
"Oh shit," Jen said as she quickly began to undress right in front of Rick. She wasn't embarrassed by him seeing her naked since he had to help her into a bath after a particularly grueling cheer practice. He never made any kind of move on her and during their talk he had confessed that he had thought that he might be gay since he liked to imagine a guy pounding his ass. Jen hadn't been fast enough and her panties and socks had started to absorb some of her. "What am I going to do now?" Jen asked plopping down in a chair and putting her head on the table. "I'm a freak now thanks to Kyle. I can't go to school like this."
"I'll call you in sick and I'll help you through this," Rick said getting up and going into the hall. After a few minutes he came back into the kitchen and said, "Well school's taken care of for a couple days. How are you holding up?"
Rick had put his hand on her shoulder and didn't remove it for which she was glad. He was concerned about her and didn't shy away. When she looked up she could see the concern in his eyes but nothing of the curiosity that others were sure to have. She smiled a bit and said, "Well probably better than what I should be. I think that's because you're here with me." Jen was silent for a moment then brightening up she said, "I could give you the curse and then you can change me back to normal. After that I can make Kyle pay for this."
Rick had been shaking his head and said, "That won't work."
"Why won't it?" Jen asked not seeing why it wouldn't.
"Because you can't curse the person who cursed you without cursing some else and receiving it back," Rick said looking down. "If you could just turn it around like that people wouldn't be playing the game for fear that something worse could be done to them immediately."
"How do you know that?"
"I decided to research the curse when I moved here and heard about it," Rick said looking up with a little smile. "Besides it just makes sense for that rule to be there."
Jen felt like she was about ready to break down as she said, "So Kyle won't be punished unless I curse someone else and hope they or someone else gets Kyle."
"I have an idea on that," Rick said with a little smile.
"What is it?" Jen asked perking up a little.