There was a long silence on the other end. Then, at last, Paul took a deep breath and said, "Okay, I believe
you. This is crazy, and I don't think I want to believe you, but I believe you."
"So you'll change me back?" Tim said.
"Look, Tammy, I--"
"Don't call me Tammy," Tim snapped.
"Okay, uh, Timmy..."
"Don't call me that, either!"
Paul let out a frustrated groan. "Tim? Can I call you Tim?"
"Please," Tim said.
"Okay, Tim.," Paul said. "Look. I'm not sure I'm really comfortable turning you into a boy. I mean, I've known
you for most of my life, and as far as I remember, you've always been a girl. It's just too weird to think
about you being a boy."
"You're not comfortable?" Tim shouted. "How do you think I feel? I'm wearing a pink shirt! I'm wearing a
freaking bra, for cripes sake!"
"Tammy?" a voice came from upstairs. "Is everything okay?" Tim froze. It was his mom's voice. He'd assumed he
was alone in the house, since he hadn't seen or heard anyone else, but clearly he was wrong.
"I'm, uh, I'm fine, Mom," Tim yelled. Then he whispered harshly into the phone, "Paul!"
"All right, Tammy," Paul said, "I'll--"
"Don't call me Tammy!" Tim shouted.
"Why don't you want me to call you Tammy, dear?" Tim's mom yelled.
"Sorry, Mom," Tim called back, "I wasn't talking to you. I'm on the phone."
"Oh, all right, sweetie," his mom said.
"Paul, turn me back," Tim whispered into the phone through gritted teeth, "or I'll tell everyone what you have
in the box under your bed."
"You wouldn't!" Paul cried.
"I would," Tim said.
Paul sighed. "Okay, I'll see what I can do. Jeeze. It's that time of the month, isn't it, Tammy?"
"Paul!" Tim snapped.
"You're always such bitch when you're--"
"Box. Under. The bed," Tim snarled.
"Right," Paul said. "But... um... you should probably try to get comfortable with being a girl, Tammy. It
might take a few days, maybe even a few weeks, to find a spell to fix you."
"A few weeks?!" Tim yelled.
"Tammy, are you sure you're all right?" Tim's mom said.
"I'm fine, Mom," Tim shouted. Then, whispering, "A few weeks? Paul, I can't stay like this for a few weeks. I
don't know the first thing about being a girl."
"I'm sorry, Tammy," Paul said.
"Tim!"
"Tim. Sorry. Look, I'll see what I can do, but you have to realize, it took me years just to decipher that
first spell. I'm making progress, but I'm no miracle worker. So you're going to have to suck it up and live as
Tammy until I can find another spell to help you out."
Tim groaned. A few weeks as a girl... it sounded awful. But what choice did he have?"
"Fine," Tim said wearily. "Just work as fast as you can. If you don't find a way to turn me back, I'm going to
steal that book and turn you into Paris Hilton."
"Oh God, no," Paul said. "I'll get to work right away."
"You'd better," Tim sighed. "I'll talk to you later, man."
He hung up the phone. Looking dejectedly down at his pink t-shirt and short-shorts, at the bracelet he'd
noticed on his wrist and his red tonenails, he realized it was going to be a long few weeks.