Lisa lived in the medium sized blue house next to Cory's two story yellow one. Her yard was separated from Cory's by a hedge which ran perpendicular to the street, planted rather close to his house. Lisa's house sat at the far end of the yard.
As dusk fell on the two houses, Lisa, busy raking some September leaves, heard a rustle in that separating hedge. She looked over, squinting in the increasing darkness. Lisa gripped her rake and began to move toward the bushes, toward what looked like a pair of legs sticking out of the top. Lisa narrowed her eyes in confusion and jogged across the wide lawn to get a closer look.
"Cory? Is that you?" Lisa called out.
Lisa's concern turned to confusion when she saw a pair of plastic girl's legs sticking out of the five-foot tall bush. She glanced up to Cory's second story bedroom window, wondering if the placement was a coincidence. She pulled on Cory's legs, gradually freeing him from the hedge. Lisa tugged on the blue dress and grabbed an arm, freeing Cory's head as she pulled him over into her yard. She set the doll on the ground to examine it.
"It looks like one of those Japanese life-size dolls." Lisa mumbled. The power returned to the neighborhood, and a street light afforded Lisa a closer look at the doll.
"And it looks like Cory.... weird."
"Oh, today's timing has been perfect." Cory thought sarcastically. Involuntarily, he rolled his plastic eyes. Cory's mind began to race. Was he beginning to revert on his own, or was the renewed electricity allowing the machine to change him back to normal?
Lisa noticed the eye movement, but didn't think anything of it. "These things are expensive." Lisa thought. "Let's get you inside so I can figure this out", she said.
Lisa grabbed a plastic hand and put her arm around the doll's waist, her rake and remaining chores left for tomorrow. She carried Cory in through the back door and took him straight into her bedroom. Lisa turned the light on to examine the curious item further.
"Wow, this really does look like Cory. Hmmm..."
Lisa and Cory were friends, though they had not grown up together. She had moved there with her parents about seven years ago, though, so she knew Cory well enough. They saw each other in school and though she felt attracted to him, he had never been confident enough to give her any signals. Lisa was actually fond of Cory's softer looks. She had never felt comfortable with the school athletes or the guys who drove around in the cars their parents' money had purchased for them.
Surprised at herself, Lisa found the idea of a cross-dressing Cory to be even more appealing. Before she could think it through, she kissed the doll quickly on the lips, giggling to herself. Embarrassed, she blushed a bit. "Geez, what am I doing? I have to figure out what this thing is."
Cory, for his part, felt a little more human. His glassy eyes roved around, taking in the contents of Lisa's room. She had a computer much like his, set in a corner. Her bed, which Cory now sat on, was placed in a corner against two walls. Various anime and manga populated her shelves. Cory didn't know he and Lisa had so much in common. He suddenly felt life return between his legs, which gave him renewed hope for his condition. He was technically a boy again, and he was in Lisa's bedroom! The idea made him excited and nervous at the same time. Cory blinked, and his mouth twitched.
Cory squeaked out a single word. "Lisa!"