Katie was already having second thoughts, and had started out after Sarah, but she was too late. The bus was already pulling away. She ran back home and got into her car, but all the buses looked alike, and she realized that Sara was not on the bus that she had followed out to the Eastside.
Meanwhile, Sara got off the bus with a transfer at the Miiddlebury Stop to drop off the new jockstrap with Ramon.
"Mi hijo, I just got off the bus, where can I see you?" she asked into her cell phone.
Two minutes later they met in front of the gym. He was sweating from working out in the weight room.
"Hey, Ma!" boomed the nearly 7 foot giant, "Whatcha doing here?"
"Got a present for you, Ramon," she handed him the new jockstrap.
"Ma, you shouldn't have the old one's not that bad. I'll pay you back," Ramon promised.
"No need. This is a gift from Mrs Post."
"Just this morning, she promised to get you an athletic supporter because she supports athletes," she laughed, "And the clever old woman got one of her neighbors to pick one up for you while I was preparing her meals."
"Well, tell Mrs. Post thank you for me," said Ramon, "I'll go put it on right now and get back to working out."
"Well, you do that. I have to get to work at Mrs. Tyler's. See you tomorrow."
Ramon headed to the locker room. He passed the coach.
"Hey, Vasquez, you're supposed to be in the weight room."
"I was coach. Ma stopped by with a new jockstrap, so I thought I'd put it on and break it in."
"Break it in?"
"Yeah, like a baseball glove. I wear it for a few weeks straight to break it in."
"That explains why your old one is so ratty. Glad you got yourself a new one."
Wear me a few weeks straight? thought Jeff in a panic. He had read in the manual that articles of clothing being worn when the transformation automatically extended the length of the transformation. A two day transformation would stretch to four, and if he was still being worn, it would extend four days, and so on. If he was worn for 21 days, the transformation would extend to (2+2+4+8= 16 days) but if Ramon took him off, it wouldn't be until the 32nd day he would turn back. A month as a jockstrap. He shuddered. After the 21st day, Ramon might wash him and wear him for another 2 weeks. It might be months or years before Jeff was human again, if ever. Katie! How could you do this to me!
Katie had returned home and talked to Mrs. Post. She was now driving to Mrs. Tyler's, even as Ramon was stepping into Jeff.