Grandfather Clock

Pulling her black cape about her shoulders, Melly frowned when a second, more insistent knock sounded.

"Please, please, you, you have to do something," Kelli Bernard sobbed, entering the room. "I, I can't, there's no way I can go on like this."

"Kelli, you were told what you need to do," Court said, pulling her sparkling white cape about her shoulders.

"I, I got a thirty on my Algebra test," Kelli sobbed, hiccoughing now.

"What? And how, how is that our fault?" Melly asked.

"Yeah, I just changed your outsides; you're just as smart as ever inside," Court agreed.

"I, in the past, I, I was able to get a better grade by...by...you know, by um," Kelli confessed and pantomimed performing oral sex.

"Ooooh!" Melly said, recognition dawning.

"But the way I look? Dr. Barnes said wasn't no way he'd even risk..." Kelli sobbed. "And if I fail Algebra, I can kiss my scholarship goodbye."

"Go get your notebook and your test, go get all your tests," Melly ordered.

"Why? You, you going use your magic on them?" Kelli asked hopefully.

"No," Melly laughed. "No. We're going to go over them, see what you're missing."

By suppertime, Kelli was beginning to grasp Algebra. Flinging her cape aside, Melly rewrapped her single scarf around herself. Court did the same, smirking as Kelli blushed a hundred shades of red while the two women dressed right in front of her.

"Cafeteria's sign said chicken pot pie," Melly remembered as the trio left the dorm room.

"Ew, that's right," Court said.

"Wedges?" Melly suggested, naming a restaurant that was famous for their deep fried sandwiches.

"Frankly Franks?" Court countered.

"Go get your purse," Melly ordered Kelli.

"I, Melly, I, there's no way! Bad enough I look like this in class," Kelli panicked.

"Whenever you are inside, the cloak of darkness shall help you hide," Melly said and flicked the wand at Kelli.

"What is that black stuff anyway," Court asked as Kelli became translucent.

"Court. Really? What makes you think I would know?" Melly asked as she tucked the wand into the top of her right boot.

"It's your wand," Court answered as she and Melly used the electronic kiosk to sign themselves out.

"Where y'all going?" Stephanie, the dorm monitor on duty asked, openly ogling Court and Melly.

"Franks," Melly shrugged, causing her large breasts to jostle.

Stephanie squealed when she heard Kelli announce, "Okay! I'm ready; let's go."

"Damn! Melly, that, that was really good!" Stephanie giggled. "You sounded just like that little 'Miss My Shit Don't Stink' bitch Kelli."

Melly slapped her hand over Kelli's mouth before Kelli could respond. Hurriedly, she and Court hustled to the stairwell, dragging Kelli with them.

"You heard her?" Kelli squealed when the door closed.

"Yes, and more importantly, you heard her," Court said.

"What you mean?" Kelli snarled bitterly.

"You heard her. You heard what people think when you're not around," Melly said as they traipsed the stairs.

Stepping out into the Arkansas Autumn air, Kelli became visible again. One young man walked into a lamp post as he openly stared, horrified at Kelli's appearance. Before Kelli could bolt for the safety of the dormitory, Melly grabbed the girl's raw, blistered hand.

"I, I can't believe," Kelli sobbed as they traversed the five blocks from campus to the small strip mall.

"Ooh, you, they just opened that," Court said, pointing to a Becky's Brownies store next to the gourmet hot dog restaurant.

"Oh wow!" Melly agreed, opening the door of Frankly Franks.

"Oh thank God," Kelli sighed when she again faded from view.

"Two, no, no, one, one original, with everything. Small fries, and mm, sugar-free iced tea," Court ordered.

"The Italian please," Melly said. And a..."

Melly nudged Kelli and Kelli ordered, "Campfire and cheese sticks and a coke."

"Get in," Melly hissed, shoving Kelli into a booth. "Last thing we need is for Big Eyes to see a hot dog floating in the air."

"Big eyes is right; think he'd never seen a girl before," Court griped, pulling her cape around herself a little tighter.

"Court, really? We're just about naked," Melly smiled. "Of course he's going to look."

"Look yes, Stare? No," Court said. "Give me your wand."

"No, Court, leave him alone," Melly said.

Becky's Brownies was good. They were just a little too proud of their selection of the thick and warm and gooey treats, but Melly was sure she and Court would be back for the overpriced treats.

"Thank you," Kelli mumbled as they walked back to the campus.

"Welcome," Melly said.

"Home again, home again," Court quipped as they entered the squat dormitory building.

"Aw!" Kelli whined when she discovered her cloak of darkness had faded away.

"Kelli, any idea how dangerous that really could be?" Melly asked, following Court's luscious buttocks up the stairs.

"People would be running all over you," Court chimed in.

"I uh, Kelli, you signed out?" Stephanie asked, surprised to see the hideous girl with the two beautiful witches.

"Damn! I uh, I forgot," Kelli said.

"No, see? Court signed her out," Melly pointed to the screen.

"Now, you having trouble in any of your other classes?" Melly asked as they paused outside of Kelli's door.

"Huh? No, no, I'm getting C's in..." Kelli assured her.

"C's? Kelli, wouldn't you rather get A's?" Melly asked, resting an affectionate hand on Kelli's arm.

"Well, yeah but..." Kelli said.

"Get your books," Court ordered, opening the door to the room she and Melly shared.

"I, okay," Kelly quietly agreed.

Two hours later, Kelli closed her Introduction to Human Psychology textbook. She looked over at the nude Melly as Melly lay on Court's small bunk. Kelli then looked at Court, who sat at the desk next to her, rapidly typing in her laptop. For a long moment, Kelli stared at Court's large breasts, then down at the white patch of pubic hair on Court's plump pubic mound. She then looked up at Court's beautiful face.

"I...thank, thank you," Kelli whispered.

"Welcome," both Melly and Court said, smiling at the girl.

"I uh, I," Kelli said, head bent as a hot blush crept up her throat. "I, I'm sorry. I'm really sorry I was so ugly to you, to y'all."

"Apology accepted," Court smiled.

"Absolutely," Melly agreed, getting to her feet.

"I guess, I mean," Kelli continued.

Melly clapped her hand over Kelli's mouth. She smiled, dark eyes reading Kelli's eyes. She bent at the waist, bringing her face close to Kelli's face.

"Shush. We said we accepted your apology," Melly said quietly but firmly. "Anything you say after that? Might end up costing you another apology."

Then, despite the blister and open sores on Kelli's lips, Melly kissed the girl. Leaning forward from her seat, Court likewise kissed the girl's mouth.

"Now, we got our own studying to do," Court said, nodding with her head toward the door.

An hour into their quiet studying, Melly suddenly remembered something. Court looked up, her own thoughts seemingly in sync with Melly's brain waves.

"When Paula, she said the grandfather clock wasn't working," Melly said.

"Uh huh," Court agreed.

"You, you wouldn't let me, you stopped me before I could fix it," Melly said.

"Melly, think about it. Thing was broken; it wasn't even keeping time. You and me, we kissed. I'm this short, fat blimp and you're all scrawny and shrunken and we kiss and all of a sudden, not only is the clock working, but it is keeping perfect time," Court said.

"Uh huh," Melly said slowly, pondering the events.

"Next morning? We wake up and we're somehow suddenly gorgeous?" Court continued. "And, we find out the clock is dead. Won't move at all."

"And you think..." Melly mused, pinching her dark lips between thumb and forefinger.

"I mean, I'm not saying the two are related, but what if they are? You fix that clock? Then we're back to being Courtney and Melanie?" Court pressed.

"Huh," Melly said, wheels turning in her head.

Again, their morning was started by a scream. And, again, there was a hard pounding on their door.

"You turn her into an armless toad?" Court begged, burrowing under the blanket.

"Then she'd just kick the door until we opened it," Melly smiled, reaching for the doorknob.

"It, I, I'm back, I'm me again," Kelli laughed happily, hugging the nude Melly tightly.

Kelli Bernard was indeed her former self. Her waist length blonde hair was thick and shiny. Her beautiful face was free of any blemishes. Even the slight scar on her chin from a childhood bicycle accident had vanished.

"Thank you, oh thank you," Kelli babbled, kissing Melly on her lips.

"This couldn't wait?" Court complained, poking her head out from her blanket.

"I swear, I, I will never take anything for granted ever again," Kelli promised, kissing Court's mouth as well. "I promise. From now on I'll..."

"Kelli, get out," Melly smiled, gently pushing the girl toward the door.

"What time y'all going to breakfast?" Kelli asked, padding out of the room.

"'Bout an hour," Melly said.

"Okay, I, I'll meet y'all in the cafeteria," Kelli enthused happily.

"Way to go, genius," Melly teased Court as she wiggled into Court's embrace. "Now she's our bestest buddy in the whole wide world."

"Oh no. Oh no ma'am," Court said, squeezing Melly affectionately. "Who's the one decided we just had to help her with her homework?"

Their kiss was interrupted by Court's alarm clock jangling loudly. With a playful pinch on Court's delectable butt, Melly wiggled out of the embrace. Turning the alarm off, Court sighed then joined Melly in the scramble to get ready.

"What are you doing?" Melly asked, noticing that Court was studying her own reflection in the mirror.

"Yesterday was All Hallows Eve," Court said quietly.

"All...So today is All Saints Day," Melly remembered from her childhood, her upbringing in the Catholic Church.

"Uh huh, and today is All Hallows Day," Court said, draping her white cloak over her bare shoulders.

"Uh huh, and?" Melly agreed, pulling her own cape on around her nude body.

"Just making sure," Court said, grabbing their shower bags from the closet.

"Sure of what?" Melly asked, taking Court's hand in her free hand.

"That, you know, we, we aren't..." Court said.

"Oh," Melly said, glancing into the mirror at her own reflection. "I, I don't think..."

"But, even if we did, we would still have each other, right?" Court asked as they left their room.

"Right," Melly agreed.

"Forever and ever," Court insisted.

"Forever and ever and ever," Melly agreed, squeezing Court's hand.

**..**..**

Kelli Bernard thundered up the stairs. She clutched the large square envelope she'd found waiting for her in her mail slot. The crest was unmistakable; it was from the Alpha Zeta Rho Sorority.

Bursting into the hallway, Kelli made her way to the electronic kiosk and signed herself in. D.J. Nowack shook her head at the sophomore girl's elated mood.

Safely in her room, Kelli carefully opened the thick envelope. Wiggling the card free, Kelli read that Melanie Tamara Daniels was requesting the presence of Kelli Lynne Bernard at that year's Halloween party at the Alpha Zeta Rho Sorority.

"Jesus, why don't you just masturbate?" Kay Ann Williamson, Kelli's roommate sneered.

"You wasn't here? I would," Kelli enthused, no hint of embarrassment in her voice. "This is the AZR Halloween party. THE AZR Halloween party. You know how many people would kill to get invited to that?"

"Whatever," Kay Ann sneered, then let out a thunderous fart. "That's what I think about that Alpha Zeta stuck up bitches Rho shit."

"Costume, costume..." Kelli mused, now looking at her cell phone. "Oh! Here's one right around the corner!"

Making sure her invitation was securely tucked in her handbag, Kelli dashed from the room. D.J. smirked as Kelli again signed herself out.

"And right off Burke..." Kelli mused, following the cell phone's walking directions.

The strip mall had not fared well over the thirty odd years since its construction. The parking lot was cracked asphalt and the yellow lines indicating parking spaces had long ago faded away. Kelli could see a nail salon, a tax preparation office, a seedy adult bookstore and the costume shop. There were other storefronts but they'd folded and packed up shop long ago.

"Hi! You're just in time," a large man with full head of white hair and thick bushy white beard said as Kelli entered the shop.

Kelli thought the man could easily play Santa Claus at Vokine's Department Store. He wouldn't even need any padding; his large belly was round and soft looking. His beard was white, hanging down to his belly, and looked thick and lustrous.

"Just in time?" Kelli asked, looking around at the hanging costumes and wigs and hats.

"Just in time to spend a lot of money," the man said and Kelli found this statement to be quite funny.

"Hmm, let's see," the man said, standing from his perch on a tall stool and giving Kelli an appraising look.

"So...for the Alpha Zeta Rho party?" the man mused.

"I uh, yeah, wait, how'd you know?" Kelli asked.

"Here we are," the man smiled. "And it's just your size too."

"A genie?" Kelli asked, looking at the gauzy scraps of pink cloth the man held out to her.

"A djinni. Don't you think you'd make the perfect djinni?" the man smiled, finding a matching pink fez.

"Well, yeah, I guess so," Kelli agreed.

Kelli tried on the fez and it fit her head like a snug glove would fit her hand. Plucking the fez from her head, the man put everything into a bag.

"And..." the man said, reaching into a drawer and pulling out a handful of a glittering powder.

"Yoj tsetaerg ruoy uoy evig llahs evres ot," the man said, then blew the dust directly into Kelli's startled

face.

"Hey!" Kelli cried out.

"Go right next door? Have them do something with those nails of yours," the man smiled, handing Kelli the bag. "Good gracious alive; you use those nails to saw logs or something?"

"They're not that bad," Kelli giggled, looking at her chipped fingernails.

The plump grandmotherly woman in the nail salon clucked over the deplorable condition of Kelli's fingernails. With a soft smile, she held Kelli's right hand and meticulously trimmed each fingernail. Then, after tending to Kelli's left hand, the woman applied a light pink polish to each nail. As the polish dried, the woman sprinkled some glitter over each fingernail.

"How, how'd you do that?" Kelli wondered, noticing that not a single flake of glitter fell onto the white linen cloth underneath their hands.

"And, to make sure this lasts until the Alpha Zeta Rho party," the woman murmured, smiling at Kelli.

"I, how, how'd you know I'm..." Kelli asked as the woman coated each nail with a coat of clear nail polish.

"And how'd that guy know?" Kelli asked but the woman simply smiled and patted Kelli's cheek, just like Kelli's grandmother used to do, just before she got sick.

The woman smiled again, that soft, soothing smile when tears sprang to Kelli's eyes, remembering her dear grandmother, her mother's mother. Then when she got sick, everyone kept saying, kept promising she'd pull through, she'd be okay. But she wasn't okay; she didn't pull through.

"She's at peace now," the woman comforted, patting Kelli's cheek again.

"Thank you," Kelli mumbled, the lump in her throat threatening to choke her.

Kelli staggered out of the nail salon and hustled toward the campus. Darkness was approaching fast and the neighborhood was ominous enough in broad daylight. Kay Ann was in the same position she'd been in when Kelli had left earlier. The girl didn't even look up from her IPad when Kelli put her costume onto the shelf of their shared closet.

The next evening, nerves jangling in excited anticipation, Kelli ate supper with some friends. She'd mentioned the AZR party, but no one else at the table had been invited so she shut her mouth. Looking around the cafeteria at other students, Kelli wondered if any of them had been invited.

"I wouldn't go to that if they got down on their hands and knees and begged me to go," one young lady declared.

"Bunch of stuck up cunts," another young lady agreed.

Kelli kept her mouth shut. It was obvious both girls would love to be invited, love to be included, but rather than admit this, they'd rather speak ill of the AZR Sorority.

"Oh, need to study; got a test in Hollingsworth's stupid Sociology tomorrow," Kelli said when one of the girls asked her what she planned to do after supper.

After dinner, Kelli did study for the Sociology class. Then, when she just could not sit still any longer, she hustled to the communal bathroom and took a shower. The hair on her head was a honey blonde, but the curls on her plump pubic mound was a light brown in color. Kelli shaved her thatch into a racing stripe and did the finger test to make sure it was uniform, that there was no stubble.

"Whoa, girl, got a date?" another girl asked as Kelli took the time to work conditioner into her waist-length blonde hair.

"Party!" Kelli said but did not elaborate.

In her room, Kelli did not pause to ask herself why Kay Ann seemed to be extra cheerful, even giggling to herself. She tied her wet hair from her face and meticulously applied her makeup. When her sister Jamie had married, Kelli and the other bridesmaids had bought pink eye shadow, to match dresses and shoes. Kelli now used the pink on the top seven eighths of her eyelid, then applied a dark charcoal gray line just above her eyelashes. Black eyeliner and mascara finished her eyes. A pink lip gloss that matched the eye shadow completed her makeup.

Kay Ann was smiling widely when Kelli dried her hair with her powerful hair dryer. Kelli turned so that Kay Ann could not see her crotch; Kelli was not in any mood to hear the snide comments Kay Ann would be sure to make about the grooming. She found her nicest panty and bra set, a white satin thong and matching 29C strapless bra. For the briefest of moments, she admired her light brown areolae and fat nipples.

Kay Ann was positively giddy when Kelli reached up into the closet to retrieve her costume. Kelli dumped the bag's contents onto the bed and blinked. She did not remember renting a pair of shoes with the costume, but there was a pair of pink slip-ons, long thin toes turned up. They looked brand new; the rubber soles had no scuff marks at all.

"Huh?" Kay Ann gasped as Kelli picked up the gauzy harem pants.

Kelli looked over at the chubby girl, puzzled. Kay Ann stared, open mouthed as Kelli pulled on the filmy pink pants.

"Well, shoot!" Kelli said, seeing that her panties were visible over the waistband of her costume.

She wore this pair of panties whenever she wore her low-rider button fly jeans. But, at least two inches of the stark white satin was visible over the waistband of the costume. Turning her back to Kay Ann, who was still gawking at her, Kelli pulled the pants off, then removed her panties.

After pulling the harem pants up again, Kelli squinted at her reflection in the mirror on the back of their door. If she looked hard enough, she could just make out the thin strip of light brown curls. With a resigned shrug, Kelli picked up the gauzy top of her costume.

"Damn it!" Kelli giggled, realizing there wasn't enough material to the scrap of cloth that went across her breasts.

Even with the short pink vest, Kelli's bra was visible. So, again, turning her back to the now fuming Kay Ann, Kelli removed her bra. Slipping the narrow band over her breasts, Kelli made sure her half-dollar sized areolae were covered, then pulled on her vest. She tightened her face; the gauzy material rasped over her sensitive nipples, causing them to perk up considerably.

She pulled on the pink felt slippers and marveled; they fit her feet perfectly. And the rubber soles seemed to be road worthy, capable of surviving the sidewalks of their campus.