Dream Girl
An Alex/Harper
"Harper really hasn't been with anyone since Zeke moved," Alex said, sounding sympathetic.
"Maybe she's just not ready," Justin replied.
"Or she just can't find anyone," Alex argued. "Besides, Zeke was always the one to make the first move. Harper needs someone to find her."
"Not always a healthy trait," the boy retorted. "She needs to get the confidence to make the first move."
"Yeah, but how?" Alex asked, hoping her redheaded friend wasn't listening from the hallway. "Maybe if she wanted them bad enough."
"And how will that happen?" Justin questioned, seeming like he was an expert on the subject.
"...Harper doesn't need a full-time boyfriend," the Latina explained, letting a sinister smile form inside her mind. "She just needs to get over this slump. And I think her best friend has the solution."
"You're not gonna do what I think you're gonna do, are you?" Justin begged, growing nervous.
"Depends on what you think I'm gonna do," Alex replied as she quickly strode into the Layer.
"You're gonna use magic," Justin said, defeat flooding his voice.
"You're right there," Alex declared, mixing some potions together. "If Harper can't find the guy of her dreams, I'll have to make him for her." The young woman took a red hair from a small vile. "Good thing Dad made me keep this," she said, remembering how Jerry made her always keep a part of Harper in case she betrayed their secret. Alex held the lock over the small cauldron, and carefully dropped it into the mixture, causing it to turn from a bubbling green to a lovely purple. "Perfect...now, I just need to let this sit for a while, and Harper's dream man will be a reality."
"This is going to backfire," Justin said, secretly hoping he was wrong.
"Why do you care?" Alex shot back, not even thinking about what she was saying.
"Harper's like a sister to me," the boy answered. "I don't wanna see her hurt. Kind of like you...unless it's me doing it."
"Like the time you made me switch bodies with Gigi?" Alex asked, her voice turning smug. "Cuz I got out of that in a flash. Besides, that wasn't you hurting me, that was you wanting to look at Gigi all night."
"Shut up!" Justin yelled, offended by the pedophile Alex was making him out to be. "Just...be careful. Harper's sensitive." With that, the young man left the room.
"Hey, sis," Max greeted, taking a seat on the couch. "Wha'cha doing?"
"Nothing," the Latina effortlessly lied. "Whatter you doing in the Layer?"
"Hiding from Mom," Max answered, slinking down on the soft red couch. "I may have accidentally broken her lamp with magic...again. Please... Please don't tell her where I am."
"...Fine," the dark-haired girl replied. "If...you do something for me."
"What's that?" Max asked, growing worried.
"I'm very thirsty, and very tired," Alex said, putting her left arm over her forehead and gently dropping to the floor in a dramatic fashion. "Would you be a dear, and...be my butler for the afternoon?"
"What? No way!" Max shot back in a hushed tone.
"Okay then," Alex calmly replied. "Mom!"
"Okay, okay," Max gave in, his heart pounding. "What do you want?"
"Surprise me," Alex answered, walking away. "I'll be in my bedroom." Once the girl was out of range, Max began to grumble to himself. "Oh, here we go," he said, noticing the cauldron on the counter. "Uh, Alex made punch...sucker." Thinking his sister made his job easy for him, the tween innocently poured what he didn't know was actually the Dream Date formula into a glass, and began walking towards Alex's room. "Wonder what flavor this is," Max said to himself, not recognizing the smell. "Maybe it's that weird grape-mango she likes."
Max threw open the door to Alex's room, letting him see the pink fur wallpaper she made him, Justin, and Jerry put on several years ago. "Here you go, Your Royal Pain," the boy said, angrily handing his sister the glass.
"Thank you, Jeeves," Alex said, very much enjoying everything about the situation. "That will be all." Max stormed out of the room, and Alex sipped her purple drink. "Mmm," she said. "Tastes like grapes."
"Hey, Alex!" Harper called from the hallway. "In here!" the Latina called back, not looking away from her magazine. The redhead walked into the room, closing the door behind her. "Hey, I just got an e-mail from Zeke," she said, sounding upset. "He says he wants to officially end our relationship because it's too much pressure."
"In other words, there's another girl," Alex declared, putting down her drink. "I didn't know Zeke was such a jerk."
"I know," Harper replied. "I could cry."
"Don't," Alex replied. "Don't even think about Zeke...I promise you, you'll meet someone else soon. You won't even miss What's-His-Name."
"I hope you're right," Harper managed to squeak out. "It's just...I shared so much with him, and he leaves me like nothing. Man...I am sick of boys."
"Yeah, but they make good butlers," Alex said, trying to lighten the situation. The girl kept her mouth closed, but felt a large gas bubble swell in the back of her throat, causing her to belch. "Oh...I'm sorry," she said, hitting her chest. "Uw...I think I'm gonna be sick."
"You need a bucket?" Harper asked, forgetting her own problems.
"No, thanks," Alex said, stumbling towards the bathroom. "Oh, feel better, Harper." The redhead left for home after ten minutes of waiting for Alex, leaving a get-well note behind.
"Alex," Justin called, gently knocking on the door later that night. "Alex, you okay?"
"No," Alex answered, sounding weak. "I think Max poisoned me." Justin slowly slid the door open, covering his eyes. "Take your hand off your eyes, I have clothes on," the Latina scolded.
"Okay...what happened?" Justin asked.
"Ugh, I had Max get me a drink, and he gave me this purple punch, and...Oh my gosh," Alex gasped out, feeling her heart start to pound. "Oh my gosh."
"What?" Justin asked, growing upset and confused. Alex stood up, though her legs were weak.
"I...I think he gave me the..." Alex swallowed hard. "The..." Suddenly, Alex's body began to glow and distort, as if its entire structure was changing. Then, the light flashed, revealing a girl about Harper's height, with long brown hair, a full figure (which was slightly pudgy), and clad a blue one-piece swimming suit with thin red lines going across it. Alex looked down at herself, somewhat shocked and disgusted. "What the?" she snapped, hearing herself speak with a higher-pitched voice.
"That formula must've turned you into Harper's dream date," Justin assumed. "I just...didn't know she was a lesbian. And...what's with the swimsuit?"
"Harper loves night swimming," the lightly chubby girl explained, feeling around her puffy tummy. "Ah, and she said she was sick of guys."
"So you're Harper's dream date," Justin said, growing disturbed. "...This is not good."
"Oh, guys," called a somewhat hoarse voice.
"Uh oh," Alex said, starting to panic. The door opened, and Harper walked in. "I didn't mean to...Hi," she said, taken back by the girl in front of her.
"...Hi," replied a surprisingly attracted Alex. "You must be Harper...I'm...Tina."
"Nice to meet you," Harper said, holding off a smile. "You, uh...going swimming?"
"I guess so," "Tina" answered, putting her hands on her slightly widened hips and proudly turning a little bit to her left and right. "And...I'd love it if someone joined me."
"Well, um...I'm free," Harper said, all too happy to join the hot girl in her favorite activity. "Wanna go now?"
"Love to," Tina happily accepted. "I'll be there in a sec."
"Cool," Harper said. "I'll change into my bathing suit, and meet you at the 24-hour public pool." The redhead happily ran out of the room, allowing Alex to get what she now thought was a pleasant sight.
"Cute butt," Alex quietly said, fluffing out her hair in the back. "Wow...what was that?"
"You're her dream girl," Justin explained. "And dream girls always want their dreamer."
"This is not good...Right?" Alex asked, growing confused.
"It might have to be," Justin answered. "At least until I can reverse the spell."
"And find another match for Harper," Alex added. "Hey, I have a date, so..." Tina walked out of the bathroom, leaving Justin alone.
"This is so wrong," the young man said.