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Disclaimer: Same as usual.

Chapter 3: The Transformation

"Whoa."

Macy smiled though it hurt to do so. Every expression hurt. She felt like each time she moved one of her features, she was liable to cause the thick layer of make-up she was wearing to crack and fall off her face and onto the floor. She wasn't sure if embarrassment or relief would be the predominant emotion if this should happen.

"Hi."

"Hi? Hi? What are you... Wow, Macy. What happened?"

"What?" Macy asked as she tugged at the shirt she wore. Lace, she had learned that morning, was itchy.

She had spent all night debating about the bet once again, and only come to one conclusion. She could not back out without hurting all four of her friends, and though it looked like she would end up a loser no matter what happened in the end, she was hoping that winning Kevin over would save them from the eventual pain she was inflicting upon herself.

And so, with Brooke's taunting words about Macy being just one of the guys, she'd taken some extra time that morning to make herself particularly... girly. Sure, it meant changing her entire image around, but how hard could that really be?

"Hello, Macy! I asked you a question. What are you wearing? And why? And what happened to your hair?"

"That's three questions."

"Talk."

"I was awake early this morning, so I thought I'd spend a little more time in front of the mirror getting ready," Macy told Stella with a shrug.

"Why? Don't get me wrong, I mean, you look fine. But it's not you, Mace."

"Because I'm just one of the guys, right?"

"What?"

"Nothing," Macy said with a shake of her head as she tried to fight the tears that were forming in her eyes. She could hear Stella sigh next to her as she hid her head in her locker.

"Macy... What's wrong?"

"It's nothing. It's stupid. I was stupid. I should just... It's nothing."

"Don't lie, Macy. Come on, tell me."

Macy sighed.

Stella would find out. There was no way Stella wouldn't find out. Stella knew her better than anyone else did, and she would certainly notice when Macy was suddenly trying to get Kevin to look at her in a way she had never done before. She'd known that she would have no choice but to let her friend in on the bet eventually. She simply hadn't thought that it would be this early in the game.

"I'm trying to attract a boy."

Stella's face beamed as she moved in closer. "Ooh, crush. Who is it?" Stella's head moved wildly as she tried to spot anyone who might have been of interest in the hallway. "Is he here? Is he here now? Do I know him? Is he around? Who is it?"

"It's Kevin," Macy answered mournfully.

"Kevin who?" Stella asked, her voice still high and excited.

"Kevin Lucas."

"Kevin Lu— Whoa. Wait. What? Since when?"

"Since I kind of opened my big mouth and got myself into trouble."

"With Kevin?"

"I wish," Macy sighed again.

Stella grabbed Macy's arm, slammed the girl's locker shut with her free hand, and dragged her friend over to an empty table nearby.

"Explain," she said.

"I don't even know how it happened. I just know that I was saying no at first and then all of a sudden there was a bet, and I was in on it."

"What bet?"

"I bet that I could get Kevin to fall for me."

"With who?"

"Brooke."

"Brooke? Who's... New girl Brooke? The girl Kevin just happened to go out with last night?"

"Yeah."

"But if he went out with her, he must really— Wait a minute. Did she just go out with him because she wants to win this bet?"

"I think so." Macy nodded miserably.

"Macy! How can you do that to Kevin? She could really hurt him. You could really hurt him. That's not like you."

"She said that if I didn't, she would either go out with Joe so that you couldn't, or go out with Nick to see how quickly she could break his heart."

"What?"

"And she seems pretty sure that she can convince them I was in on the whole thing if I dare try to tell them the truth."

"So she can get them on her side and hurt them even more," Stella guessed.

Macy nodded. Stella shook her head.

"She can't be that convincing," Stella finally said. "I mean, if we just tell the guys the truth—"

"It's already too late. Besides, I got myself into this mess, I shouldn't be bringing anyone else into it with me. If Brooke is this determined when I haven't even done anything to her, I don't want to imagine what she'd think up for you guys if you helped me. I can't let you get involved and have her try to hurt you, too." Macy looked down at her hands, knowing how much she had disappointed her best friend. "I'm just going to go wash this stuff off my face. You're right. I don't know what I was thinking."

"Macy," Stella called, but her friend was already walking away with obviously no intention of looking back.

"Tragic right?"

Stella jumped at the sound of a voice so close to her ear. She turned around and narrowed her eyes when she found Brooke sitting next to her.

"She's just trying too hard. I told her she wasn't going to win, and then yesterday when Kevin was talking about her and baseball, it was quite obvious why, but trying to turn herself into a girly girl in one day is just a little too extreme. Don't you think?"

"You're not even going to try to deny it?"

"Why? I mean, after all, if Macy backs out, you're just going to become my new competition."

"How about because if Macy goes to the guys it's one thing. But if Macy and I—trusted friend and stylist—go to the guys, it's another. They would never believe you over me."

Brooke shook her head with a content smile on her lips. "Please. Everyone knows that you and Joe have a weird sordid history that you can't figure out. I've only been here a few weeks and I already know that. If you complain about anything, they'll just chalk it up to jealousy."

"Of what? You barely know Joe. There's nothing there to be jealous of."

"I barely knew Joe. Then yesterday after my date with Kevin, we stopped by the firehouse and I got to know Joe. Laying a little groundwork in case Macy backs out and you become my competition. Know what I mean?"

"I'm starting to get the picture," Stella grinded between her teeth.

"Good," Brooke said as she rose from her seat. "I just wanted to make sure we were on the same page, and that you weren't going to do anything to interrupt the little bet I have with Macy. Though, really," she paused for a moment, raising an eyebrow, "it would be fun to have to move on to Joe."

Stella narrowed her eyes.

"Well, maybe he can be next." Brooke shrugged and flipped her hair over her shoulder as she left Stella behind.

It only took Stella three minutes to find Macy, and when she did, she only spoke two words.

"I'm in."

***

Stella was a miracle worker. Macy had known this before, of course, but she hadn't realised the extent of Stella's powers until she had spent fifteen minutes with her in the girl's washroom, and emerged a new person. Macy's failed attempt at looking feminine was washed away, and instead, she glowed. Her hair half up, half down; her make-up clean but shimmery; her dress without any pants beneath, and her socks rolled just to show a hint of leg; her top with lace ripped off the edges and tightened by an inch in the back, hugging her body... It was more than she could ever have done by herself.

She felt good about her new look, until she spotted two of her and Stella's three usual lunch mates waiting at their regular table. Suddenly, she wasn't so sure. It was silly really. A new look couldn't do that much, could it? They would obviously see right through her and ask what had happened to their friend, probably ignoring that she was even a girl at all. As Brooke had said, she really was just one of the guys.

"Whoa."

Macy blinked as Stella's hand crashed against Joe's chest.

"What?"

"Be nice."

"Whoa is nice. Macy, you look great," Joe told her. "Is that a new... um... hair?"

"Hairdo?" Macy corrected, feeling the tiniest bit of confidence at Joe's reaction and at the double-take she'd gotten from quiet Nick—the second look lasting considerably longer than the first and traveling her body as though to make sure it was truly her.

"Yeah, that's what I meant."

"Yeah," she answered, trying to keep the blush off her cheeks.

"It's nice."

Macy sent a quick look in Stella's direction to make sure her friend didn't mind the attention, but Stella seemed too proud of her work to care about what it brought out of Joe.

"So what guy are you trying to—"

"Hey, guys." All four friends looked up at the sound of the one voice missing from their table. "What's going on?"

"Macy," Joe answered.

"What about Macy?"

"Look," Joe answered, waving a hand in Macy's direction.

"I've seen Macy before, Joe. I know what she looks like," Kevin said as he took a seat next to the girl in question. "Actually Macy, I wanted to talk to you."

"Yeah?" Macy asked.

"Did you understand anything in science class this morning? I was really trying to concentrate, but then I started thinking about lunch and what I had for lunch, which got me to think about supper and what I would have for supper, and I just... I was not there anymore."

Macy hoped that he would notice the way her face fell as much as he had noticed her transformation.

"Yeah. You want to borrow my notes?"

"That would be fantastic. Thanks." Kevin smiled as he turned his attention to the rest of the group. "So, what's going on?"

Macy smiled and avoided Stella's gaze, sure that it would only lead to the tears in her eyes spilling over.

She had set herself up for disappointment, but it still hurt. Even with the girl having done absolutely nothing, it looked like round two of the competition had also gone to Brooke.