"So you blew off Tommy-boy to hang with out with me?" Julian stretched out lazily on the recliner chair in his basement, "I'm honored."

"Don't be weird," Jenny admonished, settling down on the beaten up couch to claim the single rectangle of sunshine emitted by a high-pitted window, "I just didn't want to watch some gross-out horror movie in an over-airconditioned theater with a bunch of sweaty football players."

"Well, you know I'm always here to watch kiddie Halloween films about singing witches with you," Julian grinned.

"I know, I love it," Jenny replied, then considered the latter half of Julian's statement, "Hocus Pocus, then?"

"I put a spell on you," Julian half-sang in his silkiest voice. Lazuline eyes glittered at Jenny from beneath smoky lashes.

"Har, har," Jenny laughed, gamely and with minimal sarcasm, "We have popcorn?"

"Well…sort of," Julian squinted at the bag in his hand, "My mom bought it. It's made with 'All-Natural Avocado Oil' instead of salt and butter. Or something."

"I love your mom," Jenny said with a smile.

"She loves you," Julian replied.

"And I love Hocus Pocus!" Jenny said, "So put the movie in."

"Your wish is my command," Julian muttered as he slid the old black tape into the VCR.

The movie was a familiar one to the middle schoolers, as they watched it at least once a year before Halloween, so they talked easily throughout it.

"So, I'm going to that big Halloween party at Town Hall with Tom next week," Jenny said about halfway through the film. Julian glanced idly over at her.

"Isn't that on Halloween night?"

"Yep."

"No trick-r-treating, then?" Julian asked. His tone was intentionally flippant, implying that this development was no big deal, even though he and Jenny had gone trick-r-treating together every year since second grade.

"Well…I mean, don't you think we've gotten kinda old for that?" Jenny said, fiddling with the hem of her shirt, "I mean, trick-r-treating is pretty kiddie."

Julian's eyes narrowed slightly. "Why is it that your mouth is moving, but I'm hearing Tom Locke's voice coming out?"

Jenny sighed; the problem with best friends was that they always knew you too well. "Can you just not do this? Please?"

"Hey," Julian's face softened, "you should do whatever you want to do. I just wanna make sure that you're the one who wants to do it."

"Well, I do," Jenny said. She felt a smile appear on her face because Julian always had a way of surprising her.

"Good," Julian said, and Jenny couldn't quite tell whether he believed her or not.

"I'm still going to need a costume, you know," Jenny changed the subject, "a good one. There's a contest for it, and the winner gets gift certificates to Dairy Queen."

"Well, I guess we'll see what we can do," Julian returned with a knowing grin; costumes were always his specialty. "What do you have in mind?"

"I'm open to suggestions," Jenny said, excited because this was her favorite part of Halloween, "but nothing over-the-top girly or princess-y…and no gross zombie-monster outfits either."

Julian nodded thoughtfully. "Okay…you like animals, right? Cats and rabbits are pretty cliche. How about…"

Julian made a sweeping hand gesture, and Jenny felt magic prickling her skin. When it subsided, she went to look in the dusty old mirror propped up against the wall. Immediately, Jenny was shocked by the image within the gilt frame. Her blond hair had turned a vivid orange-red, matching the pointed, black-tipped ears that extended from it without the aid of clips or headbands. Instead of wide, emerald eyes, Jenny now had almond-shaped topaz orbs. Her mouth and nose had morphed into a delicate muzzle, and black whiskers extended from her cheeks. Jenny was a forest fox, with a brown satin bodysuit replacing her clothes, and shocks of fall-leaf red fur trimming the neckline and sleeves; a fountainous orange tail was visible from the back.

"I didn't know you could do this sort of thing," Jenny breathed, struck almost speechless by the transformation. In the past, Julian had only been able to conjure outfits and face paint and such, not full-out body-modifications.

"I'm growing up," Julian replied simply.

"It's amazing, but…" Jenny cast a long and longing look at her impossible reflection, "I think I might need something more subtle."

"Say no more."

All Jenny did was blink, and the next time she opened her eyes towards the mirror, she was Cleopatra, wearing a white silk shift embedded with jade and turquoise. Chunky gold bands encased her wrists and neck, and a headpiece wrought from the same material rose from her hair—currently pin-straight and obsidian black—in the shape of a striking cobra with glittering, emerald chip eyes. Jenny's own eyes were tilted now, and rimmed with kohl and dark, exotic lashes, but they retained their normal Nile-green coloring.

On the couch, Julian whistled. "Mirror, mirror on the wall, whose the fairest of them all?"

Jenny's cheeks colored, but she said, "It's perfect."

"Of course."

"If only I could get Tom to wear something matching..."

"Maybe he could be King Tut," Julian suggested brightly, "wasn't that guy killed by his adviser?"

Jenny chose to ignore the comment and said, "This is great. Thank you."

"I hope you have fun at your party," Julian said in response.

"Maybe if I get done early, we could try to go out..." Jenny offered, feeling guilty, "I mean, I'll miss you."

"Nah, don't worry about me," Julian waved a hand, "and anyway, I'll always be around if you need me."

"Thank you," Jenny repeated, leaning in and kissing her friend's cheek.