Carson is disappointed, but he understands. You've still got a lot of prep work to do on the Swap Shop.
Finally, the night of the carnival arrives. Four hours before it starts, you give it a run through, with Paul playing the part of one of your special "victims," and it goes off without a hitch. Then everyone starts getting into their costumes.
Your ability also allows elaborate costumes and makeup to be exchanged when you do a swap, so you and your friends have gone all out on your disguises: you don't want your victims to quickly and easily recognize the faces of you and your friends after the swaps, and so you put on thick and difficult-to-remove makeups and dyes and wigs and costumes. Jenny is a green-skinned Wicked Witch; Yumi is a thickly made-up and coiffed geisha; Ashley is a blue-skinned Druid priestess. Carson has used burnt cork to turn himself into a zombie Creole, and Paul has made himself into a werewolf. You've used white makeup, special contact lenses, and a glued-on skullcap to make yourself into a lizard-man: the "King Chameleon" of your attraction.
Outside your lair, Carson waves his bamboo cane and ghoulishly dares the passersby to gamble their very faces and bodies against the uncanny chameleon within. For thirty minutes it's just a succession of people, depositing and retrieving bits of their clothing, and giggling at the mirror trick before exiting. Then Jenny, who is standing in a hidden spot between you and Carson, leans in and hands you a hair scrunchy. "Andrea Varnsworth. For Ashley," she whispers.
You quickly reach under the table before you, where you have hidden six bits of clothing belonging to your friends, and slip on Ashley's wristband, turning yourself into Ashley and the hidden Ashley into you. No one sees this, though, because Jenny has dropped the mirror in front of your booth. One by one, each of Andrea's friends squeezes in to stand before and gaze at the "chameleon." But they only see a reflection of themselves, and exit unimpressed. By the time Andrea moves up, though, you have already got her scrunchy stuck onto a wisp of your own hair at the back of your head; as Jenny tugs the pulley that pulls the mirror back, you transform into Andrea, and she transforms into Jenny's Druid-disguised sister. Through the glass, you see her eyes widen: so taken is she with what appears to be a cunning illusion that doesn't even notice the change washing over her.
She steps forward, looking closely at you, a queer smile on her face. She raises her hand and waves it, as though to test whether she's confronting a mirror; you stare back stonily. Her smile freezes, and she gulps. Then she turns and exits slowly, still watching you sidelong out of the corner of her eye.
Jenny has been watching her, and quickly wheels the mirror back into place after she's gone. Andrea's friend Judy seems to have noticed the change in Andrea, for she doesn't pay much attention to you, and with a puzzled expression watches where Andrea has exited. Behind the mirror, you turn yourself back into James and turn Ashley into Andrea by putting on one of your own ball caps. Ashley will now slip in with Andrea's friends and spread confusion and mayhem by pretending to be the captain of the girls' swim team.
Ten minutes you turn Carson into Charles Hartlein, the president of the Drama Club. He continues to act as the barker, though, adding to his patter the true claim that he, Carson Ioeger, is a victim of King Chameleon and has been changed into Charles; you are keen to hear afterwards how the real Charles reacted. Paul then takes Jenny's place at the machinery when you change Jenny into the cheerleader Maria Vasquez. The only disappointment comes with the school's top power couple, Gordon Brown and Chelsea Cooper. Nothing happens when you slip on his gladiator's helmet and her veil; apparently, the captain of the basketball team and the head cheerleader have rented their costumes and so are immune to your power.
But you eventually get Paul swapped with Jason Lester, the captain of the baseball team, and Yumi swapped with Jason's date, Jenna Spencer. It's awhile before you find anyone to swap yourself with, but you finally see a priceless chance when Mr. Sagansky wanders in. He laughs and jingles the change in his pocket as you change into him; he quickly notices the change in himself, though, and with a terrified look quickly runs out. You prod Carson, who closes the exhibit and then wanders off to reinforce Charles's rumored homosexuality by flirting outrageously with the male athletes.
As the vice-principal, you wander the Halloween-decorated hallways, causing problems and keeping an eye out for transformees. You only spot one, though: Maria, transformed into Jenny's witch. She has pulled off her hat and beaked nose, torn most of the matted black wig away, and even tried scrubbing the green dye from her face; now she sits in a corner, weeping and weeping. Stuck-up, bubble-brained Maria is apparently the only one of your victims too stupid to run away. You hope the others are as miserable and as horrified as she appears to be.
As the night draws to an end, you discover one more advantage to being Mr. Sagansky; you are able to close up the school and even send the custodial staff away, leaving just you and your five friends behind to change back. It's an exhausted but happy group that gathers at the Swap Shop. Carson and Paul, as Charles and Jason, top the evening of foolish counter-playing by kissing each other deeply, with lots of tongue. The group then separates, to start breaking down and removing your gear, and you go off in a hidden corner to start changing your friends back to themselves.
It's an arduous process; the accumulation of changes has left you feeling like you've been beaten with a hammer. Halfway through, you take a break.
You look up to see Andrea Varnsworth. The ego of the swim team's captain is such that she came to the party as a mermaid, though not so made up as to hide her human charms. The full-length, close cut skirt of shimmering silver is supposed to suggest a fish's tail, but it also accentuates her long, shapely legs. A silver halter top sculpts her breasts, and her long, bare-midriff shows off the shallow scoop of her navel.
It's actually Ashley, Jenny's thirteen-year-old sister, standing before you, and she has thrown off the skirt to reveal Andrea's striking legs and the bottom half of a bikini. Andrea's normally haughty gaze has vanished, replaced by Ashley's thoughtful mien. Andrea has a strong and sexy body, one that looks as though it was smoothed by the water into feminine curves, and with the pride gone from her face she is almost achingly attractive. You actually have to swallow before speaking.
"'S'up, girl," you say. You have always called Ashley "girl."
Her lip trembles, and you're startled to see that she also swallows before talking. "James, I—" She looks nervously around. She runs her tongue over her lower lip.
Then she lunges at you and kisses you deeply. There is a saltiness to her kiss as her lips work hungrily over yours. You're surprised, but almost automatically start kissing back. Then she pulls away. Tears are running down her cheek.
"James, I— I like you. I've liked you for a long time. You're sweet and—" She blushes and swallows hard. "I've always though you were ... really cute." She says the last words in a rush.
Naturally, you are stunned, but you at least have the presence of mind to realize you are making it worse for her by gaping. You shut your mouth with a snap.
She rubs her shoulder nervously and looks everywhere but at you. "I like you, but I couldn't say anything? Because, like, you're four years older than me?" Her eyes are rolling wildly now, and her face is so flushed that it is almost black. You want to take her by the hands and tell her it's alright, but you are too struck to do anything but listen to see what she says or does next.
She's quiet for a moment, then speaks so fast she almost chokes on her words: "But if you leave me like this I'd be old enough and maybe we could go together?"
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