This choice: Bill is transformed into an unpopular girl, desperate for Gloria's approval • Go Back...Chapter #6Gloria's Best 'Friend' Forever by: Mr.Domino   Bill reached out through the blinding light towards Gloria, eye clenched shut against the brilliant green glare.
He had to get to Gloria. He had to...Had...too...
...
Nearby, lurking behind the corner of the hedgerows, Tom blinked the green glare's afterimage away. He'd been just a few minutes late this morning, a consequence of the sleepless night he'd had before and nearly stumbled into another drama bomb with Gloria and had managed to duck back behind the large topiary just in time to avoid being noticed by either his Ex...or by Bill, his best friend. He'd listened in grim silence as Gloria attempted to manipulate Bill just like she had everyone else in this damn town, and then he felt his heart swell with pride as his brother from another mother stood his ground against the pretty harpy that had ruined his life.
But just as he was about to summon the courage to charge around the bushes and defend Bill, there had been the odd green light emanating from Gloria's fist that had cast long, unnatural shadows against the local neighborhood landscape. The glare had intensified and even with Tom ducking away and clenching his eyes shut, the light had still nearly blinded him. With his vision returning he peeked around the corner once more to check on his best friend.
But instead of a slightly overweight geek male in a Star Trek t-shirt, there was now a smaller, skinnier girl pushing her curly brown hair out of the way and jostling her glasses as she rubbed at her eyes. The t-shirt and basic jeans had morphed into a pink and white cardigan with a matching, if a little outdated skirt swishing around her skinny legs and above her tiny sneakered feet. Average sized breasts stuck out from the cardigan's fabric, and the girl's primary feature beyond her wild mane of frizzy hair were her wide hips. A pink backpack that looked practically new hung off her shoulders and a tiny white purse hung at her side, and in her tiny outstretched hand was now a stack of papers. In many ways she looked like Gloria...But if Gloria wore pink.
Gloria was still there though, but she seemed similarly dazed as she shook her head and furiously blinked her eyes. But she seemed to be recovering far faster than the strange new girl that was standing in front of her.
Where the hell was Bill!?
"Ow..." The new girl muttered in a high, feminine moan as she held her head in her free hand.
"Uh, who are you? What the FUCK just happened!?" Gloria hissed, taking a step back from the strange girl in front of her. Where was that little shithead Bill? Who was this? What had...wait.
Gloria looked at the girl who had been standing in the exact same spot as Bill just a second before, and then at the green gemstone in her hand.
"Holy shit, is this thing magic!?" she whispered.
"Ma-magic isn't real, Gloria! All that fantasy stuff is for...For nerds!" The girl in front of her gasped as her faculties seemed to return to her, "But I-I-I did your home-homework like you asked! And I-I listened to your advice about my wardrobe! I s-spent all my savings but don't I look so c-cute?"
"Bill!?" Gloria hissed in shock and took another step backwards, her eyes darting at the gemstone once more.
"B-Bill? Gloria, you know my n-name! It's Willow!" The girl that had replaced Bill said, tucking a frizzy curl behind an ear and gave Gloria a winning, newly braces free smile that hid her inner terror. Gloria was acting SUPER weird this morning, but the queen of the school was actually being NICE to her for a change! All it took was throwing away all her old clothes and buying all this kinda gaudy preppy stuff...And doing Gloria's homework all the time.
But it meant she didn't get picked on anymore! And she got to eat at the POPULAR table! So what if she couldn't be seen talking to her BFF Paige anymore, this was so much better...Right?
Willow's smile faltered as the image of Paige bawling in the bathroom surfaced in her mind.
Meanwhile a throbbing pain in Gloria's head seemed to fill in the blanks she was missing. This girl, this...'Willow', was her new little toady. Some eager little nerd that would do anything Gloria wanted because she thought she had a shot at being popular. No more little troublemaking Bill to poke holes in her plans and get between her and Tom, a vending machine for homework and a fall-girl whenever she needed it. All it took were some pithy little comments tossed her way like tossing table scraps to a begging dog.
Not to mention she still had the gemstone, which was clearly magical. And obscenely powerful.
Gloria's uncertain look turned into a sinister grin as she looked down at the anxiously eager face of 'Willow' before snatching the papers out of the smaller girl's hands.
"That's right. For a moment I thought I was seeing someone else, what with that AWFUL outfit you picked out!"
Willow's face lost what little color it had at the blistering remark.
"But thanks anyway. Maybe I can help you pick something better out at the mall tonight. Something that is more...you, but better. Would you like that?"
"Oh, oh y-yes Gloria! I-I just wanted t-to look like you! I-I'm sorry I didn't pay enough attention to your advice!"
Gloria patted the little nerd on her head and turned to walk down the street towards the school. There were SO many things she could do now, so many people she could get revenge on...If this gemstone in her hand was like a genie lamp, she could have ANYTHING she wanted. But first, they had to get to school.
"Good. But it's gonna cost you. I'm thinking you do my homework for the rest of the semester. You okay with that, bestie?"
"Anything, Gloria!" Willow squealed as she hurried along after her mentor. Oh, she'd been so stupid! Of COURSE she shouldn't have tried to copy Gloria's wardrobe! Oh, she'd look so foolish in front of the other girls! But Gloria would fix it! So what if it was just more college prep work and papers oin top of her own! Gloria was...Gloria was looking out for her! And she called her BESTIE! OMG!
Meanwhile Tom watched the queen bitch of Shermer High and...Whoever had replaced Bill wander down the street, his face pale with shock. Whoever this 'Willow' was, Gloria was twisting her around her finger, just like she did everyone else. It had been that green blast from Gloria's hand that changed everything. Tom didn't know why he hadn't been affected...But maybe if he could figure out what caused Bill to change from his best bro into a little G-Squad minion, maybe he could change it back?
But he'd have to be careful. If Gloria could do that to Bill, who knew what she'd do to him?
Tom shuddered at the idea of ending up permanently stuck under Gloria's heel. But he had to try, for Bill and everyone else's sake. If Gloria had that kind of power, there was no telling what she might do to anyone or anything that crossed her. With a newfound resolve that pushed away the tired sullen feeling he'd been caring for, well, years at this point, Tom began to walk to school, a plan formulating in his mind.  indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
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