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Description
     Jesse was on his way to the bar when his cell phone rang.

     "Apricot Parmesan," the voice said.  Jesse's eyes glazed over and he sat up straight, but still continued to drive safely.  "Go to the corner of Lincoln and Amhurst.  Park anywhere you can."

     Following the orders, Jesse took the next right and headed into the Spring Gardens suburb, seeming to know where to go by instinct.  Coming to the shady intersection, he turned onto Amhurst and parked near the corner.

     "Turn into a short, 17-year-old, redheaded girl named Martha Finkle.  You're wearing a lime green prom dress and heels," the voice said.

     Jesse's form diminished from 5'10" to 5'1" while his waist narrowed, his hips widened and his just puffed out.  His long-sleeve shirt shrank away from dainty hands and arms, forming a spaghetti-strap top that revealed freckle-covered shoulders.  His sneakers formed into lime-green strappy heels as his socks stretched up his legs and thinned into nude pantyhose.  His pants split at the inseam then fused into a dress with a slit running up the left leg to about mid-thigh.  His shirt and pants fused at his waist and a silver waistlet appeared, resting on his ample hips.  His chest filled out the top of the dress, revealing a little cleavage in the gathered top of the dress.  It actually looked to be just a little bit too small for her rounded frame.  Two long red curls fell to the sides of her face as it reformed with freckles above her nose and green eye shadow.  Her normally long hair gathered up on her head, twisted and braided together in an elegant hairstyle.  A silver watch and anklet appeared in their appropriate locations.

     "Your date just bailed on you.  Walk up Amhurst until you see the young man sitting on his steps.  He needs a date too," the voice instructed, then the line went dead.  Closing the phone and slipping it into the matching purse slung over her shoulder, she climbed out of the truck and adjusted her dress as she moved to the sidewalk.

     Her heels clacked away in the dimming light as she headed up the street.  She was frustrated, but tried to hold her head up high in the mean time.  A few houses down, she came across a young man in a tuxedo sitting on some steps leading down to the sidewalk from a yard.  He had his head in his hands.

     "Hey, you okay?" she said.  He straightened up and wiped his eyes a bit.

     "Huh?  Oh, yeah," he said with a sniffle before he really noticed her.  Glancing her over, he started to gape.  She chuckled.

     "Take a picture, it'll last longer," she said, crossing her arms.

     "Huh?  Oh, I'm sorry.  You, uh, going to the prom?" he asked meekly.

     "I was … But my stupid date just called and cancelled.  I was thinking of going alone, but I don't know," she mused, looking up at the streetlamp.

     The boy stood up and brushed off his butt.  "Me too.  She said she had an English paper to write.  How lame is that?" he said, giving her another glance.

     "I'm Jeremy," he said with a weak smile.

     "Martha," she said.

     "I don't think I've … Do you go to Western?" he asked.

     "Del Rey," she responded.  The two schools had a bit of overlap in this neighborhood.

     "Oh.  Well, I was just thinking.  You're dressed up, and I'm dressed up …" he started.  She smiled brightly and hooked his arm.

     "Brilliant idea, Jeremy!  It's almost like fate brought us together," she said.  He chuckled.

     Just then a black limousine stopped next to them.  The passenger window went down and the driver shouted out. "You two need a lift?" he asked.

     Jeremy was a bit stunned, then glanced at Martha.  "My lucky day," she said, escorting her to the limo and opening the door for her.

     The driver explained that he'd been returning from dropping off a businessman and saw the two of them on the sidewalk and remembered what it was like on prom night.  He knew his boss wouldn't mind since a little gratuity was good for business.

     The new couple was quiet for the first part of the ride.  Then Jeremy asked what Del Ray High School was like and Martha said it was all right.  As they talked, it turned out they had a lot in common, including Dungeons & Dragons.

     "I've never met a girl like … You, who liked D&D!" Jeremy commented.

     "Like me?" Martha said, batting her eyes.  "You mean a redhead?"

     "No, I mean … a gamer chick who's so ... Beautiful," he said.  Martha blushed and took Jeremy's hand.

     They arrived at the prom, which was held at an Elementary School gym.  More than a few heads turned to notice Jeremy stepping out of the limo, and even more started whispering when he helped Martha out of the car.  The looked cute together even though she was five inches shorter than he was.  He escorted her by the arm, beaming like a prince as they went inside.

     Immediately, Martha dragged him out on the dance floor.  They twisted and writhed to the tunes, then held each other close for a slow dance.  Although he was nervous, Jeremy never once stepped on her toes.  As another fast song started, the redhead fanned herself a bit.

     "Green prom date needs punch, badly," she said with a grin.  Jeremy smiled and led her over to the drink table.

     They sat for a while and talked some more before Martha excused herself to the restroom.  Inside, a blonde in a purple dress and two brunettes in blue came up to her.  "So who are you?  His cousin?" she asked.

     "Excuse me?" Marta said.

     "I know for a fact Jeremy's date backed out on him.  She told him it was because of schoolwork but the truth is she got invited to the Del Rey prom.  She only said she'd go out with him in the first place out of pity.  He's the biggest loser on campus," she insisted.  The brunettes giggled.

     Martha straightened up, looking up at the taller blonde.  "Well, if you or your 'friend' had half the brains God gave a gnat, you'd see that Jeremy is a smart, sensitive young man who knows how to treat a lady."

     The blonde opened her mouth but couldn't get anything to come out as Martha headed out.  She was just getting through the door when someone grabbed her arm.

     "Who do you think you are, you little tramp?" the blonde yelled.  Jeremy noticed and immediately moved over.

     "What's going on here.  Martha, are you okay?" he asked as the redhead moved closer to him and put her arms around him.

     "I'm fine, Jeremy," she told him.  Then she looked back at the blonde.  "And where's your boyfriend?"

     The girl and her cohorts started to glance around, but just then another girl ran up huffing and puffing.  "Brenda!  It's Tom.  He just threw up outside," she said.  The blonde was shocked for a moment, then gravely annoyed.  She looked at Martha with a scowl.

     Martha just smiled.  "Sounds like a keeper," she said, hugging Jeremy closer.  Brenda stormed off, her entourage close on her heels.

     "What was that all about?" Jeremy asked.  Martha just looked up and grinned.

     "Nothing.  Let's dance," she said.

     After another slow dance and a few more quick ones, Jeremy insisted they get a picture together.  Martha tried to refuse, but he reminded her it had been her idea.

     "You said take a picture so it would last," he reminded her.  She smiled and agreed.

     After a long while in line, the photographer positioned them in front of the fake waterfall background and told them to smile.

     As the night wound down, the young couple seemed to talk about everything and were getting along famously.  Then Martha's phone rang.  It was her father and he insisted on picking her up.  She gave him the address and he said he'd be there in ten minutes.

     Jeremy escorted Martha outside and told her how much fun he'd had tonight.  Martha smiled and told him he was a great guy and she hoped for more good things to happen to him.  There was a hesitant moment between them, and then they kissed.

     A horn honk distracted them, and a black suburban had pulled up to the school.  Martha gave Jeremy a hug and then hurried to the truck, blowing him one last kiss from the door.

    She looked back after Jeremy as they pulled away.

    "Apricot Parmesan," her 'father' said.  She faced forward and sat up straight, a blank expression on her face.

    "Turn back into yourself," he said, and she grew and reformed into her normal, young adult body.  They drove in silence until they pulled up next to Jesse's truck.

      "Get in your truck and drive to 'The Lucky Sphinx' on Connor Street," he said.  "You blew off your friends and went to a new bar, where you met a nice girl and had a nice night, but then she blew you off for a guy in a cowboy hat."

     Jesse got into his truck and after a short drive pulled into the parking lot of what seemed to be a bar and grill.  Just as he turned off the engine, his phone rang and he answered it.

     "Apricot Parmesan," said the voice.

     Jesse blinked a couple of times and looked at the phone in his hand.  The line was already dead.  He shrugged and glanced at the bar once more, grumbling at how that girl would just blow him off after talking to him for three hours.  He headed home and went to bed.

--------

     A few days later, a large envelope arrive in Jesse's mail addressed to a 'Martha Finkle.'  Curious and hoping to figure out who she was and if he should bother returning the item, he opened it and found a set of prom photos.  There was a scrawny young boy with a short redhead in a lime green dress.  They looked like a typical teenage couple.  Resealing the envelope, Jesse marked it 'not at this address' and dropped it back in the mail slot.

     Across town, Jeremy looked at the prom photos and sighed.  If only he'd gotten her number.

Description
     Jesse was on his way to the bar when his cell phone rang.

     "Apricot Parmesan," the voice said.  Jesse's eyes glazed over and he sat up straight, but still continued to drive safely.  "Go to the corner of Lincoln and Amhurst.  Park anywhere you can."

     Following the orders, Jesse took the next right and headed into the Spring Gardens suburb, seeming to know where to go by instinct.  Coming to the shady intersection, he turned onto Amhurst and parked near the corner.

     "Turn into a short, 17-year-old, redheaded girl named Martha Finkle.  You're wearing a lime green prom dress and heels," the voice said.

     Jesse's form diminished from 5'10" to 5'1" while his waist narrowed, his hips widened and his just puffed out.  His long-sleeve shirt shrank away from dainty hands and arms, forming a spaghetti-strap top that revealed freckle-covered shoulders.  His sneakers formed into lime-green strappy heels as his socks stretched up his legs and thinned into nude pantyhose.  His pants split at the inseam then fused into a dress with a slit running up the left leg to about mid-thigh.  His shirt and pants fused at his waist and a silver waistlet appeared, resting on his ample hips.  His chest filled out the top of the dress, revealing a little cleavage in the gathered top of the dress.  It actually looked to be just a little bit too small for her rounded frame.  Two long red curls fell to the sides of her face as it reformed with freckles above her nose and green eye shadow.  Her normally long hair gathered up on her head, twisted and braided together in an elegant hairstyle.  A silver watch and anklet appeared in their appropriate locations.

     "Your date just bailed on you.  Walk up Amhurst until you see the young man sitting on his steps.  He needs a date too," the voice instructed, then the line went dead.  Closing the phone and slipping it into the matching purse slung over her shoulder, she climbed out of the truck and adjusted her dress as she moved to the sidewalk.

     Her heels clacked away in the dimming light as she headed up the street.  She was frustrated, but tried to hold her head up high in the mean time.  A few houses down, she came across a young man in a tuxedo sitting on some steps leading down to the sidewalk from a yard.  He had his head in his hands.

     "Hey, you okay?" she said.  He straightened up and wiped his eyes a bit.

     "Huh?  Oh, yeah," he said with a sniffle before he really noticed her.  Glancing her over, he started to gape.  She chuckled.

     "Take a picture, it'll last longer," she said, crossing her arms.

     "Huh?  Oh, I'm sorry.  You, uh, going to the prom?" he asked meekly.

     "I was … But my stupid date just called and cancelled.  I was thinking of going alone, but I don't know," she mused, looking up at the streetlamp.

     The boy stood up and brushed off his butt.  "Me too.  She said she had an English paper to write.  How lame is that?" he said, giving her another glance.

     "I'm Jeremy," he said with a weak smile.

     "Martha," she said.

     "I don't think I've … Do you go to Western?" he asked.

     "Del Rey," she responded.  The two schools had a bit of overlap in this neighborhood.

     "Oh.  Well, I was just thinking.  You're dressed up, and I'm dressed up …" he started.  She smiled brightly and hooked his arm.

     "Brilliant idea, Jeremy!  It's almost like fate brought us together," she said.  He chuckled.

     Just then a black limousine stopped next to them.  The passenger window went down and the driver shouted out. "You two need a lift?" he asked.

     Jeremy was a bit stunned, then glanced at Martha.  "My lucky day," she said, escorting her to the limo and opening the door for her.

     The driver explained that he'd been returning from dropping off a businessman and saw the two of them on the sidewalk and remembered what it was like on prom night.  He knew his boss wouldn't mind since a little gratuity was good for business.

     The new couple was quiet for the first part of the ride.  Then Jeremy asked what Del Ray High School was like and Martha said it was all right.  As they talked, it turned out they had a lot in common, including Dungeons & Dragons.

     "I've never met a girl like … You, who liked D&D!" Jeremy commented.

     "Like me?" Martha said, batting her eyes.  "You mean a redhead?"

     "No, I mean … a gamer chick who's so ... Beautiful," he said.  Martha blushed and took Jeremy's hand.

     They arrived at the prom, which was held at an Elementary School gym.  More than a few heads turned to notice Jeremy stepping out of the limo, and even more started whispering when he helped Martha out of the car.  The looked cute together even though she was five inches shorter than he was.  He escorted her by the arm, beaming like a prince as they went inside.

     Immediately, Martha dragged him out on the dance floor.  They twisted and writhed to the tunes, then held each other close for a slow dance.  Although he was nervous, Jeremy never once stepped on her toes.  As another fast song started, the redhead fanned herself a bit.

     "Green prom date needs punch, badly," she said with a grin.  Jeremy smiled and led her over to the drink table.

     They sat for a while and talked some more before Martha excused herself to the restroom.  Inside, a blonde in a purple dress and two brunettes in blue came up to her.  "So who are you?  His cousin?" she asked.

     "Excuse me?" Marta said.

     "I know for a fact Jeremy's date backed out on him.  She told him it was because of schoolwork but the truth is she got invited to the Del Rey prom.  She only said she'd go out with him in the first place out of pity.  He's the biggest loser on campus," she insisted.  The brunettes giggled.

     Martha straightened up, looking up at the taller blonde.  "Well, if you or your 'friend' had half the brains God gave a gnat, you'd see that Jeremy is a smart, sensitive young man who knows how to treat a lady."

     The blonde opened her mouth but couldn't get anything to come out as Martha headed out.  She was just getting through the door when someone grabbed her arm.

     "Who do you think you are, you little tramp?" the blonde yelled.  Jeremy noticed and immediately moved over.

     "What's going on here.  Martha, are you okay?" he asked as the redhead moved closer to him and put her arms around him.

     "I'm fine, Jeremy," she told him.  Then she looked back at the blonde.  "And where's your boyfriend?"

     The girl and her cohorts started to glance around, but just then another girl ran up huffing and puffing.  "Brenda!  It's Tom.  He just threw up outside," she said.  The blonde was shocked for a moment, then gravely annoyed.  She looked at Martha with a scowl.

     Martha just smiled.  "Sounds like a keeper," she said, hugging Jeremy closer.  Brenda stormed off, her entourage close on her heels.

     "What was that all about?" Jeremy asked.  Martha just looked up and grinned.

     "Nothing.  Let's dance," she said.

     After another slow dance and a few more quick ones, Jeremy insisted they get a picture together.  Martha tried to refuse, but he reminded her it had been her idea.

     "You said take a picture so it would last," he reminded her.  She smiled and agreed.

     After a long while in line, the photographer positioned them in front of the fake waterfall background and told them to smile.

     As the night wound down, the young couple seemed to talk about everything and were getting along famously.  Then Martha's phone rang.  It was her father and he insisted on picking her up.  She gave him the address and he said he'd be there in ten minutes.

     Jeremy escorted Martha outside and told her how much fun he'd had tonight.  Martha smiled and told him he was a great guy and she hoped for more good things to happen to him.  There was a hesitant moment between them, and then they kissed.

     A horn honk distracted them, and a black suburban had pulled up to the school.  Martha gave Jeremy a hug and then hurried to the truck, blowing him one last kiss from the door.

    She looked back after Jeremy as they pulled away.

    "Apricot Parmesan," her 'father' said.  She faced forward and sat up straight, a blank expression on her face.

    "Turn back into yourself," he said, and she grew and reformed into her normal, young adult body.  They drove in silence until they pulled up next to Jesse's truck.

      "Get in your truck and drive to 'The Lucky Sphinx' on Connor Street," he said.  "You blew off your friends and went to a new bar, where you met a nice girl and had a nice night, but then she blew you off for a guy in a cowboy hat."

     Jesse got into his truck and after a short drive pulled into the parking lot of what seemed to be a bar and grill.  Just as he turned off the engine, his phone rang and he answered it.

     "Apricot Parmesan," said the voice.

     Jesse blinked a couple of times and looked at the phone in his hand.  The line was already dead.  He shrugged and glanced at the bar once more, grumbling at how that girl would just blow him off after talking to him for three hours.  He headed home and went to bed.

--------

     A few days later, a large envelope arrive in Jesse's mail addressed to a 'Martha Finkle.'  Curious and hoping to figure out who she was and if he should bother returning the item, he opened it and found a set of prom photos.  There was a scrawny young boy with a short redhead in a lime green dress.  They looked like a typical teenage couple.  Resealing the envelope, Jesse marked it 'not at this address' and dropped it back in the mail slot.

     Across town, Jeremy looked at the prom photos and sighed.  If only he'd gotten her number.