Altered Fates - Only the Strong Can Forgive - 1
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Altered Fates - Only the strong can forgive - 1
By Danielle J
This story is dedicated to the families of Sarah Stone and Mary Karen
Read plus all the mothers and fathers who lost a child at Virginia Tech
University on April 16, 2007.
Thank you to Mallory, Bill, Jay, Father Anthony and Circe who assisted
me with this story.
Cast of Characters
Jeff Lockwood and Loc Metzger- High School Seniors and sweethearts.
Also members of Wilmington High School's Class of 1993
David and Carol Lockwood- Jeff's parents. David along with one of
Jeff's Uncles owns three auto repair shops.
Tabitha 'Tabby' Lockwood- Jeff's eleven-year-old sister
Tom and Julie Metzger- Loc's father and mother
Mary Metzger- Loc's paternal grandmother
Kevin and Kathy Metzger- Twin ten-year-old half siblings of Loc Metzger
Drew Hamilton- Twenty-year-old Emory University student
Claude William Hamilton III- Drew's father and CEO of Hamilton
Enterprises
Elizabeth Hamilton- Wife to Claude, Mother of Drew.
Stephanie Brooks and Dawn Jacobs- Duke University students
Dan Compton
Note or warning- One character in this story has very strong and
distasteful views on race relations. The N word is used over a dozen
times in this tale.
This story is a work of fiction, but I drew on two real-life stories.
There is a third story which 'Only the strong can forgive' is even more
like, but I didn't use in any way for what I write below. It is just
ironic that a TV movie was shown on television while I was still
completing this story.
I'll comment further on all this at the end of the story.
******
"I'll be right over," Loc Metzger told her boyfriend Jeffrey "Jeff"
Lockwood. "Talk to you then."
Loc then hung up the upstairs phone. The seventeen-year-old girl was
suffering from a nasty cold and wasn't feeling at all like going out,
but her boyfriend said he needed her right now. Can't boys ever grow up
Loc asked herself.
When Jeff called, Loc was already prepared for bed. It wasn't till
another fifteen minutes had passed before the teen was dressed and
ready to go out. Grabbing her purse off the dresser, Loc left the
bedroom and immediately went downstairs.
Tom and Julie Metzger were in the living room watching television. Both
were surprised to see Loc dressed like if she was going out. Not
because of the time, it was a few minutes before 9 p.m. on a Friday
night, but because the teenager had been sick all day and had to stay
home from school.
"Where are you going young lady?" Loc's father asked.
"Jeff called," Loc explained. "He asked me to come over. Jeff said it
was important."
Julie Metzger got up from her seat and walked over to her daughter. The
first thing the mother did was feel Loc's forehead. "Loc, you don't
look good and you're still running a bit of a temperature. I really
think...."
"Mom, Jeff said it was important."
"I agree with your mother," Tom Metzger said while continuing to watch
television. "You shouldn't be going out. What is so important that Jeff
can't wait till tomorrow?"
Loc was even wondering about that. Jeff had asked for her to come over
straight away but hadn't given a reason. Knowing her father wouldn't
accept this for an answer, Loc tried another tactic. "Daddy, Jeff just
needs some help with his chemistry mid-term. He will be taking it on
Monday."
Tom Metzger nodded as if he accepted Loc's explanation. The forty-one-
year-old Auto Parts sales rep was proud of his brainy daughter. Loc
would be going to Duke University in the fall to study pre-med.
The premise of Jeff Lockwood needing help with a chemistry exam made
sense. The boy wasn't dumb, but Jeff wouldn't ever be a doctor either.
Julie Metzger wasn't convinced yet. "Sweetheart, you aren't well and
you should really stay home."
"I know Mom," Julie wasn't her birthmom, but Loc had an excellent
relationship with her Adoptive Mom. "But Jeff has to go to Raleigh
tomorrow. He will be gone all day and will not able to study because of
it."
Both the Metzger and Lockwood families lived in Wilmington North
Carolina. Raleigh was a little over two hours drive away and Jeff would
be leaving the house before 4 a.m. the following morning.
Why was Jeff Lockwood going to Raleigh? Loc's boyfriend was enlisting
in the Air Force. Jeff had chosen to go into the military after
finishing high school. Tomorrow he would be going for his physical and
to sign his enlistment paper so to go into the service.
After their high school graduation in June, Loc and Jeff would be
taking very different career paths. Their relationship, like most high
school romances, would most likely end with the completion of school.
Jeff and Loc would probably see one another only at any future class
reunions.
Loc liked Jeff but was consigned to the inevitable. If any good came
from the end of their relationship, it was that the teasing by Loc's
friends would end. She would never be called the future Loc Lockwood or
Loc Loc ever again.
In actuality her name was pronounced Luck not Lock. The Vietnamese name
meant Luck or blessing.
Julie Metzger "Ok, but I will come back to pick you up at 11:00."
Loc agreed to her mother's condition. A few minutes later the two women
were out the door and on their way to the Lockwood home.
The drive to Jeff's home took less than five minutes. After ringing the
doorbell, Loc blew her nose with the help of some Kleenex.
Jeff answered the doorbell a few seconds later. "Loc, I'm glad you're
here." Then Jeff grabbed his girlfriend by the arm and pulled her into
the house.
*****
Julie Metzger watched as Loc went into the house. She was too far away
to see that her daughter was being literally dragged inside by her
boyfriend. Seeing that Loc was now safe inside, Julie began to drive
back home.
As she drove, Julie thought of how lucky she was to have Loc as a
daughter. Loc was a product of Tom Metzger's first marriage. After his
being drafted for the Vietnam war in 1971, Tom enlisted in the Marine
Corps.
While serving in the Corps, Tom was stationed in Saigon as a guard at
the US embassy. That is where he met Nu Tran in the April 1973. The
couple soon married and their only daughter was born on March 7th 1975.
Tom and Nu naming their only child Loc.
Less than two months later, Saigon fell to approaching North Vietnam
forces on April 30th. Among the last evacuees were Tom and Loc Metzger.
Nu Metzger wasn't so lucky. On April 28th, Nu was killed by a rocket
blast while in Saigon's Central Market. Tom wasn't there at the time,
but Loc, who was only seven weeks old, was. The girl was barely injured
by the same attack that killed her mother. Loc's name proved to be
tragically prophetic.
After the war was over Tom Metzger tried hard to provide for his
daughter but being a single father proved to be too difficult. So Loc
was sent to live with her paternal grandparents in Virginia and would
stay there till 1980. Tom Metzger coming to visit as often as his work
permitted. Despite the loss of her mother and long periods living with
her grandparents, Loc Metzger was completely devoted to her father.
Then Julie re-entered Tom Metzger's life. Julie, whose maiden name was
Langdon, and Tom were former high school sweethearts, much like Loc and
Jeff were today. The relationship lasted till Tom's entrance into the
Marine Corps. After that they didn't meet again for eight years.
When they did re-unite, the spark soon rekindled and Julie and Tom
married in October 1980. The first thing the newlywed couple did on
return from their honeymoon was to pick up Loc Metzger from her
grandparents. Less than a year later, Julie formally adopted Loc as her
daughter.
Parent-child relationships are often tumultuous if the two aren't blood
related but this was not the case with Julie and Loc Metzger. Having
never gotten to know her birth mother, Loc embraced Julie readily as
her new mother.
As for Julie, she returned the favor. She understood why Tom married,
he was half way around the world and had met someone special in Nu.
Julie didn't fear the late Nu Metzger, why should she? The woman was
only a memory, though a strong one, to her husband.
As for Julie, she had her own personal baggage. A short marriage of her
own that ended in a divorce after less than three years time. Julie's
ex was now serving a lengthy term in federal prison for bank robbery.
From the beginning Julie and Loc had a good relationship. The former
was loving and caring towards the child she adopted both legally and in
her heart but also at the same time supplying discipline if needed.
Which in Loc's case was very seldom. The girl was a straight A student
and popular at school(Loc was a member of Wilmington High's 1992
Homecoming court. That said much for Loc's popularity among her fellow
students.) in addition to being very mature and well behaved. Loc was
seldom a trouble to her parents. The Metzgers took pride in how they
raised such a fine daughter.
Loc knew Julie was not her birth Mom, but treated her as if she was.
Learning from, talking to and sometimes confiding her hopes, dreams and
feelings to her. The bond between Julie and Loc was very strong.
As Julie drove home, she thought of the day Loc was told about her
birthmom. Tom Metzger chose not to do this till his daughter was old
enough to fully understand. That time came when Loc was thirteen.
One night the Metzger family, with the exception of the twins, Kevin
and Kathy, gathered in the living room. There Tom and Julie sat Loc
down to tell their daughter about her past. Obviously Tom Metzger did
most of the talking.
When Tom was done telling about Nu, Loc got up and hugged and kissed
both her parents. The girl had always known of Vietnamese heritage but
now knew of her mother and what had happened to her. Loc thanked her
parents for telling her everything.
In her nearly twelve years of being Loc's adoptive mother, there was
one night that stood out for Julie. It happened two days later as Loc
and her mother cleaned up in the kitchen after dinner.
"Sweetheart, did you ever wish you could have known your mother?"
Loc smiled as she looked Julie right in the eye. "Not very often
because I have a mother here with me right now."
That one brief conversation summed up the relationship Julie and Loc
Metzger had. It was a very close and loving one. As she pulled into the
Metzger family driveway, Julie began to feel concerned again for Loc.
The girl really should be in bed resting, not helping her boyfriend
with his studies. Julie was very protective when it came to Loc.
Just like a birthmom is of her own flesh and blood.
*****
Loc Metzger preferred not to be at Jeff's home but her boyfriend was
giving her no chance to tell him. The teenage boy continuing to drag
his girlfriend upstairs till they reached Jeff's bedroom.
As soon as they were in the room, Loc sneezed.
"God bless you," said a young female voice.
Loc now learned she and Jeff weren't in the room alone. Tabitha 'Tabby'
Metzger, Jeff's eleven-year-old sister was in the room also. This would
be the first of many surprises for Loc that night.
"Loc, I need your help."
"With your chemistry exam? Jeff I'm hardly...."
Jeff cut his girlfriend off in mid-sentence. "No, not that. I need a
big favor from you."
"What kind of favor?" Loc asked as she began to fumble in her purse for
some Kleenex. Jeff beat her to the punch by handing his girlfriend some
tissue.
"I need you to go to Raleigh for me tomorrow"
"Are you nuts? I've been puking half the day and you're making jokes!"
"Loc, let me explain. Tabitha got this necklace...."
"You got me totally confused now. Let me call Mom so I can go back to
bed."
Loc started towards the bedroom door but Jeff intercepted her. "Loc,
give me a minute to explain."
"Ok, explain," Loc said as she looked straight at Jeff. The boy had the
cutest eyes she had ever seen. "You got exactly one minute."
Jeff asked Loc to sit down on his bed., which she did. Loc had only
been in boyfriend's bedroom twice before. At the moment, Jeff's parents
weren't home.
Loc and Jeff had known each other since they were both ten. They shared
their first kiss at age twelve, but kissing was as far as the two ever
went sexually. The high school sweethearts had never once engaged in
sexual intercourse.
Loc felt odd being in Jeff's room. There were a lot of reasons for
this, including Jeff's weird request but also because Tabby Lockwood
was still in the room. 'Why is Tabitha here? She and Jeff usually can't
stand one another.' Loc thought.
Jeff showed Loc an odd and cheap looking necklace. "This can change
people and things."
"I'm not in the mood for jokes...." Loc began saying.
"Loc, give me your jacket," Jeff asked his girlfriend.
"Ok, but what is this nonsense you're talking about?" Loc said as she
took her jacket off. Tabitha not Jeff Lockwood was the one to take it.
"Go do it right away," Jeff told his younger sister. "We don't have
time to waste."
"Be right back," Tabitha said with a giggle before leaving the room.
Loc again wanted an explanation. "What is going on between you and
Tabby and what is this necklace nonsense?"
Right then Loc sneezed again. She felt so miserable and wanted to be
back in her own bed. Boys were just so immature, unlike almost all the
girls Loc knew. Sometimes Loc wondered if her boyfriend or guys in
particular were worth the hassle.
"What is going on?" Loc asked again, her patience rapidly running out.
"This necklace can change people."
"Stop joking around."
"I'm not joking Loc," Jeff said looking his girlfriend right in the
eye. "What I'm saying is true. I can prove it if you can wait about
twenty minutes."
Loc was still skeptical but had never known Jeff to lie to her. "Ok
prove it."
"We got to wait for Tabitha to come back."
"My mother will be back here at eleven to pick me up."
"I know Loc, just be patient."
Loc went along with Jeff, still thinking what her boyfriend was saying
was all a joke. They soon began talking about the recent happenings at
school and what their friends were up to. Because of her cold, Loc had
missed school that day. She had been home in bed with her mother
constantly feeding her soup in order to get well.
Around twenty minutes had passed when a knocking sound. "Come in," Jeff
said.
Tabitha had returned to her brother's room. There was one not so slight
difference. She was now a double of Loc Metzger. She was wearing a
bathrobe and holding the jacket given to her previously by Loc.
"Holy Shit...." Loc exclaimed as she got up from bed and walked over to
Tabitha. The seventeen-year-old girl couldn't believe her eyes.
"I told you it changed people," Jeff remarked.
Like Loc couldn't believe her eyes, she had to check if Tabitha was for
real. So Loc looked inside the bathrobe the girl was wearing. "She
really is me."
Right then Tabitha sneezed. "I even have your cold."
Loc turned around and faced Jeff. "Now can you explain why Tabitha is
me and what you two are up to?"
"I need you to help me tomorrow and go to Raleigh."
Loc's draw dropped as she just stood there staring at Jeff and Tabitha
turned into her. Not till after the shock of her boyfriend's statement
had worn off, did Loc speak again. "Jeff we need to talk. By
ourselves."
Tabitha didn't wait for Jeff to say anything. "I'll be in my room."
Once Tabitha was gone, Loc spoke again. "No way I'm going to become you
not even for a minute."
"Loc let me explain."
"If I'm becoming you and Tabby is me, then am I thinking right that
you're going to be..." Jeff then cut her girlfriend off in mid-
sentence.
"No, no, no. That's not it. Let me explain," Jeff told Loc as he
finally took control of the conversation.
Earlier that day Jeff had been approached by Todd Hamilton. Todd was
the fourth of the five Hamilton brothers. The Hamilton family was both
wealthy and well known in that part of North Carolina.
Loc knew who Todd Hamilton was too but had never met him. She did know
his younger brother Drew slightly. Drew once asking Loc out on a date
but she had politely said no. The boy not knowing she had Jeff for a
boyfriend.
Todd Hamilton had a Camaro he sometimes raced in illegal street race
competitions. Jeff, whose father along with his Uncle ran and owned
three Auto Mechanic shops in and around Wilmington, was very good at
fixing cars. After all he had two good teachers.
Jeff made money working at his father's shop on weekends or by
sometimes doing repair work for friends. Todd Hamilton wasn't really a
friend of Jeff or his family but knew them.
"Todd's transmission needs an overhaul and wants me to do it tomorrow."
"Why couldn't he get someone else?"
"His usual mechanic is away, out of town. Todd begged me to help him
out."
Loc shook her head at her boyfriend. "Isn't your signing up for the Air
Force more important?" Loc almost added 'than some dumb car' but she
thought it redundant. Jeff had to be getting her point.
Jeff would have liked to have gone to college like Loc was, but life's
experiences had thrown the boy a curve ball. Five years previously
Jeff's mother Carol Lockwood was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins lymphoma.
While Mrs. Lockwood beat the disease and was totally in remission now,
her struggle with cancer had severely hurt the family's finances.
Jeff's parents being no longer able to support his going to college.
Instead Jeff chose the Air Force where he would be trained to work in
avionics. The boy wasn't really too disappointed at not going to a
university. If Jeff had, he would have probably studied History which
would have meant going into teaching after getting a degree. Jeff
wasn't sure that was the profession best suited for him anyway.
"Yes the Air Force is important to me, but Todd offered me $500 if I
got the car fixed by tomorrow night, and even said he may give me a
bonus. Isn't that worth it?"
Loc also considered $500 a not so small bit of change. That didn't
change the girl's opinion of what Jeff was asking her to do. "Why
didn't you ask Tabitha to go as you?"
"I did and even offered her $200 to do it," Jeff replied. "Tabby turned
me down. She said she didn't want to be a boy."
"Which leaves me."
Jeff nodded. "You're my only hope Loc, please do this for me."
What Jeff did next absolutely embarrassed Loc. He dropped to his knees
and began to beg her to help him out.
"Please Loc, do this for me. Just this time, I promise never to ever do
this again. Please Loc, say yes," Jeff said as he groveled at Loc's
feet.
'Boys and Men, why do women ever put up with them?' Loc thought to
herself. Then Loc noted that not all women did. Some remained single,
and then there were lesbians who found comfort in others of the same
sex. Maybe they were the smartest women on the planet Loc mused.
"Loc," Jeff said as to continued to plead with his girlfriend. "I'll
buy you those earrings you liked in the mall if you just do this for
me."
"Those earrings cost nearly $300," Loc replied back. Jeff was referring
back to a December Mall visit where his girlfriend saw these earrings
she liked. $300 for jewelry was normally outside the budget of both Loc
and Jeff.
"Loc, please help me out."
"Those earrings are too expensive," Loc said as she made her decision.
"I don't want you buying them for me but I'll do what you ask."
Jeff jumped to his feet and gave Loc a big kiss. When he was over, Jeff
said. "Thank you Loc, I owe you."
"You sure do, big-time! Now what do we do? Remember my mother is coming
back here at 11."
"Yes, I know," Jeff replied back before thinking for a few seconds.
"It's ten now and my parents went to a movie. They'll be back around
eleven thirty or so. The changes take a half hour."
"Then we better get started," Loc said. She was only doing this because
Jeff was her boyfriend. No one else could have persuaded Loc to do this
crazy switcheroo.
"You better get undressed first," Jeff said to Loc.
"Why?"
"Because when you turn into me, your body grows. It will rip off all
your clothing."
Loc thought for a few seconds. "Tabitha knows how to use the necklace,
right?"
Jeff nodded his head. "Yes, she just used it to become you. Want to
start?"
"If I got to take my clothes off, I prefer that you weren't present."
"I got you now."
One more thing crossed Loc's mind. She better get an answer about it
before doing the switch. "How long am I supposed to stay you?
"Till Sunday."
"Sunday? I go to church every Sunday morning!"
Loc Metzger went to church services at Holy Word Lutheran church. There
she was part of the youth choir which sang one Sunday a month.
Jeff on the other hand was Catholic but not a church goer. His parents
only going to mass on holidays like Easter and Christmas.
"I know Loc, but I can't guarantee being back so you and Tabby can
switch back before Sunday morning."
Loc was thinking if she should re-consider doing the favor Jeff was
asking.
"You're not singing this Sunday anyway."
"Yes but I like to go to church," Loc said with a bit of annoyance in
her voice.
"Loc, please do this for me." Jeff began to beg again.
"I'll do it."
Loc and Jeff then went to Tabitha's room. The girl was trying to play a
video game, but finding it tough going because of Loc's cold.
"Why did I have to get your cold?" Tabitha complained. "Now I wish I
hadn't done this."
"It's too late Tabby. Can Loc use this room to change?"
"I guess so."
Jeff then left the room. Once he was gone, Loc spoke. "How do we do
this?"
Tabitha showed Loc. First the necklace had to be put around Loc's neck.
Then Tabby took Jeff's clothing and touched it to the medallion.
"See, it's easy."
Loc felt a spark the moment Tabby touched Jeff's clothes to the
medallion. "Yes it was. Does it hurt?"
"No. You better take your clothes off," Tabby said. "I'm getting out of
here first.
"Don't forget Tabitha. My mother will be here at eleven."
The plan Jeff had outlined for Tabitha was for the girl to stay in bed
all day Saturday. At present Tabitha felt so miserable, bed was looking
awfully inviting. "I know. See you Sunday."
Before Tabby left, Loc had one more question. "Why are you leaving?"
"I don't want to see my brother naked." Tabby made a motion of putting
a finger in her mouth like she would throw up. Then the girl left the
room.
As soon as Tabby was gone, Loc began to take her clothes off. The
changes had already begun.
Jeff waited in his room patiently for thirty minutes before Loc
returned to the room. They were now identical to one another.
"Thanks Loc. Are you ok?"
"I guess so," Loc replied. She had just gotten her first ever peek at
Jeff naked. It hadn't done anything for her.
Jeff explained what would be happening the next day. The air force
recruiter, Sgt. Richard Willis, would be picking Jeff up at 3:45 in the
morning to take him to Raleigh. There Jeff's enlistment process into
the air force would begin.
"Tomorrow is supposed to mostly a physical for me," Jeff explained.
"The paperwork is almost all be done already."
"Is there anything else I will have to do?"
Jeff said there was. She would have to sign some papers. The recruiter
already knew the Specialty his recruit had chosen. Jeff had written it
down on a slip of paper for Loc.
"Try to memorize it."
"Sounds pretty simple."
"It should be. Rick said we should be done in the early afternoon. That
would get you home in time for dinner."
Neither Jeff or Loc said anything for about two minutes.
"If there isn't anything else," Jeff said. "I better get going."
"Where will you be staying tonight and tomorrow?" Loc asked. "Just in
case I need to get a hold of you."
"I'll be staying at Tony's home," Jeff told Loc. Tony Francis was one
of Jeff's closer friends. "Good luck Loc, try not to worry. This should
work."
Instead of the usual goodbye kiss, Jeff and Loc shook hands. Then Jeff
left the room.
Not seeing anything else to do, Loc went and turned the television set
on. If using the medallion had any good points, it was one. Her cold
was totally gone by now. On the other hand, Loc didn't feel tired
enough to go to sleep.
"I hope this works or I'll be in big trouble," Loc said as she checked
out what was on television that night.
*****
Jeff's plan went off without any real complications. Sgt. Willis
arrived to pick up Loc at 3:45 as planned. Having barely slept that
night, Loc napped almost all the way to Raleigh.
As for Jeff, he worked half the night and into the next day on Todd
Hamilton's car. The transmission was shot, but Jeff was able to get it
repaired in time for that weekend's races.
When finished, Todd gave Jeff an extra $300.
"Thanks Todd," Jeff said as he shook Todd's hand. "I really appreciate
it.
"Thank you for coming over on such short notice. The next time I need
work done, I may just call you."
"I'd appreciate that." Jeff replied back. He already planned to buy Loc
those earrings she liked. The extra bonus would pay for it.
Tabby had a very miserable day, spent almost entirely in Loc's bedroom.
Not just feeling weak, and having to sneeze and blow her nose, but
being bored also. Loc had neither any video games or a television set
in her room. Tabitha had to whittle away the hours by listening to
music.
Loc's day was alright nothing more. She had to endure a lengthy
physical, surrounded by boys in various states of dress and undress.
Bored and tired summed up how Loc felt throughout much of the day.
As to Jeff's enlistment, with the exception of a technical glitch it
all went smoothly. Loc signed all the necessary papers that would have
Jeff joining the Air Force three weeks after graduation.
The only trouble came when the computers at AFEES went down for over
two hours. This caused Loc and the Air Force recruiter not being able
to leave Raleigh till almost 5 p.m.
By then Loc was exhausted and trying very hard to ignore Sgt. Willis'
attempts to discuss sports with her. Loc was looking forward to being
her normal self again.
*****
The tricky part in switching back was getting Jeff, Loc and Tabitha all
to one place from their three separate locations. Tabby still had Loc's
cold, and Mrs. Metzger didn't want the girl going out when sick. It
took much persuasion to change the mother's mind.
It was easier for Loc to get to Jeff. All she had to do was drive
Jeff's car, a 1977 Plymouth Volare. Loc picked up Tabby before driving
to one of the auto repair places owned by Jeff's father. Jeff was
already there.
"All go ok?"
Tabitha sneezed in reply. "I still got her cold."
"Not for much longer," Loc said. She'd trade a male body for a female
body with a bad cold any day. After Jeff unlocked the garage's back
door, they all went inside.
An hour later everyone was back to normal. Loc wouldn't be missing
church that day. Despite an invitation to join her, Jeff declined.
"I'm going home," Jeff said. "I'm still worn out from yesterday."
"That's no reason not to go to church. Sunday is the Lord's day."
"I know but, I'm not going to church."
"Jeff you should go, please join me?"
"Sorry Loc," Then Jeff changed subjects hoping this news would make Loc
happy. "Todd gave me an extra $300 bonus. I'm going to buy you those
earrings you like."
"Keep the money, come to church with me." Loc growled back.
Jeff Lockwood didn't go to church with Loc that day. Latter on that day
Jeff bought Loc the earrings in any case. This earned the boy a big hug
and kiss from Loc when she saw what he got her.
As for the medallion, neither Jeff or Loc had any interest in it.
Therefore Tabitha took it. She would be its owner for almost another
four months.
*****
It was the Thursday before graduation day for Wilmington High School's
Class of 1993 and Jeff Lockwood was only getting home that night at
8:30 p.m. After taking his final exam in English that day, Jeff had
gone straight to his Uncle's auto shop to work on a car owned by a
classmate named Mickey Lyons. The body work on the car kept Jeff busy
till a little past 8 p.m.
After saying hello to his parents who were watching television in the
living room, Jeff went straight to the kitchen to eat dinner. His
mother had made meatloaf and macaroni and cheese for dinner that night.
The teenager put some of both foods on a plate and stuck it in the
microwave. Jeff then set the timer for two minutes.
The food hadn't been cooking a half minute before the kitchen phone
began ringing. After calling out that he'd get it, Jeff took the phone
from the wall. "Hello."
"Hi Jeff," said the familiar voice of Loc Metzger.
Jeff hadn't seen Loc since Wednesday morning. Being a straight A
student, she didn't need to take any finals. "What's up?"
"Not much right now but I'm supposed to be going to Virginia with my
parents tomorrow."
"Yes I remember you telling me that." Jeff didn't fail to note this was
at least the fourth time his girlfriend had told him this. Why was Loc
calling him about it tonight?
The purpose of the trip was so Loc, her parents and the twins could
visit Mary Metzger, Loc's paternal grandmother. She was turning
seventy-years-old sometime in the following week but her family was
celebrating it early.
"Jeff I need a favor from you..," Loc said at precisely the same time
the kitchen microwave began beeping. Jeff's dinner was ready now.
"Loc can we talk in about twenty minutes?" Jeff asked as he stretched
the phone cord in order to reach the microwave. The kitchen phone
wasn't a portable one. "I'm just about to eat dinner."
"No problem. Don't forget to call me back."
"I won't. Talk to you later." Jeff then hung up the phone.
It wasn't till another forty-five minutes had passed that Jeff had time
to call Loc back. The boy had decided to shower first after completing
dinner. For some reason Loc was unusually impatient with Jeff and his
delayed phone call.
"I need you to come over here tomorrow," Loc explained. "Bring enough
clothes with you for three days."
"Loc, are you asking me to come with you to Virginia?" Jeff asked. He
wasn't really interested in going at all.
Thinking for a moment, Jeff considered the idea that maybe Loc wanted
to spend more time with him. It was precisely four weeks till Jeff left
for the Air Force. Making a snap decision, Jeff planned on telling Loc
no to any invitation to go to Virginia.
"No I just need you to come to the house like I told you. By eleven
tomorrow morning," Loc said sounding mysterious. "Tell your parents
you're going to spend the weekend with me and my family."
"I'll have to ask first."
"Fine. One other thing, ask Tabitha for that necklace again. Make sure
you bring that too."
"Ok. Talk to you tomorrow. Bye Loc."
"Bye Jeff."
******
Jeff had no trouble getting his parent's permission to join Loc for the
weekend. It took all of five seconds for the Carol and David Lockwood
to say yes.
Getting the medallion from Tabitha on the other hand proved to be as
weird an experience as Jeff's talk with Loc before proved to be
mysterious. See his younger sister had been having some fun with the
necklace.
"Don't tell anyone," Tabitha began by saying. "Mom, Dad, or even Loc
what I'm about to tell you."
"Ok Tabby, what's the big secret?"
"Remember that stray cat that used to hang around outside for food?"
Jeff did remember the cat they sometimes called Felix. "He hasn't been
around lately."
Tabitha suddenly grinned. "There is a reason for that. I turned him
into a french poodle!"
"Are you out of your fucking mind?" Jeff asked in angry shock.
Tabitha was quick with an answer."Only as much out of my mind as you
and Loc were when you did your little switcheroo last February."
Jeff admitted to himself his kid sister had a point. He just wouldn't
tell her that.
"What do you think Mom and Dad will think if they learned all the shit
we BOTH did?" Tabitha asked as she twisted the knife a little further.
Jeff took control of the situation. He grabbed the medallion away from
Tabitha. "They won't know if neither of us tells on the other. That
includes me telling Loc and you telling anyone including Mom and Dad.
Deal?"
Tabitha had as much to lose as her brother by tattling on the other.
"Deal."
There was one more thing for Jeff to say. "Whenever Loc is through with
this, we're getting rid of this necklace. You'll never see it again."
"That's ok with me," Tabitha said as her brother began his way out of
the room. "What does Loc want it for?"
"I haven't a clue."
"Maybe she wants to switcheroo you with her this time," Tabitha said
teasingly and then winked her eye at Jeff. "I hope you like wearing
dresses and makeup."
"Loc will never do that to me." Were Jeff's last words before leaving.
He didn't know yet just how right Tabitha was and how wrong he'd be.
*****
"Good you brought the medallion but you're late!" Loc said to Jeff the
moment she opened the front door of the Metzger home. The time was just
past 11:30, a half hour later than Jeff was had been told to show up.
Then in almost a replay of last February, but with their roles
reversed, Loc dragged Jeff into her home and upstairs to her bedroom.
Once they were in her bedroom together, Loc slammed the door shut and
locked it.
Jeff had only been in Loc's room on rare occasions and never once with
the door shut for obvious reasons. Good girls don't invite their
boyfriend into their bedroom and then close the door.
'This is so weird' Jeff thought to himself. Things would soon get
weirder as Loc acted like a very bad girl.
By the time they entered the room, Loc had already pried the medallion
from Jeff's hands. Now she put her plan into motion.
Not wasting time on explanations, there would be enough time for them
later, Loc put the necklace around Jeff's neck.
"What the hell are you doing to me?" Jeff asked but Loc didn't reply.
Instead she touched an article of clothing to the medallion. It was one
of her bras.
"You're going to be me and go to Virginia with my parents this
weekend," Loc said.
The moment that Loc touched her bra to the medallion Jeff felt a
tingle. His body began feeling odd seconds within seconds.
But first he had to talk to Loc. "Why? Why me?"
"Payback for last February," Loc said snippishly. "When I had to become
you for two days."
Jeff didn't believe that. By now he could feel his body shrinking.
Remembering what they had done earlier that year, Jeff calculated he
had twenty minutes before he'd be a body double of Loc.
"That isn't all of it, right?" Jeff asked. Then his pants which were
already loose, fell to the floor, his boxer shorts fell seconds after
that. Jeff felt embarrassed to be naked like this in front of Loc. Lou
able to see Jeff's privates if she had wanted.
If either had, they would have seen that Jeff's penis was already the
size of a small boy's and still shrinking. A vagina would take its
place soon enough.
"No it isn't," Loc told Jeff. She said this as she saw her boyfriend's
eyes go from pale blue to brown as the rest of Jeff's face began to
change. It was now time for Loc to explain and do it quickly. Time was
of the essence.
Loc's friend Ona Colosimo had called Loc the day before. She had gotten
concert tickets for this boys group Loc liked so much. They were having
a concert in Fayetteville on Saturday night and Loc wanted to go there,
rather than go to Virginia for her grandmother's birthday.
"Why didn't you just tell your parents that? Jeff asked, his voice
cracking and already sounding unfamiliar. He could also feel his hair
lengthening and by now Jeff and Loc were both almost the same height.
"I don't think Mom and Dad would have let me. The planning for
Grandma's birthday has been going on for months," Loc said to Jeff. "We
better get moving, Mom and Dad plus Kathy and Kevin will be home around
1 p.m. and you'll all be leaving not long after that."
"You have given me no choice." Jeff replied. His voice now sounding the
exact same as Loc's.
The last changes came fast. As Loc began to show the clothes Jeff would
wear as her, he began to get this odd sensation half way down his
chest. Jeff's chest was expanding.
"I got breasts," Jeff said and then without thinking looked down the
shirt he was wearing. It was baggy now on his new body. "They're nice."
Loc turned around and to look at her boyfriend. The two of them were
absolutely identical now. She then watched as Jeff tweaked one of his
new nipples.
"Ooooh that felt good."
"Don't do that!" Loc yelled.
Jeff heard the anger of his girlfriend's voice, and immediately stopped
what he was doing. "Ok Loc, calm down."
Loc was angry but had to accept that Jeff would now know how she looked
naked. It couldn't be helped if she wanted to attend that
concert."Jeff, I don't care if you stare at yourself all day long. But
if you do anything more than that I'll break your arm."
"I won't, I promise."
After accepting her boyfriend's word, Loc went right away to preparing
Jeff for the weekend ahead.
First came makeup and lipstick. Loc decided to begin with the area Jeff
would have the hardest time with. In actuality Jeff caught on quickly,
probably because Loc only used a little eye makeup. After two
successful applications, Loc moved on to clothes.
On the bed were the clothes Loc had picked out for Jeff. Like a lot of
boys or men, Jeff didn't color co-ordinate his clothing very well.
Instead Loc did it for him. Pointing out which clothes to wear each
day. There were four sets in all, one for Saturday, Sunday and Monday
each, plus a dress for church.
"It doesn't matter what clothes I wear on which day?" Jeff asked. He
never once in his life up to that day thought he'd ever be wearing
women's clothes.
"Except the dress, that's for church only. Make sure you also wear the
shoes I showed you with each set of clothes."
"I understand that. Loc, I think a dress would be easier for me than a
skirt."
Loc nodded. "That's why I didn't pack one for you. I want it as easy
for you to be me as possible."
"If your parents find out, we're in big trouble."
Loc was more confident than Jeff about the prospects of them pulling
off their deception. "Mom and Dad will only find out if you really
screw up bad."
Jeff didn't reply. Leaving unsaid what popped into his mind seconds
after Loc's last statement. That a boy who had only thirty minutes
preparation to impersonate being a girl stood a good chance of chance
of failing badly or screwing up as Loc said.
Then came time for Jeff to put on his first bra. This proved almost as
difficult as makeup proved easy for Jeff. It took some dozen tries
before he mastered the art of stretching one arm's behind one's back so
to successfully fasten a bra.
After that was over, Jeff had one more issue to raise. Loc already said
they had ten minutes left before she had to exit the house. That would
leave a fifteen-minute safety margin before the Metzgers arrival home.
Loc and Jeff couldn't risk being found home by Loc's parents.
"What am I supposed to say and do?" Jeff asked. "I mean what if someone
asks me anything."
Loc had already thought of this. She told Jeff to talk about school,
the weather, and even Loc's friends. If not these, just be vague. Also
Loc suggested Jeff talk as little as possible. That would leave fewer
chances for him to screw up.
Loc also gave quick tips on walking, sitting, crossing one's legs and
also importantly. Keeping one's legs tightly together when wearing a
dress.
"What do you think are the odds this will work?"
"Fifty-fifty," Loc replied and then looked at her watch. "I better get
going. Good luck Jeff and I'll see you Monday."
"Bye Loc." Jeff was expecting Loc's normal kiss on the lips but got one
on the cheek instead. Then his girlfriend exited the room, hurrying to
get out of the house as quickly as possible.
Not knowing what else to do, Jeff sat down on Loc's bed. Jeff then
began to spend the next few minutes checking out the body he now had,
his breasts.
Jeff was doing just that when he heard the front door of the Metzger
door open. Leaving Loc's bedroom, Jeff began to go downstairs but not
before getting passed in the opposite direction by the twins, Kevin and
Kathleen Metzger.
Mrs. Metzger was checking that day's mail when she saw Loc at the
bottom of the stairs. "Are you all packed and ready to go?"
"Yes Mom." Jeff replied. He was about to begin the weirdest and maybe
the most unpleasant weekend of his life.
*****
By the time Jeff and the Metzgers arrived in Petersburg, the boy wanted
to scream. Stuck in the back seat between the twins, Jeff had to endure
Loc's siblings as they constantly took verbal jabs at one another.
A few minutes of the twins' behavior could be funny, but four hours in
a car playing referee between the two was just too much for any sane
person. When Jeff got out of the car in Virginia he felt happy that
ordeal was over. He just didn't know more were ahead.
Since many family members were coming for Grandma Metzger's birthday,
Loc's family had to stay in a hotel. Mr. Metzger getting two connecting
rooms for the five of them.
Jeff therefore shared a room with Kathleen Metzger. He had known Loc's
little sister, but never paid much attention to her. Now having to room
with the girl, Jeff found out just what a spoiled brat she was.
Kathleen and the lack of privacy he had, would nearly drive Jeff nuts
over the next two days.
Time away from the hotel wasn't better, instead it was worse. Jeff
having to sit through more than one gab session of the Metzger family
women. The favorite topic seemed to be what was the reason for
everyone's last hospital stay or what operation they just had. Jeff
wanted to scream by the time he heard his third hysterectomy operation
story.
If there was a bright side to the trip, it was the birthday party on
Saturday beginning in the late afternoon and going into the evening.
Being held outdoors, it allowed Jeff to get away from Kathleen and the
'hysterectomy' discussions. For a while Loc joined with some of Loc's
cousins in a game of soccer.
Soccer proved to be only a short reprieve for Jeff. For when the game
was over, a boy named Mike Logan began hitting on him. To make matters
worse, Loc's cousin Holly Hicks was Mike's girlfriend. She began
accusing Jeff of trying to steal her boyfriend!
All of this was on Jeff's mind as he made his way to the bathroom early
on Sunday morning. For some reason he wasn't feeling too good and that
wasn't doing anything to help Jeff's mood. "I might grab a couple of
Dad's beers and get drunk when I get home."
What Jeff didn't know was he'd have one more indignity piled onto all
the others. While he sat to pee, something came to his attention.
"Shit I'm having a period. Can anything else go wrong?" Jeff asked
looking down at the blood in his underwear. Now Jeff knew why he was
feeling crappy that morning. He was experiencing menstrual cramps.
This wasn't something Loc prepared her boyfriend for. So Jeff was
clueless what to do when he left the toilet area of the hotel room.
Thankfully Mrs. Metzger had come into the room to check on her
daughters.
"Is something wrong sweetheart?"
"My period arrived."
"I thought you had it last weekend."
Loc would later confirm this to Jeff. The bra she used to turn her
boyfriend into her body double, had last been last worn by Loc over a
week earlier.
"Oops my mistake." Loc would say.
'What a mistake!' Were Jeff's thoughts. He just didn't know yet how
this one mistake would change his life forever.
Back to the hotel room. "It came back," Jeff told Mrs. Metzger.
That answer wouldn't have passed a test on women's reproductive cycles.
Fortunately Mrs. Metzger ignored it. "I got some napkins in the other
room. I'll be right back."
Mrs. Metzger was back moments later. Jeff took one of the napkins given
to him and put it in his panty. More were placed in Loc's purse for
later use. He'd later be thankful that Loc didn't use a tampon. Jeff
would have been clueless as to what to do with that.
As Jeff ate breakfast with Loc's family that morning, he tried hard to
ignore the cramps and remember he'd be back to his normal self the next
morning. He could hardly wait to be a boy again.
*****
The Metzgers got home at eleven o'clock on Sunday evening. This meant
it was too late for Loc to come over. Instead she called Monday morning
around 9 a.m.
Jeff had been up since seven that morning. Roused from bed early that
a.m., Mrs. Metzger cooked Jeff breakfast before leaving for work.
Compared to the day before, Jeff was feeling a little better. The
menstrual cramps were gone but the bleeding coming from between his
legs continued. It was really disgusting in the boy's opinion. The
smell reminding him of an open can of sardines.
"Loc, sweetheart," Mrs. Metzger said as she gave her daughter a bowl of
Oatmeal. "Since you're off from school today I'd like you to run
laundry and dust and clean the upstairs rooms. Can you do that for me?"
In his previous eighteen years of life, Jeff had never done any of
these chores. Since Loc would soon be over, he went along with her
mother. "Yes Mom."
"Good. I'll be home to pick you up at 2:30 so to take you to the
graduation rehearsal."
Wilmington High School's class of 1993 would be having their graduation
ceremony on Wednesday evening. Before then two rehearsals were to be
held on Monday and Tuesday from 3 to 5 p.m.
Once done with breakfast, Jeff went upstairs. If he thought he could
stall on the housework, Jeff would be mistaken. Mrs. Metzger was soon
upstairs with Pledge, a dustrag and the vacuum cleaner for him to use.
Seeing he had no alternative, Jeff put on some shorts and started on
the housework.
As soon as Mrs. Metzger left the house, Jeff halted the work he was
doing and waited for Loc's call.
"Is the coast clear?" Loc asked.
"Yes I'm the only one home." Jeff growled.
Loc could hear something was wrong. "Is something wrong?"
Jeff gave Loc a short rundown of the weekend's events. "Right now I'm
having your period."
"I just had mine a week ago."
"Yeah, your mother told me that."
"I'll be right over," Loc said.
"Do that," Jeff said before hanging up the phone.
Loc was over fifteen minutes later. The first thing she told Jeff was
how she had such a wonderful weekend.
"My weekend was shitty," Jeff told Loc in return.
"I'm sorry Jeff," Loc said as she gave her boyfriend a great big hug.
"Thank you for putting up with everything you did just for me."
"You're welcome Loc," Jeff told his girlfriend as they remained in each
other's arms. "I didn't know how pretty you were till this weekend."
Loc smiled. "Consider that your graduation gift from me.
Right then the phone began to ring. Loc went to answer it.
"Hello."
"Hi Loc, is Jeff there?"
Loc had to think for a moment. Jeff was in no condition to talk. "He's
in the shower right
now Mr. Lockwood."
"Tell Jeff I need him at the shop as soon as he can get here."
"I will Mr. Lockwood.." After saying goodbye, Loc hung up the phone and
went back to Jeff. She told him who had just called.
"Dad probably has some work for me to do." Jeff remarked.
"He didn't tell me. You didn't do anything naughty did you?"
Jeff laughed very hard for a moment. "Not with you promising to break
my arm if I did. Also it would also have been kind of hard to do with
your sister and family around always."
"Yes it would have," Loc replied back as Jeff gave her one big hug
again. His hands now fondling her buttocks in a way the boy had rarely
done in the past. "You're getting a little friendly."
"I'd like to get a lot friendlier," Jeff told Loc as he kissed her. It
was just a brief one, for Loc broke it off.
"What has gotten into you?"
"I just thought that we would have some fun."
Loc pulled back from her boyfriend a bit but was still in his arms. "I
thought I told you a long time ago I wouldn't do that."
"Yeah Loc I know that but I thought since we're both girls now...."
"You're a double of me."
"I know that. What would be wrong with a little girl-girl?"
Jeff tried to pull Loc in closer to him, but she instead broke away.
"The answer is no!"
"Ok Loc, calm down."
"Lets get you switched back," Loc told Jeff, who was already prepared
with the shirt and medallion. On went the necklace and then taking the
shirt Jeff had brought on Friday, Loc touched it to the medallion. Jeff
felt the usual spark immediately. "Why didn't you switch back before I
got here? You could have."
"I was hoping that we would do what I said before," Jeff said as he
felt the changes begin their process. He was looking Loc right in the
eye, but could see her shrinking or rather him returning to his normal
height already.
Loc wasn't really angry with Jeff's request to do girl-girl sex. It was
how they would have done it. The girl was more than a little curious
towards other girls. "Jeff, I may be interested in what you are
proposing."
"Really?" Jeff said. By now his chest was almost flat, his breasts
fading to nothing.
"I just didn't want to do it now," Loc explained as Jeff's face
reverted to its usual masculine form. "Like we are."
Jeff got it then. "It would have been a little weird, you loving your
own body."
Sick would have been the word Loc would have chosen. "If we get some
other girl's clothing, and we can get some privacy from our parents
before you go in the Air Force, I will let you have some girl fun with
me."
Right then Jeff gave Loc a big kiss. "Thank you. Too bad we don't have
the chance now. With school being out and our parents not being home."
"Yes too bad." Loc wasn't 100% certain Jeff would get that chance.
There were a lot of things that would need to happen just right in a
short period of time.
"Oh I almost forgot, Shelly Nelson left a message on the answering
machine."
Shelly Nelson was a classmate and acquaintance of both Loc and Jeff.
Loc knowing the somewhat snobbish cheerleader the better of the two of
them.
"What did she want?" Loc asked.
"I don't know."
"I'll go call her," Loc said as she walked to the bedroom door. "You
should be back to normal by the time we're done talking."
Jeff was almost completely back to normal except for a few minor things
like his body hair and one not so minor. "Yes my you know what still
hasn't grown back."
"You wouldn't be Jeff without that. I'll be right back," Loc said with
a laugh before exiting the room.
Loc then called Shelly Nelson. Her classmate's father would be hosting
a party on graduation night. Shelly was inviting both Loc and Jeff.
Loc knew she would have to ask her parents first. She told Shelly just
that. "I will have to get back to you."
"Let me know by tomorrow's rehearsal one way or the other. My father
wants to know how many people to expect."
"I will. Talk to you later" Loc then hung up the phone. As she did, Loc
saw Jeff coming down the stairs. By the look on Jeff's face, Loc could
tell something was wrong.
There sure was something wrong. First, Jeff wasn't wearing any clothes
at all. Second, his body wasn't normal either, his body hair was still
gone but more importantly his penis was still missing. Between the
thighs he still looked like Loc.
There was something else happening. "What's going on?"
Jeff was visibly shaking by his point. His blonde hair was turning
black again and beginning to grow. "I don't know what went wrong."
"You're becoming me again!"
"I think I am." Loc then took Jeff by the hand and they both hurried
back to Loc's bedroom.
The changes were going faster than the other times Loc or Jeff used the
medallion. By the time they got in the bedroom Jeff had a head full of
long black hair plus Loc's breasts also.
"You didn't touch the necklace again."
"I swear I didn't," Jeff said, as he shook his head violently. His
voice was already the same as Loc's again and their heights were almost
identical too. "God what has gone wrong?"
Loc hadn't a clue as she examined the necklace. Within moments Jeff was
back to being her body double.
"What do we do now?" Loc asked.
"There can't be two of us."
"I'm going to have to become you again."
"We have no choice," Jeff said as he sat down on the edge of the bed
totally naked.
"But why did you reverse back? That hadn't happened before?"
"Loc I've only used it on me this one time. And when you became me and
Tabby became you." Jeff also added. "We all switched back, but this
time!"
Jeff began to cry but Loc remained calm. "We had to have done something
different."
"What?"
Loc mentioned a few possibilities. Jeff and her quickly concluded none
applied.
Jeff was visibly shaken by what happened. Being a girl for a few days
was fun, but he didn't want to be stuck this way forever. Looking
downward for a second, he saw something.
"Shit I bled on your bed."
"That is the least of our....." Loc began saying as she handed Jeff a
panty to put on. Right then she had a quick brainstorm. "You're having
my period."
"Yes and I wish I wasn't."
"That may be it. I was never menstruating the other times we used the
necklace."
"Yes that's true."
"So you may be able to turn back when your period is over."
"I hope so.....I don't want to remain like this."
Loc laughed for a moment. "A few minutes ago you wanted to be some
strange girl having sex with me."
"This is different!"
Loc was sorry for her previous remark and apologized. Jeff accepted
immediately. "If its because of my period, you're going to be me till
Wednesday night at least or more likely Thursday."
"Then I'm going to be you on graduation night."
"And I'll have to be you."
Jeff nodded his head. They had no choice. "We're going to have to fool
everyone for a few more days.
Loc didn't waste time. She put the necklace around her neck and then
touched Jeff's shirt to it. Right after feeling the spark, Loc began to
undress.
She didn't bother with clothes or a robe. Jeff got to see his
girlfriend change into himself right before his very own eyes. In a
half hour they were each other.
"We're going to have to act as normal as possible," Loc said.
Jeff didn't think that needed saying. "Yes we do, but if we work this
out together we may pull it off."
Loc smiled. "Jeff, that's the right attitude. We have a few more things
to discuss before I go to your father."
"Yes we do." Loc and Jeff then talked about clothes for him and what
they would do over the next three days. Both would stay in touch, and
since she was now Jeff, Loc would come over to visit him rather than
vice versa.
"I hope you know where the gas and brake are," Jeff said with a laugh
and Loc joined in. Levity would help both of them endure the stress
certain to happen over the next few days.
Loc had a driver's license but not that much experience behind the
wheel. The Metzgers not being able to afford to buy a car for their
daughter. "The brake is on right, right?"
Both started laughing again. Then Loc gave Jeff a big kiss. "You are
certainly the prettiest girl at Wilmington High to me."
"You're the most handsome boy there," Jeff said in reply.
"One more thing, will we go to Shelly Nelson's party?" Loc asked.
"I thought you couldn't stand her."
"No I can't but this will probably be the last time either of us will
see Shelly for a long time."
Jeff shrugged. "I guess we can go. If our parents let us."
With that settled and after one last hug, Loc left the bedroom on the
way to the front door.
As soon as Loc left, Jeff wondered what he would do till the graduation
rehearsal. Then he remembered what Mrs. Metzger had requested earlier.
"Ugh, housework." Jeff then set off to find the vacuum cleaner.
*****
While Jeff did housework, Loc had to get to Mr. Lockwood's place of
business. She didn't arrive there till almost 11:30.
David Lockwood had been having a particularly trying day. Work needing
to be done was piling up and customers were barking at the shop owner
as to when they'd get their cars back. That meant David didn't
appreciate his son showing up two hours after his call.
"That must have been one long shower, where the hell have you been?"
"I been busy Dad. Loc...."
"I don't care about Loc....." David Lockwood said with a wave of his
arms. "Shit is piling up here and I needed you. Next time I call, you
better come right away. Now....."
Loc was really in a spot. She knew nothing about fixing cars and Mr.
Lockwood was looking for her to do just that. That left the teenager
one choice to keep her and Jeff's deception from unraveling. "I can't
work today."
"Can you tell me why?"
"I hurt my back on Saturday....playing touch football," Loc told Jeff's
father.
David Lockwood stared at his son for ten seconds. "Get out of here and
go home."
Loc sighed a breath of relief on the way out the door. She was
expecting a real blowup from Jeff's father but got none. Getting into
Jeff's car, Loc drove back to the Lockwood house. It would be best for
her to stay there in case Mr. Lockwood went looking for his son.
*****
Somehow Jeff and Loc managed to fool their parents right up through
graduation day. It wasn't easy, but the teens pulled it off.
On Monday evening both Jeff and Loc asked if they could go to Shelly
Nelson's graduation party. The usual questions were asked about when
and where it was, what time the party would be over etc. etc.
Loc got immediate approval from the Lockwoods. The Metzgers proved to
be a tougher sell for Jeff.
"Princess, your mother and I don't like you staying out late." Tom
Metzger told his oldest daughter.
"I know Daddy but this is the last party for all our friends. Can Jeff
and I go, please?"
"Sweetheart it isn't we don't trust you," Mrs Metzger said. "Other
teens get into trouble on their graduation nights. We don't want you to
get hurt."
"I agree with your mother." Tom Metzger said. He was always over
protective when it came to Loc. It came from the girl's tragic and too
short a time with her mother.
Jeff wondered what Loc would think if he didn't manage to convince her
parents into allowing them to attend the party. So Jeff took the
offensive one last time in order to get permission to go.
Tom Metzger was seated in his favorite living room chair. Crouching
down in front of him, Jeff said. "Daddy I would really like to go to
the party. Please?"
'You'll always remind me of Nu. What would your mother say tonight?'
Tom Metzger asked himself. The memory of his first wife had never faded
because of Loc. His daughter was a living reminder of Nu Metzger.
Jeff saw that Mr. Metzger may be softening. So he continued the
offensive. "Daddy, please. I promise to be careful."
Later on Jeff would tell Loc how he charmed her father into allowing
him to go to the party. Loc got a good laugh out of the story.
Tom Metzger looked at his daughter. He loved Loc so much, and wanted
nothing wrong to ever happen to her. Tom wanting to protect Loc so to
make up for his failure to protect her mother.
The trouble was, Tom could never say no to his oldest daughter. "You
promise me and your mother you'll be home by 12:30? Not one minute
later?"
"Yes Daddy." Jeff replied back.
Julie Metzger didn't say a word. She had long grown accustomed to how
her husband always caved in to Loc's requests.
"Don't drink one drop of alcohol. I mean it." Tom said to Loc. He had
to sound stern, even if only for a few seconds.
"I promise Daddy."
"If Jeff drinks, you don't. I mean it."
"Daddy, Jeff never drinks."
"In case he does, you call home. Me or your mother will come pick you
up. Princess, go to your party and have a good time."
Jeff then gave Mr. Lockwood a big hug and kiss to complete the matter.
"Thanks Daddy."
When through, Jeff went upstairs to Loc's bedroom. It was time to get
ready for bed that night.
*****
Because of events, Loc and Jeff didn't see all that much of one another
from the time Loc left the Metzger house on Monday morning till
Tuesday's graduation rehearsal.
After Tuesday's rehearsal, Jeff went to the Lockwood house for dinner.
Mrs. Lockwood had invited Loc over for Tuesday dinner. After finishing
the meal, both teens watched television with Jeff's parents till he got
picked up by Mrs. Metzger around 10 p.m.
Loc and Jeff kept busy on Tuesday morning. Loc going fishing with Gary
Peters, one of Jeff's friends. It was a warm Sunny day, one best not
spent indoors and Loc was doing just that.. She used to sometimes go
fishing with her father, but not in several years. So the outing with
Gary proved to be a nice change of pace for Loc.
As for Jeff, he spent Tuesday shopping with Loc's mother and
surprisingly was enjoying it. At first Jeff had no interest in this
female activity but after a stop in one store, soon found himself
caught up in the experience. Trying on dresses, skirts and blouses for
Loc's mother. Seeing which looked best on his girlfriend's body, and
then seeing if Mrs. Metzger thought the same.
'Loc will think I'm nuts if I tell her I had a good time doing this.'
Jeff thought to himself as he strolled down the mall towards a shop
called Petite Sophisticate. Being a girl for a few hours or maybe days
had some enjoyable qualities. While Jeff was walking, an idea begin to
form in his head.
The visit to Petite Sophisticate supplied the perfect opportunity for
Jeff to piece together his plan. In the store was another mother and
daughter. The girl looked to be Chinese, she had those very Asian eyes
Jeff found exotic, and looked to be about fifteen or sixteen years old.
The age and in particular the size, was perfect for what Jeff hoped Loc
would let him do.
But first Jeff had to hope the girl would try some clothes on and
decide not to purchase them. Seeing the girl head to the dressing room,
Jeff walked over to Mrs. Lockwood.
"Mom can I try on this dress?" Jeff asked. He had come prepared.
"Of course," Mrs. Lockwood said.
Jeff went straight to the dressing area. It was the Petite
Sophisticate's policy that a store clerk had to let a customer into the
fitting room. Since the clerk was busy, Jeff and the unnamed girl had
to wait.
Jeff noted the girl was holding four articles of clothing including two
dresses, a skirt and a set of shorts. Crossing his fingers, Jeff hoped
the girl would try all of them on but not buy at least one of the
articles of clothing.
It was a gamble, but Jeff had taken several of late. He still had to
hope Loc allowed him his chance for some fun. She was usually good at
promises, if Jeff could get the clothes needed he would be halfway
there. The only trouble left would be arranging the time.
Still waiting for the clerk, Jeff spoke up. "Hi, my name is Loc. What
is yours?
"Sandy."
"Hi Sandy." Jeff replied back. Nothing more was said between Jeff and
Sandy because the clerk finally arrived to open dressing rooms for the
two teenagers.
Jeff went in a stall directly across from the one Sandy was in. Neither
dress really seemed to suit Jeff, so he put back on his own clothes and
waited on Sandy to leave.
Sandy was done a few minutes later. Jeff then slipped out of his
dressing room and followed the girl. Just his luck Sandy wasn't
interested in one of the clothes she had tried on.
"I don't want this," Sandy said as she gave a set of pale pink shorts
to the sales clerk. As soon as Sandy was gone, Jeff walked up to the
same clerk.
"I didn't like these," Jeff said as he handed back the dresses. Then he
pointed, "Could I possibly have those shorts?"
The clerk handed them right over. Then Jeff walked back over to where
Loc's mother was.
"Did you find anything nice?"
"Just this," Jeff said. Ten minutes later he and Mrs. Metzger were out
of the store. In one of the bags they were carrying was a set of pink
shorts bought at Petite Sophisticate.
*****
Jeff saw Loc later that day at the Graduation rehearsal. There wasn't
much time to talk and not a lot of privacy but the teens managed to get
some conversation done.
"You really want to do that?"
"Yes," Jeff answered back. He had already told Loc about what happened
at Petite Sophisticate, He went about outlining a plan for him to
become a girl he called Sandy Chen. He would then spend two or three
days as that girl with Loc's help. They'd spend time shopping and
having other fun. Hopefully that fun would include some girl on girl
sex but Jeff left that part unsaid for now. "Anything wrong with it?"
"No but you surprise me Jeff Lockwood," Loc said with a smile. "Unless
you're just doing this to get in bed with me."
Jeff grinned. "I do have my hopes. Do you think we can stay at that
cousin of yours in Lumberton?"
Lumberton was a North Carolina town about an hour's drive from
Wilmington. There were lots of outlet malls there and in nearby
Fayetteville that was another twenty-five miles away.
Loc paused for a second. "That could be tricky."
"Why is that? I thought you and your cousin were close."
"That cousin of mine in Lumberton is named Holly Hicks."
"Oops," Jeff groaned.
"Yes oops alright," Loc told Jeff. "I may be able to patch things up
with Holly. If we can and our parents allow us, we'll go to Lumberton.
SANDY."
"Yes!" Jeff exclaimed loudly. So much so other students began to stare
at him. He didn't mind it one bit, Loc had just made his day.
*****
The next morning Jeff was surprised by Loc again. His girlfriend had
sneaked into the house before 6 a.m and had woken Jeff up.
"How did you get in the house?"
"I sneaked in while my father wasn't looking."
"If he catches us both up here, we're going to be in big trouble."
Loc put a finger to her lips as she nodded her head. She then whispered
"I know that."
"Why are you here then?" Jeff asked quietly.
"Has your period ended?"
Jeff had gotten up in the middle of the night to pee. Blood was still
showing then, and Jeff told this to Loc.
"How about now?" Loc asked. Jeff then let her check his panty. "I think
you stopped."
"Thank God, now I hope I can change back."
"We both got to change back," Loc said as she took the necklace out of
the jewelry case. "I'll go first if you don't mind."
"No problem, go ahead."
Loc used the medallion again, then she and Jeff waited the usual thirty
minutes. During that time Jeff went downstairs for breakfast while Loc
remained quietly in the bedroom.
When Jeff got back Loc was back to normal.
"Ok lets do me," Jeff told Loc who then put the medallion back around
his neck.
Then Jeff got a surprise. Loc didn't touch one of her boyfriend's
clothing to the medallion, but instead the pair of shorts he bought
when out with Mrs. Metzger.
"I've got to graduate today," Jeff said a little shocked by what Loc
just did.
"Yes I know, but we'll have some fun first."
The changes from being Loc to Sandy didn't take very long. The biggest
change was hair length, Sandy's only fell to her shoulders while Loc's
reached half way down her back.
When finished, Loc circled Jeff as if she was examining him.
"You're a real cutie."
"Thanks, I'm glad you liked it."
"You got good taste in women Jeff Lockwood," Loc said as she came to a
halt. "Now let's get you dressed."
"We're not going to have fun?"
"Later," was Loc's short reply.
Problems soon arose. Sandy and Loc weren't the same size. The girl Jeff
had chosen was a size zero while his girlfriend was a size two. Bra
sizes weren't right either, Loc was more developed than Sandy.
Loc did the best she could do with Jeff. "We're going to have buy you
some clothes."
"Now? Aren't the stores still closed?"
"Walmart and Target are open, and we have so much to get and not a lot
of time" Loc said before grabbing Sandy's arm. "Now move your pretty
ass."
Loc and Sandy's first stop was Walmart. On the way into the store, Loc
threw something in a garbage can.
"What was that?"
"Oh nothing, just some junk that was in the car."
Loc and Sandy spent all morning and part of the afternoon shopping.
First Walmart, then Target and lastly the mall. Going from store to
store looking for clothes for Sandy and then having her try them on.
After Loc approved, which was almost always, the clothes were then
purchased. After a few hours Sandy lost count how much clothes were
bought. It was like Loc was buying her an entire new wardrobe.
And she was paying for it with cash. Jeff had ever seen Loc with so
much money. Where did it come from? Sandy got around to asking just
that after Loc bought her five pairs of shoes.
"I robbed a bank."
"Very funny Loc, tell me."
"Does it matter?"
"No, I guess not."
Loc smiled "Good, now lets go check out handbags. You're going to need
them."
When the shopping was over, Sandy had weeks worth of outfits, shoes,
and undergarments. Some how all the purchases got into the car's trunk.
When done shopping, they went to Jeff's home. Nobody was there, so Loc
and Sandy went straight to the boy's room.
"Have fun?"
"Yes, but it was weird today too."
"Why weird?"
"All those clothes you bought me. What are we going to do with them?"
"Wear them of course." Loc walked over to the closet. "You have plenty
of room here."
"Only if I get rid of my boy clothes."
"Why do you plan on using them?"
"Of course I am! Tonight is our graduation night. We better switch back
or we'll have to get Tabby to help us."
Sandy had enough, it was time to take the necklace and switch back.
Then she remembered it was over at Loc's house the last time they had
it.
"Loc we need to go back...." Sandy began saying before Loc suddenly ran
across the room and tackled her. The two teenage girls began wrestling
with each other on the floor. Sandy managed to free herself, and
scrambled to her feet. "Have you lost your mind?"
Sandy was again tackled by Loc, this time the two of them falling onto
the bed. Loc immediately began to tear at Sandy's clothes.
"No I haven't lost my mind."
"Then what is going on?" Sandy asked as she struggled to get out of
Loc's grasp. She couldn't get loose. In the meantime Loc had torn
almost all her clothes off.
"It's simple Jeff, I mean Sandy," Loc said as she began to giggle
uncontrollably. "I like you like this."
Then in a flash Loc was now naked and on top of Sandy who lie beneath
her.
"You know what I did before at Walmart?" Loc asked and Sandy shook her
head. "I threw away the necklace. You're now Sandy for forever!"
Sandy tried to say something but nothing came out of our mouth. Loc
then took Sandy's breasts in her hands and began to fondle them. It
felt so good that Sandy began to moan and moan and moan...till
suddenly.
*****
Jeff woke up startled but feeling oh so good at the same time. It took
a few moments for the fog to clear from his head, but when it did Jeff
rapidly concluded he just had a dream. He was still Loc and presently
in her bed. His girlfriend was nowhere to be found.
Laying next to Jeff was a large hugging pillow. The boy had been
hugging it real tight when he woke up. Jeff must have been using it to
masturbate in his sleep.
Jeff wasn't able to go back to sleep for another twenty minutes. As his
eyes started to close, Jeff began to have second thoughts about
becoming that girl Sandy.
"What if Loc decided she liked me that way?" Just as that thought
passed, Jeff fell sound asleep.
*****
Graduation day would be both a long and exciting day for Jeff and Loc.
Both slept in that morning, neither getting up before 9 a.m. Loc then
came over to see Jeff as soon as she was done eating and getting
dressed.
Jeff still had the medallion and while he had enjoyed the shopping trip
of the day before, preferred to graduate as himself. "I don't think
your period has ended yet."
Loc checked the panty Jeff was wearing. "No it hasn't, but it is
slowing down. I'm pretty sure it will stop either tonight or worst
tomorrow morning."
Jeff decided to try the medallion again anyway. The changes began, but
quickly reversed themselves. It was looking more and more like the
reason that Jeff couldn't return to being a boy was because he was
currently menstruating.
Reconciled to graduating high school as each other, Loc and Jeff did
what many teens of similar age do. They went to the mall for the day
and didn't get back home till 2:30.
The Wilmington High School Class of 1993 graduation ceremony didn't
start till 8 p.m. but all students were required to report to the
auditorium by 7 p.m. Before that, both the Lockwoods and Metzgers took
their children out to dinner. That was where they got their graduation
gifts.
Loc got $1,000. It would come in handy for Jeff after he finished his
Air Force basic training.
The gift Jeff got was a brand new Toshiba laptop computer. That would
definitely be useful for Loc at Duke. After getting their gifts both
teens kissed and hugged their parents.
After dinner was over, both families drove to the auditorium. In
addition, Loc drove Jeff's car there. After the graduation ceremony was
over, Loc and Jeff would go directly to Shelly Nelson's house.
*****
Across town and at almost the same moment Loc was kissing Mrs.
Lockwood, a former Wilmington High student was kissing his mother. His
name was Drew Hamilton, the brother of Todd Hamilton the person Jeff
had fixed a car for almost four months earlier.
Drew, age twenty, and possessing good looks, was the youngest of the
five Hamilton children and also the most indulged. A junior that coming
fall at Emory University, Drew had never done a day's work that wasn't
for one of his family's businesses.
His mother was having dinner made by the family cook, Josefa. However
Drew had his own plans, and they didn't include staying home for dinner
that night.
"Where are you going?" Elizabeth Hamilton asked her son. She was seated
on a sofa in the family's downstairs sitting room. The Hamilton mansion
had two floors and was over 50,000 square feet in size. To keep and
maintain such a home, the Hamilton employed thirteen full-time
household staff and gardeners in addition to five part-timers. "Josefa
is making your favorite tonight, Pork Picata."
The Hamilton family cook was a native of the Philippines and this pork
dish was her specialty. Drew loved the food, but tonight he craved
something entirely different. "Mom I'm going to meet a friend."
Mrs. Hamilton tried changing her son's mind, but it didn't work. His
mother could never quite put her foot down and demand her son stay
home. Drew knew this. His mother was always far too lenient with him.
"If you must go, don't stay out too late."
"I won't Mother," Drew said, "I promise."
"Your father will be coming home tonight. You really must be here for
breakfast in the morning. He may wish to speak to you."
Drew's father, Claude Hamilton III, had flown to Charlotte North
Carolina on business. He would be back in Wilmington that night around
10 p.m.
"I won't," Drew said as he bent down to kiss his Mom. "Love you Mom,
see you in the morning."
At almost any time of the day, the Hamilton family had six to ten cars
at their house at the very minimum. Drew's father had six cars in all.
They included a Jaguar, Classic Bentley, Mercedes, BMW, Cadillac, and
an Aston Martin.
Both Drew, the last of the Hamilton boys to be living at home, and his
mother had cars also. Drew actually had two of them but only one was
home at the moment.
"Nash," Drew said to the Hamilton family chauffeur. He was at the
moment dusting the family Rolls Royce, "Please take me to the garage."
"Of course, Mr. Hamilton" The chauffeur said before coming around the
car and opening the door for his passenger. A minute later the Rolls
was headed towards Wilmington's south side of town.
That was where Drew had a small rental garage. Something the young man
believed his parents to know nothing about. After being dropped off by
Nash, Drew withdrew a set of keys from his pocket and let himself into
the garage.
The first thing Drew did on entering the garage was turn on the lights.
That allowed the young man to see his baby. Directly in the center of
the garage was a 1993 Camaro Z28. It was latest generation in that
popular line of cars.
Drew had gotten the Camaro as a birthday present from his parents the
previous March. Almost three months had passed, but Drew had barely
driven the car. There was a reason for this.
The Z28 was a work of art. Drew's car was red on the outside but light
grey on the inside. This breed of Camaro, which had been used as the
pace car at the previous month's Indy 500, came with a V8 350 cubic
inch, 275 horse power engine called the LT1. These engines were also
used in Corvettes. The car also had a six speed manual transmission.
Drew walked around the Z28, surveying the car as he did. For the still
single young man, the car was his child. He would take care of it with
a care and dedication usually only seen in a parent's relationship with
their child.
It was only three days since Drew had last been in the garage, but dust
was already collecting on the car. The amount of dust may have been
minuscule to most, but Drew didn't like his car being dirty.
Drew took the Camaro out to the alley behind the garage. He would spend
the next hour meticulously washing and drying the car.
*****
For that evening's graduation ceremony, all Wilmington High students
wore blue gowns and caps. The garments had been issued to all
graduating seniors at Monday's rehearsal. Neither Jeff nor Loc put on
their graduation clothing till they arrived at the auditorium on
Wednesday evening.
High School graduation is a time marked by both excitement and sadness.
The former in having completed twelve years of education and the
symbolism the day had. That Loc, Jeff, and all their classmates were
now considered adults by society. None of them would ever be called
children e except by their parents and certain other adult relatives.
The sadness came from the fact that some friendships going back many
years, even as far back as kindergarten, would effectively end that
night. Yes many of them would meet at reunions and things, but as a
group, the Wilmington High Class of 1993 would never totally assemble
again in one place.
This realization was causing Loc to get all choked up as she waited
backstage. She would miss Lenore, Denise, Pam, Chandra, and other
friends of hers. The toughest friend for Loc to lose would be her
boyfriend
"Jeff, I'm going to miss you," Loc told her boyfriend. The students
were already beginning to line up in order to process in. "After you go
in the Air Force, I'll never see you again."
"I'm going to miss you too," Jeff said before giving Loc a big hug. He
would really miss Loc, in ways Jeff would have never have imagined till
Tabitha found that necklace. Living a few days as a woman had taught
the teen a few lessons and given him experiences very few men would
ever have.
Loc then decided to take a peek out from behind the curtain. She was
looking for her parents but couldn't find them. Jeff peeked also,
joining his girlfriend in her search.
"Do you see them?"
"Not yet," Jeff answered. His and Loc's search would end moments later
when another call was made for all the students to line up. The
graduation ceremony was only minutes away from starting.
*****
Ever since Drew finished washing the Camaro, he was thinking of what to
do that night. One idea was foremost in his mind. Without further
delay, Drew began making some phone calls. The first two people he
tried calling weren't home.
"Jason, I'm glad I got a hold of you. Where ya been?" Drew asked his
third caller, his name Jason Percy. Both men were Wilmington High
grads, Class of 1991.
"Just hanging around. How about you?"
"Not much. Why I'm calling is I remembered how you beat me the last
time we raced. I want to try getting even."
Drag racing was a popular activity among both teenagers and young men
in the Wilmington area. In spite of police attempts to crack down on
the illegal races, they still took place. The races were always
impromptu affairs, set up usually at the last moment.
The negotiating between Drew and Jason began in earnest. It took about
fifteen minutes of haggling, but the terms were set. A winner "take
all" drag race, with a prize of $500.
"We got a deal then," Drew said.
"What time do you want to start?"
Drew looked at his watch. "Let's both make some calls and say we meet
at midnight at the usual place on Shoals Road."
Shoals Road was the most common venue for illegal street or drag racing
in the Wilmington area. That particular stretch of New Hanover County
roadway was an almost mile straight away bordered on the left by a hill
and ending in a sharp left turn. If one didn't decelerate fast enough,
a car could easily go over the cliff at the end of the straightaway.
Street racing wasn't for the faint of heart.
The turn was known to police as 'Deadman's Point' because of the auto
fatalities that had happened there over the years. None so far were
ever the fault of the illegal races.
The usual time for the races was midnight or the early a.m. hours.
Shoals Road was located outside of Wilmington's city limits, and
usually had only light or no traffic at those hours.
"You got it," Jason said excitedly. "See you then."
"Sucker," Drew said as he hung up the phone. He was certain Jason's
Cobra would be no match for the Camaro. It wouldn't even be close.
Before racing, both men had to call up some of their old friends. A
drag race wouldn't be fun if there was no audience to cheer the drivers
on. Plus people were needed to be spotters, judges and to wave flags to
both start the race and to mark its end.
Neither Drew nor Jason had any difficulty rounding up people. This
wasn't the first time they raced, but it would be their last.
******
The moment the graduation ceremony ended, all of the 463 graduating
seniors threw their caps into the air. Wilmington High School's Class
of 1993 was officially history.
The first thing Loc and Jeff did in the aftermath was to say goodbye to
their friends. For Loc, it meant a lot of handshaking and pats on the
back. For Jeff it consisted of lots of hugs and kisses with female
classmates.
'I could get used to this,' Jeff thought to himself just before he and
Loc finally caught up with one another. The two grads embraced before
sharing a kiss.
After that was over, the next stop for Jeff and Loc was to meet up with
their parents and have their pictures taken. Both families were very
proud of their children that day.
"I just wish Nu was here today," Tom Metzger said as he hugged his
daughter. The father was getting all choked up as he remembered his
first wife, Loc's biological mother. "She would have been so proud."
"Daddy, she was here. I felt Mom's presence tonight." That reply from
Jeff elicited a smile from both of Loc's parents.
Jeff's parents were also proud. "You're a man now son."
"Yes Dad," Loc replied back after getting patted on the back.
The last thing Jeff and Loc did before going to Shelly Nelson's home
was turn in their caps and gowns. Then after saying goodbye to their
parents, the two teenagers got in Jeff's car.
"I forgot to tell you," Jeff said to Loc as she began to pull out of
the parking lot. "It looks like my period is over. Maybe we'll be able
to switch back tomorrow then."
"That's good," Loc replied. It was certainly different being a boy for
a few days but Loc had enough of the experience. She wanted to be a
girl again.
Shelly Nelson lived just outside of Wilmington. Her parents had moved
to a new home a little over a year earlier. That had caused Shelly to
need getting a waiver to continue going to WHS. The teen had
encountered no trouble getting one.
The Nelson home was a fair size drive from the auditorium. Jeff had
never been there, but Loc had. So maybe it was good his girlfriend was
doing the driving.
"Where does Shelly live? Mars?"
Loc laughed. "Not that far."
"She certainly lives out in the boondocks," Jeff remarked.
"Did you know that the word boondocks comes from the Tagalog word for
Mountain?"
"No I didn't." Jeff replied back to Loc as she made the turn off of
County Road nineteen and onto Shoals Road. The boy didn't even know
what country used Tagalog as its language. It was the Philippines. "Why
are you so smart?"
"Because I study hard," Loc replied back. She didn't get straight A's
at school based on natural brainpower, but also because Loc studied her
butt off.
Ten minutes later Jeff and Loc were at the Nelson home. By then about
twenty to thirty of their classmates had preceded them to the house.
"I'm going to miss my friends," Loc confided to Jeff as they held each
other's hand on the way to the Nelson home's front door.
******
Drew Hamilton put the Camaro into gear and left the garage a few
minutes before 11:30 p.m. At this time of night, he'd make the drive to
the rendezvous in about fifteen minutes. All along Drew was careful to
obey the speed limits. No use making his father angry again with a
speeding ticket. Drew had gotten fourteen of those in a three year
period.
Jason Percy wasn't at the rendezvous yet, but did arrive a few minutes
after Drew. Only his girlfriend, Fiona Kennedy and her brother Galen
were with him.
"More are on the way," Jason told Drew as he puffed on a cigarette.
"Connie, Chuck, Dave, Lyle, and a few more"
Drew rattled off a half a dozen of his own friends that were expected.
"I hope you told them the right place to come to."
"No sweat man," Jason replied back as he finished his cig and then
flung it into the darkness. "I told all of them to meet us at the
corner of Shoals and County Road nineteen."
*****
The party wasn't as enjoyable as either Loc or Jeff had hoped. It
wasn't because Mr. Nelson had let his daughter's classmates pretty much
have free reign, except with the proviso that no alcohol was allowed.
Nor was it because Shelly Nelson was snobbish towards some classmates,
she was actually being very nice to everyone. Including who she thought
was Jeff Lockwood, even though Shelly usually disliked the boy.
What was wrong that night was Loc and Jeff being in each other's body,
they couldn't naturally join their usual friends conversation. Loc
found herself having to listen to sports talk from Jeff's friends. For
Jeff it was the talk of clothing and boys from Loc's friends. Both
teens tried hard to act like the other without making a fool of
themselves.
Both teens made the best of it and there were no embarrassing moments.
Jeff and Loc knew this would be the last opportunity to see their
friends for a long time.
"At least no one talked about their recent hysterectomy," Jeff told
Loc.
Loc laughed "I heard more than my fill of College basketball talk. The
season ended two months ago, let it go!"
"I prefer football myself," Jeff said with a laugh. "Particularly the
cheerleaders on the sideline"
Loc Metzger had been a Wilmington High cheerleader in each of her
freshman, sophomore and junior years. She didn't go out for the squad
as a senior, wanting instead to concentrate on academics.
"It's almost midnight," Jeff said as he looked at the watch he wore.
"We better say goodbye to Shelly and thank her father."
Loc immediately agreed. "If you're not home by 12:30, my father may
kill me."
*****
Drew and Jason's friends had finally all gathered at the rendezvous by
midnight. The race parameters and who would be judges and flag wavers
still had to be worked out.
A proper street race required preparation. One person would monitor a
police scanner to make sure no cops were around. Others would keep
watch to make sure no stray cars wandered into the race area by
accident.
Galen Kennedy was Fiona's kid brother. A Wilmington High Class of 1992
grad, the boy was mostly a shiftless youth who had a few minor scrapes
with the law.
"Galen Jason Percy. "We need you to watch the other end of Shoals Road
to make sure no one wanders in when the race is on."
"Why me?"
Jason didn't answer the question. "If you do this for me, I'll buy you
a case of beer."
The nineteen-year-old jumped at the offer. "I'll do it."
A few other details needed working out. Drew insisted on seeing if Jeff
had the money. "Here count it yourself if you want".
Drew did count it. Five one-hundred dollar bills were in a small
envelope. "We're almost set then."
Not quite. "Now show me your money." Jason Percy replied back. He
wasn't going to risk his life just to see Drew Hamilton not pay up.
"Here," Drew said taking his money out of a back pants pocket. "Now can
we get this thing started?"
*****
"I'm glad you liked the party," Ben Nelson said to Loc and Jeff. "Good
luck to both of you."
Loc and Jeff were some of the earliest to leave the party. Either other
parents were more lenient, or some of those there were defying their
Moms and Dads.
When they got to the car, Jeff as was his habit walked to the driver's
side. It was only then he forgot who was driving
Loc laughed at her boyfriend. "The best part about being you is that I
do the driving."
"Why? I'm not a bad driver," Jeff said as he went around to the
passenger side to get in.
"No, you're not, but I'm better," Loc said as she climbed behind the
wheel. Jeff just shook his head. Women or girls always had to get the
last word in.
Looking at his watch again, Jeff calculated he'd be back to Loc's house
just a few minutes before Mr. Metzger's deadline. The drive home, part
of which would be taken on Shoals Road, should take no more than twenty
minutes.
*****
Galen Kennedy was just standing around as others got set up for the
race. He had never been to a street race before that night.
"Hey you're Pete, right?" asked a young man in his early twenties. He
had sandy hair and wore glasses.
"That's me."
"I'm Lyle Brady. Jason told me to see you."
"What do you want?"
Lyle took out a set of car keys. "See that truck over there?"
Pete nodded. There was a monster truck parked about thirty feet away.
"Yes."
"You're to take it down to the corner of Hill Creek and Shoals. Jason
said you're going to be the lookout."
"Yes I'm the lookout," Pete said as he followed Lyle over to his truck.
"How do we keep in touch?" Pete asked.
"Have you ever used a CB radio?"
"No."
"I better show you then."
*****
Neither Loc or Jeff knew it, but Tom Metzger was still awake at the
same time his daughter and her boyfriend left the Nelson home.. He had
a case of heartburn and after taking some Pepto Bismol, had decided to
watch some television till the medicine took effect.
At present Tom and his wife were the only ones home at the Metzger
house. In addition to Loc being at the Nelson party, the Metzger twins
Kevin and Kathy were sleeping over at their Uncle's home. While Tom
Metzger was awake, his wife was fast asleep in bed.
Before settling in to watch some Johnny Carson, Tom Metzger went to a
table in the living room and picked up a picture frame. The picture in
it was of his wife Nu.
"Our little girl graduated high school today." Tom said out loud before
kissing the photo. Then he went to his favorite living room chair, sat
down, and turned on the television.
The father noted the time. It was ten after twelve. His daughter would
be home in less than twenty minutes as promised. Tom Metzger trusted
his daughter Loc one hundred percent.
Five minutes away from the Metzger home, both Carol and David Lockwood
were fast asleep. David had a long day between the demands of work, and
then attending his son's high school graduation. Like the Metzgers,
Jeff's parents trusted their son not to stay out too late. In
actuality, neither of the boy's parents had set a curfew for the
evening.
*****
Almost everything was set for the race between Jason Percy and Drew
Hamilton. Spectators were in place, so were the judges and flag
bearers. All that was left to do was for Jason and Drew to climb into
their respective cars.
Pete Kennedy had already taken up his watcher position at the other end
of Shoals Road. No cars were in sight at this time.
On the way down to his lookout, Galen discovered Lyle had a cooler full
of beer in his car. He decided to grab one for himself.
Back at the other end, Jason and Drew didn't shake hands before the
race. For tonight's race was a grudge match, because the last time they
raced Jason had won by racing his Cobra to a clear win over Drew who
had driven a Trans Am. That car had since discarded.
Tonight would be different, Drew felt as he got behind the wheel of his
Camaro. Yes tonight would be nothing like last year's race.
*****
"So what's our plan now? Jeff asked.
"Tomorrow we will switch back for certain."
"If the necklace works this time" Jeff didn't fail to add. He and Loc
were only guessing at why it failed on Monday and the one other time
Jeff tried using it since.
"It will," Loc said confidently. "We have to switch back tomorrow
morning and early on. Your father keeps asking me when I'm going to
work at the shop."
"Yeah, we got to get this over with," Jeff said. At that moment they
were less than three miles from Deadman's Point.
*****
Galen Kennedy was bored to be quite honest. He had gotten to his
position ten minutes earlier and now was just standing around. Having
finished one beer, Pete decided to have another.
*****
Jason and Drew were revving their engines in anticipation of the
starting flag. Their race was only seconds away now.
*****
"So when do you want to become Sandy?" Loc asked.
Jeff still remembered the dream he had. "Whenever"
"What whenever? You only have three weeks till you go in the Air
Force."
"I know," Jeff admitted. "It would be fun to do it."
"But why do you suddenly have second thoughts?"
*****
Galen was already beginning to get a little drunk. He was also feeling
an urgent need to go pee, so the nineteen-year old went to some nearby
bushes to do his business.
As he did the Volare driven by Loc Metzger went by the corner of Shoals
Road and Hill Creek Drive. Busy with his personal business, Galen never
saw the car.
By the time Galen got back to his lookout, he could hear someone on the
CB.
"Are we all clear?"
Galen took one last look around before answering. Bye then the Volare
had gone around a bend in the road. "Yes."
*****
"I'm afraid you may like me as Sandy and prefer to keep me that way,"
Jeff said to Loc as they passed by Hill Creek Road.
Loc began to laugh. By then they were now only a mile from Deadman's
point. "Trust me Jeff, I won't do that. What made you change your
mind?"
*****
Fiona Kennedy was acting as the starting flag waver. As soon as she got
the all clear, Fiona waved the flag to begin the race.
Drew instantly released the Camaro's clutch and hit the accelerator.
Not surprising for Jeff at least, the twenty-year-old Emory student got
off to a faster start with his Camaro than Jason Percy did with his
Cobra.
Drew could feel the adrenaline rush that came from racing, as he
shifted gears. His lead over Jason was continuing to grow.
"What a sucker."
*****
"I don't know," Jeff said with a shrug.
"Only last night you were excited about what we were going to do."
"Maybe I'm tired of being a girl."
"Don't you think I'm tired of being a boy too?"
"Yes I guess you are."
"So let's do what we talked about," Loc said to Jeff as she continued
to watch the road. She was driving at a safe rate of speed. Tonight
marking the first time Loc had ever driven on Shoals Road at night
time. "We don't have much time left to do this."
"All right then."
"Good, I'll give Holly a call tomorrow or Friday," Loc said to Jeff.
"See if I can patch things up and ask if we can go visit for a couple
of days."
"I'll have to ask Mom and Dad if I can go."
Loc nodded "I'll have to do that too."
"Do your Aunt and Uncle have room for us?"
"Yes, they should. My cousin Michael doesn't live at home anymore. We
should be able to sleep in his room."
"And have some fun," Jeff cracked and which caused he and Loc began to
laugh. They were less than 500 yards from Deadman's point.
Loc thought for a few moments. Should she tell a secret to Jeff? 'Hell
what's a secret if you don't share it with a friend' Loc thought.
"Do you remember Colleen Wells?
Jeff did remember the former Wilmington High Class of 93 student. She
had been a good friend of Loc's till an auto accident killed her
parents in 1990. Afterwards Colleen moved to Kentucky to live with her
grandparents.
"I do. Why are you asking?" Jeff asked as the car he was in with Loc
now was less than 100 yards from Deadman's Point.
*****
The street race wasn't even close. Drew was winning it by about three
to four car lengths.
"I did it," Drew said as he watched the flag being waved to signify him
as the winner. The race was over and Drew began to shift down the
Camaro. Deadman's Point was fast approaching.
Drew knew not to take the turn too fast. So he began to let off the
gas. As he did, a thought crossed Drew's mind.
"I wonder if Jason will go for a re-match?" Drew planned on asking just
that when he went back to collect his winnings.
Drew's Camaro took the turn at the top of Shoal's road at over twenty
miles above the posted speed limit. Going too fast for the sharp turn,
the car began to drift into the left lane.
*****
"If you remember Colleen and I were good friends. One day when we were
freshman......"
Jeff was listening to Loc when he saw a car coming around the bend in
the road. Its lights coming right at them.
"Holy Shit, look out!" Jeff screamed.
"Oh My God!" Loc said as she turned the wheel to the left to get out of
the way of the oncoming car."
*****
"What the fuck?" Drew said the moment he saw the approaching car. He
knew the two vehicles were on a collision course and immediate action
had to be taken to prevent it.
Unfortunately for Jeff and Loc, Drew Hamilton took the exact maneuver
Loc did, but from the other direction, veering right to get out of
Loc's way, Drew instead drove right back into the grad's path.
At the last moment, Drew swerved right but not far enough to prevent
the two cars from side swiping each other.
*****
The first thing the occupants of both cars heard was the grinding of
metal as both cars struck each other. As far as body damage went, Drew
Hamilton's car was worse off. His front end was badly smashed in.
However it was the difference between the two drivers experience behind
the wheel that determined everyone's fate that night. Once the cars
collided, Drew's Camaro began to skid. Taking his foot off the gas,
Drew turned the steering wheel in the direction he wanted to go,
avoiding an over correction in the process. This enabled Drew to get
the Camaro back under control and stop the car some 20-30 yards down
the road.
Loc on the other hand, hit the brakes as her car started to skid also.
When a car skids, it's because the rear brakes have failed, so this was
a act of futility by the inexperienced driver. Seeing the guardrail and
cliff fast approaching, Loc tried to regain control of the car.
Unfortunately she turned the wheel too hard. The Volare was totally out
of control when it hit the guardrail.
The Volare went straight on through the guardrail. Deadman's point was
at the top of a hill, but it wasn't a straight drop off. Once through
the guardrail, the Volare plummeted some five to ten feet, bumping
along as it went down the hill.
Plymouth made good cars, but the Volare was never meant for off road
travel. The bumpy downward descent of the vehicle was tearing the guts
out of the vehicle and its passengers inside. Loc and Jeff would
probably have been thrown from the car, but both youths were wearing
their seatbelts at the time. That allowed them to survive the initial
crash.
The Volare soon struck a large boulder about 1/4 of the way down the
hill, this sent the car airborne for a moment before it struck the
ground again. This time the car only went a few feet before it started
tumbling. Before settling at the bottom of the hill, the Volare had
flipped three times.
No one experiences such a wreck without bodily harm and Jeff and Loc
were no different. Both teenagers had suffered multiple broken bones,
head injuries and both were bleeding internally. Immediate medical help
was needed if they were to live.
*****
Drew Hamilton wasn't the first to get to the broken guardrail. Some
friends of Jason Percy had gotten there ahead of him. The sight Drew
saw combined with the knowledge he was at fault made the twenty-year-
old want to puke.
All of those who were there for the race eventually got to the
guardrail. That enabled them to look for themselves.
Then Galen Kennedy showed up. Lyle Brady immediately confronted the
nineteen-year-old.
"What the hell were you doing?"
"I saw nothing, I mean it." Galen said with what was already his third
beer in his right hand.
"Shit, you been drinking my beer!" Lyle said taking the can away from
Galen Kennedy and throwing it over the hillside.
While Lyle was dealing with Galen, the rest of those present all came
to the same decision.
"We got to get out of here!" One boy yelled as he grabbed his
girlfriend's arm. All fifteen to twenty men and women then began to
scatter. All of them running for their vehicles in order to get away as
fast as possible.
That is all except for Drew. He was frozen, looking down from Deadman's
Point at the wrecked vehicle. Drew had no idea who was inside it.
*****
The running of the end credits meant that The Tonight Show with Johnny
Carson was over. It also told Tom Metzger it was 12:30 a.m. and his
daughter Loc was still not home.
Tom's initial reaction wasn't worry or anger. He knew his daughter Loc
to be a good girl. The father was expecting his daughter to come
through the door any minute now. Tom decided to wait up, if only to say
again how proud he was of Loc. Then the father would go to bed.
So Tom changed the television channel. He'd watch CNN headline news
till Loc got home. He expected that to happen in a matter of moments.
*****
Finally coming out of shock, Drew asked the empty night sky. "What do I
do now?
A quick appraisal showed he was in no position to help anyone who was
in the car. Instead Drew had to summon help. That left two choices,
either Drew could wait for another car to come up Shoals road, which at
this time of the night may not happen for some time, or go for help.
Going for help was the choice, though Drew knew it would be breaking
the law. Then again the twenty-year-old already knew he was in a
shitload of trouble. Leaving the accident scene looked like a minor
violation compared to other infractions if his driving had caused
someone to die.
So Drew ran to his Camaro and re-started the engine. That was a good
sign, but the car had major body damage and it was unknown how far the
car could be driven before breaking down entirely. Drew saw no choice,
but to find out as he drove back towards County Road nineteen and
Wilmington.
"I need to find a pay phone," Jeff kept repeating as he drove the
Camaro. This time Drew maintained the Camaro at a safe speed. A second
wreck with the car would do neither of them any good.
It took ten minutes of driving for Drew to arrive at a 7-11 that
doubled as a Citgo gas station. At the time, no one was present in the
parking lot, but the store was open. Pulling into the parking lot, Drew
parked the Camaro next to a pump used for filling up tires with air. A
few feet away from it was a payphone.
Drew jumped out of the car and went to the payphone. There are no
charges for 911 calls, but Drew inserted the coins out of habit. As
soon as the coins passed through Drew punched the numbers nine one one.
"Nine one one dispatch, what may I ask is the emergency?" Asked a male
voice.
*****
It was 12:45 and Loc still hadn't arrived home. Tom wasn't worried yet,
but felt he needed to do something.
Going to the master bedroom, Tom turned on the room's lights via a
light switch by the door. He then went over to the bed where his wife
Julie was fast asleep.
Two pats on the shoulder were all that were needed to wake Julie
Metzger up. After shaking the sleep from her head, the mother looked up
at her husband's face. To Julie Metzger, her husband looked troubled or
worried.
"What's wrong?"
"It's past 12:45 and Loc still isn't home."
*****
"There is an accident....a car went off the cliff at the top of Shoals
Road." Drew Hamilton told the 911 operator.
"Did I hear you correctly, Shoals road?"
"Yes Shoals Road, about a half mile past Road Nineteen."
"Is there anyone injured?"
"Are you there at the scene?"
Drew thought that a dumb question. "No I'm calling from a pay phone.
Someone may be hurt bad. Paramedics need to be sent there."
"Help is already on the way."
A few moments later, Drew hung up the phone. The 911 operator was
asking too many questions the twenty-year-old was finding difficult to
answer. Drew knew the crash was his fault as he climbed back in the
car. The trouble was what to do now?
Drew had a choice, return to the accident scene or go back to the
garage with the badly damaged Camaro. The car was holding up better
than Drew had anticipated.
'If I go back to Shoals, the police will be there. I'll end up getting
arrested.' Drew thought to himself. The last place the privileged, or
some would say spoiled, fifth son of Claude William Hamilton III wanted
to end up in was some jail cell. So Drew started his Camaro's engine
and left the 7-11's parking lot driving in the direction of the garage.
Drew hadn't gone a quarter mile when a police car, with its lights and
siren on, passed him going in the opposite direction. Another half
mile's drive down the road saw a fire truck and paramedics' vehicle did
the same.
"I hope I didn't kill anyone tonight," Drew said as he continued to
drive.
*****
Neither Loc nor Jeff were dead but soon would be if help didn't arrive
soon. Both were still trapped in the wrecked Volare and neither would
be getting out without the help of firemen.
Jeff was slowly beginning to regain consciousness. The first thing the
teen realized was how painful he felt right then. Then Jeff remembered
the accident.
"Loc, Loc answer me," Jeff tried to call out loudly but only a low moan
came out instead.
No answer came in reply. Jeff was pinned tightly inside the car but was
able to turn his head slightly to the left. When he did this, Jeff saw
his girlfriend. She looked badly injured.
"Oh Loc please don't die," Jeff kept repeating as the pain began to
come in waves. So much so they would cause Jeff to lapse back into
unconsciousness but first the teen tried to yell again.
"Help!" But no one heard it.
Because of the remoteness of Deadman's Point, the first police and
paramedics didn't arrive on the scene till some twelve minutes had
passed after Drew Hamilton's 911 call. It then took a few minutes for
rescue personnel to locate the wrecked car.
That was the easy job. The hard one would be for rescue workers to get
down to the vehicle and its occupants. That left only one choice,
they'd have to rappel down the side of the hill.
As the firemen and paramedics prepared to do this, Patrolman Alfredo
Nunez went back to his police cruiser. He immediately radioed into
dispatch for more backup.
*****
I'm worried" Tom Metzger told his wife Julie. By then it was 1 a.m. and
Loc was a full thirty minutes late.
"Maybe they are still at the Nelsons," Julie replied nervously. "Or
they went to another friend's home."
Tom Metzger looked his wife straight in the eye for ten seconds. This
was so unlike Loc to disobey her parents. Or was his little girl in
some kind of trouble? "Do you really believe that?"