Chapter 6 - Sweet Interlude

Violet sniffed the air when she woke.  The scent was warm and full of promise, but she couldn’t quite place it.  She threw on a T-shirt and some sweat pants, and went in search of the source.

She didn’t have far to go.  Her mother was in the kitchen cooking pancakes.  Violet stared at the spectacle.  Her mother rarely had time to cook.  For that matter, she was usually out before Violet got up on the weekend.

“Don’t gawk.  Here, have some.”  Violet’s mother pushed a plate of pancakes over to her.

Violet poured some syrup on them, and took a bite.  Heaven.  She hadn’t tasted these since…  “The last time you made pancakes was before Daddy…”

“I know.  It was hard after he passed.  So much to do.  I wanted to…”  She sighed.  “I haven’t been here for you.”

Violet ate her pancakes in silence.  When she was done she asked, “What brought this on?”

“You cried on me last night.  You haven’t done that since…  I wanted to understand why.  So I did a little digging.  There’s a video of what happened.”

“Oh.  Shit.”

“Language!  I taught you better than that.”

Violet winced.  “You’ve seen it?”

Violet’s mother fetched her tablet.  A video titled “Violet disembowels Chelsea” was paused at the start, showing off Violet and Bailey’s monstrous forms, and an orange-suited girl facing them down.  “Was that really you?  The giant spider?”

Violet nodded.  “Venn Machine.  We were helping with the spooky maze, terrifying the others.  That part was great.”

Playing the video caught the tail end of Chelsea’s diatribe.  Her final words, “I bet even your mother doesn’t love you” were clear as a bell.  The ensuing violence was captured with crystal clarity, as was the shocked gasp from everyone around.

Violet’s mother paused the video, tears glittering in her eyes.  “That’s what set you off?”

Violet’s head fell to the table, narrowly missing her plate.  “That and everything else Chelsea’s done to me.  She was the architect of every bruise, every torn dress, every awful thing that has been done to me at school.  I hated her so much, and there she was...  Saying that.  I had to make her stop.”

“Do you really think I don’t love you?”

Violet rolled her head to the side to peek up at her mother with one eye.  She winced at the expression there.  Mothers aren’t supposed to cry.  She hadn’t seen her cry since... her mind shied away from that.  She sighed, and sat up straight once more.  “I’m sorry.  I’ve felt like I’m in the way, sometimes.  Bailey’s mom even offered up her brother’s old room, if I want to rent it.”

“And you’re actually thinking about it?”

“I’d be out of your way when you want to bring a date home.  That’s no fun for either of us.”

Her mother sighed.  “It’s just been so long.  But if it comes down to you or the kind of jerks I’ve been finding... I’ll pick you.”

“But the odd sleepover might still be... helpful?” asked Violet hopefully.

“Hah.  You do like spending time with Bailey.  No boys at these sleepovers?”

Violet crossed her heart.  “No boys, I swear.”

“Good.  You’re still my baby girl.”

“Mooom!  I’m seventeen.  I’m old enough to...”  She covered her mouth.

“So there is someone?”

“I...  Up until last week, I didn’t think they saw me that way.  But everything has changed.”

“Oh!  Who is it?”

Violet shook her head.  “Everything’s gone topsy turvy, and nothing is settled.  I don’t want to jinx it.”

Violet’s phone chimed, and she checked it reflexively.  “Oh!  Bailey’s at the mall early.  Wants to know when I’ll be there so we can start seeing clients.”

“Clients?  What are you doing?”

Violet pointed to her mother’s tablet.  “See all those costumes?”

Her mother nodded.  “They’re all so gorgeous.  I’ve never seen anything like them in the stores.”

“I made them.”

That led into a description of how the Venn Machines could be used to change just a person’s clothing.  Violet’s mother fretted about how her “baby girl” could get turned into something awful and stuck for a month.  Violet pointed out that she always had Bailey to rescue her.  She even was able to laugh as she told about being repeatedly turned into a potted plant.

Reassuring her mother that the Venn Machines were safe took a longer discussion, which led into why Violet and Bailey had volunteered to be monsters.  By the time her mother had been somewhat mollified, Bailey was pinging Violet again to ask where she was.

To make up for lost time, Violet’s mother offered to drive her to the mall.  Violet reluctantly accepted.  Her fears became manifest when her mother followed her to the Venn Machines.

“Hi Mrs. Powell,” Bailey greeted her cheerfully.  “Here to sample our wares?”

“Bailey!” whined Violet.  “I can’t Venn my mother!”

“Why not?  I’ll pay.  I could use a pretty new dress.”

Bailey started suggesting colour schemes, while Violet just shook her head.  The machine yawned open, and she stepped inside like so many times before, and tried her best to stay professional.  After a while she sighed, and shook her head.  “This isn’t working.”

“I’m sorry if I pushed too hard, sweetie.”

“No!  It’s not that, it’s... I design for teenagers.  Not their parents.  This dress I’ve come up is awesome and fun and would suit you perfectly if you were twenty years younger.”

“So make me twenty years younger.  Do you think I’d object to being twenty-three for a while?”

“Mom, we set the machine for a month,” Violet said with a groan.  “They might notice at work.”

“You told me how to change back with the Venn Machine.  If it causes trouble, I’ll do that.”

Violet sighed.  “Fine.”  She tweaked the age of the person in the display, doing her best to keep her mother looking mostly the same.  Inevitably her design instinct kicked in, picking the prettiest of the options presented each time.  “Okay, this may be...  Well, I hope you like it.”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine, dear.”

Violet touched the green circle, and watched as her mother studied her new dress giddily.  “This is so pretty!  You aren’t charging nearly enough for this kind of work.”

“The girls here can’t afford much more, my best customers buy a few outfits a week.  They only last a month.”

“That’s even better!  New styles all the time.”

Then the door was open and Mrs. Powell, like so many of Bailey’s clients, rushed to the mirror to stare at herself in wonder.  “Oh.  This is... me?  I was never ever this pretty.”

Bailey grinned.  “Your daughter has a fantastic eye for beauty.”

“But I look like a model!  Not super thin or anything, but my face!  It’s so... so...”

“Hey Bailey, Violet.  Who’s the new girl?”

Violet spun about and stared wide-eyed at Jimmy and Katie.  “What are you doing here?”

“Katie wanted to see you again, and, well... where else would you be on a Saturday?”

“Hi Jimmy,” said Mrs. Powell.  “How do you like the new look?”

Jimmy studied her critically.  “You look hot.”

“Jimmy!  That’s my mother!”

“Mrs. Powell?  Wow.  Violet’s work, right?”

Mrs. Powell smiled and ducked her head, looking up at Jimmy through her eyelashes coquettishly.  “You can call me Rose.”

“Mom!” exclaimed Violet.  “You’re flirting with him!”

“And?” Rose asked, looking to her daughter.  “You weren’t...  Oh.  This is the one you were talking about earlier?  I’ve never seen you flirt with Jimmy.”

“I have no idea how,” muttered Violet.

So for the next two hours, between Violet and Bailey’s clients, Rose gave an expert level workshop on how to flirt with boys.  Bailey and Katie paid rapt attention as well, and between the three of them had Jimmy flustered and blushing for much of that time.

“Okay,” said Bailey after yet another client was happily examining her dress in the mirror.  “That’s all we have in the queue for today.”

“Really?  That seemed like nothing at all,” fretted Violet.  “Did something happen?”

“Hallowe’en’s over.  Plus I think all our regulars broke the bank on their costumes, it might be a while before business picks up again.  Look on the bright side - we made a mint last week, and now we get the weekend off!”

Rose smiled at them.  “Then I’ll leave you to your fun.  I don’t want to be a third wheel.  Or fifth, as the case may be.  But before I go, one last lesson.  The point of flirting is to convey and judge interest.  It is likely to end in an offer.  So you should practice accepting one gracefully.  Jimmy?”

Jimmy looked confused.  “Yes?”

“These two have been flirting with you all morning.  Ask one on a date!”  And with that, she turned on her heel and sashayed further into the mall, hips swinging.

“So,” asked Katie after a long, uncomfortable silence.  “Aren’t you going to ask either of them?”

“Oh sure, you guys got taught how to flirt.  I never got taught how to do that!”

Katie rolled her eyes.  “It’s simple.”  She walked up to Violet and batted her eyelashes just as she’d been taught.  “Will you take me to a movie?  There’s a new kaiju film I’ve been dying to see.”

“Sure!”

“See?” said Katie, turning to her brother.  “Easy.”

He rolled his eyes, then turned to Bailey.  “Would you like to go see a movie with me?  My treat.”

Bailey grinned.  “I thought you’d never ask.  You want to go see the same monster flick as those two?”

“Uh... sure!”

“Yay!” cheered Katie. “Double date!”  She grabbed Violet by the hand and tugged her toward the entrance of the mall.  “Jimmy can drive us.  Right?”

Jimmy belatedly took Bailey’s hand, and led her toward his car.  He winced at the sight of his old beater.  Once they were underway he sighed.  “I know it’s not as glamorous as Tony’s car.”

“The company in this one is much better,” said Bailey, smiling at him cutely.

“Was... was that more flirting?”

All the girls giggled.

The theater was busy, but the movie they were after wasn’t the main attraction, so they got most of a row of seats to themselves.  Bailey and Violet sat in the middle, with Jimmy and Katie flanking them.

Katie kept cheering for the monsters, and Violet soon joined in.  As usual, the monsters eventually lost.  When Katie’s favourite died, she burrowed in against Violet’s side, and Violet put her arm around the younger girl consolingly.  They stayed like that for the remainder of the movie.

As the lights came up at the end, Violet also discovered she’d been holding Bailey’s hand for some time.  She had no recollection of taking it.  While she was looking down at it, Bailey gave her hand a little squeeze.  Violet looked up to see a smile on Bailey’s face.  “This was a nice date,” said Bailey softly.

In the process of getting up and filing out of the theatre Violet lost hold of Bailey’s hand, though Katie was still clutching hers.

“So,” asked Katie once another uncomfortable silence had descended outside the theatre.  “What next?”

“Well,” started Jimmy, uncertainly, “I had fun, and I’d like to do this again sometime.  It seems early to try to figure out more than that, right?”

“Are you asking me for another movie date?” asked Bailey.

Violet and Katie were making sad eyes at him so Jimmy expanded the offer.  “Another double date?”

“I meant what were we going to do today, but that sounds good.  Violet?”

Violet looked to Bailey first, and got a nod.  “Sure.  Sounds like fun.”

Katie looked back and forth between the two other girls.  “So that rumour about you two kissing wasn’t just a rumor, was it.”

Violet blushed and shook her head.  Then her eyes went wide as she recalled who’d witnessed that kiss.  “Tony!  What about…”

“Toast,” interrupted Bailey.  “I called him this morning, and he was still babbling about monsters.  He made it pretty clear he had no desire to ever see me again.”

“Oh, B, that’s…”  Violet hugged her tight.

“Awful?” offered Katie.  “Or awfully convenient?”

“Katie!” protested Jimmy.  “That’s a terrible thing to say.”

Bailey shrugged.  “But true.  We were wrong for each other.  I’m not sad, I’m excited.”

“Why?” asked Katie.

Bailey held out a hand to Violet, who took it.  “Because I get to spend more time as a monster.  Hallowe’en wasn’t just a one off.  I loved being that creature, though maybe not so huge?”

“Stupid school and its ‘must be yourself’ rule,” muttered Violet and Katie together.

“We’ll graduate soon enough.  And there’s weekends, Christmas break, Easter...  Lots of time.”

Jimmy nodded.  “Fair enough.  Would you two like a lift back to the mall?”

The trip back was much quieter.  This time it was Bailey and Violet in the back seat, holding hands, while Katie sat up front with a turbulent expression.

Once Bailey and Violet were in the Trust Machine, Katie turned on her brother.  “Are you just going to let her go?”

Jimmy shrugged.  “She made it clear where her heart is.  The better person won.”

“Because you didn’t put up a fight!  I saw the way you looked when she agreed to the date.  You want...”

“What do you want, Katie?  Why does this matter to you?”

“Violet loves monsters too.  I’ve never met anyone like her.  If she’s with Bailey, I...”

Jimmy looked at her like she’d grown another head.  “You... and Violet?  But you’re only fifteen, you’re my baby sister.”

“Don’t you start too.  I may not be as old as you, but I know what I want.  And there she is now.  Don’t blow this.”  Katie started to grin as she saw her brother’s eyes track the sleek feline form emerging from the Venn Machine.  She wasn’t the only person infatuated with monsters, his was just a little more specific.

“Wow, Bailey, you look fantastic,” breathed Jimmy.

Bailey posed for them, grinning as she showed off her body.  While the body plan was much the same as at the Hallowe’en party, she was much more reasonably sized.  Standing on her rear four legs, her forepaws were revealed as much more handlike now, and she stood only a head taller than Jimmy.  Her face was much more human, recognizably herself, though it still had a demi-muzzle.  The unrelieved black fur was now peppered with violet rosettes, at least where it wasn’t covered by her new combination dress and saddle blanket.  “You like it?”

“I love it.  You’re beautiful.”  Jimmy took a step forward to take Bailey’s hand, and tugged her into a dance.

Violet was watching this exchange with worried eyes.  Katie slipped up beside her and took her hand once more.  “She’s beautiful.  And she’s not going to forget who does that for her.”

“Jimmy does seem to like dancing with monsters.  I...”

“Turn me into a monster and dance with me.”

Violet’s eyes went wide.  “What?  You... want to be...”

“I loved that movie.  I love Monster Wars.  I can see you already designing my body.  Do it.”

The Venn Machine closed on the two of them.  Jimmy looked around.  “Wait.  Where’d Katie and Violet go?”

“Venn Machine,” rumbled Bailey, then giggled.  “Oooh, I love my new voice.  All growly.  What do you think?”

“You’re amazing.  If you weren’t in love with Violet, I’d jump at the chance to be with you.”

Bailey rumbled a chuckle.  “Violet and I already talked about open relationships.  I’m pretty sure she’d share.”

“How would that even work?” asked Jimmy, eagerly.

“She agreed to be my bra on a date.  I have to admit the idea feels deliciously deviant.”

Jimmy chuckled.  “And this new body of yours doesn’t?”

“The idea of wearing her like this...”  Bailey growled happily as she twined about Jimmy, wrapping her lower body around his legs.

The Venn Machine opened, and Katie strutted out of it.  She had fine blue scales instead of skin, and a reptilian cant to her face.  Her fingernails were delicate violet claws, and two violet horns peeked out through her hair, curling back almost flat with the top of her head.  More dramatically, two violet-vaned dragon wings spread from her back.  She stood half a head taller than Jimmy, and looking down at him made her muzzle split in a grin.  “Look at me!  I’m a monster!”

Jimmy gave her a thumbs up.  “The scaly look suits you, sis.”

“Violet?” asked Bailey, looking to her friend with concern.

Violet was staring down at her hands.  When she opened and closed them, it was apparent that they were boneless, her fingers curling like tentacles.  “I feel very odd.”

Katie spun to look at Violet, her tail flaring out and only missing Bailey because she skipped nimbly back.  “Do you like it?” asked Katie urgently.  “I tried to keep it subtle.”

“Subtle?” joked Jimmy.  “You?”

“I wasn’t sure what she wanted.  I...  Violet!”  Katie darted forward to grab Violet as she stumbled, lifting her back up onto her wobbly ‘legs’.

“Being made of tentacles is going to take some getting used to,” said Violet.

“Oh...” moaned Katie.  “You don’t like it.”

Violet bit her lip.  “Didn’t say that.  Feeling all squishy and squirmy inside is disturbing in... oooh... I need...”  Violet’s body gurgled, and under her dress it shifted in distinctly inhuman ways, surging and swelling here, writhing there.

“What?”

Violet slumped to the floor, her legs giving out entirely as her body decohered into a mass of squirming tentacles.  Dozens squirmed out from under her dress as she collapsed into a formless heap.  “Help?”

They were starting to draw more than stares and pointed fingers.  More than a few of the onlookers gasped in shock.  “What happened to her?”  “Did she melt?”

Bailey fixed Katie with a glare and scooped her friend up.  She deftly paid for another Venn Machine run, and then deposited Violet inside, using a forepaw to bat the last few errant tentacles inside.  She eeled into the other side.

Katie turned to her brother, tears in her eyes.  “I think I screwed this up.”

“She didn’t look upset,” said Jimmy softly, unsure how to console a sister who was taller and distinctly more muscular than him.  He settled on patting her arm, only to find himself wrapped up in a scaly hug.  “Too tight!” he squeaked.

“Sorry,” sniffed Katie.  “Maybe I should just change back.”

“Don’t you like it?”

Katie looked around.  Everyone was staring at her, now that she was the only non-human in sight.  “I don’t like how they’re looking at me.  Like I’m some kind of freak.”

“Look in the mirror.”

Katie tried to ignore the crowd as she stared at her body.  “I wish I could stay like this.  Can we go home?”

“Already?” asked Violet, emerging from the Venn Machine.

Katie spun to her.  “I’m sorry.  Everyone’s looking at me.”

“Because you’re beautiful.”

Katie looked around nervously.  “No... I don’t think that’s it.  They think I’m dangerous.”

“You are.  You’re stronger than any man your size, and have claws hard enough to cut armor. Not really competitive for Monster Wars, but... what?”

“Change me back,” whimpered Katie.  “I don’t want to be a menace.”

Violet nodded, and dropped a slip of paper into the Venn Machine.  “Hit the red circle, it’ll change you right back.”

Katie reappeared moments later, normal once more.  “I’m sorry.  If there weren’t so many people around, I’d love to be like that.”

Violet took her hand.  Katie squeezed it and her eyes widened at how it squished.  She stared down at their hands, and the way Violet’s fingers twined bonelessly around her own.  “You kept the tentacle arms?  I thought you hated what I did!”

Violet shook her head.  “No, it was fun.  It’s just... when I stopped to think about what I was doing, I lost control of the ones that made up my body.  I need to practice without such a big audience.”

“How would we do that?” asked Katie.  “The mall is public property.”

“They keep this section open all hours.  It’s deserted at 2am, and Bailey lives a few blocks away.”  Violet turned to her friend.  “Mom would probably be happier if I didn’t cramp her style tonight.  Sleepover?”

“Sure, Mom never minds having you over,” replied Bailey eagerly.

“Is there room for four?” asked Katie with an impish grin.

Bailey nodded.  “My brother and I have a sort of basement suite so we don’t bother the folks.  He’s moved out, so there’s lots of space.”

“Katie, what are you doing?” asked Jimmy in a strangled voice.

“Getting you invited to a sleepover with your new sweetie.”

“Hold on,” said Violet, drawing a pout from Katie.  “Mom was quite clear on one thing.  Sleepovers are fine, but no boys allowed.”

“Oh,” said Jimmy morosely.  “Well, I guess...”

“You could be a girl too!” exclaimed Katie.  “That’d be okay, right?”

Bailey grinned at Jimmy.  “You looked really cute in that cheerleader outfit last night.  I won’t think any less of you, and you might learn a thing or two.”

Jimmy looked to Violet.  “Do you think your Mom would be okay with that?”

“She’s very much a ‘letter of the law’ kind of person.  No boy, no problem.  So as long as you’re a girl, or a pillow, or pretty much anything else that’s not a boy, we’re good.”

Jimmy grinned.  “Then you’re on.  But... I should probably check in with Dad first.  How about I drop you two off at Bailey’s, and catch up later?  I’m sure Katie will be thrilled to turn me into a girl again.”

Katie’s wicked grin made her answer more than clear.

*** *** ***

Violet and Bailey rushed to the door, opening it on a cute girl in a plain purple dress.  “Hey, Jimmy.  You look cute.  But where’s Katie?” asked Violet as Bailey ushered Jimmy inside.

“She was out waaay after curfew last night.  So it’s just the three of us this time.  Dad will probably go easier on her next sleepover.”  Jimmy giggled.  “Sorry, still getting used to sounding cute.”

“Katie’s work, again?” asked Violet, studying the new girl critically.  “Nice.  You look a lot like her, just a little older.”

“She was a little jealous of that,” admitted Jimmy.  “I think she’s going to want this shape on the weekends, so she can hang out with us as equals.  I might have to pick up a wardrobe for this body.”

“How long are you like this?” asked Bailey, her elongated body slinking along beside him as they walked to the suite’s living room.

“Two days.  I’ll need to be Venned back to normal before school.”

“Cool!  We can get you a bunch of cheap tops and dresses tomorrow, and whip up some Violet Bailey originals for you two to wear.  It’ll be fun!” giggled Bailey.

Jimmy hugged her tight.  “You know, I think it might just be.  Oh, before I forget.”  He dug a plastic bag out of his purse.  “These are from Katie, so you won’t miss her too much.”

Violet took the offered bag with a grin.  “Mars bars!  I totally forgot to hit the sales.”  She examined the bag critically.  “And real ones, not Venned.  The writing looks right.”

“Do you really think Katie would want to be a chocolate bar?” asked Jimmy.

Both of the other girls answered, “Yes” immediately, making Jimmy laugh.

Violet made a show of opening the bag, and plucked a few bars out to check.  Jimmy held his breath subtly while she made her examination, and exhaled a soft sigh when she pronounced them both fine.

The three of them took a few tries to find a comfortable arrangement on the couch.  They ended up with Bailey lying behind Jimmy and Violet, supporting them like a fuzzy pillow.  Part of her upper torso snuggled up to Jimmy’s side, and her tail was draped over Violet’s lap.  Jimmy pronounced it the most comfortable couch he’d ever sat in.  Bailey giggled at that, and offered to be his couch any time.

“Maybe I should Venn you into furniture, then,” joked Violet.

“After the date where I wear you with a bra, sure,” replied Bailey.  “The two of you can watch a movie on top of me.  Or... other things.”

Violet chuckled as Jimmy blushed.

While they were watching the movie, Violet nibbled her way through the bag of chocolates.  Every now and then she’d offer one to the others.

“Are you sure?” asked Violet, holding yet another one out to Jimmy.  He glanced at it, and tried his best to avoid a double take at the alien writing on the wrapper.

“Nah, they’re all yours.  I’d hate to deprive you of Katie’s special treat.”

At the mention of Katie’s name, Violet grinned.  She popped the wrapper open and made a sensual show of nibbling, chewing and swallowing the treat.  “Wish she was here to appreciate that.”

Jimmy covered his reaction with a cough.  “I’m sure she’s thinking of you right now.”

As Violet’s attention returned to the movie, Jimmy whispered under his breath, “hope it’s all you dreamed, sis.”