Love Defies

A Girl By Any Other Name

Tedros was sitting in Manley's office with all of the other teachers.

They'd just explained to him that he was going to be a spy in the school for girls. He didn't know how that was going to work, how was he supposed to disguise himself among the girls-- there were some things they were bound to notice...

"So, how will they not recognise me?"

Professor Lukas slid a vial across the desk. "Merlin's lost spell," Lukas says.

Tedros's muscles clenched at the sound of Merlin's name. "What does it do?"

The teachers all smirked. Tedros huffed, what ever it does it really can't be good.

"Merlin's spell will change the gender of the one who drinks it." Espada  answered.

Tedros gawked at them.

"IT TURNS YA IN'O A GIRL, NITWIT!" Castor scolded.

"And you think I'm the best option! That Filip is more girly than I am!" Tedros spat.

"That's not what the challenge proved." Manley snapped.

"So what do you want me to do there?" Tedros said, letting himself consider the idea.

"You'll jus' be finding out what Evelyn is plannin'," said Manley.

Tedros was quiet for a moment. If he did this he might run into Agatha. He didn't know if he could handle seeing her-- torn between kissing her or killing her--

"I'll do it." The words just fell out of his mouth, he didn't know why he said it, he didn't want to do it!

"Thatta boy!" Manley said, thumping him on his back.

Before Tedros could protest, Espada pushed him behind the curtain and shoved the vial in his palm. "Drink it in sips," he said a pulled the curtain shut.

Tedros looked down at the vial in his hand.

"I need more than a friend," Agatha had told him. He clenched his fist.

Liar. That's all she was. He would show everyone.

He ripped of the lid and downed it in one gulp. A bitter acid taste exploded in him and her grasped his throat in shock, hearing the vial shatter on the floor. Hair started to spurt out of his head and cascaded down his shoulders.

As the potion flooded his chest, Tedros felt his body start to shrink, his boys uniform starting to feel loose. His muscles started to flatten; his feet shriveled; his face started to soften; the skin all over his body felt unclenched, suddenly he started to lose balance and fell to his knees. Then came the heat, hellish heat, scorching and smoking through every pore.

Every time he thought it was over the pain spread, every part of him demolished and reconstructed, until he was on his hands and knees praying that this was a dream, a dream he'd wake up from.

"Tedros?"

No answer came.

The teachers exchanged worried looks--

Something stirred behind the curtain.

Slowly a figure stepped out, hooded in Tedros's uniform cloak.

The cloak was now to big to fit... or Tedros was to small to fit.

The teacher's eyes scanned his slim legs, curvy figure, smooth skin... two small unsteady feet.

Albemarle slowly fluttered over and pulled back the hood. They all gasped, with a backwards jolt. Tedros swivelled to the potion case to get a glimpse of his reflection in the glass. When he did he collapsed against the wall.