The salon happened to be located in Oak Plaza. I followed Mom through the base floor of the mall until we reached our destination.
“After you, honey,” Mom said.
I stood right at the entrance and took a deep breath.
It’s okay, there’s nothing feminine about this.
Plenty of men go to the salon.
I kept repeating the same mantra to myself as I finally took my first step in, and…
Nothing.
I was safe.
Smiling at the outcome, I walked further in, finally triggering the magic within me.
“Stupid sexist curse,” I muttered to myself.
Mom followed after me and looked at the bleached blonde girl wearing a black apron. “We’re here, Kate.”
“Linda! We’ve been waiting for you,” the girl responded, walking our way. Her eyes met mine. “You must be Michael. Here for a trim, are we?”
I nodded silently, relieved that there really seemed to be no trick to today’s appointment. Kate led me to one of the chairs and draped a cape over me. She then stood behind me and inspected my hair, frowning a little.
“You weren’t kidding, Linda,” she said, taking it into her hands to remove the tie before giving it to me. “The damage is so bad that it’s pretty much see through near the ends. I’ll need to trim a lot to properly fix this.”
There’s the trap.
“Tell you what. I’ll only trim the worst part for now, and we can take care of the rest next time in, say, four months. You know, give it a little bit more time to catch up before we finish the job.”
Her words brought hope back to my eyes.
“I will need you to put some effort into it, though. Remind me to give you a list of recommended products at the end.”
I nodded at her once more. “Okay.”
“So, other than the trimming, do you have any style in mind?”
Kate’s question took me by surprise. It was something I should’ve seen coming, but the reality was that I didn’t.
“I, uh… I usually just tie it up.”
Kate pouted at my response. “Never wrong to try something new, you know.”
It is when you’re scared that the new thing will take you one step further into a transformation you’re trying to hide.
I looked at the mirror and saw Mom’s reflection.
Her eyes met with mine, and she smiled.
Is she testing me somehow?
Were it not for the curse, I’d be tempted to see how far she was willing to go with it. Unfortunately, the timing of things was less than ideal.
“Maybe next time,” I finally said.
Kate clicked her tongue but quickly returned to her smile. “Just the trim, then. Got it.”
The next few minutes, I remained silent. Kate worked on my hair as she chatted with Mom over every day stuff. I couldn’t help feeling excluded, for some reason. Not like I wanted to join the conversation and risk triggering the magic.
Maybe I should pay that store another visit.
See if that old lady can revert the changes.
It was certainly worth giving it a shot.
The blow dryer turned on, distracting me from my thoughts. I closed my eyes as Kate carefully worked around my head, making sure to dry every strand.
The air flow stopped, followed by the sound of a bottle’s cap clicking shut. A sweet smell reached my nose as she ran her hands through my hair, carefully applying whatever product she was using. It was quite relaxing. Finally, she brushed everything once more.
“So?” she asked, taking a step back. “What do you think?”
I opened my eyes and felt a chill when I saw my reflection. The difference was like night and day. I could tell it wasn’t perfect, but it looked so much better now.
“I’ll take your smile as approval,” Kate commented, bringing my attention to the small gesture I had not noticed myself doing until now.
I turned to look at my mom, only to be met with the same support as before.
“Do you still want to tie it up?” Kate asked.
No.
I like it this way.
“Y-yes, please,” I replied, grabbing the tie from my wrist.
Kate stopped me when I tried to give it to her. She then walked away and searched through one drawer. Finally, she grabbed a piece of paper and a pen to write on it.
“Here,” she said, handing me a note. “This is what I want you to get. Think of it as your new prescription. They’ll come with instructions, but I’ve added some extra tips that I find useful.”
My eyes quickly skimmed through the rather extensive list. I’d been expecting a very expensive pair of shampoo and conditioner. Instead, I was met with a bunch of things I had never heard of before.
How can shampoo be dry!?
“I’m also giving you these.” In her hand, there were a few rings that looked like cuttings from an old telephone’s cord. I took them into mine as she used another to tie my hair.
“These are coil hair ties,” she explained. “They will be less harmful to your hair since they create less friction and apply less pressure on it. You could also use satin or silk scrunchies if these ones are too plain.”
Huh?
“These are good, thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” she replied with a nod. “Do you want me to schedule your next appointment already?”
After we did, Mom paid her for the trim, and we walked out into the mall.
“You look so much better now,” she commented after a few steps.
“Th-thanks,” I said. “And uh, thanks for bringing me.”
Mom smiled and put a hand on my back. “Of course, honey.”
She then suggested that we made a stop at the food court and eat something before we headed to the clothing section, which I agreed to immediately.
We were in the mood for a salad this time, so we lined up for Lush Green. For me, a chicken and egg, and for her, a tropical one. Definitely a healthier option than the burgers, and with enough protein for mine. I did need a filling one with how hungry I was.
We ate in silence for the most part. That was until I decided to see what my mom was really after.
“Can I ask you something?”
Mom looked at me and nodded.
“So, uh… I know you weren’t a fan of my long hair before. What changed?”
“It was the first time in years that you showed interest in anything other than a video game,” she replied once her mouth was empty. “I was apprehensive at first, yes. I even hoped that you would eventually get tired of it and go back to having it short, but you never did.”
It was true that there were moments in which I wanted to give up. It wasn’t because I hated it, though. Rather, there was a particular point in time when it became too long, yet too short, to style it properly.
Other than that, I was quite happy with it.
“Do you get tired of yours?” I threw back.
She closed her eyes and chuckled to herself. “No, you’re right. It was wrong of me to think that way. It took me longer than I’d like to admit to realise that.”
So she really just had a change of heart?
“Thanks again, Mom.”
Having finished our meal, we headed straight to the clothing section. At least that was the plan until Faerie Bloom came into view. It was Mom’s usual beauty store.
“Mind if we stop here for a moment?” She asked, predictably. “They might have some of the products Kate suggested.”
“Oh, yeah. That’s a good idea.”
“Do you want to come in with me or wait outside like always?”
That was first. Then again, it made sense if it was to buy what I needed. Unfortunately, I didn’t really have a choice in the matter. If walking into the salon triggered the spell, going inside this store would do it for sure. I saw an opportunity.
“Actually, would it be okay if I go check another store meanwhile?”
“Yeah, we can do that. Let’s meet here once we are both done. Don’t take too long.”
I nodded and walked away. “I promise I’ll be quick!”
Once she went in, I picked up the pace to the entertainment floor. I relaxed when I spotted it. The House of Miracles. Part of me expected it to be gone after what that old lady did to me.
The store looked the same as yesterday, though the elder was nowhere to be seen when I entered. In her place, there was that same girl I saw before Ryan and I left.
She was casually reading a book, likely due to the lack of customers, though she quickly put it away with a smile when she noticed my approach. “Welcome, dear customer. How may I help you?”
“Uh, would it be possible for me to speak with the old lady who works here?”
Her smile wavered for a moment. “I’m sorry, who might you be talking about? I’m the only employee here, you see…”
“Look, my friend and I came here yesterday, and this old lady had us walk into the backstore. She gave us some drinks, and I know this might sound crazy, but I think mine was cursed. Are you sure she doesn’t work here?”
“Fuck…” she muttered, rubbing her temples. She then yelled, “Grandma! What the hell did you do now?”
There was no response. The girl sighed and looked back at me. “She’s here, just give her a moment.”
I nodded silently.
“What did she give you? Were you disrespectful to her?”
“No, not at all,” I denied with both hands. “She was super nice to us, at least until she gave me this ‘potion of harmony’ and cursed me with whatever magic it was infused with. I probably sound insane.”
The girl shook her head. “No, I believe you.”
“That’s odd, though,” she continued, poking at her chin. “What exactly is it doing that you call it a curse?”
“It’s uh… It’s turning me into a girl.”
She paused briefly. Her eyes scanned me over before she turned around. “Grandma! Come here right now, or I’ll go get you instead!”
The door behind the girl finally opened, and the same old lady from yesterday walked out of it.
Her frown vanished the moment she saw me, quickly replaced by a huge grin. “Why, if it isn’t the young lady from yesterday. I must say, I did not expect to see you again so soon."
Feeling the curse go into effect again, I bared my teeth at her. “Change me back!”
I half expected her to mock me in response. Instead, she looked genuinely surprised by my outburst.
“I’m afraid I cannot do that, young one.”
“Change. Me. Back. Now!”
“Why don’t we discuss this in the backstore,” Ruby suggested.
“Fine,” I replied. Unlike her grandmother, she seemed innocent in this matter, so I felt no reason to yell at her. Perhaps she could help me when the hag wouldn’t.
Ruby nodded and walked around the desk. She went to the entrance of the store and flipped the sign there to show the place was closed.
I followed both of them through the door and then past the small room where this all started. Behind the curtain, there was a resting area with some couches, a table, and a small kitchen.
Ruby led us to the couches, where we sat, and she resumed the conversation.
“Before we begin, I’d like to confirm with you grandma. What exactly did you give him?”
“It was a potion of harmony. Nothing more, nothing less,” the hag responded.
“Are you sure?”
She nodded. “I may be old, but my magic is accurate.”
“Well, that’s not what this boy is saying,” Ruby said before I could. I was grateful she did.
“Boy?” The elder’s eyes scanned me over as she rubbed at her chin. “Well, it’s certainly rare but not impossible...” She extended her hand to me once more, and I did the same.
She sandwiched it with her other hand and hummed, just like she did the last time. A big smile drew on her face before adding, “I wish you the best of journeys, young lady.”
My heart sank as another wave of chills hit me. I quickly pulled away from her.
Noticing my reaction, Ruby yelled, “Grandma! What is wrong with you!?”
The hag cackled. “I just gave the girl an extra push.”
And another wave.
I buried my head in my hands as tears rolled freely down my cheeks. “Please change me back. Please…”
And another.
The laughter stopped, and I quickly found myself enveloped by Ruby’s arms. She glared at her grandmother. “Would it kill you to have some tact?”
I looked up to see the witch covering her mouth. “I don’t… I don’t get it,” she finally said. “It was a potion of harmony, I swear it was.”
Ruby looked at me and asked, “What’s your name?”
“M-Mike,” I muttered.
“Mike,” she echoed. “Let me apologise for what my grandma did to you. She broke the most important rule of the Magic Law, and for that, I am truly sorry.”
I sniffed. “What?”
Ruby chuckled. “I guess I should explain from the beginning. I don’t think I need to tell you this, but magic is real. It’s just not public knowledge.”
There it was, the confirmation that I wasn’t going crazy.
“In order to keep it a secret, we all must follow a code; the Magic Law. The most important rule in this code is consent. No magic user is allowed to target another person, be them magic themselves or not, if that person does not allow it.”
“Why me then?” I asked, looking at the elder. “Why did you do this to me?”
The witch pressed her lips together, and a single tear ran down her cheek. “I… I sensed the conflict in you, child. I just wanted to help…”
“By turning me into a girl?”
“Mike, listen to me,” Ruby said. “Do you hate what the magic has done to you?”
“Of course I do!” I responded. “I was fine the way I was before! Now I feel like I’m stepping on eggshells the entire time. I’m scared that I won’t be able to hide it anymore!”
Ruby shook her head. “Let me put it in a different way. Do you hate the changes, or do you hate the idea of people finding out?”
“I do! I hate— Well, I don’t like the pain,” I muttered.
“The pain?” Ruby echoed.
I sniffed once and wiped my tears. “You know, my uh… my chest.”
Ruby let out a silent ‘oh’, then she smiled at me. After a moment she asked, “Do you hate the pain itself or what’s causing the pain?”
“Guys shouldn’t have boobs,” I said weakly.
“No, some do,” Ruby countered. “It happens. I guess the next question is what do you like about being a man?”
I smiled and lifted a finger to begin counting. I figured it would be easy, which is why I was stunned when not a single thing came to mind. “Why are you asking all this?”
Ruby smiled and nodded. “Have you ever heard of the word transgender?”
“Yeah, but I can’t be one,” I replied. “There were no signs when I was younger.”
“That you know of,” Ruby interjected. “Still, there’s no rule that says that you can’t figure it out later.”
I shook my head and stood up. “No! I can’t be!”
“My grandma did not turn you into a girl, Mike,” Ruby interrupted. “Wrong as it was, the only thing she did was giving you the potion. The potion of harmony is special in the sense that it can’t work without desire. At worst, it would have no effect.”
“So that’s it?” I asked. Tears threatening to come out again. “I just have to watch as my body changes because some stupid spell thinks I wanted this?”
“There is a way,” the old woman said, drawing my attention back to her.
The elder stood up and opened a fridge, revealing several bottles of multiple colours in store. She grabbed one and closed the door before walking back and presenting the bottle to me. Unlike the previous potion, this looked like plain water.
“This is the antidote,” she explained. “Drinking it will not reverse what has already changed, but it will stop the potion from progressing.”
I was about to take it when Ruby snatched it from her grandmother’s hand. She spoke before I could complain. “I need to warn you, Mike. The reason the antidote can’t reverse the changes is because it doesn’t counter the spell itself.”
“Okay, so?”
She shook her head. “You’re not listening. This thing will make your body incompatible with magic forever. If you drink this now, and later discover that you do like the changes—”
I extended my hand to her.