"Asha?"

"Asha?"

The woman in question woke up with a start, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes before remembering what had transpired: getting the frantic phone call from Olivia Levine, her and Candide leaving San Diego to join the others, watching the grand entrance of the newly-transformed Ivy Levine (or rather, Ian Levine) as he was only wearing the pink bathrobe, the grandiose arrival of her cousin Antoine and his mother Kaneva.

Real, gentle reader. It was all real.

And she had passed out before waking up in the guest bedroom upstairs.

"Asha?" she soon heard the voice of Mariah as she and Ebony stood in the doorway.

Stifling a yawn, the dark-skinned young woman soon sat up in the bed she was laying on before Ebony and Mariah came into the bedroom. "How long was I out?" she asked.

"Only thirty minutes, but we assumed that you needed to recover from the exhaustion from an early-morning drive back to LA," Ebony replied. "Still, everyone was worried that you weren't handling the situation regarding our gender-bended diva- er, dude."

Asha shook her head. "I wasn't surprised or disgusted, seeing that Ivy- er, I mean, Ian- did insult Antoine and the coffee shop," she commented. "I just didn't expect for it to be so sudden. I mean, how did it happen?"

"I think that I can explain that."

All three girls whirled around to see Antoine come into the bedroom with a plaintive look in his eyes. "I think it might be for the best," Ebony agreed. "The last time Mariah and I saw Ivy as a woman, we had broken all contact with her while Pilar stood with her."

"Just as well, seeing that she was getting too toxic for everyone even for her standards," Mariah piped up. "But for real, Deveraux, how did Ivy went from homophobic diva to her worst nightmare?"

"Simple," Antoine answered. "Mom knew that my curse was going to be permanent, but she also needed something to enact the curse to be fulfilled. So she disguised herself as a perky coffee maker named Ava and earned the dimwit's trust by making a delicious cup of coffee that had some...special ingredients."

"And what were those ingredients, I'd like to know?" Asha asked.

Antoine shot her a pointed look. "If I told you, dear cousin, I'd hate to have you jinxed," was all he said. "All you need to know is that the coffee did its magic, even more so since the buffoon had drunk two more cups of my mother's concoction. And when midnight struck as soon as Ivy got home and hit the sheets, she became Ian Levine and the rest...is now up to me."

"Damn," Ebony hissed, shaking her head. "Remind me to never get on your bad side, Deveraux. I knew that your family was powerful, but nothing like this."

"Me neither," Mariah chirped. "Just goes to show that you should never insult the power of voodoo and expect to get away with it."

Asha nodded. "So, what do we do now?" she asked before reaching for her pair of sandal heels.

"I guess it's time to let Ian know what will happen next," Mariah replied. "In a way, this is what he deserves after giving all the guys and thee LGBTQ community a whole lotta grief."

"ASHA! MARIAH! EBONY! GET DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW!"

All the girls and Antoine groaned at the grating voice of Pilar Andrews. "Of course, we still gotta deal with Pilar," Ebony said tiredly. "We might as well let her know what's about to happen."

"Leave her to me," Antoine intoned. "I've been wanting to deal with Levine's lackey myself since she too insulted me before Levine made an appearance."

"Then let's go," Asha said as she stood to her feet and brushed the wrinkles out of her sundress. "I have a feeling that this is going to be one interesting afternoon."

She was sure of it.

*********************

To say that Pilar Andrews was livid to learn that the guy was formerly her bestt friend and idol known as Ivy Levine would be an understatement. And she knew who was to blame. "This is all your fault," she seethed as she glared at the former friends while Ian looked as if he was ready to end it all. "If you haven't turned your backs on our friend when she needed us or stood by her side, then this wouldn't have happened."

"Well, we were all tired of her shit and discrediting every single guy and member of the LGBTQ community all because of her dad deciding to come out of the closet and how she hated him for living his truth," Asha retorted. "You should know the story by now and how Mr. Levine was tired of denying himself happiness while being stifled in a marriage he didn't want. No offense, Mrs. Levine."

"None taken," Olivia replied, waving her hand in dismissal. "I felt the same way and wanted my ex-husband to be happy since my mother bullied us into having a perfect Catholic marriage."

"But Mrs. Levine, even you gotta admit that what's going on with..." Pilar gestured at Ian as he was glaring at everyone (including his newly-arrived father Joseph and his husband Victor). "I don't even know what this all means anymore, but this needs to stop."

To Antoine. "You listen here, you brat! I dunno know what stunt this is, but this ends now! If you don't want me to end you, then you better reverse this so-called curse and make Ivy right again!"

"I can't do that, dear drip," Antoine shot back. "I'm bound by the rule of the Deveraux legacy as well as the code of voodoo. No matter if you're blessed and no matter if you're cursed, my word is forever law so it can never be reversed."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Pilar groaned. "Just turn this guy back into my best friend."

"He can't do that, child," Mrs. Deveraux intoned. "As a voodoo prince, he has rules that must be followed according to the voodoo culture. Our family believes in the power of words and how they can either be used for good or evil. But more importantly, we stand by the words of magic. For him to revoke his own curse would spell his death. Twenty-first century or not, my son's life is forfeit if he breaks his own word. And even if I wanted to, I can't break it since I'll die myself."

"Can you at least tell me how to break this curse?" Pilar asked, eyes full of desperation.

"No way," Asha interjected. "That'll mean your death and theirs since they can't share their voodoo spells and your death will be more painful if you try to go against it."

"Can't I try and break it?" The male Ivy asked.

Ebony harrumphed, snorting as she rolled her eyes. "You can try, but I bet Deveraux will only multiply the spell to maximum power if you did," she said. "Trust me, fella. This spell that turned you into a dude is permanent and potent. You pissed off the wrong voodoo prince when you discredited him and spilled your coffee on him the day before. It's fair that you get what you deserved."

"And I think that's fair," Olivia commented. "So, what do we do now?"

"Wait, you all can't be serious," Pilar complained. "You all need-"

"Enough!" Antoine interjected, snapping his fingers as Pilar was frozen still. He got in her face   as she took in his glare. "Girls like you need to be taken down a peg like your friend over here. And I think it's only fair that you get the same treatment as well."

"Sir," Mr. Andrews piped up. "I can only apologize for what my daughter got herself into, but she doesn't have to suffer alongside Levine."

"Ah, but she does since she nearly tried to seduce my twin brother before poisoning him last year," Antoine intoned, voice laced with contempt. "And since she has no remorse for following Levine, she too must pay for her sins."

Mr. Andrews and his wife only nodded, knowing that the voodoo prince was right. "Do what you will," they said in unison.

"Excellent," Antoine purred before he snapped his fingers twice and Pilar disappeared. "She'll become a gay man by midnight tonight. Hope she'll enjoy her final days of normalcy."

"You're evil," male Ivy hissed. "This is a new kind of low."

"No it's not. This is!"

Antoine snapped his fingers as thunder rumbled and crashed from outside with the wind howling in a furious coda. "Listen well, Levine."

So-called diva played by her own game.
Now a gay dude, life won't be the same.
So hark ye, witches, now pay heed.
Perform this spell with haste and speed.
Ivy Levine is no more, but now called Ian.
Being proud and open as a honest gay man.
Magic forces, hear my word.
Let the spell forever be conferred.
His wish is permanent, for better or worse.
My word is law, may it never be REVERSED!

The male Ivy groaned in pain as his head throbbed.

"What's happening?" Ciara breathed.

"His mind is being rewired," Kaneva intoned as the storm began to pick up outside while the lights began to flicker. "His old life as Ivy Victoria Levine is being replaced by being a gay man known as Ian."

"I thought that the coffee did all that," Lorelei commented, eyes lit in confusion.

"That was the physical transformation," Ebony piped up. "The mental transformation was also there, but Antoine's incantation is doing more of the work."

Olivia turned to her ex-husband. "I think it's best that we get things arranged," she told him.

"Right," Joel replied, his husband nodding in agreement. "Victor and I can handle his wardrobe and maybe even take him in for a while."

"Capital idea," Antoine said as he and his mother joined the adults. "And I think that it's only fair that I add in a bit of help since Ian's going to need someone to help him navigate through his new life."

"And who might that be?"

Antoine gave them a Mona-Lisa worthy smile. "It's all arranged," he said cryptically. "Just be ready for tomorrow. Ivy Levine is no more. Ian Levine is alive and well."

A final boom of thunder soon knocked out the power briefly before the cursed young man was soon transported back upstairs and into his bedroom.

Now, gentle reader, this is where things turn very exciting, comedic, dramatic, and surprising! Do you dare to allow yourself to continue on with this story, hmm?

Okay, let's go!

Now, we got ourselves a story! As for Pilar Andrews, she'll be transformed into a gay man herself and we'll see the new version soon enough. But this is all about Ian Levine and how he'll have to adapt to his new reality while bidding farewell to his old life as Ivy!

Anyway, we're going to be introduced to the designated guide for Ian in the next chapter as he learns what went down and what other role he'll play for Ian's new life. Don't miss out!

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