And an answer

Mark looked at Kiara. “Help me fix this.”

“Okay,” she said. “Put on clothes and go to the office. I’ll stay in here. Follow my lead. I’ll try to think of something.”

He left the bathroom and returned to the coach’s office. The door knob was being jiggled, but the key still seemed jammed. Over the doorway, he noticed a motion-triggered security camera that was blinking red and pointed at him.

“Perfect,” he thought to himself.

Moments later, the door opened. A security guard came in first, followed by two coaches and a few athletes. The head coach of the major sport took the lead.

“Where’s the girl?” the head coach yelled. “Where’s the girl? And how’d you get in my damn office?”

Mark stared. It looked like the team had stayed in town. Did he get the schedule wrong?

The security guard rushed to the bathroom.

“What the hell?” An old man’s voice burst from the bathroom, a loud, thin, cantankerous voice. Along with everyone else, Mark rushed over. An elderly man was sitting on the toilet. “You want to see an old man pee?” They all backed away, but the old man kept talking. “One nice young man can help me find a place to pass a kidney stone in private, but the rest of you perverts needs to come in and check out my bloody piss? Leave me alone!”

Mark followed everybody out to the waiting area.

The coach looked at him. “Is that you, Mark? What happened to your hair?”

Mark didn’t know what had happened to his hair.

The team manager said, “not him. The other guy had dark hair, a red shirt, and gym shorts.”

Mark looked down at his white muscle shirt and blue jeans. In a mirror, he saw he had white blond hair. With the tight shirt, he looked ripped.

The coach looked at Mark more carefully. “Huh, Mark, have you been working out?”

The coach didn’t wait for an answer; instead, as if suddenly reminded that a **** was loose, the posse scuttled out the door.

Minutes later, Mark held the old man’s arm as they trudged slowly to the lobby of the gym complex. Mark could smell freedom. He could also smell the old man’s unwashed clothes and old urine.

“Oh, Master, you’re so strong.” The whisper into his ear was toxically stale.

“Jesus. Stop.”

“Master, I hope you don’t mind, but I made some other changes.”

“Like what?”

“Like the video tape now shows the coach forgetting to lock his own door, and the heroic efforts you made at finding me a bathroom. I’m assuming by the way, that you aren’t actually supposed to have a key to the head coach’s office.”

“No. I just happened across it last semester. Anyway, quick thinking.”

“Oh, Master, when you flatter me, I get so wet.”

Mark sensed and then saw that the old man had freshly peed on himself. He felt the man lean more heavily on him.

“Jesus, stop doing all of this. You aren’t going to get an Academy Award.”

“Oh, Master, I just thought you might want some cuddle time with your Kiara.”

“Your name isn’t Kiara. I’m calling you Sid.”

“Your Sid is just so grateful.”

“I wish you to quit leaning on me. Please get stronger and less smelly. In fact, just change back to the other old guy.”

“Are you sure, Master?”

“And quit calling me Master.”

The coach approached.

“Wait, Genie, stay the old smelly guy for a while longer.”

The coach looked angry and approached rapidly but slowed when he saw the growing urine stain on the front of the old man’s trousers. The coach, not a man prone to uncertainty or inactivity, soldiered on. “Mark, do you know what this is? Is this why you were here today?”

Mark, surprised, looked at the sheet of paper. Written in calligraphy were the words:

Thou shalt identify a willing actress

And enact a scene of a pornographic

Nature on campus. It must be witnessed.

If you are apprehended, we shall disavow

All knowledge of your crimes.

”I swear. I’ve never seen this before and don’t know anything about it. It’s gotta be a pledge task, and I’m not even in a frat.”

The coach nodded, looked back at the old man. ”Nice work helping out today, Mark.”

“Thanks, coach.”

“And fix your hair. You look like a freak.”

As the coach walked off, Sid whispered, “your coach could use some modernization. If we stay close, I could teach him a few things.”

”Forget it. Let’s get out of here,” Mark said, and they walked back into sunshine. Mark had Sid turn back into Kiara. He had them both get freshly clean. She was back to wearing a sari. His hair reverted to its normal shade.