Help! Chapter 12 (Patreon)

Sylvia drove into the city at a sedate pace, sighing as the traffic sped by. Everyone so impatient with places to go, people to see. She stopped by the drug store and picked up some Palmal blacks, then grabbed a bottle of gin, the tv guide, the proper lip color she’d been looking for, some matches, and two cans of tuna fish so she’d have something for dinner.

Afterward, she found her way to the luxury apartment in the city and parked her Mercedes in its proper place. She waved at Frank Duncan, the doorman, and he grinned at her in return.

“Do some shopping today, Mrs. Manchester?”

“Indeed, Mr. Duncan.”

“Help you with your bags, Ma’am?”

“I’m perfectly capable thank you, Mr. Duncan.”

“You can call me Frank, Ma’am.”

She rolled her eyes and did not dignify him with a response. After the door dinged for the 14th floor, he held the door open for her.

“Thank you, Mr. Duncan.” She passed him by, without regard.

“Frank, Ma’am,” he said, automatically.

She rolled her eyes again, and opened her apartment door, being sure to lock it from the inside.

Kicking off her shoes, she dropped the store items in the kitchen, then went back to use the restroom. After using it, she turned the knob on the bathtub to fill it, dropping in some lavender bath oil and bubble bath. She stood at the mirror, taking off her jewelry and hairpins, then wiped off her makeup.

She took out her upper and lower plates, setting them in cleaning solution, then removed her clothing, donning a robe. She stared at herself in the mirror. Something seemed off but she couldn’t decide what it was.

laying back in the tub, she tried to relax. Something was definitely disturbing her, but for the life of her, she couldn’t remember what it was. She hated going to students’ residences, and maybe it was because Jeremy Fuller had such a full house and he’d shown such promise as a student. She hated to see him wasting his life like that, bashing that amazing brain of his into other brainless idiots.

Or maybe it was Robert Fuller, so young and full of promise, yet eager to follow in his brothers’ footsteps? Robert had wanted something, and asked her to...be there at ten pm? Was that right? What could a student possibly want from his teacher that late at night?

Sylvia washed her hair. She was getting tired of it being so long. Maybe it was time to have it cut again? She would talk to Susie, her hairdresser on Saturday, perhaps it was time to let vanity go and adopt a more mature style.

She relaxed some more and poured some wine. The Fuller boys were good kids, especially considering the state of the mother. It was quite amazing that they had turned out so well, with a mother that worked at that horrid strip club.

As she drank her wine, Sylvia smirked, thinking the Fuller boys were lucky they had such a kind and generous teacher like her.

After her bath, she combed and set her hair, then made her way into the kitchen to make a sandwich.

As she stood fixing her light meal, her mind again returned to Robert Fuller. She sighed. What could he possibly want this late at night?

She’d already given him his assignments from last week. Assignments he’d missed supposedly because he’d been ‘sick.’ The boy looked perfectly healthy today, healthy enough to swim...

Surely, whatever it was could wait until Monday at class. She hated the thought of getting dressed and going out. She detested having to go out, it was cocktail hour after all.

Something about the way she...wait. She?

The boy had always had feminine qualities. Was he going to come out as trans? Was that why he wanted to meet with Sylvia, perhaps to get advice?

Sylvia felt a headache coming on. Something wasn’t right.

She?

Like a locomotive, it all crashed back down on her. Jeremy, the swap. Jesus, Bethany! and her Mom!

Glancing up at the clock, Sylvia ran to put on some clothes. She didn’t have time for face or hair, he’d have to deal with her as she was. She pulled on a jacket and leggings then made her way to the elevator and out to her Mercedes.

Oh, Lord. She had been deep that time. Deep into the psyche of Sylvia! So deep she’d almost completely forgotten who she really was, Jeremy! Jeremy Fuller!

She gunned the engine as she sped out into the countryside toward the Fuller home.

Fifteen minutes later she waited in the alley outside their home. She was a bit late and hoped whatever Robert needed from her, he would still show up. Sylvia smoked and waited, keeping the engine idling.

A few minutes later, the passenger door opened and a figure sat in the passenger seat, keeping low and out of sight.

“Go!” he whispered. “Jeremy was asleep, but the trellis under the window broke and I fell the last five feet or so!”

“Are you okay, Robert?”

“Yes,” he whispered. “I twisted my ankle a little, but go go go!”

“Where am I going, young man?”

“Lucky Girl’s Cabaret!”

“I don’t—”

“It’s on fifth and main! Just go!”

Sylvia rolled her eyes, but pressed down on the accelerator. She couldn’t see well at night and wished she’d brought her glasses.

“God, why are you going so slow?”

“I can’t see the obstacles that might be hidden in this alley and—”

They heard the tell-tale sound of Jeremy’s truck starting up.

“Shit!” Bobby said. “He did hear me! Look, if you want to spend the rest of your life as an overweight granny, so be it, but if you don’t go faster, we’ll all be stuck!”

“There’s no reason to use obscenities, young man.”

“Ugh, she really did a number on you.”

“You as well,” Sylvia said, picking up the pace a bit. “Your voice is lower.”

“Yeah, I’m going through reverse puberty but as a boy this time!”

Sylvia made it to the street, and turned away from the house, then turned again, and again, to throw off any pursuit. Then she got on Main street and drove north toward fifth.

“What is at Lucky Girl’s Cabaret?” Sylvia said as they approached their destination.

“Your mom, of course,” Bobby said. “Jeremy left her there to be a stripper and a prostitute. We need to get her restored also!”

Sylvia pulled into the parking lot.

“Back door!” Bobby said. “She’s expecting us.”

Sylvia drove the car to the back of the building. The overhead lights flickered and sputtered, and Sylvia could see a huge neon sign that said Girls, girls, Girls.”

Bobby jumped out of the car and disappeared into the main entrance.

Sylvia felt the headache coming on again. Who were they waiting for? Why were they in this section of town? She didn’t enjoy being in the downtown area after dark, they had some rather disreputable characters and...

She was just about to put it in gear again when Bobby came out of the bar with...someone.

Very little of Cynthia Fuller remained in the individual who got into the back seat. She had long platinum hair, exaggerated dimensions, and she smelled like a liquor store hit a cheap perfume bottle that had been lit on fire.

Sylvia knew that was formerly someone close to her, but she couldn’t remember—

“Go!” Bobby said. “Jeremy just turned the corner up there, if he catches us we’re finished!”

Sylvia listened, and threw the car into gear and sped off, the tires squealing as she forced the car to go faster than the wheels could grip. They passed by Jeremy’s truck going the opposite direction, but he was intent on his destination and luckily didn’t notice them.

“Oh my Gawd!” the woman in the back said. “Like, I wasn’t in my seatbelt yet!”

“Where to now?” Sylvia said.

“Anywhere, just somewhere Jeremy won’t find us!” Bobby said, pulling out his backpack.

Sylvia thought about it for a moment, then picked a direction.