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Rose Colored Glasses
By Heather O’Malley

Rose sat there in the mall, sipping from her chai as she looked over the crowds. She settled her glasses on her face and scanned the thronging mass of people. This was the part of things that always made her the most insane, the waiting.

The scrying had been very specific: this area of the mall at around this time. She had enspelled her rose colored glasses to spot the person who she was supposed to work on, but it was frustrating. So she was stuck here sitting and waiting for this person to come by. The time frame hadn’t been specific so she was stuck people watching.

Rose took another pull of her chai latte and glanced over the people. Where was she?

Then she saw her. The woman was beautiful. Her hair was long, reddish blond and looked like dancing flames as she moved. She was just the perfect height and weight, not too thin and not too chubby. Rose’s heart fluttered. She had found her True Love. The scrying had worked.

She had to get up and meet the girl. This was important, one of the most important moments of her life and she wanted it to be perfect. She straightened her skirt and pulled down her shirt from where it had ridden up. Her hair was tidied with a quick run through with her fingers. It was then that she remembered to take off the glasses.

The woman of her dreams vanished and the person she had been following with her eyes appeared. They had the same build and gait, mostly, but where had the curves gone? Where had the hair gone? Where was her True Love?

She swiftly threaded her way through the crowd towards what she hoped was her True Love. She wanted to figure this out before the window for their happiness closed forever.

* * * * * *

Thad loved the Mall. He loved the fact that he could see all the things he loved without the fear of being caught. He just wished that he could wear the things he wanted to wear and be who he wanted to be but his Mother certainly would never go for that. She pushed him so hard and he tried. He honestly did but Sports weren’t his thing. He could do long distance running, but apparently that wasn’t enough for her.

Thad sighed as he passed Victoria’s Secret. To be able to go in there and buy the lacy things he longed for… It wasn’t worth dwelling on the impossible.

The girl apparently came out of nowhere. He ran into her and the two tumbled to the ground, limbs entwined. Thad quickly helped her up, apologizing profusely. She smiled at him. “It’s alright. Well, I’m Rose.”

“Thad. Well…Thaddeus really, but I prefer Thad.” Rose was beautiful and his heart started racing.

“So, Thad, what brings you to the Mall where you ran me over?” she asked playfully.

He blushed and replied, looking down at his shoes rather than her. “I was…window shopping. Just people watching. You know…”

Rose smiled. It was a lovely smile and his heart rate sped up. “I figure you owe me after all that. Buy me a coffee and we’ll call it even, okay?”

That nodded his head. That someone this hot would ask him out for coffee scrambled his brains even more. He was glad they walked over towards Starbuck’s in silence or he would be gibbering. Rose’s strawberry blond hair was curly and long, it swayed enticingly as she walked ahead of him. He tried not to dwell on her figure, but it certainly was a tremendous figure. He only hoped that he would be able to get her to talk to him longer than a single cup of coffee.

They ordered their drinks. Both ordered Mochas with Lowfat Milk. That surprised Thad as he hadn’t met too many people in the town who drank them that way. While the Barista made their drinks Rose turned to him and smiled. “So, how do you take it? Straight or sweet?”

Thad swallowed heavily. “uhm…uh…the coffee?”

Her laugh was light and held no malice in it. “Yes the coffee. What did you think I was talking about?”

She smiled at his blush. She took pity on him and asked, “Sugar in the Raw?”

Thad nodded. “Okay. Thad, why don’t you grab us that table in the back and I’ll bring the drinks over? Good?”

Thad nodded again and headed towards the somewhat secluded table in the back. It was somewhat near the bathrooms but that was fine. He sighed. Life really was wonderful. He could easily fall in love with this Rose, he was sure of it.

* * * * * *

Rose pondered as she took the Mochas over to the counter that held all the lovely things you could add to your drinks. So it was a guy, but why had the glasses shown her a woman? She thought about it and decided that she needed answers. This whole situation was making her crazy. Why had the Goddess done this to her?

She picked up a packet of the unprocessed sugar and held it for a second. Maybe if she just used a little magic she could find her answers? She concentrated and let the magic trickle into the brown crystals she sprinkled into the drink.

* * * * * *

Thad thanked her for the drink and she laughed at him when he ended up with a bit of a whip cream mustache. He smiled. It was playful and meant no harm, which made Rose different than any other girl who he had talked to. The mocha was good and the conversation was lovely. He did notice that the more coffee he drank the more open he felt. It was a bit odd, but that was fine.

After about twenty minutes, while they had been chatting and sipping their drinks he felt really calm and relaxed. Rose really was wonderful. He really liked her and hoped she liked him. He felt so good and happy and relaxed that he felt that he could tell her anything.

* * * * * *

“So, Thad, why are you really here at the Mall?” Rose could tell that the spell had taken effect by the blissed out face of Thad. She wanted her answers.

“I wanted to look at the pretty clothes and the pretty girls.” Thad’s smile pulled at Rose. She didn’t want to violate him this way but what other choice did she have? She was racing against the clock.

“Why would you want to do that?”

“I like to dream that it’s me wearing them, that I look that pretty. It makes me sad when I realize that it can’t happen.”

Rose sat back in her chair. Did this mean? She took out her glasses and put them on again. Once she did the beautiful vision she had lusted after sat before her. Was he a…transperson? Did this mean…? She sighed and shook her head. There was no way. Was it really that simple?

“Are…are you…transgendered?” Rose hoped against hope. There had been allowances for transformations in those special cases but she had never heard of anyone doing that.

Thad nodded. “Yes. I can see myself and what looks back at me from the mirror isn’t me. It makes me sad and sometimes I cry.”

Rose swallowed heavily. She wanted to do this but if Thad didn’t honestly want this it would be a violation of the laws. But Rose wanted the girl she could see in her rose colored glasses not the guy that sat before her, no matter how wonderful he seemed.

Rose nodded. This couldn’t be done while he was in the drowsy state of the truth spell. This needed to be done while he was awake and aware. She sighed again and as she exhaled she released the spell.

* * * * * *

Thad suddenly felt himself becoming much more clear-headed. What the hell? And why did Rose look so sad?

“Thad, I have something to ask you. If…if you could be a…girl, would you?” Her voice was amazingly serious.

His heart dropped. He had told her? He had told her the one thing he knew he had to keep to himself? He felt the blood drain away from his face. “Uhm…er…well you see…uh…”

“Thad…it’s okay. Just please answer this question. Please?” Her voice was plaintive, soft, vulnerable. It pulled at Thad.

This was the hardest thing Thad had ever done, admitting to his perversion. Rose was wonderful and he had already said something, though he was a little unsure what. He looked down at the coffee table and it took everything in him just to whisper “Yes.”

* * * * * *

Rose felt faint. Her perfect Love, the girl of her dreams was right in front of her. Without the glasses she never would have seen the beauty that was within Thad. She would have passed him by, as she had done too many other men. Maybe this was her chance at happiness. There was only one way to be sure. “Thad…if you want this…would you take any way to get it?”

Thad nodded, he seemed unable to speak.

“If this is what you want…I think I can…help. Are you willing?” she reached out her hand to him.

* * * * * *

Thad felt faint. She could help? She could see who Thad really was? He wasn’t sure if he was willing to risk the pain of failure but could he risk letting this pass? His hand was clenched into a fist as he slowly stretched it across the table. His fingers opened when his hand touched hers. He risked looking up as their fingers entwined. Rose was smiling at him.

He swallowed dryly, as all the moisture had fled his mouth. “What…what do I have to do?”

* * * * * *

Rose’s heart swelled up with joy. Maybe she could get her True Love after all. She took off her glasses and exhaled the spell into them. It was a one use spell and she put everything into it, all of her love and all of her dreams. “What I want you to do is to go into the women’s bathroom, go over to the mirror and put on the glasses. That’s all. Come out with them on and we can go from there.”

* * * * * *

Thad nervously took the glasses. These could help? He stood and looked back at Rose. His resolve firmed even as his fear welled up from inside. The walk to the women’s room was blissfully short. There hadn’t been anyone back there for at least ten minutes so he felt moderately safe. Pushing the door open and walking into the bathroom was a challenge that he managed to overcome. He was inside.

Thad was a bit disappointed that the women’s bathroom looked like the men’s, except for the fact that there were no urinals. He walked to the sink and stood in front of the mirror. He slid the glasses on.

Who Thad really was looked back at him. She, who was he, was there. Her long hair, her luscious curves, and the wonderful way she dressed…all of it. His dreams stood before him, smiling back at him from the mirror. Thad began to cry.

The weave of magic flew through him, and his body took on the correct shape, the correct movement and length of hair and the elegant but simple clothes. Thad was changed utterly as he cried out his disbelief. When he took off the glasses to wipe the tears from his eyes, her face looked back at him. He was her, like for real. He didn’t need the glasses to see her, he had become her.

* * * * * *

Rose waited nervously. Did he do it? What was going to happen? She was staring impatiently at the door. Time was ticking away. If this didn’t happen soon she would lose her chance.

The door swung open and out she walked. Rose was stunned. The vision of her standing there in her peasant blouse and broomstick skirt was so much more visceral now than what she had seen through the glasses. Rose stood up and nervously walked towards her hopes.

* * * * * *

Melissa had put back on the glasses, giggling at the way her world had suddenly shifted to the rose colored world of her dreams. When she spotted Rose she could literally see the love flowing out towards her. Melissa smiled lovingly at Rose. Here was the woman who had set her free with her magic, for what else could have made her so complete?

She stretched out her hand to Rose. “Shall we?”

Rose swallowed and nodded, her voice lost in her amazement. They joined hands and walked off, smiling at each other and ignoring the stares that other patrons gave them. Those others were invisible as the two women moved off through their rose colored world off towards their own private sunset.