Once at the mall, Nikki had to pull Sage out of the mini-van. "If you don't go around and let people see you, you'll never learn what it's like to ba a woman," she reasoned.
    Sage looked at Nikki, who held a tight grip on her arm. "Nik, that's hurts," she said.
    "Then stop acting like a baby Sage." Nikki had become more annoyed with Sage and Rowen. The entire trip, they were acting even worse than Cye and Kento.
    Mac saw this and understood. "Nikki, let go of her arm. It's not good to kill a loved one in public," Mac whispered into Nikki's ear.
    Nikki released Sage and looked into one of the shop windows. She saw a beautiful picture of a unicorn in a lightening storm. "That's beautiful," she whispered.
    Rowen walked up next to her and put his arm around her shoulder. "That's a pretty picture," he said.
    Nikki elbowed Rowen in his ribs. "Would you learn how to control yourself. I taught you better. Sage doesn't need you going around and acting like she's not the same person Touma," she whispered.
    "He's not the same person. Sage is a girl. He has to learn how a woman's treated. If he can't take my abuse, what makes you think he'll learn his lesson?" Rowen reasoned. "It has nothing to do with you, Mama," he said kissing her cheek.
    Nikki sighed as the headache she was suffering from all morning. "If you don't stop acting like Cye and Kento, I'll teach you a lesson," she said before walking into the store.
    Sage turned and saw Nikki looking around the picture store. She then saw Rowen about to walk in after Nikki. "Rowen, leave her," Sage said. Sage walked over to Rowen and looked at him. "She's really pissed with me, and I don't want you to get the brunt of her anger."
    Rowen looked at Sage and smiled. "No, she's pissed with the both of us. And this whole situation. How do you think she feels having her boyfriend, the man she's going to marry, turn into a girl over night? Even Talpa wasn't so cruel."
    "We'll talk to her tonight?" Sage asked.
    "Whatever you say... Bijin," Rowen smiled.
    "Baka," Sage sighed walking away.
 

    Twenty minutes, and three stores later, Nikki walked with Sage over to a store called 'Hot Topic'. As the group walked over to the store, Sage felt a strange gaze on her. "Oh, that's gross," she whispered.
    "What?" Rowen asked.
    "Those guys are scoping me out," Sage said.
    Rowen looked at the men Sage was talking aobut and shook his head. "Come here," he said.
    Sage did as Rowen said, and cringed when Rowen put his arm around her waist. "What are you doing?" she asked in shock.
    "Relax Bijin. Those guys now think I'm your boyfriend."
    "Oh, lucky me," Sage said sarcastically.
    The group walked into the store and started looking around. As Sage walked over to a small rack of shorts, she heard "Dude Looks Like A Lady" by Areosmith play over the store's PA.
    Rowen couldn't help but laugh. Karyn, Cye and Mac looked away from Sage laughing also.
    Sage instantly walked out of the store. Nikki watched Sage as she walked over to a bench and sat down. Nikki's headache was becoming worse. She looked at Mac and shook her head. "I'll meet up with you guys later," she said walking out of the store.
    Nikki looked at Sage as she walked past, but didn't say anything. Sage was about to follow when something said that Nikki would just become even more upset.
 

    Three hours later, Nikki walked down the first mall corridor and saw Mac and Karyn trying to pull Sage into 'Victoria's Secrets', with Rowen Laughing and Cye blushing brightly. "I don't know how much more of this I can handle," she whispered to herself.
    Cye walked over to her and saw she carried one bag. "Hey Nikki, you found us," he smiled.
    Nikki looked at Cye and smiled. The entire morning , he was the only person who wasn't driving him up a wall. "Yeah, how are things going with Sage?" Nikki was almost afraid to ask.
    "Pretty well. Surprisingly enough. The girls are having a tough time getting Sage to go in there."
    Nikki sighed and shook her head. "When all of this is over, and Sage is Sage again, I'm going to kill him."
    Cye looked at Nikki and smiled. "No you won't. You'll probably hurt him a lot, but you won't kill him. You love him too much."
    Nikki looked into Cye's ocean-blue eyes and started to feel guilty for being mad at Sage. "I hate when you look at me like that," she sighed. Nikki then walked with Cye over to the store. "What's going on?" Nikki asked.
    "Sage doesn't want to go into Victoria's Secrets to get her some things that she really needs," Mac explained.
    Nikki put her arm around Sage's shoulders and handed Rowen the bag she held. "Sage, come with me," she smiled.
    "Nik, I don't wanna go in there," Sage said.
    Nikki began to grind her teeth. "Sage, like Rowen said before, that's no small front you're packing. If you don't stop acting like you've never been shopping before, I am really going to hurt you," Nikki growled into her ear.
    Sage looked at Nikki and realized that she was fed up. "Okay Nikki."
 

    Mac pulled up to her mother's house and looked at Nikki. "Are we all going in right now, or will it just be me and Rowen?" she asked.
    Nikki looked at Mac and shrugged. "I really don't care either way."
    Karyn looked at Nikki and realized how hard this whole curse thing was on her, as well as Sage. "I think you and Rowen should go in for now. And we'll be back in about an hour."
    "And take Sage with you," Cye added.
    Sage looked at Nikki and saw the stone-cold glare that worried everyone. "I have to learn this lesson, and learn it quick. Otherwise I could lose Nikki forever," Sage thought. "Okay, let's get this over with," she sighed.
    As Mac, Rowen and Sage climbed out of the van, Karyn climbed behind the steering wheel. "So Nikki, what's on your mind?" Karyn asked as she pulled away.
    "Nothing. I was just thinking." Nikki pushed her hair away from her eyes and turned to Cye. "Was he as bad as everyone says?" she asked.
    Cye looked at Nikki and shrugged. "You have to remember the way his father is. And Sage did always try to please him."
    "And him being so damned cute didn't help," Karyn added. She then glanced over her shoulder and saw Cye looking at her. "What? When we were kids, and before I knew he was my brother, I had a hugh crush on Sage."
    "That's gross," Cye said.
    "It was before she knew Cye," Nikki smiled. Nikki then turned and looked out of the window. "I remember the day we met. He was trying to flirt with me, but I kinda knocked the wind out of his sails."
    "How'd you do that?" Kayrn asked.
    "She knocked the wind out of his lungs. The first time at school, and then after Dean Otonashi left the house," Cye answered. He then looked at Nikki, who was looking at him. "The second time you bruised a couple of his ribs, and I taped them up."
    Karyn laughed. "Well, no wonder he loves you. Sage always goes for the ones who can beat the hell out of him."
    Nikki looked out of the window again. "Yeah, he always went for the ones that can beat the hell out of him. What would she go for?"