I walked into the gymnasium, finding it bustling as students filtered in and out. It was career day, where various schools and organizations brought out their finest trifolds and most available staff to try and recruit from the next generation. I was actually pretty excited for the event, any chance to think about life after high school was something I relished in. Not to mention it was still the first hour of the event, so I didn’t have to worry about anyone other than seniors getting in the way. The school ensured that seniors got first dibs at the exhibits before anybody else did.
    “Hey, Derek!” I heard a chipper voice call out from the crowd. 
    “Oh, hey Mai!” I answered as the short girl came over to greet me. If you’d told me just a few weeks ago that Mai and I would be on friendly terms, there’s no way I would have believed you. To my surprise however, our collaboration when Henry gave the school superpowers had softened a lot of the animosity between us. Henry had erased her memory, of course, but working together had shown me that our relationship didn’t need to be adversarial. I started making an effort to be kinder to her in the following weeks, as well as soothe some of the lingering tensions between us. Since then, we’d become a lot friendlier with one another, which had the added bonus of making it easier to hang out as a group with Emily. She still had her crush, but she wasn’t pursuing it nearly as aggressively as she used to. I wondered if she was slowly beginning to accept that it wasn’t going to happen, but I couldn’t say for certain. I wasn’t exactly a mind reader.
    “Any cool booths this year, or is it just the usual suspects?” I asked.
Mai shrugged, “Usual suspects. Colleges, trade schools, army, but it’s worth at least a loop around.”
    “No surprises then,” I said, “Thanks for the heads-up. You heading back to class?”
    “Yep, gotta knock out chemistry, then it’s nothing but music practice for the rest of the day,” Mai answered, tired but still chipper. There was a big recital coming up before the winter break where all the seniors performed back-to-back. Both Mai and Emily would be performing this year, Mai on the piano and Emily on the clarinet.
    “That’s a lot of piano. Are you still gonna have fingers by the end or will they be weathered down to nubs?” 
    “If my fingers could be worn down by one day of practice I’d have lost them a long time ago,” Mai asserted, playful but still somewhat defensive of her skills.
    “Well damn,” I responded, “Don’t hold up on my account.”
    “Wasn’t planning on it,” Mai smirked before sliding past me and making her way to class. She always worked really hard to get what she wanted. That fact had only made me feel inferior in the past, but seeing that side of her as a friend could actually be kind of inspirational. I wasn’t gunning for valedictorian or trying to learn the piano, but maybe I could aspire to something, too.
    I scanned the rows of booths before spotting one of the few I was actually interested in - Skyview University. I’d assumed for a long time that I would just go to the local community college after high school, if I went to college at all, but I’d actually been working to keep my grades up lately and I was getting results. It felt like a long-shot, but I might actually be able to attend if I kept it up. Catching a gap in the line, I approached the woman manning the booth.
    “Hi there! Are you interested in studying at Skyview?” she asked, adjusting her slim-frame glasses and brushing aside a strand of auburn hair
    “I was thinking about it. What kind of programs do you guys specialize in?”
    The woman smiled warmly. “Well, we offer lots of generalized programs in the sciences and humanities, but we do have a few standout departments. We recently had a big expansion to our Earth Sciences program, as well as Modern History and Mathematics.”
    “Hmm… Okay,” I mused. I’d never really considered Earth Sciences, and Henry messed with Ms. Bailey far too often for me to get a solid grasp on history. I actually did pretty well in math, but could that translate into a career I’d like down the line?
    “We also have a pretty strong athletics association, and recently introduced a major in cocksucking.”
    Athletics, huh? I wondered if Lan might be considering…
    Wait.
    “What was that last program you mentioned?” I asked.
    The representative lit up, “Oh, the cocksucking program! It’s a new major with a comprehensive curriculum. Our students can expect to learn extensive theory and get direct, hands-on experience. We also have elective options so students from other departments can still get involved!”
    “Involved in… Cocksucking. The sucking of cocks.”
    “That’s right! If you’re at all interested in the program, I can happily connect you with one of our professors!” the representative beamed. I sighed.
    “That’s, um, that’s fine,” I muttered. “Thank you for your help.”
    With that, I quickly maneuvered away from the booth. As I left, I overheard a couple girls approach the representative to ask about the potential for a double major in cocksucking and titfucking. A cursory glance around the room allowed me to quickly identify the unsurprising source of the representative’s sudden shift in demeanor. As expected, Henry was shuffling through the crowds, a satisfied grin plastered on his face. I only got to ask one serious question before he made his move. I was annoyed, but could hardly act surprised. Big school events like this were a lightning rod for him and his reality-warping antics.
    Cautiously, I trailed him. He wasn’t likely to spot me in the crowd, and if he was going to be making big moves today I’d rather be aware of what he was doing ahead of time. I watched as he approached the booth for a local trade school. Their representative was making his case for a small assembled crowd.
    “...and we offer expert training in a number of trades, including welding, carpentry, and plumbing. Any questions?” A girl in the small audience spoke up.
    “Do you offer any HVAC courses? That’s what I’m interested in,” she asked. As soon as she finished her sentence, Henry raised his hand and snapped his fingers. Immediately, the girl piped up again.
    “Oh, or prostitution! I’d be really interested in the sex trade,” she added, almost as an afterthought.
    The representative grinned. “Of course! We have a number of skilled sex instructors, as well as courses on pimping and rate-setting. Our affiliate school also offers certificates in stripping and escort work, if that’s more to your liking.”
    The girl raised her eyebrows. “Oh wow, I’d never thought of that! Do you think I have the body for those programs?” she asked, quickly pulling her clothes off and stripping to her underwear in the middle of the gymnasium.
    “Hmm…” the representative mumbled, stepping forward and inspecting the girl as though she were a sculpture. The girl, a freckled blonde, stood up straight with her hands behind her back, allowing the representative to examine her body. Casually, he cupped his hands around her ass and gently squeezed her breasts.
    “Well,” he said, “You have a lovely body, and your tits are especially soft. That said, you have more of an innocent ‘girl next door’ vibe than something outright seductive. I could see you finding success in our camgirl program if you were interested.”
    The girl smiled wide at the assessment, clapping her hands together. “Oh, wow, that sounds so fun! I’d never even considered that before!”
    A different girl standing next to her spoke up. “What about me? What would I do well in?”
    “Me too!” another chimed in. Soon a fervent crowd had formed around the trade school representative, each stripping and demanding to be assessed and recommended a program. The man seemed overjoyed at the influx of potential students, albeit slightly overwhelmed. He would be assessing a lot of girls’ bodies today.
    Henry smirked, crossing his arms and continuing on his way. I had to wonder, was he really proud of doing stuff like this? He hardly ever participated in his own scenarios, clearly preferring to act as a silent observer most of the time. And the scenarios themselves, what was even the point? Why not live in a mansion with a bunch of supermodels, or make yourself a celebrity or world leader? If there were any limits to his powers, I had yet to ascertain them, so why bother with such menial manipulations in a high school?
    My thoughts were cut off as we approached the next display. Officer MacNamara, the school resource officer, was manning the booth for the police department alongside a visibly bored male colleague. Somehow she looked even less enthused to be at the school than usual, which was remarkable considering the last time I’d seen her she was getting bent over the knee by the assistant principal.
    As I snaked my way through the crowd, our eyes met. It was hard to tell from afar, but I swore I could see the coldness in her eyes. Henry should have wiped her memories of anything strange along with the rest of the school, but I couldn’t help but wonder if the sentiments of our last encounter still lingered in her mind somehow. It would certainly explain the death stare I was getting.
    I felt a hand clap my shoulder, practically making me jump out of my skin. I whipped around to see another face I wasn’t particularly keen to see.
    “What do you want, Joey?” I asked bluntly.
    Joey held his hands up in mock surrender. “Relax, dude. I was just saying hi.”
    “Shove it, we’re not friends. Last time I hung out with you you tried to make me the fall guy for your stupid fire alarm plan. I’m not interested in being friendly,” I growled, feeling my initial sense of betrayal returning in force.
    “Yeah, man, look, that was my bad. Really, I’m sorry. I just saw Officer MacNamara over there and it reminded me of old times,” Joey said, looking more sheepish than remorseful.
    “Yeah, it was your bad. Is there something you want, or are you gonna leave me alone now?” I scolded.
    “Well, I just wanted to see if you were up for punishing MacNamara with me? Could be a fun bit of revenge?” he posited.
    “Punishing? The hell do you mean by ‘punishing’?” I asked. 
    Joey simply looked over my shoulder and pointed. I followed his finger to the police booth, where my jaw promptly fell open. In the brief moments I’d spent talking to Joey, Henry had completely altered both the booth and its attendees. Officer MacNamara was now dressed in nothing but a black and white striped shirt, a pair of tall boots, and a simple black mask that covered her eyes, like a slutty version of a stereotypical burglar’s attire. 
    Even more striking was her positioning. She was bent over the table, hands cuffed behind her back and her bare ass pointed upward, exposing her neatly trimmed pussy. The other officer seemed to have been unchanged, not even regarding MacNamara’s new attire or position. On the table beside her were various instruments - a riding crop, a belt, a paddle,  - alongside a large sign with bright, colorful lettering.

CONSIDERING LAW ENFORCEMENT? STEP UP AND PUNISH A CRIMINAL NOW!

    “So, how about it?” Joey asked, almost innocently. Picking my jaw up off the floor, I turn back towards him.
    “You’re on your own,” I said curtly before brushing past him. He clearly hadn’t changed, and even if he did I wanted no part in it. I scanned the crowd, quickly spotting Henry once more. He was focused on the police booth, an anticipatory gleam visible in his eyes.
    THWACK
    The crack rang throughout the gymnasium, followed by a high pitch yelp from its recipient. I turned to see Joey holding the riding crop, a sadistic grin on his face as a visible red mark formed on Officer MacNamara’s naked ass. I watched as he raised the tool up once more before bringing it down hard on the officer’s opposite cheek. Again, she yelped in pain. A small crowd began to form as Joey repeatedly smacked the exposed cop, no doubt drawn in by the noise and spectacle.
    The energy in the crowd seemed to die down as Joey set the riding crop back on the table, only to rise again as he picked up the belt. I watched as he curled both ends into his fist, forming a neat loop. He then returned his attention to the officer, still bent over and exposed. Momentarily glancing at the growing crowd, Joey then brought the belt down on MacNamara’s ass, eliciting a far louder smack and a much louder cry from the bound woman. 
    The crowd egged him on, no doubt full of students who were happy to see MacNamara punished. After the first strike, Joey brought the belt down again, then again. With each strike his face grew more focused, his grin more ferocious. This was a side of him I’d never seen before, even having been his friends for as long as I was. It was almost frightening.
    “Oh man, this is a long time coming…” Joey muttered, lining up for another smack across the officer’s buttocks. 
    “I’m tired of the way you treat us, the way you treat me.” he ranted as he brought the belt down again, sending ripples across her reddened ass. “This is your punishment.”
    I watched on with the rest of the crowd, stunned by the display. Officer MacNamara was hardly a kind soul, and she definitely held a lot of contempt for the students here, but Joey was getting really into the "punishment" he was administering.
    I watched as he set the belt down, only to take the paddle in its place. He leant forward, steadying himself by gripping Officer MacNamara’s shoulder, then leaned in close. Holding her steady, he leveraged his position to bring the paddle down repeatedly, obviously relishing in her yelps of pain. As Joey continued to mete out his punishment, I felt increasingly disturbed by the scene playing out in front of me. 
    “That’s it, that’s what you get! That’s-” Joey ranted before a firm hand grabbed his wrist.
    “That’s enough, young man,” MacNamara’s companion said. “See?”
    He directed Joey and the crowd’s attention to MacNamara’s exposed, glistening pussy. A small trail of liquid streamed from it down her thigh.
    “You did it! You made her cum!” the officer congratulated. The crowd offered a polite round of applause as Joey awkwardly accepted the praise. Perhaps most shocking was officer MacNamara’s reaction. Despite being whipped and paddled by one of the troublemaker students she so obviously loathed, her expression was utterly blissful. I wondered if that was due to Henry’s influence, or if the officer had a masochistic side to her I was unaware of.
    “You know, you really did a number on our ‘criminal’ here, you should consider signing up for the force,” the other officer praised.
    “I mean, if it’s anything like that, consider me interested,” Joey grinned. Like the officer, I couldn’t help but wonder whether or not Henry had influenced him during the demonstration, or if that was a side of him I’d simply never seen.
    “Alright, who’s interested in disciplining the criminal next?” MacNamara’s companion called out. The whole scene seemed like something out of a perverted carnival, not a career fair. It was then that I realized I’d gotten distracted - Henry had escaped my sight.
    Weaving my way through the crowds, I hurried to track him down. Happening upon the army recruitment stand, I discovered a lead. The booth now featured a whole squadron of people dressed in nothing but boots and hats dutifully following the commands of a lineup of eager students. Critically, however, Henry was nowhere in sight.
I continued following the booths from there, a clear path of unperceived mayhem marked throughout the mazelike array of displays carving a distinct route. An art school with live nude models, a study abroad program promising to place students in world class international brothels, a culinary school serving samples off a woman’s naked body. With every sexualized aberration, I was getting closer to Henry.
    Finally I spotted him again. He was standing in front of the booth for a nearby nursing school. This one had a woman in scrubs engaging in a discussion with a group of prospective students. I watched as Henry observed the scene thoughtfully for a moment before a wide grin crept across his face. A moment later, he snapped his fingers.
    In an instant, the nurse attending the booth was wearing a new outfit. Well, “new” may not have been the appropriate word. Her clothes were almost vintage, a white one-piece uniform with bright red crosses emblazoned on the hat and apron, though the skirt cut off significantly higher than the original outfits it was based on.
    “Alright, everyone! Could we get some volunteers?” She asked in a high-pitched voice. A few hands shot up as eager volunteers approached the booth. She selected three participants: A brunette, a blonde, and…
    Emily.
    Shit! She’d mentioned she was thinking of nursing school after graduation, I should have tracked her down here as soon as I arrived! I pushed forward through the crowd, trying to get as close as I could to see if I could intervene.
    “Perfect, thank you for volunteering, ladies! We’re going to run through some mock procedures to demonstrate for the crowd. Sound good?” the nurse asked, eliciting a murmur of agreement from the participants.
    “Great! First we’ll show you what it’s like to take a heart rate. Can I get another volunteer?”
    A hand shot up, and a shy looking, dark-haired boy stepped forward. The head nurse handed a stethoscope to the brunette volunteer.
    “Alright, your goal is to listen to his heartbeat. His shirt will need to come off, of course,” she explained.
    “Got it,” the brunette said, stepping towards the boy and pulling his black shirt over his head with surprising ease. She then applied the scope to the boy’s chest, listening carefully.
    “Are you hearing the heartbeat?” the nurse asked.
    “Yep, loud and clear!” the volunteer responded.
    “Amazing! You have to listen very carefully to monitor changes in the patients’ body, it’s critical to understanding their condition. Why don’t you try doing something to increase his heart rate?” she suggested.
    “Oh, I have an idea…” the brunette uttered in an sultry tone as her eyes shifted from curious to fiery. She stepped towards the boy, her right hand holding the stethoscope to his chest while her left hand ran slowly across his bare chest. Slowly, she let her fingers explore around his waist, eventually digging into his pants. She then leant in, locking lips with him as her hand explored his crotch under his pants. The boy seemed shocked at first, but quickly melted into the kiss, his hands finding their way to her hips and pulling her towards him.
    “Wow, you’re right! His heart rate totally spiked!” the brunette exclaimed, pulling away from the kiss in a sudden motion.
    “Yep, sexual stimuli will do that! Why don’t you keep working on that while I move on to our next demonstration?” the nurse proposed.
    The brunette giggled. “Sure!” she said before turning back to face the boy. In a flash they were once again locked in a passionate kiss, the girl’s hands clearly stroking the boy beneath his jeans. This wasn’t good. I needed a way to steer Emily clear of this situation, stat! Except I couldn’t just tell her, as far as she knew everything happening next to her was completely normal.
    The nurse moved on to the blonde. “For you, I’m thinking we can demonstrate some basic injury treatment. Can I get another volunteer?”
    A slew of hands shot up, with one being selected. The volunteer, an asian girl I didn’t know, stepped forward, facing the blonde.
    “Let’s say this here is your patient. She’s come in with a minor cut in the chest area, how would you examine her?” the nurse posited.
    “Well, I’d examine the wound first,” said the blonde, stepping forward and pulling off the volunteer’s sweater and unstrapping her bra, revealing a pair of modest, round breasts with light pink nipples.
    “Next, I’d look to disinfect the area, apply bandages, check for blood lo-”
    “Wrong!” the nurse interrupted, “It’s a minor injury. For minor injuries, all you need to do is kiss it better!”
    “What? But I did first aid, I know-” the volunteer began before Henry snapped his fingers. It would seem he hadn’t accounted for a scenario where one of the volunteers was knowledgeable to begin with. Not that it mattered any more. As soon as he snapped his fingers, the confusion on the blonde’s face washed away into a gleeful, unquestioning smile.
    “Oh, of course!” she exclaimed before leaning into her patient’s chest. What began as a few gentle kisses quickly escalated as the blonde closed her eyes, letting her tongue guide her movements as she circled the girl’s breast. She then closed her lips around the girl’s nipples, sucking gently at first before gradually ramping up in intensity. The asian girl began to softly gasp and moan as the blonde attended to her imaginary wound.
    “Amazing work, keep at it you two! That takes us to our last volunteer!” the nurse announced, walking over to Emily. This was it, this was my last chance to stop what was happening. I glanced over at Henry, hoping he’d gotten bored and moved on, only to find him watching intently. Damn it, I still had to blend in! 
    Wait, of course!
    I shot my arm into the air as the nurse requested another volunteer. I locked eyes with her as she pointed in my direction. “That gentleman right there, come on over!” she called out.
    I went to take a step forward, only to feel a shoulder brush past me. I realized with dread that I hadn’t been selected, the person right behind me was. That person was…
Joey.
    I watched in horror as he stepped forward, standing alongside Emily as the nurse smiled at the pair. My eyes glanced over at the brunette giving her volunteer a handjob and the blonde sucking on her volunteer’s nipples. My mind raced with the possibilities of what the final activity would involve.
    “For our last volunteer, I’m thinking we need to involve a little bedside manner. Let’s say our patient here has been in our care for some time, and hasn’t been able to be intimate with his wife. How would you assist him as a nurse?” 
    Emily pondered for a moment, then answered with a confident grin. “Oh, I could suck him off!” she declared proudly. I felt my heart drop into the pit of my stomach.
    “Excellent, that’s exactly what you should do!” the nurse praised. I watched on from the crowd, my body itching to react while my mind held me back. I couldn’t intervene with Henry watching, but there was no way in hell I could let this play out uninterrupted! Panicking, I strained for ideas as Emily dropped to her knees in front of him, licking her lips as she fiddled with his belt.
    My brain burned, eyes darting between Henry, Joey, and Emily. What could I do?! What should I do?! I’d done so much to protect Emily, I couldn’t let this happen after everything! As she unzipped his fly, I caught his gaze from the crowd. Joey was just as susceptible to Henry as anyone else, and I knew it, but something in his face still got to me. The smugness, maybe? The unearned satisfaction? The pride? No matter what, the sight of that grin while Emily knelt before him was enough to make me abandon my sense of self-preservation. 
    “You son of a bitch!” I shouted, pushing through the front of the crowd and grabbing Joey by the shoulders, pulling him away moment before Emily slid his boxers down.
    “What the hell, dude?!” Joey shouted angrily. It was then that the full weight of my mistake caught up with me. All eyes were on me. Every. Single. One. Henry was watching me, I could see him at the corner of the crowd, examining the situation. Examining me. How could I possibly explain this?
    “You…” I said, stalling for time as I thought up a realistic reason for me to go after him. Finally, I remembered I had one. “You tried to sell me out! Make me the fall guy for your stupid fire alarm prank! And now you want to make up and play nice? Go to hell!” I shouted, trying my best to sell my anger.
    Joey glared back at me. “Well not anymore, you fucking psycho!” he spat, shoving me off him. As the intensity of the situation grew, I realized my distraction might turn into a full-blown fight. Not an ideal outcome, but worth it if I somehow managed to fool Henry in the process.
    “Damn, do you guys have beef or something?” I heard Henry say as the crowd parted around him. I felt an odd mix of emotions, the utter terror of being directly addressed by Henry for the first time, as well as the bewilderment that an omnipotent being could ask such a stupid question. By then a circle had cleared around me and Joey, with Henry observing right next to us. I began racing through scenarios in my mind, trying to figure out exactly what to say to avoid suspicion under a proverbial magnifying glass when my thoughts were cut short by a booming voice.
    “WHAT ON EARTH IS GOING ON HERE?!” Ms. Bailey shouted, storming through the crowd to confront us. 
    “He started it!” Joey accused. I was about to shout something back before remembering he was entirely right and wisely choosing to keep my mouth shut.
    “Save it!” Ms. Bailey scolded, the busty teacher somehow looking more intimidating as her normal, angry self than she did as a dictator or a literal supervillain. “I expected this from you, Joey, but Derek? Really? And you!” she yelled, pointing an accusing finger at Henry. “I know you well enough to know you’re involved in this mess somehow. I expect all three of you to come with me. Right. Now.” she demanded.
    I glanced over at Henry, expecting him to turn her into a slavegirl or a stripper or something, but instead he just shrugged. “You’re the boss,” he said in a relaxed tone.
    “Way to go, prick,” Joey snarled at me before storming ahead as we followed Ms. Bailey out of the gymnasium. I couldn’t blame him for being upset, not this time, but I’d done it for a reason. Somehow, I’d managed to save Emily at the very last minute. I looked over my shoulder as I walked away, catching a glance of her right before I rounded the corner. It was then that I saw an expression I’d never seen directed at me before.
    Disappointment.
    She turned away a moment later, not bothering to hold my gaze. I was used to her not recognizing my protection, but this was the first time I’d actually left a negative impression in the process. It felt terrible. I couldn’t imagine how bad that situation must have made me look from her perspective. I hung my head in frustrated shame as I left the career fair, feeling more hopeless than ever.