Transformation
Copyright© 2025 by A Well Traveled Man
Chapter 2
Early the next morning, Alex meditated and got used to the new sensation. He could sense everything around me. Then he exercised, dressed, and ran two laps around the subdivision. While stretching in the front yard, the lady on the corner drove past, waving. It was then that he saw her bumper sticker. “I love UCI.” He needed to find out more about her. Free rides are hard to find. Alex went upstairs, showered, dressed, and went to the kitchen.
He hugged Mom and kissed her on the cheek, then gave her a spank on the ass. Alex said Nice and firm, and a spatula flew in my direction, and he told Mom Welcome back. Don’t let those assholes get under your skin. He, on the other hand, is allowed. Mom was laughing, so that was a good sign. While eating breakfast, Mom thanked Alex for the massage and for putting her to bed last night. He went back upstairs and did another lesson on each course and finished the previous two martial arts books. Chi caught his eye; what I’ve experienced could be tied to it. He needed to ask Sensi today.
After changing into his new Speedo, Alex put a towel around his waist and went to the pool. When I started swimming laps, I got into a zone and swam until I sensed Mom was coming out. He got out, laid the towel on the lounge, and lay on his back. Mom came out and said What are you wearing? Alex looked and said,” Speedo, Mom.” All competition swimmers wear them when competing, and most Europeans do. Then she asked how he got it and said the sales lady gave it to us as a gift. I think it fits well. What do you think?
Mom laughed and said Don’t wear that around your sister or any visiting guests. Now, get ready to go to the dojo. Alex told Mom my eyes were up here, and that did it. She charged, jumped up, and avoided her, then ticked her sides, running to the house. Mom sat on the lounge chair and said that boy will be the death of me. Alex stuck his head outside and said Yeah, but what a way to go. Mom was yelling as I ducked back inside. After showering, he dressed, cautiously entered the kitchen, stopped, and backed up.
Mom smiled and asked if something was bothering me. He said he was just checking to see if any sharp objects were around. Mom said I wouldn’t hurt you much, then smiled. He said good and went out the front door to the car and waited for Mom. When she came out of the back gate, Mom asked how he knew something would happen. Your smile and the way you had your hands behind your back.
Mom dropped me off at the dojo and then went to the gym. Alex gave Sensi the books back and asked about Chi. Sensi said we’d talk after training, so he entered the locker room and changed into my Gi. First, Sensi had me perform all of the punches, kicks, and blocking techniques I had learned to date. Then he added a dozen more, and I had to master each before moving to the next one. We sat in the lotus position when we finished his workout, and Sensi explained what Chi was and how to use it with martial arts. He said everyone has Chi but can rarely access or use it properly. Then Sensi gave me techniques to awaken and grow my internal energy. Alex practiced each one until Sensi was satisfied that he had performed it correctly. Alex bowed and thanked Sensi for his knowledge and help when we finished.
Alex changed, and Mom wasn’t outside, so I went to the gym. She was on the squat machine, so he walked behind her and waited for her to finish. When she finished, Alex lowered his voice and said, “Hey, baby, looking good.” Want to come to my place and cool down? Mom spun around, ready to tell someone off, and saw me and started laughing. The lady beside Mom looked confused, and Mom said This is my youngest son, Alex. Alex, this is my friend Sandy. Watch what you say because I know where you sleep at night. Alex kissed the back of Sandy’s hand and said Pleasure meeting you. Mom said she would be done in a few minutes and for me to wait in the car.
On the drive home, Alex told Mom about the lady at the end of the block and her bumper sticker. Mom said shit, I forgot about Maggie Stewart. She’s a professor at the college. I’ll call her tonight and see if you can ride with her to school next semester. After our showers, we ate dinner and talked about my schoolwork. Alex helped Mom clean up the kitchen, then Mom got on the phone, so he went to his room and practiced chi techniques.
Sensi said that when I found my Chi, I concentrated on awakening and growing my internal energy. So that’s what Alex did, and I started gathering energy around me and passed out. When he woke up, Alex felt a tingling sensation all over his body, and that’s how Mom found me when she entered my room. He was sitting nude in the lotus position, and Mom asked what I was doing. Alex said some exercises Sensi taught me. What’s so important to bring you to my humble abode? Mom said Maggie Stewart wanted to take me to the university tomorrow morning and show me around. Mom said she would be here at 9 a.m. and left, shaking her head. Still feeling light-headed, he got up and went to bed.
On Friday at 4 a.m., Alex meditated, exercised, ran, and tried to access his Chi while running. Alex was able to on the second lap, and it felt like he was floating instead of running. When I stopped to stretch in the front yard, I lost it, and it felt like someone had put 50 pounds on me. So, Alex empowered his Chi, went upstairs, showered, dressed, and lost it again. He thought about both times I lost my Chi and realized why. I had stopped gathering energy both times because I was full.
He had to figure out how to regulate it and keep the tap on. Mom yelled that my breakfast was ready, so I went downstairs and ate. She gave him a credit card if he needed to purchase anything today. Alex hugged and kissed Mom and went outside to wait for Mrs. Stewart. She was right on time, and we talked about the online classes he was taking during the drive. Alex complained that the system wouldn’t let him work faster than two weekly lessons. She raised an eyebrow and asked if I had read all the textbooks. Alex told her he finished them on the first day and would take the final exams if they let me.
We parked in the private parking lot for employees, and Alex followed Mrs. Stewart to her office. Mrs. Stewart introduced me to her assistant, Cheryl Brown. She asked Cheryl to give me a tour of the university while she took care of a few things. Then, we left, and Cheryl asked how old I was as we started our campus tour. Alex said Sure, as soon as you tell me your age. Cheryl chucked and said 24, so he said 13, and she stopped walking. Mrs. Stewart said you were enrolling next semester, and you are 13 years old. I said yes, but I like older women, so we should be fine. That caused Cheryl to laugh, and we continued our tour. Then, we stopped at a cafeteria for a drink.
We had just sat down when Cheryl said Oh no, and Alex looked up to see a big guy walking our way. Cheryl said Reggie, leave us alone. I’m working. He asked who the little shit was and pulled out a chair to sit down. Alex reached under the table, hooked a leg of the chair, and moved it. Reggie fell on his ass, and everyone in the cafeteria was laughing. Reggie gets up and lunges at me across the table. I moved my chair to the side, and he went headfirst into the wall.
Alex asked Cheryl if she was ok, and she was in shock. Security arrived, cuffed Reggie, and hauled him away. He was cussing and yelling that he would kill me as they put him in a police car. Alex asked Cheryl if Reggie was a friend of hers. She said hell no, and he won’t leave me alone. I complained, but his parents are wealthy and have a lot of influence with the university.
We completed our tour, and Mrs. Stewart took me to a conference room. Three other people were sitting at the table, and I was invited to sit. Mrs. Stewart said these are your online professors who want to see you take their final exam. So, for the next 90 minutes, Alex took their exams. When I finished the last one, I got up and stretched. They looked at Mrs. Stewart, said Alex had passed all the exams, and handed her my scores. We returned to her office, and Brad Williamson awaited us. He said my scholarship was approved and gave Alex his admission folder. Brad stood up, said congratulations and welcome to UCI, shook his hand, and left.
Alex was looking through the folder and said It’s too bad I can’t attend UCI. Mrs. Stewart asked why, and he told her about the confrontation in the cafeteria with Reggie. Mom will never allow me to attend the university with an ape-like Reggie threatening to kill me. But, according to Cheryl, Reggie’s parents have a lot of influence, and he gets away with everything. Mrs. Stewart picked up the phone and made a call. She said your nephew assaulted a 13-year-old boy in the cafeteria today. Yes, and I’m calling the police department next. Good, and if I were you, I’d update your resume because the campus police would lay it at your feet, and she hung up.
Mrs. Stewart said Don’t worry about Reggie. He is gone for good. The Irvine Police arrested him this time, and the campus police gave them his file. So, no need to bother your mom with the unpleasant news. Let’s see what the university is giving you. She opened my admissions folder. After reading it, we went to get my student ID card and then to the bookstore. Alex got a new laptop computer and some clothing with the UCI logo, all covered by the scholarship. Then he bought Mom a cute t-shirt and shorts, and we headed home.
Mrs. Stewart sat at the kitchen table with Mom and discussed my options at the university with me. Alex chose computer science and business, and they agreed. Then Rachel gave Mom his test scores and said Alex blew through 6 finals in 90 minutes. His professors were shocked when they graded his exams. So, we signed him up for six more online courses until he could start the summer semester. Mom and I thanked Mrs. Stewart for the help, and she left.
Then Alex gave Mom a gift bag, which she opened and turned bright red. You can’t expect me to wear this, do you? Mom asked. Alex said, Of course, I do. You’ll look good in them, and Rachel, Mrs. Stewart helped me pick your size. And promise to wear them the next time Stephanie comes home. Mom laughed and said Now I know what you’re doing, and I’ll go along. But your sister will be pissed when she sees my outfit.
We ate dinner, went to the den, watched the nightly news, and went to bed. Alex stripped and sat in the lotus position and found my Chi, then imagined a regulator on the energy flow, and it seemed to work. So, he opened it up and felt the energy, then it cut off, but I didn’t lose Chi. Then he scanned my surroundings and found Mom in bed. The couple next door was arguing in the kitchen, and the house on the other side was empty. My range had improved, so he shut it down and slept.
Saturday at 4 a.m., Alex meditated and exercised, found his Chi, and ran. He could feel everything around me. He checked Mrs. Stewart’s house, and she was in the kitchen. Then he felt danger ahead, so I stopped between two houses. Alex hopped two fences and came up behind the threat I felt. It was Reggie with a baseball bat waiting for me to pass. Alex opened the valve, let the energy flow, then stepped behind Reggie and kicked him in the balls. He’d swear he lifted two feet in the air, then fell on his face. I continued my run home, stretched, then took a shower. After dressing, Alex went to the kitchen and called 911. He reported seeing a man with a baseball bat between two houses on his morning run. Alex gave the operator the addresses and hung up.
Mom made us breakfast, then I called Matt and Alan. They didn’t answer, so Alex asked Mom to drive me to the mall. She asked if I would be all right alone, and Alex told her he would be fine. That wasn’t good enough, so we stopped by the cell phone store, and I got a new cell phone. Speed dial one was home, and two was Mom’s cell. It was like my first day at school when she dropped me off. The hug lasted forever, but she finally left. Alex entered the mall and decided to window shop. Mom gave me $60 to buy something and for lunch. In front of the Calvin Klein store was a notice that a photo shoot was underway, so the store was closed until 4 p.m.
A woman came outside, pulled me into the store, and said, “Look at what I found.” Four people were walking around him, then one said We needed him to strip. Alex said Hold on, and the lady said Paul, don’t scare off the boy. She said I’m Tracy McGovern, and we work for Calvin Klein. Our male model didn’t show up, and we needed a model. So, there will be no nude or risky photos, just underwear, clothes, and some formal wear. Alex agreed, but told them his mom had to sign off on the shoot. So, he changed into some Calvin Klein underwear and came out for inspection. Paul said Oh my god, he’s perfect. Tracy asked my name, and I told her Alex Hollister. Paul said he is muscular but not a bodybuilder, and he looks at his symmetry. He’s perfect.
For the rest of the shoot, Alex was a clothes horse. Toward the end of the shoot, I called Mom and asked her to meet me at the Calvin Klein store. The look on her face when she walked in was priceless. Alex was in a suit and tie, doing different poses. He went behind the curtain to change for the last part of the shoot. Alex walked out, and he heard Oh my god several times. We wrapped up an hour late, but they gave me all the clothes I modeled and a contract for us to sign. Mom begrudgingly approved the photos and would have our lawyer check the contract on Monday.
Mom was quiet on the way home, so Alex said he couldn’t wait for Stephanie to see her brother in a magazine or on a billboard. Mom started laughing and said she would freak out. I said, “Imagine her friends talking about my photos and Stephanie cussing me out and biting her tongue.” Mom said she would kill you for that, for sure. Alex said, “Well, look on the bright side. If they offer me a contract, we get free clothes.”
When we got home, I brought in all the clothes, and Mom emailed the contract to the attorney. He called us 30 minutes later and said it was a standard photo release, so sign it. But if they offer a term contract, call him right away. Those need to be carefully read, thought out, and negotiated. Then, Mom told Andrew about my test results, and now he’s enrolled in a full scholarship at UCI. She smiled and said thanks, and hung up. Then she told me that getting tested and admitted to UCI would strengthen our case.
We read the labels and then started the wash. Mom said those that require hanging dry and ironing are going to the dry cleaners. We ate dinner, then watched some TV and went to bed. I sat in the lotus position, found my Chi, let the energy flow in, and then felt a sudden rush and passed out. Alex woke up sometime later and crawled into bed.
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