The Swap

Allison 3.2

I can't believe it. I've become a boy overnight. Looking into the mirror shouldn't have been the thing to confirm that for me, but it did. For some reason, the fear disappears a little and makes way for curiosity.

I poke at my new face in the mirror. It responds so lifelike and accurately. I look like a boy of my own age, is that a coincidence? The more I look at him, the more he seems to be familiar.

I look down at my new body. I can see my feet again without feeling shame. Then I notice one new thing, and the fear surges back.

Questions fly through my mind: how did this happen? Why me of all people? What am I supposed to do? That last one stays on my mind a bit longer. What am I going to do? I check the clock in the bathroom and see that I've wasted twenty minutes on panicking. School starts in ten minutes! Well, my school does at least. Then it hits me.

This boy's face, it belongs to that jerk who refused to give up his spot during lunch!

...

WHY HIM!?

I can't do this. Knowing this body belongs to another person comes with a whole bunch of problems. The biggest one keeps repeating in my head: if I'm in his body, does that mean there's a crazy highschool boy in mine!? I need to warn mom! What if he ruins my relationship with her? What if he harms Liam? What if he gets along with Chad!? Those are all the wrong questions! What if he does what every boy would do in that situation. Suddenly I'm much more aware of the thing in between my legs.

"NO!!!" I scream out. The boy sounds like he's fighting for his life, such a desperate cry.

I'm hyperventilating now, curled up on the bathroom floor. Maybe I shouldn't get up. Maybe I should go home. Maybe I should go back to sleep. Maybe... Maybe I should just... No, let's not think about that. I shake out of my intrusive thoughts and decide on the best course of action.

If I'm him, then he has to be me - he has to be, right? In any case, I need to find him. I need to find myself, literally. That means I'll have to go to school... as a guy... as this guy. Even with a plan set up, I still feel squeamish, terrified and hopeless.

I go to change clothes, eyes shut even though I'm not changing underwear. As I change, I peek at the clock again. First time I'll ever have been late to school, but it's not really me, is it? I've still got a clean record. Luckily, we go to the same school, so I don't have to think about what to wear as this guy. Still, wearing the male uniform doesn't do much to calm my nerves.

I decide to skip breakfast, brush his teeth and do his hair. Using all my brainpower to remember how he looked, I tidy up his morning hair and add gel the best I can. It looks good enough - at least, as a girl I can say it looks good enough.

Finally, after snatching his backpack from his room, I quietly make my way downstairs. It's kind of strange how nobody has come to check on their son when he's late for school, but once I see the empty ground floor, I understand why. A bowl and spoon have been placed on a table with only two chairs at it. I feel sorry for this boy's mother for leaving out a bowl and spoon, since I don't have the time to eat breakfast.

I put on the only coat left on the hanger, and leave the house.