Everything feels a little more like home now that Evan and I can message each other again. It's only after I notice I'm sitting curled up on Allison's chair, wearing her frilly pyjamas and that I've been texting for about an hour without a break, that I realise how dumb that sounds. Like hell it feels more like home! The conversation I had with him isn't even about our typical topics, it's just him teasing me and asking me how it's like being a girl! I need to stop before I forget who I am!
Then I get an idea.
"Should I try and download a game on her laptop?" I message him. When her parents are gone there should be nothing preventing me from gaming and talking with Evan like my old self, right?
Evan approves the idea, but suggests asking Allison for her permission first. She won't find out.
Someone calls Allison's name and I reflexively slam her phone onto the table. I shouldn't have flinched so hard. Why am I so scared to get caught chatting with a boy? Never mind, that thought explains itself... How far have I sunk already?
When I make it downstairs, Allison's mom and Chad are standing at the door, dressed fancily.
"Allison, sweetheart, we're going now, so take care of your little brother, okay?" her mom smiles.
I nod.
"Love you!" She opens the door and walks down the lawn.
"L-Love you too..." I say loud enough. I haven't said that in a long time.
Chad just watches her and then turns to me.
"Before I go, I want to remind you to not do anything you'll regret," he grins. Why did that sound so threatening?
"I-I won't..." I say confused.
"You really do love your mother as much as I do, but for a different reason," he chuckles, "You've never had a dick, so I guess that's why."
Excuse me, what?
"W-What did you just say?" I ask, even more confused.
"Nothing. Now remember: be a good girl," he sternly reminds me, accented with a firm grip on my shoulder. Then he leaves as if nothing just happened.
What did I just witness? Is this what Allison meant? What even happened? Don't do anything I'll regret? Was Allison planning to do something like that? And then that comment: I've never had a dick? Ignoring the fact that's incorrect, why would a father say that to their daughter!? A-And that last thing sounded so threatening as well!
As I'm pondering this, still standing at the door, I suddenly feel something softly tug on my pyjama pants.
"Can we play now?" Liam asks.
Oh right, I promised to entertain him, urgh.
"A-Alright," I sigh.
His face lights up and he grabs my hand to clumsily lead me to his room.
The green-painted walls are filled with stickers and shelves with various stuffed animals. There's a cosy carpet covering the centre of the room and lots of wooden blocks everywhere. It's as stereotypical of a child's bedroom as I can envision. I must not be giving him enough attention as I'm looking around his room, since he shoves a wooden block into my hands. It must be a coincidence the block has the letter Z on it.
"We need to build a very big city!" he commands.
"H-How big?" I ask.
He observes his room a bit before placing a few blocks down to make 3 rows.
YOU ARE READING
The Swap
Teen Fiction"Where am I? This isn't my room. Wait, this isn't my voice, either! This isn't my body!" Allison Par is a timid girl. She just moved to a new town and her mom started dating a new man. Allison just wants him gone, but she's too terrified to speak up...
