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Chapter 17

Jenna's POV

After we agreed to spend Sunday apart, I rolled onto my back on Jaden's bed and stared at the ceiling for a long time, feeling the silence of his house settle around me.

But something tugged at my mind.

Tomorrow is school.
And I'm him.
Which means... I need his license.

So I finally dragged myself up and checked the top drawer of his dresser — the one he always shoved his wallet into when he changed.

Sure enough:

There it was.

His black wallet, worn on the edges, with a tiny scratch across the front.

I opened it slowly.

And there it was:

His driver's license.

His face looking slightly annoyed, slightly confused, hair messy like he tried three times to fix it before giving up.
I laughed softly.

"Well, Jaden..." I murmured, running my thumb over the ID photo, "guess you're in for a big surprise".

I put the wallet in my pocket and looked around his room — the posters, the cluttered desk, the basketball in the corner, the pile of hoodies he rotated through every week.

It all smelled like him.

And for a moment I felt a heavy drop in my chest.

Like missing him, even though technically I was him.

I stayed in his house the rest of the day, because his mom thought I was him and I couldn't risk messing anything up.

I tried to keep the day normal — or as normal as switching bodies allowed.

Shower

I stood in the bathroom staring at the foggy mirror, feeling the strange weight of broad shoulders, longer arms, the unfamiliar angles of a body that wasn't mine.

I washed up quickly, keeping everything non-weird, focusing on:

* the steam
* the warm water
* the quietness
* the stillness

It was one of the only peaceful moments I'd had all week.

Dinner with his mom

She made pasta and salad.
She asked about "my" weekend with Makayla.
I lied just enough to sound like Jaden but not enough to get caught.

She smiled at me so warmly it almost hurt.

I wasn't her son.
But I had to sit there pretending to be.

Jaden's night routine

Afterwards I:

* sat on his bed
* flicked through his old texts
* looked at pictures of us (in our real bodies)
* checked his homework folder
* set out a hoodie for the next day
* plugged in his phone

Then I lay back, pulling his blankets over me, staring at the ceiling fan turning slowly.

I whispered into the dark:

"...I miss my own body."

But even quieter:

"And I miss you too, Jaden."

Jaden's POV

While Jenna had a heavy, thoughtful day, Jaden actually had one of the first relaxing days he could remember.

Morning

He woke up late after he got off the call and
He walked around aimlessly, put on her soft slippers,  took the longest shower of his life because her soaps smelled calming.