The Fog That Makes Up Me

Seven

Colors are swirling all around me now; I get a sense of deja vu from the first time I teleported -- all the way to the park. But there's something I need to focus on... I can't quite remember... My body feels weird now, like something is messed up. 

I need to rematerialize.

But wasn't there something else... I sit there, watching colors go by, and occasionally seeing Nat's frowning face from... some other world, almost... She's looking around frantically and pointing to her hair... Her hair? What about her hair? But then I remember, concentrating on a laser, cutting through my hair... And I flip back together, landing in a heap on the floor. 

"Aoife!" I hear. "You did it! Look!"

I groggily open my eyes, so tired I can't think straight. There's a pile of black stuff on the floor... I think it's my hair. I feel around on the back of my neck, and sure enough, it's a bit shorter. 

"Wow," I say, smiling weakly at Nat. "Though I should not have done that before school. I'm so tired now."

She grins. "That was so cool though! But... it took forever. You were disapperated, I'm calling it, for like 10 minutes."

"Seriously? I don't remember any of it. I'm gonna try that again sometime though."

She grins evilly. "Tomorrow I want to try something." 

*****

When tomorrow comes, I'm rather nervous. I still don't know what brought about Nat's change in attitude, but I like her confidence. According to her, I did it once, so I can do it again. 

Right now it's 5:30 in the morning. I should not be up, but this is when Nat told me to wake her. I tumble out of bed and into Nat's room, whisper calling her name. Within moments she's up.

"The prank! Yes, the prank! Alright, let's do this, J."

She still hasn't told me the plan, or anything about this, so I sit there waiting for an explanation. 

"You are going to be Aimee... um, Aimee Brant from Europe."

"What?" 

"You are my new friend, and you're from the UK. Let's see, I just learned that different eye colors are from different levels of melanin, so how about you take some melanin from your super tan skin and give it to your eyes, so they're brown and your skin is pale."

"What?"

"I just told you, seaweed brain."

"I know, but... How am I supposed to do that? I don't even feel my melanin."

"Just do it. I know you can, I'm sure of it, so go for it."

I'm still hesitant, like last time. This is just so not safe! I guess I'm a bit of a control freak but it's so scary to completely put your body at risk doing something no one's ever done before. But Natalie's confidence is contagious. I concentrate... and flip.

This time I remember what I'm trying to do. I imagine the melanin of my olive skin floating up into the air from all over my body, so much that I'm pale. Then I drop some into my eyes, and here my subconscious is working overtime and knows exactly when it's enough. I drop the rest of the melanin into my feet, where it will be covered up by socks and shoes. Then I flip back into reality, collapsing on Nat's bed.

*****

"Aimee! Aimee, wake up!"

I'm being shaken and shaken, and she's calling a name that isn't mine. The world is a mess. 

But I open my eyes, and stare into gleeful and slightly bemused ones.

"It worked! It worked, Aimee!"

I laugh, remembering all that happened. 

"Look, come to the mirror!"

I follow her in an exhausted daze until we get to the bathroom mirror. 

It's a completely different person staring back at me. Everything somehow went exactly as planned. I glance at Nat, beginning to giggle uncontrollably. But she frowns.

"Where did your excess melanin go? I mean, surely you had too much... Your skin is so pale now."

I grin. "I hid it in my foot."

"I have an even better idea. Make freckles. Oh, and also, try and make your nose a bit bigger, taking some bone from the tip of your chin."

I just stare at her. I mean, sure, everything's worked so far, but this is really getting carried away. But she's got an excellent idea.

"Ok, I'll try it. But... Wake me up once I'm done because this is going to be exhausting."

And really? I can't believe I'm doing any of this.