This choice: Make the switch with Kendra • Go Back...Chapter #41A Provisional Trial Senior Member (On Probation) by: imaj   “Yeah,” you mumble. “I understand.”
“Good,” he rumbles. “Tidy up here and I’ll meet you back at the gym loft. You’d better be quick,” he warns you as he heads for the door. “I want you there before Kendra gets close. And make sure you bring her mask.” He closes the basement door behind him as he leaves.
You look at the golem, which is staring at you blankly. You recall the instructions you gave it earlier and countermand them. “Ok, you can talk now.”
“So this is what you’re going to do then,” it asks. “Steal Kendra’s life and ruin Ian Carpenters?”
“Didn’t I tell you not to worry about it,” you snap irritably.
“You told me not to worry about that other guy,” says the golem. “Look, Prescott, that’s your name isn’t it? What’s your first name?”
“Will,” you say miserably.
“Don’t you think what you are doing is wrong Will,” it asks.
“I know its fucking wrong,” you shout. “It just I don’t have a choice.”
“You always have a choice,” begins the golem.
“And I thought I told you that you wanted to help,” you interrupt angrily.
“I want to help you with Chelsea,” says the golem in a neutral tone. “But that’s completely different: You’re creating a new identity for me, not stealing someone else’s. And it’s about helping Chelsea admit who she is, not ruining her life out of petty spite.”
You stare at the golem open mouthed. Does it really see such a difference between the two things? Or is it just trying to twist the logic of it in its head to match the instructions you gave it to Chris’ personality.
“All I’m saying Will is think about it,” says the golem soothingly. “Make the right choice.”
You stride over to it and rip off its mask.
“I’m choosing to shut you up,” you say to yourself. Things are bad enough without some golem trying to act as your conscience.
*****
Patterson had something very specific in mind by the time you reached the Fuck Room. That’s why you’re standing, completely naked, in a nook at the back, well out of sight of the door. It’s also why you’re wearing the mask of Kendra. Again, he was very insistent, and again you didn’t want to stand up to him. At least he thinks you are a team player.
You’re waiting for your cue. It’s taking a while because the real Kendra seems to be taking her time. Of course, you know that’s because she has a standing policy of making guys wait for her, but judging from the unhappy mutterings coming from over by the door, Patterson doesn’t.
So you wait, and wait. The Fuck Room’s starting to get a little chilly now that it’s dark outside. You’re about to go over to Patterson and complain when you hear voices at the door.
“About time,” grumbles Patterson.
“Oh sorry Steve, did I make you wait,” drawls Kendra. Her tone falls short of mockery by the finest of fine margins. “but I’m just so worn out today. I had to rest a little before I came over. You however, your have the stamina of a horse.”
She’s probably running her finger down his chest about now. It’s what you’d be doing in her place, and if you were pretending to be her. Obviously only if you were pretending to be her, because, well…
Best not to think about it too much really.
“Now what was that was so important that I just had to rush over here,” asks Kendra, breaking your chain of thought. “Are we going to put that stamina of yours to the test again?” Ugh. This is precisely the kind of conversation you are not looking forward to emulating.
“Actually,” sneers Patterson. “There’s someone I want you to meet.”
That’s your cue. You step out of your hiding hole and pad silently towards the door. Kendra’s attention is focused on Patterson so she doesn’t notice your approach. Patterson gestures toward you and Kendra turns round. Her face rapidly passes through several expressions; confusion, slack jawed amazement and eventually fear.
“Who are you,” she eventually stammers. What an unoriginal line you think. Patterson quietly closes the door behind her.
“Isn’t it obvious,” you say, matching her diction perfectly. “I’m Kendra Saunders.”
“But… but…” she stammers, any trace of confidence she wore on her face as she entered is vanished completely now. “You can’t be me. This is like one of those bad films with… with…” Kendra falls silent. She simply doesn’t watch those kind of films to be able to make a comparison.
There's a roughly outlined script that Patterson wants you to stick to, so you continue: “You’re wearing my clothes, take them off.”
Kendra takes a step back and glances round at Patterson.
“You were happy to take them off this afternoon,” laughs Patterson. “Do it, or I’ll take them off for you.” You feel a sharp stab of guilt. This is getting a little out of hand.
Kendra complies though, kicking off her wedge heeled sandals and undoing the buttons on her denim cut-off shorts. She’s wearing a black thong underneath, you notice. She peels them off and unties the knot in her shirt at her midriff. Soon it and the black demi-bra she was wearing sit on top of the small mound of clothing at her feet.
“Now what,” she asks quietly.
“Now you get to watch as I take over for you,” you smile, picking up the demi-bra and fastening it onto your own duplicate bosom. Her expression is aghast as you pick up the thong and pull it into place.
“You’re not going to get away with this,” she eventually says in some half hearted attempt at defiance. You’re almost disappointed at her clichéd response. Patterson is loving it though.
“Look at me,” you say as you fasten the cut-offs into place. They are very tight. “I look just like you and I sound just like you.”
“My friends will be able to tell the difference,” she adds. Oh for fucks sake, she’s like some badly written daytime soap.
“You don’t have any friends,” you reply, slipping into her sandals. “You’re a bully and you use people. I know this because I know everything about you, like how you still secretly hate Gloria and only play nice because Chelsea forces you to. Any other secrets you want me to share to prove how much I know. There’s plenty to spare.”
This last bit finally seems to break Kendra’s spirit. She looks down at the floor.
“You know what you have to do,” ask Patterson, looking at you. He’s picked up the mask of you at some point and you can see the goop on the inside. The golem will apparently be under Patterson’s control, which is a bit of a sore point for you.
“I have a good idea,” you say in an amused tone, picking up the back of masks Patterson has put aside for you to pick up the remaining cheerleaders. Kendra turns to watch as you walk out the door. You can’t help but turn around to make one parting comment before you leave. “Enjoy your life Kendra, I know I will.”
A muffled scream comes from behind you as you walk away.
*****
After that, it’s back to your new home to settle in. The first thing you do is call Ian Carpenter to arrange to meet him for coffee in the afternoon. Patterson had been pretty insistent that you sidelined Carpenter tomorrow for some reason. You assume that Patterson has something planed with the Carpenter mask, but don’t want to dwell too much on the details. You arrange to meet Carpenter at a coffee house out by Keyserling College, simply because you’ll be unlikely to run into anyone from Westside or Eastman there. You say something different to him of course.
Then it’s time for a long comfortable shower. Even though you’ve been in Kendra’s body for most of the day, it’s the first moment that you’ve really had it to yourself. You let go of all but the most rudimentary grip of Kendra’s memories, holding on to just enough to guide you as you thoroughly explore her body. The shivering climax you bring yourself to soothes the nagging disappointments from Kendra’s persona over your encounter with Carpenter earlier.
As you sit in Kendra’s bedroom, drying your hair in front of the mirror you notice the bit of paper that Maddy gave you earlier with her number. On a whim, you pick up Kendra’s iPhone and call her.
“Hey Maddy,” you say when she picks up.
“Kendra, is that you,” she replies a little dozily. “What’s with the late night call?”
“I realised I’d totally forgotten about you,” you explain. “Did I wake you up or something?”
“It’s OK,” she says. “Listen, Mandy spotted you and Jon Strassler having an argument at Kristy’s. Jon’s not saying anything, maybe you’d like to fill me in,” she asks, dangling the hook inexpertly.
It’s tempting to give her something. Not the truth, of course, but something that could help you undermine Alyssa in the long term.
“It’d take too long to explain,” you say.
“Well how about we meet up tomorrow and talk about it,” interrupts Maddy quickly.
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