Chapter #48Out of Your Rags and Into Riches by: rugal b.   It's quarter 'til ten and you decide it's best to head out though before leaving you make sure to grab your backpack for the line you may need to feed your parents when you get back. So naturally on the way out your parents, who are still in the living room, stop you to ask where you're going. It takes a bit of convincing before they finally accept that you have to run to Caleb's to pick up some notes for Walberg's class and you make sure to flash them your backpack -- to make sure they're already in there and you don't forget them before school tomorrow you say -- to emphasize it.
By the time you're out you're now running about five minutes behind schedule and you worry that you're going to be late and piss off your new co-conspirators. However when you get there you're met just outside the main building by Cindy who smiles and guides you in and down the hall. When you get to the unit that's not being used for video production Cindy urges you in but doesn't go in herself.
Thinking nothing of it you walk past her. You're barely three steps into the unit when everything suddenly goes dark.
* * * * *
You groan as you feel yourself regaining consciousness. The world is still dark however as your head is spinning and so your eyes are still tightly shut. You lay there for a moment until you feel like you're starting to get your wits about and with a grunt push yourself up and finally open your eyes.
It's the same largely spartan storage room that you were ushered into. A workout bench and some weights in one corner, a full length mirror in another, and some boxes piled up in a third. And standing near you... you yelp and push yourself back a bit in surprise.
"What the hell are you?" you ask in confusion.
"You, numbskull," the other person says. "Wait, no, I mean boss." He rolls his eyes at that however.
Not just his eyes though... your eyes. Because this other person... well, there's no mistaking it. He's you. Well he's you minus your clothes but then that just makes it easier to confirm that he's you because you're looking at a body that you're all too familiar with; that you've seen every day for seventeen years. Right this is one of those, what did they call it again? Betas? A weird sort of magical robot-but-not-really duplicate that follows your orders. So does that mean...
"Hey," you finally speak up, "if I'm your boss then don't talk to me like that."
His eyes widen but then just as quickly a look of contrition seems to wash over him. "Right, yeah, sorry," he mutters.
Curiously you eye him though in a way you don't want to and not just because he's completely naked. Seeing yourself and knowing that's not you is a bit unnerving you have to admit. But whatever misgivings you might have you make sure to swallow them. "So," you begin to ask, "if you're one of those beta things then you have to do what I say right?"
Your duplicate, in turn, eyes you before speaking. "More or less," he says.
"So if I wanted you to punch yourself in the balls you'd have to do it?"
"Are you telling me to?"
For a moment you contemplate it but then shake the idea off. "Nuh uh, nothing like that. It was just a hypothetical question," you insist. "But I do want you to put some fucking clothes on. I'm tired of looking at your... my... our junk."
"Well you're wearin' 'em," your double insists. "I'm supposed to fill you in on what's going on and then get out of here."
That gives you pause. "Did the others tell you that?" you ask. "Do you have to listen to them too?"
"Yeah they did and no I don't," he answers. "But if I'm you I know you're going to want to know what's what. Besides," he adds, "we were just supposed to be going over to Caleb's to pick up some notes right? Figure it's best to be timely about getting back."
You can't help but laugh a little at that. You guess even a beta isn't going to want to get yelled at by its parents. Your double said he needed your clothes though so you quickly divest yourself of them and hand them over.
"Thanks," he says as he begins pulling on the underwear. "Your stuff's over there."
He points over to the pile of boxes and you do see some stuff resting on top though from where you are you can't really make any of it now. But you'd guess it's the girl's mask and clothes. Which would mean... "Hey," you start, "so you're this Kristy girl underneath that mask of me right?"
"I guess so," he replies flippantly as he pulls up the jeans you'd been wearing. "Not like I'm really aware of who's underneath me though."
"So you can't tell me anything about her?" you ask. "I only know that she goes to Eastman."
"Then you know as much as I do," he shrugs. "Guess you'll have to put on the mask if you want to know what her deal is."
You walk over to the pile of boxes and can make out the clothes more clearly and the shoes, which you'd somehow missed, sitting in front of the boxes. On top of the pile of clothes is a mask. You pick it up and look at it finding it hard to believe that this thing is supposed to turn you into this Kristy girl from Eastman. If you hadn't been talking with the inverse of that then you definitely wouldn't believe it. As you continue to look at the mask you flip it over and a name, CHRISTINE ANNE CARLSON, is etched into it.
"You're going to want to lay down or something," your double suddenly interjects. You look to find him throwing on the shirt you'd been wearing. "The others said it knocks you out for a little bit so you don't want to, like, fall and hit your head on the ground or something."
You don't say anything, only nod, and instead make your way over to the weight bench where you take a seat. You look at the mask once more as you try to psyche yourself up for this is no small thing. No, when you put this you'll be a whole new person; a girl you don't know who goes to completely different school. Taking a breath you lay down on the bench. Taking another breath you pull the mask to your face.
* * * * *
You are very chilly when you wake up. Very chilly... and very naked. Why are you naked? It's the middle of the week so it's not like you were at some kind of wild party. And besides even if the parties may get wild, you certainly don't. After all you don't drink so it's not like you're in danger of losing your inhibitions. Oh you've tried it before but you took one sip of beer and wondered how anyone can enjoy something so disgusting. And another time you tried something harder and you thought you were going to choke.
Diana and Amy and Susie had laughed. Only Kerri was on your side.
No you absolutely hate the taste of alcohol so no getting drunk for you. So why, then? And where? This looks like a small storage unit but how... well, first you need to get dressed, that's what's important. Because your boobs and your... instinctively you cover your crotch even though there's nobody around and the fact you did it despite being all alone makes you feel embarrassed. And then you feel embarrassed at feeling embarrassed even though nobody's around.
But you look over on the other side of the room and spot your shoes, white sneakers, in front of some boxes. You rush over and are relieved to see your clothes so you get to work throwing them on. The bra and panties are first, of course, and then the dark tights and the short jean shorts you pull over them. Next is a simple dark gray shirt that you tuck into your shorts and a varsity jacket to complete the look. Not that you're on any sports teams, it's just for fashion although it is in the school's green and white.
There's a mirror nearby so you take a look at it to confirm that everything is in place and relief washes over you when you see that, yes, Kristy Carlson stares back at you in the same clothes she last remembers wearing.
That she was wearing when she met Maria at Top S(h)elf Storage. Yes, Kristy Carlson does indeed stare back at you and this time it's you thinking that not her because for a few minutes there you couldn't really tell the difference. So who is Kristy beyond a girl that goes to Eastman?
Well what you see is a girl dressed in a way that, while still acknowledging the nippy autumn temperatures that have set in, is not yet ready to give herself over solely to bulky winter clothes. Her hair is long and straight and strawberry blonde and while she's not the prettiest girl you've seen she's still plenty nice to look at and has an equally smile you find when you flash it. Though not fat or even chubby she's still a girl with a little more meat, baby fat really, than you'd ever see on, say, Cindy Vredenburg.
Overall Kristy looks like a fairly normal, pleasant and unpretentious girl. The kind of girl who's got friends, gets out to parties and events but who might not otherwise stand out. And yet as Kristy's mind lingers around your own, you can tell that she absolutely does stand out because pleasant and unpretentious as she may be it masks what everyone at Eastman knows but would otherwise be unapparent at a glance.
Kristy Carlson is filthy rich.  You have the following choice: 1. Continue |
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