Your girlfriend’s sudden change of thought catches you unaware. You were there when she took off Katie – she was utterly disgusted by the idea. But she wants to use them now? And for good?
The idea captivates you for multiple reasons. First, it means you’ll be able to wear someone else’s skin again – and even though you have your reserves, those moments as Tina make it alluring. Second, your girlfriend’s also doing it; she’s opening to the idea, and even though she’s attempting to justify it, she’s still going through it. And third? Claire and Katie aren’t involved, so you don’t have to worry about them. (Maybe about other things, but no identity thefts.)
You chuckle and nod. “I thought you were too disgusted by it.”
“It won’t be for long...! Just enough to do something good and then we’re out.”
“So it comes with a time limit, but not a fixed one?” Jessica’s angry pout tells you everything; the joke didn’t even attempt to land. “Alright, alright – not gonna pressure you about it. What’s the plan, though?”
“It’s a kid studying at the same class the girls and I do.” Your girlfriend must be referring to one of two classes – either Constitution of the United States or Nutrition – and the “girls” are her best friends since before you two got together: Brittany Thompson (Jessica’s best friend since elementary), Kelly Miller (a cheerleader from the senior group) and Tonya Walters (a party-hard Black girl studying several AP classes, and the smartest of the group). “He’s got his eyes on one of the cheerleaders.”
You already deduce the plan – what else would you use the pen for? - but don’t understand why she’s so attached to it. “So odd to see you interested in someone else’s relationship.”
“Oh, they’re nothing!” She giggles, grinning. “Yet.”
“So you want to get them together. And the guy’s probably out of that cheerleader’s league.”
“More like she doesn’t want to because of appearances. Kelly told me she’s interested in him – to be honest, he’s kinda cute.”
“Cuter than me?” you say in jest.
“C’mon...!” She slaps you playfully.
“Who is it, then?”
“You probably don’t know him. His name’s Mike Reyes.” She stretches her neck, pointing at a slim tan guy in a hoodie with an undercut, his eyes dancing nervously. “That’s him.”
“Yeah - he doesn’t have a chance. He looks like a lost puppy. He can’t be a sophomore, can’t he?”
“He’s a junior, even if he looks like he’s fifteen. Wouldn’t be in my Constitution class otherwise.”
“Oh...” That would make him an AP student, which alongside his look pegs him as a nerd. (A Latino nerd at that, which is odd.)
“Anyways - Kelly tells me Lindsey from the cheer squad likes him, but she doesn’t wanna do anything unless he makes the move.” That would be Lindsey Young, a hot blonde cheerleader in her junior year, probably the one to snatch Sonya Xie’s position as captain next year.
And of course, the cream of the crop. “Yeah, that’s not gonna happen.”
“Unless Mikey makes the first move.”
“And I suppose that Mike won’t make the next move because he’s shy.” The way he reflexively shudders when Jackson Myers, star quarterback of the varsity football team, makes a long pass to Jacob Rowynczky, when the ball wasn’t even a foot close, tells you that.
“Exactly. But... If someone bolder,” she says as she runs her fingers through your chest, “were to help him, maybe he’d be bold enough to propose to Lindsey and spark that fire.”
You need to hear no more – you know exactly what Jessica’s proposing. “You want me to pass off as Mike.”
“Yes! It’ll be just for tonight, though. Then, Mikey has to deal with being the new boyfriend of a hot cheerleader for himself.”
You stare at her, incredulous. “What if it doesn’t happen?”
“I can only push him,” she says with a shrug. “Can’t hold him every step of the way.”
“Babe...” You hold her hand, trying to reason. “If it fails, that guy’s gonna be mocked the rest of his life.”
“But if he doesn’t make a move, he’ll lament it the rest of his life. Dave, school’s just a phase. It’s not gonna be forever...”
Will it be forever with us? you think to yourself.
“The same can be with them.”
“It’ll be a happy memory,” she counters. Then, kissing you on the neck, she cuddles closer. “It could be more than a happy memory. And even if he fails, knowing he could be close would probably embolden him. It’d be a win-win situation!” she exclaims as she sits on your leg.
“Or it could traumatize him.”
“That’s why I trust you with it – you won’t do something stupid on account of not being yourself. All you need to do is put him on, try to get near Lindsey and confess!”
“And if she rejects him? He won’t know.”
“Oh, he will.” You freeze, because that sounds like a huge red flag. “That’s why I asked you for the pen today. Lindsey’s gonna be at Mackenzie’s party tonight – everyone's gonna see it.”
“Jess...?” You feel the need to warn her, because that sounds just like the crazy thing Claire would do. “How are you gonna prove it to him? They’re gonna--”
“I know Mikey can't handle even beer, so I’ll convince him to drink something. Then, I’ll zap him, and you do the change.”
“And if I end up tipsy?”
She bugs out, flinching. “That might be an issue. B-but I’m sure we’ll be able to handle it! In any case, if something happens, we can just use that beer as an excuse – including any odd acting from your part. Just don’t fuck it – I'm trusting you because you’ve done this before.”
“There’s a big catch,” you tell her. “You probably know which.”
“I don’t need you to act as if you were him. Just act as a guy and use your words to convince Lindsey. If she rejects him, maybe call her out. Make him act cool – and then, we recover him, and I’ll work it out from there.”
“So you don’t have a full plan.”
“I got the most important part done,” she counters confidently. “And Kelly’s into it as well, so we’ll be there to console him.”
“Even me?”
“Yes, Davey. Even you.”
You’re not enthusiastic to the idea of supporting a guy on his blues, but you’re not enthusiastic to the idea your girlfriend does something even more drastic in exchange. Plus, if you agree, the pens are back in play, since she’ll owe you one. Still, you need to point the remaining issues in her plan. “There’s two things I see, though.”
“Dave, are you gonna insist? If you don’t, then--!”
“I’m not saying that! I’ll do it! It’s just... First, I don’t know much about him. I mean – does he speak good English?”
“Dave, he was born and raised here. His parents speak Spanish but he doesn’t. He tells us he’s a... what’s the word he uses? Ah – a ‘no sabo’ kid. He knows a little, but he mixes it a lot with English.”
“Still - it’ll be hard for me if I don’t know anything. And also – Jimmy told me he’s planning to crash Mackenzie’s party.”
“He won’t see you. You won’t be there, technically speaking.”
“I meant he’s gonna crash the party. Like – pull off a nasty prank.”
Jessica grunts, rolling her eyes. “Typical. I don’t know what’s with Jimmy and his pranks.” She looks at you, scowling. “I don’t even know why you’re still friends with that moron.”
“I know him since elementary, Jess! You know he’s inoffensive! Just--”
“I know, I know – you don’t get along with Britt either, even if she’s more mature than him.” That’s the first time you’ve heard Jessica talk that way about Jimmy – though they barely talk, and he’s done a couple pranks on her too. (You’re still sore about the one where he took your phone and passed off as you, while Drew Collins – a friend of Jimmy but not yours, especially the way he always looks at Jessica – started doing girl noises.) “What’s he planning to do?”
“I don’t know, but he plans to thrash Mackenzie’s party. Knowing him, though, it’s gonna be noisy, and he won’t appear until that thing happens.”
“Can’t you ask him to stop?”
“Trish tried, but couldn’t. She’s not going with his idea, for one.”
“That’s...” Jessica chuckles, but she can’t hide the confusion on her tone. “Interesting. Then again – she's not that much of a prankster, isn’t she?”
“Mackenzie would be in line with her,” you claim. “Though she’s more reflexive than anything – maybe Mackenzie hasn’t wronged her enough?”
“She doesn’t need a reason to be mature,” she responds, coldly but reasonably. “Neither does Jimmy, but he still wants to be a kid.”
“Jess...”
She sighs, leaning her forehead on your chest. “I know. They’re your friends. I’m sorry if that sounded mean.”
“It’s alright,” you answer with a tender kiss, bringing her closer. “They can be a bit wild, but they’re good people.”
“True.” She moves aside, patting your leg. “So. You’re up for it?”
“Yeah, but I don’t wanna be too late. I need to be here by 10 – gotta finish the layout for next week’s issue of the newspaper.”
“I won’t hold you for long, then.” You hand her the pen, and she stores it inside her bra. “You’ll be back by dinner, even.” She pecks your lips and winks. “See you in a while, Dave.”
“See you in a while, Babe.” You send her away, where she meets with Brittney and pats her, leading her away with conversation. You remain nearby, since you’ll expect her message at any moment, calling home to claim you’ll be with Jessica.
An hour and a half later, you get it. A text.
[Meet me @ the bleachers.]
It’s an odd request – a very suspicious one, in fact – but you follow through. You’re in on the plan; can’t back out now.
Under them, at a rather obscure place, you see Jessica squatting, holding Mike’s hoodie – and himself, already deflated.
“Alright,” she says, rather serious. “Here’s the plan.”
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