Clothes switch

The muffled sound of his alarm seeped into Terry's dreams, pulling him back to reality. Groaning, he reached over to silence the incessant beeping. His eyes flickered open to see the clock flashing 7:45 AM.

"Great, I'm late," he mumbled, throwing off his blanket.

He stumbled towards his closet, his long dark blond hair a tangled mess. Without thinking, he grabbed the first clothes his hands touched—a pair of jeans and a blue hoodie—and hastily put them on. The hoodie felt a bit snug, but he dismissed it; there was no time to be picky.

Skipping breakfast, Terry dashed downstairs. His mom, Clair, looked up from her coffee, eyebrows raised.

"In a hurry?" she asked.

"Missed my alarm," he replied, slipping on his sneakers.

"Don't forget your—"

"Got it!" he interrupted, grabbing his backpack and rushing out the door.

The brisk morning air hit his face as he sprinted towards the bus stop. He made it just in time, hopping onto the bus as the doors closed behind him. As he walked down the aisle, he noticed a few students giving him odd looks. He shrugged it off and found an empty seat near the back.

Plugging in his headphones, he tried to relax, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Glancing down, he realized the hoodie he wore had a small emblem—a heart-shaped patch on the sleeve.

"Wait a second," he thought. "This isn't mine."

He pieced it together: in his rush, he must have grabbed one of Sophie's hoodies. His twin sister was known for her collection of blue hoodies, and apparently, he'd snagged one.

"Fantastic," he sighed, contemplating whether anyone would notice.

The bus arrived at school, and Terry blended into the crowd of students. As he walked through the halls, more people than usual smiled or waved at him. A group of girls giggled as he passed by.

"Hey, Sophie! Love your hair today!" someone called out.

Terry froze. Did they just call him Sophie?

Before he could react, a firm hand grabbed his arm. He turned to see Emma, one of Sophie's closest friends.

"There you are! We've been looking all over for you," Emma said, beaming.

"Uh, Emma, I think there's a—"

"No time to chat! Coach is waiting," she interrupted, dragging him along.

"Coach?"

Emma led him toward the gymnasium. Panic bubbled up inside Terry as he realized he was being taken to the girls' locker room.

"Wait, Emma, hold on!" he protested.

She stopped and gave him a puzzled look. "What's up with you today? Come on, we're already late!"

Before he could explain, she pulled him through the doorway. Terry found himself surrounded by rows of lockers and the chatter of girls preparing for cheer practice.

His mind raced. How am I going to get out of this one?