"Don't say that," replied Jon. "You know whenever someone says 'it could only be worse if so-and-so happens', it always happens."
"That's silly," replied Jon. It's not as if we can change the past by saying that. I mean, yeah, we can with the stone, but not by making jokes... besides, I think the date is tomorrow."
"What?"
"Look, there!" Jonnie pointed to a calendar on the wall. It was marked. Date with Joseph. The next day.
"Who goes on the date?"
"Both of us, I think," replied Jonnie. "I don't think it's a big deal."
"It is a big deal. He's a guy!"
"Except for that."
"It just makes me feel weird. I guess this is like you except worse. I'm a guy in a girl's body. I mean I don't mind being in a girl's body, but I'm still a guy! I don't want to do things like wear dresses and date guys. I'm a lesbian. Not even a lesbian, a guy who looks like a lesbian. You turn me on, guys don't."
"If it makes you feel better, Jon, I could wish that you're okay with guys as long as it's him, like I am as long as it's you."
"You have the same problem going out with him as I have, Jonnie. Maybe we should both do it."
Of course, it never happened. The date, which was mostly just going to see a movie, went on a little strangely. Joseph tried to kiss Jon and Jon couldn't keep herself from recoiling a bit.
"Is something the matter?" asked Joseph.
"No, it's just... well, both me and Jonnie being here."
"But you told me you have the same mind and it's never been a problem before! Wait a minute..." Joseph tried to kiss Jonnie, who was sitting on the other side, and did... but she flinched too. "You still do have the same mind! You both have the same problem... look, what is it? Just tell me, all right?"
"It's nothing!" insisted Jon. She leaned into Joseph and tried to pretend Joseph was a girl. Jonnie took the cue and followed suit on the other side.
"That's better," said Joseph, grinning. A few seconds later, he stood up from his seat and said "I'm going to get us some popcorn. If you two want to make out, I'd like to see you finally do it, for once."
Jonnie prepared to do just that until Joseph said "You teases. I bet you expect me to believe you were going to do it." Jon and Jonnie figured out, at almost the same moment, that they had better stop. Because changing Jon into a girl had changed a whole bunch of relationships. If Jon was a girl all her life, she wouldn't have the mind of a male teenager, but a straight teenage girl. If this female Jon did make a clone, there's no way she and the clone would be any way sexually or romantically involved unless she wished for an opposite sex clone too, which she didn't. If Jon was a girl all her life, she'd not only have a boyfriend, but she'd treat him like, well, a boyfriend.
As soon as Joseph left Jon reached into her pocket and pulled out the stone. "Now what do we do?" she asked.
