The sun shines through the blinds, casting lines of light over the floor and the bed. I sit up, blinking the sleep out of my eyes, and get up out of the bed, very slowly; my back aches from the way I slept. My body goes through the motions of gathering up clothing, and I hesitate for a moment, looking down at the small pile in my hands. No bra. After adding one to the pile I get in the shower, examining my new body thoroughly, though I'm still tired.
It's not perfect... but it's mine, I think, smiling proudly.
"Hurry up, other people need it too, you know," a very familiar voice says. Zoe. I perk up, looking around; a dark shape stands on the other side of the curtains, obscured by the design and the steam. When I open the curtain, though, there's nothing there and the door is still locked. Finishing my shower quickly, I get dressed, and frown when I look in the mirror. Same old boring jeans from when I was a boy. I should wear a skirt... should I?
Back to my room. I pull a long, simple green skirt out of the drawer, replacing my pants and obscuring my unshaven legs. It feels so much different. Free. It's 7:45 already; homeroom starts in fifteen minutes. I slip some socks and sneakers on and grab my backpack, only pausing on the way out to ask the woman-who-isn't-my-mother about Zoe.
"Who the hell is that?" she asks, taking a drink of her coffee. "One of your friends? I hope she didn't stay over and expect to use our shower." Her
Her response makes me want to cry, but I suppress it, pushing thoughts of Mikey and Zoe to the back of my mind. I hurry outside to unfamiliar surroundings. All of the houses are run-down like mine, without a tended or fenced yard in sight. As if on cue, a yellow bus drives up and the door opens. Riding the bus... where do I live now? I can't walk to school?
The bus is nearly full, but not a single person gives me anything more than a cursory glance, not a single smile or break in conversation. I walk past familiar faces to the only empty seat, near the back of the bus. Tim Brant scoots over so I can sit, but other than brief eye contact, there's no sign he even knows me. Not surprising... we played video games, and I wouldn't know about them if I didn't have my Jon memories, I think, but it still stings.
I have to keep myself from making a reference to one of the many inside jokes we'd built up over countless hours of gaming. He wouldn't get it anymore. A brief sigh accompanies a sad smile as I remember all the good times... that never happened. "Are you alright?" His voice brings me back to reality, and I realize I've been staring at him. He stares right back, concern showing plainly on his face. "You look really familiar. What's your name?"
"Um..." I blush. "I'm fine." He smiles and his eyes glint through his glasses; incoming sarcasm.
"Nice to meet you, Fine," he says, his smile growing wider when I giggle. "I'm Tim." I accept his outstretched hand, and he shakes it lightly. The bus comes to a stop in front of the school, and everyone filters out one by one in a similar manner to reluctant men in orange jumpsuits.
"It's good to meet you too," I mumble, getting up and hurrying off the bus. "See you around." As I walk through the front doors, I realize he talked to me. He doesn't talk to girls. Not pretty ones. He gets tongue-tied. I guess I'm not pretty, I think, sighing.
"What's got you so down?" A familiar voice asks me, and I look up into a pair of bright green eyes. Karyn smiles down at me; her red hair is long and well-kept, and she's dressed in what are probably the latest fashions. Her smile doesn't reach her eyes, but my heart still skips a beat when I see her. "Long time no see"”" a loud noise, like a rush of water and air, interrupts her and I see myself standing there. "--Karyn. Well? Come on, keep acting like a zombie and your boobs are--" another rush, running away from me this time. "--gonna fall off." She grins at me, but her eyes are devoid of emotion. "Cheer up. I've got something for you," she says, taking my hand and pulling me through the halls. I notice a small crowd slowly forming behind us, following us, but I can't bring myself to care. Karyn's here.
