As they walked out of class, Jade sighed and put his shoulder on Jonatha. "Ugh...these feelings...these snickers... I'm still putting the pieces together, like a good sci-fi mystery, but...but... This is so weird..."
"I know what you mean..." Jonatha said... "Every time I speak, I think for a moment that can't be me. And things feel different. I mean...do you think this is what Nicole felt before this?"
"Well... By this world's standards... You're a beautiful boy," Jonatha added as they walked toward Jade's locker. Luckily, the combination was the same.
He opened the locker and stepped back, managing to stifle a scream. Inside, he found a cheerleader uniform, sparkly in pink and blue, hanging immaculately from the top. There were books everywhere and a few photos on the door, but all Jade could see was a sign of what his life revolved around now.
Jade stepped back. "I'm....a cheerleader," he exclaimed. Jonatha looked in his own locker, and breathed a sigh of resignation when he found a similar uniform. He also saw a picture of him and Jade in matching uniforms and, further in the back, another of him and Karyn.
"Well, I'm glad we're in this together," he added.
Jade looked at him. "Me too....but, it's strange. We weren't exactly friends before."
Jonatha looked back. "But we weren't exactly cheerleaders or math ditzes before. This is a big wish, Jade. Big wishes mean big changes. And they may not be done yet."
"How much worse can it get?" Jade said.
“I’m not sure...but…” He looked down at himself. “I’m afraid it could.”
Elsewhere in the building, the person responsible had a moment alone with her thoughts. Nicole headed into the bathroom...entering the correct one without thinking. That was the one with the image of someone with pants.
The bathroom seemed otherwise normal. Stalls, sinks… She stood in front of the mirror, looking at herself in it. Nicole was taller than she was used to being, with short-cropped hair that was as plain as her clothes. She appreciated not having a heavy weight on her chest, yet this was still alien to her. Even so, it... felt normal and was easy to imagine it might have always been this way.
The quiet soon ended when Sam, that girl from health class, walked in. “Hey Nic, ready for the game tonight?” she casually asked.
Nicole, lost a bit in her feelings still, faked a response. “Yeah, I guess.”
“See you out on the court, then.” It finally kind of clicked. Sam Gomez was on the basketball team and she was too, evidently. However, she couldn’t get very far in thinking that, as just as Sam was turning to leave, in walked Sarah McMillan — or, more accurately, she stomped in. She angrily glared at Nicole.
“What did you do to me?” she sneered. “You turned me into a nobody. I missed earlier, but I’m not missing now!”, she growled in the lowest voice she’d ever heard.
Sam looked over. “What’s your problem, loser?”
“Get out of my way, bitch!”
“Sarrah!” Sam yelled back, making Nicole realize her name was pronounced differently now. The basketball player used her athleticism to effectively protect her friend.
“It’s Sarah, and you know it! It doesn’t rhyme with car-uh, you stupid...”
“You know what else doesn’t rhyme with Sarrah? Bitch, that’s what! Now get lost.” Sam pushed Sarrah to the door and out. “Who does she think she is going after you!? She’s just some girl!” Sam smiled victoriously to her friend.
“She thinks I stole something from her. As if I’d want anything of hers,” Nicole said, covering.
Out in the hallway, Sarrah looked frustrated. She looked around and spotted Jade and Jonatha coming down the hall, heading toward the cafeteria. She recognized at least Jonatha as the boy who had been with Nicole.
She tried to approach them, but she got a strange feeling looking at them, so she just looked away and headed down to grab a bite to eat.
(Thanks The Guest for co-writing this with me!)
