It had only been four hours since the two women had been in the same room as each other and eight hours since the Incident as Lonna called it but it was easy for anyone paying attention that things had changed a great deal with them. The easiest way of seeing it was that Lonna waited until Lauren had answered her knock at the room door and allowed her to enter. This had been Lonnas’ sanctuary her little kingdom but that was no longer the case. This kingdom now had a new ruler who was head of the house Rodriguez.
Lonna made her way to one of the desks in the classroom instead of going to sit at her old seat, where she had sat for years, and Lauren now sat. Lauren for her part did not attempt to give up this ground to her former teacher. “I got your note about wanting to see me,” Lonna said starting the uneasy conversation between them. “Yes, apparently your aunt is paying a visit tonight and Mary sorry Mrs. Elliot has arranged an Uber for me, not you to get home as she can’t provide a lift tonight,” Lauren said explaining the reason as to why this meeting could not wait until after school. “Have you found anything out about the stone that we think caused this?” Lonna asked. “A little,” Lauren said in reply. “Having access to this school Wi-Fi must have been handy. I couldn’t find out much using your phone.” Lonna said.
“The only thing I could find were legends about some kind of stone that could do this but most of the sites with information were blocked on the phone.” Lonna went on to say. “It's called The Switching Stone from what I could find.” Lauren told her “For some reason it switches lives. Attributes, all sorts of things between the two people that are nearest to it at the time it activates .” She continued. “What, why?” Lonna asked. “The only I can think of is that it is trying to teach the people involved some kind of lesson for some reason,” Lauren answered.
“I wasn’t able to find out anything about how to find out where the stone vanished to after it did this,” Lauren said standing up for the first time since Lonna had entered the room and gestured down to the outfit she was wearing. Lonna looked over at her longingly. What she wouldn’t give to be dressed once again in the outfit that Lauren was currently wearing. “Did you find out anything about why no one has noticed anything has changed? I mean we look nothing like each other but everyone is treating us as if these lives have always been ours?” Lonna asked. “Not a thing,” Lauren replied.
“There must be something we can do to fix this. I don’t want to be stuck like this.” Lonna said looking towards Lauren as if she held the answer. Just as she was about to reply the bell for the end of the last lessons of the day sounded. “I guess school is out for the day.” Was Lauren's reply to Lonnas’question. “I can’t go home like this not if my Aunt is coming over,” Lonna informed Lauren. “Oh, somehow I don’t think you need to worry about her visit, Ms Tran,” Lauren said to her almost smiling. “What do you mean?” Lonna asked. “Well have a look at this,” Lauren told her holding a piece of paper for her to read. “What is this?” Lonna asked taking the sheet of paper. “It appears that for tonight at least you are going back to my home and I am going to yours,” Lauren replied. “Won’t your Mom notice the change? I mean I would if my daughter had changed so much. If I had one” Lonna said in reply “I don’t think so look at the paper its from the school records” Lauren told her. “What do you mean?” Lonna asked as she read the paper she now held and a moment later saw what Lauren was talking about.
It was a printout of the front page of what had been up until that morning had been Laurens’ entry in the database. Lonna recognized it once she took a closer look at it.
Name: Lonna Tran Age: 35 Address: 669 New Street Greenville Next Of Kin: Amanda Rodriguez (Mother) “What that can’t be right.” Lonna said shaking her head at what she had just read. “I had a look a mine earlier. It appears that I now live in what I take as your condo. That and I have been working here for around five years as a teacher.” Lauren told her “That’s not right. I started working here five years ago right after I graduated as a teacher.” Lonna said to her still somewhat in shock. “All I can think of is that it is stone that we were talking about. It seems to have exchanged a great deal of details in regards to our lives.” Lauren told her dejected former teacher in a more soothing tone this time.
Lonna realized that she was now living as a part of the Rodriguez family at their house and not as part of her own family at her condo that she had spent so many years getting just right. That now seemed to belong to Lauren as did everything else she had spent years building into her life. Was there anything else that could go wrong today?
