Chapter XXXVIII

When he slowly opened his eyes, the sun was shining through his blinds, illuminating his bedroom in a soft light. The sound of his ceiling fan spinning above him was calming and for a moment, he just wanted to lay in bed, enjoying the breeze on his body. After all, what better things did he have to be doing? It was still summer vacation and his parents were probably at work so he had no reason to leave his room. Yet, when his stomach grumbled in anticipation of breakfast, he grimaced.

Well, I guess food is one reason to get out of bed, he reluctantly admitted.

Gathering his energy, Jay Brooks reluctantly pushed himself to a sitting position and tried to rub the sleepiness from his eyes. He groaned, then swung his legs onto the ground and got to his feet. He opened his blinds to let more light in and briefly peeked out at the street below his apartment building. He didn’t see anybody which wasn’t that surprising given that the forecast said it would be in triple digits by the afternoon.

Yup. I’m staying inside today, that’s for sure.

On his way from his room, he turned his fan up to its highest setting then headed out into the hall. Unsurprisingly, he was correct in assuming his parents had already left for work. Not that he was bothered by that. He far preferred having the house to himself so it was all fine.

Hearing his stomach grumble again, Jay walked to the pantry and pulled out his favorite cereal—a fairly bland wheat based cereal that Alice always made fun of him for liking. She said it was boring but, since the really sugary brands always made him feel sick in the morning, he had grown to appreciate it. He grabbed the milk from the fridge on his way past then got a bowl from the pantry. Once he had his breakfast prepared, he plopped himself down at the kitchen table and began to eat.

Can’t go wrong with cereal first thing in the morning, he thought with satisfaction.

He glanced briefly through the sliding glass door and out at the balcony, noticing that a blue bird had landed on the railing. Jay watched it for a second as it hopped around before jumping off and taking flight. He always enjoyed watching the birds whenever they landed on the balcony and had set some crumbs out for them a few times until his dad told him to stop feeding them. He said something about not feeding wild animals but Jay always saw the birds getting fed out at the park so he didn’t see the problem. Of course, he didn’t tell his dad that. He knew not to talk back to him.

He swallowed his last bite and was about to pour himself another bowl when he suddenly heard a knock at the door. He looked up in surprise, having not been expecting any visitors. Part of him wanted to just ignore it but, when the person called out to him, he immediately knew that wasn’t an option.

“Oi, Jay? You awake yet, you lazy bastard?”

He sighed at the unnecessary addition of “lazy bastard” but couldn’t help smiling.

“Yeah, I’m awake!” he called back. “Give me a sec!”

He set the box of cereal back down on the table and got to his feet. For a second, he considered changing out of his tank top and pajama shorts he had slept in but, considering who was at the door, he’d probably be judged more for making her wait than for what he was wearing. The boy smirked and walked toward his front door.

“Took you long enough. I’m lucky I didn’t go gray waiting for you to answer the door.”

Before he could even offer her a good morning, she made one of her usual snarky comments then stalked past him like she owned the place. He cocked an eyebrow, shut the door, and turned around to see her already taking a seat at the dining table.

“Honestly, Audrey,” he muttered. “You could stand to complain a little less, you know? I came as fast as I could! And it’s not like you called ahead!”

Grinning as if she didn’t have a care in the world, Audrey Moore glanced back at him and shrugged. “I figured you’d appreciate the surprise,” she said. “Who doesn’t like a surprise visit from one of their bestest friends?”

He snorted. “Well you’re lucky I’m even awake. What was your plan if I’d still been sleeping?”

“Bang on the door until you woke up,” she responded, showing no sign of guilt at the suggestion and seeming as if she wasn’t joking. “I can be loud if I wanna be.”

He rolled his eyes and went to sit back down to continue his breakfast when she smiled an unusually sweet smile and batted her eyes a bit.

“Jay? Could you get me a bowl please?” she asked in a painfully fake sweet tone. “I want some cereal, too.”

“Didn’t you eat breakfast at your own house?” he grumbled.

“No. I wasn’t hungry when I left, but I am hungry now so…” She grinned deviously, knowing he wasn’t going to say no.

And of course, he wasn’t. Jay begrudgingly walked back to the cabinets and grabbed another bowl before walking back and placing it in front of his friend.

“Thanks!” she chirped, then grabbed the box of cereal and poured herself some.

He watched her for a second, always amused by how outgoing and confident she was around her friends considering how much she hated interacting with everyone else. To anybody who didn’t personally know her, she was just a shy and quiet girl. To Jay, she was a cinnamon roll of insanity and the contrast never ceased to amaze him.

As he watched her cheerfully eating her cereal, he noticed that her typically shoulder-length brown hair was tied up in a ponytail, which was unusual for the girl. Normally she just wore it down so he couldn’t help but be curious.

“What’s with the hairstyle?” he asked.

She glanced up at him and shook her head. “What kind of question is that? Come on, Jay! When a girl changes her hair, you’re supposed to compliment it, not question it!”

He smirked. “Yeah, well, consider answering my question as the price of breakfast.”

Audrey sighed. “Well, it’s just hot today so I figured I’d wear it up. Makes my neck feel cooler.”

“Okay…” he muttered. “And are you planning on going outside today or something?”

He felt a sudden sense of fear that he shouldn’t have asked that question when she started smiling like some sort of comic book villain.

“Well, Jay, I actually am,” she replied. “And you are, too?”

He narrowed his eyes. “Am I now?”

“Yup! Rina texted me this morning and said she wanted to meet at the hideout to show us something so I came to get you,” Audrey explained.

Jay scowled. “And what’s so important that she’d drag us out into the woods on such a hot day?! Why can’t it wait until it cools off next week?!”

“I dunno,” Audrey replied. “But I’m not gonna question Rina so here I am! And I’m not taking no for an answer, so you’re coming with me whether you like it or not!”

The boy sighed. He really didn’t want to leave the house but, knowing Audrey as well as he did, he knew there was no way to escape it. The girl would stay there pestering him all day anyway so, he figured he might as well bite the bullet and do what she wanted.

“Fine,” he grumbled. “Then let me finish breakfast and get dressed.”

She grinned smugly as the two went back to eating their cereal. Once he was finished, Audrey offered to put the dishes away while he went to put his clothes on. He opted to wear a light t-shirt and some swim shorts then headed to the bathroom so he could put as much sunscreen on as he needed to avoid getting burnt. When he finished, he headed back out into the front room to see Audrey laying on the couch.

“I’m ready,” he said, always amused by how casually she made herself at home in his home.

“Awesome!” she said, bouncing to her feet. “Then let’s get going. Alice already texted me and said they’re on their way to the hideout.”

“Great. Alright then, let’s go.”

Jay swiped the spare set of keys from the counter and the two headed toward the front door. Once they were out, he locked the door behind them before turning and walking down the hallway. They rode the elevator down to the lobby and passed through to the building’s front entrance. The minute they went outside, Jay regretted agreeing to go with her.

“Oh, it’s so damn hot,” he uttered. “And it’s only ten in the morning.”

Audrey laughed. “Ah, lighten up. It’s not that bad!”

“And it’s only gonna get hotter from here.”

She ignored him. “Come on! Let’s go!”

Audrey grabbed his arm and began leading him down the sidewalk in the direction of the forest. The streets were mostly empty still with the exception of the rare group of high schoolers that were heading in the direction of the pier. Each time anybody passed, Jay noticed Audrey draw closer to him and lower her head, clearly not wanting to draw any attention. She really wasn’t one who enjoyed interaction with others and it was a trait Jay found endearing. He knew that her shyness sometimes made her come across as harsh or bitchy so she had accidentally pissed off enough of their classmates. That, in turn, only made her more uncomfortable with others. It was a vicious cycle and Jay was glad that he and the girls could be there for her.

And maybe she can get a fresh start in high school, he thought cheerfully. Maybe then she can break out of her shell.

There were only three weeks of summer left until eighth grade started. Then, before they knew it, they’d be high schoolers. All four of them planned to attend West Wilham High and so Jay knew they’d all be together at least until graduation. By that time, he wanted to help Audrey show her confidence to others. She was an amazing friend to him and he wished their classmates could understand that.

“You know,” Audrey began, “I’m excited for next week’s trip to the pier.”

He grinned. She was referencing their annual end-of-summer pier trip where Alice’s parents took all four of them down to the Wilham Pier for the day.

“Yeah, same,” he replied. “Even though I live so close to it, I only ever go with you guys so I’m definitely excited.”

Audrey smiled slyly. “Maybe this year, you and Rina won’t be so scared of the ferris wheel.”

“Oh shut up,” he grumbled. “Look, I just don’t like heights, is all. But I’ll definitely go this year…as long as we’re on the outer carriages. I am not going on those hellish inner ones that move!”

“What?! But those are the fun ones! You gotta go on those!” she protested.

“Absolutely not!” he stated firmly. “They’re a death trap disguised as a ride. I’m not getting myself killed on a ferris wheel!”

“You’re being dramatic!”

“I know that.”

Audrey rolled her eyes and laughed, shaking her head in exasperation. “Oh Jay. What am I going to do with you?”

As they walked, they began talking about the pier and of their favorite things to do there. They passed through the nearby neighborhoods until they came to the path that led into the woods. Jay could already feel himself sweating intensely and he hoped that whatever Rina wanted to show them wouldn’t take too long. They only followed the forest path a little ways before breaking off and heading into the trees. They’d made this walk so many times that Jay knew where to go even without a path to lead them. After a while, their destination came into view—a little, rundown house that looked more like a shack than anything.

He and Alice had stumbled upon it back in fifth grade and, after figuring out that they could get inside via one of the windows, had been using it as their group’s hideout ever since. Rina wasn’t a big fan of it since she thought it was haunted but Jay thought it was strangely cozy despite its appearance. However, naturally, there was no working air conditioner so it would be unbearably hot inside.

He and Audrey stepped up the front porch and the girl knocked once in the middle, twice in the top right corner, then three times in the middle again. It was their secret code they only used because they thought it was cool to have one. After a moment, they heard the sound of footsteps and then the door opened to reveal Rina’s familiar features.

“There you guys are!” she greeted cheerfully. “Come on! Get in here!”

Jay and Audrey stepped into the entry hall with Rina leading them back to the main room.

“I like your hair, Audrey,” the girl said. “We match today!”

She indicated her own black hair, tied up in a similar ponytail to Audrey’s, though that was the normal way Rina wore hers.

“It’s too hot today to wear it down so I figured I’d take a page outta your book,” she replied. “And I gotta say, it’s quite comfortable. Maybe I’ll do this more often.”

Rina nodded. “You definitely should.”

“She should do what?”

As they walked into the main room, Jay noticed Alice sitting against the wall, holding one of those battery-powered handheld fans up to her face. She was looking at them with her head cocked in curiosity.

“Keep her hair tied up like that,” Rina answered.

Alice glanced back at Audrey and, seemingly realizing she had her hair up, smiled in agreement.

“Oh, yeah! It’s really cute like that,” she said enthusiastically. “And hey, maybe changing your hair up a bit is exactly what you need to get a boyfriend.”

Audrey scowled, putting her hands on her hips as she regarded Alice. “I’ve said before, I don’t date. Why would I ever want a boyfriend?”

“Cause it’s fun,” Rina pointed out. “Not like I’ve ever had one though but it looks fun, at least!”

Jay couldn’t help but smirk as he watched the girls bicker. Although, he realized his mistake too late. He should have known better than to draw unwanted attention to himself.

“What’s so funny, Jay?” Rina inquired. “Got something to add?”

With all three girls now looking at him, the boy immediately felt the desire to back down. However, given his knack for being stubborn, he decided to just dig his heels in.

“Actually, I do,” he replied. “I think it’s amusing that you think dating has any real purpose in middle school. Sure, maybe she could boyfriend-hunt in high school but for now, it’s not worth it.”

“It’s not about the relationship,” Rina protested. “It’s just about the fun of dating!”

Audrey smirked. “If it’s only for fun then it’s not worth it. I have plenty of fun with you three. That’s good enough for me.”

“Exactly,” Jay agreed.

He and Audrey fist bumped and grinned in victory at Rina, who merely sighed and shrugged.

“Well, whatever. Be that way,” she huffed.

“Anyway, before I burst into flames from this awful heat, could you tell me why I’ve been dragged out here,” Jay asked. “This better be important because I was prepped and ready for a nice day of lounging around in my air-conditioned house.”

“Oh, stop whining,” Rina snapped. “It’s not that hot.”

Jay cocked an eyebrow. “Are you serious? It’s almost eighty-five degrees and it’s hardly eleven o’clock!”

“Jay, catch!”

At Alice’s sudden words, he barely turned in time to see another handheld fan flying his way. He frantically reached out to grab it but wasn’t fast enough to get a good grip on it. Luckily, before it could hit the ground, Audrey snatched it and handed it to him.

“That’ll cool you down,” Alice said with a grin.

“T-thanks,” he stuttered. “But I could use a better heads up next time. I almost dropped the damn thing.”

“Can’t call it dropping if you never held it to begin with,” Rina chimed in.

Jay scowled. “Yeah, whatever. So why are we here?”

At the question, all eyes turned expectantly to Rina. He had known that Audrey didn’t have any idea what was up but, based on her curious expression, it seemed like Alice didn’t either. Rina looked around at all of them, smiled, then turned to head into the back room.

“I’ll be right back,” she said excitedly, before disappearing into the hall.

“Well, I’m definitely intrigued,” Audrey mused. “Rina looks pretty pumped for whatever this is.”

Alice nodded. “I know. I’m really curious now, too.”

Jay took a seat beside Alice against the wall and activated his fan, feeling some relief from the heat due to the relatively meager breeze. Moments later, Rina returned with a little brown box.

“Here we go!” she said, taking a seat across from Alice and Jay.

Seeming to take that as an indication to sit down, Audrey followed suit, plopping herself down beside Rina.

“So these just came in today,” Rina began, clearly anxious to show them whatever was in the box. “And I know I probably should have just waited but I really didn’t want to, so here we are!”

“Yes, it’s a very beautiful box. Definitely worth the trek out here to see,” Audrey said wryly.

Rina glanced irritably at her. “It’s not the box I wanted to show you, idiot!”

The other girl grinned, as if having both expected such a response while wanting to press her friend’s buttons a bit, though it was clear Rina found it partially amusing. Audrey’s joke seemed to help her gather her thoughts before she continued.

“Anyway, I used my allowance to have these made, like, four months ago, so I’m happy they finally came in,” she said. “So, here they are.”

Taking another deep breath, Rina popped open the lid and revealed what lay beneath. Jay was taken by surprise as, it seemed, Audrey and Alice were. Laying nestled within were four silver necklaces with a quarter of a circle at the end of them. Each piece had one of their names inscribed and it was clear that they were all intended to connect together to form a whole medallion.

“Ooh, they’re really pretty, Rina,” Alice said, awed.

Rina grinned. “I know, right? I know it’s kinda cheesy or whatever but I thought it could be fun if we each had a piece. That way it could only be whole when we’re all together.” She paused then and glanced hesitantly at Jay. “Though, I know jewelry isn’t really all that manly so I won’t be offended if you never wear yours, Jay.”

The boy smiled, keeping his stare firmly directed at the piece with his name on it. “Well I’m not that manly either so there’s nothing to worry about, Rina. I think it’s cool.”

“Can I touch it?” Audrey asked, looking excited to hold hers.

Rina nodded. “Of course! Go ahead!”

All three of them reached forward and grabbed their designated necklace. Jay held his up by the chain so that the piece hung right before his eyes. There was a little pattern around the edge that resembled vines intertwined with each other. Below that was his name, “Jay”, written in a curly and girlish font that he was certain Rina had picked herself.

Yeah, jewelry isn’t really my thing, but I’m still gonna wear this. I like the thought of us all having one.

“Thank you, Rina,” Jay said finally. “This is really cool.”

Alice and Audrey both echoed his sentiment and Jay noticed Rina’s cheeks turn a soft shade of red.

“Well, shall we put them together then?” Audrey suggested excitedly.

They all nodded, holding their pieces out into the center of their circle so they could form the whole medallion. Naturally, they fit together perfectly, and Jay smiled at the sight of all of their names together.

Alice.

Rina.

Audrey.

Jay.

They’d been friends since they were tiny and he never wanted that to change. The three of them meant the world to him and he would do anything for them. Now, Rina had given them a symbol of their friendship and he would treasure that for the rest of his life.

***

After departing their hideout, the four of them headed back to Alice’s house to hang out. Since Alice was the only one with a close relationship with her parents, it was her house that they spent most of their time at. When they arrived, Alice’s mother gave them popsicles to cool down with and they spent the day playing card games in her basement. Nothing special happened that day. In fact, it wasn’t that different from any of the other days they spent just hanging out. But, for some reason, Jay knew it was a day he’d remember forever. Just a calm, casual day playing games with his best friends.

Once it started getting dark out, Jay, Rina, and Audrey bid Alice goodbye and began heading home. Rina lived in the opposite direction of Jay and Audrey so she split off first, leaving them to walk home alone in the same way they’d arrived.

“Man, I don’t want to go back,” Jay complained. “God, I wish days like this could just last forever.”

Audrey smirked. “You’re telling me, buddy. I’m sure my dad will be nice and drunk when I get back.”

She said it like it was a joke but Jay knew she wasn’t lying. The truth of the matter was that her father probably was drunk, as he often was when he got home from work. He knew Audrey couldn't stand her dad but, since her mother had passed when she was really young, he was the only family she had left. Even so, she spent most of her time anywhere but home and, when Jay’s parents were at work, she would often come by his place to hang out.

“If my dad wasn’t already home, I’d invite you over,” he said softly.

She shrugged. “I appreciate it but I know I’ll have an easier time with Dad the sooner I’m back. Really though. I’m glad you’re always there for me, Jay. You’re a good friend.”

He smiled, thankful to know that he could be a shoulder for her to lean on. Audrey stretched her arms into the air and looked up at the sky. The sun was already below the horizon so there was a fair number of stars already visible.

“Man, what I wouldn’t give to go up there some day,” she mused. “Travel the stars and go to another world far away from here. Oh, but I’d have you guys come, of course.”

Jay chuckled. “Well, I’d totally be down and I’m sure Rina would be, too. Not sure about Alice, though. I think she’s too happy with life here.”

“Yeah, I’m sure she is,” Audrey said. She sighed, dropping her arms back down to her side, though her eyes stayed fixated on the sky. “Do you think there’s anything else out there? Like…something more interesting than boring ol’ daily life.”

Jay shrugged. “Maybe. I guess I can’t say for certain that there isn’t.”

“Well, I hope there is,” she stated firmly. “I think it would be a lot less boring that way.”

For a moment, he just stared at her as she gazed up at the stars. There was a soft twinkle in her eyes and he could tell that she truly wished she could go somewhere exotic and fun. If he could take her there, he would. But unfortunately, he was just a normal person. There was nothing extraordinary about him and so, he could only be by her side there on Earth.

“Hey, Audrey?” he asked.

“Yeah?”

For a moment, he hesitated. “I’m sure there’s a lot of cool places out there, but…don’t give up on Earth just yet. It’s not great, but it’s not bad either.”

Audrey chuckled and turned to him with a wry grin. She then opened her mouth to respond…

…and everything disappeared.

What the hell?!

All of a sudden, he was within a realm of white, one that seemed oddly familiar to him yet terribly foreign. He tried to look around, desperate to figure out what was happening and where Audrey had gone. But, after a second of panic, dread set over him as he realized how stupid his thoughts were.

Oh, right. Why would I be looking for her? She died three years ago…

Then, as suddenly as he was plunged into that world, everything returned. However, much to his surprise, he wasn’t standing out in the streets of Wilham late at night on a summer evening. Instead, he was in a room and he could hear a beeping sound somewhere nearby. His vision was blurry and his memory was fuzzy, throwing him off for a moment.

Where am I? What’s happening? I don’t understand!

Yet, the moment his vision cleared and he saw what lay before him, his eyes went wide in horror. He was staring at himself, laying atop a hospital bed with machines hooked up to him to keep him alive. His limbs were wrapped in casts and he looked as if he was on the brink of death. That was when it all returned to him.

He remembered Audrey’s death, the collapse of their group, his high school years with Alice, their meeting Lilly and the Magic Club, followed by the bullying incident with Rina and Vinny’s solution to it. Which also meant that he remembered why he was in the hospital.

I jumped from the balcony. I committed suicide so…why am I here? Am I dead? I should be, but…no…why am I looking down at myself?

Just as he asked himself the question, he recalled the formless world of white and immediately remembered the last time he’d experienced that.

The…stone?!

He turned his head and there, clutched in a hand that was smaller than his own, was Eric Reiner’s magic stone.

If somebody used this then…that means I’ve swapped bodies with somebody! But who?

He frantically turned to look down and it was only then that he noticed the different sensations he was experiencing. He immediately realized that he was in a girl’s body based on both the obvious physical differences and the female uniform he was wearing. His first thought was that he was currently Alice but, upon noticing the strands of shoulder-length hair in his peripheral vision, he knew that it was too short to be hers. That left only one option.

Lilly…

“Jay?”

At the sound of the voice, he jumped, having not realized he wasn’t alone in the room. He recognized the voice and could tell how scared and hurt her tone was. He didn’t want to turn around. He knew what was going on and desperately didn’t want to accept it but he knew he had to.

His suicide had failed.

Lilly had swapped bodies with him.

And behind him…

He slowly turned around, his heart pounding in his chest, to find Alice standing there, staring at him with tears in her eyes.

“That is you, right Jay?” she whispered.

He clenched his teeth.

Damn it, Lilly! What the hell did you do?!