Consequences - Part 9 of 9 (Finale)

"So that's the hairstyle you went with?" I said, greeting Lea in the school hallway.

"Yep," she said. "Thanks again for giving me the go-ahead on changing it."

"Happy to," I said. "I mean, it's probably not going to be my hair again anyway."

"Speaking of that..." Lea said, her voice lowering. "Could we talk after school today? In private?"

"It's about that time, isn't it?" I said, matching her volume. "Sure thing. My house?"

"Sure," Lea said. She started inching in the same direction she was walking before we spotted each other. "I've gotta get to class," she said. "But I'll see you at lunch!"

"See you then!" I said, holding my arm up in a 'goodbye' gesture. And when we next meet after that, I thought, I guess we decide our fate. To put it dramatically.

Consequences - Part 8 of 9

As we walked out of the swap clinic together, I gazed over at the girl by my side. The girl whose body I once knew as "me", and as Kirsten Falk before that. The girl whose mind I once knew as Jack, my boyfriend. The girl who I knew might stay with me as my girlfriend. Or might not. We'd have to wait and see.

"So... how does it feel?" I asked her.

"So far?" she said. "Amazing." She was silent for a moment. "How about you?"

I looked down at my hands. Not the exact same color or shape as any I'd had before, but unmistakably attached to a male body. "It feels pretty good," I said, smiling.

"I hope it stays that way," she said. "I just want that body to go to a better home."

"Don't you worry," I said. "I'll take good care of it."

"As long as it takes good care of you," she said.

Consequences - Part 7 of 9

"How are you two doing tonight?" asked the waitress. "Enjoying our rooftop terrace?"

"Yeah," Jack said. "The weather's nice this evening."

"It is," the waitress said. "Are both of you ready to order, or should I give you a few more minutes?"

Jack looked at me, and I gave him a slight nod. "I think we're ready," he said.

"Excellent," the waitress said. She turned to me. "Ladies first?"

I paused awkwardly for a moment. "Right. Sure." I peered at my menu, reminding myself of my choice.

Consequences - Part 6 of 9

"This was great," Jack said as we stood together on the sidewalk in front of his house.

"Yeah," I said. "As always."

Instead of saying goodbye and parting ways with me, Jack just stood there for a moment. Then he chuckled a bit and shook his head. "I don't want to leave," he said. "I don't want to leave you so soon."

This was a busy time of the school year for both Jack and me. Final essays, exams, and projects from a lot of our classes were bearing down on us. Even though there was no school today, we had both figured we could only take enough time off from studying for a short date. We got some ice cream and strolled around in the early June sun for a bit, but apparently, it had all just left Jack wanting more. And honestly, I felt the same.

Consequences - Part 5 of 9

For three months, I did as I planned: trying to act a little flirty toward Jack without being too blatant, and paying close attention to him in search of attempts to flirt back - or evidence that he was pursuing someone else. I got nothing out of him, though. As far as I could tell, his romantic life was the same as it had been for years: nonexistent. During that time, I did get asked out by someone else from our school, but I rejected him - not least because he kept calling me Kirsten, but also because my feelings for Jack weren't going anywhere.

One Thursday evening in January, I decided that I had waited long enough. I was tired of pining for Jack without doing anything about it, especially since I had plenty going for me: already being his long-time friend, not competing for his affections with anyone else (that I knew of), and, well, having the body of a beautiful girl (in most people's eyes, at least). Plus, the longer I waited, the more opportunity I gave the rest of the world to give me some competition. I resolved to ask Jack out after school the next day.

Consequences - Part 4 of 9

GAME!

Greninja wins!

"In your faces," I said, satisfied with myself. It had been a few days since I swapped with Kirsten, and I was hanging out with a few of my friends after school.

"I never thought Kirsten Falk would beat me in Smash," Jack said.

"I know, right?" said Ben. "I got personally Smashed by her twice!"

"I was this close to Smashing her," said Oliver, "but then Jack beat me to it."

"I'm not deaf to your little insinu-endos," I said in mock disgust. "You all can suck my dick."

"What dick?" Oliver said.

"I know. Realized as soon as I said it," I said. I paused for a moment. "But you guys know I'm not really Kirsten, right?"

Consequences - Kirsten's Night Out

(This is a side story from Kirsten's perspective, taking place before Part 3.)

---

I stood atop the front steps of Kayla's house, my car parked nearby. I took out my phone, opened the camera app, and switched it to selfie mode. Will Martin's face looked back at me from the screen. Unsightly, but probably the best I could've done for tonight. I snapped a picture and sent it to Kayla, accompanied by the message "Guess who?"

 

Soon after, the front door opened to reveal Kayla. "Eww. Who are you wearing?" she said, twisting her face into an exaggerated expression of disgust.

I giggled, pretty sure that was a joke. "Sorry about the body," I said. "I needed to swap with someone who didn't have anything better to do tonight than be a decoy."

"Don't worry about it," Kayla said, stepping back to let me inside. "It's not like any randos are going to see us with Will Martin."