The Switch

Warning: This chapter has some vulgar language.

I groan, turning over in bed. Everything feels so comfortable, so soft- Wait, soft? I sit up immediately and look around. Even in the dark, I can tell this isn't my room. There's a small LED light in the far corner. It's not fancy, but it's nice. Very...dark.

"A symbol of death?"

I switch the light on and look around. There's band posters on the wall, statues of dragons, bats, animal skulls.

"Huh, I wasn't really aware that people collected things like this."

"Neither was I, but where am I?"

"Adrian, honey. Why are you up so late, is everything alright?"

I watch as a woman walks in. She's shorter than my current height with long blonde hair that's tied into a ponytail. She looks...kind.

"Um," I say awkwardly,"No, I'm alright. I just woke up randomly, that's all."

She visibly sighs in relief,"I'm glad. I thought the boys asked you for help with another one of your 'nights'."

She hugs me tightly before looking at my face,"Something seems different about you, are you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah," I stare down at her,"I'm okay..."

She smiles and somehow pats my head,"Alright, well go back to sleep. You have school soon."

She walks out of the room after speaking three words that my mother never told me.

"I love you."

I walk to the small bathroom, that's inside the bedroom, and look in the mirror. I'm not in my body. I'm…

"Adrian? So, that's what the being meant,"He comments.

I make a noise and my voice is deeper. I almost feel..comfortable. As if this body suits me more. I shake my head and walk back to the bed. Even this room feels comfortable. But, what does she mean by the boys? The ones from school? And, why did she use the word nights like that?

"That is a good question, but I suppose we'll find out tomorrow."

I nod and notice a phone on the nightstand. I pick it up and unlock it. I go to the messages first. There's a small group chat literally called "The boys". I don't know the other two's names, but his contact list doesn't help either. One is under "I" and the other is "T". As I look through their list, I understand what the being meant. These guys are in a gang. That's why his mother, I believe that is his mother, called them "nights". They find targets and do who knows what to them.

"No wonder something seemed off…"

"Can I really fit in with these guys?"

"I'll help you, but this may not be easy. And, you'll still see Ivy in school. Just not as you did before."

"...Right. She might not even bother me now."

"You almost sound depressed about that, dear. Take it as a good thing, she doesn't deserve you."

I nod and continue to look through the phone. He doesn't seem to have any form of social media, his contact list is limited to a few people. Even his messages are either short lived conversations or texts from "I" and "T".

"You don't think 'I' is Ivy, do you?"

"No, they would talk in person, if it was. They visit the homeroom every day, it seems and I never noticed them even exchanging glances."

"Do you think...he has a girlfriend?"

"From the messages, no. He doesn't seem like the type to get close to others. He obviously treats his mother well but how is she okay with her son being in a gang?"

I shake my head, thinking. Suddenly, the phone starts ringing. I almost drop it as I try to see who it is. Should I answer? I look at the ID and notice the dad is requesting a video call.

"Should I pretend I'm asleep? How does he even act? His mom caught on, so what do I do?"

Panic starts to take over. This is still new for me, I'm not like him. Because, I'm not him. What if they lash out at me? What if they know?"

"Let me help you."

I nod and it feels as if he takes over with me watching in the background.

"Uh," He acts tired,"Morning."

"Morning," His dad says with a kind smile,"Your mom told me you were up so I thought I'd let you know when I'm coming back."

"His dad is away?"

"When is that?"

He sighs sadly,"I won't be back for a while, sadly. It'll be sooner than later, I promise. Work is just busy and we both know we need the money. Can you tell your brother and sister for me? I want to tell them myself, but I can't bear to see their little sad faces."

"Yeah, I'll tell them. I hope to see you soon."

His dad smiles sadly,"I know it's been rough, but it'll get better soon. I'll be back and we can all feel like a family again, a whole family."

I can feel the sadness in his words. I want to ask him what he does, to know more about the situation. But, I know how weird that would be. It would be weird to ask when the actual "Adrian", their son, already knows.

"I know, I hope work is decent. I'll let you get back to it, I need to sleep, anyway."

The dad smiles sadly,"You're a good kid, Adrian. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. I love you, son."

"I love you, too."

The call ends and I look around the room in a daze.

"That was rough," I speak to him,"Isn't it...weird to converse with these people without knowing them?"

"It is...but he reminds me of my dad."

"...What was he like?"

"He was kind, always trying to make the best of the situation. But, that hag...she was never happy."

"Your mom?"

"No, my step mom. My mother passed before I did."

I stare at the darkened room as thoughts run through my head. I'm unsure of how to feel about the situation. Even if he's been my best friend for years, I still don't know much about him. It makes me wonder why I haven't asked before.

"Do you...remember your name?"

"I'll tell you everything when you're ready to hear it, trust me. Right now...just isn't that time. We have a lot to deal with, and what I remember is...a lot. But, I promise that I'll tell you."

I don't say anything more, but lay in the bed. I look at the time and see that it's 3 am. That's three hours until school. Two hours of sleep.

"Goodnight," I say out loud.

"Goodnight," He replies.

I wake up to an alarm, one that I didn't set. Two hours must have gone by so fast, but I feel more at ease than I did before.

"Adrian, breakfast is ready!"

She sounds serious, but happy. I sit up slowly, taking in my surroundings. The room makes me feel almost at ease, but I feel my anxiety rising. I'll have to see Ivy today, I'll have to be around people that I don't even know. As I stare into the mirror, I really look at myself. My eyes don't look mean. I won't have the same facial expressions as him. What if I'm too obvious?

"It's gonna be okay, I'm here to help. It's gonna be okay."

I nod and ready myself for the day before walking downstairs. I see the mother and younger siblings, along with two empty chairs. One has a plate of pancakes in front, and the other empty.

"Morning, honey. Dad said he called you last night, did he say when he's come back?"

"Yeah, he said soon."

She gives a sad look, but nods.

"How long is soon? He said he'd be back this week," The sister frowns.

The sister looks to be about 7 and the brother maybe 9.

I smile at them,"He said he'll be home soon and that he loves us."

The mother smiles at me and I almost want to cry. I never thought I'd know what a real family is like. One that doesn't belittle you or expect so much when all they do is hurt you…

"Why couldn't this be my life? Yeah, the dad isn't always around, but he seems to really care. And, the mother…"

He doesn't say anything, but I can feel him nod. I notice the other two quickly finish their food as I eat.

"Now, go brush your teeth, you two."

The two laugh as they run upstairs, racing each other. I smile as I finish my food, grabbing their plates and mine.

"Don't trip, you two!"

She sighs as she turns to me,"Crazy kids," She notices the dishes in my hands,"Oh, honey, you don't have to help. Go do your usual routine."

"I want to help," I smile.

"Plus, I don't know his usual routine,'I think to myself.

"No, let me do the dishes. You go and lift your weights. I'll call you once Ivan and Trevor arrive."

"There's our answer on 'I' and 'T'."

"Okay, but next time, I'm helping."

She laughs,"Okay, if you insist."

They seem like a close family, even with the father not always around.

"At least he's at work and not off somewhere else," He sneers.

I nod as I explore the house. There's pictures hanging up on the wall. The kids, Adrian as a kid with two boys his age.

"Do you think this is Ivan and Trevor?" I ask him.

"Maybe? They do look...a little similar."

"That's a long time to stay friends."

"That would explain why they seem close."

I nod and continue to look, smiling at how happy everyone looks. Even the parents look happy, but genuinely.

"Honey, Ivan and Trevor are here!" She calls happily.

I walk out and head to the door.

"Didn't you lift today?"

I pause,"I just wanted to reminisce and look at the pictures."

She smiles, ruffling my hair,"You're a good kid, don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

I smile and head out the door. Ivan and Trevor are grinning as I usually see them doing.

"Get in loser, we're going to school," Ivan laughs.

I laugh, understanding the reference he's making.

Trevor grins at me,"You sleep okay, man? You don't look so good."

I sigh,"It was just hard to sleep is all."

They nod,"I feel you, man. I've been thinking about our new target."

"Who?"

"What do you mean, who? I told you about this the other day.

"I've been forgetting some things, that's all."

"Rough days? You have been talking about that girl a bit."

"The one that skipped school?" I ask to confirm.

"Yeah, I have to say, we were surprised. We thought you were gay there for a bit, you never talk about girls," Trevor laughs.

"What have I said about her exactly?"

"What didn't you say? You were surprised by her nodding her head at you or even talking to you!" Ivan howls with laughter,"I'm surprised myself. She's so tiny, but she had the balls to communicate with someone with our kind of reputation."

"Hmm, I wonder what kind of reputation they have."

"I never noticed them around school, or even heard about them."

"I only listened to what we needed to, really. So, I didn't, either. "

"Well, we're here,"They grin.

We walk in and anxiety strikes me. What even is his homeroom? How does he usually act? Should I just follow them around all day?

"We'll visit Mr. B's homeroom again. I still miss having him as a teacher."

"I know, man. He's cool."

I listen as they talk, my anxiety building up. I don't want to see Ivy, not even as Adrian. We walk in and I see...me. Or, my previous body. She, or Adrian- Man, this situation is so weird! She looks at me and grins. I see Ivy glaring at me and I feel his anger rise.

"Let me handle this one, dear," His tone is dark.

I nod, and it feels as if we're...one? I'm still in control, but so is he. I feel myself grin at her, and she looks away.

"I'm gonna go talk to her,"I tell them quietly.

"Oooh, he's going for it," Ivan laughs.

"He likes one of your students, Mr. B, watch out!"Trevor teases as I walk away.

I shake my head, laughing as I walk over.

"May I sit here?" I ask politely.

"Of course, Adrian," She laughs.

"Did my voice always sound like that? And, I was so...tiny," I think.

"You were, yes. You didn't really eat anything…"

"So, how is everything?" She, I'm calling this since we switched, grins at me.

"I don't know how to feel. How is everything with you?" I respond, feeling unusre.

She looks angry, but almost sympathetic,"Your mother is a bitch."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know this would happen."

She looks at me with a look that I can't identify,"You didn't, but I did."

The conversation doesn't seem to last long, nor do we talk about much. He mentions little things here and there and I mention some. We basically exchange some casual information.

"Hey, man. Quit hitting on your girl, we have to go," They laugh.

She looks at them briefly before smiling,"I wish you luck."

I give her a worried look as I whisper,"Do you see that blond girl back there? Please, be careful. She isn't a good person."

"Hey, don't worry about me. I'm not the one Ivan and Trevor are waiting for."

He smiles at me, but it's not kind. "She" almost seems happy to be away from them.

"Lets gooo, man. You can flirt later."

"Alright, alright," I laugh, sitting up,"See you later."

I give her a grin and we all walk away. Not before I notice Ivy seeming to be seething with rage.

"I really hope that he'll be alright."

"I think he will be. How are you feeling?"

"My anxiety is bad, but I'm not alone...so I'm okay."

"Good, we're going to be okay. This is our new life, we'll find ways to change it, if needed."

I nod as we walk. I want to ask them if we're all in the same homeroom, but the teacher answers my question.

"Ah, boys, welcome."

The teacher smiles dryly, I can tell she isn't fond of us. It still feels weird to consider myself as he now. Knowing I have a better chance at life, I almost feel more at ease, though. As the teacher talks, I feel my phone vibrate. I wait until she's done and then pick my phone out of the pocket.

"Hey, hey, kid. You're both doing so well so far. I'm proud of you, I knew you were strong. I also did a little favor for ya. Here's his schedule for classes. I know you, you were gonna ask one of the staff. But, they're scared of him so they wouldn't have told ya. I hope your day is well. You'll hear from me occasionally. Don't forget about me now."

I read over the schedule a sigh in relief. This is the correct homeroom, and my next class is close to this room. In fact, everything seems so easy. It's strange, as if everything is too easy. As I sigh in relief before I hear people whispering and look around.

"Adrian has a phone?"

"I don't even think he has social media."

"Aren't they a gang? I wouldn't have any form of contact, either. The cops might find me."

"You, yeah. But, his dad is rich. He can do whatever he wants with no repercussions."

"What a brat."

Trevor stands up,"Hey, you wanna say that to his face, you little shits?"

Ivan grins, his feet resting on the desk next to him,"Yeah, why don't you face him yourself and stop being little pussies?"

I go with their personalities and give the other group a look. They cower and turn around, mumbling.

"N-no, sorry. We misspoke."

Trevor sits back down and I notice the teacher looking at us. But, she doesn't say anything. She just ignores the issue.

Trevor sighs,"What a bunch of brats. I wish they'd shut up. They don't understand our side of things."

Ivan sighs,"If they went through anything we did, they'd be the same. If not worse."

I look over at them before looking back at my phone, really wondering what was happening with my old "vessel".

"It's okay, we're okay. We can change this reality and if what they said is true, Adrian will be okay. Ivy isn't a match for these guys, maybe she'll get what she deserves," He soothes.

I nod and study the next class schedule, knowing it's going to be a long day.