Chapter 1.

David woke up groggy from a nap, blinking against the late afternoon sun that spilled through the blinds.

Something felt... off.

He rubbed his eyes, stretched---and immediately froze.

His arms were too slender. His pajamas were not his. In fact, he wasn’t in pajamas at all---he was in a pink cotton top with white lace trim. Wide-leg pink pants covered his legs, and a long brown ponytail tickled the side of his neck.

“No,” he muttered, stumbling out of bed. “No, no, no…”

He ran to the mirror. Allison stared back. Her body. Her hair. Her clothes.

“Allison!”

But of course, she wasn’t anywhere near. She never was when she did this.

This wasn’t the first time. Allison had a habit---no, a problem---with body-hopping. Not just with David. Half her friend group had been borrowed at one point or another. Janelle, Morgan, even that quiet girl from her art class. She rarely asked. She always had some excuse.

And now, she'd taken David’s body again---while he was asleep.

Throwing on the white canvas shoes, David---now in Allison’s body---stormed out of the house, pink pants swishing with every furious step.

He checked Janelle’s house first. Nothing.

Morgan’s? Just a rolled eye and a muttered, “She better not come near me again.”

Finally, a tip from Allison’s friend Chloe led him to Kyle’s place.

David marched up the driveway, didn’t even knock, and flung the front door open.

There they were.

His body---lounging on the couch beside Kyle, her---his---legs curled under her. She was in full-on snuggle mode, laughing at something Kyle had just said as the TV glowed in front of them.

“Allison!” David barked.

Allison turned David’s head toward the door and blinked, clearly unbothered. “Oh. Hey. You’re up.”

“You think?” he snapped, stomping into the living room. “You took my body---again! While I was asleep!”

She raised a finger. “Technically, you were asleep. And you can sleep in any body. So I didn’t think it’d be a big deal.”

“You didn’t think,” he growled. “You never think! Do you even realize how many people are done with you pulling this stunt?”

Allison frowned. “I just wanted to get a male perspective on something, and Kyle’s been super helpful.”

Kyle looked deeply uncomfortable.

David scowled, folding her---his---arms. “Get out of my body. Now.”

With a dramatic sigh, Allison stood and dug around in a tote bag on the floor, pulling out a neatly folded bundle. “Fine. Here's your stuff.”

They switched back in the hallway with the usual shimmering disorientation.

David groaned the moment he was back in his body---because, of course, he was now wearing Allison’s pink outfit. He looked down at the lacy hem of the top and the flowing pants and just muttered, “Fantastic.”

Allison, back in her own body and looking freshly amused, gave him a little wave as he stalked out the door.

“Next time,” David muttered under his breath, “I'm locking this body down like Fort Knox.”

A dog barked as he walked home in his sister’s clothes, the canvas shoes squeaking on the pavement.

And from a passing car, someone definitely took a picture.

Chapter 2.

David woke to the feeling that something was off.

He blinked against the sunlight filtering through his bedroom window, stretched his arms, and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. For a moment, it felt like any other lazy morning---until his fingers brushed against his hair.

It was shorter.

And not just shorter---styled. Layered, bouncy, and… wavy?

He scrambled out of bed and stumbled into the bathroom. One look in the mirror made his stomach drop.

“Allison,” he hissed.

His shaggy brown hair was gone. In its place was a layered bob haircut with soft waves that framed his face. His jaw tightened as he turned his head, inspecting the surprisingly professional cut. He didn't even want to imagine how long she'd sat in a salon chair for this.

And then he saw them.

Pierced. His ears were pierced.

Small silver studs gleamed in both lobes.

That was it.

Still in his pajamas, David stormed downstairs. He found their mother sipping tea at the kitchen island, flipping through a magazine like it was the calmest day in the world.

“Mom,” he said, voice low and shaking, “Allison did it again.”