My Freaky Senior Prom

"I don't need this right now, Theo. Just—"

"Yeah, same to you," I spat. I held the phone out and hit the end call button.

Oh my God! I slammed the phone into the mattress and squeezed my fists, my fingernails dug into my palms. I snapped back to feeling like I had the first morning. My body feels wrong. Everything with this bullshit is wrong. I fought the urge to both cry in despair and scream my frustration. Closing my eyes, I took three deep breaths and slowly let them out.

I dunno how I'm gonna do this.

An odd thought popped into my head and I jumped out of bed and headed downstairs.Her mom was at the kitchen table with a book when I came down. I'd hoped I wouldn't run into anyone.

"You alright sweetie? Sounds like quite the argument you were having with someone."

I scowled and pulled the freezer open. I grabbed the half gallon of rocky road, then a spoon.

"Can we not talk about it, please? I'm not in the mood."

"Of course. But I'm always here if you need to, okay?"

I forced a smile, ice cream already melting on my lips. "Thanks, mom."

I felt a little better after dowsing my frustrations in chocolate and marshmallow ripple. After the stupidly long process of simply getting ready to sleep, I settled into bed. The odd dissonance of envisioning my own face and voice as the target of my anger... I fell asleep with confusing, disjointed thoughts.

* * *

A poor night's sleep didn't help my mood. I got out of bed and sneered at my own reflection. After all the talk about being positive and being there for each other... that didn't last long. I felt the twinges of fear start to pull at me, what if she outs me just to do it? Idiot... we switched bodies, she'd be in as much shit as I would. I quickly flipped my script the other direction. If she's gonna be horrible, I might as well have some fun.

I dug into her closet, grinning deviously as I found what I was looking for. A short black skirt and a pair of black, strappy high heels. Slipping on the shoes, I hoped that walking in the ridiculous shoes was going to be one of those things I could just do. I clomped across her bedroom, somehow balanced, and three inches taller. Good. The skirt fit perfectly and made my ass look amazing. A skintight halter top completed the outfit. I wonder if she's ever worn this stuff, definitely not to school... well, until today.

I put on more makeup that I did yesterday, going rather dramatic on the eyes and an even brighter shade of red on my lips. With a hand on my hip, I stared at myself in the mirror. Not enough for them to send me home from school, but right on the edge. I waited and watched both parents leave before going downstairs to grab something to eat.

Zoey's mouth drooped open when she saw me. I gave her a death glare and said simply, not a word. She took it to heart apparently, and was largely silent on the car ride.

The reaction as I walked into school was both predictable and entertaining. Guys gawked at me openly, and the girls were pretty evenly split between mildly scandalized eyebrow raises and proud 'you go, girl!' nods. The only response I really cared about came just after I opened my locker.

Lily stormed over, shoulders forward and looking furious.

"Are you shitting me right now?" She said quietly, but not hiding her venom.

"I'm just working on making you more approachable," I flippantly offered.

Lily glanced down at the ample cleavage in the slit in my halter top, then at my shoes.

"Alright." She forced a fake smile. "You know what? If this is how it's gonna be... you go for it. This is gonna be fun." Without another word, she turned and left.

"I will!" I called after her. This may not have been a good choice.

My suspicion was confirmed several times that day. After the next class, the teacher who I knew had a soft spot for Lily called me up and asked if everything was alright. She didn't come right out with 'Why are you dressing like you're headed for a nightclub?', but close.

At lunch, basketball Shawn cornered me again. He was rather unabashedly eye groping me while trying to string words together. He actually managed to get 'prom' out, but I pretended like I didn't understand him and rather curtly just turned and left.

Lily was conspicuously missing from calculus class, and I hadn't seen her at lunch either. My turn to overreact came as she strolled into sixth period. My mouth hung open as I looked at my hair. She'd apparently gotten it cut and styled. That wouldn't have been so bad, if not for the bright blue dye on the tips of my now gel-spiked hairdo.

She made a point of glancing over her shoulder at me as she sat down. I was only mildly seething when I noticed the other change, a bright silver ring hanging from my left earlobe. I shot daggers at her and pursed my lips. I wanted to grab my phone and start what would have been a glared text, but I relented.

Hair will grow out, a hole in my ear can grow closed. She's just getting back at me. Don't give her the satisfaction. I refused to allow myself to admit that both her changes looked good. My parents are going to freak the F out... My brain worked furiously on what my response should be, rather than differential equations.

I'm sure I spent the remainder of the afternoon with a case of resting bitch face. Not like it's gonna tip anyone off, I thought with a blend of satisfaction and bitterness.

We didn't speak again, but had apparently wordlessly agreed to stay as far away from each other as possible. We'd been here before but it had been a while. In the last two classes of the day, we sat in opposite corners. I'd already gotten over the novelty of boys staring at me. Just after the final bell rang, it nearly killed me to watch Hailey go up to her and fawn over 'my yummy new look'.

We had cross country practice after school that day. I rushed to the locker rooms to be the first to change and get out to the track. Although part of me would have very much liked to have seen a few more of my female classmates au naturel, it felt skeevy to do it under these circumstances. I made sure to get in and out in a hurry so I didn't have the temptation. I did some quick stretches and warmups, noting the distinct difference in my anatomy when doing actual exercise.

I watched Lily come out of the guys' side shortly after, probably following my same line of thinking. I glared at her from a distance, but she was doing a good job of not looking at me.

Our coach came out a while later and gave us a quick rundown of our regional meet, now less than a week away. We'd all time qualified for our respective events, so she said today was just a shake out. Keep the muscles in shape, practice good form, but take it easy. She blew a lazy whistle and we started off down the path.

I'd barely gone a quarter mile when I was very over having breasts. The previously fun jiggling and pleasant extra weight was an absolute drag while running. I had to consciously keep my torso steady to keep them in line. Lily passed me a bit later, deliberately giving a wide berth around me and not making eye contact. I stared at my butt in the tight running shorts, rather appreciating the time I took in the gym.

After a mile or so, the familiar endorphins kicked in and my mood improved markedly. I began to think about the future, and how we were going to need to get over our spat. Especially if the situation drew out. A couple of miles passed and I was finally used to running in a different body, the stride, the breathing, I was firing on all cylinders.

A few minutes later, I heard the coach's horn blast signaling to finish up. I pushed ahead, wanting to finish strong. As I rounded the corner to the last straightaway, I saw her up ahead. Her long legs were moving way slower than the pair I currently had, and she appeared to be taking it easy. A grin spread across my face and I shifted gears. My breathing began to labor and I could feel my muscles beginning to protest. Almost there, I thought, just a little faster.

Ten yards, five... I blew by her and dashed out the opening of the trail, the unofficial finish line. I really wanted to look over my shoulder and see the look on her face, but didn't. I slowed and finally walked, knowing she was probably staring holes in my back. I centered my breathing and trotted with the group of others back toward the school. I was still dripping sweat when we got to the outside doors of the gym.

Leaning my back against the side of the building, I soaked up the cool from the exposed concrete. I looked up and saw her storming towards me.

"What the hell was that, Lily?" she annunciated my name, as there were others in earshot. "You trying to blow out your quads days before our meet?"

"My quads are just fine." I grinned into her livid face and lowered my voice. "Just felt like they hadn't been pushed in a while."

"They get pushed just fine."

She stood right in front of me, still panting. Our faces were only inches apart and I could smell her sweat. She sneered and leaned on one arm against the wall, getting even closer.

"Dammit Theo, I know you're just doing this to piss me off."

"Everything okay, Miss Whitlock?" Our coach called, sensing something going down.

Lily took a step back and glared at me. "That's you..." she whispered.

"Oh yeah, coach, all good. Just talking strategy for the meet next week."

"That's great," she said suspiciously, giving us a long glance as she walked inside.

"I didn't over-stress your sexy legs," I whispered, "I promise."

Lily's expression softened. "Fine," she sighed. "I guess I got a little caught up in a race I didn't know I was in."

I slid down the wall and sat on the ground, she did the same next to me.

"Why are we like this?" she asked, leaning her head back. "Thirteen years we've been at it."

"Cosmic destiny," I said, smiling. I turned to look at her and thought about all the times we'd been going after the same prize, pushing each other. "You know, I probably wouldn't have my grades if I hadn't been competing with you all this time."

She chuckled and pulled her knees up. "God, I'd never thought of that. You're probably right... we needed each other."

We sat in silence for a minute, still catching our breath.

"I'm sorry about last night," she finally said. "Maybe I am a teeny bit unapproachable. I could probably learn a little bit from my friend the attention whore."

I chuckled. "And I could probably be more selective with my social circle." I trailed off. "I can't believe you did this," I said, gesturing to her head.

She grinned sheepishly. "It's just a clip on." She reach up and undid the earring and handed it to me. "And the dye is temporary, it'll wash out. Not sorry for the haircut though, you needed it."

I took the earring and clipped it back to her ear. "I actually kinda liked it. I wonder what mom and dad would say..."

"You want me to leave it in?"

"Hey, it's your life right now..."

"Be nice. Besides, I think they'd be fine with it. Unlike my dad, if he happened to see that outfit you put me in today..."

"Yeah," I chuckled, "but ohmigod Lil', it made you look so hot."

"Thanks," she smiled. "So can we call a truce here? This is day four. I'm starting to think this could be a thing," she said darkly.

I nodded. "Back to the original plan? Live the other person's life as best we can, do all the things?"

"Yeah. Which reminds me, the formalwear shop called, your tux is ready. I mean, my tux. Should I... ask someone? Or were you planning to go stag?"

"Crap, I dunno... Hailey's off at a college visit, but she'd probably jump my bones and get all clingy anyway. Any other ideas? Friends without dates?"

She furrowed her eyebrows. "Hmm... I'll have to think about it. Did Shawn ask you again?"

"Twice," I nodded. "I think my outfit today may have given him a mild stroke though."

Lily giggled. "Well, shit. His mom and mine work together and have been trying to get us to go to prom together for months. I could never come up with a good excuse not to. I mean, he is kinda cute. Would you..."

"No way," I shook my head emphatically. "No way in hell. I'll take one for the team and wear your clothes, but I'm not doing that. He gets handsy."

"Yeah, you're right..." she said pensively. We sat in silence for a moment. "Theo, you know the obvious solution is staring us in the face."

"What?" I asked with a shrug.

A smile pulled up the corners of her mouth. "We go together."

My jaw drooped open and I felt my whole body sag. "I..."

"Listen, its a win-win. Neither of us have to find dates, or worry about any prom night expectations. We'll just go and dance, have a good time, and leave."

"But Lily... it's us. Us going on a date would be like tearing a rip in the fabric of the universe or something. People's heads would literally explode."

She grinned wider. "Might be fun to watch."

I laughed out loud at the sheer absurdity of the idea, but the equally brilliant benefits. "You know what? Sure. Let's go to prom. Do I get a romantic proposal or a sign or something?"

"Is that what you want?"

"Maybe I do."

She stood and extended a hand to help me up. I straightened my shoulders and clasped my hands together while she knelt down on one knee.

"Lily Whitlock, would you do me the great honor of accompanying me to prom?"

Even though my brain knew this was a ridiculous charade, I got some distinct flutters in my stomach. I looked down at her, at me, and wrestled with some interesting emotions that were starting to pick up steam.

"I would love to," I said cordially. I reached out a hand and she kissed it. The spot felt even hotter than the rest of my skin.

She smiled warmly and stood up. I glanced out to the field, a couple of stragglers from practice pointing at us with predictably shocked expressions.

"Well, that didn't take long," I said. "I can't believe we're actually doing this."

"I uh... am gonna go home to shower," she said, wiping the sweat from her forehead.

"Locker rooms..." I said quietly, leaving it at that.

She nodded. "Walk you to the parking lot?" We cut around the outside of the school toward our cars.

"Running with boobs is a giant pain, by the way."

Lily gave me a confused look. With a shifty glance, she gently pulled at the neck of my tank top and stared down at the lacy white bra I made sure didn't show under my running shirt. A giggle caught in her throat.

"Sweetie, they're called sports bras. Wide straps, right next to the other ones, top drawer."

"Oh... I thought those were swimsuit tops or something."

She laughed and shook her head. "God, you're adorably clueless."

"I've been doing this for like three whole days! Being a girl is a pain in the ass."

"Tell me about it..."

We parted ways in the parking lot. I drove home with the windows down, now having proof that girls can in fact smell bad. I rushed upstairs to shower, taking a bit longer in the steaming water than I normally would. Mom and Zoey were in the kitchen prepping food when I came down.

"Hey guys, what's for dinner. I'm starving..."

"Baked chicken," said her mom. "You want to peel some potatoes for me?"

"Sure."

"Good practice today?"

"It was interesting."

"I see."

Just do it, rip the bandaid off. You're gonna need their help.

"So, uh... do you think we could go shopping tonight?" I choked on a lump in my throat. "I need a prom dress."

They squealed simultaneously, dropping what they were doing to look at me.

"Lily! That's fantastic! Did Shawn finally work up the courage to ask you? His mother has been coaching him for months now..."

I took a deep breath. "Yeah, he asked." I bit my lip. "But that's not who I'm going with."

"Who?" said Zoey, scandalized.

"Theo Harper." It sounded just as weird to say my own name as it probably did for them to hear it, but for very different reasons. It felt like ten seconds passed while they sucked in air.

"I knew it!" Zoey screamed. "I just knew it!"

Her mom didn't explode, but cracked into a funny smile. She walked over and took my hands in hers.

"That's wonderful, sweetie. I..."

"What?"

She grinned even wider. "I kind of wondered if this would happen someday."

"Theo?"

"Yeah. You two have been these forces of nature since you were little. It just seemed... likely."

I rolled my eyes. "It's just a dance. Not like we're spending our whole lives together or something." Well, probably not...

"Of course. We'll go to the mall right after dinner. Can your sister come with us?"

"Yeah," I said, "that's fine. She has better taste in clothes than me anyway." She straightened up and grinned.

"I'm so happy you decided to go. Listen, your dad got invited to a sales conference last minute and I'm going with him. We were supposed to leave Friday after work, but I'm sure we can wait and go the next morning."

"You don't have to change your plans for me, go to your conference, have a good time!"

"Lily Yvonne Whitlock, do you think I would miss my daughter getting dressed up for her senior prom?"

"No," I said with a sniff. "Thanks, mom."

Her dad, as it turned out, was less excited about me going to the dance. He played off his initial scowl with a grudging smile and said he was happy to wait until the next morning to leave, especially so he could make sure I got home safe. And on time.

We piled into her mom's car after dinner and headed for the mall. Most stores' formalwear sections were picked over, but we found a few promising options. The winner was my least favorite color, a kind of shimmery periwinkle blue. It was simpler than the other two, but fit perfectly. The narrow straps held up the bodice, which despite having a tasteful V that revealed some nice cleavage, had enough support and padding for me to go braless. The midsection clung beautifully to my flat tummy and rounded over my hips before dropping to a just-off-the-knee hem. A slit in the front-left showed a bit more leg than her dad would be comfortable with, but mom assured me she'd take the heat. Zoey knew which of my shoes would be just perfect, so we got out of the mall without much fuss.

* * *

The next couple of days were exciting, nerve-wracking, and entertaining at the same time. Regardless of the junk between my legs or clothes covering my body, I would have been pumped to go to prom with someone. Anyone. Even if it wasn't going to be the end-all quest to lose my virginity, getting to dress up and see all my friends having a good time... it was going to be a blast.

I toned down my revealing clothing and garish makeup at school, finding it more comfortable to be less noticeable anyway. Lily gave me a subtle nod as I walked up the steps the next morning, her silent approval obvious.

I lost count of the number of people that made a point to come up to me in class or in the hallway, essentially echoing her mother's bomb-drop. It's about time. I can't believe it took this long. So happy for you two. I finally stopped correcting people and telling them that we were just going as friends, and obviously left out the real reason that nobody could ever know.

One of the benefits of being publicly attached, was that we could talk and be around each other without raising suspicion. We finally got to talk at lunch, both of us seeming rather more okay with our current situation.