Play Date - Part 9

Spring break had come to an end, with both Jack and Julia returning to school in each other’s bodies. Jack walked down the school hallway with his sister, now his “best friend”, Abby.

Jack tried to focus on Abby's chatter as they walked down the hallway, but his mind kept drifting. He was still marveling at the sensation of being in Julia's body, even after all this time. The sway of her hips, the bounce of her hair –he never got tired of it.

"Earth to Julia," Abby said, waving a hand in front of his face, "Did you hear anything I just said?"

"Oh, sorry," Jack replied, "I guess I'm still a bit out of it after spring break."

Abby rolled her eyes, "I was saying that Michael keeps asking about you. He wants to know if you're going to prom with anyone yet."

Jack felt a twinge of jealousy at the mention of Michael. He'd almost forgotten about Julia's admirer from before the body swap.

“Look, Abby… I–” Jack started.

But Abby suddenly pulled him aside, “Look! It’s Michael!”

Jack's heart raced as he saw a tall dark-haired boy approaching. He smiled warmly as he neared them.

"Hey Julia," Michael said, his eyes fixed on Jack, "How was your spring break?"

Jack swallowed hard, trying to channel Julia's demeanor, "Oh, you know... just relaxing at home mostly."

Michael nodded, shifting his weight nervously, "So, I was wondering... have you thought about prom at all?"

Jack felt a surge of panic. He hadn't prepared for this. What would Julia say? How would she react?

"Oh, um, prom?" he stammered, his voice higher than usual, "I... I haven't really thought about it much."

Michael's face fell slightly, but he pressed on, "Well, I was hoping maybe you'd want to go with me? We had such a great time working on that bio project together."

Jack felt a twist of jealousy in his stomach. He didn't want Julia going to prom with Michael. But then again, he wasn't really Julia, was he?

Abby nudged him, giving him a pointed look. Jack realized he had been silent for too long.

"That's really sweet of you, Michael…" he started.

“Of course, she’d love to go!” Abby interjected

Jack felt his stomach drop as Abby's words hung in the air. He shot her a panicked look, but she just grinned back at him.

"Really?" Michael's face lit up with excitement, "That's great! I was so nervous to ask."

Jack forced a smile onto Julia's face, "Um, yeah... it'll be fun."

"Awesome! I'll text you later about the details," Michael said, beaming.

He gave a little wave before heading off down the hallway.

As Jack watched Michael disappear down the hallway, a wave of conflicting emotions washed over him. He was jealous, frustrated, and confused all at once.

"I can't believe you did that, Abby," he hissed, trying to keep his voice low. "You had no right to accept for me!"

Abby rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on. You've been talking about Michael for months. This is what you wanted, isn't it?"

Jack opened his mouth to argue, but then closed it again. He couldn't tell Abby the truth - that he wasn't really Julia, that he was her brother stuck in Julia's body. As far as Abby knew, they had switched back already.

Jack tried to bottle up a surge of jealousy and frustration, "No, you're right. Thanks for helping me out there. I was just... nervous."