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— Hey, why do you all look so miserable, huh?! — Lily's loud voice rang out too cheerfully, too loudly, especially considering that no one in the group had said a word for the past few minutes. She threw her hands up and smiled, trying to break the oppressive silence. — This is a whole adventure! We finally found a lead, and we’re getting our bodies back!
Silence. No one responded. Only the dry leaves rustled under their feet, and somewhere in the distance, an unknown forest creature chirped. Finally, trailing behind the group with a sullen look, Vivian snorted, adjusting the sleeve of her tight green sweater:
— I don’t get why we’re all acting like this is the end of the world. So, we became girls, so what? Maybe it’s for the better.
Vivian spoke with the kind of lazy acceptance of someone who had made peace with the inevitable. She didn’t even stop, just shrugged wearily and tugged at her slipping sleeve. The others stayed silent. Even Lily, with her endless enthusiasm, suddenly bit her tongue. Because they all knew—this was about to explode.
— For the better?! — Hailey was the first to snap, turning sharply as her long dark hair flared in the sunlight like molten threads. — Vincent, for fuck’s sake, what the hell?!
— Vivian, — she lazily corrected, rolling her eyes. — You should get used to it, Hailey.
— Oh, you’re doing this on purpose, huh?! — Hailey clenched her fists, feeling an overwhelming urge to just punch that sweet, smug face. Even though it still held traces of Vincent’s old, burly features, it was now too… feminine, too soft.
Vivian just raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying the moment.
— Oh, sorry, — her voice dripped with syrupy mockery. — What, gonna run off and whine to your boyfriend?
Hailey flinched, feeling something twist painfully inside her. That hit harder than any punch. Lily covered her mouth, giggling, and the others, even if they tried to hide it, definitely appreciated Vivian’s sarcasm.
— He’s not my boyfriend! — Hailey felt her insides tighten into a knot. Her voice came out sharper than she intended, and Vivian only smirked, tilting her head slightly.
She could feel the heat flooding her face. Alex. That… that nerd they had laughed at for years, she and Liam, Emmett, and Simon. The guy they kept around just for kicks. He was pathetic, always clinging to them, scared of girls… And now? Now he was always there, smiling, cracking jokes, making moves, trying to “rekindle” their love after Hailey had told him to fuck off a month ago—like they’d been dating for years.
But they hadn’t.
At least, not to her. Not to the other girls standing here with her.
— Oh really? — Vivian drawled with fake surprise, chuckling. — Well, he sure doesn’t think so. Poor Alex… keeps chasing after you, wondering what happened to his beloved girlfriend, waiting, hoping that love will return.
Hailey clenched her fists, feeling her fingers tremble with anger. Everything was wrong. Completely fucking wrong.
Just a month ago, she was a guy, goddammit! And Alex… yeah, okay, he did get along with Hayden better than anyone else in their group. He often laughed with him about how Alex awkwardly tried to flirt with girls, they talked about games, memes, life.
But now…
Now, this was unbearable.