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1...
Detective Harvey had been watching Preston for several days and already had many different photographs. Mostly these were photos of Preston wandering the streets. By a strange coincidence, these days Preston communicated only with the sellers in the store. It was very very bad. Harvey needed more information.
Standing in front of Preston's house next to his car, Harvey lit a cigarette and peered into the distance. His mind was consumed with thoughts of how to continue the investigation. His eyes wandered and tried to find at least something that could help him here.
-What the hell are you doing young lady?!
A loud female voice heard next to Harvey surprised him so much that he didn’t even twitch much in surprise. He silently watched as his still smoldering cigarette now lay on the ground due to someone hitting his cigarette and knocking it out of his hands. Something was definitely wrong and Harley, like a true detective, planned to find out while remaining calm.
- Just look at her! What a cheek! I didn't expect this from you Hayley!
Finally, turning his head, Harley saw in front of him a woman about 30-40 years old. This woman was definitely taller than him and had weight problems. “This is a giant girl,” Harvey only had time to think when he felt something tickling his shoulders. But there was more to it than that. His legs seemed to be covered with something thick, and his hands felt the warm summer breeze, although he was wearing a jacket
- And why are you here and not at school! You are in very big trouble and will be punished!
- Listen lady, I don't... oh god... what...
- Lady?! This is how you talk to your own mother, who caught you smoking and skipping school!? It's just a nightmare, not a child!
...
Cautious Preston watched all this from the window, holding in his hands that strange remote control that he had been using for his own purposes for a long time. He guessed that someone might be watching him and had long noticed this strange man, whom he had already met several times and today he finally decided to get rid of the stalker in his favorite way - by turning detective Harvey into schoolgirl Haley.
2…
— This can’t be real — he muttered through clenched teeth, his own voice now sounding high-pitched, almost delicate.
— What do you mean it can’t be, Hayley!? — the woman grabbed his arm sharply. Her grip was too strong, and Harvey couldn’t even attempt to resist, feeling his new long hair, tied into two pigtails, brush against his shoulders, tickling and sending shivers down his spine.
— Hey, you! Let go of me! — Harvey shouted in a loud, shrill voice, and was surprised himself by how high-pitched it sounded. The woman ignored his tone, only frowning even more.
— Stop this theater, Hayley, — she said with cold determination, pulling him closer. — You’re behaving absolutely terribly. I’ll personally take you to school, and tonight, your father and I will decide what to do with you.
— School?! — Harvey couldn’t believe his ears. Panic wrapped around him like a suffocating fog. He had to do something, but every attempt to resist ended in failure. His thin, weak arms couldn’t break free from the woman’s grip. — Ugh! This... this is a mistake! I don’t know you, you crazy bitch! Let me go, or I’ll— a sharp slap on his cheek cut him off, just as they reached the old Škoda. Harvey froze in shock. His head jerked to the side from the unexpected blow, his cheek stung, and everything inside him went cold. "What the hell..." flashed through his mind, but he couldn’t even finish the thought. He felt small tears well up in his eyes, barely holding them back.
— Say something like that again, and I promise you’ll regret it for the rest of your life, Hayley, — the woman said coldly, her voice leaving no doubt. Her patience had run out. She opened the car door, and Harvey realized he had no choice but to get into the vehicle.
Harvey let out a helpless sob as he sat in the back seat. He couldn’t believe this was happening to him — to an experienced detective who always had control of the situation.
The woman started the car and turned on some radio station, not even bothering to glance at Harvey. He stared out the window, his mind torn between panic and despair. He ran a hand across his face, feeling the soft skin and the lingering burn on his cheek where the pain from the slap still simmered. The calm voice of the radio host filled the car, as if nothing unusual was happening.
"Hello, Harvey," a sudden voice spoke through the static on the radio, "Although, it’s more accurate to say Hayley, isn’t it, young lady?" He quickly turned his head toward the woman driving, hoping she had also heard the eerie voice. But she didn’t seem to notice anything, her face remaining cold and unperturbed as before.
"You think this is a dream, Harvey? Or maybe a nightmare?" the voice continued, this time louder and more confident. "But everything that’s happening is completely real. You’ve realized that by now, haven’t you, Hayley?" His heart skipped a beat.
— Preston! What did you do, you son of a bitch?!
— Language! What’s wrong with you?! — the woman snapped, her eyes flashing in the rearview mirror. Her voice was full of irritation and disappointment, as if she had expected much more from "Hayley."
"Yes, yes, yes, watch your language, be a good girl and listen to mommy like a well-behaved little lady," the voice from the radio now spoke with clear mockery. Harvey wanted to ask something, but "mom" interrupted him.
— Did you hear that, Hayley? — the woman added irritably, without taking her eyes off the road. He almost thought she was referring to "Preston" too and nodded his head. — If you don’t stop this nonsense, I’ll be forced to take action. This week, you’re under house arrest. I’m sure your father will agree with this. — Harvey froze, his breathing becoming uneven, and everything inside him tightened. "House arrest?" — it sounded absurd. He was an adult man, a detective, but now he was in a teenager’s body, forced to listen to someone treating him like a stubborn schoolgirl.
— But I—
— No "buts"! — the woman interrupted him sharply, her voice sounding like a final verdict. Harvey felt the words catch in his throat, and only the radio host’s laughter echoed through the car.
3...
"That's right, Hayley," — continued the mocking voice on the radio, — "you'll get used to it. Soon enough, you'll forget who you used to be. And if you're a bad girl, well... Let's not talk about bad things. Your first day is about to start." Harvey clenched his fists, feeling the resentment and rage building up inside. He was about to say something but realized that any words would be pointless. 'Preston, you bastard,' he thought, but didn't manage to say anything out loud.
The car suddenly stopped in front of the old brick school, and Harvey's heart started racing. 'Do I really have to go... there?' Everything churned inside him. Fear and despair squeezed his chest.
— Get out! - a loud female voice rang out inside the car, but Harvey hesitated. — NOW!!! - repeated his "mother," and Harvey, frightened, quickly opened the door and stepped out. His legs felt weak, his skirt fluttered in the light breeze, and every step felt heavy and unnatural.
— Come on, Hayley! — yelled the "mother" from the car. Her voice sounded strict and impatient, making him flinch involuntarily. — I'm watching you, so don't even think about putting on another show!
Harvey gritted his teeth, barely holding back the fury and despair. He took a few steps forward, heading toward the schoolyard. He felt as if someone would come up to him any second and say, "Hey, you're not a schoolgirl, you're just a guy in disguise!" But no one stopped him. The students continued with their business, not paying him any attention.
'Okay, I'm still me, I'm still a detective!' — Harvey kept reminding himself, step by step, as he approached the school building. He tried to focus on logic, on the cold analysis that had always helped him in investigations. But everything felt too unreal.
— Oh, hey, babe! — Harvey suddenly felt someone grab his hand. Before he could even process it, he was spun around, and a kiss landed on his lips. The kiss was quick, but long enough to stir a mix of disgust, shame, and horror inside him. His eyes widened in shock, but the guy, after the kiss, wrapped an arm around his waist. — I thought you weren't coming today.
— W-what are you doing? — he finally stammered, his voice trembling and unnaturally high, a voice that belonged to Hayley, not him.
The guy smirked, either not noticing or ignoring Harvey's odd behavior.
— Oh, come on, Hayley, don’t start. I thought you'd skip again, like last time, — he tightened his grip around Harvey's waist, making him shudder with a wave of revulsion.
— Let me go, — Harvey hissed, pulling himself out of the guy's embrace. He barely managed to keep from yelling. Inside, everything was boiling with disgust and rage, but he knew that an open confrontation would only make things worse.
The guy raised his hands, as if surrendering, but the smug grin never left his face.
— Okay, okay, calm down, Princess, — he said, clearly amused by Harvey's irritation. He adjusted the strap of his backpack and added with a sigh, — So, did you do anything for homework? — He grabbed Harvey's hand and started leading him somewhere. — Or did you spend the whole night just chatting away again? — — Hey, you coming? — the guy looked at Harvey, puzzled by his hesitation.
Still shaken by the internal shock, Harvey nodded, trying not to show how much he was trembling inside. The dumb jock didn’t seem to notice anything strange about Hayley’s behavior, and that was a relief for Harvey. He knew he had to stay undercover until he figured out how to escape this nightmare.
— No, didn’t do anything, — Harvey muttered, repeating what seemed to be typical for Hayley. — Didn’t have time.
The guy snorted and rolled his eyes.
— Of course, as usual, — he said with a smirk, while Harvey, rolling his eyes, wondered when all of this would finally end.
— Hayley Donovan! — came a sharp, piercing voice that made Harvey jump. Ahead stood a teacher in a strict suit with sharp, angular features. Her gaze was full of irritation, and she was slowly walking toward them, like a predator ready to strike.
4...
— You skipped classes again? — her voice became even sharper, almost piercing. — Do you think the rules don't apply to you? How many times do I have to repeat myself? Your constant antics have become the talk of the school! — She took a step closer, her tone merciless. — If you keep this up, you'll be expelled.
Before Harvey could open his mouth, Tommy, his "defender," stepped in.
— Hey, Miss Brown, no need to come down so hard on her, — he said with a smirk, clearly oblivious to how dumb and out-of-place his words sounded. — Hayley was just... uh, busy with her important stuff. You know she's a smart girl, she doesn't need all these lessons.
He tried to wink at Harvey, but it looked so ridiculous and sleazy that Harvey almost grimaced in disgust. 'God, how can someone be this stupid and still think they’re protecting someone?'
The teacher clearly didn’t appreciate his attempt.
— Tommy, — her voice was dripping with disdain, — you should be more concerned about the fact that you need lessons if you don't want to become a regular visitor to the principal's office. And stop acting like you're some kind of hero. You're just like Hayley — always thinking about how to avoid responsibility. — She looked coldly at how Tommy was holding Hayley's hand, clearly displeased with such a public display of affection.
— And take your hands off, Tommy, — she snapped, cutting off any further argument. — School is no place for your... displays.
Tommy shrugged casually and let go of Harvey's hand as if he didn't care.
— Alright, Miss Brown, fine, fine, no need to blow up, — Tommy said, trying to joke his way out of the situation, but only managed to disgust Harvey even more.
As the teacher turned and walked away, Tommy, acting as if nothing had happened, winked at Harvey and patted him on the shoulder.
— See, Princess, everything’s under control, as usual. Don’t worry, I’ve got your back.
Harvey gritted his teeth, resisting the urge to tell him exactly what he thought about his "help." 'When will all this end?' — he repeated mentally, feeling his sense of helplessness growing.
When they entered the classroom, Harvey sat at a desk, the only one left, which seemed to be Hayley’s usual spot. Tommy waved and headed to a different class, oblivious to how much his behavior irritated "Hayley."
— Oh, look who’s back, — Harvey heard a mocking voice as he sat down. It was Jessica, one of Hayley’s so-called friends, with whom she apparently had some kind of "special" relationship. Her tone was sickly sweet, as if hiding some secret meaning. — So, what was that kiss with Tommy in the hallway? He grabbed you right in front of everyone! Come on, admit it, you’re already sick of him, right?
Harvey tensed up. He didn’t know how to respond to such questions. He mumbled something unintelligible and turned away, trying to avoid eye contact.
— You know, Jess, — chimed in another girl, probably Caitlyn, — Hayley and Tommy have a special connection. She always knows how to wrap him around her finger. Tell us, Hayley, how do you do it?
Jessica snorted, not giving Harvey a chance to come up with a response. — "Special connection"? Seriously? Tommy’s just a fool, he throws himself at any cute girl. You get that, right, Hayley? Can’t you see he’s cheating on you behind your back?
Harvey ground his teeth, feeling his irritation growing. He was disgusted by how empty and pointless these conversations were, part of Hayley's life. But before he could respond, Jessica’s voice pierced his ears again:
— What’s wrong? Cat got your tongue? Or are you playing "Ice Queen" again today? Tommy’s probably going to dump you soon. — Jessica giggled, clearly enjoying twisting the situation.
Harvey took a deep breath, ready to say something sharp, but then noticed the teacher had already entered the classroom. He sighed with relief, hoping this unpleasant conversation would end now that everyone was sitting down. But Jessica clearly wasn’t ready to give up so easily.
— Come on, just be honest with me, — she pressed, leaning closer, — you and Tommy, you’ve already... you know what I mean, right?
Harvey felt his cheeks flush with heat. 'What the hell?' — he was on the verge of snapping. But just as he opened his mouth, the teacher noticed their whispering and immediately called them out.
— Hayley Donovan! Jessica Brown! — the teacher’s voice cracked like a whip. — How dare you chat during class?!
5...
Jessica instantly perked up as if nothing had happened and, in a sweet voice, said, “Sorry, Miss Watson. We were just discussing... the literature homework.”
The teacher crossed her arms, her expression full of displeasure. “Homework, you say? Well, if that’s the case, Jessica, you start. You’re prepared, aren’t you?”
Jessica, of course, didn’t miss a beat. With pleasure, she began to answer, summarizing the text they were supposed to have read. Meanwhile, Harvey tried to hide his anxiety, hoping the teacher’s attention wouldn’t stay on him for long.
— And now you, Hayley, — Miss Watson said coldly, her gaze burning into Harvey. — What do you have to say about the homework?
Harvey froze in place, having no idea what to say. It was absurd. Miss Watson continued to glare at him, while the classmates, including Jessica, snickered quietly.
— Donovan! — the teacher barked sharply. — When I ask a question, you’re supposed to stand up, like all normal students. Get up!
Harvey flinched from the sudden command and slowly stood up, feeling the entire class’s eyes on him. Embarrassment and anger flooded through him, but he still tried to mumble something:
— Um... I... didn’t do it...
The class erupted into laughter again, and the teacher sternly cut him off:
— If you didn’t do the homework, then stand by the board. Read the material aloud, at least.
Realizing there was no way out, Harvey reluctantly walked up to the board. He saw Jessica sticking her tongue out at him again, clearly enjoying his humiliation. They handed him a book, and the teacher pointed to a page.
— Begin, — Miss Watson ordered.
Harvey opened the book, bracing himself to read some boring passage from a story. However, as his eyes skimmed the first lines, he froze.
"Today, I didn’t do my homework again. I spent too much time with Tommy, even though I know it won’t last. He’s just using me, but I can’t stop. It feels like I’m getting more attached to him every day..."
Harvey suddenly felt a strange dizziness. These words seemed eerily familiar, as if they were his own thoughts and not some literary text. He blinked, trying to shake off the feeling, and continued reading.
"Sometimes I feel like I’m living just for Tommy. His touches, his words... They make me feel special. But I know he won’t change. He’ll always be like this... always looking at other girls behind my back..."
Harvey could feel strange, foreign memories surfacing in his mind. He vividly "remembered" how Tommy hugged him, how they spent time together, how she — Hayley — forgave him for all his little betrayals. He struggled to recognize that these weren’t his memories, but they were so clear, as if he had lived them himself. "Oops!...I did it again" - suddenly, quietly, from where, as if from far away and audible only to Harvey, Preston's voice reappeared briefly, forcing Harvey to freeze.
— Why did you stop, Hayley? — the teacher’s cold voice broke his concentration as she noticed his hesitation.
— I... — Harvey swallowed, looking around at the class. — This... isn’t literature.
— Not literature? — Miss Watson raised an eyebrow, her voice laced with irritation. — What do you mean by that, Donovan? If it’s not literature, then what is it?
Harvey opened his mouth, but the words stuck in his throat. He felt more and more uneasy. The book in his hands seemed like something foreign, yet terrifyingly familiar at the same time. It was as if each paragraph was tearing away a part of who he was, replacing it with someone else’s memories that felt all too real.
— I... I don’t know, — he finally whispered, realizing his mind was on the verge of breaking. — It’s just... not what I expected.
Miss Watson squinted at him, her patience wearing thin.
6...
— Read, Hayley, — Miss Watson commanded in a cold voice, pointing at the book. — If you can’t answer the question, then continue reading.
The class chuckled softly. Harvey could hear the laughter, but it felt distant, as though muffled by cotton. He glanced at the book again and read the next lines:
"Today I saw Tommy flirting with Caitlyn. Why does he always have to look at other girls when he has me? I can’t stop thinking about how he touched her hand. I feel the jealousy boiling inside me. Why do I put up with this? Why can’t I let him go?"
Each word hit Harvey like a blow to the chest. At first, he tried to read the text with detachment, but something inside him started to shift. He felt jealousy creeping into his mind, as if these were his own feelings. Breathing became harder, and a surge of anger flared up at the mere thought of Tommy touching someone else.
To his horror, the jealousy within him grew stronger, sharper like a knife, and he couldn’t shake it off. 'These aren’t my feelings!' — Harvey tried to convince himself, but the gnawing sense of jealousy only intensified, becoming almost physically overwhelming.
He stopped abruptly, closing the book mid-sentence. He needed to regain control, any control over himself and the situation. Taking a deep breath, he looked up at Miss Watson.
— I can’t read anymore, — his voice was barely audible, but it carried the weight of an internal struggle.
— What kind of behavior is this, Hayley? — Miss Watson’s disappointment was clear, but noticing how distressed "Hayley" seemed, she added, — Sit down, Donovan. We’ll talk after class.
But Harvey barely heard her. As he sat down, he clasped his head in his hands. Thoughts of Tommy filled his mind. Why was he suddenly so jealous of him? Why did everything feel so real? His mind was flooded with memories of Tommy—memories that couldn’t be his but now felt like they were a part of him.
'Damn it... what’s happening to me?' — Harvey thought, feeling a strange attachment to Tommy sink deeper into his consciousness. He tried to push the feelings away, desperately trying to focus on something else. But every thought inevitably circled back to how Tommy had held him in the hallway, how his hands had gripped his waist, how that closeness had made his heart tremble.
'No... I can’t... I’m a detective. I have to... stay in control.'
But everything inside him was becoming hazier by the moment.
The day at school dragged on like a fog for Harvey—or, as everyone around him now called him, Hayley. He tried to focus on the lessons, but with each passing minute, foreign thoughts and emotions surged inside him, feelings that didn’t belong to him. Harvey clung desperately to his sense of self, but every time he caught sight of Tommy or heard his voice somewhere nearby, a familiar yet alien fire burned in his chest.
'These aren’t my feelings... These aren’t my memories...' — Harvey repeated to himself, but with each passing moment, it became harder to deny. He caught himself thinking about Tommy more and more, yearning to see him, and at the same time, he understood how insane it all was, which only drove him deeper into madness.
When the school day finally ended, Harvey, exhausted from the constant internal battle, knew he had to contact the one he was tracking. Hiding was useless now—Preston had clearly orchestrated all of this. Harvey had been warned that this case wouldn’t be easy, but he hadn’t expected this. He was now starting to believe that Preston really was some kind of magician, though just that morning it had seemed like utter nonsense to him.
7...
Returning home, Harvey barely managed to suppress his anxiety, but to his disappointment, his "parents" immediately directed him to "her room." He found himself locked inside a cozy, yet foreign, girlish bedroom. Everything around him screamed Hayley: posters, photos with friends, floral-patterned bedding—all of it filled him with a nauseating mix of disgust and a strange, aching longing.
Harvey sat on the bed, clutching the phone in his hands. He opened the contacts, intending to find a way to reach Preston. But before he could do anything, the phone screen lit up—Tommy had sent a message.
Tommy: "Hey, you were acting kinda weird at school today. You okay?"
Harvey closed his eyes, trying to ignore the message. He hated this part of his new life and wanted nothing to do with Tommy. But deep inside, something urged him not to ignore it, and nervously, he began to type a reply.
Hayley: "I’m fine... Just a bit tired after classes."
Tommy didn’t take long to respond.
Tommy: "Tired? Come on, Princess, maybe we can hang out tonight? I’ve got a few ideas on how to relax "
Harvey felt his insides twist. He knew exactly what Tommy meant, and it triggered a wave of anger. 'This guy is just using her, and she puts up with it?' — Harvey fumed internally. But then, a strange sensation—a warm, fluttering feeling—silenced his rational thoughts. Deep down, something pulled at him, urging him to respond differently—gently, playfully, as if this actually mattered. Hayley’s memories surfaced in his mind, and it pained him to realize that Tommy saw her as nothing more than a toy for his amusement.
He began typing, feeling his heart race faster.
Hayley: "Is that all you think about? Maybe it’s fun for you, but I don’t want to just hang out like that. I’m not a toy, Tommy."
Tommy: "Oh, come on. You know I love you. We always have a good time together. What more do you need? Or... are you jealous of Caitlyn?"
Caitlyn. Just the mention of her name made Harvey’s heart clench, his teeth grit in frustration. The memory of seeing Tommy hugging Caitlyn, and the way she kissed him on the cheek in a friendly way, surged to the forefront of his mind.
He clenched his jaw and began typing, barely controlling his emotions:
Hayley: "She kissed you! I saw how you look at her! Of course I’m jealous! Isn’t it enough that you have me?!"
He froze, staring at the message in disbelief. Those weren’t his words, not his feelings, but they were becoming more and more invasive.
Tommy: "Whoa, Hayley, I didn’t know you felt that way. But you know I love you. Caitlyn means nothing to me. You’re my girl."
Harvey stared at the screen, his fingers hovering over the keyboard. Inside, he seethed with anger and helplessness. He couldn’t believe he’d reached this point—where he was actually jealous of Tommy’s attention to some girl. 'What’s happening to me?' — the thought shot through his mind, but the answer was painfully clear.
He exhaled shakily, his fingers dancing over the screen as if they had a mind of their own.
Hayley: "You always say that, Tommy... But how can I trust you? I’m tired of being jealous of all these other girls. I want to be the only one for you."
'Damn it!' — Harvey screamed internally, feeling the words on the screen tearing him apart. It was unbearable. He didn’t want to be Tommy’s "only one"; he didn’t want to be with Tommy at all. But his mind was becoming muddled, and the mounting feelings of jealousy and desperation were drowning out any sense of logic. He could hear his own thoughts trying to remind him that he was a detective, that this was all just an illusion. But with each passing moment, it felt like that part of him was fading, dissolving into the emotions that were apparently "normal" for Hayley.
Tommy’s reply came almost instantly.
Tommy: "You are my only one, Hayley. You know how much I love you."
Harvey—or maybe it was already Hayley—felt a storm of emotions rise within. His mind still resisted, screaming that this was manipulation, that Tommy was just using her. But at the same time, a small, painful hope took root in his heart—maybe Tommy really would change... maybe she could make him love her for real.
He sighed, and before he realized what he was doing, he sent the next message:
Hayley: "I love you too."
His eyes widened as he stared at the phone, the message sent, his fingers frozen in shock. The last message had slipped out before he could stop himself, and now it was too late to take it back. He dropped the phone onto the bed as if it had burned him. "What did I just write?" — thoughts raced through his mind, but no answers came.
8...
Harvey let out a heavy sigh, rubbing his temples, trying to pull himself together. "I’m a detective… I need to find a way out," — he reminded himself, but the thought felt distant, almost unreachable. Instead, a soft but persistent voice echoed in his head: "I love Tommy…" He shook his head, trying to push the feeling away, but it lingered, rooted deep inside.
"At least I should get out of these uncomfortable clothes!" — the instinctive thought arose, and Harvey quickly found some casual home clothes. He hoped the simple act of changing might distract him from the intrusive thoughts of loving Tommy. As he slipped into something more comfortable, the tight grip of the identity of Hayley seemed harder to shake.
— I should do my homework… — he thought suddenly, catching himself as this idea now seemed important. No matter how much he resisted this new reality, a growing anxiety filled him about what his "mother" would think if he neglected school again.
With a heavy heart, Harvey rose from the bed and moved toward the desk, cluttered with notebooks and textbooks. Sitting down, he nervously ran his hand over the page filled with assignments. The handwriting—neat and rounded—looked nothing like his own harsh, jagged script. "I didn’t even write this..." — he thought, but his hand automatically picked up the pen, as if his brain had already adapted to this foreign body and new reality.
The math problems were so simple that he completed them without much thought. At one point, he even caught himself finding the task... calming? As if it was a way to momentarily forget about the chaos building inside. By the time he finished, the sky outside had turned dark.
Letting out another sigh, Harvey pushed the notebooks aside and headed to the bed. All he wanted now was to forget everything and sleep, even if just for a few hours. Maybe by morning, this nightmare would fade.
Climbing under the blanket, he felt the soft fabric of his pajamas brush against his skin. The sensation made him freeze. The silky material was far lighter and smoother than anything he had ever worn. The floral-patterned silk pajama set clung comfortably to his new body, sending a strange mix of comfort and revulsion through his mind as he tried to find a comfortable position.
Lying on his side, Harvey stared at the ceiling, his thoughts bouncing back and forth between Preston and Tommy. He didn’t want to think about Tommy anymore, but every time he closed his eyes, the boy’s face appeared before him, bringing with it tender yet terrifying emotions.
"This is all wrong," — he reminded himself for the hundredth time, but even that thought got lost in the flood of foreign feelings. Tommy was no longer just a part of Hayley’s life—he was creeping into Harvey’s as well.
Finally, exhaustion took over, and Harvey drifted into sleep. In his dreams, his consciousness kept returning to the school corridors, to the jealousy toward Caitlyn, to the strange warmth of Tommy’s touches—feelings that made his heart both stop and race at the same time.
9...
Morning came surprisingly fast. Harvey struggled to open his eyes, momentarily blinded by the bright light filtering through the curtains. He exhaled heavily, feeling a strange exhaustion in his body, as if he’d spent the entire day running. His head throbbed, like a storm was brewing inside, and the memories of yesterday flashed like lightning.
"Just a dream…" — he tried to reassure himself, but as he turned on his side, the soft silk of his pajamas brushed against his skin again. The fabric clung and slid over him, a constant reminder that something was wrong. In a panic, he shot out of bed, tangled in the blankets. Glancing at the mirror, Harvey froze.
The reflection staring back at him was that of a girl—Hayley. Messy hair, a thin face with light freckles, and… this was him now. "Damn… this isn’t a dream," shot through his mind. His heart began to race. Looking at his reflection once more, he suddenly realized this wasn’t just a temporary state. This was reality.
— No… No, no, no, — Harvey whispered, clutching his head with both hands. Memories of what happened yesterday surged back, causing him to gasp for air. Preston… That cursed Preston… the school… Tommy…
— Tommy? No!
His thoughts started to jumble again. He tried to remember who he really was and why he had been following Preston in the first place, but it all seemed to disappear into a fog. Fragments of memories slipped through his grasp like sand through his fingers. "Who am I?" An overwhelming emptiness filled him. He knew he was supposed to remember… something important, but what?
He stared into the mirror, trying to focus. The reflection no longer seemed as foreign as it had before. "A detective… I was a detective…" — he reminded himself, but it felt more distant now, almost alien. The thought of Preston flickered briefly in his mind but quickly faded away, lost like a drop in the ocean. In its place came other images: school, teachers, friends, Tommy.
The detective part of him was slipping, fading into the background. As Harvey—or Hayley—stood there, it felt like the life of this girl was overtaking him, drowning out any remaining sense of who he used to be.
10...
Harvey shot up from the bed and began pacing the room, frantically searching for a way out. He tore through every corner, hoping to find something that would remind him of who he really was. But the room was suffocating, filled with the life of someone else—photos, school notes, and girlish trinkets. Despair clenched at his chest, and as he glanced back at himself in the mirror, he growled:
— I’m not Hayley… I’m not… — but as he said it, something inside him wavered. The name sounded right. It was becoming his. His lips involuntarily whispered again, "I’m Hayley."
Panic flooded him. He couldn’t remember his old name. His past identity was fading, dissolving like fog in the sun. All that remained were thoughts of school, Tommy, Jessica, teachers. Everything else was disappearing, like dead weight being pushed aside by this new reality.
"Damn… this is wrong… what was I looking for? Preston? Who’s Preston?" — His thoughts flared up but quickly fizzled out, sinking back into the recesses of his mind. In their place, new worries took over: "School again… Tommy will be waiting… I need to get my homework done… Mom will punish me if I’m late…" These thoughts began to dominate, filling the space where the detective's confidence had once been.
A knock at the door startled him, and seconds later, his "mother’s" stern voice followed:
— Hayley, get up! You’re going to be late for school again!
Harvey’s (or was it Hayley’s?) chest tightened with fear. He couldn’t remember how to live any other way. All he knew was that he had to obey, or there would be consequences. He scrambled to get ready, instinctively reaching for the school uniform in the closet. His hands moved mechanically, buttoning the blouse and smoothing the skirt, as if they had done it a thousand times before.
Every step, every action felt both natural and horrifyingly alien. The muscle memory of putting on a skirt, of tying his hair into a ponytail, surfaced without effort. But they weren’t his memories. "I have to find a way out… but how… and where…" — his thoughts were interrupted once again by the impatient knock on the door, louder this time.
— Hayley, how many times do I have to tell you? You’re going to be late!
Harvey, feeling a tightness in his chest, quickly adjusted his hair, grabbed his backpack, and rushed out of the room. All thoughts of escape or finding Preston seemed distant and insignificant now. All that mattered was getting to school on time, avoiding trouble, and… Tommy.
Tommy.