Prologue: My Best Friend Became My Sister's Girlfriend?!

Joshua placed his Pyra and Mythra amiibo side by side, admiring his collection now that it was fully updated and neatly organized. For a brief moment, he felt proud of his set up. He couldn't wait to visit Rodger and train his new amiibo together in Smash Bros. It had been a while since they’d hung out—ever since his mother had forbidden Rodger from visiting.

Still, with a little extra money saved up and his room freshly cleaned, Joshua was feeling pretty good about himself. Or at least, he would have, were it not for the creeping weight of anxiety that came with him being happy.

"Joshua!" A sharp voice sliced through the silence, and before he could react, his door flew open. His mother, Deina, stood in the doorway, her presence filling the small room, taking away any sense of ownership Joshua felt he had over it.

Joshua's satisfaction evaporated in an instant, his expression darkening. ‘Why bother shouting if you’re just going to barge in anyway?’

Deina's eyes scanned the room, taking in the shelves and desk. Finally, her glare settled on him. Her features, once strikingly beautiful, were overshadowed by the cold disdain in her gaze. "I see you still haven’t put your toys away. Why can’t you clean your shelves instead of cluttering them with junk, like your sister?"

Joshua lowered his head slightly, letting his messy bangs obscure his face. The familiar pressure rose in his chest, heavy and suffocating.

Deina sighed dramatically, her tone dripping with exasperation. "Well, I came to tell you that your father’s stopped paying his alimony. So if you want to keep living here, you’ll need to stop being lazy and start college already, and don’t expect anyone to help you pay for it."

Joshua froze, her words hitting him like a punch to the gut. His heart thudded in his ears as he struggled to process what she’d just said. He worked a part-time job that barely covered his hobbies and allowed him to save a little. But now, out of nowhere, this responsibility was being dumped on him.

‘Victoria’s dad stopped paying the moment she turned eighteen, and she didn’t have to do anything,’ Joshua thought bitterly. 'She's probably lying about somewhere scrolling on her phone.’

"Mom, you can’t just drop this on me. Why does it have to be college and a job? What about the account Dad set up for me?" His voice wavered slightly, but he managed to keep his tone steady.

Deina’s smirk was almost cruel. "If it wasn’t for that no-good father of yours, you might actually still have that account. But it looks like he couldn’t keep up with paying both me and that lawyer he hired to keep me from the rest of what he owed me." Her words stung like a slap, each one more pointed than the last. She lingered just long enough to let her smugness sink in before adding, "Now hurry up and clean your room. Your sister is inviting Emily over, and we can’t have you embarrassing us."

Joshua turned back to his desk without a word and began carefully placing the amiibo back into their boxes. His hands trembled slightly, not with anger but with the effort of holding himself together. The urge to lash out burned deep inside him, but he’d learned the hard way that defiance only brought consequences. Even though he paid for the internet and his computer, even though everything in this room was his, Deina still had the power to take it all away.

From somewhere in the house, Victoria’s sugary-sweet voice carried through the air. "Mom, can you help me?" That faux cuteness she used anytime she wanted something.

Deina rolled her eyes and muttered, "You’re lucky we’re busy celebrating Emily getting into Duke. Ugh, I’m so tired of dealing with you. Just get your life together already—you’re 22 years old!"

The door slammed shut before Joshua could even think of a reply. The sound reverberated in the quiet room, leaving him alone with his boxed-up collection and the suffocating weight of his mother’s words.

***

Joshua heard the sound of laughter echo down the hall to his room on the first floor. Peeking around his door, he was immediately confronted by his younger half-sister and her girlfriend. Victoria, dressed to impress in a sleek designer outfit, scanned the room with a haughty smirk. Emily lingered behind her, shoulders hunched and avoiding eye contact.

“Joshua,” Victoria began, her voice, charming in tone, was laced with condescension, “can you not lurk around the house today? Emily and I have important things to discuss.”

Joshua didn’t bother hiding his irritation. “Funny how you get to lounge around here while I’m the one who’s supposed to get my life together.”

Victoria raised an eyebrow. “Maybe if you had a future worth talking about, you wouldn’t be so bitter.” She turned to Emily, all smiles again, pulling her away from Joshua’s doorway. “Now, about moving in together—Duke is so far away. Wouldn’t it be easier to stay here with me?”

Emily appeared hesitant, glancing back at Joshua as she walked away, just a few steps behind Victoria. Her eyes met with his, and an uncharacteristic smile flashed across her face as she placed a hand on her ass, giving it a grope.

Joshua was left dumbstruck, but before he could say anything, Victoria turned to face Emily, and before she could notice anything, Emily returned to her shy and submissive demeanor. Victoria pressed on, ignoring the pause. “You know I just want what’s best for us.”

The two eventually walked out of earshot, but the rest of the day was filled with only more oddities. It was completely out of character for Emily, in ways that Joshua couldn’t even believe to be a prank. If it were, no doubt Victoria would have been aware of it herself. But at every chance she got, when Victoria was distracted and Joshua happened to be there, Emily would trace her curves, grope her breasts, and even show Joshua her pure white lace panties with a whimsical lily flower pattern.

By the end of the day, Joshua finally escaped to his bedroom. The shelves he had recently purchased to display his games and memorabilia sat barren while he searched for jobs online.

He already had a part-time job at a local bookstore, but he couldn’t just ask Mr. Waller for a sudden raise or more hours. Mr. Waller didn’t make much money running the store, and Joshua didn’t want to quit on the kind old man who had helped him get discounts on books and video games over the years. The store also sold college textbooks, so Joshua hoped he could continue relying on the man who had been like a second father to him.

A gentle knock on the door, followed by an even softer voice, pulled Joshua out of his spiraling thoughts.

“Joshua, are you there?” Emily’s voice came through, barely above a whisper. “I wanted to talk to you… about Victoria… and my future.”

He hesitated, unsure how to respond. Emily approaching him—especially about her future—was the last thing he had expected. But the nervousness in her voice struck a chord. He knew all too well what it felt like to be a tool for his family, and he couldn’t help but feel empathy for her.

Joshua stood and opened the door. Emily stood there, her arm crossed beneath her ample chest as her free hand nervously fidgeted with the hem of her skirt. Her eyes were downcast, fixed somewhere near the floor. This was the Emily he was more familiar with—withdrawn and uncertain.

“What’s going on?” he asked, stepping aside to let her in.

Emily entered cautiously, her movements hesitant, as though she wasn’t sure she was allowed in. She perched on the edge of his bed, her hands fidgeting together in a bundle of anxiety.

“I… I don’t know who else to talk to,” she admitted, her voice barely audible. “Victoria’s been pushing me to give up on Duke and stay here with her. She says it’s the right choice, but… I don’t know if it’s the right choice for me.”

Joshua closed the door with a soft click and returned to his chair, crossing his arms. “So, you want my advice?”

Emily nodded slowly, her eyes finally meeting his. “I don’t know if I can keep doing this, Joshua. I feel…” Her shoulders shuddered, and her gaze fell even further away. “I—I feel… ph…”

“It’s okay, Emily. I’ll hear you out,” Joshua said gently, trying to reassure her.

“Ph—hahaha!” Emily suddenly burst out laughing, her tone completely shifting. “Oh man, dude. I knew you were a nice guy, but a hottie like me walks in, and you’re this serious? Hahaha!” She leaned back, her laughter sharp and almost mocking. “I mean, you’ve seen my panties, and you’re not even gonna make a move? For real?”

Joshua froze in his chair, blinking in confusion as Emily’s mood took a sudden U-turn. Her laughter echoed through the room, and he struggled to process what was even happening. His eyes darted to the floor, his throat tightening as he tried to figure out how to respond. He wasn’t sure if she was trying to lighten the mood or if she was just trying to push him away, but something about the situation felt wrong.

He tried shaking off the discomfort, “Wha—what are you… even talking about, Emily?” His voice softened, trying to get through to her, but the unease was clear in his tone.

The laughter slowly faded, replaced by an unsettling silence that lingered long enough to make Joshua wonder if he should say something. Emily eventually took a deep breath, steadying herself as though preparing to say something serious.

For a moment, Joshua was still processing the words, unsure of what was happening. His gut told him something was off, but he couldn’t put it into words yet. He simply kept watching, waiting for an explanation.

Emily finally spoke, but her tone was clearly different. “Relax, dude. It’s me, Rodger.”

As if the tension finally broke, “Is Victoria putting you up to this?” Joshua lowered his head in a sigh.

Rodger—or so Emily claimed—chuckled to herself. He leaned back confidently, steadying himself with a hand on Joshua’s bed. “I’m serious dude. It’s me. After all, would Emily honestly be doing any of this? Would she have teased you throughout the day when your family wasn’t looking.”

Joshua was past finding any of this amusing. Having been bullied by his family for so long, it was hard for him to find humor in anything he felt his sister was just setting him up for.

Rodger’s grin grew wide as he failed to break through Joshua’s skepticism. Honestly, this was exactly how he would have wanted his reveal to play out. A play, that in of itself, was further proof that it was Rodger underneath.

He leaned in close, there was a playful sparkle in Emily’s eyes as he made a teasing tone with Emily’s voice. “Alright,” he purred, his voice carrying a lilting, mischievous edge, “I’ll show you.” As he spoke, the neckline of Emily’s sundress dipped ever so slightly, the curve of her cleavage now right in Joshua’s line of sight. Rodger enjoyed the flash of unease in Joshua’s expression, savoring the tension.

Slowly and deliberately, Rodger ran a hand along Emily’s slender, porcelain neck, his movements deliberate and almost sensual. His fingers paused at a barely visible seam below her jaw. With a dramatic flair, he pressed his thumb into it. Then, with a slight pause for dramatic effect, and a teasing grin as he locked eyes with Joshua, Rodger slowly peeled the mask away.

Joshua watched, his breath catching in his throat, as Emily’s delicate features distorted unnaturally. Her once soft smile and gentle expression was pushed against from underneath by sharp, angular, and wider features. Then, inch by inch, the truth emerged: beneath the pale, dainty mask was Rodger’s unmistakable ebony complexion, his bold grin now fully exposed.

“Told you it was me,” Rodger said, his voice deep and rich, carrying the same playful confidence he had always wielded like a weapon. The contrast of Emily’s elegant body and clothes to Rodger’s sharp facial features was jarring, almost surreal… and arousing.

To emphasize his point—and perhaps just to mess with Joshua a little more—Rodger brought his other hand up to his chest. With exaggerated grasp, he gave the borrowed form’s ample bust an unapologetic squeeze, a mischievous sparkle in his eye. “Crazy, right?” he added, his grin widening as Joshua stared in stunned silence.

Finally, he managed to stammer, “What… What the hell am I looking at?”

Rodger laughed in his usual tone in a way that seemed to echo in the room. “Oh, don’t worry,” he said, peeling the mask all the way off and tossing it onto the bed. “There’s a perfectly logical explanation for all of this. Well, sort of.” His grin turned almost devilish. “But admit it—you’re impressed.”

Joshua exhaled sharply, his mind still spinning. “Impressed? I don’t even know what to think right now.”

Rodger leaned back, still clearly reveling in his triumph. “Good,” he said with a wink. “That’s exactly the reaction I was going for.”

Joshua finally found his voice, though his words came out in a mix of disbelief and concern. “First off, what happened to the real Emily? Please tell me this isn’t one of those creepy body-snatching situations where she’s stuck in a vat somewhere.”

Rodger returned Joshua’s concern with a serious look in his eyes. And as Joshua continued to stare his friend down, Rodger eventually broke into laughter, “Relax. Man, you’re really worked up today. Did something happen?”

Joshua let out a sigh. There’s no way someone he called his best friend would just off someone as kind as Emily. “An explanation for an explanation, then?”

“Deal.”

Joshua let out a long weary sigh before explaining how his mother bragged into his room earlier this morning. The usual insults and disappointment treatment followed, but that was never enough. College, a job, taking away the trust fund his father had set in place for him.

Rodger sat in silence as he heard his best friend out. It didn’t come as a surprise that Deina would do something like this. But hearing it made Rodge no less upset. That’s when the gears in Rodger’s brilliant mind started turning. What turned into a way to hang out with his best friend again was turning into the possibility of turning his best friend’s life around for the better.

Rodger’s frown slowly turned to his usual grin. “My friend, I think I might have a solution to your problem. Like I said, Emily’s fine. She’s at her apartment right now, preparing for Duke. She still needs to take a few more tests and pass an interview before she’s fully accepted, but more importantly…”