Nathan was excited about his evening with Nicole, eagerly anticipating their 5th anniversary. They'd booked their favorite restaurant and even made plans to revisit the place they first met. But as he approached their apartment, his heart sank.<br /><br />The door was slightly ajar, and through the gap, he saw Nicole locked in an embrace with Tom, her ex. An icy chill ran down Nathan&#8217;s spine.<br /><br />"What the hell, Nicole?" Nathan burst in, eyes aflame with anger.<br /><br />Nicole pulled away, her expression conflicted. "Nathan... I can explain."<br /><br />Tom, looking annoyingly self-assured, smirked. "Oh, come on, Nicky. Why so serious?"<br /><br />"Leave, Tom. Now," Nathan commanded.<br /><br />Tom chuckled, his eyes glinting with mischief. "Why the rush? We never really got to know each other."<br /><br />Nathan, wanting to protect Nicole, hesitated and sat down opposite Tom. &#8220;Fine. What do you want?&#8221;<br /><br />Tom smirked. "Let&#8217;s play a game. I'll ask you questions, and you have to answer honestly. Let's see how well we get to know each other."<br /><br />"What's your favorite color?" Tom asked casually.<br /><br />Nathan felt a strange compulsion to answer. "Pi...pink," he stammered, surprised by his own answer.<br /><br />Tom chuckled, "Cute. And if you could be any age, how old would you want to be?"<br /><br />"Ni...nineteen," Nathan replied, the answer feeling more like it was being yanked out of him than spoken willingly.<br /><br />With each answer, Nathan felt different. Younger. His physique began to soften, his features growing more delicate.<br /><br />"How would you describe your dream personality?" Tom's grin was wicked.<br /><br />"Like, super bubbly and, um, a little ditzy?" Nathan's voice was growing higher, more feminine.<br /><br />Tom's laughter echoed in the room. "What&#8217;s your favorite subject in school?"<br /><br />"Gossip and, like, makeup tutorials?" Nathan replied, struggling against the compulsion but failing miserably.<br /><br />His clothes changed, transforming into a pink crop top and denim shorts, showing off smooth, tanned legs. <br /><br />"And if you had a career, what would it be?"<br /><br />"I dunno, like, maybe a waitress or something? That sounds fun!" The transformation was almost complete, Nathan's memories of his life as a successful attorney fading, replaced by those of a young woman named Connie, who had just started college and was figuring out life.<br /><br />"And finally," Tom said, relishing the moment, "what's your name?"<br /><br />Connie blinked her long, mascara-coated lashes. "It's Connie. Like, duh!" she giggled.<br /><br />Tom stood, wrapping an arm around Nicole. "Well, it was nice getting to know you, Connie. Take care."<br /><br />As they left, Nicole glanced back, a pang of guilt evident in her eyes, but she was too wrapped up in Tom's reality manipulation to act on it.<br /><br />Connie, meanwhile, looked around in confusion. "Like, what just happened?" she mused, her old life as Nathan, the successful attorney, nothing but a faint, unreachable memory.<br /><br />Connie, still dazed from the bewildering exchange, wandered over to the large full-length mirror that hung on the wall. The reflection staring back was strikingly unfamiliar. Instead of Nathan&#8217;s sharp jawline and stubble, she saw soft, rounded cheeks flushed with a rosy hue. Her once short-cropped hair had grown long, cascading in wavy chestnut locks down to the small of her back. The pink crop top she wore accentuated a slim waist and a pair of generous breasts, while her denim shorts revealed long, shapely legs, ending in petite feet adorned in white sandals.<br /><br />Lost in her reflection, a shrill ringtone snapped her out of her trance. Fishing out a phone from her purse - when had she started carrying a purse? - she answered, "Hello?"<br /><br />"Hey Connie! It's Jenna from Joe's Diner. Someone called in sick today. Can you come in for an extra shift?"<br /><br />Like, totally not how she planned her day, but, "Sure! I'll be there in, like, an hour?"<br /><br />"Awesome! Thanks, girl!"<br /><br />As she hung up, another message pinged on her screen. The contact name read "My Love" with a heart emoji. Opening the message, it said, "Miss you, babe. Can't wait to see you after your shift. Love you."<br /><br />Connie blinked in surprise. Who was this? Despite her confusion, a warm feeling spread in her chest. The past felt like a distant dream, and her present, as unfamiliar as it was, felt right. She quickly typed back, "Miss you too! See you later &#10084;&#65039;," took one last look at her reflection, and headed out to start her day at Joe's Diner.