Joe had no idea why he agreed to this date.
Blind dates weren’t his thing. He barely had time to code his own projects, let alone engage in small talk with a stranger. But his roommate, Chad—who had zero taste in women—had practically shoved him out the door.
So here he was, sitting across from a girl named Tasha at a dimly lit restaurant, poking at a plate of overpriced pasta and wondering how long he had to stay before faking an emergency.
Tasha was… cool?
No, she was hot. Like too hot to be here with him.
She had long braids, a confident smile, and a sharp sense of humor. She’d already roasted three people at the bar and a guy two tables over wearing suspenders.
But Joe was awkward as hell.
"Computer Science, huh?" she mused, swirling her wine glass. "So what, you hack banks?"
He snorted. "Yeah, totally. That’s exactly how it works."
"Hey, I don’t know," she teased, leaning forward. "You’re all nerdy and mysterious. Maybe you’ve got some secret double life. Like you’re in the mafia or something."
If only she knew.
Because at that exact moment, his phone buzzed on the table.
Unknown Caller.
Weird. He didn’t get unknown calls.
Tasha raised an eyebrow. "Gonna answer?"
Joe sighed and picked up.
"Yeah?"
The voice on the other end was way too cheerful.
"Joe! It’s been a while, hasn’t it?"
Joe’s stomach twisted. Something about the voice sent a chill down his spine.
It was familiar. Too familiar.
"Who is this?"
The person on the other end chuckled. "Oh, don’t tell me you forgot. We used to have some wild parties together. Alpha Sigma Rho, ring any bells?"
Joe froze.
"This isn’t funny," Joe muttered, gripping the edge of the table.
The voice on the other end sighed dramatically. "You’re right, it isn’t. But don’t worry, babe. I’m calling to fix that little oversight."
The call ended.
And then—Joe felt it.
For a second, he thought he was having a stroke—his fingers tingled, his legs felt weirdly tight, and his vision blurred like he was in a glitchy video game.
"Uh, you good?" Tasha asked, watching him like he was about to fall out of his chair.
Joe tried to answer, but his voice cracked like a middle schooler hitting puberty.
No—not cracking.
Shifting.
His Adam’s apple shrank as his throat tightened, his voice softening into something higher, smoother.
His clothes shrank against his body, his button-up tightening in all the wrong places.
No, no, no.
His chest felt heavy, an unfamiliar weight pulling at his shirt.
Joe squirmed in his seat as his hips pressed outward, his jeans tightening like a vise around thicker thighs and a softer waist.
His feet felt like they were floating—or maybe they were just shrinking inside his shoes.
His skin darkened just slightly, taking on a warmer brown tone, while his hair grew out, fading to an unnatural white-gray that fell over his shoulders.
Everything about him was softer, rounder, plush.
A tingling warmth ran down his spine as his posture shifted, his shoulders rolling inward like they’d never been broad to begin with.
Tasha’s eyes widened as she sat back in her chair.
"Damn, Joe, you good? You look—"
She stopped, blinking.
"Wait. Who’s Joe?"
Joe—no, Sienna—shivered.
That name felt right.
It shouldn’t, but it did.
Her thoughts felt different—not gone, but… rearranged.
Alpha Sigma Rho? Never existed.
She had always been a Chi Mu Nu sister.
She had always been goofy, ditzy, and just a little too clumsy for her own good.
She had always been a Business major, not some boring Computer Science nerd.
The date.
She was still on the date.
Sienna blinked, shaking her head. "Uh…"
Tasha smirked, resting her chin on her hand. "You okay there, babe? You just spaced out for a minute."
Babe?
Sienna’s cheeks burned.
This was fine.
Totally fine.
Because this wasn’t new.
She’d always been here.
She’d always been Sienna.
She fidgeted, her new body feeling softer, fuller, her clothes fitting differently—her retro-styled blouse hanging loose in some places but tight in others.
Her nails tapped against the table—long, painted, and perfectly manicured.
She had never had a blind date before.
Because… Tasha was her girlfriend.
Her long-term girlfriend.
Tasha grinned. "So, you wanna tell me what’s got you all flustered, or are you just gonna sit there looking cute?"
Sienna sputtered.
Her brain was still catching up, but her body already knew how to react.
She tossed her white-gray hair over her shoulder, rolling her eyes. "Ugh, you wish."
Tasha laughed. "I know."
Sienna bit her lip to keep from smiling too hard.
Okay.
So maybe this wasn’t the worst punishment.