“Wait up…I have to go back to my locker” Taylor McKenna told her friends as they headed off to the band room. She turned around and before she knew it, went shoulder to shoulder with Brandy Van Tull.
“Watch where you’re going dork!” Brandy spat out at her in disgust, a condescending look of horror on her face “God, you’d think with glasses that thick you’d actually be able to see”
“Sorry” Taylor said. She put her head down and hurried off.
“Nice shirt by the way; do they sell women’s clothes at the store you go it at?” Brandy said before walking on with her friends by her side “What a total loser”
Taylor felt her cheeks burning bright red as she went to her locker. “God I hate her!” she thought to herself “She’s been making my life a living hell for years…three more months until graduation…three more months until you’re out of here” she told herself.
Brandy kept going with her friends Katie and Abby “She is such a total shit face loser…so pathetic it’s not even funny”
“You’d be smart to watch your tongue Miss”
Brandy spun around at hearing an unfamiliar voice. She had to look quite a ways down as Brandy was 5’10” and the owner of the voice couldn’t be over 5’ tall. But seeing that the woman was older, Brandy held her thought for the moment.
“I may be new to this school but I’m sure there is a no bullying policy in place here and I’d expect someone like you to adhere to it” the woman in black and pink said before turning heel and walking away.
“See you later” Katie said softly and apprehensively heading left to her next class.
“Yeah” Brandy replied with a dismissive wave of her hand. She saw her boyfriend Ben and lit up. “Hey Ben” she said in her flirty tone with a big smile. She went to him and wrapped her arms around his neck for her kiss. “Did you already go to the weight room this morning?” she asked.
“Yeah, had to get my work in” he replied.
“It shows” she replied “I’ll see you in Chemistry…bye babe” she kissed him one more time before heading to her government class.
3rd period Chemistry was Taylor’s least favorite class; none of her friends were in it but Brandy was. Taylor was in her seat when the queen bee came in with her boyfriend on her arm. The one thing missing was their teacher Mrs. Adams.
A short woman came in wearing a dark skirt and pink blouse with her hair piled up high on her head “Hello everybody” she said and Brandy’s eyes narrowed.
“My name is Mrs. Harrison. I have good news about Mrs. Adams in that she had a healthy baby boy last night; a few weeks early but healthy so I’ll be filling in for the rest of the school year” She looked around the class and smiled pleasantly but her eyes lingered on Brandy.
It was the next day in class that everything changed.
Taylor was in her seat getting out her stuff when she knocked her papers off her desk.
Brandy was walking down the aisle to her seat and made sure she stepped on it and ground her foot down on it creating a shoe impression on it.
“Come on Brandy” Taylor said.
“Look loser, if you can’t keep your paper on your desk than it deserves to get stepped on…oh God nice shirt…you would be a Doctor Who fan” she added in seeing Taylor’s blue t-shirt with the Tardis on it.
“Brandy!” Taylor said as she flipped her foot up and back kicking the paper behind her down the aisle. Only then did she see Mrs. Harrison watching. She snarled a bit as she went to her desk but neither said anything.
Taylor retrieved her paper but also caught her foot on a chair leg as she went back to her seat creating a loud noise that Brady laughed out loud at “Wow…looks like that and graceful to boot. No wonder all the guys are asking you out to prom”
“Shut up” Taylor said returning to her seat.
A few minutes into the lecture, Taylor’s phone went off with a new text message “Suck it you ugly bitch loser dyke”
Taylor shook her head and ignored Brandy’s taunting. A new text message went off a few seconds later.
“Do everyone a favor bitch and just kill yourself”
“Brandy! Put your hands up now!” Mrs. Harrison said coming down the aisle “Don’t touch your phone and try to delete what you just sent; I want to read it”
Brandy’s cheeks turned red this time.
Mrs. Harrison took the phone, read it and walked off with the phone “See me after school tonight please Ms. Van Tull” and nothing else was said.
Brandy kept fairly quiet the rest of the day until she walked back into Mrs. Harrison’s room and found a crowd gathered.
“Mom? Dad?!” she said upon seeing her parents sitting off to the side. Taylor was there along with her parents and the Principal. “Look I don’t know what…”
“Silence please Miss Van Tull. Take a seat” Mrs. Harrison said sternly. Brandy went over and sat by her parents.
“What you put in your text this morning is extremely serious and very troubling. I’ve only been here two days and have already seen you bully this girl several times and from what Principal Evans has told me, your behavior has been like this for quite some time now”
Mrs. Harrison looked up before continuing. “Everyone has looked the other way though for you and let this behavior of yours get by but no more: Everyone is very concerned for not only the wellbeing of Miss McKenna but for you as well. Death threats and encouraging suicide is a very serious offense”
Brandy bit the inside of her cheek trying to stay stoic.
“The immediate punishment is expulsion” Mrs. Harrison announced.
“What?!” Brandy stood up.
“Yes. You will be expelled but not only that, I understand you have a softball scholarship waiting for you; consider it gone what with the criminal charges that will be pressed against you for this”
Brandy went white; she felt faint, her whole world had just collapsed in an instant. No graduation, no college and possibly jail!
Mrs. Harrison let the room sit quiet for a few minutes letting it all soak in before she spoke again “Or let me offer you an alternative form of punishment; one that will not only allow you to graduate with your class, keep your scholarship and keep the police out of this matter completely”
Brandy perked up “Yes! Whatever it is yes, I agree” she blurted out.
“I’ve discussed this punishment with your parents and they are for it. We all believe it to be the best course of action because it will spare you the harsh ramifications but we also believe that this punishment will teach you a valuable lesson in empathy, sympathy and human nature. Things that you will carry with you for the rest of your life and make you a better person for it”
Brandy now eyed her gingerly “What’s the catch?” she asked.
“The catch is that you will swap bodies with Taylor for the rest of the school year” Mrs. Harrison said simply.
“What?!” Brandy said “That’s impossible; you just can’t…whatever you just said…switch our bodies!”
“I can and I will unless you wish to be expelled and lose your…” she began.
“Wait!” Brandy said. She turned to her parents “Why would you agree to this? This is Science Fiction bullshit, not a real solution”
“Actually, we saw her do a demonstration and it is real” Mrs. Van Tull said to her daughter.
“And frankly, this is the best course of action for you. We’ve been concerned about your attitude for some time and we don’t want to see you throw your entire life away. This is 3 months walking in someone else’s shoes” her father said.
“So essentially three months in prison” Brandy snorted sarcastically.
“Stop it!” her Dad snapped. “We hope that you will learn from this. You can be downright mean at times and yes, we might be to blame for some of that for not reining you in sooner”
Brandy looked around the room before focusing on Taylor.
Taylor was 5’4” and around 160lbs, soft around the middle and in her thighs. She wore glasses and braces, her hair was a flat brown and she had a prominent jaw and chin. “Three months as that?” she thought.
Brandy was 5’10” with long blonde hair, the true queen of the school. She had stared at Volleyball, Basketball and Softball, dating the captain of the football team and about to head to Oklahoma on a scholarship.
She stared at the floor for a moment “If I say no, I don’t graduate, I lose my scholarship and may face charges of intimidation and threatening” she thought.
“So if I swap bodies with her…?” she began “How do I not lose my scholarship anyway. I can’t play softball in her body”
“No; she will play softball in your body” Mrs. Harrison explained. “You two will swap everything and the only people who will know about it are in this room. You will live as Taylor for the next three months including being with her family. You will swap physical looks but also physical skills as well. She’ll have your softball skills”
Brandy froze for a moment.
“You will swap lives. And wardrobes for that matter; including that brand new prom dress you just purchased. Taylor will be going to prom with Ben in your place” Mrs. Harrison continued “Or you could just take the expulsion and retake your senior year again next year”
Brandy stared dead ahead “When do we swap back” she asked.
“After your graduation ceremony” Mrs. Harrison answered.
Brandy’s shoulders slouched; she nodded “I’ll do it” she mumbled.
“This is the right choice honey” her Mom told her.
Brandy turned as she heard Taylor’s chair slide back and she watched her get up “Must be your dream”
“No, not really…not at all” Taylor said as she walked up closer. “I remember back when we were actually friends in kindergarten and 1st grade; before any of the stupid things mattered. You’ve been mean to me ever since. I now have to look at that mean face, the face of my tormentor in the mirror every time I walk in front of one so I don’t know what answer you’re actually looking for”
Brandy cocked her head.
“Your looks aren’t everything and while you’re a good athlete and queen shit in this little town, I thought you’d be in for a rude awakening at some point in your life anyway. I’m doing this because I want you to experience what I’ve gone through all these years, not so I can fluff out my hair and walk around these halls like my shit doesn’t stink” Taylor told her “Trust me. I’m not going to sabotage you or try to ruin you in any way shape or form as long as you won’t do it to me”
“It will not be in Brandy’s best interest to do anything out of the ordinary while she’s you” Mrs. Harrison replied. “In fact, it’s guaranteed with a slight mental change we’re going to do as part of the switch…just a little tweak to your personalities to make sure you’re actually living authentically as the other”
Brandy’s jaw dropped but she knew she had to accept and face her punishment while already accepting a hard truth; not everybody wanted to be her. She stood up straight though and looked down the 6 inches she could into Taylor’s brown eyes.
As she looked, she felt something pass over her. She swallowed hard and blinked and then looked away, no longer able to maintain such tense eye contact any longer. An uncertainty began to grow inside her, gnawing away at her stomach and mind. She already felt less confident and sure of herself, more doubtful and even a little anxious, apprehensive and afraid. “What is this?” she asked mostly to herself.
Meanwhile, Taylor suddenly felt emboldened, confident, and even a little bit cocky all of a sudden. “I don’t know why I’m feeling like this…I never feel like this” she muttered suddenly confident that she could take on the world now, especially the seemingly weak girl in front of her.
Their body language switched. Taylor’s shoulders went back and she widened her stance as Brandy’s shoulders rolled inward and she slouched a bit down bringing her legs and feet closer together self-consciously.
Brandy brought her right hand over her chest and ran it up and down her left arm all the while looking downcast and fidgeting.
Brandy felt a sensation of coming in upon herself; she was shrinking. Her jaw dropped and her eyes popped wide open in shock as she saw the room growing larger around her, her sightline and perception changing as she shrank down 6 inches shorter. “What the…?” she said as a different sight came into view; a much taller Taylor.
Taylor felt her chest and shoulders rise upward and outward. A throbbing feeling started in her legs as they began to stretch out longer. “Wow” she said rising up. The room seemed to shrink around her but more importantly, Brandy shrank before her.
Taylor caught up to Brandy’s height and made sure they made eye contact when they were the same height. She couldn’t stifle the slight twitter of laughter that escaped from her mouth when she became the taller of the two of them and then continued growing as she continued shrinking.
Brandy now found herself only coming up to Taylor’s chin when she felt her muscles begin to soften and flab and fat begin to creep onto her frame. Her stomach poofed out into a soft ring above her waist, lifting her tight shirt up exposing a pale white belly with a deep belly button poking out in the open air. Her waist spread and the button on her jeans popped open. Realizing that she could ruin her jeans, Brandy began to undress. She zipped down her boots and stepped out of them while unzipping her jeans and yanking them down and off before her legs began to change.
Her tan skin began to whiten on her legs as they hard muscles of her thighs gave way causing her legs to widen and round off.
In just her panties, she felt her hips slide outward and her ass droop and sag minus the toned muscles that held her ass previously so high and tight and perfectly round. Extra pounds took the place of her athletic built muscles.
Taylor felt her whole body tighten; muscles twitched into action and life all across her frame as strength came over her. Her back bulged and her sides lost their suppleness. Her stomach began to pull in flat and taut along with her waist. Her arms grew long, the muscles ropy and ready as her leg muscles tensed melting away fat instantly.
Her hips slid in and her ass began to rise up and harden into a pert round rear end to die for.
Taylor was wearing a pair of grey woven shoes with no socks. She felt her toes press up against the ends and she could see the outlines of her toes across the tops of her thin shoes. She saw a vein come out along the top of her foot in the spot that was exposed and the skin was getting darker, tanner there as well.
She slipped her feet out as it was starting to get uncomfortable. Her feet were bigger already; longer and a bit wider and her toes were changing and growing before her eyes. Her second and third toes grew out longer than her big toes and she wiggled them as they changed shape. Her nails popped into Brandy’s shape and took on her black toe nail polish as well.
Taylor’s pants had risen up when she grew and she could see her ankles change and felt her calves tighten as well under the loose jeans.
Her pants fit oddly now as they were loose at the waist and hips but too short. She undid them and pulled them off, exposing darker skin that was tightening up and changing into Brandy’s long legs.
Brandy lifted her toes up inside of the socks she had on. She was curious though as to what they looked like so she stepped on the end of the right one and slid her foot out into the open. A pale and small foot met her gaze. Her toes were short and stubby without any polish on them. Her arches looked lower, almost flat and her toe nails were small, almost non-existent on her pinky toes.
She took off the other sock out of habit and watched as her claves thickened and her thighs got soft and kind of flabby. Her gut stuck out over the top of her panties and the bottom of her cheeks now poked out of the bottom.
Brandy put her right foot on top of her left and rubbed it up and down her shin as she pulled gently on the bottom of her shirt trying to cover herself.
Taylor couldn’t help herself; her hands went back and she slapped her ass feeling its tightness. Her legs were long, tan and toned, her stomach flat and her ass tight “I may not have wanted it, but I’m going to use it, that’s for damn sure” she thought.
Brandy next felt her breasts begin to pull back, getting smaller on her chest. Her bra was no longer full and her boobs came in to about the same level as her stomach. As her top deflated and resettled down, she noticed the Tardis in front of her lifting up and out.
Taylor chest swelled. Her breasts rose up and rounded off lifting up and straining her already perilous bra situation. She reached up and popped the back hook which helped out greatly. Her t-shirt grew tight and taut with her firm breasts pressing forward.
Her shoulders strengthened and her arms lengthened, the skin firming up with long muscles ready to go. Her hands stretched out longer and her fingers even felt stronger.
Brandy on the other hand, felt weak. Her shoulders rolled in and her arms muscles turned weak and flaccid, her upper arms sagging a bit in response as her fingers came down and in stockier than before with chewed on ragged nails.
She looked up and saw Taylor’s face now begin to change.
Taylor’s neck grew long and her chin pulled way in and her jawline came back. The whole shape of her face changed from round and bottom heavy to more heart shaped as her jaw rose up and in and her chin came to a point.
Brandy’s neck shortened and she could feel her jawline shift forward and her chin round off much more prominently. Her lips thinned and her cheeks disappeared. From being high and defined to having round and soft cheeks, Brandy’s look was rapidly changing.
“Mmpfh!” she said clamping her mouth shut as a metallic tang entered her mouth. She cautiously put her tongue out and felt the metal braces and wires all around her mouth.
Her nose flattened and broadened and her eyes narrowed before changing from blue to brown. Her vision blurred until she felt a pair of glasses in her hand.
Taylor’s lips plumped and turned a natural pink and her teeth suddenly felt lighter when her braces disappeared. Her cheek bones rose up and became high and defined, her nose thinned and grew longer and her eyes widened changing from brown to blue.
She blinked several times as her vision blurred until it hit her “Duh…I don’t need glasses anymore” she thought. She took them off and put them in Brandy’s hands. She watched as she slowly lifted them and slid them on her plain face. A few pimples were appearing while Taylor’s complexion cleared.
Brandy’s eyebrows went from thinned and worked on to much more wild and natural as her forehead narrowed and her hair began to change. Once the glasses were on, her ears shifted slightly smaller and she could see that their transformation was almost complete; Taylor looked almost exactly like her now.
Taylor’s eyebrows lifted and became sculpted as her forehead lifted and her ears grew out a bit. Her hair began to get flashes of gold through it changing it to bright blonde from her mousy shade of drab brown.
Taylor saw the hair cascade down over her shoulders and back and she turned her attention to Brandy, whose hair was thinning and laying down as it turned a dull brown.
“There we are” Mrs. Harrison said “You two have now switched bodies and lives, how do you feel?”
“Amazing” Taylor admitted.
“I…I’m not so sure…fine I guess” Brandy said looking at the ground and shifting her weight nervously. “Why am I so…?” Brandy began.
“Self-conscious?” Taylor finished for her “Nervous?”
Brandy nodded.
“Get used to it, it’s your personality now. Thanks to years of being told you’re not good enough” Taylor said. “Why don’t we switch some clothes here…my shirt’s about to burst”
“Um, yeah, okay” Brandy said.
The two Dads and Principal Evans excused themselves first followed by the Moms. Taylor took off her shirt and hanging bra and dropped her panties quickly while it took Brandy a little bit longer.
She got the first real glimpse of her body naked now “Three months…just three months” she told herself.
Taylor poked her old belly playfully which caused Brandy to jump and cover herself.
“Aw…don’t be so shy” Taylor said “I’m just playing. It’s really interesting to see your body from a totally different perspective…freaky really”
“Yeah…you’re telling me” Brandy replied looking up at Taylor who was showing no signs of shyness at all while Brandy couldn’t wait to get dressed.
“Your clothes and possessions will all be switched. All your clothes, your laptops, phones, purses, cars…everything” Mrs. Harrison informed them. “Your schedules will change, you are now each other until you’ve learned your lesson”
“You said until graduation” Brandy said putting on her panties and jeans.
“Yes, unless you really screw this up” Mrs. Harrison warned her.
Brandy didn’t say anything. She put on the small bra and Doctor Who t-shirt. She slipped her feet into the grey shoes and watched while Taylor finished up. “Am I trapped here? Did I just agree to a lifetime as Taylor?” she thought worried.
Taylor had put on the bigger bra and smaller panties. The tight jeans and tighter top went on before the socks and boots went on her feet. “Never thought it would feel like this in here” Taylor thought.
“Taylor” Mrs. Harrison said to the now tall and slender blonde “You’ll be going home with Mr. and Mrs. Van Tull and Brandy” she looked at the now shorter and heavier girl “You’ll be going home with the McKenna’s”
They looked each other over once more while they gathered up what was now their possessions. They of course knew their new friends but not like they should and Taylor was nervous about seeming natural in her interactions with Ben Reynolds. “I’ve never even had a boyfriend before” she thought “And I’m sure these two aren’t innocent around each other…everybody here is over 18 after all”
The rides home were awkward to say the least. Taylor immediately had to start answering a mountain of texts while Brandy only had two to respond to.
When Taylor went into the Van Tull home, she was not surprised to see that the walls were basically a shrine to her. Pictures all over the place of sports and formals along with school pictures “Only child obviously…”
She went to her room to find even more displays; trophies and medals on the shelves, pictures of her and Ben tucked everywhere, Oklahoma Sooners gear all around and a closet jam packed with designer clothes.
Taylor sat down on the bed and took off her boots and socks. There was a mirror on the back of the door and she went to it. “This face” she said smooshing her fingers around her face “This hair” she added as she ran her fingers through it “This body” she examined it from head to toe. “I still hate you” she finally said before doing her homework amidst a constant stream of texts.
“I still can’t believe this actually happened” was Brandy’s first thought once she was alone in her bedroom. “I can’t believe I’m actually looking into a mirror and seeing Taylor McKenna. I’m steering this…this is mine now; this is my body; not hers anymore” she pinched at her fat roll and examined herself up and down for long minutes at a time. “Just behave yourself for a few months and it’ll all be over” she kept telling herself.
Their first full day as the other couldn’t have been more different.
Brandy woke up disoriented when she heard her alarm go off “What’s wrong with me?” she thought at first as she slapped around for her phone only to discover the sound coming from an actual alarm clock radio. She felt her arm jiggle followed by her belly jiggle as she untangled herself from the covers.
The room was still very dark as the events from the previous day started to return to her “Oh Shit…it wasn’t a dream; I really am Taylor today!” she realized sitting up and feeling how different her body felt.
Moving and getting going was tough, her leg muscles didn’t respond the way she wanted them to, she stumbled as she went across the room and into the hallway.
Into the bathroom, she had worn an oversized t-shirt to bed and she started the water to heat it up. Brandy took off her shirt and panties and caught glimpses of her naked self “Get used to it and get over it” her brain told her succinctly.
She showered quickly and dried off, wrapping her towel around her chest. It took her a moment though when she picked up the toothbrush “I guess it’s always been in my mouth” she said with a shrug.
Back into her room, she started going through clothes, disappointed at her selection “She only has one pair of boots!” she thought as she dug into the closet. 38B bra, large panties, formless jeans and a black t-shirt went on before she added a zip up gray hoodie and put on socks and a pair of Converse sneakers.
Still not talking much to her new parents, Brandy ate a small breakfast and headed to school. She knew where her locker was now and found her friends Gina and Beth waiting for her.
“What happened in your meeting with bitch face yesterday?” Beth asked her.
Realizing that ‘bitch face’ was actually her, she laughed “Nothing; they threatened her with a bunch of stuff and made her apologize. All our parents were there but then she left and went to another meeting with Principal Evans so I don’t know” she shrugged. “Nothing ever really happens around here, you know that”
“Out of the way fat ass!”
Brandy felt her heart jump and race off as her cheeks burned. She turned and saw Becca Hobbs shoving past her “What? I’m getting picked on my Becca?!”
It didn’t seem to faze Gina or Beth and a part in the back of her brain kicked in “Yes. Becca Hobbs makes fun of you on a daily basis now…you thought you were the only one who picked on Taylor?”
She shook her head as she lowered it and headed off to class.
Brandy passed by Ben’s locker and he didn’t look up at all. She was getting close to her government class when she rounded the last corner and almost ran directly into herself.
“Watch where you’re going dumb ass!” Taylor sneered at her. “You know what would have happened to you if you actually touched me and made me spill my drink” she waved a Starbucks cup at her “Cause let me tell you, what’s in this cup is worth more than your sorry ass”
Brandy was stunned as Taylor stomped past her and Katie and Abby openly laughed at her giving her looks of hatred and contempt while muttering “loser” at her.
School work came to her easily enough but she spent the whole day feeling like there was a target on her back. She was exhausted by the time the day was over.
Taylor too had woken up disoriented. A phone alarm was going off and the room was brighter than usual. She was half out of the covers and seeing the outline of her leg and foot startled her.
“Oh My God…I’m still Brandy!” she thought as she popped up. She wiggled her foot and let her eyes trace back up her leg and body. A text from Ben was already waiting for her and she smiled as she responded playfully.
Showering and getting ready took her longer today than any other day of her life. Hair and make-up alone added 20 minutes, let alone picking out an outfit. She settled on black tights, black ankle boots and a long gray flowing top with a scarf bundled and tied up around her neck. Accessories became important to her for the first time; bracelets, necklaces, earrings, rings all went on.
The most surprising thing was she was able to walk in the heels she had picked out easily and naturally. “She said I’d have her physical skills; make-up, hair and walking in boots included”
Taylor walked into the school and the vibe she felt was different. People swarmed to her or deferentially got out of her way as she made her ways through the halls. She smiled to the ones that matter and sneered at the ones who didn’t. Her heart fluttered when Ben looked up and smiled as she turned the corner.
She picked up her pace and came up directly to him and got her kiss along with a little hug and lift up. “Hey Babe” she said.
“You’re smoking hot in those tights” Ben whispered in her ear “I’d love to pull them off of you with my teeth then make you squirm and scream from pleasure for me”
Taylor giggled “You’re so bad but you know what I’d like to do to you? Get you on your back and ride you like the stud you are” she had no idea where it came from but it made him smile and kiss her harder so it obviously worked.
He grabbed her ass as she went to leave. She spun and acted shocked and playfully grabbed for his dick before she went to class. As she made her way through the halls, she almost ran into herself.
The string of insults that came out of her mouth came automatically; she didn’t even have to think about her put down, it was just there.
Taylor was a bit shocked at doing it so naturally and seamlessly until a part in the back of her head kicked in “Yes, you’re going to act like Brandy now; you have to, to make her understand what she put you through”
Shaking it off, she went about her day noticing how much better she was treated by not only the other students but by teachers as well. Teachers kissed her ass as much if not more than the students did.
When the school day was done, hers wasn’t yet; softball practice awaited.
Taylor had never played softball and she was nervous about her skills truly coming to her. Never athletic and just two forgettable years playing soccer when she was 5 and 6 was all the experience she had but now she found herself in the locker room stripping down and changing clothes. A base pair of under armor shorts went on followed by her thick knee high socks. Another base layer shirt went on over her sports bra before she buttoned up her practice jersey and put on her softball pants. Finally, she laced up her cleats and grabbed her bat bag to head out to the field.
It was cold and the ground was soft and damp but it was still playable so they were out there for the next 2 hours.
She lined up at 3rd base and began to take grounders, effortlessly fielding and throwing right on target each time. When it came her time to bat, she planted her right foot and dug her left toe in, scuffing into the dirt. Once the pitch came, her muscles twitched and her body took over lining the first pitch into right field.
She held up on the second pitch but then proceeded to hit all the rest, spraying the ball to all fields. “This is fun…and easy” she thought as the coaches praised her.
It was another night of homework, texts and chilling for Taylor.
After a week was up, Brandy stayed after class to talk to Mrs. Harrison.
“So Brandy” she called her by her real name for the first time since the swap “What do you want to talk about?”
“Is there any way to end this now? I have learned my lesson, I swear I have!” she pleaded.
“Oh no…there hasn’t been nearly enough time for you to fully understand your past actions” Mrs. Harrison told her in an annoyed tone “The fact that you came here after only a week, a week! And asked to switch back shows me just how much more you still have to learn. You put people through hell for years and you think you’ve learned your lesson in a weeks’ time is foolish and naïve to the extreme”
“I…” Brandy began, tears welling up in her eyes “I miss my friends; I miss my family…I miss my life”
“You should have thought about all that long ago before you let yourself become such a terrible person”
“But I…” she knew it was going nowhere.
“Were you about to say that you’re miserable?” Mrs. Harrison asked.
Brandy nodded.
“Then you’re starting to get it” she was told.
Brandy turned and left the room defeated.
She stepped out and was shoved out of the way by Brianna Couch “Move it loser!”
Brianna was a teammate of hers and a known hothead so she dared not say a word.
Days and weeks passed, each moved in their opposite direction. Brandy disappeared more and more while Taylor reigned as Queen Bee.
Games started and Brandy had to hear about Taylor’s feats on the softball field every morning during announcements; she couldn’t bear to go watch her play in person.
As signs and decorations for Prom went up, Brandy’s gut burned knowing that no one would ever ask her. A few of the guys in band hinted and maybe Taylor would have taken them up on it, but Brandy played it off as though she never wanted to go in the first place.
Taylor was of course on the committee and was involved in all the planning.
When the day arrived, Taylor was treated like a Princess. Her day began with a trip to the spa and salon. She got a Mani Pedi while her hair and makeup were done professionally and she was pampered and relaxed.
Brandy got put to work in her Mrs. McKenna’s garden that day. By the end of it, she was sweating, stinky and hot with dirty nails and work boots that wouldn’t come off her wet feet.
In the afternoon, Brandy began to stalk her old Twitter and Instagram accounts to see when pictures went up.
The dress was probably more expensive than Taylor’s whole wardrobe combined. It was black floor length with silver accents along the waist and shoulder straps. There were cut outs above her hips along with most of the back while the skirt had a slit up the left side that showed off nearly her entire long, toned leg.
She paired this with a pair of matching, black strappy heels with silver accents that took her to over 6’ tall.
Katie and Abby arrived first for pictures, then a few more girls, then the guys began showing up. Hundreds of pictures were taken before they got into the limos and went to dinner before the actual event started.
Taylor allowed herself to get lost in the moment. She had never gotten to go to any formal dance since the mandatory one in the 7th grade. She laughed and danced and had fun, letting herself take something away from Brandy.
Brandy, for her part had watched all of those photos appear as she ate ice cream and watched The Notebook on Netflix.
She cried herself to sleep that night and for most of the next few weeks as she actually did some soul searching.
By the night of graduation, Brandy was more nervous and exhausted than happy.
She arrived at the field and saw Taylor posing for photos with just about everybody. She was in her white cap and gown, a pair of white wedge sandals on her feet.
Brandy chatted with Gina and Beth while they waited. She saw her parents sitting in the same row with the McKenna’s.
The M’s and the V’s sat nowhere close to each other in the ceremony but Brandy could tell Taylor’s eyes were on her as she made her way across the stage to receive her diploma and Brandy returned the favor a few minutes later.
The applause died down and the graduates began to make their way to their families, but Brandy stayed where she was until she made eye contact with Taylor.
Taylor made her way over and the two of them side stepped the crowd until they were alone.
“Taylor” Brandy began summoning up all her strength “I just want to start by saying I’m sorry. You’ll never know how truly sorry I am for the way I treated you and frankly a lot of other people for so many years. I was an awful person who did awful things and said so many awful words”
Taylor nodded but said nothing. She rocked back on her heel a bit as she listened.
“I can never apologize sufficiently to you for how I mistreated you but I beg you to forgive me. You would be a better person than I ever was if you accept my apology but I also know that you don’t have to do that and if I were you, I don’t know if I would. Living as you has given me such a chance though to see all the things I was doing wrong. I know I’m a better person for it” She swallowed hard and finally looked up again; she had been talking to the grass.
Taylor glowered down at her from nearly 9 inches above, her face set in stone as she listened.
“If you want to know how sincere I am; I am willing to spend the next four years in your body to atone for my behavior. You can go to college in my body and name and I’ll go as you. I was going to change my major to nursing like you want to anyway…it would be a way to help out other kids; kids who may need a helping hand and a listening ear”
Taylor was taken aback by what she was hearing but she kept her emotions and thoughts hidden for the time being. The offer to be Brandy for another four years…
Taylor took a step forward and watched as Brandy instinctively stepped back, almost flinching; a pose she knew all too well. “I could stay like this…stay in this body for another four years and then what, maybe by then she’d never want to change back to her original self” she thought.
That was when she leaned down and said “I forgive you Brandy”
Brandy looked up, her mouth curled into a slight crooked smile “You do? Really?”
“Yes…I can see that you have learned what it’s like to be me, but not just me myself but all of us who grow up outside of the cool kids club. There’s a lot more of us out there and we’re invisible to people like you. You treat us like vermin, like we’re so below your level and now I think you know what that level looks and feels like”
Brandy looked up, tears still in her eyes.
“But I think I’m ready to change back with you”
Brandy sighed.
“This isn’t me and that isn’t you. As much as part of me is intrigued with making this body my own for not only 4 years but actually forever, I don’t know if I would want it” Taylor told her.
“Still, you have to think about what it would be like to go on to college as Brandy” Brandy said.
“There’s a pressure associated with your body and life that I don’t know if could handle forever. I can see just how easy it is to fall into the mean girl trap when everybody is kissing your ass 24/7. I had some fun…sometimes I’d let myself relax and enjoy your life but other times, most of the time, I just felt like an imposter. It came easily to insult and put you down and other people at school too…too easy. I can’t do it and I hope you can’t either anymore”
“No, I can’t anymore…not now that I know how it feels on the other side” Brandy admitted. “I will never treat anyone else like I treated you, and if I do, I would hope that I would have to spend time in their body to reflect on my attitude but that’s not going to happen, because I know better now”
“Are you just teasing me though?” Taylor asked. “You don’t seem very happy about switching back”
Brandy looked up “I still think you deserve to have it” she said “Not me…I don’t think I should go back to being Brandy, I don’t know what I would do with myself”
Brandy came up from the left and Taylor from the right but they both arrived at the row with their parents at the same time.
“Well ladies, congratulations” they heard from behind them. They turned and saw Mrs. Harrison standing there.
“Oh, um, Hello” Brandy said nervously.
“Hey” Taylor said casually.
“I heard your conversation and I’m proud of both of you for how you’ve handled this” she told them.
“I meant everything I said if you heard it” Brandy said. “I’ve learned my lesson…I really have”
“And I heard your side as well Taylor and I’m happy that accepted her apology sincerely” Mrs. Harrison said. “You’ve also shown maturity and trust in yourself in refusing her offer to stay like this; someone with less self-control would not have been able to pass that up”
Taylor blushed slightly but kept her head up high in her confidence.
Brandy swirled her foot in the grass encased in her flat white sandal “I’ve gotten used to this body over the last three months” she admitted. “I’m going to miss it”
“Really?” Taylor asked somewhat surprised.
“I told you this once already; I’m not lying” Brandy said. “There’s something here that feels good to me, comfortable. I think that was part of my problem before; I knew I had to put on a show; I knew I was the center of attention and there was always a part of me, a deep down part that I never acknowledged, that just wasn’t comfortable with it. Looking like that carries an expectation”
“So you’re saying that deep down, you weren’t comfortable in your own skin; that’s why you lashed out and were mean to people?” Taylor asked.
Brandy nodded “It took looking like this for me to realize how unhappy I was”
“Are you genuinely happy now? Happier than you were?” Taylor asked.
Brandy looked up again, tears in her eyes “I’m the happiest I’ve ever been in my life…don’t make me change back!”
“What?” Taylor said.
“I don’t want to change back! I never want to look like that again and have those expectations projected on me again. I want to be Taylor from now on…please don’t make me go back!” Brandy pleaded.
“Well then Taylor, this falls to you” Mrs. Harrison told her. “You’ve already said you’re willing to change back and take back your old body and life but now Brandy has asked to stay as you. It’s your choice: Stay as Taylor or change back”
Taylor was staggered by the decision “Um…”
“This would be the time to do this as you’re both heading off to college now” Mrs. Harrison said “But also know the consequences, you will be Brandy Van Tull from now on”
“Does anything else change if I agree to stay as Brandy; I mean, does more of our minds change?” Taylor asked.
“Yes” Mrs. Harrison said “Granted you will always remember who you were but even more of your personalities will switch and some of the things you could control will become your nature now”
Taylor looked down and bit her lip. She looked down to Brandy and thought long and hard. “Okay” she finally said nodding “We will stay like this”
Brandy’s eyes lit up and she ran forward and embraced her old body as hard as she could.
Taylor nearly tumbled backwards, stumbling in her heels to maintain her balance.
“You’ve made me so happy!” Brandy said “I hope you’re happy too!”
“I am” Taylor admitted. “I’ve played the tough girl card and in the beginning it was hard. I had come to hate you over the years and then becoming you…it was all a bit much but I have to say, I do like it as you”
“I knew it!” Brandy said. “I think this is supposed to be. I was always supposed to be you and you were destined to be me…to be Brandy. I’m only going by Taylor from now on”
“I can’t believe I actually look like this now” Taylor said “I’m Brandy now”
“Now and forever…enjoy your scholarship” Taylor told her.
“Thanks” Brandy replied as she leaned over and hugged her old body. “I can’t believe I get to stay”