Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Kelly woke up feeling strange. Well, strange might not be the best word for it. Maybe bad fits better. Her problem was that usually when she woke up in the morning, she felt great. However, today she felt awful. Like, she barely even had the strength to open her eyes. Her whole body hurt too. Maybe she had too much to drink at the party last night. Aching could be a side effect of drinking, right?

When she finally opened her eyes, she was confused. Then concerned. Then scared. This was definitely not her room… Did someone kidnap her?! Oh god her mom would kill her if she got raped… But, wait. She wasn’t tied down! And no one else seemed to be in the room… Perfect! A chance to escape from her unknown captor! Kelly shuffled out of the blankets and got out of the bed, surveying the room for a way out. There were two doors, and taking a chance, she opened one of them. Oh. Just a bathroom. And while she should have left the bathroom and tried the other door- for the best chance of escape- Kelly was instead gawking at the view of herself in the mirror.

Why the fuck did she look exactly like Nicole?! She hesitantly took a few steps closer to the mirror to see herself better. D-did her roots fully grow out in the span of a night or something? Wait, no, her natural hair wasn't even this shade of brown. And her eyes were a different color too… That left only one possibility… she had somehow been transported into Nicole's body! Just like in her favorite movie! Maybe she and Nicole would have to go through a fun bonding experience to switch back.

For now, Kelly decided to just play along with Nicoles life until they met at school to sort things out. She was sure Nicole would come to that same conclusion. Definitely.

- - -

Wow, dealing with Nicole's mom sure was an experience. She really liked to yell… Kelly would definitely console Nicole later that day, she was probably traumatized. It was also quite the revelation when Kelly realized that Nicole didn't have a car. For a couple minutes she paced in the driveway, wondering what to do, before remembering that Nicole always rode with Jecka to school. Nice! She would just wait outside for Jecka, and in any minute she'd have a ride to school!

…

10 minutes later Kelly was getting impatient. Yes, 10 minutes wasn’t that long, but Kelly had to get to school to speak with Nicole about the situation! She wondered when Jecka usually got to Nicole's house. Maybe she could text Jecka and sneakily ask when she would arrive. Kelly was pretty confident she could act like Nicole over text. She pulled out Nicole's sidekick and sent a quick text to the contact named jecka.

[nicole: hey jecks! :3 when r u getting here 2 pick me up?? :p]

The response was quick. Time for her first conversation as Nicole!

[jecka: hi nicoel im gna be late todat sry somethinh came up

nicole: oh no!!! wut happened? :((

jecka: its cmoplicated idk how explain sry ill be ther soon

nicole: kk! thanks jecka youre the best friend ever!! cya soon! <3

jecka: nno problme nicole

…

jecka: <3]

Piece of cake! Jecka was none the wiser to Kellys identity. For the next few minutes, Kelly waited for her, this time a bit more patient since she knew she'd arrive soon.

When Jecka got there, Kelly immediately climbed into the passenger seat of the car and flashed her a smile as she put on her seatbelt. This was going well so far! She looked over to Jecka for a second, noticing her anxiously tapping the steering wheel with a stressed expression on her face.

“You doing alright, Jecka? You look nervous,” Kelly pointed out, hoping it wasn't out of character for Nicole to be concerned. She didn't actually care if it was, Jecka was her friend too and she was worried.

Jecka snapped out of her daze and looked at Kelly with a light, sheepish smile before responding. “Oh, sorry Nicole. Just… thinking about something. I… I’ll tell you later. Let’s just get to school,” Jecka said as she started on the drive to school.

Kelly nodded, turning away from Jecka to look out the window. She always enjoyed doing this, but it was different now that the route was different. Nicole's neighborhood wasn't quite as nice as Kelly’s, but it was cute. A lot of the houses had some personality instead of just being soulless mansions like where Kelly lived. She kind of wished she could come here more often.

The more they drove, the closer they got to school, so Kelly started recognizing more. Still she kept her head out the window, staring at the city scenery as it all passed in quick succession to match with the speed of Jecka’s car. She wasn’t sure if she was enjoying this anymore or if she was just scared to talk to Jecka. She didn’t want anyone to figure out she wasn't Nicole after all. She did a great impersonation so far, but who knew how long that would last.

When they finally arrived at the school, Kelly and Jecka stepped out of the car together. Jecka seemed slightly less anxious now, staring at the students entering as if she was looking for someone. Kelly did almost the same thing, scanning the crowd of students for Nicole. It would probably be better to talk about their situation sooner than later. Earlier she had briefly considered just texting Nicole, but Kelly’s number wasn't even saved on Nicole's phone! Rude, because Kelly had immediately saved Nicole's number the second she got it. Anyway, it seemed like an in person conversation was the only option.
Kelly was so excited!

Chapter Text

Nicole thought now would be a great time to die.

First, there was the weird situation at the party the night prior, and now waking up in this dumb, blonde, bimbo’s body? Could her life be any worse? She was used to dealing with pedophiles, rapists, weirdos in general- you name it- but this shit was entirely new to her. This was probably just another “fuck you” to her from god or some other stupid bitch. While she should probably go outside to figure out what the hell had happened to her, she was perfectly content with rotting in Kelly’s (honestly massive) bed.

It was sickening how understanding Kelly’s parents were. All it took was one “i’m not feeling well today” for them to let Nicole lock herself in her room for the entire day. Well, it wasn’t really Nicole’s room. But they didn't know that, and it wasn't like Nicole was going to tell anyone what happened anytime soon. Hell, she wasn't even entirely sure about that herself. However, if she went around telling people about this awful predicament, she’d probably be shipped off to a mental ward before she could finish her sentence. The ounce of empathy within Nicole didn’t want to subject Kelly to that once they inevitably switched back. Hopefully they’d switch back. As comfortable as this bed was, Nicole couldn't cut herself like this, and that was like her favorite thing to do.

She didn't want to hurt Kelly like she had hurt everyone else.

> > >

Ari leaned against Jecka’s locker, scanning the crowd of students rushing through the school hallway. She liked being taller so far, for one, it helped with finding Jecka, but her long hair was a real inconvenience. Ari wasn’t sure how Jecka functioned with it. She kept having to remind herself that she was looking for, well, herself. Short red hair, graphic t-shirt, and dull eyes- that's what she needed to spot.

It was honestly hard to be Jecka so far.

After her brief panic attack when she woke up that morning, she got a text from Nicole. It was worded strangely kind for Nicole- Ari wondered if it had something to do with the party last night. She felt a pang of hurt in her chest when she thought of that, before collecting herself and typing a quick response. Who cares if it had way too many typos? The rest of that morning was kind of a blur- Ari was spaced for half of the drive with Nicole, and when they got to school, she quickly left her to find Jecka. The more she waited though, the more she thought, and she came to the conclusion that Nicole… wasn’t Nicole. Even concerning the events of last night, Nicole would never act like that. Ari wasn't sure yet who exactly was inhabiting Nicole's body, but she’d figure it out sooner or later. At least she and Jecka weren’t alone in this.

…

Ari found Jecka in the courtyard. Halfway into 2nd period, when she was about to give up the search and will Jecka to answer her texts, she went outside to get some air. Lo and behold, Jecka was right there- smoking?! Nuh uh, not in Ari’s body! Without thinking, she stomped over to Jecka and snatched the cigarette out of her mouth, trying not to think about how weird interacting with herself was.

“Wh- hey! What the fuck was that… for…” Jecka’s insult died in her throat when she looked up and saw her own body glaring down at her. “Is… that you, Ari?”

Ari’s gaze softened a bit when she registered what she was doing. She dropped the cigarette to the ground and crushed it with her foot before replying. “Y-Yeah, it's me. Sorry about that, I just… didn't want you smoking when you're me,” she said, not making eye contact. Whether it was because of the weirdness of the situation or something else, she didn't want to think about it.

“Yeah, I get that, sorry,” Jecka sighed.

An awkward quiet settled between them, neither of the two girls knowing what to say next. Jecka looked nervous, running her hands through her hair as a bead of sweat rolled down her face. She broke the silence first.

“So, uh, I'm not used to having this short hair yet,” Jecka mumbled out, glancing up at Ari to see her reaction. Perfect, they were going the ignore-what-you-actually-need-to-talk-about way. Exactly what Ari needed. She let out a relieved sigh, sitting down on one of the benches, Jecka following suit.

“Yeah, and I’m not used to long hair. D-Do you really brush this all every day?” Ari asked, a bit more comfortable now. Jecka nodded, and before more awkward silence could come, she spoke again.

“We aren't the only ones who swapped bodies, I think. When… When I had to drive Nicole to school this morning, she was acting really weird. I bet she swapped with someone too.”

“Oh, really?” Jecka spoke, now intrigued. “Do you have any idea of who she swapped with? I hope it’s not Jeffery or something,” they shuddered together, hating the idea of that. Ari shook her head. “Thankfully, I doubt it’s Jeffery. She was just acting all happy-go-lucky and bubbly with me.”

Jecka thought for a second before her eyes widened in realization. “Like Kelly! Do you think she swapped with Kelly?” Ari mentally facepalmed herself as she groaned. “Oh, duh! It was Kelly! You’re so much smarter than me, Jecka. I can’t believe I couldn't figure that out,”

Jecka giggled a little. “Thanks for the compliment, but you’re also pretty smart. You figured out she was acting weird in the first place, remember. I think we make a good team,” She nudged Ari gently with a smile as she looked up at her. A light blush coated Ari’s cheeks. The only good part of this situation was that, to passerbyers, it would look like Jecka was the flustered one.

“Thanks,” she replied simply.

After a few moments, Jecka leaned away from her, her grin gone. “But, look, we should probably talk about the par-” Ari slapped her hand on Jecka’s mouth before she could finish that sentence, suddenly glad her actual body was so small. “Look… I don’t really want to talk about that, Jecka. I’m sure you don’t either. How about we just… fix whatever the hell happened to us, and then we can talk?” Ari braced herself, awaiting Jecka’s response on the matter.

“mmm mmmph mmmmmm…”

“Oh right, my hand…”

Chapter Text

Nicole groaned as she walked inside the school, hating this day already. Those dumbass parents forced her to go to school the next day, saying that she was “well rested enough”. And it didn’t help that Nicole was constantly being approached by those bitches who were Kelly’s ‘friends’.

After way too many “i'm sick, let's talk tomorrow!”s, Nicole finally had enough and headed into a girls bathroom to skip once the first bell rang. She sighed and leaned back against the farthest stall door, slowly sinking down to sit on the floor.

It was gross. But whatever it wasn’t even her body.

Right, speaking of that. Nicole hadn’t really thought about how this happened yet. She didn’t want to, to be honest. The morning she woke up, she was instantly sulking and plotting new and creative ways to die. God, it was bad enough being herself, now she had to get used to being someone else?! Granted, Kelly’s life was probably way easier than hers. That ho probably never had to try for anything since her rich as hell parents could help her pay her way out of any punishments.

Nicole laid her head on the cold, tiled wall, closing her eyes for a moment. Despite her day of rest, she still felt fucking exhausted. She curled her body up a little, arms around her knees. It was kind of peaceful, a little moment of serenity in her already awful day. Nicole stayed in that position for a while, just relaxing to the best of her ability. She even started to nod off a bit, though it was hard for her to completely fall asleep while in the most vulnerable position ever in a school full of rapists.

The sound of the bell jolted Nicole awake. Had she really been in here for an hour? And all too sudden she heard the squeaking of the bathroom door being pushed open. She quickly stood up and walked over to the sinks, trying not to seem suspicious. It was normal, expected even, for Nicole to skip, but Kelly? She wasn’t exactly a straight-A student… However, the most rebellious she’d ever been was when she stole like 4 cups from the teachers lounge since Kylar told her they make alcohol taste better.

In the bathroom came Karen, seeming a bit tense. She spotted Nicole quickly, returning to semi-normal.

“Oh, hey Kelly. What’s up?”

“Er- Not much. Just uh, leaving now,” Nicole stuttered out, lazily running her hands under the water to try and avoid having a conversation. Unfortunately, that didn’t work.

“You were absent yesterday. Why, uh, was that?” Karen asked, probing further.

“I was sick. Still sick now so I probably should like, stay away from you, ya know…?” Nicole, really milking this excuse, took a few steps back towards the stalls to prove her point. God she really didn’t want to have to talk to people right now.

Karen paused and squinted her eyes a bit at Nicole, examining her, before replying simply, “Alright, I’ll go. See ya later, Kelly.” Nicole halfheartedly waved before letting out a huge sigh when the door shut behind her. She retreated back to the stall, this time standing up leaned against the wall. A couple minutes later the next ball rang, so the next period had started. Nicole was glad no one had seemed to really come into the bathroom today, because she really needed to be alone.

Waiit, Karen didn’t even use the bathroom…

…

Nicole stayed situated in that bathroom until around 4th period, it was kind of her safe space for then while still being in school. Admittedly, it was boring, but she had no other ideas. The few people that had used the bathroom that morning hadn’t really bothered talking to Nicole, which she was immensely grateful for. However, once the lunch periods started, Nicole knew the ‘bathroom population’ would increase tenfold. So she’d have to find a new hiding spot, since she wasn’t fond of being found by someone who actually… mattered.

Nicole checked her phone. (Or rather, Kelly’s). There were maybe 5 minutes until the next bell. Now was a better chance than ever to change hiding spots. Maybe that photography closet place?

She absently exited the restroom, brainstorming ideas. What she didn’t expect to see, standing directly across the hallway, was, well, her. Nicole stared. And
the other Nicole stared back. What the fuck was this shit, who was piloting her body?

Hold on, shit. If she had woken up in Kelly’s body, then maybe…

Nicole’s heart pounded in her chest.

“…Kelly?” Nicole quietly spoke, trying to confirm her suspicions. Maybe she could find a way to fix this if she had Kelly’s help. Wait, no. She didn’t need anyone’s help. Nicole shook her head and glanced back up at maybe-kelly, who was just responding, “Uh, yeah… Dude, where were you?!” Kelly’s expression shifted to one of anger as Nicole realized she had absolutely fucked up.

Shit shit shit sh- She had to go, now. Nicole was in no mood to deal with the consequences of skipping a whole school day when Kelly was probably out there looking for her.

So, without thinking, she bolted, running down the hallway in an attempt to get away.

“Wh- hey! Come back here!”

Kelly followed suit, and the sound of Nicole’s shitty old sneakers hitting the floor somehow made her nervous. Was Kelly fast? She didn’t remember from gym class, after all, she never put in any effort in that class, always just chatting with…

No time to contemplate! She had to RUN!!!

Nicole sped up, suddenly happy that Kelly was rich, because these were like the most comfortable shoes ever. She breathed heavily, turning a corner and tensing up when she heard the bell ring.

Lunch.

A steady flow of students exited the classrooms, slowing Nicole down to a speedwalk. To make matters worse, she heard a yell- Kelly was a lot closer than she thought.

“COME ON!!!! WHY ARE YOU AVOIDING ME? WE HAVE TO TALK!”

Nicole cringed at how embarrassing that was to hear in her own voice, before realizing that she had run straight into a dead end.

Fuck fuck fuck fuck… OH! She could go into an empty classroom!

Almost as if on cue, a lone teacher exited a classroom after his students, carrying a bag of stuff. Perfect. Nicole slinked behind him and entered the classroom just as the door was closing. She let out a breath of relief. No way Kelly would think to look in here. She sunk into a random seat and laid her head on the desk. She could stay here for lunch, where no one would find her, and head to the dark room for the rest of the day after.

Easy.

With her head down and her eyes closed, she barely noticed when someone else entered the room. Stubbornly she stayed still, hoping that it wasn’t true. A hand tapped her shoulder.

“Hey. I know this is a weird situation, but we still have to talk about it to find a solution, y’know,” said Kelly softly. Nicole still wasn’t used to hearing her own voice. She hesitantly opened her eyes, seeing Kelly standing in front of the desk with a small smile on her face. She too seemed a bit out of breath, having chased Nicole.

Seeing Nicole make no move to reply, Kelly continued.

“I’m sorry for yelling, by the way. It’s just… I searched for you all day yesterday, you know. And when you were nowhere to be found… I kind of got worried. I just want to figure out what’s going on. Anyway, when I saw you there, just casually skipping like usual, like nothing had changed, I guess… I guess I got a bit frustrated. And then you ran away…”

Nicole sighed and sat up a bit. If this bitch was trying, she guessed she could maybe try too. “Uh, it’s like, fine. I might have yelled too if I was in that position, I guess. I just ran because…” she paused for a moment, clamming up. She was not about to reveal her problems to this ho, what was she thinking?

Unfortunately Kelly was oddly fucking perceptive, and attempted to comfort Nicole by patting her shoulder. Nicole flinched. “Bitch, don't touch me,” she snapped. Kelly’s arm retreated quickly.

“Sorry, I forgot you’re a bit… touch averse. I just wanna help. But y'know, technically I wasn’t touching you, I was touching myself,” Kelly said, a small grin on her face.

“You made that sound weird as hell, Kelly,” remarked Nicole, but she too had a small smirk.

“W-wait what? How? What’d I say?” she questioned innocently, making Nicole’s smirk grow. “God, nevermind, it’s weird hearing me act this clueless,” Nicole answered as she pushed herself out of the seat, standing next to Kelly.

“I’m taller now,” Nicole mused.

Kelly nodded. “Yeah. I never even realized how short you are until I literally became you,” she giggled.

“Hey I'm not even that short! It’s like, a trick of the light or whatever.”

Kelly smirked. “Sure,” she said. And suddenly she was holding her hands and Nicole’s heart rate increased.

“I guess we’re in this together, Nicole.”

Chapter Text

FLASHBACK, THE PARTY:

Hunter laughed, swaying along with the music. He didn’t go to many parties. Actually, he was a smart guy, he thought, usually focusing on schoolwork. But Kelly was a pretty damn good host. It would be a crime not to attend. Plus, he hadn’t really been focused on school ever since Nicole… He took another sip from his solo cup, the alcohol burning as it went down his throat. He didn’t know what was in his drink- Kylar had made it for him. It was probably fine. He trusted Kylar, just like he trusted most people.

Hunter felt tipsy. Maybe if he went out more, he’d have a higher tolerance… He wanted to have fun. Parties are fun. What… did you do at parties..? Kissing…? Right, he needed to find someone to kiss, ‘cause that’s what you did at parties. Hey, he wasn’t complaining, the real dilemma was who. Nicole, possibly…?

Alas, he hadn’t seen her since the start of the party, when he had spotted her arriving with Jecka. She was probably off doing something with some other guy… He still remembered drama class. There was definitely a spark between them! Those nights, he would stay up late, practicing his lines to perfection… hoping the play would be magical enough for his love to turn requited, like a fairy tail spell. But after the incident at the play, they rarely spoke again. Hunter understood, really. He… didn’t have the full story, but with Megan breaking up with him, along with whispers around the school… those things told him enough.

Even if Nicole was using him, she just didn’t understand that they were meant to be! She didn’t understand that she truly loved him! Just like he loved her. He just needed to find her. Yes, Hunter would find Nicole, explain to her what she truly felt, and have fun. With her. Like kissing and stuff.

Like people did at parties.

. . .

Hunter did not find Nicole.

He tried his best, though…

After a thorough search of Kelly’s kitchen, living room, pool, and even her garage (which was the 3 car type, damn she was rich), there was no sign of Nicole. He did not check the closed bedrooms, located at the far, dark, end of a hallway. If Nicole was in a bedroom with someone at a party, there was no point in Hunter finding her anyway…

It was Nicole’s loss.

Maybe kissing another girl would be the answer. He wasn’t the most sociable, but… he was familiar with a few female friends. There was his ex… obviously no. Emily? Too crazy. Ari?? Wait, no, she was gay now… Jecka??? Well, that was a possibility, but she was missing too, like Nicole.

Aha!

Of course, after a bit of computing, Hunter came to the perfect solution, like always. Karen! She was smart, a bit shy, but charming nonetheless. She definitely wasn’t one to go to parties often, thought Hunter, as he approached her small figure that was huddled in a corner.

“Hey.”

She flinched.

“O-oh, hello Hunter. Sorry, didn’t see you there,” Karen mumbled. She cleared her throat. “Uhm, what do you need?”

He smiled. “I was just wondering if you would kiss me!”

Her face lit aflame. It took her a moment to respond. “W-why would you want that? …Aren’t you and Megan in a relationship?” Karen stuttered.

Hunter winced, “No, uh, we broke up a while ago… Anyway, you don’t have to kiss me, I was just asking,” He explained, slightly embarrassed. For some reason, he thought that Karen would accept immediately.

“Oh, okay… then, I won’t kiss you,” She said quickly before looking at the floor with a worried expression. Hunter couldn’t help but notice that she seemed… troubled.

“Hey, uh, are you okay? You seem… down,” He asked.

“Yes, I’m okay, don’t worry. It’s just…” She hesitated. Hunter nodded, forcing her along. “It’s just… ever since I arrived to this party, I felt like something was wrong. I have this looming fear that something terrible is going to happen, and that it’s out of my control… just walking through the doorway earlier tonight put a pit in my stomach. But for some reason, I can’t bring myself to leave…”

Huh. That was… not what he expected her to say. They stood in silence for a moment, digesting what Karen had said. Hunter remembered he had to respond.

“Hey, uh, you don’t have to worry so much! Nothing bad is gonna happen. A-and we’re at a party right now, you should enjoy it! Parties are about having fun, I know that. So,” Hunter held out his solo cup to Karen with a small smile. “How about you have a drink to mellow out, and then we can hang out a bit…?” The last part ended up sounding more like a question.

Nevertheless, Karen smiled back. “Alright… I think you’re right. I-I did come here to have fun, after all. And worrying does me no good anyways,” She hesitantly grabbed his drink and inspected it a bit. “What’s in this, though…?”

While Hunter debated on how to answer that question, a door suddenly slammed open from the end of a hallway. A moment later, Ari rushed out from that hallway with tears running down her face. She stumbled through the crowded living room and left the house in a flash of tears and box dyed hair.

Most of the party-goers paid her no mind, more interested in their own business, but for whatever reason, Karen peered down the hallway Ari ran out of. She froze, squeezing the solo cup a bit. Hunter took a glance too, mostly out of principal, but he was also interested in seeing the cause of potential new high school drama.

There, standing under a doorway at the end of the hallway was Jecka, with disheveled hair and wearing a suspiciously emo shirt. Jecka stared forward as if she didn’t even see Karen and Hunter. She wasn’t crying, but the look of pure regret on her face almost rivalled Ari’s sobs.

Karen watched, stunned, in shock.

Hunter grabbed his cup back from Karen and took a sip.

“Lord, gay people drama is crazy…”

PRESENT DAY:

Hunter laughed, playfully punching his friend Trody in the arm. They were hanging out together in the boys bathroom at school. Usually, these two would only hang out when necessary, like if they got paired together for a school project.

But, if for some reason they had completely, unexplainably switched bodies one night, that might have strengthened their bond a little.

Hunter was already used to it. They had the same friends, the same classes, and even basically had the same body type (despite Trody's hideous shaved hair- if Hunter was stuck like this forever, he would grow it out). They had even figured out pretty quickly that some of their other friends had swapped bodies too- Crispin and Kylar. Though, those two were having a harder time adjusting.

Overall, Hunter thought he would be fine with this easy escape from his problems, but there was just one, well, problem.

Karen. That party was fun. Just like he wanted it to be. After Karen had gotten over whatever weird shock she was in, they had actually partied. Partied in a tame way- Karen would never do anything crazy- but Hunter still enjoyed every moment of it. And he wanted them to become better friends.

That was impossible if he wasn’t even himself anymore! He and Trody had switched their phones back almost immediately, and Hunter of course sent a message to Karen about what happened.

Left. On. Read.

God, why could nothing in his life work out?!