Page 16 of Switch!

Dean:What the hell is wrong with you? I’m at the hospital with Elliot. They think it’s broken.

Caleb:His ankle?

Dean:Yes his fucking ankle!Why’d you turn psycho on us? AGAIN?

Caleb:I don’t know.I lost control.

Dean:Whatever man. Stay away from me. We’re through.

Wow! I really did end their friendship! I return to the list of names and notice a text from the third member of the trio.

Elliot:My parents are going to sue. I’m pressing charges. I hope you rot in jail.

Misery rises up in Caleb. I feel elated. If the unholy trinity of jerks has disbanded, they won’t be ganging up on me anymore. That gives me a better chance of surviving the next two weeks. I’m about to write angry texts in response and sow more division between them when a notification pops up. A text message from Ashley Trussell! All it says is…

Ashley:Maybe.

I quickly navigate to the rest of the conversation. I scroll up and down, surprised how far back their texting history goes. I don’t have time for the entire exchange, so I return to the most recent batch of messages.

Caleb:Friday.

Ashley:Can’t.I have a slumber party.

Caleb:Seriously?I thought those were for little girls.

Ashley:You mean you don’t have them with your friends?

Caleb:I don’t know if I have any friends left.

Ashley:How come? Did something happen?

Caleb:I don’t know. Everything is messed up right now. I feel like I’m going crazy.

And another message beneath that one.

Caleb:How about Saturday night instead? I’ll pick you up.

Ashley:Maybe.

Maybe not! I won’t let this happen. The thought of Caleb pawing at Ashley with his meaty mitts is enough to turn my stomach, but before I can do anything, Mrs. Dewey enters the room.

“Take a seat,” she says, brushing past Caleb.

Before she sees the real me snoozing at my desk, I switch back to my natural body. When I raise my head, I notice Caleb still standing by the door. He’s staring at his phone and smiling.

“We’d like to get started if that’s okay with you,” Mrs. Dewey says to him.

“Sure,” Caleb says, finally moving to his desk. He keeps his attention on the phone, still wearing the dopey grin.

I’ll wipe it off his face as soon as I get the chance, but I can’t rest my head on the desk now. Not with Mrs. Dewey standing at the front of the class and addressing us all. As the lesson begins, I’m not the only person glaring at Caleb. Dean is too. As for Elliot, his desk remains empty. Maybe his parents don’t want him returning to a school overrun with bullies. How ironic would that be?

I continue to seethe at the back of the classroom. Ashley deserves someone who will treat her right. Why didn’t she listen to my warning? I should send a text to scare her off. Not from me. From him. Something really horrible that Caleb can’t explain away. But what? An insult that hurts her feelings? An obscene photo that leaves her shaken? Neither option sits right with me. I can’t stand the idea of upsetting her, even if I’m masquerading as Caleb when doing so. I’d rather make her happy.

If only she’d let me take her out instead. I’d treat her with respect. I don’t have the looks though. I’ll never be the sort of guy she pays attention to, but if I was Caleb… Is that possible? I’m up against serious limitations. I imagine my unconscious body draped over his shoulder while Ashley and I play mini-golf or share a milkshake. The thought makes me laugh, but I quickly settle down again to do some serious scheming. This might be my only chance to live out an impossible fantasy while also ensuring that Caleb doesn’t hurt her. I’m not sure how the logistics would work exactly, but I have until Saturday to figure it out.

— — —

The week passes without me needing to defend myself. I remain cautious when walking down the halls between classes. Elliot is back at school, his ankle wrapped in a cast instead of a brace. He’s still friends with Dean, and now that they aren’t talking to Caleb, I don’t have an easy way to find out if they’re planning something. So far they seem to be ignoring me. I return the favor. By the end of the week, all I can focus on is going out with Ashley. I was able to possess Caleb long enough to see more text messages from her. Ashley finally agreed to meet him, although she kept insisting it wasn’t a date. Each time Caleb agreed to this, he always included a smirking emoji. What a creep.