Chapter 6 - Antonio

Morgan went home for the weekend so I had the apartment to myself. Both Lauren and Sydney separately asked if I wanted to go do something, but I declined. I needed a night to myself to just reflect on the week. 

I also considered who I wanted to swap with next. I’d certainly like a week as Morgan. Being Gabriel sounded overwhelming at this point. Sydney is 21 and the only member who could drink legally, but that didn't matter much to me. Then there was Antonio who I knew was the leader, but I didn’t know much about.

I lay there in my quiet apartment, in the body of a girl I was crushing on earlier in the semester. I’d taken over her life for the past week. I had sex with her. I had sex as her. Just being her felt like I was more intimate with her than I ever could’ve imagined.

Now it was time to give Jasmine back. All of my homework was done, so I wrote in Jasmine’s journal. I reiterated things I mentioned earlier in the week. I included Lauren’s desire to spend more time with her, and a strong warning about Aiden. 

I remembered what this body was like when I got it, so I made sure to shower, shave my legs, and eat something before heading off to the Guild meeting. I decided for my final outfit as Jasmine to wear a gray checkered skirt with a black top; accessorized by a black belt, those sexy fishnet stockings Morgan adores, and some heels. I put my hair up into a loose bun, with some tresses framing my face, and then added some tasteful makeup. Sure, it was a little more formal for a casual Sunday, but I wanted to show the Guild how much I’d learned during my week as Jasmine.

The Guild members sat in the same study room in the library. Morgan was a few minutes late getting back from her weekend at home, so we were killing time making small talk. I didn’t mind since it meant being Jasmine a little bit longer.

As we sat around, each of the members complimented me on my appearance and composure. I looked and acted like I’d always been a woman. It was feeling completely natural to me now.

When Morgan finally arrived, Antonio started the meeting with a bang of his gavel.

“D,” Antonio said. “Did you have a great week?”

“I did.”

“Have you thought about who you want to swap with next?”

“I thought about it this morning and I decided I kinda want to swap with you, Antonio.”

He smiled. “I love your confidence. Let’s go!”

I got up to stand next to Antonio as Morgan handed him the stone. He reached that hand out to me.

I took his hand and five seconds later the now-familiar swirling happened. I closed my eyes until it stopped. When I looked around, the first thing I noticed was that I was much taller. Taller than I ever was as Daniel, and of course, Jasmine. I looked down at Jasmine who smiled and winked at me then let go of my hand.

Jasmine dug into a bag that must’ve been Antonio’s. She placed a piece of paper in front of me. It was titled, Guild Agenda. “You’re in charge now. Follow this.” She then sat where I was originally sitting.

I quickly scanned the agenda. At the top was “follow-up with D and facilitate his next swap” after that was “New Business.” I looked over at the other Guild members who were looking at me for direction. “I umm.. Do we have any new business?”

“Yes,” Gabriel spoke up. “So, I might have a date this week.” 

“Oh, really?” Morgan asked. “Who is she?”

“A girl I met at the post-game party yesterday. I got her number. I just wanted to run this by the group.”

“Is this something we do?” I asked the group.

“We have to,” Daniel said. “We’ve each put our trust in each other. Making big life choices like getting into a relationship are part of that. Especially since if it lasts long enough, we could all be dating her.”

Wow. That was something I hadn’t considered. “But shouldn’t G have a say?”

“Well, we ask G first,” Morgan explained. “If G agrees, then you put it up for a general vote. If G says no, that’s the end of it. In order to protect G’s anonymity, we need to have a paper veto.”

“Oh. How does that work?” I asked.

Each person writes down something on a piece of paper and gives it to you. Only one answer is from G, and you announce their decision.”

“OK,” I said, and began passing out scraps of paper I made from a blank notebook page. 

Each person wrote something down and passed their paper back to me. I wrote on my own scrap as a formality.

I scanned through all six papers and shuffled them. One was mine, on which I just scribbled, ‘X’. One was a heart. One was a smiley face. One was a dick and balls. I looked up at the group and grinned. “Really mature, guys.” Jasmine was giggling. One was simply the letter ‘A’. Finally, one paper said, “no objections - G.” I announced, “G approves.” Then I put it up for a group vote. “All for Gabriel going on said date, say ‘aye’.”

“Aye,” the group echoed.

“Any nays?” I asked.

Nothing.

“Abstains?”

Nothing.

“Have fun on your date, Gabe,” I said. “And, um, be safe!”

The Guild members snickered. I was enjoying this power.

“OK, what else do we have?”

Morgan raised her hand. “Can I be Daniel next?”

Daniel agreed and I handed him the stone.

I watched as Daniel and Morgan swapped. That’s the fourth person in Daniel, I think. At some point I’m going to lose count. I’ve already lost track of who is who.

At the end of the meeting I asked, “Are there any other matters for discussion?”

Everyone shook their heads.

“Who gets the stone?” I asked.

“I’ll take it,” Gabriel volunteered, leaning over and swiping it off the table.

“Meeting adjourned, then,” I said, picking up the gavel and tapping it on the table.

The Guild members all got up and started collecting their things.

“So, um,” I asked no one in particular, “where do I live now?”

Jasmine laughed. “I gotcha.” She took out a piece of paper, wrote an address on it and handed it to me. “Oh, and Antonio?”

“Yeah,” I replied, pocketing the paper. Pockets! I didn’t realize how much I missed pockets.

“It’s extremely important to look at your schedule when you get home. You’re a busy guy.”

“Got it.”

I watched the rest of the Guild file out of the room. I wondered maybe if I should’ve swapped with someone else.

* * *

It turned out, Antonio actually lives on campus in the dorm right next to Daniel. This made sense because I remember seeing Antonio all the time when I was Daniel. The building is a collection of single-occupancy rooms so I didn’t have a roommate. 

It was a small room. A raised bed with a couch under it, a desk with two chairs and a TV on top of a dresser. It was kept very neat. It was just small.

Per the former Antiono’s direction, I immediately looked for my new schedule. I found a full desk calendar with handwriting all over it. Antonio is very busy.

Tonight, I had a meeting with the Residence Hall Association, the group responsible for representing those living in the dorms. I had been to one meeting as Daniel this year, ironically at the insistence of Antonio. Back then we were lobbying for more parking for on-campus residents.

After that meeting there was just a name. “James.” Who is James?

I didn’t have time to figure all of this out, I had to head to the RHA meeting.

At the meeting, I learned I was a senator in charge of my dorm. I was also part of a task force to put on a block party next month. I tried to just be quiet and let the meeting happen, but I kept getting glances my way. People were looking to me for opinions and direction.

When It came time for someone to volunteer to get sponsors for the block party, I finally raised my hand. “I’ll do it.” It was something I imagined the real Antonio doing.

Everyone looked relieved that I volunteered.

Then they needed volunteers for the dunk tank. Again their gaze went to me. 

“Sure,” I said. “Sounds like fun. But we’re going to need other people as well.”

They agreed to seek out other volunteers. I wondered if any Guild members would help out. I knew Morgan and Jasmine lived off campus. I didn’t know about Gabriel or Sydney. Maybe I can rope in Daniel.

I made my way back to my dorm, with a half hour to spare before my next appointment, with whomever this James person is.

I looked through the desk drawers and found Antonio’s journals. I opened them to read more about the life I’m currently inhabiting.

His full name is Antonio Bradford Jr. He is 19 from a small town only a few miles away from campus. Because he’s so close to home, he stops by his house often. Usually, he bums a ride from Sydney. He’s got two older brothers. His major is unsurprisingly Political Science and he’s currently a sophomore. He’s a gay man and is currently in an on-again, off-again relationship with…. James.

Uh-oh.

I checked the agenda again. It wasn’t a meeting - it was a dinner date. I cursed at myself. Before I joined the Guild, Morgan hinted that there was a gay man in the Guild. I never bothered to ask who. Shit. I didn’t have much time before I-

There was a knock on the door.

I opened it and saw a skinny platinum-blonde dude, taller than me, standing there. He was dressed flamboyantly in a very tight shirt and very short and tight shorts.

“Hey, Tony,” he gleefully sang as he entered my apartment. He was swinging a wicker picnic basket as if he was strolling through the woods heading to Grandma’s house.

“You're early,” is all I could muster.

“I couldn’t wait,” he said. He came in for a full-on kiss, but at the last second I turned my head so his lips landed on my cheek.

He stood there and looked me over from head to toe. “So, who are you today?”

“What?’ I asked, unable to hide my confusion.

“I know about your secret society. And that’s not how A kisses. Or J or M. Who are you? Is that you G?”

He knows? I was instantly flustered. “I’m umm... D.”

“D? Wow. Fresh meat!”

“Pardon?” I sputtered, my eyes going wide.

“I’m just joking with you, dude. Hi, I’m James.” He extended his hand. “What’s your original name?”

“Daniel,” I said, taking his hand.

He pulled my hand and hugged me. “We hug in this relationship.”

“O…K,” I wheezed through his incredibly strong bear hug.

He let go of me. Then got to work, moving the desk into the center of the room and taking stuff out of his basket.

“You’re OK with this?” I asked. “Obviously, A’s not here.”

“I’m having a dinner date with Antonio. Not A. Since you're Antonio today, I'm having dinner with you. I hope you’re OK with that. I don’t bite - well, not unless you ask nicely.”

How do I break this to him? “Umm, since you know I’m D now, you should also know that I’m straight.”

He laughed. “Wow - skipping foreplay and straight to the sex talk.” He made a cat meow.

I defensively crossed my arms. “I-I just wanted to set expectations… or rather boundaries.”

“Listen. I am well aware that I’m dating a guy who changes often. It’s part of the deal. I’m in love with Antonio. You just happen to be Antonio today.”

I said nothing.

He noticed I was timid. “Listen, we don’t have to do anything you’re uncomfortable with. I’m your boyfriend and I will respect your boundaries.”

“OK. Thank you.” I have a boyfriend. This is so surreal.

Apparently that wasn’t convincing enough. He came over to me. “Listen to me. I promise to only do things you’re comfortable with. Can I hold your hands?”

I nodded.

He took my hands. “There. We’re establishing boundaries.” He gave me a great big friendly smile. “You may not know me yet, but I love you, and I won’t do anything to hurt or make you uncomfortable.” He was warm and gentle. “Now, let’s eat.” He pulled a desk chair out for me.

I never had anyone pull a chair out for me. Even when I was in one of the girl’s bodies. “Thank you,” I said as I sat down. 

“I call Antonio, Tony. Would that be OK with you, or would you prefer Antonio? Or even D or Daniel?”

I thought about that for a moment. I’m supposed to be Antonio. Being D feels like I’ve given up on the role-play after only a few hours. I didn’t want any other Guild members to know I suck at this. “Antonio is fine. This is my first day, and I need to get used to hearing his name.”

“That’s cool,” James assured me, “and don’t worry, I think you’ll make a fine Antonio.”

I nodded.

James then meticulously set up a romantic dinner for the two of us. He got out the plates and silverware and he lit some candles. Then he turned off the overhead lights. He poured some sparkling water in a pair of glass flutes. Then he brought out a set of insulated food containers and sat down next to me.

I looked over all of this. “James, this is… incredible. You did all this for…me. I-I’m touched.” I honestly never had anything like this done for me. Aside from that girl I took to prom, I’ve never been in a relationship. And now I had a boyfriend pulling out all of the stops.

“Don’t say that until you’ve tasted dinner.” He opened the first container and pulled out steaming-hot chicken breasts. They smelled great. He put one on each plate and poured the sauce from the container on top. My stomach rumbled loud enough for the next apartment to hear. James simply smiled at me. Then he opened a second container and divided up helpings of garlic green beans onto our plates.

I was about to dig in when James held up his glass for a toast. I picked up my own glass and looked at James.

“Antonio, here’s to you and I. May we always have each other.”

“And here’s to you, James,” I offered, “the best boyfriend a guy could ever ask for.”

He smiled as we clinked our glasses together and took a sip. Gesturing towards the food he announced, “Bon appétit, ma chérie amour.”

I cut into the chicken and took a bite. This was not the crap the dining hall served. I’m not much of a cook, nor do I have a refined pallet, but the flavor was amazing. “Wow!” I exclaimed after swallowing. “That was amazing.”

“Why, thank you. We might not have sex tonight, but I was still able to put my meat in your mouth.”

I nearly choked on what I was chewing. The word ‘might’ was sending chills down my spine.

James was laughing.

I swallowed and dabbed my mouth with a napkin. I looked at him and couldn’t help but chuckle with him. I gave him a playful smirk. “And I fully enjoyed the taste of your meat.”

“Yes!” he cheered, excited I was playing along. “I think we’re going to get along nicely, D.”

I smiled. His exuberance was calming my nerves.

“What flavor is that?” I asked.

“Sage,” he replied. “It’s become a new favorite after using it in class.”

“Class?”

“I’m a culinary arts major.”

“I… had no idea our school had that major. But seriously though, the dining hall should hire you and your classmates.”

He looked at me and laughed. “What major is Daniel?”

“Computer science.”

“I imagine you don’t get out much, or didn’t before joining that secret society.”

“It appears that way, doesn’t it,” I agreed.

We continued to eat and make small talk. Apparently we do this every Sunday. A tradition James had with his own family. James talked about his day and I mostly just listened. He understood why I didn’t have much to contribute to the conversation.

As we finished the main course, James pulled out one last container, which held two thick slices of tiramisu. I can confirm, Antonio has excellent taste buds, to go with his excellent taste in friends.

After dinner, I offered to do the dishes. It was the least I could do. I took all of the dirty dishes to the common kitchenette on this floor. James followed me and helped by drying everything.

Oddly enough, it actually started to feel like a real date. James was tender and loving and made me realize Antonio was a lucky guy. I had no physical attraction to him, but I was getting more comfortable just being with him.

When we were alone in the kitchen, James asked, “So D, why did you join this role-playing group?”

“My own life was boring,” I explained. “I figured I could get more enjoyment out of living vicariously through others.”

“How has that been so far?”

“It’s been great.”

“Who have you been?”

“I was Morgan for a night. Then I was Jasmine for a week.”

“And now you’re going to be Antonio this week.”

“Yeah.”

“Can I give you some advice?”

“Sure. Anything would be helpful. I haven’t read his journals yet.”

“Antonio is about confidence. Even if you’re nervous. Portray confidence. People look up to him. They will look up to you. They want to see a rock. They want to see a leader.”

I nodded. “I look forward to trying.”

After we returned to my room, we decided to watch TV. There was a new movie on Netflix that James wanted to see. 

He sat right next to me on the couch, but still gave me my personal space. 

I was comfortable enough now to place my hand on top of his.

He looked at me and beamed with happiness, which in turn made me feel great.

There was, of course, something that was bothering me about this situation. “James, how are you not bothered by dating someone different each time there’s a swap?”

He hesitated as if he was holding something back. “Fair question. I’m not bothered because it hasn’t mattered. Sure, when a new member joins - like today with you - it's a little awkward. But after a while I can’t tell who is who. So, I’m just back to dating Tony again.”

“You can’t? I thought everyone is supposed to bring their own individuality with them.”

“Well... I can tell - and they do bring some personalization. But at some point I can’t tell any of you apart from the real Antonio - because your customizations become part of who Antonio is. To me, at least. Tonight was fun, I got to date someone entirely new.

“Hey, James, I have another question.”

“Anything.”

“You called us a couple. But in my journal you’re called ‘on and off again’.”

He sighed.

“Technically we’re in an open relationship. I just can’t stay away.” He chuckled. “Your - or rather Antonio’s - official position is that it's for my own good because I shouldn’t be dating a member of your group. In fact, I largely suspect the times we’re ‘off again’ are because you’re either M or the straight guy.”

“G?”

“Yeah. And now we have another straight guy.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.”

“But James, what do you want?”

He was now stroking my hand. Perhaps out of habit. “I love you and I’ll do anything for you. Including seeing other people if that’s what you really want.”

“Well I’m not going to tell you what to do. I’m new and trying to get the lay of the land. I can’t speak for the others, but you seem to be a good boyfriend. I hope when A decides to stop swapping, you two will be happy together.”

As we continued to watch the movie, I tried to reconcile what James just told me with J’s first person account. She seemed to relish being everyone else over being Jasmine.

That made me a little worried. After all, I wasn’t ready to go back to Daniel yet, but I couldn’t see myself completely abandoning my former body.

When the movie was over, it was time for James to leave. 

“Good luck tomorrow,” he said. “You’ll do great.”

“I don’t know, I was able to be Jasmine last week, being Antonio is a completely different task.”

“I’m sure it’s not as different as you imagine. Besides, you’ll do great because you’re Antonio. Remember, bring his confidence with you.”

I smiled. “Thank you for dinner, James. It was delicious.”

“Good night,” he said. He leaned in, and I offered my cheek to him.

“Good night.” I said, as he lightly kissed me.

I spent the rest of the night reading through Antonio’s journals. What was weird was that nowhere did it mention that James knew about the Guild. Clearly he knew about it and its members. And Lauren seems to know something. It begs the question - how many others know about it?

* * *

Monday

I woke up to the preset alarm on my phone. I’m not going to lie, it was kinda nice being in the body of a guy again. Getting ready in the morning was easy. After a quick shower, I was ready to get dressed.

Antonio dresses in a preppy male style. A polo shirt and slacks. Polos and button down shirts were essentially all he had in his closet. The only choice I really had was which color. The only T-shirts I found were of the free kind. The kind with event names and sponsors plastered all over them. So, I picked a forest green polo shirt with the university logo on it. I paired that with a pair of beige khaki pants.

I walked to class reminding myself I was Antonio. I held my head high, smiled, and tried to exude an air of confidence.

People would walk past me and say hi. Girls would smile at me. Guys would come up and shake my hand. Many people wanted my time and to chat with me about something they needed help with, but I needed to be in class. I had to promise I’d get with them later.

Antonio’s classes were no were near as difficult as Jasmine’s classes. Political theory, Economics, World Affairs. Sure, most of it was dry, but at least I understood all of the terminology. 

After class I headed over to the student activities offices. In addition to soliciting sponsorships for the block party, I had volunteered to submit the permit for space on the quad. After James left, I spent a good portion of last night and during class rehearsing what I was going to say in my head.

On my walk back from class, my cell phone buzzed. It was a group text from the group. Morgan was asking Sydney to borrow the car. Then a reply from Sydney that she could give her three hours but she had to be somewhere that evening.

I found these casual swaps interesting. Borrowing a body was no different than borrowing the car.

I arrived at the office for campus activities. 

The girl at the desk looked up and recognized me. “Hi, Antonio!”

“Good afternoon,” I greeted her. I looked around for something that would give away her name. I couldn’t find anything.

“What kind of cool thing are you doing today?” she asked.

“Well, RHA is putting on a block party next month,” I replied, handing over the permit.

She looked at it, and started typing on her laptop. “This looks like fun.”

My previous interactions with Antonio were such that he always seemed to be flirting with… everyone. Men and women. “You should totally come.” I gave her the famous Antonio smile.

She looked at me and blushed. “Maybe I will.”

“Everyone is welcome,” I bragged. “In fact - they’re putting me in the dunk tank.”

“You? In the dunk tank?” 

“Hmm,” I could feel her eyes look me up and down. I’m sure her imagination is running wild. I can at least confirm that Antonio is in great shape with a very visible six-pack he keeps hidden behind these polos and button down shirts. 

She was done typing and looked at me. “All done!” She then wrote something on my permit and stamped it.

I looked at it and saw her name. Tia. And her phone number. “Thank you so much, Tia.” I said.

“Anything for you, Antonio.” She smiled and winked at me.

My next stop was hitting up different student organizations to sponsor us. I pulled out Antonio’s solicitation letters and walked into the first office.

Which was ironically the Kappa Nu Tau office. I took one step in, and saw Aiden sitting there by himself. I was glad I wasn’t Jasmine at the moment.

I was about to say, “Wrong office,” and turn around, when he said, “Can I help you?”

“Yes,” I said, putting on my best smile. “I’m looking for sponsors for-”

“Wait - you’re Antonio Bradford.”

“That’s me.”

“It’s good to finally meet you.” Aiden came over and shook my hand firmly. “What can I do for you?”

“Well, RHA is looking for sponsors for our block party.”

“A block party on campus? Rad.”

“All of our sponsors will be proudly displayed throughout the event.” Just looking at this guy creeped me out.

“RHA? That’s for the people in the dorms right?”

“That’s right.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” he said. “We typically don’t cosponsor things with the dorms. It's kind of a conflict of interest for us.”

I had to remind myself how I acted with Tia. Antonio flirts with everyone. Including people like Aiden. In fact, people like Aiden are likely looking to have their egos stroked a little. I also bet Aiden has a rivalry with the other frats.

“Oh, I get it.” I said as I turned to the door and paused for effect. “I was about to ask the Sigmas anyway.”

“The Sigmas?”

“Yeah,” I replied. “They’re partnering with us next semester to help with Rush.”

He looked at me with bulging eyes. “W-Which Sigmas? Sigma Rho Chi or Sigma Alpha Gamma?”

Shit. “Umm.. both.” 

“Seriously?”

“It’s going to be big,” I lied.

“Um, how much for a sponsorship?”

I handed him the letter, being sure to touch his hand with mine, then stood close enough to him to make him feel just as uncomfortable as he made me feel when I was Jasmine. 

“A partnership between our two organizations would be huge. The Kappas are very influential.” I laid it on thick. “And, there are seven thousand students in the dorms.”

Aiden started slowly nodding as he saw the potential.

“Aiden, this could be huge for you. Think of the reach!”

“Not so fast.” He stopped me. “What else would I get out of this?” he asked.

I put my hand on his shoulder. “I also have some sway with the Senate. You’ve been trying to head up a Greek Row expansion right?”

He shifted uncomfortably. “Right. I’m the lead on that.”

I slid my hand to the small of his back and I felt him stiffen up. “I bet with our combined influence we can get the administration to listen to us.”

He nodded harder this time. “Absolutely.”

I noticed he had a clear bandage on his cheek. “What happened there?”

“Oh, this week I was dancing with this girl and we were getting friendly. God, she had a nice firm ass. And then out of nowhere she just slaps me. Them bitches be crazy, am I right?”

God, this guy sucks. “Right. OK, then. You’ve got my sponsorship paper. That paper has my number. Give me a call.”

I walked toward the door. “It was good chatting with you Aiden. I look forward to your sponsorship.”

I walked out of the Kappa Nu Tao office and down to the next one, breathing a sigh of relief and chuckling to myself at the look Aiden gave me. I have no idea how Antonio does this. Just pretending to be an extrovert is draining me.

I made my way from office to office getting all of the sponsorships I needed. The more I chatted with other students, the more I felt like Antonio. The more I felt like I was an influential figure. Of course, it was draining as well. When I got home I crashed hard.

* * *

On Wednesday I realized I had nothing scheduled, nor anything planned. In fact, every day of the calendar was full - except this one. Obviously, I still had my normal classes.

So, I did what was supposed to be my normal Wednesday routine. When I was done getting dressed, there was a knock at the door. I figured it might be James bringing me breakfast.

It was Daniel.

“Daniel, what are you doing here?” I asked my original body.

“I’m so sorry, D,” Daniel said. “I meant to get the stone so I can swap with you for the afternoon. But Gabe still has it, and he’s at practice until late.”

“Oh,” I said. “You need Antonio’s body. His schedule was empty. I didn’t realize.”

“I emptied your schedule for a reason.” He sighed. “It’s your birthday.” 

“My birthday?”

“Actually, my birthday.”

“Your birthday?” I echoed with surprise. “You’re A.”

“Yeah, I’m A.”

“I’m so sorry. Did you have something planned with James?”

“Actually no, I have plans to go home. I mean, My mom wants me to come home this afternoon. It’s supposed to be a surprise, but my brother let the cat out of the bag.”

“OK, I suppose I should say happy birthday.”

“Thanks. So - um - I can’t go as I am. I kinda need you. Wanna take a ride?”

“You want to take me home?”

“Well technically you’d be taking me home,” he laughed.

“Right. What about class?”

“Eh, we won’t miss those. We’ll be back for the Guild study sesh.”

“OK,” I said. “Let me just lock up.”

“Then it's a date!” he said smiling. He must’ve seen the concerned look on my face. He put his hand on my shoulder. “I’m joking, D.”

So that’s how I found myself in my own car as a passenger. I offered to drive, but he said he only gets a chance to drive when he’s inhabiting a Guild member with a car, which as of right now, is only Sydney and Daniel.

We didn’t say much until we were off campus and on the open highway. 

“Why doesn’t anyone else know it’s your birthday?” I asked.

“Because I don’t want to make a big deal over it. When people know it’s your birthday, they spend money. They get you gifts. They buy decorations. I’d rather people didn’t do that for me. My family has never had much money, so I tend to feel guilty when people spend money on me.”

“I see.”

Daniel decided to change the subject. “So is being me all it's cracked up to be?”

“I’ve had a busy couple of days. I have no idea how you do it. I’m exhausted.”

“I like to keep busy. Even when I’m in other bodies. I have to remind myself to slow down.” 

“What have you been doing as me?”

“I did all of your homework, typed up the Guild’s minutes, drove your friend Mike to the ER, volunteered at the soup kitchen, hung up flyers for the RA, and studied with Kristy.”

“You volunteered? Wait, why did Mike need to go to the ER? Wait - Kristy from Lit class?”

“Lighter accident. He was drunk and tried to light his farts on fire. Yes, Kristy from Lit class.” 

“Typical Mike. But wow - you’ve only been me since Sunday.”

“I told you, I have to keep moving. It's not in my personality to sit still.”

“Even when you’re role-playing?”

“Even when I’m role-playing. I tell myself to put energy into making the person whose body I’m in…better.”

We pulled onto a dirt road of what appeared to be a series of mobile homes. This appeared to be a poorer neighborhood. I didn’t say anything, afraid of judging Antonio.

“We’re here,” Daniel announced, unbuckling his seatbelt.

I unbuckled and got out of the car as well.

“After you,” he said. “It’s your house. Remember, I’m just your guest.”

I took a deep breath, and tried to channel the Antonio persona I’ve been building up over the past three days. I walked to the home and up the worn wooden steps. I opened the screen door then the main door and walked into the unfamiliar house. It was silent. Too silent.

That’s when a chorus of voices announced, “Happy Birthday!” as people came out from behind furniture and bedrooms.

I jumped back, feigning surprise. “Thank you. Thank you, all!”

A woman in her 50s came over, “Happy Birthday, Tony!” She grabbed my shoulders and gave me a motherly kiss. She looked behind me. “Tony! Manners,” she scolded me, releasing me from the hug. “Who’s your guest?” 

“Hi, Mrs. Bradford,” Daniel said, without waiting for me. “I’m Antonio’s friend Daniel.”

I felt kind of guilty. He should be in these shoes right now. Not me.

Antonio’s mom looked at Daniel then back to me with a raised eyebrow. “Friend?”

I understood what she was asking. “Just a friend, Mom.” I heard Daniel chuckle behind me.

She walked away as two men, who looked similar to me, approached. They must be Antonio’s older brothers.

“Happy birthday, bro,” one said, holding out his hand. 

I took his hand and he brought me in for a hug. “Thank you.”

The other brother asked, “Were you surprised?”

“Absolutely!” I replied. “I thought you all forgot my birthday and had gone out somewhere.”

There were other people in the house that I slowly went around thanking. Aunts, uncles, neighbors.

I saw Mrs. Bradford take Daniel by the arm. I followed at a distance.

“You’re a new face, honey. I’m so glad Tony is making friends at college. We miss him here.”

“I’ll bet,” Daniel replied.

“He means so much to the community. The things he organizes. The donation drives, the lives he’s touched. We’re so proud of him.”

Daniel didn’t reply.

I wondered how many times Antonio has heard his mom brag, but this might’ve been the first time he heard it with different ears.

Eventually there was a cake. I was told to sit down and get my pictures taken with what looked like a home-made cake with chocolate frosting with a ‘2’ and a ‘0’ candle happily flickering as everyone started singing “Happy Birthday.”

After cake and chocolate chip ice cream, the party guests started to thin. 

I turned to Daniel and whispered to him. “I’m sorry A,” I said. “I’m sorry that I stole your birthday party.”

“You didn’t steal it, D,” he whispered back. “I was here for it. I was here for the stories. The look on my family's faces as they told old stories about me.”

“They’re extremely proud of you.”

“I know, and I want to continue to make them proud.”

A had such a good relationship with his home and his community, it made me wonder why he was trying to escape it. “A - why are you in the Guild? You could be doing so much more as just yourself. As just Antonio.”

“Because I can help others. Being the other five members gives me even more reach to touch people’s lives.”

“You really can't sit still, can you?”

“Nope. Not at all. I also can’t stand injustice. I want to help as many people as I can. Each life I touch I want to be better than when I found it. You’ll see when you return to your life. I hope the decisions I make while I’m you have a positive impact on your life.”

“You’re only 20, yet you’re the leader of the Guild.”

“They needed a leader when they recruited me. So disorganized. Barely any rules. Naturally I stepped up.”

“How so?”

“I don’t want to dwell on the past,” he replied. “Besides the dysfunction, there were some questionable decisions made. We’re safe now because of the rules we made.”

That didn’t really answer my question, but instead made me curious what the Guild was like before Antonio.

We eventually left, and I resumed my life as Antonio. We went straight to the library for our weekly study session. Nobody there knew it was Antonio’s birthday. I know A preferred it that way, but I wondered what would’ve happened if they knew? At the bare minimum, people would wish me a happy birthday. And maybe more cake.