Chapter 33 - Ella Part 2

Chelsea came out of the locker room looking like a girl on a mission. She had a wireless speaker in her hand and quickly set it on the floor, giving me an expectant look. “Ready, Ella?”

“Yeah,” I lied. I wasn’t ready at all. Cassie had sprained her ankle - and she knew what she was doing. How much damage could I do to myself and the other girls with one wrong move?

Aiden walked off to the side and leaned up against a pillar with a look on his face so smug that it practically screamed Ella. I would’ve thought such an expression would be muscle memory and not a key element of her personality.

Chelsea positioned herself in front of me and turned around. “How rusty are you?”

“Very,” I nervously replied.

She shrugged. “OK. It’s just that you were the one who taught this to me. And I’m only captain because you quit.”

“Hey,” I said, placing a hand on her shoulder, “just because I quit, it doesn’t mean you didn’t earn it. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”

“What happened to you these past few weeks?” she asked.

I decided to ignore her question since we were running out of practice time. “Listen, I just need a refresher. Plus teaching it back to me will help make you a better teacher. A better captain. Pretend I’m a new freshman.”

She smiled at that, then faced forward. “OK. We’ll try without the music first. So for the first eight counts, it’s just basic steps to the beat,” Chelsea began. “Five, six, seven, eight…”

Then she started performing moves I didn’t know. I tried to mimic her, but every movement was out of step with her. It’s not that my muscles were uncoordinated. They weren't. I was still limber, it was just that my reaction time was off.

I noticed Aiden snicker and I glared at him.

“Keep up, Ella!” Chelsea admonished, shooting Aiden a death stare as well.

“Can we slow this down?” I stammered, as I nearly tripped over my own legs.

“No time,” Chelsea said curtly, gracefully weaving one move into the next. “Now for the next part, it’s a little more intricate. You’re going to pivot on your left foot, then do a quick three-step shuffle to the right, and then end on a high-kick. One, two, three, four…”

This time I managed to not be quite as far behind.

“Better.” She looked at me and shook her head in disbelief. “How did you forget all of this in two weeks?”

“It’s coming back to me,” I said, a bit of defiance rising in my voice even though it still felt like I was flailing my arms and legs around like noodles. 

“Again!” she barked, getting back into position. “Five, six, seven, eight…”

This time I could feel the muscle memory kicking in. I didn’t know the moves, but my body could predict them.

“You’re getting it!” Chelsea praised.

When we were done, Aiden walked closer to me. “Good job… Ella. Remember, it’s all about the snap. You want it to look sharp, confident!"

“Thanks, Aiden,” I said, sarcasm dripping from my voice.

Chelsea rolled her eyes at the frat boy’s dancing advice, turning her focus back to me. “Again?”

“Yeah,” I replied. “But let’s do it with music this time.” I had a hunch that maybe using my other senses could help trigger more muscle memories. It was worth a shot, at least.

Chelsea knelt down to her phone and pressed play, then bounced back up to position.

A fast-paced pop song with a heavy beat started playing. Wow, the tempo was faster than I expected.

“Five, six, seven, eight…” Chelsea counted out over the music.

I was still running a bit behind, but I was getting better. My theory about music triggering muscle memory seemed to be working, as it felt like my body was anticipating the next move. As I focused less and let my body pilot itself, I found that it was doing moves I didn’t know it was capable of. That high kick was certainly much higher than any kick I’ve ever done.

The ending of the song was interrupted by Chelsea’s phone ringing. 

She answered it. “Be right there.” She turned to me. “We’re on in five!”

* * *

I’ve never before gotten changed so fast. I quickly shucked off the outfit the sorority put me in, abandoning all modesty as Cassie sat there and talked about her plans for Christmas break. After wriggling into the sports bra, nude pantyhose, and short athletic shorts, I pulled the shimmery dress over my head and laced up a pair of plain white sneakers.

Glancing into one of the locker room mirrors, I realized this dress was short. Really short. Perhaps the shortest dress I’ve ever worn. It showed off a scandalous amount of leg.

I stuffed my street clothes into the garment bag. As I was tossing my phone in there too, the screen lit up with a new message from Kaylee. She and Morgan were here and wanted to know where to meet me.

“There’s no time,” I mumbled.

“You’re going to do great!" Cassie encouraged, overhearing me.

“Thanks, Cass,” I replied, not nearly as confident in myself as she was. I didn’t have time to reply to the message. I put my phone away and ran out of the locker room to meet Chelsea.

We wasted no time jogging down the hall.

“Good luck!” Aiden called to us.

We followed the hall to the same tunnel we watched the team run out of.

The moment we exited the tunnel, the noise of the crowd cheering washed over me. I was taken back to when I did this as Gabriel, as nostalgia and adrenaline flowed through me. There were ten seconds left in the first quarter. We turned and jogged down the sideline to join the rest of the dance squad that was standing in position, ready to take the field.

“Look who I found,” Chelsea said to her team with glee.

A number of them looked at me in shock.

“Ella? You’re back?”

“Cassie’s got a sprain,” I explained. “I’m taking her spot.”

I was led to a gap in the lineup. This is where Cassie’s spot must’ve been. Chelsea handed me a pair of pom-poms. Wait, I have to hold pom-poms too?

I took them, and stood at attention like the other girls. Legs shoulder width apart. Shoulders back. Chest out. Poms behind my back.

The last whistle of the first quarter blew and the football teams ran to their respective sidelines.

Shit. Shit. Shit. I wished I had another ten minutes to practice. I’d had a whole week to learn to be Gabriel, and only ten minutes to learn to be Ella. I hoped I wouldn’t fall on my ass. Both figuratively and literally.

“We’re on!” Chelsea yelled.

I tried to squash all of my nervousness and anxiety and focus on the moment. I was able to be the star running back on this very field. The least I could do now is be a dancer, right? Right?

We all jogged towards the middle of the field, keeping formation. I could feel the bounce of the short manicured grass. We turned to face the student section.

Gripping the pom-poms in my sweaty hands, I tried to remember the steps Chelsea had drilled into me mere minutes before. My heart pounded against my ribs, a frantic drumbeat against the stadium's roar. This was not where I was expecting to be an hour ago. 

I could feel my muscles eager to go. Just standing here in front of the crowd feels familiar. I can do this.

The music blasted through the stadium speakers. I could hear Chelsea count up in my head. “Five, six, seven, eight…”

My body, unsurprisingly, seemed to remember more than my mind did. My muscle memory kicked in, guiding my feet through the opening steps. Once I got going, everything came naturally. I moved in sync with the other girls, part of a glittering, synchronized whole, making sure to snap and make each move crisp.

I was aware of the other dancers, their smiles plastered on their faces, their movements fluid and confident. I tried to match their enthusiasm, throwing myself into each step, each turn.

Then, almost as quickly as it began, the song ended. We struck our final pose, chests out, heads held high, pom-poms frozen mid-air. The student section erupted, a thunderous ovation that washed over us. I could feel the sweat trickling down my back, but a triumphant smile had replaced my earlier fears. We jogged off the field, shaking our pom-poms, the cheers for us still ringing in my ears.

When we reached the sideline the girls swarmed around me, grateful I took Cassie’s spot. They had a lot of questions. Was I back? Why did I quit?

I couldn’t answer any of them.

“Back in formation, girls,” Chelsea ordered, as we resumed our formation on the sideline, but facing the stands.

There were a few more mini routines during play breaks and timeouts. Like before, I didn’t think too much and simply let my emotions and muscle memory guide me.

* * *

At halftime, we retreated back towards the locker room. We passed Aiden in the hallway who had a smile on his face. “You did great!” he said, looking at me.

“Thanks,” I said, giving him a tepid smile before continuing into the women’s locker room. 

Trying my best to avoid difficult questions from the other dancers, I dug my phone out of my garment bag. I had some things to finish up in this body.

I answered A’s message, telling them where I was and where they could meet up with me and Aiden. I then glanced around to make sure nobody was watching me and inconspicuously slipped out of the locker room.

Aiden was out in the hall waiting for me.

“Wow, that was amazing,” he said. “I’m impressed - you’re a quick learner.”

“It was mostly muscle memory,” I explained. “Don’t ask me to describe the names of the moves or perform it again without the music.” I curiously cocked my head. “You haven’t tried doing something that Aiden is good at?”

“Umm, not that I can think of,” he replied. “Maybe… maybe I’ll give something a try in the future?

“You should,” I smiled.

Then I saw Kaylee and Morgan come around the corner. I couldn't help smiling when I saw Kaylee, barely containing my excitement to become her again.

“Hey,” Kaylee said.

“Hey,” I replied. “So I talked with Ella here. We agreed that she and Aiden need to have a frank and honest chat.”

“Do you both want privacy?” Kaylee asked them.

“No,” Aiden replied and looked at me. “Please stay.”

“We’ll stay then,” I replied.

Aiden and Morgan looked at each other in silence, each waiting for the other to start.

Finally, Aiden broke the silence. “I um… think I want to try staying like this for a while. If that's OK with you.”

Morgan nodded her head. “I kinda do too. I mean - I would like to be you again, Ella.”

They both looked at Kaylee and me for the next direction.

“Remember,” I said. “This decision doesn’t have to be final. You can set boundaries. You can set time limits. You can change your mind.” I glanced over at Kaylee, hoping she was OK with this decision.

Kaylee smiled and nodded, letting me know that she was OK with me taking the lead on this.

“Do you want to lay down some ground rules?” I asked Aiden and Morgan.

“Yes,” Aiden said. “I think we need to prepare each other to take over our lives.”

Morgan nodded. “Yeah. I’m so lost in the sorority. But it looks fun. Very different from Kappa Nu Tau.”

“The dance team?” Aiden asked.

“I don’t know how to dance.” Morgan clammed up and insecurely crossed her arms.

“I can teach you. I mean - I taught D over here, and she learned the routine in ten minutes.”

I was about to open my mouth and object to her blatant exaggeration, but decided against it.

“How about the Greek Council?” Morgan asked.

“I’m already fundraising and getting us out of debt,” Aiden replied.

Morgan was about to say something, frowned, then finally asked, “Are you… straight? I mean - in case I want to date someone.”

Aiden looked at her, then looked at me, then back to Morgan. “I’m… um… apparently a homophobic bitch.”

Morgan raised her eyebrow, clearly unsure of how to take that statement. 

I curiously cocked my head since he didn’t answer her question. As I was about to chime in, Aiden stopped me.

“I am. I know I am. It’s something I’m going to have to work on.”

“If I’m you, do I have to stay like that?” Aiden asked.

“No,” Aiden said, choking up. “If there was one thing I’d like you to change about me, that would be it.”

Morgan nodded, tears welling in her eyes too. “If there’s one thing I’d like you to change about me, it’d be… don't be such a creep to women. I’m not good at talking to them, instead relying on my power as a crutch.”

Aiden giggled as he wiped away a tear. “You’re going to need to learn how to talk to them if you’re going to be one.”

“I know. I’m kinda looking forward to it.”

“I've already started working on your image,” Aiden said. “I stopped those booty calls you were getting in your office.”

“Aw, not Brenda,” Morgan whined. “I kinda liked her.”

“Kinda?”

“You’re right. I’ll do better.”

“Can you behave yourself while living with a sorority?” Aiden asked, sternly.

“I’ve behaved myself for a month. I think.” Morgan defensively crossed her arms.

I rolled my eyes, since Lauren had already told me stories about Ella being really weird towards the girls.

“One last thing,” Aiden said. “Can I be Ella for one last night?”

“Yeah, sure,” Morgan replied with a shrug.

They looked at me and Kaylee.

“Then I think we’re ready,” Aiden said.

Really? That’s it? There’s so much they haven’t talked about and they avoided a few questions. If I was going to permanently take over someone’s life, there would be things I’d want to know. But they're not me. These two seem like the type to just jump into a situation without thinking. Maybe they’ll come back to us in a month with their minds changed. 

“Well, there’s one thing I want,” I said. I looked at Aiden. “I want you to apologize to Jasmine for this morning.”

Aiden turned red with embarrassment. “I can do that.” He gulped. “Does she… know I’m Ella?”

“Yes, she knows,” I replied.

Aiden nodded, and looked away trying to hide more water in his eyes.

“Alright,” Kaylee said, holding out her hands. “Let’s swap.”

I took the hand with the stone, and held Aiden’s hand. Morgan held Aiden’s and Kaylee’s other hand.

“Five seconds,” I said.

This time, nobody let go and five seconds later I felt the familiar vertigo sensation.

I felt that I was in a familiar body, except not the one I wanted. I looked down and realized I was Morgan.

I turned to Kaylee who looked just as confused as me.

“I’m going to get back to the dance team,” Ella said. “I’m looking forward to seeing this intervention they have planned for me too.”

“I’m going to see if any of my Kappa brothers are here,” Aiden said. “I can cheer you on.”

“That would be nice,” Ella said smiling. She then turned to me and Kaylee. “When can we swap?” 

“Tomorrow afternoon,” I replied. “We can meet at the Kappa office again.”

“We can text you when we’re ready,” Ella said, looking at Aiden.

Aiden nodded and they both went their separate ways.

Now that we were by ourselves, I turned to Kaylee. “Why didn't you switch?”

“I don’t know,” Kaylee responded. “This was unprecedented. At least for me. In the past, it was only R that was missing a body. But this time neither of us have our original bodies. But they did. So you three reset and I didn’t have anywhere to go.”

I huffed. “That just means Kaylee has to wait another hour to get her body back.”

Kaylee shrugged as if it wasn’t a big deal. “The three of us can just do a reset when we get back to the apartment.”

I thought about that. I’m Morgan. A is Kaylee. K is Sydney. “If the three of us do a reset, wouldn’t the same thing happen?”

“Yeah, I suppose so.” Kaylee replied. “K and I will swap, and nothing will happen to you.”

I nodded glumly. That means I’ll have to stay in Morgan for at least another hour - if not another night.

* * *

Kaylee and I walked back to Sydney’s apartment mostly in silence. I replayed all of the events over in my head. It’s funny to me that I noticed my lack of adrenaline. Since it was a chemical inside a body, once I swapped out of Ella’s body, I no longer felt the high of the dance performance. I had the memories of it though, and I was happy I did it even though I was equally happy that it was over with.

“I’m so glad that’s over with,” I said to Kaylee.

“Me too,” she replied.

“I’m sorry again. This whole thing was my fault.”

“D, stop. The way you handled this today. You were incredible. I loved what you did back there.”

“Then—”

“You took charge, you made both of them feel safe. They actually might be better off now having experienced everything than they were on Halloween.”

“Then why do I feel like I let the Guild down?”

“You haven’t let us down. Trust me. The Guild loves you.”

“Thank you.”

“Hey - remember that book you were reading when we first met you?”

“The Heroine Prophecy?”

“Yeah, how did that end?”

“Well, the beautiful heroine got the warring factions to work together. She won over the prince and they got married in secret. But the evil fascist emperor imprisoned him with a spell. And that’s where the first book ended.”

“Well, looks like my beautiful heroine united those warring factions. Made peace with them and us, and won over a beautiful princess.”

I giggled. “I guess. It’s a stretch.”

“I just wanted you to know that I think you’ve grown as an individual since we met you two months ago. Don’t beat yourself up for your mistakes. Just learn from them and grow.”

We finally arrived at Sydney’s apartment, and Kaylee knocked on the door.

Sydney answered it with a smile. When she noticed that I had accompanied Kaylee, however, the smile faded. “Wait, does this mean D is inside Morgan?”

“Yeah,” I replied. “We have to wait another half hour before we can reset.”

“Well, how’d it go?” Sydney asked.

“It went well.” I replied. “I found Ella. She wanted to stay swapped with Aiden. And he with her. But they agreed to return to their original bodies for the night. So we swapped them back.”

“So Aiden and Ella want to stay swapped?” 

“On a trial basis,” I clarified.

“Wow,” Sydney said. “The Guild sure seems to have a knack for finding people who end up wanting to stay as someone else.”

I opened my eyes wide at her, trying to non-verbally communicate that I don’t want to have this conversation in front of A.

She got the hint and winked at me.

“Don't forget the part where you joined the dance team for a performance,” Kaylee chuckled.

I blushed out of modesty.

“You danced at the game?” Sydney said, giggling. “Can I see your dance?”

“I don’t remember it.” I confessed.

“Can I show you what I learned?” she asked excitedly.

I raised my eyebrow in curiosity. “Sure.” I was interested in what she’d been doing for the past few hours.

Sydney walked to her room then came back out holding her clarinet. “I can play the clarinet!” She put the instrument up to her mouth and started playing the song she’d been composing all semester.

I smiled and took a seat as I listened to the beautiful melody.

Around nine-twenty, Kaylee’s phone alarm went off. That was our cue to swap.

“It’s time,” Sydney announced.

“We have two options since a reset won't work,” Kaylee explained. “K and I can swap or D and I can swap. I mean, K and D can swap too, but I imagine you want to get rid of me and have some alone time.” She winked at us. “I can also leave the stone with you if you want to wait for the cooldown to swap again.”

“Let’s get K back to her body,” I said. “I feel bad that this swap has lasted four days.”

“It’s OK, D,” Sydney said. “It was my idea, and I enjoyed every moment of it.”

“Even the moments I had to leave you to go take care of Aiden and Ella?”

“Yes,” she said. “Even those moments, because I got to meet your friends and got to know them.” She waved her clarinet around. “Plus, discovering I could play this was so cool.” 

I smiled at the warmth I felt for her.

Kaylee held the stone out and Sydney took her hand.

Five seconds later, both girls blinked and looked at me.

“Is everything OK?” I asked.

“Yes,” Kaylee said seductively as she walked towards me. She stopped in front of me and leaned into me for our first kiss in four days.

“Alright you two,” Sydney giggled. “Get a room. Not mine.”

Before Sydney had even finished her sentence, Kaylee was already pushing me towards the apartment door. She turned to stick her tongue out at Sydney and gave my ass a playful smack. “You heard the lady, Morgan. Let’s get a room.” Once through the door, she took my hand and led me out into the night, directly towards my apartment.