Switcharoo

Chapter Eight

(Authors Note: Just wanted to let you know that this story will be coming to and end soon. Long series aren't really something I'm particularly good at, but trust me I hope to write a lengthy watt-pad worthy story for you guys pretty soon :)) 

Jack

We skipped the whole day of classes, determined to figure out what we could possibly do to change ourselves back. 

At least that's how the day started. 

Somewhere between campus and the Chinese restaurant we went 'fuck it' and turned down an alley. The lady at the restaurant had been telling us over and over that the only way to solve the issue is to truly understand each other and so far we haven't been doing too good of a job of that. 

Today would be the day, we said, that we finally get our bodies back. 

After the little... kiss, we shared, we decided it just had to be done. What happened after would have to be decided then. 

I snuck a glance at Mark who walked on my right, he seemed very unsure of everything that had been happening to us. There was a part of me that wanted to grab his hand and reassure him, telling him that everything would be okay no matter what happened. 

Though he had been distance since we kissed, which is my fault. 

I sighed, closing my eyes and stuffing my hands in my pockets. I really like Mark, and I don't know what it was about him. Maybe it was me being so involved in his life, but really I think it has to do with how much I've grown to accept him. In the beginning he was a dick, a stranger who saved people getting bullied and then acted as if they never met. 

It's a little hot, albeit creepy as fuck, but I know a lot about Mark's body... I can only imagine what his relationship with Julian was really like. 

...

We sat across from each other against the walls of the alley, staring at each other. 

"Why don't we play a game?" He suggested, letting his arms fall to his side. His green hair fell gently over his eyes and his flannel shirt lay party open, exposing his chest. I'm hot as fuck, I thought, and rugged as hell. 

I nodded, letting my arms do the same. "What do you have in mind?" 

Mark took a moment to think, pressing his tongue across his inner, upper lip and allowing it to pop through his lips. "It's called You're-in-my-body-and-I'm-in-yours-and-it's-weird-and-full-of-tension. I ask you a question, and you answer it. Then you ask me a question and I answer it. We'll go back and fourth like that... if you want." 

Chuckling, I rested my head against the brick walls behind me. "Where did you grow up?" 

"Hawaii, you?" 

"Athlone, in Ireland. Got any family?" 

We shot back and fourth, learning about each other. I'm pretty sure that neither of us knew if any of this would actually help, but it was worth a shot. Maybe we would understand each others lives by doing this. 

Minutes passed, hours passed. We sat here and talked, occasionally getting off track before shit got really, really deep. 

"When did you know you were gay?" I asked him, biting my lip. Some people have stories like 'I just knew I was different', I didn't. I wonder if Mark did... He took a few seconds to answer. 

"I'd say it was probably around junior high," he admitted. "I was at a dance with my 'girlfriend' and I saw this boy dancing with his 'girlfriend' and was just... baffled, I guess? Surprised at how much I liked looking at him. I had plenty of friend who were girls, and they always talked about boys so I started paying attention to these boys. He was one of them." 

I nodded, hoping he would ask me the same question. 

"What about you?" He blurted out after a moment of silence. I ran through the memories in my head, trying to recall a special moment of my life that involved me being gay. They were all drowned out, however, by the cars and activity going on in the streets. Focusing as best I could I finally pulled something from my mind. 

I took a deep breath. "College, for me, well, college before this college. I went to a college before this one in Ireland. I was studying something obscure, like psychology or some shit, that had to do with understanding the minds inside of humans. One class was teaching us how therapy worked and the subject of homosexuality came up. I thought about it forever after that and it just sort of clicked." 

We stared at each other for a moment, and then I remembered it was my turn to ask a question. 

I didn't get the chance to, though. 

"Why did you kiss me?" He asked, scooting in closer to me. I felt my face flush as I stuttered to find a good answer. 

"Well, I mean..." I trailed off. "I'm pretty self-obsessed, like Narcissus from that story. I love myself." 

Mark rolled his eyes and laughed. "Yeah, okay, funny guy, give me the real reason." 

Inhaling deeply I shrugged. "I just sort of wanted to, I guess." I rubbed the back of my neck and looked at him. Staring into my own blue eyes and knowing how far away they way sent a pang in my chest. Mark must have noticed, because he reached a hand up to my cheek. 

Shaking it off, I sniffed at the cold. "Why did you let me?" 

Mark had every opportunity to end our little tongue-dance, but he didn't. That must mean something. 

"I think I sort of wanted to," he shrugged. "I still... sorta... do." He added, looking down at our feet. 

Before I knew it I had my hands on his face and body on top of him, locking our lips. There felt like a jolt of energy coursing through me all the way up my fingertips. He must have felt it too, because he jumped back, or maybe he was taken back by my sudden movement. 

We both stopped moving when we parted. 

In front of me I saw a man with chocolate brown eyes and coal coloured hair staring into my eyes. 

...

Okay so I know that this story had a lot more potential than I let it expand into, and I'm sorry. Regardless, I like how it is. As it comes to an end I hope to make up for some of my shitty writing and plot development. There was definitely a lot more I wanted to do with this story, but since school started back up for me I had a hard time keeping a focus on my thoughts and ideas for it. Thank you all for reading, sorry the update was late. :)