I just realized that I should explain why Maxxie’s room is a mess when she has a ‘maid.’ Quite simply, cleaning her own room is Maxxie’s sole household responsibility. Why exactly does she put this off so often? Well, when you are unsure as to tackle a problem and are constantly tumbling your way into new fascinations, it is easy to lose focus of something that is, in your mind, not fun in the slightest. That, and she has the mentality where she does not need to fix something unless it is properly broken. I, however, simply could not spend an entire night amidst such clutter.

In order to negate an hour of silence beyond the ambient sound of ruffling, I took this opportunity to plop on and begin listening to Maxxie’s MP3 player. Yes, a proper MP3 player, instead of putting everything on her phone. She needed a dedicated device because she had over two weeks worth of music, spanning all genres, styles, and levels of notoriety. I briefly wondered how she found the time to even listen to all this stuff, but that question was quickly answered by the drawing tablet that leaned next to her PC. ‘Drawers’ like her practically lived off of music.

Anyhow, I ended up resuming a playlist she was listening to, named ‘The Worst X Mecha Yuri’. I asked Maxxie about this at a later time and she said the playlist is made up of albums from a pair of music labels that produce this weird electronic, ambient, experimental music made by and for complete weeaboos. As such, the tracks had a lot of sampling and sound clips from animes I could not possibly source or name.

I actually found this to be a rather relaxing set of tunes that went well in immersing me into Maxxie’s life. All as I dug through her disheveled collection of things I honestly wondered if Maxxie even remembered buying. Here are just some of the things I found lying in her room: A boxed Solid Snake Nendoroid, a sealed copy of Freedom Wars, an Akira Toriyama art book, an Amazon box filled with Pokémon Adventures manga box sets, a used NES Gameboy Advance SP. If she got all of this a few days ago, it makes slightly more sense why she would forget about her ‘second most anticipated game of all time.’ …Slightly.

How did she afford all of this? Well, she lived in an ‘almost-mansion’ with a live-in caretaker. She was rich, and got ample amounts of birthday money and a generous monthly allowance she got for maintaining a 3.0 out of 4.0 GPA.

Anyway, I cleaned Maxxie’s room until roughly 21:00, when I promptly laid down on Maxxie’s bed, taking a long sigh as I looked over my accomplishment. Everything was categorized, all of the books were placed in alphabetical order, her figures were ‘tastefully disheveled’ throughout her room, her hardwood floor was clean and free of clutter, and I even cleaned her tablet and monitor screens. Her massive walk-in closet was still filled with more disheveled clothes than I could even hope to organize in a single night, but I’d say did more than my share of cleaning for Maxxie. After so much rummaging, I wanted to do little more than sit down and relax, but as I felt drops of sweat across my forehead, I remembered that I would need to take a shower soon… 

As I said before, I saw her naked a handful of times in the past, but that did little to instill confidence in me at the very idea of taking a shower in Maxxie’s body. It would not be a situation where she was in control, it would be one where I called the shots and managed everything. I would need to massage my hands over Maxxie’s original body, scrub it, and take in every detail about her naked body from a first-person perspective.

I groaned, realizing that it was an inevitability I would need to approach sooner or later. Thankfully, something came knocking at Maxxie’s door, meaning that I could delay this inevitability, if only by a little. As I finished a post-cleaning stretch, I moseyed towards the door, mentally preparing myself for whoever could want my attention, asking myself what could possibly go wrong. Well… the answer was not what I was expecting, let’s say that much.

I looked down as I opened the door to see Tyler Flare, Maxxie’s ten-year-old brother, a very lean and scrawny child who was currently about 1.4 meters tall. He, naturally, resembled his sister quite closely, but I would say that while Maxxie took more after her predominantly Black and Indian father, Tyler took more after his East and Southeast Asian mother. They were both ‘ethnic mutts’ as Maxxie liked to put it, but I’m just rambling at this point. 

Getting back on track, Tyler’s hair was in an untamed clump of short hair, and he was wearing a light blue pajama top and some dark pants, both of which were about a size too large for him. With sleeves covering his hands and his pants rolled up so he did not trip on the legs. It was oddly cute if I may be completely honest. Though, not so much that I couldn’t see the concern on his face as he began speaking to me in a muted whisper.

“Uh, hey sis… Can I talk to you… about something?”

“Sure thing Ty, you wanna talk in your room?” I asked, using Maxxie’s pet name for the boy.

While his reaction was delayed, he did return with a steady nod, asking me to join him as we walked down the second-floor hallway. We walked past the empty room of Maxxie’s parents, Kenneth and Eleanore, who were out on a business trip— as they were 50% of the time— and into Tyler’s room. Compared to Maxxie’s, it looked like something from a catalog. It was very open, clean, and minimalistic. There were a few figurines placed in the room, a framed Steven Universe poster, and a series of plastic containers that were all labeled and placed neatly on a shelf. It was overall a pleasant room and reminded me a bit of my own if I were to get rid of a few things. 

Tyler and I sat on his bed as I looked at him with concern. His normally adorable face was stricken with unrest. Seeing as how I had known him for his entire life, I felt like I should be able to figure out what was bothering him. Sadly, I had zero idea what could be troubling him.

“I’ve been thinking about… the future.” Tyler muttered as I scooched closer to him.

“C’mon, what exactly has got you so glum, chum?” I asked, trying to lighten him up. 

“I’ve been thinking about middle school, and puberty, and…”

“Ty, I guess it is pretty scary, your body changes and people can be real butt holes when their hormones are going bonkers, but you’re strong enough to face any challenge that comes your way! So just go for it, not worrying about your peers or cliques or any of that malarkey. Just be yourself and aim for making the most of your youth! And by the time you are a man, you will be all the stronger and better adjusted for it.” 

As I spoke, I tried to lace in whatever Maxxie-esque motivational sayings I could to raise Tyler’s spirits. …But he still looked down at the floor, his face locked in a frown.

“I don’t want to be a man.” 

As those words escaped their lips, Tyler distanced themself from me as I stared at them, dazed by their response.

“What— um, do you mean you’re— and I’m not trying to rain on your festival of fun times and fill it with the frowns. And I’d hate to be the despair bug that crawls up the drain and through your pee stream into your privates. But are you getting at—” 

I was stammering, trying to maintain my facade as the conversation took a direction I did not expect. But just as I began putting one and three to get four, Tyler said it, clear as day.

“I think I’m transgender,” Tyler said as she began to cry.

“I… I’ve known you all your life, seen you grow so much over the years, been with you through the best and the worst, and… I love you Tyler. Boy or girl, that’s not changing, and if this is what you really want, I’m right there with you, buddy.” 

As I discarded the facade of forced Maxxie-isms, I moved closer to Tyler, embracing her in a firm hug.

“T-Thanks Maxxie… I guess I should’ve expected as much, but…” Tyler muttered as she cried into my sleeves.

Those words were like weights dragging my person down to the bottom of a watery abyss. This was such an emotional moment for Tyler, coming out to her sister, but… I wasn’t her sister. And while I knew it was outlandish to say the truth at a time like now, I did it anyway.

“Um… The thing about that is… I— I’m not actually Maxxie.”

“Wh-what?” Tyler muttered as she rubbed her tear-soaked eyes.

“…I… I shouldn’t have said that you have a lot on your mind and… I guess this is actually sorta appropriate, in a weird way. I, well… I’m actually Jad. Maxxie and I swapped bodies a couple of hours ago.” 

I immediately regretted my decision to tell her the truth.

“Maxxie, I…”

“No, Tyler, this is not a joke. I am being completely serious right now, Maxxie and I— well, I, as in Jad, was given a body switching remote from some woman by the name of Verde. Maxxie thought it would be fun if we switched bodies for the night, and I’m guessing that she didn’t think you would come out as a transgirl tonight of all nights…” 

As I spoke, I adopted a cadence unlike the one Maxxie used. I tried to sound like myself, in hopes of her believing my bullshit, yet true, story.

“I…” Tyler began.

“Yes, I know it sounds like bullshit Tyler, but I have proof! I have the VD and… wait, no, I… I left it at my house.”

“…I’d like it if you’d call me Terra from now on.” She requested as she looked up at me.

“Oh— s-sure… T-Terra. So, do you believe me or am—”

“I believe you. You look just like her, but… I know you, Jad, and I know my sister. And you definitely aren’t my sister.”

“Oh, well, um… Listen, this is a really, really big change in your life, and I think— I’m sure you do realize that, right?”

“Yes, I did my homework and made sure this is what I really wanted. I’ve been thinking about it since third grade, and I… was really hoping that Maxxie could help me out.” Terra told me as she fiddled with her fingers.

“Well, I… We should switch back tomorrow morning, I’ll call her and make sure, but for now… You’re a really brave person to be doing something like this, and I’m happy to see you take such initiative with your life. I’ve known you since you were a week old. And I really do want to see you be happy. …I don’t really know much about this stuff, but I think you should tell Babs, Eleanore, and Kenneth on Thanksgiving, because they’re normally really busy up until Christmas, right?” I said as I brought myself closer to Terra.

“Yeah,” Terra nodded.

“And then, by the time 2015 comes rising up from the eternal horizon, you will get all you need to start your hormone replacement therapy— or at least get some blockers. With your lady levels increased, you’ll prep yourself for a middle school life not as the Tyler Flare people knew you as before, but as the new and mighty Terra Turbo Flare!” 

As I adopted this boisterous tone and channeled Maxxie’s mannerisms once more, I lifted Terra off her bed and raised her up high. …Except I did not have the strength needed to hold up a child in my current body and wound up fumbling back onto the bed, where Terra toppled onto my belly.

“Hehehe, I don’t think that Maxxie could have said it better herself, Jad.” Terra said as she looked at me with a loving expression.

“No problem, I just said what came naturally, and… if you want to test out the VD with Maxxie tomorrow, I’m sure she’d be totally down with it. But first, I should really call her. And I’m really, really, really super sorry if I made this far more awkward than it needed to be. It’s just that—”

“It’s not your fault… Jad. But, I… I have a lot I want to think about before bed.” 

As Terra started wiping away her tears, I left the room and made my way back to Maxxie’s room. Once inside, I leaned against a wall, sliding down it as I let out a massive sigh of relief. I took a moment to decompress, staring at the violet walls of this room and the ceiling fan overhead before I remembered that I should probably give Maxxie a call. So I grabbed Maxxie’s phone and called her, not even thinking about how I would explain what happened these past 10 minutes.

“What’s the word, my dear thunderbird?” Maxxie asked as she answered my phone.

“I’ll just get to the important stuff, okay?” I said with a distinct dryness in my voice.

“What happened? Tyler walked in when you were checking out your goods? I swear, that boy never knocks loud enough for me to hear over my jams.”

“That’s, um, that’s what I want to talk to you about. Tyler came out to me.”

“Oh, so my little bro-bro’s into boys? Eh, I was hoping my pansexuality would rub off on him, but at least it’s cooler than being hetero like… 80 percent of the world.”

“Well, coming out has a couple of meanings, at least I thought it did, and calling Tyler— even calling them Tyler is—”

“Wait, what? My bro-bro wants to be my sis-sis… actually, that sounds dumb— Not the T-Girl thing, of course, that’s flat out awesome, just the name I done conjured up there… And the gears just clunked in the right fashion, and I now realize what must’ve gone wrong with this whole shebang.”

“Yeah, I kinda told Tyler— Terra— as she wants to be called now, that I’m actually Jad. I went along with it for a while, but…”

“Oh snap, that must’ve been super duper awkward… is Terra alright?”

“Terra’s, well, she was shaken up, so I can’t really say yes. She’s not a mess, as far as I know, but…”

“Man, I really wish I was there to comfort her and give her some sisterly loving, but I’m guessing you tried at the very least, right?”

“Yeah, I think I helped her, but she probably needs someone on one time with you. Seeing as how it’s… 21:30, I figure we’ll wait until tomorrow.” I explained to Maxxie as I laid on her bed.

“Yeah, let’s get together in half a day exactly, capeesh?”

“Sounds good, but what about—” 

“Shiaka and Zoe are still lined up for an 11:00 get together, right? I’ll text them in a bit.”

“No, I just wanted to know what I should wear, I guess,” I explained as I looked into her massive closet, a prime example of her supposed ‘organized chaos.’

“Hm… my new stuff is still a day or two away, so… For tonight, get yourself all bundled up in that hoodie with the word ‘youth’ on it, pick out a skirt from my drawer, ‘cos you should lap up the feels they offer. Just don’t forget the modesty shorts and ‘specially the panty. Oh, and get some leggings to keep yourself from getting them chills. For tomorrow the twenty-third, you ought to scavenge for an outfit you’ve seen me wear a couple of times. Violet sweater, that navy dress thingy, some blue and pink stockings— the striped ones of course, and… ah. Try to find that dragonfly hairpin you got me years and years ago, but be sure you brush my hair before you try getting all stylish.” 

That was approximately… 2000% more detailed than what I expected Maxxie to say: ‘Something sexy.’

“I— um, okay,” I said as I began scavenging about her closet for the clothing she described. 

“And you already got yourself cleaned up, right?”

“No, not yet… and I cleaned up your room, so I’m a little sweaty… not that the tense situation with Terra helped much.” I replied, knowing exactly what she was going to say.

“Hop right to it then! Oh, and you can still fap if you want to. This whole Terra thing shouldn’t ruin your night if you were hoping to get your Flare on.”

“It… It’s fine, I don’t feel like masturbating as a girl after comforting a transgender ten-year-old, Maxxie.” I explained to her.

“…Yeah, that’s fair, I guess. I just didn’t want to be the only one who masturbated when in each other’s bods. I did it twice so far, fixing to nab some hot milk before bed, and I’m jotting down a morning quickie into my schedule. I must invest-i-ma-gate that mysterious morning man-wood.” 

“Goldarn. At this rate, you’re going to wind up masturbating more times than I have in my entire life. I just hope you haven’t made a mess.”

“No worries, I found some baggies in the kitchen that keep things mess-free. Although, I’m sure I’d like doing it in the shower too. Hehehehe.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow, bye Maxxie!” I said as I ended our call, not wanting to have our seventieth conversation about cum.

Verde: Did you count the exact number or are you exaggerating?

Well, aren’t you supposed to be an omnipotent, as in all-seeing, being? You should know the answer to that question.

Verde: Heh, I suppose that I could answer my own question there. It’s a bit of a problem I have, figuring out how to make good jokes.

Actually, seeing as we are at a stopping point, I have to ask you something, Verde.

Verde: Shoot.

Are there any other people like you?

Verde: There was one… they are no longer alive. They were an awful and deplorable monster who greatly abused their powers… Oh, I almost forgot! Goodness, where are my manners? Could I get you something Jad? A drink, a snack, maybe some sweets?

There’s a reason why I’m borderline underweight, you know. And my attention span isn’t that bad.

Verde: Look… I will explain everything once we complete this session, okay?

Do I really have a choice but to go through with this?

Verde: Yes, yes you do. In fact, I… right, you were a bit flustered at the time. Behind you, there is a door. You may walk out of it if you wish to no longer partake in this experiment of mine. That said, your memories of me, and this adventure of yours, will all vanish and you will be none the wiser.

Oh, I never even thought to look behind this chair… But I’ll stay if that’s the case. I’d hate for an experience like this to go to waste…