Soul Swap: Straight-A Student or Bad Boy?

CHAPTER 5: A SNAKE

LEXI

The moment we stepped through the door, we were greeted by River's stepfather. Mr. Ward. I knew him. Everyone in town knew him.

He was ex-military, decorated but friendly. He gave speeches at school assemblies on occasion. But the look he gave me was not the friendly Mr. Ward I remembered.

His eyes were bloodshot. His jaw clenched so hard I thought his teeth would snap, and his fists hung rigid at his sides, twitching as if he was barely holding back.

"What the hell's wrong with you?" He barked, and I flinched as my heart began to race. I did not respond. “You really went over there? To that b***h's house? claimed you were her daughter?" His voice boomed throughout the room.

“Are you out of your damn mind?! You embarrassed us in front of the entire community!”

I blinked, stunned by the outburst, the venom in his voice, and the fact that he had just called my mother a b***h. His voice roared, leaving no time to process. "Answer me!" He took a step forward as if he were about to charge, and I stumbled back, instinct taking over, as Mrs. Lane leapt in front of me.

“Harlan, stop! Please, stop! He’s not doing well. Please, something is wrong with my son."

"There is nothing wrong with him!" He spat. “He’s looking for attention. Look at the spoiled, useless coward hiding behind you!" I couldn’t speak, my hands trembling as I held on to Mrs. Lane.

He took another step toward us, and I shrank back behind her, my entire body curling in on itself. My mind screamed that he was going to hit me and I had never seen such violence in someone's eyes.

He scoffed, shaking his head in disgust, and spun on his heel towards the door. "You ungrateful piece of s**t!" It was only as he passed me that I smelled it, the unmistakable stench of alcohol.

Mrs. Lane turned around, her eyes wide with fear as she reached for me. “River, are you okay?” I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I began sobbing so hard that my legs gave way and I sank to the floor, trying to breathe but failing miserably.

“I-I can’t—I can’t do this,” I whispered, my voice broken and choked. I had never felt so terrified in my life.

•••

RIVER

Getting home, I was still smiling. It had been the strangest day of my life but also, somehow, one of the most beautiful. The way people looked at me… the way her friends loved me. There was so much warmth. So much love, it was overwhelming. And terrifying.

I’d spent most of the day on the ice, careful not to interact too much. I didn’t know how Lexi acted around half those people, and I wasn’t about to ruin her life on top of everything else.

Paige had chased me at one point, but I ducked out, pretending to have cramps, just to get away. Still, for a few fleeting hours, it was… good.

But as soon as I stepped through the front door, the smile faded. Mrs. Wilson rushed down the stairs, waving a sheet of paper like a weapon and I barely had time to close the door before she was in front of me.

“What is this?” She snapped, thrusting the paper into my face, and my stomach turned.

It was the exam paper.

Shit.

She came to a stop just inches away from me, fire in her eyes. “What the hell happened, Lexi?”

I opened my mouth and nothing came out. I didn’t know what to say. “Talk to me!” she yelled. “Answer me!”

“I’m-” My voice cracked. “I’m sorry.”

Her lips curled in frustration. “You better be glad Miss Diamond is willing to give you another chance or there would be no prom for you.”

My heart stopped. Another chance? That wasn’t going to work. I still wouldn’t know what to write. I parted my lips again, chest rising with the confession that I realized I had no choice but to make. But she cut me off.

“I have a meeting with the school board in fifteen minutes. I’ll be back in two hours. Go and study," she said sharply, taking her keys from the counter and heading for the door.

I stood there with the stupid exam paper still in my hand. Well, at least Lexi would be back in her body in the morning and would know what to write. I went upstairs to see if she had any games and then check out this body some more.

~~~~~~

FOLLOWING MORNING

Stepping out of the car, I was still in Lexi's body, and for a brief moment, I just stood there. I didn’t know how I’d expected that I’d wake up in my own bed, in my own skin. But I did and it didn't happen.

I had no plans for this day, no strategy, and no idea what to do next.

I was still trying to gather my thoughts when I heard a voice behind me.

“Morning, Lex.”

I turned and saw Paige. Her brows furrowed as she looked me over. "Are you okay? You look like hell.” I opened my mouth, ready to give some excuse, but she didn’t give me the chance. “Did I miss something?” she asked, eyes narrowing slightly. “I mean… seriously, you’ve looked like a wet towel for two days straight. Is this, like, a fashion experiment?”

A beat passed. Wow. That was not a nice thing to say to a friend. I wondered what kind of friendship they had. Suddenly something felt off. Before I could say anything, she suddenly sang-songed, “Uh-oh… here comes King Jerk.”

I turned, confused, and saw Lexi walking toward us, and my breath stuttered.

So that’s what they call me?

Lexi came to a halt a few feet away, her gaze shifting from Paige to me, and I watched her dig into her front pocket while pretending to mind her own business. She didn’t say anything, just pulled out a folded piece of paper.

Her eyes met mine briefly, and I knew she wanted to talk. But she was scared to say anything in front of Paige. She did not want to be seen talking with King Jerk.

I pretended my phone buzzed in my hand and said quickly, “I’ll catch you later, Paige.” Paige rolled her eyes but turned to leave, heading toward the school entrance with a little toss of her hair.

The moment she rounded the corner, Lexi walked up to me and stopped. It was the first time we stood face-to-face without her screaming at me, and I didn’t know if she would start screaming again but she didn’t.

“Hey,” I said softly but she didn’t reply. Instead, she held out the folded paper, pressed it into my hand, and then turned and walked away before I could respond. I unfolded it.

"Music class. After school."

That was it.

I stared at it for a moment before crumpling the note and putting it in my pocket. As I walked to class, all I could think about was the math test and how I was going to get through this day without failing everything again and facing her mother's wrath.

But Paige's laughter interrupted my thoughts as I stepped out into the corridor. I did not intend to eavesdrop, but something about the tone made me slow down.

"Like a wet towel," one of the girls said, snorting before adding, "Maybe being Miss Perfect made her go cuckoo." Laughter ensued, and one of the girls added, "She is your friend Paige."

I froze out of sight, my chest tightening. They were talking about Lexi. The girl facing me must have noticed me because her expression changed immediately.

"Shhhh!" she hissed, nudging Paige, who turned and smiled as if nothing had happened.

“Lexi! Wait up!”

I didn’t. I kept walking straight past them without saying a word. She wasn’t a friend. She was a snake.