Absolution and Temptation

''Hey,'' you try to **** a smile when you see Leah opening the door for you. She wears a grey hooded sweater which covers her torso and a matching track pants. You decide to go to Leah's and face the music. She lives in a rather typical neighborhood, which surprises you. You've always thought that the cheerleader bunch consists of well-off girls. Well-off, good looking girls, your mind corrects you.

''Get in,'' Leah says curtly and close the door behind you.

Awkwardly, you follow her and pass through the living room. A woman in early forties smiles at you and you return the smile. Considering the face and blonde hair, you guess that the woman is Leah's mother.

As you walk through the dining room, you see a middle aged man glares at you. Must be her dad, you thought. You attempt a feeble smile, but you swear you are only met with a more piercing stare. At least now you know where Leah got her demeanour.

The house, although not massive, is very spacious. Following Leah upstairs, you realize that this must be where the bedrooms are.

***

''She got you too huh?'' Jimmy greets you after you and Leah have entered her room. There's a faint twinge of embarrassment in his apologetic smile. He's wearing the same clothes he wore earlier to school.

''You son of a-,'' you exclaim.

''Boys,'' Leah's voice stops you. ''Drop it, yeah?'' She sits down on her bed and looks at you and Jimmy levelly.

You take a deep breath and take a look around the room. It's a girl's room. Purple color dominates the room, save for the white ceiling. There are some teddy bears around the room and some make-up scattered on the vanity table. Aside from that, the room is sparse in detail except for a wardrobe and some drawers.

''Hey,'' Leah clicks her fingers,''Doesn't mean that you can look around.''

Jimmy tries to suppress his snigger, but that just invites Leah's glare.

''I've hidden the pens, so don't try anything,'' Leah lets her sentence hang to emphasize her threat,''Look, I know what you two were doing with the pens, yeah?'' Leah continues, ''Impersonating people at school, doing things as them, including me.''

You gulp.

''I couldn't believe my eyes when this piece of shit,'' she motions to Jimmy,''put on my little sister's skin and transformed into her.'' Leah's words are shaky with anger.

It's your turn to glare at Jimmy.

''He then zapped himself with the brown pen and acted just like Sarah - my sister, would. He thought I didn't see him.'' A triumphant glint appears on her eyes. ''But I did, and gave him a taste of his own medicine. If it was Rob,'' Leah mentions the name of his older brother, the school's star quarterback last year before he graduated,''He would've ripped Jimmy apart.''

''Look, whatever we did,'' you try to apologise, ''We're sorry, and we won't use the pens ever again, right?'' you turn to Jimmy. Although the pens has open up your world, they do bring to the fore, some of your more malevolent nature. You remember the time when you were wearing Ashley's skin.

''Uh, yeah. I'm really sorry.'' Jimmy mumbles half-heartedly. Just like he usually does when one of his pranks got discovered before it could blow up on someone's face.

''If you want to make up for it,'' Leah says softly, ''there's something that you two can do.''

There's a thin smile on Leah's face. From your longstanding friendship with Jimmy, you know whatever comes out next won't be good.

''There're some people at school,'' Leah continues,'' who would benefit from having someone else fill in their shoes, temporarily. Give them a new perspective. People like Ashley, that double crossing bitch,'' she pauses, ''or Lindsey, the girl thinks she's so smart.''

Jimmy perks up at that, a stupid grin plastered over his face.

''I'll keep hold of the pens and give you the skins to wear and things you have to do,'' Leah ignores him, ''But if you're really good, sometimes I might let you choose who you want to wear.''

''I'm in!'' Jimmy exclaims excitedly.

''Looks like your friend's in,'' Leah turns to you, ''Of course I can't **** you.''

You give it a good think. As much as the pens has allowed you to experience things that you wouldn't even possibly dream before, but the pens have been and could continue to be a source of much troubles. Your mind remembered the time when you found the pens abandoned on your front porch. It's unlikely that they appear there by accident. Someone must've placed it there and you're not sure you want to know who they are.

This might be a good chance for you to walk away from those pens.

You look at Jimmy, who now couldn't contain his excitement and at Leah, who continues to wait for your answer.

''I'm - ,'' before you realize it, you've started to speak.