Of course.

Classes went the same as the previous day. Naomi effortlessly assimilated all the information the professors laid out. As she made her way around the campus, she reflected on why that was.

Was she getting smarter? That didn't seem likely, and she didn't feel particularly intelligent compared to before. It just felt absolutely effortless to concentrate 100% of her attention on the professor. Doing well in class and retaining knowledge was good for Natalie, so it became an immutable priority for her. She listened to dry lectures on design with the same intense focus that she would on a kidnapper's ransom instructions. There simply was nothing more important.

After her 1:30pm class ended, she texted Sophie. Wanna grab coffee? I'm free until 5. Sophie replied with a thumbs up emoji. Meet you at the union in twenty.

Naomi was already sipping a cup of black coffee when Sophie walked in. From the moment their eyes met she could feel her oldest friend sizing her up, trying to determine how much she had changed. She expected this, and it didn't bother her at all.

"So, how are... things?" Sophie asked as she sat down with a macchiato.

"You mean am I a lovesick brainwashed robot?" Naomi asked with a smile. "Nope! Things are great. Much better than they were with Davin."

Sophie studied her carefully. "Do you still feel different? Has the effect worn off at all?"

A test. Sophie knew it was permanent, and she was probing to see if Naomi would try to lie or downplay the situation. "Not even slightly," Naomi said with a grin. "My entire purpose is still to make Natalie's life as good as possible."

Sophie grimaced and took a long pull from her drink. "So you've been waiting on her hand and foot?"

Naomi shook her head. "Of course not. I'm getting a much better idea of what it takes to make Nat happy. I'm so lucky that I ended up with someone who loves me for who I am, Sophie. She likes Naomi, which means I get to keep being Naomi."

"What happens if that changes?" Sophie rebutted. "What if she doesn't like something about you?"

"You know, when we first started dating Nat talked during movies all the time. It drove me nuts! Finally I told her that and she stopped for me. We change for our partners all the time, Sophie." Naomi put her hand across the table and held Sophie's hand. "I can objectively say that she's the best person for me."

"Yeah, but you look totally different. Are you wearing eyeliner and blush? And what's with the hair?"

Naomi grinned sheepishly. "You like it? I didn't think it was that noticeable. She didn't tell me to do any of this stuff, it's all me. I know what she likes and I do it! It's the same for classes. I know Natalie wants me to do well, so I can't not make A's."

"You sound brainwashed." Sophie was clearly troubled, but Naomi had one more rhetorical flourish in store.

"Why do you think I asked you to get coffee?"

"I don't know. Did Natalie put you up to it?" Sophie asked. Naomi shook her head.

"She didn't. She didn't ask me to put more effort into my appearance or study or work out or eat healthier, but I'm doing all of those things. It's because she genuinely wants what's best for me. That's why I'm hanging out with you! Because you're my best friend, and spending time with you makes me happy, and Natalie wants me to be happy."

"For now," Sophie muttered. To her surprise, Naomi nodded.

"That's right. That's another reason I asked you to hang out - I want your help. I want you to help me stay myself."

A beat passed; Sophie sad nothing and waited for her to continue. "You're worried I might change, but has it occurred to you that I'm worried about it too? I mean, Davin turned me straight instantly without even trying! All of this stuff is so automatic now that I may not even notice that I'm changing. Nat wants the real me, so I want to be the real me, and that's where you come in."

"You want me to tell you if I think you're changing?" Sophie asked.

"Yes, but more importantly, I want you to tell Natalie. If I'm really not myself, I may not want to change. If Natalie tells me to... then I'll do it, no questions asked. In fact, I want you to talk to her about my new look tomorrow."

"You think she hasn't noticed?" Sophie asked. "It's pretty obvious."

"That's my point," Naomi said. "I don't think of the clothes I wear as essential to my identity, but maybe they are more than I realize. I'm not gonna be able to have a meaningful discussion with Natalie because I can't disagree with her. I want you and her to hash it out so she can tell me whether to keep doing what I'm doing."

"This is crazy," Sophie said. "You want me to debate your girlfriend about whether or not she's mind-controlling you too much? Do you know how this sounds?"

"I do, but I want this to be a trial run. It's probably gonna be uncomfortable, which is why it's a pretty big favor. Would you please do this for me?"

Sophie thought for only a second before nodding. "Fine. I'll text Natalie this afternoon."