Tell Gladys the truth

You nod gravely at Onyx and somehow she seems to catch your meaning.

She picks it up and puts it in face cam mode. "Hey."

"Is it you?" You hear Gladys through the phone. She seems to have calmed down.

"Yes."

"And how can I be sure?"

"I don't know, Gladys. The fact that Wa- That my… clone didn't have my bag, therefore my phone." Says Onyx with her usual bored tone.

"You could have stolen it back. It proves nothing."

"Okay, I'm not gonna play that game. Here."

She puts herself in front of you so that the camera shows both of you. You recognize that she's in a park very close by. You wave timidly at her.

"OMG OMG OM-FUCKING-G, IT'S REAL! I DIDN'T DREAM IT" She starts yelling again, albeit more from excitement than fear.

"You thought it was a dream?" Says her roommate with incomprehension.

"Well no but at the same time it's so incredible like how is it even possible so I was starting to second guess myself y'know?" She starts ranting at subliminal speed. "Wait what if you're both doppelgangers though like maybe you're like a race of Onyx-looking alien who wants to start spreading across Earth that would be freaky like sorry Onyx but I think one of you is enough I mean well now there's two so fuck that I guess but-"

"Shut the fuck up for a sec, Gladys, okay?" Interrupts Onyx with a lot more casualness than it should be allowed. "I'm gonna explain the whole situation to you so make sure that nobody else can hear and please try not to cut me."

Her friend nods and Onyx starts a long monologue of everything that happened to you two for the last few hours. This whole time, Gladys manages to stay silent as a carp which looks quite the ordeal to her. When the whole explanation is finally finished, her first words redden your face to a color you didn't know Onyx could mutter.

"Wait. So that's actually your boyfriend right here?"

"Wall is not my boyfriend Gladys, how many times did I tell you?" Your not-girlfriend responds, rolling her eyes.

"Yes, sorry I mean like your "male" friend. He's actually a guy? Like trapped in a girl's body or whatnot?"

The way her face looks a bit weirded out by it makes you feel very insecure. As you look at the two Onyx's faces in the facecam feedback, you can easily tell which is yours. Onyx is not only beautiful, but she also exults an aura of self-confidence that you lack. You wish this misadventure ends with you gaining at least some of it.

As Gladys seems convinced enough to come back home, Onyx hangs up.

"I need a long shower." She declares, then pauses, looking at you. "I guess I do too, right?"

You understand where the problem lies. "I-I can pass for today I guess. It's okay."

She sighs. "No, no. I need to accept it. That's fine. It's not your fault in the first place, if anything it's mine so… let's tear off the bandage now. I guess I can soon officially says that you're my most intimate friend…"

She's visibly fighting against her modesty. It's kind of reassuring in a way. Maybe she's not out of insecurities in the end.

"I promise to close my eyes the entire time if you want." You say, trying to help her the best you can.

"That's sweet but it can't work in the long run. You're already contrived enough as it is. If there's one good reason to see me naked it must be it. Plus, today was hot and you stink just as much as I do. Let me go first, I'll pick you fresh clothes for tonight."

With that, you're left alone in the living room while Onyx enters the bathroom. You take a quick sniff at your armpit. There's sweat alright, but compared to your usual body, it smells pretty good, you think.

You don't have phones to keep you occupied so you're idle on the sofa, grasping once again at the incredible situation you're in. You won't lie to yourself, the idea of seeing your friend's body naked is… quite exciting, and you don't feel any guilt about it anymore since she gave you her blessings. You do empathize with her reservations though and wonder if maybe she hides something she feels ashamed of. Maybe a scar… or a very ugly mole. Scratching your nose, you hit something hard that surprises you. Oh, of course, her piercing! It amazes you that you didn't realize you had a freaking nose ring on your right nostril all this time. You've never seen Onyx without it, so it is kind of engraved in your mental image of her. Plus, you guess you had better things to focus on before now. Well, now it's bothering you.

As you toy around with the metal circle stuck on your nose, you spot the camera in Onyx's bag's opened pocket. You take it out and admire it once more. How strange it is to hold such an all-powerful item. It's scary but fascinating at the same time. The fact it clones clothes as well makes it even more difficult to explain. It can't be based on DNA or something sciency like that… at least not entirely. It can create or destroy matter. You start to wonder what other things you could do with it.

The door slams and wakes you from your daydream. A hyperactive Gladys enters the living room.

"OMG OMG OMG. Magic is real, Onyx. It's freaking real. I knew it! Like not knowing knowing, but I had a strong intuition. Remember when I talked to you about astral projection and all? Well I mean if THAT is real, just think about everything that should be too. Like Bigfoot or the Lock Ness monster… Oh and fairies! Make it that fairies are real too pleaaaase! Anyways, where's your doppelganger?"

"In the shower, but-"

"What? You let your "guy"friend check your body in the bathroom? I mean kudos to you to be so comfortable with that, I don't know if I would personally. I mean not that I'm ashamed of my body or anything, I just think that-"

"I'm Wall." You interrupt her. Apparently, it's the only way to say something with that windbag.

She takes a second to understand what you're saying.

"Ooooh. Okay, that makes more sense! You guys should really put on different outfits, it's so damn confusing."

"That's the plan… once I take MY shower." You say, not without a bit of grudge from her assumptions.

"Okay, sooorry. I get it, it's not like you aren't ever gonna shower if you're trapped as Onyx. It's just weird to think a dude's gonna gawk at his friend in the mirror." She says with little remorse.

"I'm not gonna "gawk" at her," You lie. "I respect her privacy as much as I can."

"Okay, okay. Hey that's the thing, right?" She changes subject as she quickly grabs the camera you left on the coffee table.

You have absolutely no trust in Gladys to not fuck things up with that mighty tool.