The next morning

-Hey there.- Jessica greets you as you hop into Michelle's car. When you arrived, she was busy kissing another David Anderson, while her mom watched from the driver’s seat with a knowing grin. Your clone-occupied girlfriend gives you a look full of desire, purring about how lucky she is to have two Davids at her disposal right now.

-Next time babe.- You promise, then quickly start undressing. Once you're completely naked, you peel off your skin, revealing Katie's light-tanned form underneath, and toss it into your backpack, inside a nylon pouch. You slip into the Katie-sized clothes your clones brought you—a green hoodie, light blue jeans, and white sneakers to complete the look.

-Welcome back, little sis.- Jessica says with a conspiratorial giggle. The fake Mrs. Hunt, playing her motherly role to perfection, subtly reminds you to behave at school before dropping you off at the entrance. You turn to your clones and playfully instruct them: -I must go now, Claire will be here any minute. David, remember, she thinks you came early for an oral exam, so act like it. And both keep an eye on 'Jimmy' today. Don’t do anything I wouldn't!-.

-Hard to do otherwise.- David jokes, his hand groping your grinning sister's butt. Feeling satisfied, you head to 'your' locker, pretending to fix your things until you hear 'Claire' approaching from behind.

-Good morning bestie!- You greet her, using the phrase the original Katie used to make herself known.

-Hi Katie!- You exchange kisses, and then she whispers: -I thought we were turning David yesterday, and why aren't you in Jess's skin?-. You can't suppress a smirk, knowing that Katie's clone in Claire's body is completely unaware that you're the same person she had breakfast with this morning. If only she knew...

-No particular reason.- You shrug: -And David can wait too. Oh, Claire, I had so much fun yesterday, he had no idea he was fucking me and not Jess!- you both laugh at David's supposed cluelessness, with 'Claire' none the wiser.

-I can't wait until we're under his skin and he’s screwing my—hey, look who's coming.- She nods toward the hallway, where you see Hana and Yuna, the Korean twins. They’re identical, except for their bangs—Hana's swept left, Yuna's to the right. Their synchronized movements and minimalist outfits, combined with the fact that they’re the smartest girls in Katie's class, give them an unsettling aura that often keeps others at a distance.

But they have an on-again, off-again friendship with Claire, built on mutual respect's intelligence, and so Katie has hung out with them several times before. Together, they make up two of the four frenemies Katie planned to replace, though you showed up when the job was only halfway done.

-Morning, Hana, Yuna.- Claire greets them, trying to keep her tone light. The Kim twins turn to face you simultaneously, their expressions eerily identical.

-Katie, Claire.- They say in unison, their voices creepingly synchronized.

-We heard about the math test.- Hana continues, finishing the thought Yuna has started: -Did you do well?-.

You roll your eyes, but Claire just smiles, trying to stay cool: -Yeah, we did okay. How about you two?-.

Yuna tilts her head slightly, her eyes narrowing just a fraction: -Perfect score, of course. It wasn’t that difficult, though.-.

-Not difficult at all.- Hana adds, both giving you a look that says it all. Before you can respond, another girl arrives—frenemy #3: Lila Carpenter, the Social Queen. Popular, charismatic, and with a figure that turns heads, she's the type of girl who knows how to use her charm to get what she wants, often excluding others or putting them in tough spots to maintain her status.

Even with Katie’s memories, you’re not sure how she and Claire got tangled up with Lila. She often invites them to parties and events, but always with a hint of superiority or manipulation. Sometimes, though, she seems to genuinely want their friendship. Today, she’s in full Queen Bee mode, wearing a fitted, off-the-shoulder top in soft pastel pink, a pleated skirt, and ankle boots. She flashes a dazzling smile at your group, her perfectly styled honey-blonde hair bouncing with each step.

-Hey, girls!- Her chirp is sweet but carries an edge: -Did you hear about the party I’m throwing this weekend? Oh, Katie, Claire, you should definitely come! I mean, it wouldn’t be the same without you.-.

Claire hesitates, knowing there's always a catch with the golden-tanned school princess: -Thanks, Lila. We’ll see.-.

Lila’s eyes flick over to Hana and Yuna, who were standing eerily still: -And you two—are you planning to come?-.

The twins exchange a glance, speaking without words. -We have other plans.- Yuna finally says, her tone flat.

-Much more important plans.- Hana adds, her words equally devoid of enthusiasm. They both stare at Lila with a strange intensity, as if daring her to challenge them.

Lila's smile falters for just a second before she recovers: -Of course, you do. Well, if you change your mind...- she trails off as she walks away.

As you turn around, you’re startled to find Megan Winter standing right behind you, her freckled face inches away. It’s a typical Megan move—appearing out of nowhere—and her brown eyes, deep with thought, are locked on yours. She was your childhood best friend before meeting Claire, but then your lives drifted apart.

-Be careful with Lila.- She murmurs, diverting her gaze as she slouches in her oversized, dull-blue sweater. It nearly swallows her small, curvy frame, adding to her timid appearance: -She’s only nice when she wants something.-.

-Erm, like what?- Claire asks. Megan's face flickers between jealousy and concern; she’s never liked how close you and Claire have gotten, making every interaction awkward. Then, she shrugs: -Who knows? Maybe she just wants a bigger crowd at her party. Or maybe she's trying to keep you close so she can keep an eye on you. Just... watch out.-.

You share a look with Claire, feeling that familiar tug of old friendship with Megan, laced with the discomfort of how distant you’ve become: -Thanks, Megan. We'll be careful. But I'm sure you'll be invited too.-.

Megan brightens, her posture shifting: -So... want to go together? Like old times?-.

Guilt and shame prickle at you: -Sure, I mean... all of us together. Why don’t we catch up later, maybe at lunch?-.

Megan's initial confusion gives way to a shy smile, and she promises to save you a spot. Judging by how she ignored Claire's presence, though, you can tell she expects it to be just the two of you. After lingering for a moment as if she wants to say something more, she nods and walks away.

The twins, too, give you one last unreadable glance before turning and walking off in perfect sync, their footsteps echoing down the hallway. As soon as they’re out of sight, Claire lets out a small sigh.

-Why do I feel like I just went through a mental boxing match?-.

You chuckle, shaking your head: -Because we kind of did. But hey, at least it keeps things interesting, right?-.

-And a little... kinky.- She teases, her sly smile sparking an identical grin from you. Caught in the moment, you almost forget that you’re both just pretending to be regular schoolgirls, playing along to deceive the twins—and everyone else, for that matter. And 'Claire', the copy of Katie who's been stealing your poor sister's life, is blissfully unaware that she'll soon be your next target. She thinks she's your accomplice, not realizing she's the one being set up.

All of it, thanks to the two pens nestled safely in your backpack—the ones that squeezed your graduate self into Katie's pretty body. You can almost feel them pulsating, urging you to use them again, but that will come in time. The bell rings, signaling the start of your first class, and you slip effortlessly into Katie’s role, except for your daydreaming about adding Mrs. Martinez to your collection of clones.

Sure, the real Katie couldn't care less about the teacher, but like every boy in school, you've always wanted to get into the sexy Spanish teacher's pants... and you think you'll do it soon, in a certain way. The second class is much the same. You excel at solving the exercises, impressing both classmates and the teacher alike. After all, you’ve studied this material before.

Gosh, it's so perfect being Katie, a cute young girl, and being treated as such by everyone, even by her clones. You're so caught up in the thrill of it all that you have to squeeze your legs together not to dampen the seat. During the break, while chatting with Claire about school, gossip, and your next targets, you catch a glimpse of your sister Jessica with David and Trish talking with Jimmy near the lockers.

Katie looks miserable inside Jimmy’s lanky form, a stark contrast to his usual prankster attitude. David and Jessica are teasing him, acting like they have no idea why he seems so off today, while Trish is being unusually flirtatious, brushing her ass against Jimmy's crotch as she takes his side in their little game. Poor guy must be having a boner, you think.

-Come on man, what's gotten into you today?- David's asking with a grin.

-Or who, last night...- Jess snickers, obtaining just a groan from Jimmy.

-Guys, that's not fun. You both know that our Jimmy is a virgin, don't rub it in!-.

-What are they doing with Jimmy?- Your redhead friend asks, eyeing the scene with mild confusion and figuring it must be you—well, Katie—behind their behavior.

-Oh, I just wanted to mess a bit with that weirdo.- You vaguely explain. Actually, you mainly want to steer her away: better not to risk an interaction with 'Jimmy' that might reveal her too much. Luckily, she lets it slide, her curiosity satisfied for now.

You continue being the normal Katie for the rest of the morning, if not for texting the other two Katies to meet you after school. It's almost time to replace them... but first, you plan on having a little fun.