A friend from the past

BIIPBIIPBIIP

You jolt awake at the merciless electronic sound of the alarm. Groaning, you struggle to reconnect your brain to reality. You're laying on your stomach, your head bent to the side on the pillow, your long mane drapes over your face like a silky veil, obscuring your features.

With a huff, you blow a tuft of reddish hair away from your eyes, and laboriously crawl on all fours to switch off the alarm. You stretch and yawn, rubbing your tired eyes open, then you throw your slender legs beyond the bed and stand up.

You cross the room with swift and light steps, with your hair fluttering on your shoulders and your breasts gently swaying with each stride. You pass by the mirror on the desk, catching a fleeting peek of your ethereal reflection, but you don't linger and move on.

-Good morning.- Your stepmother greets you once you're in the kitchen, although she doesn't look at you as she's busy with the coffee machine.

-Good morning.- You reply shortly. You glimpse at the empty cup in the sink, meaning that your dad has already left for his business trip. That leaves you with her; and, although you've developed a pretty decent relationship with Linda over the years, she's still the woman your father has cheated your mom with.

She finally turns to you, bringing your coffee too with a welcoming smile on her face. Linda both is young and looks younger than she is, with flowing blonde hair untouched by age; unfortunately, this is the only noticeable natural part of her body and, from a merely esthetic point of view, it's really a shame, since she would be a much more attractive woman if she hadn't made such extensive use of plastic. But your father clearly hasn't thought so, as neither her lips nor eyebrows were patched yet when they started the affair. The officeman and the secretary with fake breasts, kind of a cliché. But you can't feel angry at your dad; right now, you're just sad that he had to go.

---

You enter the kitchen after a relaxing shower, and your already distended demeanor brightens up as you see your father sitting here, reading the journal like every morning. Linda was there too, but she was busy having breakfast.

-Good morning Dad!- You exclaim. He lowers the paper and smiles as well: -Hello princess.-. A flutter of excitement tickles your stomach: you like it when he calls you that, it reminds you of when you were little and he read you bedtime stories; you and your sister, but she always fell asleep after a few minutes, while you stayed awake until the end. However, you notice that he's already in his suit, ad your mood tingles with unhappiness.

-You're already leaving?-.

-I'm afraid so, sunshine.- He sighs: -But I have rescheduled the flight for tomorrow morning, so that we can dine together this evening. Are you happy?-.

You blink a pair of times, then you go hugging him: -Of course I am! That's awesome!-.

-Well girls, then I'll see you later. I really have to go now.- He announces while getting up. He then tousles your hair, making you giggle (no matter how many times you'll tell him not too, he'll never learn!), then turns to his wife. She, smiling, offers her check, which he pecks lovingly. You both wish him a good day and he leaves.

---

Your stepmother's voice brings you back to the present.

-You haven't dressed up yet.- She points out, not without malice, but mostly because it's unusual for you to show up in the kitchen wearing just a tank top and underwear. You look down, your vision cornered by red locks focuses on the nipples, clearly visible through the top's fabric. Your digits tingle with desire, but you shrug it off, and shrug your shoulders as well.

The conversation ends here. While sipping, you draw your phone to check up on the nightly messages; in the moment before the screen lights up, the black mirror reflects a lively, greenish eye (though obviously it looks black), then the sensor reads correctly your fingerprints, and you start tapping.

The first message is from Sarah. You smile a little. See u later then? she asked a minute ago. Yeah, 4 sure! you answer. Then there's Katie, as always. Social notifications... and a blocked message from an unknown number. You know you don't need to investigate further, you know who it is; however, you must have gotten a bit gloomy, since Linda is asking you if everything is alright.

-Yeah, all good. See you later.- You get up and go back to your room, this time to prepare yourself properly. And this means that you won't avoid the mirror anymore, all the contrary. Thus you sit down at your desk, and you lift your gaze.

"Jenny...".

The last time you saw her - meaning, you really saw her, not just as a casual sight from across the street- Jennifer Clarke was only a ten-year-old girl with thick glasses and braces, and her hair was just a disheveled patch of orange fur on her head, usually in pigtails. Alongside Jeremy, whom however she never really socialized with, she was probably your best friend at the time, even if she was two years older and not really popular among her peers. You didn't care though, you simply enjoyed playing with her, and you guess the same was for her; but then, well, life happened, and without any of you saying it or even noticing it you took different paths, also because of her moving to the other side of the city. You just stopped seeing each other, then time passed and many other things happened, thus you eventually consigned her to a distant, yet cherished, childhood memory.

That was until a week ago, when she casually appeared on your Facebook home. Only that... how to say it? She wasn't her anymore. She was... this. The woman that you're looking at on the reflecting surface right now. Somehow, at a certain point, that geekish kid had blossomed point into a stunning redheaded beauty with a harmonious and attentive face, featuring two delightful dimples on either side of her smiling mouth; and it wasn't even her personal profile that you found in your feed, but the promotion for a product, some jeans or perfume, you didn't pay attention. A model! Jennifer! You were so shocked and incredulous had to check twice to be sure that it was really her.

-Hi.- You whisper, gently caressing a strand of hair.

You know that she can't hear you, but you hope that you can transmit to her a sense of reassurance.

-I'm sorry, it's only for a few days, I promise.-.

Yesterday, however, didn't count; you were already inside her body, yes, but you let her have free reign while you stayed hidden, immersing in her thoughts, in her feelings, in her experiences. After all, you've planned to live her life exactly as she would: the last thing you want is her waking up tomorrow only to find out that her reputation has been ruined, or that her girlfriend has broken up with her.

Girlfriend. Huh. You have a girlfriend now, and a pretty one no less. Weird, back in the days you would have never guessed that Jenny would have become a... well, not that she became, she has always been this... t-that is, it's not strange or unnatural, there are many girls around that like other girls, you're not saying... w-well, not that she needs you to say something or, or...!!!

"Fuck, fuck, I'm an idiot!" You panic out internally, squinting your eyes closed for the shame.

"So much for reassurance, genius! Take a deep breath, like this, ok, ok... uff, calm down J...ehm, Tom, calm down, breathe... oh God, I can feel her chest moving and the air leaving her lips... t-they feel different even from Mom and Kim... this is so, so crazy!".

You timidly sneak open an eye, as if expecting to find a wild beast or something; instead, the cute girl in front of you looks just scared and agitated as you are; looking like this, defenseless and trembling, makes her almost prettier than before, but it also makes you feel guilty for this.

-Ok, I have it, I have it. Sorry Jenny, won't happen again.- It's not fair that Jennifer has to undergo your stress, so now you have to calm down, relax, and surrender to the flow, like you did with Mom. The track has already been laid out, you just have to follow it, easy peasy.

Therefore, you finally dress up, first replacing the tank top with a white crop one that exposes your midriff, and then completing your appearance with a pair of ripped jeans.

You try not to think that you've just seen Jennifer in just her lingerie, and thus you focus on your schedule. You check the time.

-Oh shit!- At this pace, you're gonna be late for the photoshoot; purse, shoes, and you're running downstairs. Linda notices you and asks you where are you going, and you hurryingly explain: -Work, see you in the evening!-.

-But, our shopping spree?- She asks confused. You're already out when you stop for a second, wondering what did she mean and then remembering just now a conversation you had yesterday.

---

Fam events suck big time☹️☹️☹️

You chuckle at Sarah's last message. You lean back against the couch, sinking into the softness of the cushion.

Come on, you fastly type, your grandma is cool!

Three dots appear in the chat, then: She's old and boring, everyone here is old, or boring, or both!

Followed by: I wanna see you

And then: Kiss you

You giggle.

*Miss you! She sends the correction. You play a bit with her, retorting that so this means that she doesn't want to kiss her. The dots this time are lasting minutes, meaning that probably she's so agitated that she doesn't know how to reply. Ohh, poor Sarah, perhaps you've been a bit cruel.

In the meantime, your stepmother has paraded in front of you, talking about... something, you're not sure, but she asked something from you.

-Yeah, sure.- You answer without bothering to raise your eyes; this, however, works, as she leaves satisfied. What was she talking about, though? Shopping? Well, you'll find out later. Now your attention is all on your gf.

Hey, wanna meet tomorrow?

---

"I suppose Jennifer will call a reschedule... I feel sorry for Linda, she doesn't seem a bad person. Anyway.".

Your heels click at the fast pace of your steps as you approach the set. It's a private pool, one of those in the summer residence of some dude definitely richer than you (than Tom, that is, but also Jennifer is not this wealthy), a nice garden with palms, a gazebo, etc. Jenny's mind instinctively images herself living in a place like this, sunbathing all day, and it's no wonder that she decided on this career also with this aim in mind. But enough with dreams, you have a job to do.

Well, she has. Whatever.

-Sorry for the delay!- You announce yourself to the small troupe. You don't see your manager (but it's not atypical, he's usually busy with other girls), so you know that you'll have to refer to the photographer himself. The guy, some average-looking man with a bit of beer gut, looks at you from behind his thick sunglasses.

-No prob, we're ready as soon as you are.-.

You nod - thank god, a nice fella! Jenny's memories tell you that there are many dickheads in the industry - and move to the changing stall, where an assistant kindly provides you with the orange bikini you'll wear. Once you're alone, you swallow a dense lump. You're going to see Jenny naked. Then, wearing a bikini. And, after that, she will pose for the camera, and all of this will be your doing.

"It's too late to have second thoughts, right?".

You're just lucky there isn't a mirror in here, else it would be extremely difficult. Instead, you diminish your control over Jenny once again, so that she is the one that undresses herself and wears all the stuff, and then you reassume the wheel.

Here. Done. You totally haven't seen your childhood friend's nipples a moment ago, nono.

"Ok Tom, you have it. Jenny has done it tons of times, you just have to, to be like her. You're her now, not some clumsy guy with mommy's issues, you're a skilled and diligent professional.". You're not sure how, but this truly works on you, and you step out with a fiery resolution. Yes, you feel like you could fight a war, this is your battleground and you're gonna tryum-

-Take this too.-.

-Eek!-.

The same assistant of before jumped out of nowhere, and he's now offering you a pair of headphones. He lifts his eyebrow at your exaggerated reaction. You titter nervously, accepting them and thanking him kindly.

"Great. What a figure." And what about these things? Uh, people have strange tastes, you guess. You're the last person who can judge.

"After all, I've..." No, better not to think about your fantasies with your sisters. Especially now. Therefore, you place them around your neck and position yourself at the edge of the pool, right where the cameras are pointing at.

-Ok guys, I'm ready, let's rock!- You confirm. The guy thumbs up, and you have time for one last breath before the flashes start.

CLICKCLICKCLICK

Ok, you're doing it. All the devices are on you, everyone is watching in your direction. Except for the guy with the lunch bags, but you get it. It's giving. Right? Yeah, it's not that hard. Right?

-Change your pose. Play a bit with your hair.- The photographer instructs you, and you realize that up to now you were standing rigid like a statue, which is clearly not how you should perform Jenny's job.

"Shit!".

CLICKCLICKCLICK

Fuck, no time for this! What to do? He said the hair, so... you do as you did before in your room, pulling a strand of hair down to the side. You felt sexy in that moment, you saw yourself sexy. You blush at this consideration: not in a million years you, as Tom, would have ever thought that one day you would use that word for yourself. Sexy. Anyway, you were smiling too, and so you try to replicate it, and you think you've succeeded.

But, apart from the face, you should also worry about your body. You relax your posture, gently bending one leg and shifting your hips in the opposite direction while tilting your torso slightly to the side. Jennifer has beautiful, though modest, curves, so it makes sense for your pose itself to be, somewhat, curved.

"I bet I look stunning..." You think. Your pupils search for reactions on the staff's faces... and yep, they are not indifferent. This also makes it easier for you to smile, Jenny can be quite vain on the right occasions. Only the photographer seems unaffected, but you would expect anything less from a professional.

When you asked Ronnie, your manager, who you would be working with, he was a bit vague but assured you he was a big name. That excited you, as it's not easy to catch the attention of the top tiers. Maybe he worked for a magazine, or maybe for a tv commercial! Yet, it's weird that you have never heard of him, you started this job one year ago and you thought you had acquired some knowledge...

CLICKCLICKCLICK

"Jennifer. Jennifer did, not me.".

You wear the cuffs and turn around.

Yes, Jennifer. Jenny, or Jen, as she prefers to be called now (but to you, she'll always be Jenny). It's her little bum that you're currently wiggling at the camera; her bum, her legs, her smile, everything. A shiver runs down your spine: not even her family could ever suspect that the girl in front of them is not the same one of yesterday, or the day prior, let alone these people who have never met her before; you've smoothly integrated yourself into her life, impersonating her completely, you're even living for her the possibly-most significant work opportunity she has ever had. And, you know it, it would be so easy to lose yourself, to forget who you truly are and decide to really become her, without anyone noticing. Become Jenny. Forever.

A warm wetness spreads between your legs.

"I'm not... turned on... right?".

No, it must be the sweat. You would never do something like that, even less to a friend! This is just an, an, an experience, you're just trying to adjust to your new powers.

But then... if they had changed your kind-hearted little sister that much, what will happen to you?

CLICKCLICKCLICK

-Lay down on the towel.- The photographer voices. Indeed, you notice, there is indeed a pink beach tower laid down at your feet. You lie your slender figure on it, closing your eyes and imagining the water rippling behind you as if it were the sea of a warm beach on a hot summer day, with you enjoying the tan.

"Yes, that was just a fantasy. I should better forget it.".

-Ok girl. But what about something more daring?-.

You reopen your eyes. Daring? What? You turn to the man confused, but the flashes remind you of the situation you're in. You redden at the idea of what 'daring' could mean, imagining Jenny doing those lewd poses that your perverted mind has deeply fantasized about since yesterday but that, out of respect for her, you escaped with all your strength. You've not even, erm, pried that much on her form when you denudated her, even less you touched what you yearned to touch. You know it sounds contradictory and a bit hypocritical since you're stealing her body like this, but you don't want to do that to your childhood friend. You're already stealing her life, she doesn't deserve more.

But the main man said 'daring', and so you have to be daring. After all, it's not Jennifer's first rodeo, so you're not really doing something she wouldn't do. A certain degree of, ehm, explicitness helps to get noticed; you, as a male consumer of that kind of images, know something about that, and Jenny knows too. Jenny also knows that she has a nice ass, and that boys like it when she flaunts it without too many reservations. Therefore, you get down on all fours, arching your back nicely downwards and winking at the lens.

CLICKCLICKCLICK

-Yeah. What about your bikini top? Why don't you... loosen it a bit?-.

...ok? Actually, he doesn't sound really satisfied. Well, uh, maybe it's not a bad idea, you're pretty sure Jenny would agree with that. He's the expert, isn't he?

Thus, you stand on your knees and let a strap slide down your arm. You even spread your legs apart, something that as a boy wouldn't exactly pay off, while now, well, now it's quite different. It's all in Jenny's limits, you're not disrespecting her.

"That should be enough.".

But then why don't you hear the clicks anymore?

-The other too.- He grunts. His impatience is turning into irritation. It's like he's expecting something precise from you.

"The other t... B-But why??? I mean, I would already totally masturbate on-".

You pause, ashamed of your last consideration.

"Ok, ok, I guess that would be a little more than she usually does. But until nothing is really seen it should be fine. I-It's an important opportunity for her!".

Jennifer has trained herself to hide her emotions while shooting, so it turns easy for you to keep your poker face and simply slip your fingers under the straps, pulling them forward.

The top loosens up, allowing your breasts to regain some space. Nothing too revealing, but you know very well that men don't need much, just a hint of...

-Honey, listen, why don't we just throw away that bikini and give ourselves some real stuff?-.

You don't react.

"Eh?".

-We have enough shots for the foreplay. Now let's see your titties, shall we?-.

...

-What???- You jump on your feet, making everybody gasp in surprise. You instinctively cover your breasts with your hands, then you remember the bikini top exists for a reason, and you quickly fix it.

-This is not what, what I signed up for!- You retort, not sure even how to spell it correctly, right now a whirlwind of emotions is turbinating into your mind. This, this pervert wants to see you naked! Oh God, will he hurt you? This fatass jerk, you could be his daughter! Jennifer, Jennifer could, argh! That's not the frigging point!!!

-Actually, your manager did.- He coldly replies: -Listen, girl, I don't want to lose time so if...- but you're not listening to him anymore, as you're marching to the changing stall where you left your phone.

Ronnie. Ronnie must have made a mistake.

You call him. Rings. No connection. You try again. Nothing. Third time.

-Hello?-.

-Ronnie! What the fuck is going on???- You shout.

-Jen, baby! What's the problem? Aren't you... mmm, yeah, in a photo shoot right now?- That bastard, he's pretending he's checking some agenda, but you know that he knows. Jenny may be a little scatterbrained, but she wasn't born yesterday.

-Why does he want me to undress??? Jen, I mean, I never agreed to this!-.

-Oh, uh, but I told you it would have been more endearing than usual, sweetheart. Don't you remember?-.

You... you don't remember his exact words since you were having a snack when you talked, but he's surely winding you up.

-Ronnie, you know that I-

-Look, Jen, this is how the industry goes.- He cuts you up abruptly, leaving you dumbstruck: -Honestly, you're a pretty girl with a certain potential, but just some smooches to the camera won't make you a star. Do you have any idea of how many prettier girls try to get noticed every day? Sweetie, but you're not that beautiful.-.

Wha... how can he say it? Jennifer is beautiful! Dammit, you possessed her because she was beautiful!

"...".

You have no time to elaborate since Ronnie resumes: -Listen, I love this side of you, the innocent and pure girl, but it won't get you anywhere. You want to succeed in this industry, right? So trust me and make this small sacrifice. What harm could it do? It's not that different from posing in a costume.-.

You're speechless. You silently lower your phone and end the call. How... how could he be this ruthless? You feel your eyes on fire and your throat all choked up. He wasn't like this the day you met him. He promised you parades and covers, and you trusted him: he seemed so sincere and kind! And instead, instead he's not even trying to be polite, as if he expects that you'll obey him no matter what in the end!

But, but this is the usual you, right? Jenny the naive, Jenny the distracted, a spoiled girl who doesn't know how the world works! Even your father, when you told him that you wanted to become a model, behind his facade of acceptance you could see he was worried, because deep down he knew it was a stupid idea but you didn't want to admit it, and now you're here, locked in a stall wearing a skimpy bikini and freaking headphones and there's a troupe outside waiting for you to flash your boobs so that they can put them in some calendar and this will be your future from now on and...

"Wait, wait, wait, calm down, calm. T-This is Jennifer panicking, but I have to, to keep control." You thereby hurriedly wipe out the tears and stop sobbing. You can fix this, you know you can; nay, you must, since it's you who brought Jenny here today, and surely you can't dispossess her, leaving her confused and alone in this situation.

No, the solution is easy, you're going to do what she would: you will walk out of this place, jump in your car, and go back home, and you'll forget all of this madness.

"But then..." You think right when your hand is on the knob.

"What would happen to Jenny's job? I, I have no right to take this decision for her! I can't ruin her dream just because I'm scared! But she wouldn't... or would she? Should she? Should I?".

"Maybe... maybe Ronnie is right, it's not that different... perhaps, for her future, I could take this weight upon me and...".

Your stolen wrists are trembling and Jenny's heart is beating wild in her chest. Cortisol and adrenaline are pumping in your veins, muddying up your lucidity. Time is running up.