Mary and me looked at Jonas expectantly. I raised an eyebrow, wondering exactly what nonsense Jonas was going to suggest this time. He had moments where he thought up the stupidest of ideas for us to try out. He was the most daring of the three of us, all of being students curious about all corners of the universe. Since I was his best friend, I usually took up on his challenges, though Mary was usually more sober. She automatically backed down when it came to drug usage, whereas I sometimes agreed with the mild stuff, but only when we were actually going to party. Other times Jonas suggested an activity for the three of us to try, wherein Mary was more daring than I was. Like that, the three of us each had our own quirks.
Right now, Jonas was holding out his hand in front of himself, presenting it before us. An upside down balled fist, indicating he was holding something in it. Mary was already shaking her head.
"You guys ready?" Jonas asked. He took turns looking at each of our faces. Mary and I both wore similar expressions, though Mary's body language was much more held back. "Mar," Jonas began, "I promise it isn't a drug. Though it still is something you have to swallow."
This time I shook my head myself, leaning back in my sofa. "Ready," I said. I could always back down.
Jonas looked at Mary. She nodded her head as well. With a silent voice, she added, "Go ahead."
"These," Jonas started, as he twisted his arm and opened his palm, "are Xchange pills." In his hand, there was a blue one, a pink one, and lastly, a purple one. The pills looked like any you could find in a prescription bottle. I had read up on them a while ago. Jonas had told me before that he was looking for some. He also knew, however, that these pills were expensive, more so for your average student. Thus, we didn't feel like saving up so much money for such a little thing.
These are Xchange pills, as Jonas already mentioned. Their effects are almost immediate, upon ingestion. Their function is to change a person into the other sex. Blue pills make a woman a man, pink pills make a man a woman. Purple pills gave people something in between. Ever since these pills were produced, new variants appeared on the market. Some included mental changes for those with difficulty adapting, even others included age as a factor. I wondered how Jonas actually got in possession of not one, not two, but three of these, so quickly.
"How long have they been in your pocket?" I asked with a lazy grin.
"He means the money, by the way," added Mary, making my grin turn even wider.
"Hah!" Jason laughed. "That's the best part, these things didn't even cost me ten bucks."
I looked at Mary, she looked at me. Turning back to Jason, with a snort, I said, "Then these are a flop."
Then Jason's eyes sparkled. "Then it wouldn't hurt to try, right? If these things don't work, that means everything we all stay the same. We stay male, Mary stays female.
"Though be honest. Have you never wondered, not even once, what it was like on the other side of the fence?"
Mary shook her head heavily. "Nope." I'm not playing your silly games, Jason. If you're making that easy of a sell, then they must be drug pills with a lick of paint on them."
Jason put the pills on the coffee table between us. The purple one almost rolled off, before I caught it between my fingers. I held it before my eyes, for closer inspection. It had a cylindrical shape, and it was surprisingly small, I noted, as I held it between my thump and index finger, the two not even a centimeter apart from each other. Its purple colour was bright, and without any discolouration.
"I promise you Mar, that that's not the case!" Jason exclaimed, his form brimming with excitement. I saw someone else take a purple pill from the same batch at a party yesterday. He grew massive boobs right before my eyes. I asked for a couple, and the seller sold them to me for this little. It's an actual bargain!"
"So purple is safe?" I threw the pill I had already been holding into the air, and caught it with the same hand again. "I'll hold to this one then."
Jason glared at me. "Mick, I'm trying to convince somebody here. Either help out or shut up."
I held up my hands in an apologetic matter, muttering a halfhearted apology.
___
It took a couple of minutes of debating before Mary bent to Jason's will. She would pop the blue pill, but under one condition:
"I at least want some privacy if I do happen to transform into a... you know, a guy. I don't want you guys ogling at me when it happens. You can both see the effects afterwards."
"And we both want ten bucks if we do get high up our asses." I said. "I've actually still got an assignment to do tonight. Don't wanna ruin it."
Jason stared at me with a raised eyebrow. "You're seriously considering making your assignment tonight, when you're going to turn into a girl? In all honesty, I think you've got something better to do." I saw a blush form on Mary's face, though she kept her cool nevertheless.
"And the ten bucks is a deal. All that money accumulated still means it cost less than market value."
I sighed, shaking my head.
"What about my condition?" Asked Mary, looking at Jason questioningly.
"Yeah, yeah, that too. Though I want to see you swallow it. Deal?"
"Aren't the effects immediate?"
"Not immediate immediate. It takes a minute before the contents are taken into the bloodstream. If you make a run for the bathroom as soon as you've ingested it, you're safe."
Mary bit her lip.
"Alrighty then. Deal."