You stared intently at the leaflet in front of your eyes, before gazing over towards the table at the back end of the cafeteria. Several boys from your year sat intermingled with a large group of girls who could all be considered the hot and popular type. At least a quarter of them was part of the cheerleader squad. Another few were popular because they were dating with some boy from a sports team. All of these pretenses were thrown overboard however, when you saw how they were interacting with the newly dubbed swap frats that sat together with them.
None of them were part of a football or basketball squad. You were convinced that, before they joined that group of popular kids, they were about as shy and self-conscious as you could find them. All that changed however, after they made the decision to swap their genitals with those belonging to the opposite sex.
Almost every girl at school your school went haywire because of it. The first boy that changed his genitals ever since it became possible, a guy going by Nate Croft, became a trend-setter for at least two dozen more boys who followed up on his decision. Nate never struck you as the type of guy who would pull such a stunt. It cost him a spot as a player in the school's football team, so that said enough about what his physique and outlook on life was before his change. Two months after his 'inversion', as people at school had come to calling it, he's come to look a lot less muscular, but he never went past a point where he would look girlish in any way. He'd kept his masculine frame with broad shoulders, strong-looking arms, and a chiseled jawline.
Now, he was seated between Elly Gallagher and Britt Carpenter at one of the popular tables, the two girls practically pulling at his arms to grab his attention as they were talking about what transpired during the latest party that you weren't invited to.
And he wasn't the only one.
Another boy, somebody from your year who wore a particularly unremarkable appearance, stood up from his shared bench to hunch over the lunch table. You were almost convinced you could actually spot the camel toe through the yoga pants that hugged his pert, feminine behind.
One of the gals had the gall to slap him on his butt, and it was received with loud laughter from all around the table, the struck boy included.
You weren't the only one staring. Opposite their table, to their right from your point of view, sat the sporty jock-types, the ones who - Nate not included - would never dare to lose their genitals in exchange for some more attention from the popular girls. Why bother, if they were already going out with them? They stared too, mostly in amusement at what transpired. They were either indifferent or supportive of their girlfriends' interactions with the swapees. You were almost convinced, in no small part thanks to what you heard from the rumour mill, that some of the jocks were actually seen entering a secluded place together with their girlfriend, and one of the swap frats.
"So hot." Came a small whisper from behind you. It snapped you out of your reverie. Turning your neck, you saw Trish, one of your classmates, staring off towards the other side of the cafeteria as well. Seeing you looking back at her, Trish drew her lips in a line, before saying: "Sorry, you weren't supposed to hear that."
You hummed in understanding. "I thought so. You didn't strike me as the type of person who wore their feelings on their sleeve like that. But I guess by now it's an open secret of every girl in school that they've got the hots for one of the swap frats."
Trish guffawed. Placing her tray next to yours and sitting down next to you. You decided to scoot over a little to make some space. "Is that what they're called now? I guess it's fitting? Even without a fraternity, they all hang around together, and they all want to flirt with the cutest and hottest girls on campus."
"And with success too." You added as you glanced back over towards the cheer tables. There was a lot of shoulder touching, hip bumping, and side-hugging in that direction. Was it weird that it sparked up feelings in your gut?
"Hmm." Agreed Trish with a dreamy hum, concentrating as she stuck a straw in her milk carton. Then, she broke her stare and turned back to you.
"Hey, now that we are talking. You are friends with Mason right? The boy with the cute face and the even cuter leggings?"
Surprised, you looked over at the boy in question. Unsurprisingly, he was squeezed in between a pair of large-chested cheerleaders, both at least two years his senior. The cute face in question was a sharp, nerdy face with equally round glasses, though remarkably devoid of any pimples. He had filled out surprisingly well the past few weeks, seemingly having been hit by a surprise growth-spurt despite the girly legs that were supposed to stunt his growth. Him? You thought in disbelief, as you understood what was implied with Trish's question.
"I... guess we are friends. Though we haven't really talked in ever since he inverted. Was he always your type or is this just a swap frat fever?"
Your comment didn't amuse Trish, as she sent back an unimpressed glare. "Clearly you haven't found out what makes guys like him so attractive for girls like me." She began explaining. "Trust me, it's not only the pussy that does it for us. In fact, that would normally be a thing that puts us off."
Placing one elbow on the table and resting your face on your palm, you gestured for her to continue. "Please indulge me Trish. What is it that makes you remember his name but not mine, for one?"
"Well, for starters," Trish responded with a hint of mirth. "You are you!
"Moreover, swapping your oh so treasured private parts with those of a girl's shows us girls that you aren't afraid to be vulnerable towards others. I love it when guys open up to me and show their more sensitive side. There's also very little risk involved in getting closer to them. You know, sexually and all that. When you get to know them without any strings attached, a relationship can only get more intimate when they decide to revert again.
"Oh! And I just thought of another thing! Showing that you can handle walking around and living with a vagina also shows that you're not afraid of losing your proudest asset. Some of those jocks are seriously insecure about the size of their dicks. To a point where they're even sending glares towards the swap frats that are flirting with their girlfriends." She hurriedly crossed her arms. "Red flag. Red flag!"
Her excitement was remarkably infectious. "I guess that's kind of a big thing for most guys. What I'm seeing is a bunch of guys who weren't able to get any girls, so they decided to join them instead. I don't mean this in a bad or jealous way, but just like me, Mason wasn't exactly a score before he inverted. That's why I'm so sceptical."
Trish gasped. "But doesn't that just prove my point? If you can't beat them, join them! I bet he's learned a lot more about girl relationships in the past few weeks than he did his entire life before. The experience may even help him in getting a girlfriend to stick by him in the future as well. It's not like it's permanent right?"
You mulled over her words. Perhaps it wasn't a bad idea to meet up with Mason again, to see how his friend was doing. They hadn't exactly stopped talking due to a falling out. They just didn't have much time for each other now that Mason was going out with the cheer squad so often. If you were him, you would have also picked the cheer squad over you. At this point you no longer cared what the other boys in class would think if you asked him to come over to your place. You were his friend after all, for long before he inverted. It wouldn't hurt to call him over again.
It would mean two birds with one stone. You could help Trish by asking Mason what he thought of her. Perhaps - and you're only thinking this because it has been nagging you in the back of your mind - you could also ask him what being a swap frat is like.