Jesse could barely focus in third period. His mind was a tangled mess, constantly replaying the strange encounter with Vanessa and trying to block out the lingering feelings of discomfort. Why had he felt that way? He still found himself attracted to girls, but the problem was that in this world, the girls didn’t look or act like the ones from his old life. His thoughts drifted back to the girls he used to know—their soft, lush hair, their adorable faces, the way they smiled shyly. But now, boys had those qualities. Boys were the ones with the long, styled hair, delicate features, and perfectly curated outfits. It was unsettling.
His mind wandered back to Tyler. In this world, he was supposed to be into her. But when he met her, he felt nothing. She was rough, athletic, and confident in a way that made Jesse uncomfortable. Her chiseled features, sharp edges, and muscular build were the opposite of what he’d found attractive before. The "Jess" in this reality apparently liked her, but Jesse couldn’t see it. He couldn’t understand how he was supposed to feel any kind of connection to someone who seemed so... harsh. Why would this version of Jess be into her?
His mind kept spinning in circles, grasping at any explanation for why things felt so wrong. Boys weren’t supposed to be pretty. They weren’t supposed to wear makeup, stylish clothes, or give each other compliments on their hair and outfits. In his old life, boys were tough, straightforward, and rarely talked about looks. But here, they paraded around the room like a fashion show, each one trying to outdo the other with their appearance. Jesse’s gaze skimmed over his classmates, noticing how each boy had his own signature style—some with intricately styled hair, others with makeup so flawless it could’ve been airbrushed on.
There was, however, one boy who stood out—a stark contrast to the rest. He wore teal athletic shorts, a white t-shirt, and his brown hair was pushed back with a simple dark headband. He looked casual, almost disheveled, like he hadn’t put much effort into his appearance. Jesse figured this kid—whose name he picked up as Maddie—must be what this world considered a “tomgirl”. He wasn’t showy like the other boys; he had a kind of grounded, no-nonsense vibe that Jesse found... refreshing. Maddie didn’t seem to care about makeup or flashy clothes. He looked like someone who enjoyed sports, someone Jesse might have connected with in his old world.
When class ended, Jesse’s anxiety spiked. He needed to talk to Maddie. He wasn’t even sure if “Jess” and Maddie were friends, but right now, Jesse needed some sense of normalcy—another boy who seemed grounded, someone who was into sports instead of makeup and fashion. As Maddie left the classroom, Jesse hurried to catch up, walking quickly alongside him.
"Hey! You play sports, right?" Jesse blurted out before he could even think, the words tumbling out awkwardly.
Maddie glanced over, arching an eyebrow with a smirk. "Yeah, Jess. And you cheerlead, right?" he replied, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
Jesse cringed inwardly, realizing how dumb his question had sounded. His eyes quickly flicked down to Maddie’s shirt—of course, he plays sports, he was wearing a school volleyball t-shirt. "Yeah, I know. Sorry…" Jesse muttered, trying to recover. "I just... I guess I’m kind of envious of you sometimes. I wish I could play sports."
Maddie chuckled lightly, his tone teasing but not unkind. "I can’t see you doing anything but cheerleading."
Jesse gave a half-hearted laugh, shrugging. "I know, but... sometimes I feel like I have it in me, you know?"
"You should’ve tried out for volleyball then." Maddie teased again, this time with a hint of warmth in his voice.
"Yeah... I probably should’ve." Jesse muttered, his voice trailing off. Volleyball wasn’t football, but it was a hell of a lot better than being stuck as a cheerleader. At least it was something physical, something that felt more in line with who he used to be.
Maddie’s expression softened a little. "I know I joke about the cheerleaders, but seriously, you boys are crazy agile. I don’t think I could do half the flips and stuff you guys pull off."
Jesse blinked, caught off guard. Was that... a compliment? It didn’t feel like one, but he wasn’t sure how to respond. "Thanks." he mumbled, still trying to process how he felt about the whole thing.
They reached a hallway junction, and Maddie started to veer off in a different direction. Jesse’s stomach sank. He didn’t want the conversation to end. Maddie was the first person he’d talked to all day who wasn’t obsessing over makeup, clothes, or social media. He needed that connection, even if it was just small talk.
Before Maddie could walk away, Jesse called after him, his voice more urgent than he intended. "Hey, uh... we should talk sometime. Text me!"
Maddie gave him a slightly puzzled look, like he wasn’t used to Jesse being this forward, but he nodded. "Sure, Jess. I’ll hit you up."
Jesse smiled, feeling a small sense of relief wash over him. "See ya!" he called out as Maddie walked away, disappearing into the crowd of students.
As Jesse turned and headed toward his next class, he felt a flicker of hope. Maybe not everyone here is so different. Maybe there were still people he could connect with—people who weren’t completely absorbed by this strange new world’s version of masculinity.
He trudged to his fourth-period math class, the familiar hallway triggering harrowing flashbacks of the day before. This is where it all started. He swallowed hard, trying to shove down the rising tide of emotions. Maybe if I fall asleep in class again, I’ll wake up and things will be normal. But he knew it was just wishful thinking. There was no undoing the bizarre reality he now found himself trapped in. He struggled to hold back tears as the memories flooded his mind.
As he entered the classroom, only a few students were already seated. He spotted the boy next to him, the same one from yesterday—the nerdy brunette with long, straight hair and circular glasses. Today, he wore jean shorts and a purple hoodie, slouched in his seat, phone in hand. Jesse wasn’t planning to pay him any attention, but then he caught a glimpse of what was on the boy’s screen. It looked like a trailer for some first-person shooter video game, but the title didn’t ring any bells. Jesse hadn’t thought about video games since his world flipped upside down, and for a moment, he wondered if the same games even existed here.
“Whatcha watching?” Jesse asked, trying to start a conversation.
The boy jerked in surprise, quickly exiting out of the video and fumbling with his phone. “Nothing.” he muttered, his face flushing slightly.
“Was that a video game?” Jesse pressed, curious.
“Yeah? So what? What do you care?” The boy shot back with a glare, his expression suddenly hostile.
“No, it’s just...” Jesse hesitated, feeling the tension radiating off the boy. “Nevermind. Forget it." He backed off quickly, sensing the boy’s irritation. Despite how overwhelmingly friendly everyone seemed to be in this new reality, it was clear not everyone liked him.
The room gradually filled up, including Sam, who took his assigned seat across the classroom. The math lesson was as dull as ever, and Jesse found himself zoning out. Part of him secretly hoped the same thing would happen as yesterday—that he’d doze off and wake up back in his real world. But as the minutes ticked by, the grim reality set in. This is real. This is my life now. The bell rang, finally releasing them for lunch. Jesse gathered his things and made for the door, not bothering to wait for Sam. He needed space, a moment to himself after the exhausting task of pretending to be someone else all morning. Just as he stepped out into the hallway, he heard a voice behind him.
“Hey.” the boy with glasses called out, catching up to him. Jesse turned to face him, surprised. "Sorry about earlier. I didn’t mean to be rude."
Jesse shrugged it off, not wanting to make a big deal of it. "Don’t worry about it. I was just curious, that’s all."
The boy narrowed his eyes, as if he wasn’t sure he believed him. “That’s all?” he repeated, skepticism evident in his voice.
Jesse hesitated, wondering why the boy was so on edge. “Yeah, it looked interesting.” he said, scrambling for an excuse that would make sense for the “Jess” everyone knew. “I’ve been getting into gaming recently, so I’ve been looking for new stuff to try.”
The boy raised an eyebrow, clearly confused. “You? Gaming?” He looked at Jesse like he’d just said something absurd.
“Yeah... I’m still a noob, though.” Jesse replied, trying to sound casual, though he knew it probably didn’t fit his new persona. As much as he wanted to keep talking, the rush of students heading to the lunchroom reminded him he couldn’t linger. “Hey, text me sometime. We can talk more.”
The boy stopped, a puzzled look on his face. “Uh, I don’t have your number?” He seemed genuinely confused by Jesse’s offer, like it came out of nowhere.
“Oh, right.” Jesse realized he’d assumed everyone had his number, given his apparent popularity in this world. He quickly dug his phone out of his backpack, scrolling through his contact list to add a new one. What’s this boy’s name again? He didn’t have a clue, and asking would be too awkward at this point. Instead, he handed the phone over to the boy. “Here.”
The boy took Jesse’s phone, typing in his information before handing it back. Jesse glanced at the new contact entry: Emily.
"Cool. I’ll hit you up later." Jesse said, flashing a friendly smile. Emily still seemed a bit on edge but gave him a slight nod before heading off.
Just as Jesse was about to head to the lunchroom, a familiar voice interrupted his thoughts.
“Dude, why were you talking to Emily?” Sam’s voice was laced with disgust, catching Jesse off guard.
“Huh? What’s wrong with Emily?” Jesse asked, genuinely confused by Sam’s tone.
“He’s a total dork.” Sam replied, wrinkling his nose as if the idea of associating with Emily was revolting. “Ugh, anyway, I’m starving. Let’s go.”
Jesse frowned but didn’t argue, feeling slight discomfort at how Sam dismissed Emily so easily. Is this what popularity feels like here? Judging people for no reason? He followed Sam down the hallway toward the lunchroom, but the encounter with Emily lingered in his mind. There was something about the boy that felt… real. Maybe in this strange world, he needed more people like Emily—people who weren’t putting on a show.