Jesse’s heart raced as he stood at his locker, pretending to be calm, even though his mind was screaming for him to find an excuse to back out. For a brief second, he considered faking a headache or coming up with some urgent plan that would keep him from going with Vanessa. But as his eyes met Vanessa’s, that easy, trusting smile stopped him in his tracks. It was hard to say no to someone so genuine. Forcing a smile, even though it felt more like a mask, Jesse nodded.
"Yeah." he muttered, the soft thud of his locker door closing feeling final, as if sealing his fate. "I’m ready."
Except he wasn’t. Not at all.
They walked side by side through the crowded halls, the silence between them heavy with Jesse’s unease. As they stepped into the parking lot, Vanessa’s car came into view—a small, neat sedan that somehow mirrored his tidy, well-put-together persona.
“So, you cool if we go to my place? I’m fine either way.” Vanessa said, tossing his keys up and catching them smoothly.
Jesse swallowed hard, a lump forming in his throat. The thought of being alone with Vanessa at his house felt uncomfortable, but the idea of practicing cheerleading with his new family watching made his skin crawl. His parents, especially his dad, would surely notice something was off if Jesse struggled with the basics of cheer. “Yeah, your place is fine.” he replied, trying to keep his voice steady.
Vanessa’s smile widened, and they made their way to the car. The drive was quiet, with soft music playing in the background. Jesse stared out the window, occasionally glancing at Vanessa, who hummed along to the tune, seemingly at ease. The knot in Jesse’s stomach tightened the closer they got to Vanessa’s house. He barely registered the idle conversation Vanessa attempted to make, nodding here and there while his mind was elsewhere. He was too busy trying to suppress the wave of anxiety creeping over him.
By the time they pulled into Vanessa’s driveway, Jesse’s nerves were frayed. He looked up at the house—a cozy two-story with a neat yard, the type of place that exuded warmth and normalcy. But that only made Jesse feel more out of place.
As they stepped inside, the faint sound of a TV echoed from the living room. Sprawled on the couch was Vanessa’s 10-year-old sister. She had an undercut that gave her short hair an edgy look, and she wore a loose black t-shirt paired with basketball shorts. Her eyes flicked to them as they entered, a mischievous smile creeping onto her face.
"Hey, Nessa! You’re late!" she teased, her voice dripping with mock accusation.
Vanessa rolled his eyes but couldn’t help the playful smirk tugging at his lips. "I wasn’t late. You just have no concept of time, Julian."
"Sure, whatever." she shot back, sticking her tongue out at him. Her eyes then shifted to Jesse, curiosity piqued. "Who’s that?"
"This is Jess." Vanessa said, motioning to him casually. "We’ve got cheer practice to catch up on."
Julian wrinkled her nose. "Cheer? I thought you did, like, real sports."
"Cheer is a real sport." Vanessa responded with mock indignation, crossing the room and ruffling Julian’s hair. Julian swatted his hand away with a laugh, and Jesse couldn’t help but smile faintly at the sibling banter. It reminded him of his own family. Or at least how things used to be, before everything got so confusing.
Vanessa led Jesse through the living room into the kitchen, where his dad sat at the table, scrolling through something on his phone. He was tanned and fit, with brown hair tied back in a clip, exuding a laid-back yet athletic energy.
"Hey, Dad." Vanessa called out as they entered.
His dad glanced up, smiling warmly when he saw Jesse. "Hey there, Jess." he greeted with familiarity. "Haven’t seen you around in a while. How’s your dad doing?"
Jesse froze for a second, panic flaring in his chest. He had no idea what this world’s version of his dad was like, much less how he was supposed to respond. He cleared his throat, hoping a vague answer would suffice. "Uh… he’s good." Jesse said, trying to sound casual.
Vanessa’s dad nodded, seemingly satisfied. "That’s good to hear. You kids just hanging out?"
"Yeah." Vanessa replied, resting a hand on Jesse’s shoulder. "We’re gonna practice cheer for a bit. We’ll be out back if you need us."
As they stepped outside, Jesse felt a slight relief. The backyard was spacious, with a large patch of grass that was perfect for practice. Vanessa stretched his arms over his head, already shifting into coach mode. "Alright, Jess. You’re a flyer, so let’s start with some basic stunts. We’ll see what you remember."
Jesse’s pulse quickened. Flyer—the one who gets lifted, tossed, and balanced. The one who had to rely on complete trust. It was a role that required confidence, something he was sorely lacking.
"Uh… okay." Jesse mumbled, trying to mask his apprehension.
Vanessa moved behind him, preparing to lift. But after a few awkward attempts, it was clear this wasn’t going to work with just the two of them. Jesse wobbled unsteadily every time Vanessa tried to catch him, and they both nearly toppled over more than once.
"Yeah, this isn’t gonna work." Vanessa finally said, wiping the sweat from his forehead. He glanced toward the house. "Hold on."
He disappeared inside, returning moments later with his 12-year-old brother in tow. His brother bore a strikingly similar resemblance to Vanessa. He had long brown hair streaked with blonde highlights and wore gray leggings and a red shirt. He looked annoyed but didn’t argue as Vanessa guided him outside.
“Alright, Jess, Gabby here will help us.” Vanessa explained, positioning Jesse for the next stunt. “We’ll start with a basic toss and catch. You’ve done this a million times, so just trust us.”
Jesse’s heart raced as he nodded, trying to focus. Vanessa and Gabby crouched, preparing to lift him. His body tensed, but he forced himself to relax. In one swift motion, they hoisted him into the air. For a brief second, everything clicked. The movement felt familiar, muscle memory kicking in as he balanced mid-air, weightless.
But as soon as he started overthinking it, fear crept in. His balance faltered, and he wobbled.
Vanessa was quick to adjust, keeping him steady. "Breathe, Jess." Vanessa’s voice was calm and reassuring. "You’ve got this."
Jesse took a shaky breath, pushing the fear aside. He felt Vanessa’s secure grip beneath him, and for a moment, he allowed himself to trust it. Trust Vanessa.
Jesse took another deep breath, steeling himself as Vanessa and Gabby hoisted him into the air once more. This time, it felt smoother, more natural. His body was beginning to remember the rhythm, the subtle shifts in balance, and how to distribute his weight to stay airborne. He couldn’t believe it—how effortless it was starting to feel. The lightness, the controlled strength, the precision—it was a far cry from the clumsy flailing he’d done just moments ago. His muscles worked in sync, and for the first time since this whole nightmare started, Jesse felt a small spark of pride.
He grinned, mid-air, allowing himself to enjoy the sensation. But every time Vanessa’s hands steadied him or adjusted his position, Jesse couldn’t fully relax. His body flinched, almost instinctively, at the intimacy of the touch. It wasn’t anything Vanessa was doing wrong. It was just how close they had to be for this to work. The press of Vanessa’s hands against his waist, his thighs, his legs. It wasn’t like anything Jesse had ever experienced, and it threw him off every now and then, breaking his focus.
At one point, Vanessa had to grip him around the ribcage, just under his chest, to help him balance. The contact sent a jolt of discomfort through Jesse, and he tensed, his entire body locking up. His heart pounded in his ears, and before he knew it, he stumbled mid-landing, his feet slipping out from under him.
“Ow!” Jesse yelped, hitting the ground awkwardly and rolling onto his side. Pain shot through his ankle, a sharp, stinging sensation that made him wince.
“Jess!” Vanessa was by his side in an instant, kneeling down to check on him. “Are you okay?” His voice was filled with concern, his hand gently brushing Jesse’s shoulder.
Jesse bit back a groan, feeling the sting in his ankle but also the heat of embarrassment creeping up his neck. “Yeah, I’m fine… I think I just twisted it.” He sat up slowly, testing his weight on the injured foot. It wasn’t broken, but the pain lingered, making it clear that pushing any further would be a bad idea.
Vanessa frowned, still watching him closely. "Let me see." He reached out, carefully lifting Jesse’s leg to inspect the ankle. Jesse flinched again, more out of reflex than actual pain, but Vanessa didn’t seem to notice. After a moment, Vanessa nodded, satisfied. “It’s not too bad, but we shouldn’t risk it. Let’s call it a day.”
Jesse exhaled, partly relieved that practice was over, but also feeling a strange mix of disappointment and relief. On one hand, he was impressed with what his body was capable of. Despite his lack of muscle memory, he had actually done pretty well, better than he ever imagined. And Vanessa—who had seen him struggling the day before—was clearly impressed too. There was something about pushing himself, about mastering something that had seemed impossible, that stirred a sense of accomplishment within him.
"You were amazing today." Vanessa said with a grin, helping Jesse to his feet. “Seriously, compared to yesterday? Huge improvement.”
Jesse couldn’t help but smile at the praise, even though he still felt out of his depth. "Thanks… I guess it’s starting to come back to me."
“You’ve got natural talent.” Vanessa added, his voice warm with encouragement. “You just need to trust yourself a little more. Trust your body, and trust me. We’ll get there.”
Jesse nodded, but inside, he wasn’t so sure. Trust. It was such a simple word, but after everything he’d been through, it felt like the hardest thing in the world to give.
Vanessa guided Jesse back inside, careful not to put too much pressure on his ankle. The cool air of the house was a welcome relief from the heat outside, and as they entered the living room, Vanessa motioned for Jesse to sit on the couch.
“Take a seat and rest up. I’ll grab you some water.” Vanessa said, giving Jesse’s arm a reassuring squeeze before heading to the kitchen.
Jesse sat down, letting out a quiet sigh as he stretched out his injured leg. He leaned back against the cushions, trying to process the events of the day. His mind was a whirl of conflicting emotions. He was proud of the progress he’d made, but the physical closeness with Vanessa kept bothering him. It was a strange, unsettling feeling that Jesse couldn’t quite shake.
Gabby plopped down beside him, flopping onto the couch with a casual, lazy grace. He looked at Jesse with an easygoing curiosity, his long brown hair falling into his face.
"So," Gabby began, turning his head to face Jesse. "Vanessa told me you needed help with cheer 'cause of your memory or something? Like… did you forget everything?"
Jesse stiffened at the directness of the question, suddenly feeling self-conscious. He wasn’t sure how much Vanessa had told Gabby, or how much Gabby knew, but he could feel the weight of the question pressing down on him. He forced a small smile, trying to keep things casual.
“Yeah, kinda.” Jesse replied, choosing his words carefully. “It’s like… I don’t remember a lot of stuff from before. It’s been hard trying to catch up.”
Gabby nodded, seemingly satisfied with that answer, but his eyes remained fixed on Jesse. “That’s gotta suck. I remember watching you at competitions, though. You were always so good. Like, you were always flying through the air doing crazy flips like it was nothing. You always made it look so easy.”
Jesse blinked, caught off guard by Gabby’s casual praise. Crazy flips? He couldn’t picture himself doing any of that, not in this body, not with the way things were now. The thought of having that kind of physical ability, the confidence to pull off stunts in front of crowds, seemed completely foreign to him. But apparently, that was who "Jess" had been in this world.
“Thanks.” Jesse said awkwardly, not really sure how to respond. “I, uh… don’t really remember much of it, but that’s cool to hear.”
Gabby shrugged, his expression relaxed. “Yeah, you were like a pro. I guess it must be weird, huh? Forgetting something you were so good at. But don’t worry, you’ll get it back. Vanessa’s good at this stuff. He’ll make sure you’re back on top in no time.”
Jesse forced a smile, though inside, he felt an uncomfortable knot twisting in his stomach. The way Gabby talked about "Jess" made him feel like he was an imposter, trying to fit into a life that wasn’t his. Everyone seemed to have this image of who he was supposed to be, and no matter how hard he tried, Jesse couldn’t shake the feeling that he wasn’t living up to it.
Before he could say anything else, Vanessa returned from the kitchen, holding a cold bottle of water. He tossed it lightly to Jesse, who caught it with a grateful nod.
“Here you go. Drink up.” Vanessa said with a grin. He sat down on the other side of Jesse, sandwiching him between himself and Gabby. “You’re really coming along, Jess. A little more practice, and you’ll be back to where you were before.”
Jesse unscrewed the cap on the water bottle and took a long sip, trying to hide the uncertainty on his face. Back to where I was before? He wasn’t even sure where that was, and the thought of trying to live up to that expectation made his head spin.
“Yeah, I hope so.” Jesse replied quietly, staring down at the bottle in his hands.
Vanessa gave him a gentle nudge. “You’ve got this. We’ll take it one step at a time, no pressure. But honestly, today? You did way better than I expected.”
Jesse felt a flicker of warmth at the encouragement, but it was quickly overshadowed by the tension building in his chest.