Jesse slipped his shirt back over his head and pulled on the leggings, feeling a mix of relief and regret as he covered himself up. He lay down on his bed, staring up at the ceiling, the adrenaline from his impulsive decision starting to fade, replaced by a wave of embarrassment. What had he been thinking? He grabbed his phone, his finger hovering over the screen, tempted to delete the picture before anyone else saw it. But as he opened the app, his heart sank. Someone had already viewed it—Cameron.
The name didn’t ring a bell. Who was Cameron? Jesse had no idea, and that uncertainty only fueled his anxiety. The realization hit him hard; it was too late. Someone had seen the photo. Panic bubbled up inside him as a hundred doubts began to swirl in his mind. What if “Jess” had never actually shared photos like this before? What if these were just for his own eyes, some kind of private thing he never intended to share? And now, he’d exposed himself, literally, to someone he didn’t even know.
What would Cameron think? Was she going to laugh, roll her eyes, or just scroll past indifferently? The possibilities flashed through his mind, each one worse than the last. Jesse’s chest tightened as the notifications on his phone kept piling up, mostly the usual noise: Snaps, messages, likes. He ignored them all, too overwhelmed to bother with meaningless chats. But then one notification stood out, a direct message from Brendan, one of the girls who had access to his private story.
His pulse quickened as he opened the message, his fingers trembling. Brendan’s reply to the photo hit him like a punch to the gut: "God, I would lick every part of your body".
Jesse froze, his mind scrambling to process the comment. Was that supposed to be a compliment? It felt bizarre, almost surreal. The words were so bold, so unfiltered, that it left him unsure how to react. In his old world, he’d heard guys say outrageous things to girls all the time, crossing boundaries without a second thought. As much as he hated to admit it, he sometimes even did the same. Now, the tables had turned, and it was Brendan, a girl, who was acting this way toward him.
He tried to remind himself how boys had acted before. So many of them had been blatantly thirsty, their messages dripping with desperation and innuendo. Now it seemed that some of the girls in this world weren’t much different. The way Brendan’s words lingered on the screen, daring him to respond, only intensified the strangeness of it all.
Jesse hesitated, trying to think of how “Jess” would respond to something like this. If Brendan was on his private story, that probably meant they were close in some way, that there had to be some history there. Maybe even a mutual flirtation. But responding to this felt like venturing into unfamiliar territory, like playing a part he wasn’t entirely comfortable with.
Finally, he forced himself to type a reply, aiming for something flirtatious, even though it made him cringe as he wrote it. "Haha, you wish 😘" he sent back, feeling a strange mix of pride and discomfort at the boldness of the message. It wasn’t exactly his style, but then again, none of this was. He was playing a role now, trying to slip into Jess’s skin and navigate his world.
As soon as Jesse hit send, a rush of mixed emotions washed over him: anticipation, anxiety, even a strange kind of satisfaction. He knew he was diving into uncharted waters, embracing a side of himself that felt foreign, but also oddly captivating. It was as though he was playing a game, and each move drew him deeper into this new identity. But even as he played the part, doubt lingered at the edges, reminding him that this wasn’t truly his life, not really.
He lay back down on the bed, staring at the ceiling as he tried to calm his racing heart. The adrenaline that had coursed through him from his flirtatious exchange was beginning to ebb, leaving behind a nagging unease. The reality of what he’d just done began to sink in. Was he really ready to keep going with this act? To keep playing Jess in ways that felt so far from who he used to be? He wasn’t sure, but as he debated with himself, his phone buzzed again.
A jolt of nerves shot through him as he saw the notification; Tyler had responded. His mind raced, trying to prepare himself for what she might have said. He unlocked his phone with a hesitant swipe, heart pounding in his ears, and opened Tyler’s message.
Her response was simple but had a boldness that made his pulse quicken: "🔥🔥 Damn Jess".
Jesse blinked at the message, his mind spinning with conflicting feelings. It wasn’t a crude or overtly suggestive comment like Brendan’s had been. It was just enough to let him know that Tyler was definitely interested, without crossing any lines. Still, it was flirtatious enough to make his skin tingle with a mix of excitement and uncertainty. He couldn’t just leave it hanging. He had to reply, keep the momentum going. But how?
He thought back to how girls in his old world handled compliments. Some would playfully tease back, while others would respond with coy confidence. He settled on trying to mimic a combination of the two, imagining how "Jess" might have responded in this situation. "Haha, thanks Ty 😘" he typed, adding a wink and kiss emoji for good measure, before pressing send. His thumb hovered nervously over the screen, but there was no taking it back now.
As soon as the message shot off, a new wave of nervous energy surged through him. This wasn’t just idle chit-chat; he was engaging in flirtatious banter with someone who clearly liked him. It was surreal, almost intoxicating, but also terrifying. He wasn’t just adapting to this new world; he was shaping it, influencing how others saw him and how he saw himself.
He tossed his phone onto the bed, exhaling sharply as his mind buzzed with everything that had just happened. The dynamics were completely flipped here. In his old life, he’d been the one chasing girls, often left on read or met with lukewarm replies. Now, he was the one being pursued, and it was up to him to decide how far he wanted to take things. There was a strange thrill in knowing that, for once, he held the upper hand.
But his thoughts were interrupted when his phone buzzed again, and his stomach twisted as he picked it up to see another message from Tyler. This one made his breath catch in his throat: "Maybe you can show me what's underneath 😏".
His eyes widened as he reread the message, the straightforwardness of it catching him off guard. He hadn’t expected Tyler to escalate things so quickly. It was bold, far bolder than anything he’d imagined a girl would say to him, and it threw him off balance. In his old life, girls rarely made the first move, let alone something this forward. But here, things were different. He was different. And now, he had to figure out how “Jess” would respond. Did he back off and play it cool, or did he step up and keep teasing her along?
His first impulse was to shut the conversation down: send a laughing emoji and call it a night. But another part of him, the part that remembered how guys used to act toward girls, kept him in place. If Jess had been comfortable enough to take provocative photos, he would know how to keep this teasing game going without giving too much away. He couldn’t just fold. If he was going to keep up this act, he had to play the role convincingly, which meant teasing Tyler back while keeping a bit of mystery alive.
Jesse glanced down at his body, his mind racing with how to respond. He adjusted his position on the bed, letting the curve of his hips and the hint of a bulge press against the tight fabric of his leggings. He took a moment to find the right angle, then snapped a picture, suggestive but not too revealing. He typed out a caption before sending: "Idk. Should I? 🤔"
The message sent with a quick tap, and Jesse felt his heart pound in his chest. It was a risky move, but it felt oddly empowering to be on this end of a flirtatious exchange, where he could dictate the pace and tone of the conversation. As he tossed the phone back onto the bed, he bit his lip, torn between wanting to hide from his phone and the thrilling anticipation of what Tyler might say next.
Moments later, his phone buzzed again, and with a mix of dread and excitement, he picked it up to see what Tyler had replied with. The screen lit up with a new Snap: a selfie of her lying in bed, her shirt pulled up just enough to reveal her toned abs. Her eyes were playful, confident, as if daring him to take the next step. The caption was simple: "Yes".
Jesse swallowed hard as he stared at the image, the casual boldness of it catching him off guard. Tyler wasn’t just interested. She was throwing down a challenge, testing him to see if he would step up and play along. It dawned on him that he had just stepped into a dynamic that was both familiar and completely new. He was the one being pursued, but he was also in control. He wasn’t going to give in easily.
He took a deep breath, deciding to keep the game going while still maintaining some distance. He lay back on the bed, contemplating the best way to strike a pose. He thought back to how girls would take their selfies, trying to mimic the same casual confidence. An idea came to him, and he settled into the pillow, letting a faint smile play on his lips as he closed his eyes, aiming for a relaxed, effortless look. With a quick snap of the camera, he captured the shot and added a teasing caption: "Mmm, maybe another day 😌" before sending it off.
When the response came back moments later, a selfie of Tyler with a faux sad pout, accompanied by the caption "awww", Jesse smirked. He let the conversation end there, feeling a mix of relief and exhaustion from the pretend flirting he had put on. It was draining but also exhilarating, knowing he was able to keep up the act and play the part that this world demanded of him. He set his phone down, staring at the ceiling once more, as the reality of his situation sank in. This wasn’t just about pretending to be Jess; he was slowly becoming a version of him.