The following morning no one felt that was something especially wrong. Jake woke up feeling better than ever. His once dark hair was now a sandy brown and his curls were replaced by a straight hair. His face had changed as well looking similar to Mr. Sanders’s face but with a chin just like Mrs. Sanders. Still he didn’t think there was anything wrong. As he ate breakfast he felt curious about when Mrs. Sanders would have her baby. Over the morning he found it easier to call those people mom and dad and that he didn’t mind being called Logan. The name “Jake” seemed weird to him now.
Ryan ate happily with his foster family. They weren’t as bad as he had believed. By now his black hair managed to cover most of his forehead and looked like a bowl cut. His skin seemed to have become yellowed but his eyes still remained the same. He was excited for a new day of school.
As for Kevin his morning began just like usual. He raced against his brother to go to the bathroom. Luckily today he got in first despite having the highest bed. After doing his morning business under a heavy storm of door knockings from his brother he got out. As he looked at his brother’s face he saw just how similar they both were. They both had green eyes, clear skin and the same brown hair. Only their faces were different as they even matched in height. It was clear that their noses, cheeks, ears and lips looked were not the same but if Kevin had remembered his face from yesterday he would think that today his face was very much like Mike’s.
Andy woke up fresh and ready for a new day. He would probably have the shock of his life if he found out that he had changed race overnight but his eyes showed him a person he was used to see every day. His skin now looked pale and his hair was light brown, almost blond and was slightly curly. Even his once flat nose now seemed smaller and straight.
The five boy group (Mike of course was also a part of the group) met as usual on the bus. Logan and Ryan had been the first to arrive but soon after Mike, Kevin and Andy joined them. They mostly talked about cartoons but soon after Andy asked them about their game of pretend. The other boys looked puzzled at him but Andy proudly said he remembered that he was pretending to be a big boy around 14 that was much bigger than them. Logan also remembered he was supposed to be a boy named Jake but he didn’t remember much than that and said that it was a stupid game. Kevin and Ryan were left in their confusion. Weren’t Logan and Andy the other boys’ pretend names just like Rob and Tom were theirs? They were really teenagers and not kids, right? They were a computer hacker and a gang member with tattoos. Suddenly it was like a lightning bolt came across them both and they saw the truth in each other’s eyes.
“No way…” Said Kevin. It had happened. They had been behaving like kids. Both Kevin and Ryan tried to convince the other two boys that the game of pretend was not a game but they didn’t listen to them. They found the game boring and wanted to play something else. Meanwhile Mike looked confused as he didn’t remember that game. No matter what they said the other boys wouldn’t listen. Their minds were gone. Jake Peterson and Tony Williams were gone. They were now Logan Sanders and Andrew “Andy” Young; two 10 year old boys who loved sports. They had no worries in their mind and no regrets whatsoever.
Just as they entered school Kevin and Ryan said they needed to discuss something but it took a while to get rid of the other boys. Those were beyond help. They decided that they would both run away. There was no other solution. They had been naïve thinking that they could best an entire team of people with the means necessary to change people’s lives. Their foolishness had led to the loss of Jake and Tony.
Just as they headed towards the gate they saw a man outside looking at them. They decided to abort the plan. They were up to them. He would catch them and…
“Well, well. What are you two doing here? The bell has already rung! Go back to your class, you two!” Said a woman who had sneaked behind them.
“We were just…” Kevin tried to answer but was interrupted by the lady. “I don’t care about any of that, off you go! Or else I’ll tell the head teacher!”
“No, please! We’re going!” Ryan answered sounding more scared than he usually did. It was a very rare occasion where he felt intimidated by someone else, especially by a woman. Just before they got into the classroom they entered the bathroom, where they could speak in private.
“We’ve been fools thinking we could do anything” Said Kevin.
“Right. Just look at Tony and Jake! They are gone!”
“It’s worse. I can remember that I didn’t look like this, even as a kid! It’s like they’re changing our bodies as well, like they’re trying to…”
“Trying to fit us in each family” Ryan concluded. “We need to calm down. I thought I looked normal but it’s not like that at all. This is not my hair, this is not my body! We need to focus on ourselves, on who we really are!
Kevin felt stressed. He tried to organize his mature thoughts but he found that some of those thoughts and memories were shifting to Rob’s own. “We need to remember who we are.” Kevin agreed.
Kevin’s heart was racing. He didn’t even know what was real or not anymore.
“Hey T-tom, I mean Ryan, can you say if I remember things correctly?” The other boy nodded and Kevin took a big breath and said: “My name is… Rob? No, I’m Kevin Marsh! Well I am… wait I know this… I am… 10? No, no, that is just my pretend age. I’m older than that I remember! Yeah! I got in trouble with the cops and they sent me to school. I have a brother named Michael Turner and we both play Basketball!” Kevin said proudly.
“That’s impossible. You and your brother must have the same last name!” Ryan complained sounding childish.
“Oh yeah you’re right! I forgot! It’s Turner! I’m Kevin Turner, right?”
“Nuh-uh no it’s not! Remember the teacher always calls you Robert! Your name is Robert!”
Kevin grabbed his head feeling a monstrous headache. He knew something was wrong but he couldn’t do anything about it. His face felt so hot! He could feel his face changing fast and when the burning sensation disappeared the mirror showed that his face was just like always. For a minute he thought his face had melted away but fortunately that was not the case. To his eyes nothing had changed but it was clear now that his face was exactly like Mike’s.
Ryan felt something similar happen. His mind was swirling with new memories. His eyes became slanted and his body seemed to shrink a bit. Every trace of Ryan Clay’s existence was being replaced until he became Thomas Cho in both body and mind. All the strange feelings were gone. Finally things made sense again. He should have really dropped that silly game of pretend earlier. He really felt stupid for having played it. Why would he pretend to be a gang member? It just felt so unlike him. Tom adjusted his glasses and left the bathroom with Rob.
They both were the last students to arrive class. Rob set next to his twin brother and they both kept joking around the class much to the other students’ entertainment. Logan was doing his schoolwork quietly. Thankfully his parents had put his glasses in his bag otherwise he would have a hard time reading. At his side Andy worked as hard. He couldn’t stop chewing on his pencil, though. Thomas also focused on his work in silence despite the general ruckus around him. His thick glasses were a must on every occasion unlike Logan’s and looked big on his small face. He was one of the best students in class but despite his nerdy appearance he got along with his usual group of friends.
Later during recess a strange man appeared in their class and wanted to talk to Logan, Rob, Tom and Andy about their hobbies and what they liked and disliked about school and their families. It felt a bit weird but nothing much. Rob and Tom didn’t even remember having seen the man earlier that morning just outside the school. He kept writing something as the boys answered his every question but he left with a smile on his face. At the bottom of the page he had written “Operation Successful” but none of boys even read or cared about that. He would never know that it was actually Michael that answered the questions instead of Robert, which made the whole group laugh when they revealed their switch. They didn’t care why they were asked those questions or why the man called specifically for Rob and not Mike. They just wanted to enjoy what was left of their recess time and play with the other kids.
After their day of school they all rode their bikes around town. It was truly a wonderful day in a wonderful town where friends were plenty and the families were worth gold. They could play and live with no worries like the kids they were. Everything was perfect in their (new) lives.