Freaky Friday

Chapter 1 - August 13th 2010

August 13th 2010

The blue light of the TV illuminated Ryan and Sammy’s faces. It was one of those end of summer nights. When neither of their parent’s particularly cared where either of the boys were. Sammy’s older sister Tiffany had been left in charge.

She’d been upstairs in her room on the phone with her friends while Ryan and Sammy sat down in the basement. As it was Friday the 13th, they’d decided to gorge themselves on junk food and watch a marathon of all of the scary movies they could get their hands on.

Tiffany didn’t seem to care how much blood and gore the boys watched. Just as long as they didn’t bother her. They hadn’t seen Tiff since the pizza arrived. And now as the clock was nearing eleven, they realized that they could be as loud and rowdy as they wanted.

The two best friends had been inseparable since the first grade. They’d bonded over their love of hockey, video games, and Adventure Time. So it went without saying that they’d spend the entirety of their summer together, with the exception of the last two weeks when Ryan’s family would go to their grandmother’s beach house in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Tonight was their last real night of freedom together before Ryan’s family left on their trip and school started in September. The boys were determined to make it the best night ever. Their original plan to play baseball that afternoon had been rained out. It was a freak summer storm.

They figured watching slasher movies in Sammy’s basement all night was the best way to spend a rare Friday the 13th. So that’s where they were, planted in front of the TV taking turns tossing jelly beans into one another’s open mouths from across the couch. They’d throw their hands up in celebration when they caught a candy or overtly groan when they missed and Sammy’s family dog Cocoa would scramble to gobble up the errant jellybean.

“Sucks that you leave tomorrow,” Sammy said before sending a bean flying towards Ryan’s open mouth. It bounced off of his lower tooth and they both laughed when it ricocheted across the coffee table. “I know. I wish we could always hang out,” Ryan said as he lined up his next shot.

“Like for the rest of our lives,” Sammy asked. Ryan tossed a bean which sailed right over Sammy’s head. “Yeah. Like, I wish that there was some way that you and I could always be together forever.”

CRASH! Suddenly there was a huge clap of thunder. Both boys screamed as the electricity went off leaving them in total darkness. They leapt into one another wrapping their arms around each other’s shoulders.

They heard Tiffany’s quick footsteps above them before the basement door flew open. “You losers ok,” she called down. “Yeah,” they replied in unison. “The power’s out. Seems like the rain is stopping, so it’s probably best if Ryan goes home now,” she said.

The two friends agreed. Annoyed that their night was cut short, Sammy helped Ryan grab his stuff and then walked him to the back door. Tiffany found a flashlight and Sammy walked Ryan to the back fence where Ryan slipped through the gate into his family’s adjacent yard.

That night when they went to sleep neither Ryan nor Sammy knew that their entire world had just changed. Everything would be different after Ryan had made that wish on Friday the 13th at 11:11pm during a powerful lightening storm.

——

“Sammy, breakfast,” Mrs Thompson called. Sammy felt groggy this morning. His entire body felt different some how. Maybe a growth spirt? Or like maybe he’d consumed too much pizza and soda? He didn’t know but he wasn’t looking forward to the next few days of summer without Ryan.

Sammy threw on a hoodie and padded downstairs. “Finally,” Mrs Thompson tutted as she set a plate of eggs down. Tiffany was already seated at the table pushing her scrambled eggs around her plate, uninterested. “I get off late tonight, I’m doing a double. Tiffany, there’s money on the counter for back to school shopping. I’m trusting you both to make smart decisions at the mall today,” Mrs Thompson said as she slid her fleece on over her scrubs and headed for the door purse in hand. “Have fun girls,” Mrs Thompson called as she left.

Sammy took two bites of her eggs before she paused fork in midair hovering just in front go her mouth. Girls? What the fuck. She turned to Tiffany, who seemed unfazed. “What did mom mean by that,” Sammy asked.

Tiffany snorted. “I don’t know. She’s so annoying,” Tiffany said before standing and dumping her untouched eggs into the trash. “Get ready to leave in fifteen. We’re meeting Monica at the mall,” Tiffany said as she made her way back upstairs towards her room.

It wasn’t until Sammy went into the bathroom to pee that she realized what her mom had meant. There, instead of her usual parts… the parts she’d had for nearly 11 years, was new girl parts. Sammy gasped. She threw off her pajamas and hoodie.

This could not be happening. She was a fucking GIRL! When had she become a GIRL?! Sammy screamed. “What’s happening?!”

Tiffany poked her head into the bathroom nonplused to find her younger sister standing naked in front of the bathroom mirror. “You ok,” she asked. Sammy shook her head in disbelief. “I’m a fucking girl!” Tiffany blinked at her as if to say yeah… so what.

Was Sammy going crazy? She’d been a boy yesterday. This was insane. “Did you get your first period or something,” Tiffany asked. Sammy shook her head. “Ok, whatever weirdo. Just get ready. Monica is picking us up soon.”

Sammy wasn’t sure exactly what had happened between last night when the power went out and now. But she was sure of something, she was now… and apparently in this new reality had always been a girl.