The Other Side of Me – Part 16
by Limbo’s Mistress

After I left Jackson’s house and managed to drive across town to my own residence, it was nearly midnight. During the trip, I found my thoughts being pulled a hundred different directions, none of which did anything to ease the anxiety threatening to overtake me.

I tried to figure out exactly what was Charlene thinking. Behaving as she had in my life? I mean, if she really wanted to stay, pissing off my folks wouldn’t make things easier on her. Nor would antagonizing Jackson like she’d done. The way she seemed to sabotage herself on both sides of the dimensional barrier just reeked of stupidity.

I doubted my counterpart could actually be that stupid.

I also couldn’t help worrying what she might be doing right then, back in her own world. Was she strutting around the Sigma house, the much-coveted Kappa rose pin clipped to her chest? Laughing at Trina as she’s drummed out of the sorority? Maybe a post-celebratory sex session with Danny?

Gag.

What would Shelly do when she found out her friend was back in her own body? If she found out, that is.

However, as I pulled the Jeep down the street toward the two-story house I shared with my roommates, I had the most disconcerting thought of them all. I was more worried about Charlene screwing up over there than I was her antics over here.

Jesus, was Katie right? Was I actually more vested in Charlene’s life than Charles’?

I shut off the engine and climbed out, rubbing the back of my head as I let myself in the quiet abode. The entryway was dark, but there was light coming from the room to the left. Closing the front door, I stepped into the living room to find Jeff sitting on the sofa watching TV with his girlfriend, Stacy. Illuminated only by the glow of the screen hanging on the wall.

They both turned their heads to look at me as I stopped in the doorway.

“You’re home?” Jeff asked, picking up the remote and pausing the sitcom.

“For the moment,” I muttered, knowing the irony of my comment would go right over their heads.

“Oh,” he said, his expression shifting from surprise to something hinting at annoyance. “I thought you were going to be staying at your folks’ house again tonight. Uh, George and Tony are down at McGill’s,” he said dully. “Blind Tiger is playing there tonight.”

I nodded. “Cool.”

The two of them continued to stare at me. As I stared back, I began to notice some things I hadn’t when I first came into the room.

The two of them were watching TV in the dark. The top two buttons of Stacy’s shirt were undone. Jeff’s hair was slightly more mussed than normal and his upper body was completely unclothed. Shifting my gaze, I noticed several empty bottles of beer on the table in front of the sofa.

Oh shit. I was cockblocking my roommate.

“I, uh, just came home to get some stuff. I was, you know, kind of, uh, going back home to crash.”

They both nodded. Jeff’s face fell back into a less anxious, more pleased, expression. It wasn’t until a second after that I realized how cute it made him look. On the heels of that was the appreciation for the naked portions of him that were in view.

“Sure, dude. Whatever floats your boat.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat, shifting my eyes back to his as I pointed up at the ceiling. “I won’t be all that long. I’ll be gone before you know it.”

Turning around, I went up the stairs two at a time and burst through my bedroom door, slamming it closed behind me. Leaning back against it, I shook my head. I’d been living with Jeff for quite a while, and I was fairly sure that was the first time I ever had the thought of running my hands over his well-defined pecs.

“I guess that answers that question,” I said to myself as I rubbed my face, the forgotten sensation of stubble prickling my palms. “Looks like I am just as bi as Charlene.”

Sighing, I started to gather up some clothes and place them in a bag. My previous jaunts back had been brief, and though it was going on three hours, I didn’t expect to be here very much longer. Maybe it would do Charlene good to wake up at my parents’ house.

I bit down on my lower lip, then ceased packing in favor of sitting on the bed and pulling out my phone. After a few minutes of contemplation, I opened the video app, reversed the camera so that it captured my face, and pressed the record button and stared at the little red light that flared to life.

“Uh, hey Charlene. It’s me, Charles. Okay. Dumb thing to say. It just feels kind of weird, making a message for someone who’s going to be in my back body when she sees this. Though, I guess it would be weird to be the one watching said message, too. Sorry, getting off track there. Anyway, I guess this is the closest we’re ever going to come to actually meeting, so it seemed like the best way to talk to you. I guess.”

I sighed, looking away from the all-seeing lens to glance at the room around me. It was exactly the way I remembered it from days earlier when I’d left with the intention of being gone for just a couple of hours. Now, however, it felt slightly unfamiliar. As if I were intruding on the room of a stranger.

“Right now, I think we’re both having difficulties dealing with what has happened to us. Being thrust into the middle of a life you haven’t lived has been jarring. To say the least. We’ve both had to adapt quickly, given the situation. However, that being said, I am really disappointed in you. I’m not happy with the way you’re handling things over here. The things you’ve said to my Katie were horrible, and your behavior with Jackson is inexcusable.”

I fell silent for several long seconds, just staring into the camera, before continuing.

“I’m also not a big fan of how you’ve been living your own life recently. Look, I’m not going to pretend I know about the pain you must still be feeling. I’ve only been in your shoes for a few days, and I miss my mom something fierce. But that doesn’t mean you get to just walk all over people, hoping to make them feel as bad as you do. What you’re doing to Josie and to your Jackson. These people are supposed to be your friends. People you supposedly care for.”

I shrugged my shoulders.

“Of course, you probably are sitting here, watching this, and thinking that how you live your life, in either universe, is your business. Normally you might be right. Unfortunately for both of us, we are in this together. Whether you stay there permanently, or come back here, we’re going to have to deal with what the other has done. Why not plan to have the best possible life wherever fate sticks us?”

I sighed again.

“I know you’re a better person than what I’ve seen, Charlie. You have to be. I refuse to believe that we are truly that different, no matter our chromosomes or events in our lives. I think you’re a good person deep down inside. You just need to start showing it.”

I stopped the recording and watched the playback twice. A few more thoughts popped into my head, things I thought about mentioning. However, I feared that the raw truth of my first pass, when I’d let my emotions direct my words, would be undone by any attempts at editing. I brought up my email program, attached the video file, and sent it to myself with a daily reminder to watch it.

I wanted to be sure that Charlene at least knew it existed. If she chose not to bother viewing, then that was on her.

After slipping my phone back into my jeans pocket, which was actually large enough to hold more than my pinky finger, I finished packing my bag and went to leave the room. As soon as I opened the door, however, I was faced with someone in the midst of knocking on it.

“Hey, Chuck,” Samantha said, a wry smirk on her face. Her eyes drifted down at the bag in my hand. “Going somewhere?”

I took a step back, my mind whirling at her sudden appearance. She stepped into the room behind me and closed the door.

“I guess I should have called, huh?” She asked, her smile fading a bit.

“What, uh, are you doing here?”

“You stood me up. So I came by to ask why.”

“Stood you up?” I felt like I was missing something. Had Charlene scheduled a date with my on-off girlfriend? One that had been swept aside by our swapping bodies?

Samantha rolled her eyes and brushed some of her hair back over her shoulder. The action, deliberately slow and seductive, caused a slight stirring in my pants.

“We were supposed to meet at McGill’s, remember?”

I nodded, putting on my most apologetic face. “Yes. Sorry. Something came up at home and I needed to help my sister with a problem she’s been having.”

She nodded, taking another step toward me. Holy crap, this girl was aggressive. Had she always been that forward? Had I just been too man-blind to notice? The way she smiled at me, the little motions of her hands, the way she leaned in closer to me when she spoke. All recognizable as spotlights showcasing her intent.

When it comes to women, guys really are stupid.

“Did you get everything taken care of? Or do you need to go back home?”

“I, uh, I mean … I should …”

“I promised Jeff and Stacy we’d give them some privacy. So I guess that means we’re going to have to stay in here for a while.” The soccer star smiled and narrowed the distance between us to mere inches. “Stop toying with me, Charlie.”

I blinked, nearly falling over as the back of my legs hit the edge of my bed and the handles of the bag in my hand slipped through my fingers.
“I’m not toying with you, Sam.”

She smiled and pressed herself against me, tilting her face up to look into mine.

“Good. Because I really want you to do that thing you did to me last night. That was so hot.”

Do what? Last night?

She nodded, her seductive smile widening.

Great, so while I was dealing with Danny Morris sending me compromising video and threatening to leak it to the web, Charlene was over her curling the toes of my semi-girlfriend. This deal continued to get worse by the hour.

“I mean,” Samantha said, rubbing herself against me in a very distracting manner. “You’ve always been an attentive lover, Charlie. But what you did with your tongue last night? It was like you knew exactly what areas to hit for maximum effect.”

I guess owning a vagina provided additional know-how about making it purr properly.

“Uh, you’re welcome?”

Samantha laughed and leaned in to nibble on my ear before placing a teasing lick on the side of my neck.

“I thought it might be nice,” she breathed into my ear, “if I showed you just how talented my mouth could be.”

The sensation of her hand pressing against the tented front of my jeans sent fireworks exploding behind my eyes. The past three days had been a rollercoaster of surprises, emotions, and revelations. Sex was the furthest thing from my mind.

Or it should have been.

The pressure turned to a single point of erotic contact as Samantha pressed one of her fingernails directly against my erection and stroked upward. The scratching along the denim barrier seemed incredibly loud in the otherwise still room.

“Sam …”

My words were cut off as her lips pressed against mine, her tongue pushing its way into my mouth where it proceeded to sample every centimeter of surface area. Simultaneously, the hand teasing my ego reached the top of my pants. A second hand joined the first, and by the time the demanding girl amorously assaulting my mouth pulled away, the button had been unfastened and the zipper pulled down.

“Shhh,” she cooed, smiling up at me. “Just relax and enjoy. I know you will.” She winked and lowered herself to her knees, her hands peeling my jeans and underwear down to around my ankles.

The cool air of the room sent a small chill running through me, though it did nothing to deter Little Chuck in the least. If anything, suddenly being freed from its prison only seemed to make it more rigid. Almost painfully so.

Samantha pushed on my stomach, causing my legs to fold beneath me, dumping me on the edge of the bed. She wiggled her body closer, pushing her way into striking distance.

“Sam, you don’t have to do this,” I said, trying to override the subconscious desire to grab her head and make her get started. I’d never done that to any of my lovers in my life, but the sudden overwhelming need, likely born out of my recent experiences, whispered decadent thoughts into my addled brain.

“Sweetie, you’ve only had a sample of my basic skills. To repay you for going down on me to the tune of four big O’s, you’re getting the deluxe treatment.”

The next thing I knew, hot wetness encircled my manhood, followed by the sensation of light pressure that slowly slid down to the base before coming back up at an even more leisurely pace. I groaned in reflex and leaned back onto my hands, propping myself up as my eyes rolled up to the ceiling.

The first time Samantha and I had sex, it had been on the sofa in her dorm suite. It had been a quick, unplanned tryst, formed from a mutual physical attraction and a few too many beers. It had been fast, dirty, and probably more satisfying for me than for her. However, she’d obviously enjoyed herself enough to agree to do it again.

Had Charlene really rocked her world that much? Enough that the occasionally aloof star forward showed up here, after being stood up, just so she could start off the evening with a top-notch blow job?

As Samantha showed me proof that she wasn’t just bragging about her skills, I couldn’t stop myself from imagining it was Shelly kneeling before me, bringing me ecstasy with her mouth and lips. Shelly had gone well out of her way to help me when I needed it. To treat me fairly, despite the fact that the girl whose body I inhabited was a hot mess.

Soon, it wasn’t Shelly sucking me off that filled my thoughts. It was her licking me, kneeling between my legs, pleasuring my womanhood. That thought pushed me even closer to the brink of release. Lifting one hand, I tapped the girl working me like a professional on the shoulder.

“Saaammm….” I said in a half-gasping, half-moaning voice. “I’m gonna … gonna …” I was already starting to feel the pressure inside me building exponentially. The last thing I wanted to do was go off without giving some type of warning.

She responded by doubling her efforts, throwing in some sort of stroking, groping action with her hand. Apparently my lover had seen the finish line and was doing her best to get the checkered flag.

“I’m … I’m …”

I threw my head back, every muscle in my body tensing as I felt myself tip over the edge and the doors of that wonderful release sprung open. Then, at the exact moment I felt the first spasm in my groin, a wave of vertigo punched me in the gut and the world went black.

I stumbled forward, disorientation sending me crashing to the ground face-first. Thankfully, I landed on soft, if slightly damp, grass. Rather than the cold, hard concrete sidewalk I had been walking along.

I didn’t even need to look at myself to know I was back in Charlene’s universe ... and Charlene’s body.

I groaned, rolling over onto my back to look up at the impassive, starry sky above.

“Well … I guess that’s only fair. I stole her orgasm the last time we swapped.”

Climbing to my feet, I brushed myself off, wincing at the ugly dark green stain on the front of the skirt and the scuffed toe of one of my boots. I think I was madder about my clothing than I was getting denied my happy moment.

I glanced around me, expecting to see someone nearby. I discovered I was all alone, but recognized the nearest building as being the Newman Science Center. Which meant I was on campus. Although, if my memory of the school’s layout was accurate, I was practically on the other side. Nearly a half a mile from the Sigma house.

Why was Charlene walking all the way over here by herself? After midnight? In these shoes?

I patted my hips and butt, searching for my phone. Nada.

Had I left it at the party? Dropped it during the swap? I went back to where I’d landed and searched for at least ten minutes. There was no sign of the device anywhere.

“What happened to you?” I asked the empty night.

The last memory I had from this world was trying to rush out of the Sigma house, and only making it as far as the front door before Danny caught up to me. Something had happened over the intervening two plus hours. Something that resulted in Charlene walking away by herself into the night.

I shook my head, wrapping my arms around myself. I’d dressed with the expectation that the majority of my evening would be spent indoors. Now, the cool air chipped away at my body’s heat. It wasn’t cold enough for me to get frostbite, or even hypothermia, but definitely enough to be uncomfortable.

Turning around, I began to walk back toward the party. The noise ordinance on campus required quiet times to start at midnight during the week, and one am on Friday and Saturday. Knowing the Sigma reputation from my own world, the mere thought of ending the festivities wouldn’t materialize before two.

By the time I got to within visual distance of the Sigma house, my teeth were clacking together like jackhammers, shivers ran up and down my spine, and I was fairly sure I’d lost all feeling in the tip of my nose. The only thought that provided me any measure of comfort was the knowledge that Charlene hadn’t dragged Danny up to his room for a little rough and tumble the moment she hopped back into her own body.
If that’d been the case, I would have likely come to there … again.

The music, while not quite as loud as when Shelly and I arrived earlier that evening, was still going strong when I made my way across the manicured lawn toward the front door. The two burly boys from before were long gone. Probably busy trying to get into an inebriated coed’s pants.

Reaching the door, I took a deep breath, and stepped inside. I needed to see if I could find my phone. Or Shelly. Preferably both. Without running into Mr. Asshole again.

“Oh my god, Charlie!” someone yelled over the thumping bass beat the moment I closed the door behind me.

A second later, Shelly tackled me and nearly drove both of us through the wooden barrier.

“Where the hell have you been?” she asked, looking me over with a concerned expression. “Do you have any idea how freaked out I’ve been. I’ve been calling you, like, every two minutes and texting you every other minute. What the hell were you doing that you were too busy to respond?”

I shook my head, then pointed to the door behind me. I waited until we were on the porch, with the music muffled to a dull roar, before attempting to talk.

“Shells, it’s me,” I said, putting my hand on her shoulder. “It’s Chuck.”

She gave me a look that seemed in indicate she felt I was due for a major psychiatric evaluation.

“Yeah, I know it’s you, Chuck. We came to the party together, remember?” She started to laugh, possibly at whatever lame joke I was pulling. Then the look on my face must have registered and the cackle died at the first syllable. “Oh… oh shit.”

I nodded. “Yeah, oh shit is right. I just got back. Well, I got back about thirty minutes ago. I was all the way over at Newman Building.”

“What the hell were you doing all the way over there? That’s the other side of campus.”

“Yes. Me and my aching feet are well aware of that. As to the answer to your question, I don’t have the slightest clue. That’s where she was when we switched back.”

She nodded. “But why didn’t you answer your phone? Or call me to come get you?”

I held up my empty hands. “I had it in my hand when I leapt out. I was talking to Jackson on it.”

“Jackson?”

I nodded. “He called because the warning system he built told him a switch was coming. He wanted me to get away from the party before Charlene returned.”

“I guess you didn’t make it?”

I shook my head. “No, afraid not.”

She sighed and leaned back against the front of the house next to the door.

“Shells, do you know what Charlie’s been doing for the past two hours or so? The walk from here to Newman took about twenty minutes. But that still leaves a lot of time for her to have done a lot of stupid shit.”

“She didn’t have sex with Danny,” she replied instantly. “That much I know.” She nodded her head backward toward the house. “He’s been playing beer pong with his brothers for at least the last hour. Maybe longer.”

“Then what has she been doing?” I asked. Then a dashing, frigid thought came over me. “What happened with the Kappas?”

She frowned, then shrugged. “We all came back to share our embarrassing secrets. Well, everyone but you and Trina. A couple of the girls refused to play along, so they’re out. I had to reveal to the audience that when I was eight, I paraded down the street in my neighborhood completely naked because my older sisters had convinced me I was dressed in invisible clothes.”

“Ouch. That must have been a tough moment.”

She shrugged again. “Rachel seemed to think it was funny enough for me to make the grade. I wonder why neither you nor Trina were there.”

I told her about the challenge the Kappa leader had thrown at me and my rival.

“Okay. So, even if something happened and Charlene forfeited the competition, which I find extremely hard to believe, there’s no way Miss Bitchypants would decline to participate. Hell, not having Charlie show up would have been like an automatic win for her.”

I had to agree. “Is she still here?”

“Rachel? Nope. She left with one of the Sigmas about an hour ago.”

I sighed, shaking my head. “What about Trina?”

“Haven’t seen her since Dom took me out of the room.” She stepped forward and put her hand on my arm. “Are you okay, Charles? I’m dying to hear what happened while you were back in your world, but I can tell your head isn’t really all here right now. Want me to take you home?”

I nodded. “I wish I knew where my phone was, though. It’s got all of my Charlie Cheat notes on it.”

“We’ll look for it online when we get to your house. Chances are, it’s somewhere in there.” She pointed at the partying palace behind her.

We walked to Shelly’s car and climbed inside. Like a good friend, she immediately cranked up the heat as soon as she started the engine, pushing all the vents to blow in my near-frozen direction.

Along the way, I told her a little about what Charlene had been doing with my life. I didn’t go into a lot of detail, but I did let her know that her friend’s desire to remain where she currently was had ventured into dangerous territory.

“So you’re going to be swapping back and forth for another six months?” She asked.

I nodded. “Looks like.”

Back at my house, we crept in as quietly as we could. Fortunately, the same noisy boards existed in the same location in both universes, which allowed us to get through the darkened interior and into my room with a minimum of noise.

Once inside, I booted up my laptop and pulled up the website that could trace a cellphone’s location.

“What worries me the most,” Shelly said while the program narrowed the search pattern. “Is what led Charlene to walk across campus by herself at night? I mean, security constantly patrols, and there are emergency beacons all over the place. Still, it’s dangerous for a pretty girl like you to wander around alone.”

I felt my cheeks warm at the compliment as a momentary flash of the imaginary Shelly kneeling before me returned.

“I guess we’ll just have to find out.”

The computer made a little noise and a blinking red circle hovered over a spot on the digitally-rendered map. I scrolled in, bringing the detail into greater focus.

“That’s weird,” I said, staring at the screen. “It’s not at the Sigma house. In fact, it’s not anywhere on Fraternity Row.”

“Where is it?” Shelly asked, coming to sit down next to me.

I zoomed in until the circle zeroed in on a large house approximately four streets over from the Newman Building.

“1653 Willoughby,” I said, reading the text at the bottom of the screen.

“Oh … shit.” Shelly said, looking from the screen to me.

“What?” I asked. “Do you know who lives there?”

Shelly nodded her head, her eyes wide and full of worry.

“That’s the Kappa House.”