Mental Issues

Brian nervously pressed the camera button, trying to capture the moment before his hands began shaking from excitement. The camera clicked, capturing his new appearance—long, blonde hair neatly braided, large glasses that softened his look, and a face with features he’d once dismissed as "too cute." He stared at himself on the phone screen, unable to believe what he was seeing.

Just yesterday, he’d been an ordinary guy. He remembered laughing with his friends, telling them how he’d recently run into some gorgeous girl wearing leggings and a hoodie, and how he couldn’t take his eyes off her.

—So, still got that thing for leggings?—came Lisa’s mocking voice from behind him.

Brian jumped at the sound of her voice and hurriedly shoved his phone into his pocket, like he’d been caught red-handed. He turned to see Lisa standing there, arms crossed, one eyebrow raised with that look that warned he was about to feel even more uncomfortable.

—You—you serious? Can you cut it out?

—Oh, my bad. Didn’t mean to make anyone uncomfortable with their own reflection,—Lisa smirked, stepping closer. —So, what are you gonna say to your friends if they see you looking like this?

—Maybe you could help me find my body instead,—Brian muttered, his new, softer voice trembling. It was painful to hear himself sound like this.

Lisa chuckled and slowly circled him, sizing him up from head to toe. Her gaze stopped on his rounded, nearly perfect rear. She snorted, unable to resist an amused smile, and gave him a light slap on the thigh, which made him blush instantly. He shuffled to the side, pressing his hands to his hips, feeling embarrassed and frustrated.

—Lisa!—he hissed, feeling his face burn.—Are you serious?

Lisa scoffed, her eyes gleaming with barely hidden laughter.

—Oh, don’t get all worked up, sweetheart,—she drawled, a smug smile on her face.—You just have such a cute little butt, I couldn’t resist,—she grinned, clearly enjoying herself.—Don’t be mad, Brian, or maybe now I should call you… Bri? Oh, or how about Brianne?

—Lisa, cut it out,—he groaned, clenching his fists, feeling his cheeks flush even more.

—Alright, alright,—she sighed, as if doing him a huge favor, though the glint of mockery remained in her eyes.—But do you even know where your “real” body ran off to? She totally ditched you with all of this!—Lisa waved her hand up and down his new body.—Although, it’s kinda weird,—she mused, examining him like an exhibit at a museum.—She—you, I mean—look like a bombshell. Can’t imagine why she’d just disappear and leave you with this body… especially with how many people would love to look like that.

Brian sighed heavily, feeling his heart pound from Lisa’s jabs. The feeling of soft fabric clinging to his curvy hips and the lightness of his blonde braids brushing his neck… all of it was uncomfortably new.

—Yeah, well, I definitely didn’t dream of being like this,—he muttered, adjusting his glasses nervously, which for some reason made Lisa burst into loud laughter. She laughed, clutching her stomach, clearly enjoying every second of his discomfort. Brian felt even more awkward and irritated, not understanding what was so funny.

—What’s so hilarious?—he snapped, crossing his arms over his chest, only to feel his new soft curves pressing under his hands, sparking a fresh wave of embarrassment. He quickly dropped his hands, unsure of what to do with them. Lisa laughed again, noticing his reaction.

—You… just… you look like…—She started laughing again, unable to finish.—Like some shy girl trying to act tough but only looking cuter!

—I’m not trying to look cute!—he protested, his voice coming out high and almost pitiful, making Lisa snicker again.—Alright, enough already!—he tried to snap, attempting to sound serious.—How about we start looking for my body instead of laughing at me?

Lisa finally managed to calm down, though her eyes were still sparkling with amusement.

—Okay, okay, sorry, sweetheart.—She reached out a hand theatrically, as if trying to calm him down, which only made it more humiliating.—So, tell me. Where did you two switch bodies? And when?

—It happened last night. My friends and I went to that bar on the corner, "Red Bottle," you know? There was a girl there, kind of… strange.—He paused, trying to recall the details.—We got talking, and she was very… direct. At some point, she said something weird like, “Swap with me for a day, and you’ll see what it’s like.” I thought it was just a joke.

Lisa crossed her arms, looking at him with slight disbelief.

—And you just went along with it?—she asked, raising an eyebrow.—Seriously, Brian? And how did it happen? Like, she just snapped her fingers, and poof—you’re not you anymore?

Brian shivered, remembering that night.

—Well… not exactly. She took my hand and muttered something quietly. Honestly, I didn’t catch all the words. And then everything just went dark for a second… and that’s it. I’m in her place, and she runs off in my body somewhere… I—I ran after her, but, well, you know the rest. The cops grabbed me, and you…

—Yeah, yeah, but I still can’t believe you convinced me you were actually you,—Lisa continued, still with a hint of doubt in her voice.—Honestly, at first, I thought you were just some crazy chick and decided it’d be fun to play along, so I bailed you out. But when you started talking about our school trip to Seattle, about that fight with the security guard… then I knew no one else could possibly know all that.

Brian blushed, remembering how desperately he’d tried to prove he was the real Brian. Lisa, though his friend, was understandably skeptical at first, and honestly, he couldn’t blame her. Who would believe something this insane right away? He was lucky her shift was on at the precinct that day.

—Alright, now that you’re convinced it’s really me, could you maybe stop messing with me?—he asked hopefully, with a slight pleading note in his voice.

Lisa looked at him with a smirk.

—Stop messing with you? Oh no, honey. As a cop, I’ve got to help you figure out what happened. But as your friend, I can’t miss out on the chance to tease you a little, sorry,—she said, giving him another playful pinch on the butt.

Brian gasped and jerked back, clutching his hips and shooting Lisa an indignant glare.

—Lisa! What is wrong with you?—he hissed, feeling his face heat up in embarrassment.

Lisa just chuckled, enjoying his reaction.

—Sorry, but this is just too funny,—she shrugged, her gaze sparkling with barely contained laughter.—I’m just trying to help you get used to your new reality, so to speak. If you’re going to get your body back, we’ll need to figure out how to do it and maybe help you relax a little. For now… get used to being the center of attention.

Brian crossed his arms over his chest irritably, feeling once again the unfamiliar shapes respond to the movement.

—I don’t need to get used to anything! I just need to find my real body and get things back to normal,—he said with a stubborn tone that sounded more like pleading than resolve.

Lisa, still with a slight smirk on her face, glanced at her phone screen, but her smile instantly vanished. She looked down at her phone, her expression shifting abruptly. Her eyes narrowed, and her lips pressed into a thin line. She was silent for a few seconds, studying the information, while Brian shifted nervously from foot to foot, feeling like he might explode from the tension.

—Lisa? What is it?—he asked anxiously, noticing the change in her face. A cold chill crept through him. Whatever it was, it couldn’t be good.

Lisa raised her eyes to him, and her look was… wary? Almost worried. It was so unlike his usually unshakable friend that Brian immediately understood something serious was going on.

—Um… Brian, right?—she started hesitantly, as if she suddenly wasn’t sure if her old friend was standing in front of her.

Brian frowned, feeling a sense of unease growing inside him.

—What do you mean "right"? Of course, it’s me, Brian! So, what did you find out? Tell me!

Lisa bit her lip for a second, as if searching for the right words.

—According to the fingerprint database… your new body belongs to a girl named Lillian West.—She paused, watching his reaction.—But, there’s something unusual in her medical record. She’s been diagnosed with… dissociative identity disorder. Sometimes… she’s convinced that she’s a guy named Brian…

—Wait, what?—Brian stared at her, feeling the world tilt beneath him.—You’re saying… she thinks she’s me?

Lisa’s hands instinctively moved toward her handcuffs on her belt, as if by accident, but there was clear wariness in her gaze. Brian noticed the movement immediately, and a chill ran through him.

—Lisa, what are you doing?—he asked, trying to keep the growing alarm from his voice.

—No, no, it’s nothing,—she answered quickly, but her hands remained on the handcuffs. She slowly began moving closer, her gaze wary, assessing, as if watching for the slightest movement or change in his behavior.—I’m just… trying to make sure you’re really Brian.

Brian took a nervous step back, feeling his close friend, whom he’d always trusted, looking at him as though he were a suspect.

—Lisa… you’re not planning to arrest me, right?—He tried to smile, but it came out forced. Inside, he was twisting with fear and hurt. He never thought he’d end up in a situation like this, especially with her.

Lisa kept her gaze steady, her face tense.

—I just want to be sure you’re you, Brian,—she replied softly, though there was still a note of doubt in her voice.—Right? You are… Brian… or are you Lillian?

Brian felt a tightness in his chest as his hands shook. He wanted to scream that it was nonsense, that he was Brian, but even he suddenly felt a growing doubt.

—Lisa, are you crazy? It’s me! We’ve known each other since childhood, remember? That time at the Seattle festival when I spilled soda on myself and had to go home in your jacket?

Lisa squinted at him, as if trying to gauge his true intentions. She kept moving closer, her fingers nervously playing with her belt, as though readying for the unexpected.

—Yeah, that’s something only Brian would know, but you could’ve learned that from him… considering he’s missing and no one knows where he is,—Lisa frowned, taking another step forward. She was so close that Brian could hear her unsteady breathing. Her gaze was filled with suspicion and tension, and her hand crept closer to her handcuffs. He clenched his jaw, fists shaking as he fought to keep his composure.

But just then, another figure burst into the room, making them all freeze.

—Hey, what’s going on here?—boomed a low, familiar voice that both horrified and stunned Brian into silence.

He turned and saw… himself. Or, rather, the person he’d been yesterday—his old body, athletic, with tousled hair and a cocky grin. Inside, judging by the expression, was Lillian.

—What the hell?—Brian gawked, feeling his world crash around him.

Lisa froze, unable to take her eyes off the two Brians in front of her, one looking absurdly awkward in the guise of a shy blonde, the other exuding confidence in Brian’s usual clothes.

Lillian, in Brian’s body, grinned broadly, seemingly oblivious to the tense atmosphere. She shoved her hands in her pockets and glanced nonchalantly at Brian standing before her in Lillian’s body.

—Liz, I heard you were here, so I just came to check in,—she said smoothly, giving Brian a condescending look that made him want to crawl out of his skin.

—Lillian!—Brian felt like he was about to explode.—Give me my body back! This has gone way too far!

Lisa, processing what was happening, took a cautious step back, folding her arms over her chest and glancing between them.

—What the hell is going on? Is this some kind of joke?! I could arrest both of you for something like this!—Lisa’s voice rang with irritation as she raised a hand, motioning for calm.

Brian, trapped in Lillian’s body, tried to explain, but didn’t get a chance to say a word before Lillian, in his body, stepped forward, raising her hands in a calming gesture.

—Lisa, don’t worry, it’s nothing serious,—Lillian started with a sly grin, leaning against the desk in the room.—Lillian’s an old friend of mine, and, well, she’s got a few screws loose, or… maybe it’s some kind of superpower,—Lillian in Brian’s body smirked.

Lisa, narrowing her eyes, glanced back and forth between Lillian in Brian’s body and Brian in Lillian’s body, letting out a long, frustrated sigh.

—An old friend, huh?—she asked with forced calm, stepping closer.—And this “friend” of yours just swaps bodies with others because, what, it’s her hobby?

—Well, you’re a cop,—Lillian replied, smirking.—Who believes in body-swapping, right? She’s just got a, you know, condition… what’s the word… disorder or something.

Lisa immediately remembered what she’d read in the report: Lillian West, diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder. With multiple personalities, one of whom believed she was… Brian? Lisa took a deep breath, glancing back and forth at the two people standing before her, and suddenly everything became much more complicated.

—Oh, so that’s what’s going on,—Lisa exhaled, looking at both of them. There was tension in her gaze as she looked at Brian in Lillian’s body, then Lillian in Brian’s body, and once more over the whole bizarre scene.—So, we don’t just have a body swap; we’ve got a whole psychiatric club going on?

—Lisa! Are you serious?! Are you really going to believe her?!—Brian’s voice, high and almost pleading in Lillian’s body, trembled with a mix of outrage and panic.

Lisa raised an eyebrow, glancing between Brian and the smugly smiling Lillian in his body. Her expression was unreadable, and Brian felt a chill of fear run through him.

—And why not?—Lisa crossed her arms, giving Lillian in Brian’s body a look.—All I see is a strange girl with mental issues who says she’s my friend, and my friend is standing right here,—she finished, casting a quick, judging look at Brian in Lillian’s body.

Brian froze in shock. He felt the crushing realization that Lisa was almost ready to believe Lillian in his body.

—Are you serious?—he hissed, clenching his fists as tears of frustration prickled his eyes.—Lisa, it’s me! How can you not see that? I know everything about you, about us! We’ve been through so much together, you know that!

But it looked like Lisa had already made up her mind. She turned slightly to Lillian in Brian’s body and said seriously:

—Alright, Brian, we’ll talk later, okay?—she said, addressing Lillian in Brian’s body with a tone full of cold calm.

The real Brian, still stuck in Lillian’s body, couldn’t hide his despair. He stepped forward, struggling to hold back tears and suppressing the urge to scream.

—Lisa, you can’t seriously believe this!—he nearly shouted, feeling his voice break.—It’s really me, Brian! How can you believe her so easily? She’s just playing you, dammit!

But Lisa looked at him with a mix of pity and disgust, as if he was just a sad parody of her friend.

—Listen, “Lillian,”—she said with barely restrained irritation,—I really am sorry that you have these issues. But right now, everything points to my friend Brian being here, and you…—she paused, giving him a look filled with a mixture of mockery and sympathy,—you’re just a girl who’s suddenly decided she’s someone else.

Lillian, in Brian’s body, smirked contentedly, savoring the success of the spell she’d read about in some old, dusty book she’d randomly found in an antique shop. She could hardly believe that a simple exchange of glances, a handshake, and a few muttered words could have such an effect. But it turned out the ancient witch’s soul-swap spell not only worked but made Brian’s attempts to reclaim his body utterly futile.

—Well, Liz, I’ve got to run,—she said, turning to the stunned Brian with feigned sympathy.—Don’t worry, Lillian, everything will be fine. Just remember to take your meds.

With that, Lillian confidently strode toward the exit, leaving Brian standing there in shock and despair, alone with Lisa, who seemed to have lost all interest in him.