He's A Handsome Woman

Sleeping in hadn't been an option for anybody in the rental car that Wednesday morning. Ryan was curled up on the backseat nursing his hang over, clearly not looking forward to going to school even though Beth had grudgingly given the okay for him to skip after lunch, with their help of course. He did seem to have no problem with the uniform this morning, or at least with the amount of skin he was showing. Beth was fairly sure she could tell what underwear she was wearing, as could Brendon (though he was pretending his constant checking of the rearview mirror was because of the silver car behind them).

Beth wasn't too happy to be up so early after their late night. Even with a cup of Starbuck's best in her hand she was merely placated. She had figured out the worry that had appeared in her mind the other day, whether she would influence Ryan's body or he would influence her. On one hand it didn't look like she'd be growing boobs anytime soon, but it was another problem entirely if she was... reacting like a guy, like an hour ago.

She had just woken up to water running, not quite conscious of anything until the bathroom door opened. Perhaps Brendon thought she was still asleep when he walked out, or maybe he just wasn't thinking about her at all. Irregardless Beth went to another place entirely when Brendon walked out of the bathroom in only a towel. He only lingered long enough to grab some clothes out of his suitcase but it was enough time for Beth to get lost on his glistening chest, the muscles of his back moving under his smooth skin, the lines of his hips that led down, cut off by the white towel as a drop of water slid past them, down... And before she knew it, she got her first encounter with a boner.

In the car Beth was quick to sip her coffee, inwardly reciting the Pledge of Allegiance as she reminisced, a trick she learned from Bubble Boy. To distract herself further she thought of what her and Brendon planned to do in the hours that Ryan would be at school. They'd been in Hershey for almost two days and had done nothing toward straightening out their situation. So while Ryan took a very future deciding test for Beth, her and Brendon were off to the first place they could think of to help them. A fortune teller.

To say Brendon was ecstatic about going to a fortune teller was an understatement. In fact, any positive adjective would've been overkill, so he settled with grinding his teeth about it, and of course sneaking glimpses of Beth's body in the backseat, blue striped underwear included.

With everyone off in their own little worlds the drive went by not as a blur or painfully slow, but as if time were suspended. Beth was staring out the window, not really seeing the familiar sights, like the gate of her school, Ryan was awake, barely, only aware of the pounding of his head and the synthetic grey seat covering touching his nose, and Brendon... well Brendon was so distracted by... certain things... he forgot to look at the road in front of him until the rental car came within inches of smashing into a red Mustang ahead of them.

Both Beth and Brendon lurched forward in their seats, thanks to the good graces of their seat belts. But Ryan on the other hand, curled up in the midde of the backseat... he was more or less a blur of plaid and skin, topped off with a nice thunk as he collided with the floorboard.

"OW! Holy fucking shit!" Ryan yelled, more or less muffled as he still hadn't untangled himself from the floor.

"I thought you agreed no more break checks!" Beth yelled with him, their voices overlapping.

"MY FUCKING SPINE! Son of a bitch!" Ryan continued to curse, the effect of his words somewhat lessened due to it being in Beth's voice.

Brendon was meek.

"Oh look, we're here."

The other two passengers glared at him. Ryan attempted to sort himself out, starting with the mass that was Beth's long hair, once again not seeming to care her skirt was halfway up her ass. Beth was beginning to wish he'd show at least some care toward her body and the amount of it he was showing.

"You're coming to get me at twelve thirty right?" He asked gloomily.

"That's the plan." Brendon replied carelessly, then amended at Ryan's glare. "Yeah, yeah, twelve thirty."

With that promise Ryan got out of the car with an air akin to stalking, as he probably would've done so if that were possible while getting out of a car. Beth thought for a moment that he'd truly recaptured the angst ridden teen role, when she realized it wasn't an act, and that he still hadn't fixed her skirt.

"I'll be right back." She said to Brendon before bolting out of the car after herself. "Ry! Ry-, I mean, er, Beth!"

Ryan turned toward her, a quizzicle expression on her face as they stood just out of view from the school, a few scattered students passing them on their way in.

"What is it?" He asked.

Beth sighed, putting on a smile she hoped was friendly. "Well first, I look like a wreck. Do you mind?"

Ryan shrugged, holding her arms out. "No, I guess not. It's your body..."

Keeping her smile, Beth tugged down Ryan's skirt, straightening out the pleats and trying to ignore how weird this was to do to herself. She proceeded to pull her shirt into place, not really paying any mind to where her, or Ryan's hands were.

"You know you just copped a feel." Ryan pointed out with a slight laugh.

The fact that Ryan was being somewhat friendly to her caught Beth off gaurd for the briefest moment.

"Are you going to tell me you didn't enjoy it?" She smirked, moving her hands up to straighten out the tangle that was her hair.

Ryan laughed, despite how much he wanted to think of Beth as the enemy. However many reasons he had to hate her, blame her, none of them with much standing, it was hard to believe them with her, even as himself, moving around him with a light touch he'd never possessed.

"I wanted to thank you," Beth murmured, focusing on the task at hand, smoothing her already smoothed hair, as she was unable to meet her own eyes. "For keeping up the pretenses of my life, even though you hate me."

Perhaps it was being in Beth's body that made his cheeks redden so easily as Ryan blushed out of shame.

"I-, I don't hate you." He stuttered, not meeting his eyes either.

Beth sighed, reaching across to fix the slight smudge of eyeliner by her left eye.

"Maybe not hate, but you think I'm a crazy fangirl that did this." She supplied, quickly distracted by her make-up.

"Wow," Beth murmured, leaning in. "I'm glad if it had to be anyone in my body at least its someone who can put on make-up."

Ryan hastily looked down in shame. It was one thing for him to vent to Brendon about all his theories and thoughts, but to have the subject of them know them as well did two things. One, it made his already extreme theories seem even more absurd, and two, it made his empathetic human instincts kick in, heavy hitting with guilt. He had labeled Beth in his mind as the enemy, an untouchable. But seeing her one on one, not only calling him out on his idiocracy, but also being kind to him anyway, it just made him feel even more wrong.

"I'm sorry." He mumbled, staring down at the pavement.

Beth both heard and truly felt the sincerity in his voice and looked across at Ryan in a new light. She smiled softly, forgetting she was essentially talking to herself.

"It's alright."