Skin

I'm gorgeous.

I thought to myself preening in front of my full length mirror, my white blond tresses falling suggestively into my cleavage. I examined my teeth, grimacing at an overly extended canine in the front.

...although I might be on a one way train to the dentists.

A receding gum line can only mean one thing. I straightened my wine coloured v-neck sweater and left my basketball stadium sized room and headed down the spiral staircase of my mansion. I smelled pancakes...but today I would start my diet, I decided yawning and grabbing my leather jacket off of the stair railing.

Mina the housekeeper hated when I left my jacket there, but it was my house, so it was my rules. I shrugged it on, entering the stainless steel kitchen and grabbing an apple from the fruit bowl. Mina looked at me with her dark Latin eyes suspicious. I sneered at her, sitting at the counter next to my father. He looked over his newspaper at me and gave a tight smile, his wrinkles collapsing as he frowned at the paper again.

"DOW is down." He grumbled as I took a deafening crunch. "Do you have class today darling?" He asked taking a distracted bite of his pancake, syrup dripping onto his wretched pea coloured wool sweater. I wasn't sure why he insisted on wearing that monstrosity in the 70 degree weather of a Phoenix winter.

"I wouldn't be up before 2 if I didn't." I responded throwing my half eaten apple in the trash compacter. Mina had her back to me but I knew she was probably steaming at my wastefulness. I saw Sir Edward, my dog, peering around the corner of the laundry room with big bloodhound eyes. He was nervous today, as he should be. I smiled at him, showing my teeth and he scampered away.

"Daddy, can I have money to fill the Rover?" I clipped, standing between the front hall and the kitchen. My father fumbled in his pocket and produced his wallet, stretching his arm out and giving me a wad of cash.

"Spend wisely." He said pushing his nose deeper into the paper. I blew Mina a kiss as I headed out, she narrowed her eyes at me.

Mina is a smart one, I'll have to be careful around her.

I noted digging in my pockets for the keys to the black on black Range Rover parked out front of the Bel Air styled mansion. My purse was already in the front seat from the night before, I adjusted my mirrors, seeing my sparkling blue eyes looking back at me from the mirror.

Simply gorgeous.

I reiterated starting the hulking machine and riding out in style. Truth be told, I had no idea where I was going, but I already had a full tank and was 200 bucks richer. Life was good. I headed out to the 10 freeway which was right outside of my gated community and decided the mall would be my go-to place for now until I decided on what I wanted to do.

I parked at the mall feeling sexy and confident, wielding my black Versace bag and matching sunglasses. Classes be damned, the mall was my lesson and I was my own teacher. I strutted in, leaving the dry breeze behind me as I bee-lined for Michael Kors first. Happily noting that they recognized me in this store, I gave my most demure smile as they told me what was new in stock, and complimented me on how good I looked. I already knew this but thanked them anyways.

I eyed a camel pea coat and pointed an elegant finger at it. The gay sales associate stumbled over himself to grab it, presenting it to me as if it were the holy grail itself. I took it and was led to the upscale dressing room in which I gave a polite nod and he left. I closed the door to the large closet-like room and proceeded to disrobe.

The glowing mirror only puffed up my vanity more. I admired my milky white skin, unblemished and tight. My body was proportionate in every way and had the pallor of an aristocrat. I slipped into the jacket and wrapped it around myself becomingly. The price tag on the sleeve read $400, I pursed my lips and rifled in my bag for my wallet. Opening it, I saw every kind of card a person could own. I thumbed through, finding my license.

"Nicole Kragen." I said aloud.

I had definitely inhabited the right body. I was extremely pleased with myself for finding such a beautiful and accommodating host. Her mind had been so open when I was standing next to her in the Starbucks line, I just couldn't help myself. It was like having someone abandon a beautiful car with the keys in it. I still remembered how she only looked up at the cashier to snap at him into correcting her order. I myself was a bitch, but she was something special.

Her mundane thoughts about her life were lying wide open for me to sift through once I had traded bodies, it was like taking candy from a baby. But now that I had her daddy's money, it was time to go. I had overstayed my welcome and I was terribly bored already.

I shoved her wallet back into her bag, and calmly put her clothes back on. I could feel her numbness turning into worry. Once I had inhabited the body, the host was never quite sure what was going on. It was comparable to drifting in and out of consciousness when one has the flu. I coaxed her into sitting as I began to detach from her body. I had been Nicole for 2 days now, shopping and depositing my purchases at my own house in the Foothills. I also did a lot of partying in the valley, but she'll see that when the pictures start showing up on Facebook. I had a good time, but I had plenty to do as Zara this week.

I had finally torn the tie between us, my own being stinging, burning, and tingling as I returned to my own body back at home. I gasped as I became myself again, lying in my plush bed at home. Now my place wasn't as luxurious as Nicole's, but it still felt good to be back home.

I stretched, my body feeling locked up and achy as my eyes adjusted to the dark of my heavily curtained room. My cat Buster crept over to me, grateful for my reassuring pat on his dark head. My body was weak from lack of food, as usual from when I abandoned it for a few days. I dragged myself to the bathroom, seeing myself for the first time in 2 days when I switched on the light.

"What's cookin' good lookin'?" I asked myself admiring my own skin for once. My golden brown ringlets spilled over my caramel shoulders. The last thing my body had worn was a lavender bra and panty set that I had bought myself as a French Debutante. I noted the sensual curve of my full bottom lip and the glint in my catlike hazel eyes. A dusting of freckles coated my nose as I scrunched it at myself.

I noticed I had a pimple forming on my chin and I groaned. Buster climbed onto the counter as I relieved my bladder, sulking. Finishing up I went to through my dark apartment with high ceilings, making sure that no murder was lurking from the 2 days my body had been konked out.

Safe and sound.

I thought happily going to check my home phone messages as I ate the fresh fruit and breakfast pastries Nicole had bought me. I sat on my cherry wood kitchen table that was accented with red plates, like much of the rest of my heavily gothic decor.

"You have 4 new messages." The automated woman droned as I took a fat bite of a cherry pastry. My mothers voice filled the apartment from the machine.

"Zara, this is your mother, although I'm sure you knew this already. I've been calling-"

"Blah." I said with my mouth full, pushing the erase button by stretching my long leg and pressing with my toe. The next 2 messages were from my job at the bakery in town asking when i'd be back from my vacation and if I could 'please please please come in tomorrow morning'. I could easily make a living stealing from the rich and the beautiful, but according to the law that wasn't okay. I had my fair share of run-ins with the law concerning how it was possible to live in the lavish apartment I had on a bakers salary. But over time they left me alone after realizing that I hadn't gained my means by way of drugs.

"Zara, where have you been my love?" I gagged on my pastry. "I thought long and hard about us, I can't live without you. I just keep imagining the last time we were alone and how sexy you looked in-" My ex-flame's voice was cut short as I raced over to the machine and jabbed the erase button.

"OOOOOKay." I breathed out as Buster cocked his head at me.

"Yes, Buster. Vinny was a mistake. I know. But we've never had a real boyfriend have we? I thought it would work." Buster licked his paw in response. I had met Vinny one afternoon at a cake delivery I had to make, he was the best man at his friend's wedding. We had a quick romp which turned into 5 or 6 more times over the span of a week and then it died out. I didn't know what happened, he was so sweet...and so Italian, but i'm deathly scared of commitment and Vinny was NOT the one to change my mind about that.

I'm not promiscuous, honest! This was actually my first fling since I had lost my virginity 2 years ago my last year of high school, but Vinny didn't have to know that. Not many guys would be down with me after finding out that i'm a body snatching skin stretcher, at least that's what I called it.

I found out I had this ability when I was ten, My father had left my mother and I for another woman and I was devastated. We struggled, my mother and I. I was a very social little girl, learning to throw myself into tasks and friends in order to distract myself from internal pain. It also helped to have plenty of playdates when my mom was working 2 jobs to give me a decent life.

I first left my body on a playdate with my friend Isabel. She had gotten a new Barbie doll from her dad. Isabel's life was perfect. She had a little sister, a mom and a dad who loved each other. My little heart filled up with jealousy as she ran into her fathers arms and squealed. I remember feeling so green with envy that it almost made me sick. It wasn't the doll I wanted, it was her life.

That night after we had played, we sat for a movie and I can remember falling asleep during it and waking up feeling strange. Isabel's mom came into the room and called her name, she didn't respond. I realized looking over that I was looking at my own body lying there asleep.

Isabel's mother came to me and kissed my forehead. I was Isabel.

After that, Isabel's mother had tried to awaken the real sleeping me, but I just laid there lifeless. My body ended up comatose in the hospital that night while I enjoyed my first body swap in Isabel's body. That was one of the best nights of my life.

Since that night, I had learned to channel my power, entering the body of anyone I wanted by simply gathering all my energy and focusing on the mind of the person I wanted to be. Most times, it was a piece of cake, I could effortlessly slip into someones thoughts, dulling them until I became them. Other times, it was hard and I ended up being kicked out by someones strong will and acute senses. Those times were dangerous because it would almost lead to me being found out.

High school was fun, I knew every and any secret about everyone and would use it to my advantage often getting what I wanted . It wasn't hard to attain popularity amongst the popular girls, but I never had made lasting relationships. Once I had graduated from school, I had graduated from petty body snatching as well and had started to move on to bigger and better things...like becoming girls like Nicole.

The only thing I COULDN'T turn into was animals, I had tried in the past, but ended up straining myself so much I got a headache. Becoming another human was better anyways, I had met animal shifters, werewolves and even vampires, but nothing was better than the ability I had been given. Though the other supernaturals liked to think they were different than what society had imagined them to be, they were exactly that.

I stretched again, dusting crumbs off of my stomach. Yup, it felt good to be me again, I thought heading towards the shower. The phone rang, I turned and groaned picking it up.

"Hello?" I answered exasperatedly.

"Hello Zara." A cool female voice replied. I looked at the caller I.D. but saw that it was an unidentified number.

"Who is this?" I clipped crossing my arms.

"Oh forgive me, My name is Kate Dobson and I have an employer who is interested in your skills." She said quickly in a light accent. I rolled my eyes, one of the supernaturals I had met probably explained my gift to some other goon and they needed me for a bank heist or something.

"What if i'm not interested." I said in a guarded tone.

"Something tells me you'd be VERY interested in this offer. A car can come round your place in 15 minutes."