Chapter 4: Wearing Her Skin

Jamie stood in front of his mirror, feeling like he was looking at a stranger. The oversized sweater, the soft colors, the way his hair fell in waves over his forehead—it was Heather, reflected in him.

He smiled, a little nervously, turning to the side. His closet was slowly filling up with thrifted clothes that looked like they were pulled straight from Heather’s wardrobe. It felt good. Like wearing her skin, Jamie thought. Maybe now Chris would finally see him—really see him.

Pulling on a pair of white sneakers, Jamie grabbed his bag and headed to class. As he walked down the hallway, he caught glimpses of people’s reactions. A couple of girls from his Lit class did a double-take. One guy snickered, but Jamie ignored him.

“Who cares?” he muttered to himself. It didn’t matter what they thought. All that mattered was that Chris would notice.

As Jamie turned the corner toward the cafeteria, he spotted Chris and Heather sitting together. They hadn’t seen him yet, so he took a moment to breathe, preparing himself. Would they even recognize him? He pushed the thought away, forced a smile, and walked up to them.

“Hey guys,” he said, slipping into a seat across from Chris.

Heather’s eyes lit up. “Jamie! Wow, you look… different!”

Jamie felt his cheeks flush. “Yeah, just trying out a new look.”

Chris raised an eyebrow, glancing between Jamie and Heather. “Uh, yeah. You kinda look like Heather now.”

Jamie’s heart jumped. Was that good or bad? Chris didn’t seem to be making fun of him, but he wasn’t exactly complimenting him either. He forced a laugh.

“Yeah, she’s got a great style. Thought I’d steal it,” Jamie joked, trying to keep things light.

Heather grinned. “I love it! Seriously, you pull it off so well. You should come shopping with me sometime. We could find even more stuff like this.”

Jamie’s chest fluttered. Heather seemed genuinely excited about the idea, and it was hard to tell if that was good for him—or dangerous.

Chris, on the other hand, just shook his head, smirking. “You guys and your fashion.” He glanced at Jamie. “Don’t think I didn’t notice your new look. You look… cool.”

Jamie froze for a second, barely breathing. Chris had noticed. *Chris had noticed.* It wasn’t exactly the glowing compliment Jamie had hoped for, but it was something. His heart pounded as he tried to suppress the smile tugging at his lips.

“Thanks,” Jamie replied, keeping his voice steady.

Heather leaned in closer to Jamie, examining his sweater. “Is this from that thrift store I told you about?”

Jamie nodded. “Yeah, I stopped by yesterday.”

“I knew it! See, Chris? He listens to me,” she teased, nudging Chris’s shoulder playfully.

Chris laughed, shrugging. “I’m hopeless when it comes to clothes.”

Jamie watched as Heather’s fingers lingered on Chris’s arm, her laugh light and sweet. He felt a sharp pang in his chest, but it wasn’t jealousy—not exactly. It was something else. Something he couldn’t quite name.

He wanted to be Heather—*and* he wanted to be with Chris.

As lunch went on, Jamie found himself more drawn to Heather than ever. Every time she laughed, he found himself staring at her lips, wondering what it felt like to be her. To be loved the way she was loved. He imagined what it was like to be in her skin, to feel what she felt.

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That evening, Jamie found himself standing in front of the mirror again, this time with one of the new blouses he’d picked up at the thrift store. It was a soft, flowing fabric, delicate in a way that made him feel fragile.

He twirled around, the fabric brushing against his skin like a whisper. For a second, he imagined Chris seeing him like this. Would he be attracted to him? Would he even recognize him?

He bit his lip and reached for a tube of lip balm. It wasn’t much—just a subtle shine—but as he applied it, his thoughts drifted back to Heather. The way her lips looked so soft, so perfect. Jamie had never cared about his own lips before, but now he couldn’t stop thinking about hers. The lipstick she wore. The way they curved when she smiled.

“I want her lips,” Jamie whispered to himself, staring at his reflection. “I want to kiss them just to know what it’s like.”

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The next day, Jamie decided to take Heather up on her offer. They met up at a little café after class, and Jamie could hardly believe how easy it was to talk to her. She was funny, down-to-earth, and not at all intimidating like he’d first thought. In fact, the more time he spent with her, the more he realized just how much he admired her.

“So, what’s the plan for today?” Jamie asked as they sipped their iced coffees.

Heather grinned. “Shopping, obviously. There’s a new vintage store that just opened up downtown. I bet you’ll love it.”

Jamie nodded, excitement bubbling up in his chest. Spending time with Heather was easy, almost too easy. But there was always that little voice in the back of his mind, reminding him why he was doing this. Reminding him that it wasn’t just about Heather. It was about Chris, too.

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As they browsed through racks of clothes, Heather would occasionally hold something up for Jamie to see. “This would look amazing on you,” she said, holding up a floral-patterned button-down.

Jamie smiled, taking it from her. “You think so?”

“Definitely. You’ve got the vibe for it,” she replied, her eyes sparkling. “I’m so glad we’re doing this. You’re, like, my new favorite shopping buddy.”

Jamie’s heart fluttered again. Heather’s approval felt like a warm hug, comforting and intoxicating. He couldn’t help but feel closer to her.

But even as they laughed and tried on clothes together, Jamie couldn’t stop thinking about Chris. Was this what it was like for Chris, being around Heather all the time? Did he feel this same pull toward her, this same magnetic force?

As they left the store, Jamie carrying a bag full of new clothes, Heather linked her arm with his. “This was fun. We should do it again.”

Jamie nodded, trying to ignore the way his heart skipped a beat at the touch. “Yeah, definitely.”

They walked in comfortable silence for a while, but eventually, Heather turned to him with a curious look in her eyes.

“So… what’s going on with you and Chris?” she asked suddenly.

Jamie’s stomach dropped. “What do you mean?”

Heather shrugged, a teasing smile on her lips. “I don’t know. You guys seem close. Like, *really* close.”

Jamie swallowed hard, trying to keep his cool. “We’re just friends.”

Heather raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced. “Sure. But if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you have a crush on him.”

Jamie felt his heart pound in his chest. Did she know? Could she tell? He forced a laugh. “What? No way. We’re just study buddies.”

Heather’s gaze softened, and she nodded. “Okay. But if you ever want to talk about it, I’m here.”

Jamie smiled, grateful for her understanding, even though he wasn’t ready to admit the truth—not to her, and not to himself.

As they parted ways, Jamie couldn’t shake the feeling that things were starting to spiral out of control. He was falling deeper into this strange obsession, and he wasn’t sure how much longer he could keep pretending that everything was fine.

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