Beyond Goodbye | #ONC2023

6 || Meat Suit

"Do you trust me?" he asks, dragging his hands down to unbutton my jacket. Little by little, he reveals my outfit, watching closely as if he's studying me. It doesn't bother me that he's obviously checking me out.

I nod. "Yes. Call me crazy."

"Okay, crazy."

Leo jumps at me, but instead of us colliding, he goes right through me. It's like electricity. I gasp from the feeling alone. Multiple feelings, actually. My body jolts forward, trying to understand the weird burning and tingling mix happening inside my body. Every movement seems involuntary, and I'm too in shock to say anything. The dizziness comes next. I'm looking at myself in the mirror, and seem close, but so far away.

I grunt. "Leo! What the hell? Did you possess me? We had a deal!"

"What deal?" he questions, making my lips move. My eyes are wide as I try rejecting him. Feels like something is moving inside of me, and I think it's me. He has full control. I'm mind blown. "And you said yes."

We're taking turns talking with my body, which looks like I'm having a full-blown conversation with myself. "To trusting you! Not you being inside of me. You could've taken me to dinner first. I'm somewhat classy. Geez."

"Maybe not dinner, but I can take you to lunch. We ready?"

"What?" I yell, staring at myself, so he knows I'm not happy. "No! I'll do it. I'll go into the cafeteria and show everyone my outfit. But you have to leave my body."

He hums and pats my lip with my finger. I try to stop him, but he's overpowering me. 

"Negative. You can hate me later, but I'm going to show you how beautiful you are if you just have the confidence to back it up. And if you keep fighting me and talking, people are really going to think you're a freak."

I'm screaming internally. I'm so going to punch him in the chest when he gets out of me. With every step in my platform oxfords, I curse him out in my head. I feel violated because he can hear my thoughts, and keeps thanking me for calling him cute. He probably can hear me thinking about the kiss... and oh, my God. Awkward.

Please let it slide. Please don't make this weird, Conley.

"I don't regret the almost-kiss, by the way," he says, whispering before we can make it to the café. "Not sure if I'll get in trouble, though. Didn't read the handbook."

My mouth stays sealed shut. I'm flustered.

As if there's music playing in the background, Leo makes me lift my chin high and glance around the room with a smile. It's like my movements are in slow motion. My confident strut catches the eyes of a few students in passing, and it makes me feel nauseous. I'm sweating and hoping he can't feel it.

This many eyes have never been on me, and every table I pass, someone lifts their head to look at me. I'm in full on panic, but he's so good at this. Throwing smiles, winks, and making me flip my kind of dead hair.

"Looking good today..." Leo starts, but stops because he doesn't know the guy's name. "Jacob." I finish for him.

Ew. This is too weird. Even for me.

Jacob's eyebrows arch as he takes me in. "Randi? Randi Emerson?"

Leo makes me shrug my shoulders. "Since birth."

After complimenting a few people, and receiving some myself, we head to the lunch line. It's empty, and Leo automatically grabs the tray with a burger on it. I only let him get it, hoping if I eat it while he's in my body, then maybe he'll taste it again.

"You must like me. Putting me before you. You want pizza, not a burger," he says in a whisper.

"Stop talking! You're going to make me look crazy."