Reassignment Night. It was the one night a year where reality seemed to reset itself, when anything and everything was subject to changing in ways that would otherwise be impossible. Nobody really knew how it happened or why, though just about everyone had their theories.

Simon had never liked Reassignment Night. He had never liked the idea that reality itself could be pulled out from under him, that he could wake up in the morning as a different person than who he’d gone to bed as. That was why he was staying up late, as he did every Reassignment Night. If something was going to change, he wanted to face it head-on, not wake up to it after the fact.

The middle-aged man leaned back in his recliner, his eyes on the TV screen in front of him, though his mind was elsewhere. He thought of other years. Other Reassignment Nights. He thought of the things that it had cost him in the past.

Simon thought of Ellie, his former fiancée. They’d loved each other and had been about to get married, but then one year, she was reassigned. She’d gone to bed as a lovely young woman and had woken up as a man named Ed. In the new reality, Ed had been in love with a girl of his own. Their relationship had not just ended, it had been erased, made so that it had never even existed.

He thought of his old neighbor and best friend, Ben, who had simply vanished one year. One day, Ben was there, and the next, he was gone without a trace.

Simon knew that Ben had probably just been reassigned as someone completely different, maybe even somewhere far away. Still, he couldn’t help but feeling as though Ben had died, because in a way, ‘Ben’ had.

“When is it going to hit?” Simon grumbled impatiently, glancing to the clock as he did so. “I’d like to get some sleep tonight.”

Unfortunately, Simon had absolutely no idea of when things would get reassigned. People knew which day it would happen, but never the exact time. Every year, it came at a different time, somewhere between sunset and sunrise.

Of course, there was a very good chance that Simon would never even know when it happened. Unless he himself was reassigned, there probably wouldn’t be anything different for him to see. However, the local news was always quick to announce it, which was why he still had the TV on.

A few seconds later, Simon stood up and went to the kitchen. Since he might very well be up all night, it probably wouldn’t hurt to get another cup of coffee.

Just then, it finally happened. Simon felt a moment of intense strangeness, as if the world itself was twisting around him. A second later, it was over, but things had changed.

For several long seconds, Simon stood there in his kitchen, knowing that something had changed but not being sure what. He looked around and finally realized that his kitchen looked different. It had different cabinets and cupboards, and there was a nice stand mixer on the counter where there hadn’t been before. And a cookie jar. That was new. But at the same time, this all felt familiar and comfortable.

“Oh my,” he gasped, his eyes going wide.

Then he looked down at himself and froze, feeling a moment of confusion and disbelief before the new memories settled into place. He…she was definitely a woman now, one with some generous curves.

“I guess that happened,” Simon…Simone mused to herself.

She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths, trying to think about her life…about her new life. Ed had told her that this had helped him to figure out who he was now, and just how much had changed.

“My name is Simone,” she mused, remembering that she had the same maiden name and parents. She’d heard of other people who had changed even more drastically. From what she could tell, the main difference was that in this reality, she’d been born female. “Oh my…”

With that, Simone hurried across the apartment to the spare bedroom, which was no longer a spare bedroom. When she looked inside, she saw a kids bedroom with a little girl sleeping in the bed.

“Kimberly,” Simone whispered the name of her daughter.

Her heart raced as she thought about Kimberly, a little girl who hadn’t even existed just a few minutes earlier but who was now sound asleep in her bed. She remembered carrying Kimberly. Giving birth to her. Raising her. These new memories and the emotions tied to them were enough to make Simone stagger.

Simone quietly backed out of the room, being careful not to wake her sleeping daughter. Kimberly was her daughter, of that she had absolutely no doubt. She didn’t know who Kimberly had been before since she’d obviously been reassigned as well, but she was Simone’s daughter now.

After taking a few minutes to consider this and her new life, she looked around her apartment, noticing all the changes in décor. There were pictures of her and Kimberly on the wall. There were even a couple family pictures that had her ex-husband in them.

“Well, I don’t think I’ll be needing that coffee after all,” Simone mused to herself with a smile. “And I should probably be getting to bed soon myself. I have to get up bright and early to make breakfast for my daughter.”

----------

Mike groaned as he slowly sat up in bed. His head pounded from the hangover he’d earned the night before, and his stomach was announcing it’s displeasure as well.

“What day is it?” Mike grumbled through the hangover. “New Years…? No…”

Then he remembered. Last night had been Reassignment Night so he’d partied with some of his friends and had gotten plastered. Going to classes like this was going to be a nightmare, but what else was college for?

Mike climbed out of bed, stretched, and then scratched his head. It was around this point that he realized that something was wrong. Well, something beyond the hangover that was.

“Oh, shit,” Mike groaned, realizing that he must have been reassigned.

He didn’t have any idea yet of how he’d been changed, but he was suddenly sure that he had been. Up until now, he’d been lucky enough to avoid any reassignments, but that luck couldn’t hold out forever. He’d already known that, which was one of the reasons that he and his friends had partied so hard. They’d all known that some of them would probably be reassigned, so they’d wanted to celebrate as themselves while they still could.

Mike looked down at himself, hoping that he hadn’t been turned into some kind of scrawny nerd. He’d seen that kind of thing before. Just last year, one of his friends, a guy who had been an awesome football player, had woken up as a dweeb. He’d lost his size and strength, as well as most of his interest in the stuff he used to love. Now, the guy hung out with his new nerd friends, doing nerdy things.

When Mike looked himself over, he saw that his changes were even worse than he’d feared. He hadn’t turned into a nerd. He’d turned into a chick.

He had a pair of very nice tits, which pushed out from his shirt, showing a nice bit of cleavage at the same time. The bra straps pinched uncomfortably since he’d gone to sleep with the thing on.

Michelle let out a sigh, now starting to remember who she really was. Well, who she was now. She still remembered being Mike, but that wasn’t who she was anymore.

“At least I didn’t turn into some kind of geek,” Michelle said with a sigh. In fact, turning into a hot and popular chick was actually quite the upgrade. The old Mike might have disagreed, but Michelle had an entirely different perspective. “Very nice.”

Just then, Michelle suddenly heard the toilet flush from the bathroom. She paused at that, realizing that it was just her roommate Neil.

When the bathroom door opened and Neil stepped out, Michelle stopped and stared at him. Neil was lean and athletic, with great muscle tone that now seemed much more interesting to her.

“Morning, Michelle,” Neil greeted her, just a little awkwardly.

“Morning, honey,” Michelle responded, feeling just as awkward.

Last night, when she’d gone to bed as Mike, Neil had been his friend and roommate. But now, Neil was her boyfriend. A part of her was shocked by this revelation, while another part felt like it was perfectly normal.

Michelle rolled her eyes, deciding that she didn’t like this bit of awkwardness. So, she went straight up to her boyfriend, grabbed his shirt to pull him down enough for her to reach, and she gave him a passionate kiss on the lips.

“Just rip off the band aid and get it over with,” Michelle told him, smirking at Neil’s reaction.

“Good idea, babe,” Neil responded with a broad grin and then another kiss.

Once they pulled apart, Michelle told him, “I need something for this hangover, but…” She gave him a suggestive look. “Once I’m feeling better, we’re gonna do some of the things that I remember doing with you.”

“I’m all for that,” Neil told her. “But for now, go ahead and sit down. I’ll get you some Advil, orange juice, and a massage.”

Michelle smiled at that and did as she was told. She got comfortable and waited patiently as her boyfriend went to work pampering her. It looked like this reassignment had really worked out for her.

----------

Sixteen-year-old Aaron stood in front of the bathroom mirror, staring at his reflection with a mixture of disappointment and relief. Another Reassignment Night had passed and he was still unchanged.

Aaron had already gotten a text message from one of his friends, one who’d bragged about his new reassignment. Apparently, Ken had grown six inches taller and had become quite athletic, and Aaron wished that had happened to him too.

He closed his eyes and thought about Ken. He remembered Ken being a short kid who was a bit on the nerdy side, much like him, but he also remembered the new Ken, the one who was one of the biggest jocks in school. In this new changed reality, they didn’t even hang out together.

“I hope Ken doesn’t forget about me,” Aaron muttered. The fact that Ken had actually texted him about this was a good sign.

Aaron shrugged, then went to go get breakfast. When he stepped into the kitchen, he saw that his sisters, Keri and Teri were already there, making breakfast. The two of them turned as one and gave him an amused look.

“Morning, Aaron,” Keri greeted him.

“Morning, bro,” Teri added before they both giggled.

Aaron looked at his sisters, who were both three years older than him. They were twins, with identical dark hair and attractive features. Then he sat down, waiting for the breakfast that they were both in the middle of making.

It wasn’t until this point that Aaron suddenly remembered an important fact. He didn’t have any older siblings. Keri was his younger sister, by four years. And Teri…

“Mom?” Aaron asked in confusion, recognizing his new sister Teri as having formerly been his mom, Theresa.

“Not anymore,” Teri responded with a look of amusement.

“Surprise,” Keri added with an identical look.

Aaron looked back and forth between his sisters, then let out a sigh. Now that he thought about it, he could remember having two big sisters. He just didn’t have a mom. In this new reality, his mom had died giving birth to him.

“So, it looks like I’m the baby of the family now,” Aaron said in resignation.

“Don’t worry,” Keri promised him. “I’ll a good big sister.”

“We both will,” Teri added.

“And what about Dad?” Aaron asked, looking straight at Teri. “He probably won’t be happy about this.”

Teri rolled her eyes at that. “I’m sure that Dad already knows. Besides, he’s dating that lady from work now.”

Aaron blinked at that, then realized that Teri was right. Dad had been dating one of his coworkers lately. Well, he hadn’t been dating her before Reassignment Night, but now, it looked like they’d been dating for a couple months.

“You know,” Keri teased Aaron. “Maybe next year we’ll become triplets.”

“Don’t tease him that way,” Teri told her with a laugh. “But I have to admit, that would be interesting.”

Aaron just groaned, not sure that he liked this new arrangement. However, there was nothing he could do about it but hope that the next Reassignment Night would make things better. And NOT the way that his sisters were teasing him.

----------

Lori Chen stepped into the office where she’d worked for the last twelve years, feeling nervous as she did so. This was her first time going back to work since Reassignment Night two days ago.

The first thing that Lori noticed was that there was a new receptionist. Betty, who’d been the receptionist for the last nine months, was gone, replaced with a woman who Lori didn’t know. Well, a woman she shouldn’t have known but still somehow did.

“Hello, Mara,” Lori greeted the new receptionist. The one who her new memories insisted had been there for nearly six months.

As she walked through the office, she noticed that Ralph’s desk was empty. There was no sign that he’d ever worked there, even though she remembered him being there a few days earlier. Now, her new memories had no recollection of him at all.

Anne looked different. Taller. More athletic. Now, instead of being the quiet woman who was easy to overlook, she radiated a new confidence.

And then there was Peter, who seemed to have put on some weight. It looked like he’d gained about thirty pounds since the last time that Lori had seen him.

These kind of changes were normal around the office, occurring every year. Sometimes, familiar coworkers would change in surprising and unexpected ways. At other times, people would vanish without any trace that they’d ever worked there in the first place. And of course, new people would sometimes appear, replacing those who’d vanished. All of this came with history…with memories of these changes being the way things were supposed to be.

This year, Lori was more aware of the changes than usual. Of course, this was the first year that she herself was among the reassigned. The last time she’d been there, her name hadn’t been Lori Chen. She hadn’t been of Chinese decent. And she hadn’t been a woman.

“Hello, Beatrice,” Lori greeted one of her coworkers, a woman whom she’d previously barely interacted with, but who was now one of her closest friends.

“Lori,” Beatrice greeted her, looking momentarily confused as this was the first time she’d actually met Lori. However, her new memories quickly kicked in and she gave a friendly smile. “I’m sorry about your demotion.”

“It can’t be helped,” Lori said with a forced smile.

A moment later, Lori paused to look at an office door. It was the door to the manager’s office. Until the other day, that had been her office…and her job. Unfortunately, her reassignment had given her an entirely different position while Carl, who had been one of her subordinates, now held the title of manager.

Lori let out a sigh and continued on her way. She noticed Carl peaking out at her, smirking faintly as he did so. There was little doubt in her mind that Carl would find an opportunity to rub a little salt on the wound. That was the kind of petty person he was.

When Lori reached her desk and signed into her computer, she found an e-mail waiting for her. It was from Ms. Kinkaid, the director.

Lori let out another sigh, then she stood up, adjusted her blouse and skirt, then went to Ms. Kinkaid’s office. The door was open, but Lori knocked to announce her presence.

“Come in,” Ms. Kinkaid said.

Ms. Kinkaid was a middle-aged woman, one who always looked serious and professional. She gestured for Lori to have a seat.

“I know that the current situation has to be…awkward for you,” Ms. Kinkaid started.

“It is,” Lori admitted. Being managed by someone who used to be her subordinate was very awkward.

“Kyle was a good manager,” Ms. Kinkaid told her, using Lori’s old name. “Unfortunately, Carl doesn’t have quite the same skills…even now.”

Lori nodded at that, not saying anything. She was smart enough not to badmouth her manager, even to someone who seemed sympathetic to it.

“Your official work history as Lori is solid,” Ms. Kinkaid told her. “And I know that you haven’t lost any of your old skills.” She paused and looked Lori over. “The question is, whether you can apply them in your new identity.”

“I don’t know,” Lori admitted. Ever since her reassignment, so much had changed, including her very personality. She no longer felt as confident and ‘take charge’ as she used to.

“I’m going to give you some leadership opportunities,” Ms. Kinkaid said. “I want to see if you still have what it takes. And I intend to make use of your old skills in other ways. It would be a shame to waste your abilities, just because they no longer exist officially.”

“Thank you,” Lori told her, completely surprised by this.

“I can’t fully understand what you’re going through,” Ms. Kinkaid told her with a pleasant smile, “but I can sympathize, and I can give you a few opportunities to try earning back some of what you lost.”

“I… I appreciate it,” Lori said a little awkwardly. Then she reluctantly admitted, “I’m not sure if I really have what it takes anymore, but… I’ll certainly do my best.”

“That is all I ask,” Ms. Kinkaid told her. “Now, I believe you have some work that needs attention.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Lori responded.

Lori excused herself and went back to her desk, now feeling just a little better. She would still have to deal with Carl, and the odd looks that some of her coworkers and former subordinates would give her, but now she had hope of reclaiming at least some of what she’d lost. Sure, she’d have to earn it, but it was a start.

----------

“This is SO not fair,” Tanya grumbled to her friends.

She sat in the high school cafeteria, glaring across the room at another table. At the ‘popular kids’ table. Specifically, she was glaring at the pretty blonde girl who was sitting with them now.

“No need to be jealous, Tanya,” her friend Katie told her.

Tanya looked at Katie, who’d just gone through a reassignment the other day. Katie still looked the same, except for the fact that she’d become a goth overnight. Her entire fashion sense had changed.

And then there was her friend Tia, who had also undergone a change in fashion. However, Tia’s wasn’t because of a reassignment. Tia had just decided to use Reassignment Night as an excuse for a total style makeover. Now, she was dressing nicer than she had before.

“I kind of get it,” Tia said, looking across the room at the same person that Tanya had been glaring at. “I mean, I’d be annoyed too if my nerdy brother suddenly turned into the prettiest and most popular girl in school.”

“No need to rub it in,” Tanya muttered bitterly.

Just a couple days earlier, everything had been right in the world. Tanya had never been especially pretty or popular, but she’d always been proud of the fact that she was much better off than her nerdy brother Danny. But then, Reassignment Night came and Danny suddenly became Dani.

Tanya remembered the way things were, the way that she’d spent years teasing Danny for being a nerd. And she remembered the way things were now, where she’d always been in Dani’s shadow. She much preferred the way things used to be.

“It wouldn’t be so bad if Dani at least complained about turning into a girl,” Tanya grudgingly admitted. “But she loves it.”

“Of course,” Katie pointed out. “She’s always been a girl now. That’s just who she is.”

“I guess,” Tanya responded, though she still wasn’t happy. And of course, Dani had been teasing her about the whole situation ever since she’d changed.

Just then, Tanya noticed a girl in a ponytail coming towards her table. She felt a moment of confusion as she didn’t know who this girl was, but at the same time, she immediately recognized one of her closest friends.

“Jenny,” Tanya greeted the girl, feeling a little uncertain.

“Hi,” Jenny said, stopping next to the table with her tray of food and giving them all a self-conscious smile. “I wasn’t sure if I should come over here today or…”

“Come on,” Tia told her with a grin. “You always eat with us, so why should today be any different?”

“Thanks,” Jenny responded with a look of relief. She took her ‘usual’ seat. “You know how weird things get after reassignments.”

“Tell me about it,” Katie said with a smirk.

“My uncle was an accountant,” Tia said. “Now he’s part of a biker gang.”

“And my former brother is now the head cheerleader,” Tanya pointed out wryly. “Welcome to the group.”

“Even though you’ve already been our friend for the whole year,” Tia added with a grin.

Tanya in nodded agreement with that, thankful that at least something good had come out of this Reassignment Night. She would be more than happy to have a new friend, even if she had to deal with Dani at the same time.

“Maybe next year,” Tanya quietly mused to herself, sparing one more glare at her new sister, “I’ll be the one to get a good reassignment.”

----------

“The reassignment giveth, and the reassignment taketh way,” Carolyn said before she took a drink from her beer.

Carolyn was at a small bar just off campus, a quiet place where she liked to come when she wanted to drink in peace. There were no sports playing on the TV, no rowdy frat bros partying, and no loud music. Just a nice quiet corner where she could mourn what was.

It had been two days since Reassignment Night, and three days since she’d last seen her best friend Noelle. The two of them had been besties ever since junior high when they’d been in ballet class together. But now, Noelle no longer seemed to even exist. She was gone, with no sign that she had ever even been there.

This wasn’t the first time that Carolyn’s world had changed because of a reassignment. There was the year when her mom was reassigned, suddenly going form a stay-at-home mom who was always there with Carolyn and her brother, to being a businesswoman who was always away on work. There was the year when Carolyn had suddenly put on nearly thirty pounds, and she’d spent months dieting and working out in order to get back in shape. But this… This was worse.

“Noelle,” Carolyn muttered.

She remembered spending countless hours with Noelle, yet she also remembered spending that same time by herself. Alone. Carolyn had gone from having a best friend to being a loner, all in the space of a single night.

Just then, someone said, “Do you mind if I have a seat?”

Carolyn looked up and saw a man standing beside her table. He was tall, athletic, and good looking. He also looked vaguely familiar, but she was sure that she didn’t know him.

“Now probably isn’t the best time,” Carolyn apologized, knowing that she’d probably regret turning the guy down. But at the moment, she just didn’t feel in the mood for flirting.

“My name is Kyle,” the man said, ignoring Carolyn’s words and sitting down across from her. He gave her a self-conscious smile before adding, “But I used to be Noelle.”

Carolyn froze and stared at the man…at Kyle. “Noelle?”

“I woke up like this yesterday,” Kyle told her as he gestured down at himself. “It was a bit of a surprise at first, but you know how reassignments are.”

“Yeah, I do,” Carolyn responded, still taking it in.

“Apparently, since I was born as a guy now,” Kyle told her, “My dad got custody of me after the divorce instead of my mom, so most of my life has been pretty different.”

“I’d imagine,” Carolyn told him.

“Anyway,” Kyle said, giving her an appreciative look that she never would have received from Noelle. “I was hoping we could be friends again. Maybe, start with dinner tonight?”

Carolyn blinked at that, suddenly realizing that Kyle was asking her out on a date. She never would have expected something like that from Noelle, but Kyle wasn’t Noelle anymore. Still, he definitely remembered their old relationship and Carolyn was sure that he couldn’t be too different from her old friend.

“I’d like that,” Carolyn told him with a sincere smile.

“Good,” Kyle said with his own grin.

Carolyn picked up her beer and mused, “The reassignment taketh away, and the reassignment giveth back.”

----------

The former Andrew sat at the kitchen nook with cup of coffee in hand. She took a sip, thinking about just how much things had changed overnight. When she’d gone to bed the night before, she’d been a fifteen-year-old boy, and now… Now, she was a twenty-seven-year-old woman. A woman with a job that she had to get too in just a couple hours.

Another woman stepped into the kitchen and let out a loud yawn. “Morning, Liz,” the other woman greeted her.

“Morning, sis,” the new Liz responded with a faint smirk.

Liz leaned back and watched her older sister, Sarah, go for the coffee machine, waiting to see how long it would take for her to react. It took a full minute before Sarah abruptly paused and stared at her.

“Liz?” Sarah asked with a confused look on her face.

“I know you’re used to being an only child,” Liz teased her sister. “But you always said that you wished you had a sister while growing up so…” She gestured down at herself. “Here I am.”

“Oh, shit,” Sarah groaned, closing her eyes. “I remember… You used to be such a little brat when we were kids.”

“And you used to bully me,” Liz pointed out.

Sarah just stared at Liz for several long seconds before letting out a sigh. “I… I don’t have a son anymore…”

“No,” Liz told her. “If it makes you feel any better, you were a good mom. And at least, you still have Cindy.”

“There is that,” Sarah agreed with a sigh. “But she’s going to miss her big brother…even if she only half-remembers him.”

Liz nodded, feeling just a little bad about that. “But on the plus side, she now has an aunt who loves to spoil her.”

Sarah laughed at that. “Yes… I remember that… I still can’t believe you bought a drum set for a seven-year-old.”

“What else are sisters for?” Liz teased.

Sarah chuckled at that and sat down at the nook with her own cup of coffee. She took several sips, giving Liz a couple of odd looks in between.

“What’s it like?” Sarah asked. “I mean, changing from a teenage boy into an adult woman overnight?”

“It feels…normal,” Liz answered, not sure how to explain it. “It feels like this is just who I am. I’ve always been Liz, but I just happened to wake up with the memories of some boy who doesn’t even exist.”

Sarah nodded with a thoughtful look on her face. “I guess that makes sense, even if it is strange. I mean, I know that I’ve always had a little sister, and I just happen to remember growing up as an only child at the same time.”

“It’s a lot like that,” Liz told her with a chuckle. “Just, with the memory separation being a bit more extreme.”

“I’d imagine,” Sarah mused. “I can’t imagine what it would be like waking up with the memories of some other person… Or what it would be like changing so much overnight.”

“You might have to experience it one day,” Liz reminded her with a faint smirk. “Hell, next year, you might even be reassigned as MY kid.”

“Do NOT joke about that,” Sarah gasped with a look of horror. “I can’t imagine a worse fate.”

Then the two sisters stared at each other for a few more seconds before they both burst out laughing.

----------

Gary sat on a park bench, looking at the playground equipment that he used to play on only a few years ago. At sixteen, he was too old for that stuff now, but he could still enjoy the park itself.

This was one of his favorite places to go and always had been. Playing on the jungle gym and swings when he was a kid, then playing catch with some of his friends over in the field when he was older. And then, there were the picnic benches and grills that his family had used on birthday parties and picnics.

Gary looked around the park, then down at the book in his hands. It was Moby Dick, something that he had to read for is literature class in school, not a book that he would have chosen on his own. But in spite of that, it was still sort of interesting.

“Better here than at home,” Gary muttered.

A couple days ago, Gary’s brother Shane had been reassigned. He’d grown taller and more muscular, changing from a quiet introvert into a loud and outgoing jock. Shane had also taken to teasing Gary, the kind of gentle but annoying bullying that was common among brothers.

“At least here,” Gary mused, “I can read in peace without being called a nerd.” He rolled his eyes at the irony of Shane being the one to call him that.

Gary started to read again when someone called out, “Gary?”

Gary looked up and saw a pretty girl, one who looked to be about his own age. She seemed vaguely familiar, but he didn’t know who she was. She wasn’t in any of his classes.

“Hello?” Gary responded, wondering how this girl knew his name.

“You don’t recognize me, do you?” she asked him with a grin.

Gary hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. “I’m afraid not,” he admitted. “Were you reassigned?”

The girl nodded. “Yeah…” Then she sat down on the park bench with him, on the other side so that there was some space between them. “I guess we’ve never met now, I’m Chrissy Bowen.”

“Chrissy Bow…,” Gary started, only to freeze as he realized who this was. “Aunt Christine?”

“Not anymore,” Chrissy responded with a self-conscious giggle.

‘Aunt Christine’ had not actually been Gary’s aunt, or related to him in any way. Instead, she’d been his mom’s best friend. The two of them had been extremely close ever since they’d been little girls, which meant that Aunt Chistine had always been around and part of Gary’s life.

“Surprise,” Chrissy exclaimed cheerfully.

“Does… Does Mom know?” Gary asked her.

Chrissy shook her head. “Not yet. I mean, since reality just changed and everything, I’ve never even met your mom now.”

“Weird,” Gary said, thinking about how strange reassignments were. They broke reality itself, and everyone just went along with it because there was nothing that anyone could do. “So, you’re my age now?”

“Yeah,” Chrissy told him with a smile. “I go to the next school over…” She gestured to the other side of town.

“Ah,” he responded with a nod of understanding. “You’re one of my school’s rivals then.”

“Seems like it,” Chrissy told him. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t be friends.”

“No, it doesn’t,” Gary agreed, looking her over again.

Aunt Christine had always been beautiful, and Chrissy…while much less developed, showed every sign of growing the same way. One day, she’d probably look just the way she had in Gary’s memories.

“Would… Would you like to hang out?” Gary asked her awkwardly. “Maybe go to lunch with me?”

“Are you asking me out on a date?” Chrissy asked in mock shock. At Gary’s blush, she grinned at him. “I’d love to.”

Gary’s heart raced in excitement. Chrissy clearly wasn’t Aunt Christine anymore. She was a pretty girl his own age, who just happened to remember being that other woman. He looked forward to getting to know the girl who she was now.

----------

“Today is the first day of the rest of my life,” Caleb said as he stepped into the gym.

This was the first time that Caleb had even been inside a gym in years, so he was almost as nervous as he was determined. Now was the time to get to work, burning off some of those excess pounds and actually getting back in shape.

The night before had been Reassignment Night, and though Caleb hadn’t been reassigned, this was still the perfect time to change his life. That was why so many people made resolutions before that night, in the hope that they’d get a reassignment that matched their resolutions. As far as Caleb could tell, that almost never really happened, but it was a nice thought so he’d made his own resolution anyway.

“Do you need help with anything?” a woman asked Caleb.

He was a little startled since he hadn’t even noticed her, which proved just how distracted he’d been. The woman was lean and athletic, with the kind of build that spoke of countless hours exercising. She was also wearing an employee uniform.

“I’m Julie,” the woman introduced herself. “I’m a personal trainer here, and was wondering if you needed help with anything.”

Caleb chuckled self-consciously, realizing that he must have really looked lost if the personal trainer could pick him out that easily. “This is my first time to a gym in… Well, in a very long time.”

“What a coincidence,” Julie responded with a friendly smile. “It’s my first day here too…”

Caleb gave her a skeptical look. “I find that hard to believe.”

“I was reassigned last night,” Julie admitted with a wry look. “I went to bed as a supermarket cashier and woke up as a personal trainer.” She looked down at herself and smirked. “There are definite benefits.”

“I’d imagine so,” Caleb agreed.

“Anyway,” Julie told him. “I’ve been a personal trainer for three years now…but that’s all part of my new life. Do you want the honor of being my first actual client?”

“I’d be honored,” Caleb told her.

After this, Julie led Caleb around the gym, describing the various pieces of equipment and how to use them. This was followed by a more practical application as she had him use some of the equipment. She didn’t push him too hard, just hard enough for him to get a sense of what he could currently do.

“We need to establish a baseline,” Julie explained, “so you know where you’re starting from.”

The next hour and a half passed in a blur, with Caleb ending up tired and a bit sore. If this was only getting familiar with everything, he could only imagine how much rougher it would be to put in a serious workout. But at the same time, he looked forward to it.

“Do you think we can do this again?” Caleb asked Julie.

“I’d be happy to take you on as a client,” Julie told him with a smile. “Or hook you up with someone else if you’d prefer a male trainer.”

“Oh, I think you’re more than qualified,” he assured her.

Julie beamed at that. “Thank you.”

“Would you be interested in going out for a cup of coffee with me?” Caleb asked her. Then, feeling a bit daring, he added, “Or dinner?”

Julie smiled even wider. “Technically, I’m not supposed to date clients but…” then she leaned forward and added, “But I won’t tell if you don’t.”

“Deal,” he agreed.

When Caleb left the gym a short time later, he was tired but excited. He had an appointment for another workout with his new personal trainer, and even better, he had a date with her that night once her shift was over. He couldn’t wait for either.

The End?