Date: Sun, 14 May 2000 21:05:59 -0500 From: Cassie Blake Subject: SWITCHED Chapter 1 I picked up my strawberry shake and drained the last bits of the sweet ice cream. I smiled at Beckie. "Ready to go?" I asked. She nodded. "Okay, one last pit stop and let's head to our hotel." I got up from the little table inside one of my favorite restaurants, Steak n' Shake. I felt a slight dizziness but I started walking back towards the entrance to the bathrooms. It had gotten terrible by the time I had reached the entrance. I felt someone brush past me. I looked up towards the men's bathroom. I looked into a pair of dark blue eyes, eyes that thousands of girls swooned over every night. Justin Timberlake stood at the entrance of the men's restroom and he was staring at me. He seemed almost in a trance. I broke apart from that gaze and entered the bathroom. I felt more and more dizzy by the second and I finally did my business. I washed my hands, not even able to concentrate on my reflection. I turned to pull a paper towel out of the dispenser when the door opened. I turned and looked at the young woman who was about 26. She was short with bleach blond curls and dark green eyes. She looked at me as if I had just escaped from the looney bin. "Sir, I think you are in the wrong place." I cocked an eyebrow at her. "Whatever," I said, pushing past her and leaving the restroom. As I spoke, I noticed my voice had dropped about three notches and I tried to clear it because I obviously had a frog in it. I walked back over to the booth I was sharing with Beckie and slid in easily. She looked up from the bill and the look on her face was priceless. Her eyes roamed my face and upper torso region as I sat there staring back at her. "Beckie? Do I have a booger hanging out of my nose or something?" I leaned across the table and whispered it, so no one would hear it. She pulled back in surprise and her eyes became like little saucers of brown, green and white. "Oh my god," she whispered. She dug in her purse and pulled out the NSYNC cd. "Wow! Are they in the restaurant or something?" I said, whipping my head around to look for them. As I did, I caught my reflection in the mirrored glass. Tight little bleach blond curls crowned my head and dark blue eyes stared out beneath the girlish eyelashes. I looked at my masculine features. "Beckie." I whispered. I touched my face, thinking it was some trick with the mirrors. I watched in horror as I lifted my hands that the reflection did so in perfect time. I stood up and looked at the glass. "Oh my god Beckie, let's go." I looked down at her. Beckie's little mouth moved, opening and closing but no sounds came out. I chanced a look around the restaurant. Most of the tables didn't notice me as they were in their 30s and 40s but a few had already noticed. "You are even wearing her clothes, just in your size. Is this some kind of hoax?" Beckie whispered, staring at me. I felt an uneasy pain start in my stomach. I grabbed her arm. "Pay the bill and c'mon." I pulled on her arm gently and finally her legs moved. She stumbled out of the booth and dug around in her pockets. I felt for my wallet, which I normally kept in my front right hip pocket but there was no wallet. I frantically searched my pockets until I found my wallet. I sighed a relieved sigh but when I opened it, it was full of platinum cards and loads of cash along with a Florida ID card. I looked at it and a perfect white smile along with a straight full nose and prominent cheeks stared back at me. Justin Timberlake, 6'0, 165, blue eyes, blond hair Restrictions A, meaning glasses were needed. I felt my contacts in and I blinked once. I pulled a ten and a five out which more than covered our dinner. I threw it on the table and dragged Beckie out. Some of the young girls at the tables watched us as we walked by, envious of Beckie. Beckie willingly came along until we reached the rental car I had rented in Dallas. I opened the car and got in. I had to scoot the seat back all the way so it was decently comfortable for my new long legs. I put the key in the ignition when I heard a tap on the glass. A young girl stood there. "Justin, can I get your autograph?" she asked kindly. I rolled down the window and she shoved the paper through. I quickly signed the paper with his first name and she squealed. "Is she your girlfriend?" she asked after she had calmed down some. I shook my head. "No, she is my best friend." I looked over at her and she looked back at me with an inquisitive look. She nodded and thanked me. She ran back inside to the restaurant and I sighed in relief. I started backing the car out. "Beckie, I went in the bathroom myself and I came out looking like this." I put the car in forward and looked at her. "What are you saying?" she said. I could tell by her tone that she was humoring me. "Beckie, somehow, I turned into Justin. Right before I entered the women's bathroom, I saw Justin Timberlake standing there at the men's entrance. He was just staring at me and I stared back at him. It was like I was in a trance." Beckie smirked. "Well, this is just too funny. Nice try. How did Cassie manage to rope you in for this joke. I didn't even know she knew you." I scowled and pulled out into traffic. "Beckie, damnit. It is me, Cassie. I wouldn't screw around with you. I don't know what the heck is going on here." Beckie's look changed. She knew I only used bad language when I was upset. "I don't know either. I just get the feeling this is some kind of prank." I shook my head and felt my curls bounce slightly. "I am not joking you. How could I get the same clothes exactly in this new size?" Beckie shook her head. "I don't know. This is unbelievable. I must have not gotten enough sleep last night and that bed was really hard, plus we had that tornado. Maybe we are dead and this is some weird dream-" "Calm down Beckie. I need to get some more clothing. Maybe I should contact someone that knows NSYNC. But we don't know anyone who knows NSYNC. Oh geez." I finally gave up trying to talk as I just drove down the road. I spotted a mall over to our left and I pulled up the stoplight. A car pulled up next to us and the windows rolled down. "Hey Justin! Just ride it baby!" one of the occupants yelled. I turned that direction and I heard some screams. I felt Beckie poke my side and I turned back around. The light was green so I drove off. My life was now topsy-turvy. I wrinkled my nose as I saw the car with the young girls now following me. I sighed. Well, maybe a mall wasn't such a good idea. Meanwhile, back at the bus. Justin hopped back on the bus. He unzipped his jacket and threw it on his bunk. He looked at his arms and noticed how short they were getting. He reached for the top of the bus like he normally did and noticed he could barely reach it. He was puzzled but he walked back to where the guys were. "Hey guys," he said. He cleared his throat since he had a frog in it. It sounded unnaturally high and it held no southern accent. In fact it had more of a California sound to it more than anything. "Um, you aren't supposed to be here," Joey said, looking him up and down. He frowned at Joey. It scared him that Joey was looking at him the same way he looked at pretty girls. "Wait, do you know where Justin is? He had to hit a pit stop but he isn't back yet. We need to keep going to stay on schedule," JC added, his voice kinder than Joey's. Justin laughed but it came out high and silvery like a girl's. He cleared his throat harder and looked to the side. That was when he noticed the long red curls. He pulled at it, stretching it out. "What the hell?" he whispered. He ran to one of the mirrors that was situated in the back room. A young red headed woman stared back at him. She was wearing a black hooded shirt along with a pair of comfortable jeans. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Justin screamed.