No carbs

 -Friend: "If you keep looking at me like that I won't be able to eat. I already asked you, do you want some pizza?"

 -"No, no, I can't. Just tell me how it tastes. Please."

 -"Oh, come on, you're almost drooling. A slice of pizza won't hurt you."

 -"No, Akiko and her mother were clear. As long as I'm in her body, no carbs."

 -"And why do you follow all their orders? The bodyswap happened for mysterious reasons 3 months ago. You have the right to decide about your life."

 -"Don't say that. You make this situation seem "final". I prefer to follow their instructions, because then I still feel like "Jack", simply "guest in Akiko's body". If I start deciding how to live, I would feel more "owner of this body." And that's something I don't want."

 -"Ok, but you can't cancel yourself. To continue feeling like "Jack" you need to recover some of your habits. Like eating pizza with friends every now and then. Akiko will understand if you talk to her openly."

 -"Akiko maybe. Also because she is doing what she wants in my body. But her mother... Her mother is a dictator. She repeats to me every morning "A young lady doesn't eat sweets and carbohydrates". And she checks my weight every evening to make sure I'm not making her daughter fat! And food isn't the worst thing. When it comes to college grades she's much worse. She demands I get an A on every test, or she yells at me for hours. And you know I hate being scolded... Last week she made me cry.  Isn't it enough that I woke up in the body of an Asian girl with glasses? Does her mother have to treat me so badly?"

 -"Oh, man, I'm so sorry. I hope you figure out how to get back into your bodies soon."

 -"Oh bro, don't tell me about it..."

 -"Anyway, in the meantime... please stop staring at me with those eyes while I eat pizza! I'll lose my appetite and there will be two of us who won't be able to eat it!"

 -"Ok, sorry. But describe it to me later, please! Three months without pizza is agony!"

You're joking, right?

-"Forgive me, I didn't understand what you just 

said. You're joking, right? Because if you're not

joking, it would mean that you lied to me! For 2

months! So you have no idea why I turned into a

woman?!" 

-"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."  

-"You're sorry! Oh, this makes up for the 2 months

you made me play the part of your girlfriend!" 

-"I... You're just so beautiful! I hoped that with a

little time you would fall in love with me..." 

-"How could I fall in love with you?! Until a few

moments ago I believed you were the cause of this

nightmare in which I am trapped! I thought you

transformed me with some black magic!" 

-"Okay, I'm an idiot. I hope you can forgive me. I 

really like you." 

-"Forgive you?! You forced me on humiliating dates!

You forced me to wear makeup! You even told me I

had to get my ears pierced! You freak!" 

-"I'm terribly sorry! But at least I didn't force you to

dress too femininely. And above all I didn't force

you to be intimate with me! I hoped that part would

be your free choice one day..." 

-"You idiot! I'm a man! I still feel like a man! This

body is not the real me! And I like women, not

weirdos like you! Now you better start running. I'll 

give you a 3 second head start." 

-"Please, let's talk about it..." 

-"1..." 

-"I'm sure I can help you in some way..." 

-"2..." 

-"Ok, ok, I'm leaving, don't look at me with those

murderous eyes!" 

-"3! Come here, you idiot! I may not be as muscular

and strong as before, but I can still hurt you a lot!" 

*sounds of a short chase and numerous kicks and

 punches*

Be optimistic

"Be optimist. 

Look at the bright side. 

It's true, that girl stole my life by swapping our bodies. 

It's true, I was a 25-year-old boy who just graduated from law school, and now I'm a 25-year-old girl who dropped out of school at 18. 

It's true, I had a bright future, while now I'm a girl who has to work in a fast food restaurant because she dropped out of school in her last year of high school. 

It's true, I've lost my family and my girlfriend, and in return I've received periods and uncomfortable clothes (and I don't have the money to buy new ones). 

It's true, in the last 2 months my life has been hell, but as always I have to look on the bright side. 

And being forced to work at this fast food restaurant for a living, at least I can eat my favorite burger whenever I want. 

So I have to be optimistic. 

I have to stay optimistic. 

I have to... *sob* be... *sob* optimistic... [crying sounds]"

Stressful vacation

"I really needed a shower to relax for a moment. This is the most stressful "vacation" of my life! Damn me when I let myself be persuaded to come to the beach!" 

I've always loved the sea and the beach, but those days are clearly over. Since 4 months ago, when a rare virus mutated my Y chromosome into X, my life has been turned upside down. 

Turning into a girl in a matter of days was a shock, but I was able to resist thanks to my family, my best friends… and my girlfriend. But my girlfriend resisted until a month ago. She doesn't like girls, and eventually our relationship ended. I fell into an even worse depression, and my best friends organized a vacation to my favorite beach to help me: "15 days to relax and change perspective on things". They convinced me, with a little effort, and off we went. 

The vacation has been terrible until now! Wherever I go I perceive the eyes of guys following me or I hear some whistles. I hate wearing a women's swimsuit, but I have no alternative! I no longer have the balance of before and I can't surf. It's a constant disappointment and stress! I just wish I could hide this body in a baggy sweatshirt at my house! And even the showers are worse than before, with this mass of hair! Soon I'll have to go back to my friends by the sea, and the unsettling looks of half the beach will start again. Next year I will definitely go to the mountains!

At least this one

"I don't know why I'm crying. I'm happy and I'm crying. Stupid hormones! But I'm really happy. I didn't think I'd get this back from my old life. This was one of my closest possessions, and it's mine again."

Three months ago I never thought I'd cry with joy to receive an object that was already mine as a gift, but many things have changed since then. My whole life has changed. 

April, a girl who goes to the same college as me, somehow managed to switch our bodies! And some witchcraft or magic keeps me from telling anyone who I really am. Apparently April had been jealous of me since day one of college, even though we barely knew each other. She wanted to be a Caucasian boy who was athletic and popular with girls. But my life wasn't perfect: I suffered enormously from my mother's death a year ago, and I'm still trying to recover from grief. But April didn't mind that, of course. Overnight she stole everything from me: my body, my family, my home, my gender, my race, and… everything that reminded me of my mother. I begged April several times to give me back some of my mother's things, but she always refused "to avoid looking weird". Monster. In order not to risk having problems stealing my life, she took away every physical memory of my mother! 

Until today, on my "new" birthday. Today she put a gift package in front of the door of her old (my new) house containing my mother's favorite carillon. I remember my mum used to put me to sleep with its melody. I'm delighted at the thought of having a part of her back with me! At least this one wasn't stolen from me. At least this one.

To move on

  

- "But we'll try again, right?" 

- "..." 

- "Emma... why don't you answer me?" 

- "Because I don't think I want to try again. I don't want to waste time and money anymore. Especially for something that I honestly don't think I want. To be honest, I'm starting to like being a guy." 

- "Emma..." 

- "Let's be clear: I'm not going to keep your body by force. If you find a way to replicate the swap, I'll accept it. But I don't want to spend a part of this new life of mine looking for a way to go back to my old life. Not now that I am finally finding happiness. I want to move on, and I advise you to do the same. In six months we have not discovered anything concrete, we have only been the victim of 3-4 scammers and we have lost countless hours in research without results. Think about your new life, don't throw it away for something that will probably never happen. You are my friend and I would like to see you smile again. " 

- "Smile again? How?! While I'm trapped in your body?!" 

- "What do you think is the use of continuing to fight? I think we should accept our new reality. Are you a girl now? Billions of human beings are. You can be happy in that body too." 

- "Never. I can't accept it. If you don't want to help me, I'll do it myself. I'll find a way to be myself again." 

- "Tyler..." 

- "See you soon, Emma. I thought you were a better friend." 

Over the next few months, Tyler continued to invest nearly all of his time in his research, but discovered nothing. The two former "loser" friends have taken two different paths in life. Emma joined the gym and expanded her friendships, becoming quite popular. She feels good about being a boy now, and she even has a girlfriend. Tyler, on the other hand, is even more of an outcast than Emma was in that body. He has practically no friends, he has no passions. He hates the looks he gets from boys, so he doesn't leave the house very often. He can't accept the new himself, or "herself". He doesn't want to accept it. Emma is truly sorry for him, and always tries to invite him to her new circles of friends. Unsuccessfully for now, but maybe she's starting to see some doubt in her friend's eyes in the last few weeks. Will she be able to convince him to move on?

The news anchor

"Good evening. Today I owe an explanation to all the viewers of our beloved News. I'm your news anchor Jonathan Smiths and, as many of you know, yesterday I uttered various sexist phrases while I thought I was off the air. I know many of you were shocked and angry, and I apologize. Our Network executives gave me two options: immediate firing or undergoing a "chromosomal alteration procedure" to demonstrate my solidarity with the female gender. This job is my life, so I chose the second option, even if frightened by the profound change that awaited me. So tonight I introduce myself to you as Jane Smiths, 100% female, repentant for the uncivilized phrases I uttered. This will be my gender and my body for the next 12 months, at least. After that period a disciplinary commission will evaluate my behavior. If the commission gives a favorable vote, I will be allowed to get my Y chromosome back. I apologize again to all of you kind viewers. And now let's start with the first news for the day... [...]" 

Unfortunately for Jonat... Jane, the campaign against her by numerous feminist groups will still force the Network to fire her a week later. And the "chromosomal alteration procedure" is not repeatable for at least a year, for health reasons. It will be a very tough year for Jane.