It takes a couple of minutes to coordinate with Claire, but you have a plan. You take Katie's skin to Ashley's bedroom while Claire dresses Jessica. (She's really insistent in doing so.) You chose to wake her up at Ashley's house, since it would be too risky to do so while Mrs. Hunt is around, and as yourselves to ease the hit.
With a nod, Claire gives you the pen and lets you press a button set on top while pointing the other side at it. It’s shocking to see how your girlfriend slowly reflates, like a balloon, until she resumes her normal form. Less than a minute later, she wakes up with a groan, confused. “What happened...?”
You approach her, holding her hand. “Jess. You alright?”
“Dave?” She scratches her eyes, grunting. “Where am I?”
“I’ll explain later. I need to know if you're alright.”
“I dunno... It's been happening to me these past few days. Where's Katie?”
“That's something we've gotta talk about, Babe.” You squeeze her hand, your own shaking from the nerves. “It's gonna be hard to understand, but don't blame Claire for it.”
“Claire?” She squints, looking around until she turns towards your sister. “What's wrong?”
“Davey, why don't you explain?”
“Explain what?” Her eyes finally open, and you can see she’s spooked. “David, what's wrong with Katie?”
“Jess, promise me that... no matter what happens, Claire didn't intend for this to happen. Or me. Or, well... Katie.”
She's at the brink of tears, but her face is hardening like steel. “Dave? What happened to my sister?”
“It's more like what she wanted to do with you,” your sister finally says. “There are a couple things we haven't told you about...”
--
“...and that's when we decided to wake you up.”
Jessica is at a loss for words. She's holding Katie's skin – something that made her yelp so loud you feared the neighbors would check out – with her torso wrapped in a large towel. (Claire went to look for her while you told the story.) She's angry, she's confused, but she's mostly shocked.
Her first reaction, of course, is to berate Claire. “What the hell were you thinking!?”
“It was supposed to be like Hallowe'en, Jess! We'd dress up and, well, play pretend.”
“Claire, you're not a little kid anymore.” She then swipes her hand, stinging you. “And you! Why didn't you stop them!?”
“I told you! I didn't wanna agree, but it would've been worse!”
“I was basically threatening him to do it, Jess. I wanted him to experience how cool it was!”
“Threat or not, you should've been the responsible one here, Dave.”
“Doesn't mean I tried – otherwise, I wouldn't have even thought of telling you.”
Jessica nods, though she doesn’t seem satisfied. “True. Plus, rejecting her advances twice shows some restraint.” She sighs, covering her face. “Why didn't she tell me?”
“Well, duh! You think Katie would tell you that she has the hots for your boyfriend? She didn't want you to call her out on it.”
“And you didn't think for a while that was wrong?”
“The way she talked about my brother, you'd have been moved.” Claire flinches at your girlfriend out of shame. “Jess, you know I want the best for Katie, and I figured that if he acted like... well, like the oaf he usually is--”
“Hey!”
“--she'd stop crushing on him. We never imagined she'd go to such lengths.”
“Claire, you know David and I have been steady for more than a year. You think I'd agree to have my own sister feel jealous of me? Even if we separated – and seriously, after all this, I've got reasons to --”
“Don't do it!” your sister says in your defense. “Davey didn't agree to this at first! His only curiosity was to put on Ashley, but I stopped him.”
“Only to put her on yourself,” your girlfriend says, still in doubt. “Claire, that was childish!”
“Davey here says the same thing,” your sister claims dejectedly.
“Because it is. And that doesn't mean I'm gonna drop him – I said I had good reasons, but not necessarily want to follow them.” Jessica looks at her deflated sister, her eyelids sunk and her mouth deformed open, with a mixture of disgust and fear. “I just don't want this to happen again.”
“Which is why,” you propose, “I figured the best plan's to turn this around for her.”
“How?” she asks, though it feels like she questions your motives rather than the plan itself.
“She's not gonna listen to anyone. Claire tried to appeal to her, so did I, but she was mad. She won't understand unless she experiences the same thing, so that she knows what it means.”
Jessica nods and hums. “Yeah. That sounds right.” She jitters, bug-eyed, as she looks at Claire and you. “Not that I'm saying doing that is right, but I agree that she won't listen unless--”
“Jess, I know what you mean.” You chuckle to ease her off. “I think we're in the same page, right?”
“I guess. Your plan's to have me wear her so that she can listen to ‘herself’, right?”
“Pretty much,” Claire confirms. “If she listens to herself – or someone wearing her – tell her that it's wrong, that you know and that you're willing to forgive her, she might reconsider.”
“And if not?”
“That's the only plan we got,” you confess. “We're hoping you can reach her.”
Surprisingly, Jessica gives her little thought. “Alright. Let's do this.” She grabs her sister’s skin and stands up. “Where should I change?”
“Let me show you.” Claire takes her to another of the bedrooms, conveniently moving her away from Ashley's. Though you were honest to her, you conveniently neglected to tell her Nick was also nearby.
--
“This is freaky,” Jessica says while sitting on the couch. Her face is shaping Katherine Hunt's puzzled and mortified expression, though her voice lost some of the high-pitched tone. She's wearing the clothes Katie chose for her, horribly mismatched on someone smaller and less-endowed.
“You only need to do it while we record your message.”
“Do I really have to be here with you?” you ask, as your girlfriend requested sitting next to her.
“It'll probably drive her mad, but she's gotta realize doing this can be painful.” She wraps your arm around her as Claire takes her phone to record.
With a nod and a big breath, Jessica commands Claire to start. “Okay. Do it.”
--
Katie? If you're seeing this, you probably know what I’m gonna tell you. Claire and Dave told me you don't wanna listen, so here's me telling you this – with your own face, with your own voice.
You should've told me you had something for Dave. That's not wrong! If I found him attractive, that you find him attractive doesn’t mean anything. I get that you don’t want me to feel bad, but hiding your feelings will be bad in the long run. I mean – I wouldn't be talking with your voice if it hadn't gone all wrong already.
I feel sad and betrayed that you couldn't trust me on this. We could've worked things out. I’m your sister. I understand you. More than you think!
Don't think I'm enjoying this. You've experienced this already, but getting inside your slimy skin almost made me puke. I mean – not because of you, but because putting on something slimy and sticky is gross. If I were to put on someone else's skin, I'd feel the same disgust. I'm doing this so you can learn a lesson. What comes around, goes around. The same can happen to you. And you're lucky it's Dave, Claire and me. If someone else did this to you...
Don’t think I'm happy with them either. Claire especially. (“Katie” swipes her hand to the camera as Claire protests; takes David's arm off her.) It serves you right, Claire-bear! (More arguing from Claire off-camera.) I'm holding her responsible for leading you to this – Dave's also in big trouble, but at least he tried to be the big man here. But they're doing this because they're worried about you. Just like me.
Katie, I know you have an idea of what Dave is. You can ask me. Maybe what you dream about him isn't reality. Maybe you find him attractive – I certainly do – but maybe you dream of someone he's really not. I don't wanna burst your bubble! I have to because this has gone too far.
I'm not your enemy, Katie. I'm your sister, and I love you. And if I'm doing this, is because I don't know how else to do it. Dave and Claire think this is the best way I can reach you, and I hope they're right. This is the only time I'll do this. I don't like the idea that I'm talking through your mouth, or even being inside you. I feel that's wrong.
And I really feel sad that you feel I took David away from you. I didn't know! But I love him, and his attempt to reach you, telling me everything that happened – even that you tried to seduce him – tells me he's a good man. I'd be crazy to let him go. If I was in your case, I'd probably consider your happiness over anything. If I was in your case, Muffin Top, I wouldn’t try to steal your boyfriend out of jealousy. (Snaps at Claire; camera shakes.) Claire, that's not funny!
Anyways... I want to fix things out. I mean – what if there’s one of these things that could make a clone of him or something? That'd be a solution. We'd have one Dave for each other. But if Dave and I broke up in a bad way, maybe I wouldn't want you to be with him – for your own safety. And what about that clone's feelings?
Magical solutions aren't easy, Katie. I didn't want this to happen. All I can hope is we can reach an understanding.
(Peels off face.) This is me speaking to you, Katie. Stop playing with people's lives. The same could happen to you. And this isn't a threat or a warning – it's advice from a sister that loves you. Don't keep your feelings bottled up. Talk to me. We can reach an understanding together.
I don't know how long it'll take between the time this recording ends and you wake up, but trust me – as soon as this finishes, I'm taking you off, and I'll never wear you again. I hope you do the same.
And Katie? I forgive you. (Recording ends).
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