Chapter 6: I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry

(Gilbert)

The red Toyota was slowly disappearing behind a hill and with it my old life. My home, my parents and the old me were all gone. This large house was my new home and the people in it was now my parents. I desperately clung to the hope that this was only a temporary switch, but I just knew that wasn't the case. I was no longer Gilbert York the übergeek, but instead Amanda Johnson the cheerleading bitch.

I tried fooling myself but I felt really miserable and lonely. I guess that's a bit ironical, I never felt lonely when I was a social outcast, I had to become this popular chick in order to feel lonely. I could only hope that I wouldn't break down and end up in a mental ward. I needed to be strong, if not for me, then for Amanda. We both needed to remain sane in order to pull this off. She was the one that would have a tougher time, losing not only her parents but also her friends. I could not fail her. I would just have to endure. Failure was not an option.

Amanda had surprised me and acted much more considerate than I would have expected. She had even sensed my need to be close to my parents and offered me a lift. Against better judgement I was beginning to like Amanda, but I knew that wouldn't last. She would eventually turn back into her true self and become a bitch again, or rather turn the old me into a jerk. She would perhaps even find a way to get her old friends back. Me, I would most certainly loose all her friends within a week. I was doomed to live a lonely life.

I walked up the driveway to the front door of Johnson's house, my new home. There was a small garden out front that looked really neat and exotic. Amanda told me they hired a landscaper, some kind of fancy gardener, to take care of it. Even though I knew virtually nothing about gardening I could tell he was very good at his work.

No lights seemed to be on and the front door was locked which probably meant that Amanda's parents weren't home. I unlocked the door with Amanda's key and entered the house. I had hardly entered before I noticed how cold and sterile the house felt. The walls were even that depressing shade of white most government building had. Everything was kept spotlessly clean and had it's designated place. Amanda had said her parents were pedantic, but this was just plainly insane. It was like walking through a museum or a operating room, not a place were people actually lived.

I headed for the kitchen hoping to grab a bite to eat and noticed that there was a note on the kitchen table. Beside the not there was ten, brand new, twenty dollar notes.

"We had to leave for Washington and will be gone for about a week. Left some money for you to buy pizza. Leave any bills on your fathers desk.

-Mom"

At first I felt relieved that I wouldn't have to face Amanda's parents today, but then I felt sad. It really seemed like her parents didn't care about her. I pocketed the money and decided to explore the house. The entire house looked depressing and dead and I really didn't like being there.

The only room that was bearable was Amanda's room but it still didn't feel like someone lived there. There was a desk, a bed, a bedside table and a big walk in wardrobe. No posters on the walls, no personal items simply nothing. It just seemed like a place to sleep and store your clothes in.

I thought it would be a good idea to start going through Amanda's stuff in order to learn more about her and I decided to start with the desk. On the desk there was a designer schoolbag in white leather and it seemed to contain her unfinished homework. The drawers of the desk was locked but it wasn't hard to find the key in the pencil holder on the desk. I opened the drawer and found what seemed to be her stash of personal affects, most of which scared me quite a bit.

There was a vibrator, a dozen condoms, birth control pills, sanity pads, make up, a can of beer and some racy underwear. This was nothing we had talked about at the hospital and to be honest the only thing I had seen in real life before was the condoms and that was only because of Mrs. Grüber's sexual education class in school. I decided to talk to Amanda about this the next time we could speak in private.

I continued my snooping around and entered the wardrobe. In there was more clothes that I had ever seen, which meant I didn't have to worry about washing any clothes just yet.

I looked at my watch and noticed I had only been here for 30 minutes and I seemed to be finished with my exploration. I was bored and lonely. I looked under the bed in order to see if she had hid anything there, but the only thing I found was dust-bunnies the size of Greenland. I didn't feel like mindlessly watching TV and I had promised Amanda to stay in the house so she could call me. The only thing that felt alluring enough to do was Amanda's home work. Tomorrow I would lend some books at the library to read, but tonight homework had to do. Luckily there was tons of homework to do.

For the rest of the day homework was all I did, except for a break to order a huge Italian sausage pizza with extra cheese. I was just about finished with all of the homework and about to head for bed, when the phone rang. The caller id told me it was from my house so I answered.

"Hello, Amanda speaking," I answered.

"Hi, it's Amanda. How are you holding up?" I heard someone with my old voice ask.

"Pretty well I guess. You parents seem to be out of town for a week and I am bored. I have almost finished all of your homework though."

"I guess that is one of the advantages of swapping bodies."