From Ordinary to Extraordinary: the Story of Tony Wyzek and Tristan Stiles 

“Why am I here again?” Tony Wyzek asked his dad as they headed into the showground for the fashion show. “You are here because your mother’s designs are being featured in this show and it looks nice if her family comes out to support her. Now be polite and don’t embarrass us,” Tony’s father said. The two of them headed into the auditorium to get seated and wait for the fashion show to begin. Tony couldn’t believe his father had made him come to this thing instead of doing stuff with his friends. This thing is going to be so boring, Tony thought. Little did he know how wrong he was. 

At that very moment cover boy model and actor Tristan Stiles was backstage getting into one of Tony’s mother’s outfits. He couldn’t care less about the dress designer as a person. All he cared about was deciding if he liked it or not and getting paid. “Why do I have to do this again?” Tristan asked his mom, Esther. “You have to do this because you are a high-profile model and actor that everyone looks to as a role model. Tristan, please. Can you just do this for me for one night? If you do, you can go to the sweet shop tomorrow and pick you out a little something. What do you say?” Esther Stiles asked. “Can I have a huge piece of chocolate cake loaded with ice cream and chocolate sauce?” Tristan asked hopefully. “Oh honey. Must you always go for the stuff that will make you fat? How bout vanilla ice cream made with soy milk or something, huh?” his mom asked. It seems my highly successful career is the only thing I can say is nice about my life. All the other teenagers can pig out on whatever they want whenever they want, but not me. I have to watch my “figure”. I just wish I could be somebody else for awhile. Someone who didn’t have to worry about this stuff. Tristan thought, angrily and headed out to model the outfit he was wearing. Finally the show was over, and the models all went to go change, while Tony and his dad headed to the after party with everyone else. 

During the course of the party, Tony lost his dad in the crowd and went looking for him. He was so busy looking for his father that he didn’t notice the person coming right toward him until he smacked right into them. “I’m so, so sorry. I didn’t see you there,” Tony apologized profusely. “You should be. Why don’t you watch where you’re going, you…” the person trailed off as they looked up and Tony found himself face to face with Tristan Stiles for the first time. “Oh my gosh! Come here. Come with me, quick,” Tristan said, pulling Tony into the restroom down the hall. A bewildered Tony wondered what was going on until Tristan finally began to explain. “At first I wasn’t completely sure because of the way you look, but with a little makeover and an attitude transplant you could pass,” “Pass as what?” Tony asked, still thoroughly confused. “My twin,” Tristan said, excited. “See? Same eyes, same amazing nose, same hair, same everything. We could be identical twin brothers. It’s scary how alike we look.” “So what? I look like your twin. Now what?” Tony asked. “Tony, how would you like to trade places with me?” Tristan asked him, still hyped up on excitement. “What?” Tony gasped, unable to believe this was happening. “Listen, I have always wanted to know what it’s like to live a normal life, but I never will as Tristan Stiles. But if everyone thinks I’m you, they’ll treat me like a regular person and not just some celebrity. Please, tony. I want to know what it’s like to be a regular teenager just once,” Tristan begged. Tony tried to convince him this was a bad idea by telling him all about his life, but instead Tristan seemed to find it fascinating, asking him all sorts of questions. Finally Tony agreed to switch places, letting Tristan put on his clothes while he put on Tristan’s. Then Tristan fixed Tony’s hair a little bit and made him look and act more like a model/actor, while Tony helped him blend in as a regular kid. They then left the restroom as each other. 

Tony heard one of the other models calling his name and went over to see them, expecting any minute to be recognized as an imposter. That moment never came, though, and Tony glanced over at Tristan who seemed to be enjoying melting into the crowd for once. When the party finally died down, Tony left with Esther stiles while Tristan went back to Tony’s house with his father. The two of them stayed in their new lives for two weeks, with Tristan getting into many sticky situations pretending to be Tony and Tony surprised the staff by offering to get stuff for himself and being nice to them, which was very unlike Tristan. This caused utter chaos in the boys’ lives when they finally did switch back. Tristan had requested keeping the switch up for one more week because he’d fallen in love with the sister of Sharks gang leader Bernardo. The Sharks were enemies of the gang Tony belonged to, the Jets, so this was really bad news for Tony because Bernardo got mad at Tony when he got back. Unfortunately, though, Tony had no idea what he was mad about since Tristan had been pretending to be him for the past weeks. Tristan had also told the Jets’ co-captain, Riff, that he wanted to quit, which meant that Tony was no longer leader—Riff was. so Tony got a job at the local candy and coffee store run by a man known as Doc. Then one night, Riff asked Tony to come to a dance at the local gym where he would confront Bernardo and challenge him to a rumble. After a lot of coaxing, Tony finally agreed, not knowing that Tristan was at the same time preparing to go to that same dance. His mom wanted him to go to his handler’s cocktail party, but Tristan refused to go, saying he wanted to go to the gym near Doc’s store that night. “What’s there?” Esther asked her son. “A part of Tristan Stiles I never knew existed and a girl I’m hoping will forgive me for deceiving her,” Tristan replied. 

That night, the dance was in full swing when Tristan arrived in a very nice suit, but one that didn’t make him look like a model. The guy at the door saw him come in and said hi, mistaking him for Tony. Riff and the boys also mistook him for their friend and tried to get him involved in the challenge to Bernardo, but just then, the real Tony came in, confusing the heck out of the poor doorman. Tony was looking around for Bernardo’s sister, Maria, whom Tristan had asked to meet him there. Ironically, Tony had asked Tristan’s ex—Ashley Tisdale—to meet him at the dance, but her cell phone message said she’d be out shooting her new movie and wouldn’t be able to make it, so Tony had given up hope. Just then, however, he backed into someone. 

Both of them turned around in astonishment. “Tristan,” Tony said in surprise. “Tony,” Tristan said, just as surprised. Instantly they drew a crowd, with everyone, including Maria, wondering what was going on. “Who are you here with?” Tony asked. “Maria Nunez,” Tristan replied. “Who are you here with?” “Ashley Tisdale, “Tony replied. “Ashley Tisdale?” Tristan asked, disbelieving. “What would she possibly be doing--?” “Excuse me?” Ashley Tisdale said from behind him. “What’s going on here?” Tony’s father asked. “That’s exactly what I’d like to know,” Riff said. Both Tony and Tristan realized the game was up, so Tristan finally spoke up, fixing his hair with one hand. “Hello everyone. I’m Tristan Stiles,” Tristan said nervously. Everyone just stood there stunned, including Maria, who couldn’t believe she’d gone out with a model. Ashley couldn’t believe she’d dated a regular kid. Their parents and friends were angry until Tony spoke up saying, “Stop it. Did it ever occur to any of you why we did this? Neither of us was having any fun. We both just wanted to be someone else for once.” 

Finally Esther Stiles and Tony’s father both promised to change and the boys went back to their parents. Both of them had learned something from each other, something that had taken being another person to see. They had discovered parts of themselves they never knew about and it was a really good feeling. Finally one of the photographers at the dance asked Tristan if he could take his picture. “Of course. Just one thing first. Hey Tony!” Tristan called, gesturing for him to get in the picture with him. The guy snapped the picture and Tony and Tristan both knew their lives would never be the same again.