MERRY BOXING DAY

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When I awoke, I thought I was dead.

Everything hurt so, so much.
Every bone, every muscle, every stretch of skin.

I felt broken.

A sudden buzzing sound made me refocus. Alessia's body was still in Alessia's room. But I had vacated her head. I didn't want to feel it, I didn't want to know it.

Alessia pulled herself across the carpet until she found her phone, identifying the caller, already crying when she picked up.

"Alessia?" He asked, making the tears fall faster, "Lucas has been worried about you all morning, and we have Biology next—are you okay?" He asked.

She then broke down, letting her sobs become audible.

"Alessia?" He asked, sounding more and more concerned.

"Dylan," she responded, feeling every nerve in her body crack. "Dylan I really need help," she said, desperation replacing her pain momentarily.

"Okay," he said uncertainly, "what do you need me to do?"

"Do you remember where I live?" She asked suddenly, making his audio pause over the phone.

"Kind of, yeah," he replied.

She breathed out, eyes closed, "I really need you to get here. Like now. There's a key under the blue plant pot and I'm on the second floor, the room with the broken door panels." With that, she quickly hung up, not wanting to divulge any further details for fear that she might accidentally tell Dylan that she gets abused at home. It's been a long kept secret of hers that kept her sane at school; she did not want pity, but she also didn't want to be shamed for being the girl that no one loves. Not her dad, not anyone at school, and certainly not Dylan.

I could've poured ideas about Lucas into her brain; he loves her, cares about her. But I was numb and buried far too deep into Alessia's brain to be summoned so easily. I had retreated into the shadows and wanted to leave Alessia's broken body as soon as possible. I couldn't be here for any longer.

Alessia was lying limp on the ground for what seemed like hours—and then she heard the front door open.

"Alessia!" Dylan yelled, running up the stairs after slamming the front door shut.

When he got to her door, Alessia heard him curse. "Oh my god, Alessia?"

He rushed over to her side, leaning down and pushing her hair away from her face.

She smiled, though weakly, "Dylan." She whispered.

His eyes searched her, wide and fearful.

"What..what happened?" He asked, looking around the room before his eyes ran across Alessia's body, concern etched onto his face.

Alessia shook her head, "Nothing important," she lied, "I just..I really need you to help me understand if anything's really badly damaged."

He nodded, thinking, "Olivia's dad is a doctor, I'm sure if we get her here–"

"No one else can know about this, Dylan, do you understand me? No one." Alessia interrupted quickly, her heartbeat quickening.

"Well, I can't.." Dylan trailed off, "I don't know about this stuff."

Alessia thought about this for a moment or two. "Call Olivia?" She suggested.

Dylan leaned back, pondering on this. "I guess so," he said, pulling out his phone and unlocking it, "she's in dance rehearsals so she can pick up."

Alessia nodded, watching him press his phone to his ear, noticing how quickly he was able to dial her number as if it were by a recent call or text message.

"Remember," she said, trying to forget about Olivia—me. "Don't tell her too much." Dylan nodded, though his eyebrows were furrowed as he did so.

"Olivia," he greeted her and Alessia noticed how his face lit up ever so slightly. "Yeah," he said, "yeah I know but something important came up," he said, eyes on Alessia's wounded body. Alessia's heart lifted as he referred to her as 'important'.

Dylan listened to whatever Olivia was saying for a while before he nodded. "Are you free right now? I need your injury expertise."

Dylan smiled at whatever Olivia's response was, "Yeah, well I seem to think you're pretty good at it."

Dylan waited for her response, smiling and nodding at Alessia when he supposedly got it. "Thank you," he said, before putting his call on speakerphone, setting down his phone on the side and describing Alessia's injuries one by one, getting medical advice from Olivia in return.

I think I remember this. Dylan had made me so worried that day—going missing from school after lunch, then calling me up to talk me through serious injuries after I had been worriedly spamming his phone with texts and calls.

Soon, Dylan required bags upon bags of ice and a first aid kit, and so muted Olivia to ask Alessia where to get some. He then got up, leaving Alessia and taking his phone with him.

Alessia sighed, closing her eyes and resting her head against her carpet. She really liked Dylan, despite Lucas' attempts to get closer to her, and feared she'd never get as close as she wanted to Dylan because of me. She feared I'd stand in her way.

When Dylan came back in the room, he was slipping his phone back in his pocket with a smile on his face. Alessia was trying to sit upright, and Dylan quickly joined her to help her up.

"Maybe we should get you onto your bed instead," Dylan suggested and Alessia smiled, nodding at the idea. Dylan left the bags of peas, and the first aid kit he had found downstairs, on Alessia's carpet as he helped her up. He guided her over to her bed, helping her on and propping her up by placing pillows behind her back and her head.

Alessia smiled at Dylan, who passed her a bottle of water and two bags of crisps. Although it hurt, Alessia laughed, gulping down her water before opening her first bag of crisps.

Dylan placed the bags of peas where they needed to be, and Alessia watched Dylan care for her injured body with hearts in her eyes. She loved watching him and watching Dylan actually care about her made her heart expand at a faster rate.

Dylan opened the first aid kit, attending to any gashes or deadly bruises. When he was done, he sat on the end of Alessia's bed, just watching her.

Alessia smiled, "Thank you so much, Dylan—for everything."

Dylan nodded, "It's okay," he said, "maybe you should take tomorrow off?" He suggested, pulling her duvet farther across her legs to cover them up completely.

Alessia frowned, shaking her head, "I'll be fine; I've had worse," she told him, finishing off the last of her crisps before opening the second one.

Dylan's gorgeous green eyes seemed to be clouded with concern—that's what Alessia thought. "What happened?" He asked quietly as if he was scared that he'd break her if he spoke louder.

Alessia looked away, "Nothing," she said, "as I said, I didn't want to tell you details, you only know what you saw."

Dylan sighed, looking away before nodding.

"And you can't tell Olivia anymore than she knows—shut her down when she starts to question," Alessia told him, watching him appear uncomfortable.

"I can handle Olivia," he said, which made me pull a face from where I sat on the sidelines in Alessia's mind.

Alessia was more wistful, again reminded of the connection between Dylan and I. It was strange how everyone seemed to think we were some kind of couple, or that Dylan liked me when Dylan has never said such words to me. People should stop assuming. Just because Dylan's a boy and I'm a girl, it doesn't mean we're going to be in love. We're best friends.

But that's what Alessia thought the strongest relationships were built on. She thought that if she could get as close to Dylan as I was, she'd stand a chance of him loving her. She thought friendship was an essential ingredient.

Well, at the rate I'm going at, it doesn't matter if Dylan and I love each other or not—I'll never get back to my real body.

I think I'm stuck here; for better or for worse, I am Alessia Trent now.

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uhhhhh
no

just Olivia Clark in Alessia Trent's body

Anywayyyy

Didn't see this coming did we

Honestly I didn't
Idek what I'm doing

jus an extra Boxing Day post really 🤷🏼‍♀️

-you're welcome

FABULOUS SONGS

Songs that played when I was writing this chapter (in order):
Curbstomp - Meg Myers
Waiting - Aquilo
Clocks - Coldplay
Carry You - Ruelle
Wicked Game - Lauren Aquilina
Dead of Night - Ruelle
Moondust - Jaymes Young
Maybe - Say Lou Lou
What A Heavenly Way To Die - Troye Sivan
Cold Heart Killer - Lia Maria Johnson
Sinners - Lauren Aquilina (such a cute song)

END OF FABULOUS SONGS

Date written:
11/09/18
12/09/18
13/09/18 (this took me longer than usual to write lmao - from present me, 26/12/18)

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Next update: Saturday (so many updates!! can't tell if I love it or hate it.. 🤔)
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CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE SPOILER:

Alessia pieces everything back together again, but it's Olivia who jumps in and rescues Alessia from herself.