Chapter 13: Jade Confronts (Leo in Ava’s Body)

Chapter 13: Jade Confronts (Leo in Ava’s Body)

Leo in Ava’s Body (POV)
I’m dripping sweat, Ava’s volleyball jersey clinging to her skin like a second layer of misery. The gym echoes with the thwack of balls and Coach Barrett’s whistle, but all I can feel is the scream in Ava’s shoulder every time I try to serve. Practice is wrapping up, and I’m praying I can slip out before anyone notices how badly I’m botching her drills. My phone, her phone, buzzes in the pocket of her gym bag, probably Ava texting me about her open mic performance in my body. I’m dying to check, but Jade’s already eyeing me from across the court, her arms crossed like she’s about to interrogate a suspect.

“Lin!” Jade’s voice cuts through the chatter of the team as they head to the locker room. She’s striding over, her ponytail swinging like a metronome. “Hold up. We need to talk.”
I freeze, Ava’s heart thumping too fast in her chest. “Uh, now? I’m kinda beat, Jade.” I try to mimic Ava’s quiet tone, but it comes out shaky, like I’m guilty of something. Which, technically, I am.
She stops a foot away, hands on her hips. “Yeah, now. You’ve been off all week, and I’m done with your excuses. What’s going on with you?”
I sling Ava’s gym bag over her good shoulder, avoiding Jade’s stare. “Nothing’s going on. Just… tired. Shoulder’s acting up.” I wince as I say it, partly because it’s true, Ava’s shoulder feels like it’s grinding glass every time I move it, and partly because I know Jade’s not buying it.
“Tired?” Jade snorts, stepping closer. “You’re moving like you forgot how to play libero. You missed three digs today, Ava. Three. That’s not you. And you’re acting… weird. Like, avoiding-everyone, sneaking-off-at-night weird.”
My stomach twists. She’s talking about last night, when she almost caught me heading to the music building to train with Ava. I force a laugh, but it sounds wrong in Ava’s voice, too loud. “Sneaking off? I was just… getting coffee. You know, Flat Fifth’s open late.”
Jade’s eyes narrow, and I swear she’s seeing right through me. “Don’t bullshit me, Ava. You’re not a coffee-at-midnight person. And you’ve been dodging me since that whole Leo Martinez thing at The Amp. Is he messing with you again? Because I will end that guy.”
“No!” I say, too quick, and Jade’s eyebrows shoot up. Crap. Ava wouldn’t defend me, not after I humiliated her in front of a crowd. I scramble to cover. “I mean, it’s not about Leo. I’m over that. Just… dealing with some stuff, okay? Family stuff.”
Jade’s face softens, but only a little. “Family stuff? You didn’t mention anything. You always tell me when your mom’s stressing you out.” She steps even closer, her voice dropping. “Ava, you’re scaring me. You’re not yourself. You’re wincing every time you move, you’re zoning out in drills, and now you’re lying to me. What’s the deal?”
I open my mouth, then close it. What am I supposed to say? Hey, Jade, I’m actually Leo Martinez trapped in your best friend’s body, and I’m tanking her volleyball career because I can’t serve a ball to save my life? Yeah, that’d go over great. Instead, I rub Ava’s shoulder, playing up the injury. “It’s the shoulder, alright? It’s worse than I let on. I didn’t want to worry you before the trial.”
Jade’s not convinced. She grabs my wrist, gently, but firm, and pulls Ava’s arm away from her shoulder. “You’re getting it checked, then. No arguments. I’m dragging you to Dr. Kim myself if I have to.”
“Jade, I’m fine, ” I start, but she cuts me off.
“You’re not fine! You’re falling apart, and you think I don’t notice? You’re my best friend, Ava. I know you. And this, ” she gestures at me, at Ava’s body, her voice cracking, “, this isn’t you.”
Her words hit harder than any volleyball. I see the worry in her eyes, the way she’s fighting to keep her voice steady, and guilt twists in my gut. I’m not just screwing up Ava’s game, I’m screwing up her life, her friendships. I swallow, trying to channel Ava’s quiet strength. “I’m sorry, Jade. I’m… I’m trying. I’ll get the shoulder looked at, I promise. Just… give me some space, okay?”
She stares at me for a long moment, then lets go of my wrist. “Fine. But I’m watching you, Ava. You don’t get to shut me out.” She turns to leave, then pauses, glancing back. “And stay away from Leo Martinez. He’s bad news.”
I nod, mute, as she walks away. My hands are shaking as I grab Ava’s phone from the bag. There’s a new text from Ava: Open mic went okay. Crowd loved it, but your heart skipped again. Scared me. How’s practice? I type back, fingers clumsy on the screen: Jade’s onto us. Thinks I’m you having a breakdown. Shoulder’s bad. Meet at music building, midnight?
The music building’s basement smells like dust and old wood, the kind of place where secrets feel safe. I slip in just after midnight, still in Ava’s practice gear, her shoulder throbbing like it’s got a pulse of its own. Ava’s already there, in my body, leaning against the wall with my guitar across her chest. She looks exhausted, my face pale under the flickering fluorescent light, but there’s a spark in her eyes, my eyes, that I’ve never seen before. Like she’s starting to belong in my skin.
“You look like crap,” she says, her voice, my voice, rough from singing. She sets the guitar down and steps closer. “What happened with Jade?”
I drop onto the floor, cross-legged, and wince as Ava’s shoulder protests. “She’s like a freaking detective. Thinks you’re having some kind of emotional meltdown. She’s worried, Ava. Really worried. I tried to play it off, but she’s not letting it go. Said she’s gonna drag me to the doctor if I don’t get your shoulder checked.”
Ava’s jaw tightens, my own face staring back at me with a mix of guilt and frustration. “Great. That’s all we need, Jade poking around. If she figures out something’s off, we’re screwed.” She runs a hand through my hair, a gesture that’s so me it’s unnerving. “How bad’s the shoulder?”
“Bad,” I admit, rubbing it. “I can barely serve without wanting to scream. You’ve been playing through this for years? How?”
She shrugs, my shoulders moving with an ease I envy. “You just… do. It’s not like I had a choice. Scholarship’s my only shot to help my family. Pain’s just part of it.” She pauses, then adds, “Your heart’s not exactly a picnic either. It skipped twice during the set tonight. I thought I was gonna pass out on stage.”
My stomach drops. “Twice? Ava, you gotta stop pushing it. Dr. Mercer said, ”
“I know what she said!” she snaps, my voice sharp. “But I can’t exactly bail on your band, Leo. Noah’s already asking questions about why I’m ‘different.’ If I don’t show up, they’ll know something’s up.”
I lean back against the wall, Ava’s ponytail catching on the rough brick. “This is a mess. Jade’s watching me like a hawk, Noah’s onto you, and we’re both falling apart in each other’s bodies. What if we don’t switch back before the trial? Before Battle of the Bands?”
She sits across from me, my long legs folding awkwardly. “Don’t say that. We’ve got two weeks. We keep training, we keep faking it. We’re getting better, right?” She sounds like she’s trying to convince herself as much as me.
I nod, but it feels hollow. “Yeah. You killed it at open mic. I saw the video. ‘Static Dreams’… it was like you were singing my soul, not just yours.”
Her cheeks flush, my cheeks, and she looks away. “It was your song. I just… added something. Your lyrics aren’t as shallow as I thought, you know. There’s something real under all that rockstar crap.”
I laugh, Ava’s voice soft and unfamiliar. “Thanks, I think. Your serves aren’t as hopeless as I thought either. I got one over the net today without hitting anyone.”
She grins, my grin, and for a second, it’s like we’re not stuck in this nightmare. “Progress. Okay, let’s get to work. Show me how to dig without wrecking my shoulder worse, and I’ll teach you that riff from ‘Starless’ you keep screwing up.”
I stand, wincing as Ava’s shoulder protests, and grab the volleyball from her bag. “Deal. But if I sprain your wrist, you’re explaining it to Jade.”
She laughs, picking up the guitar. “And if I break your strings, you’re telling Noah why his fearless leader’s suddenly a klutz.”
We spend the next hour trading skills, her guiding my fingers through chords, me showing her how to shift her weight for a dig. It’s clumsy, frustrating, but every time she nails a chord or I land a serve, it feels like a win. A small one, but enough to keep us going.
As we pack up, her phone buzzes again. Another text from Jade: Ava, you’re not at the dorm. Where are you? I’m worried. I show it to Ava, and her face, my face, pales.
“She’s not gonna let this go,” Ava says, voice low. “We need to be careful. If Jade catches us here…”
“I know,” I say, Ava’s voice barely a whisper. “But we’re in this together, right?”
She nods, my eyes meeting hers with something new, trust, maybe, or something softer. “Together.”
We slip out separately, her heading to my apartment, me to her dorm. But as I step into the cold night, Ava’s shoulder aching and Jade’s text burning in my pocket, I can’t shake the feeling that we’re running out of time. And Jade’s watching closer than ever.