Being one of the tutors for the Basketball Team had its advantages. For starters, it meant that none of the athletes on campus would be giving me any grief for being so bookish. It also meant I was invited to all of the big dorm parties. Not that I ever went, of course… but I could have. Of course, there were a few weird things as well. "If one of us ever ends up with a high risk of academic suspension, we’re stealing your smarts.“ That’s what the players always told me. That’s what the players told all of us tutors. I never took them seriously, of course… how would that even work?
Of course, one day in mid-March, I found out exactly what they meant. I was just minding my own business, reading something for my English Lit class, when Clark– one of the lead point guards– came barging into my room, backed by two of the biggest cronies I’d ever seen. "I’m about to fail Calculus,” Clark said, looking at me with a wry smirk. "Hey, Nathan. Coach says it’s time to pick someone’s brain, and I’ve decided on yours.“
"Wait… I… are you serious?” I yelled. "That’s not real. You can’t do this! Look at me! My intelligence is all I have!“
"As if I care,” Clark said. His two friends laughed, and cracked their knuckles. "You can come peacefully, or we can have Mitch and Justin drag you there by force. Either way, we’re going to Coach’s office.“
They escorted me out of the dorms, and down Campus Boulevard to the student health center. The student behind the desk nodded at Clark, and escorted all of us into one of the employee only rooms. Coach Roberts was there waiting for us, along with some bizarre machine– a steel monstrosity with two sets of EKG pads.
"Thank you Mitch, Justin, you both can go now,” Coach said, looking up from his seat in the corner. "Nathan, we’ll be hooking you up first. Have a seat in the chair to the left, please.“
Up until this moment, I was hoping the entire thing was just some sort of elaborate prank they were taking too far. But here, in the middle of a fitness center, with one of my bosses acting completely serious… the reality of the situation was beginning to sink in. Academics was everything I had. I was Principal’s Honor Roll all through High School, I was enrolled in three honors classes, let alone my difficult major… how would I be able to function in life with the inept mind of a lazy athlete?
Clark snickered. "Look at him, he’s crying.”
“Watch it,” Coach growled. "We’re making him sacrifice a lot for you. The least you can do is be appreciative. Now come over here, let’s get you hooked up.“
I closed my eyes and held my breath, waiting for the inevitable intelligence drain that would ruin my eyes forever. I felt waves of… something… tickle my head, like a fuzzy headache. The feeling gained intensity for a few moments, and then it was done. It was over a lot sooner than I was expecting, actually.
"What? No! Coach, something went wrong! I’m not Nate, I’m Clark!” The speaker had to be Clark, and yet… it didn’t sound anything like him. I cautiously opened my eyes, only to find myself staring at a young man with jeans, a grey shirt, and shaggy hair… that was me! I looked down at my body, only to find myself the new owner of well-toned arms and a tight chest. I was Clark! The machine didn’t swap intelligence, it swapped bodies! I could feel my heart racing with excitement.
“Nonsense.” Coach Roberts shook his head, and looked over at me with a sly grin on his face. "Clark, what do you think?“
I was grinning from ear to ear. "I think the machine must have scrambled his brains worse than you thought, Coach.”
“I agree. Nathan, get out of here. Don’t bother showing up for work tomorrow. Your services as a tutor are obviously no longer needed.”
Clark started to whine and complain in my body, but Coach Roberts was firm. Soon, we were the only two people in the room. "Coach, I–“
Coach held up his hand, gesturing for silence. "Son, we’ve been doing this for ages. Since the fifties, at least. There’s a reason we never lose our players to probation. I tried to warn Clark bad things would happen if he didn’t shape up, but he never listened. His type never does. Now that he can’t rely on his charm and talent, he’s going to actually have to work for things for once in his life. Honestly, I’m not sure how that’s gonna work out for him. Poorly, I would imagine.”
“And… what about me? What now, Coach?”
He smiled. "You’re the new Clark. Congratulations. I don’t really care what you do with your new life as long as you show up to practice, keep up on your studies, and keep your nose clean.“
And that’s the story of how I suddenly found myself living the life of one of the most popular guys on campus. The rest of the team accepted me pretty quickly, actually– they just assumed my new personality was due to a sudden gain in smarts. It’s a lot of work keeping Clark’s body fit and healthy, but I still manage to indulge in a few of my old hobbies. Last I heard, my old body had to drop out and switch to some community college somewhere. Meanwhile, I’ve stunned everyone by becoming an engineering major, and I’ve even got chances of being a draft pick if I can play my cards right. Life couldn’t be better.
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