Texting existed in this world, but it was still pretty inconvenient. Richard was hazy on the details, but phones with a slideout keyboard were still not out yet, and he didn't know when they would hit the market. When you wanted to get in touch with somebody in 2005, you actually called them. Thankfully, he'd gotten used to it by now. That familiar rush of anxiety he'd developed in his first life on hearing his phone ring was completely gone.
He checked to see who it was. Oh, it was Beni. "Hello?" he answered.
"Hey Boy!" Beni said from the other end.
"Hey Beni. How are you doing this Saturday?" Rich asked him conversationally.
"Well, I was thinking...the homecoming dance is next week, and I don't have anything to wear. How about you, me, and minion number two go shopping together?"
This again. Rich sighed. "You are NOT my minions!" he said emphatically.
Beni just laughed at his discomfort. "Whatever you say, Mr. Homecoming King. So, how about it?"
Rich checked his closet while holding the phone to his ear. No, nothing really appropriate. A shopping day might be just the thing. "You know where Bryce lives?"
"Yep, I called him before you, actually. We can ride in my cute little bug. No offense, but that truck of yours is not really my favorite."
"What if Becca were driving?" Rich prodded.
Beni hummed thoughtfully. "Maaaaybe. She's cute, I'll admit. You Rice twins are just too big for normal cars, I guess. That has its charm, too."
Wingman mode activated! "Great! You can swing by in a bit, see you then."
"Ciao, Rich!" Beni hung up.
"Becca, I'm going out!" Rich yelled. His sister was sore from the previous day's game. They were still undefeated, but last night had been a real grinder. He walked into her room without knocking. She was in her underwear. "Woah, sorry!" he apologized, averting his eyes in embarrassment. She just looked at him strangely.
"I'm just in my bra, Rich, it's no big deal," she said matter-of-factly. Rich would claim to be mostly assimilated, but the way women didn't care about showing skin was still weird to him sometimes.
"Okay, well, I'm going to shop for an outfit for the dance with Beni and Bryce."
Becca brightened immediately, sitting up in bed. "Oh yeah, that's next week, isn't it?"
Reading his sister was getting easier and easier as time went on. She was trying to sound nonchalant, but was obviously excited. "I already felt out Beni for interest. If you ask him, he'll probably give you a chance." Rich cut right to the point.
"Am I that obvious?"
"With this, yes. He is your type, right?"
"Yes!" she said a little too loudly. Rich recoiled at her enthusiasm. She stood abruptly, stomping forward with that brick shithouse body they'd built in the gym. There was no denying it anymore. His twin had surpassed him. They weren't even in the same weight class anymore. She wore a mismatched pair of utilitarian bra and panties, her powerful body displayed casually, even carelessly. "Beni Reyes is skinny and hot and manly as hell, my dream boy, basically. Uh, no offense, Rich. You're pretty too."
"Gee, thanks, sis." He looked her over, and suddenly had an idea. "There's no way you have a dress that fits. How about I pick you up something? Bonus points if it matches Beni's outfit."
"Oh goddess, would you, Rich? That would be amazing." She looked away, suddenly fascinated with a poster on the wall that came bundled with one of their video games. "Could you do a little more fishing for interest? Or even ask him out for me?"
Rich shook his head. "That I can't do, Becca. You've got to ask him yourself. But if he likes the idea of his outfit matching your dress..." he let the implication hang.
"That's more than enough," she agreed quickly. "I'll work up the courage and ask him on Monday, I promise."
Rich nodded firmly. Getting a boyfriend would really make his sister's high school experience. "Just...don't get a big head, okay? Sometimes, a person can completely change when they go from being unpopular to popular overnight. Beni is a nice boy. You can just be yourself around him, okay?"
I'll destroy him socially if he hurts you, Rich said in his head. He didn't like to think of himself as a ruthless person, but Becca was blood. There was nothing he wouldn't do for her.
"Got it, bro. How about you measure me while I'm in my underwear?"
Rich snorted and went to look for a tape measure. Reverse worlds were wild.
***
When Beni's extremely cute Volkswagen Beetle pulled up, Bryce went to get out of the shotgun seat and offer it to Rich. He held up his hand. "No, stay."
"But..."
The poor boy still had no confidence at all. "You were there first. I don't need you to give up your spot for me, Bryce. We're friends." He was laying it on a little thick, but Rich could tell the chubby boy needed to hear something like that.
Bryce blushed. "Okay. Thanks."
Rich slid into the back seat, and they were off to the local mall.
"So, you have anything in mind, Richy?" Beni asked as he drove slowly, looking for a parking spot.
"Julie has a purple party dress, already picked out. Since we're going to be homecoming queen and king, we need to be wearing school colors." Technically, the titles hadn't been voted on yet, but come on. They were definitely going to win.
"Purple and silver, PLUH colors, that'll be easy," Beni said. They walked in together while the skinny boy chattered happily about the latest styles, and Rich and Bryce just absorbed what they could.
In this world, women still wore dresses while men wore suits, only the cuts differed somewhat. Tight "Daniel Craig James Bond" suits were pretty standard, typically with bright colors or intricate patterns, jacket optional. Cufflinks and tie pins were also larger and more eye-catching. As for footwear, high heels were pretty standard. Imagine a modernized version of an eighteenth-century dandy, and you might not be far from the mark.
Women's dresses tended to be more subdued, with neutral colors, though they actually showed a lot of skin. Bare shoulders, backless dresses, low-cut dresses, and short skirts were all common. Mercifully, women's shoes were mostly sensible flats. Since the female body was not sexualized, they had little to no hangups about revealing clothing. Men, in contrast, needed to cover up to be seen as respectable.
Beni led them to Michael's Closet, a shop that Rich didn't know the regular world equivalent of. They started trying on tops right away.
"Do I look cute in this?" Beni asked and twirled like a ballerina. It was a blue button-down with a pattern of ocean waves on it, which reminded Rich of a garish graphic t-shirt mixed with a Japanese kimono, but tight. Smooth, shiny fabric, maybe silk, clung to his petite body, terminating in ruffled sleeves that fluttered with every light movement of his arms.
"Yes, actually," Rich admitted. It wasn't anywhere close to what he was used to, but on Beni, it just fit. The silver streak in the pretty boy's hair made him think of a merman rising out of the ocean.
"Don't sound so surprised," Beni retorted, but there was no heat in it. "I've had my share of admirers, I'll have you know."
"I know. My sister actually said you were really hot this morning."
Beni stopped mid-twirl. "Did she?" Curly black hair obscured half of his face, but his left eye was smiling.
"How would you feel about helping me pick out a dress that matches your top?"
The boy brushed the stray shock of hair out of his other eye and played with it a bit. "I'd like that," he said after a moment of consideration.
"Please don't hurt her, Beni. My sister has never had a boyfriend before, never been on a date. This whole popularity thing is completely new. Sometimes I'm worried she won't know how to handle it."
Of all the things Rich expected, Beni responded with the act he expected the least. The much shorter boy reached up and pulled him down into a hug. "I would never," he promised. "Becca is really tall and strong and handsome, and if she is kind like you, well, I might just fall in love." They lingered together for a few seconds of silence, then Rich picked Beni up. "EEP!"
"I'll hold you to that, Beni. Becca knows how Julie treats me, so she knows how to be a good girlfriend." Rich set his friend down, and they went back to browsing.
It shamed Rich to admit it took another five minutes before he realized Bryce had gone completely silent. "What's wrong, buddy?"
Bryce just shook his head.
Beni joined in, rubbing their band nerd friend on the shoulder. "Yeah, come on, you can tell us."
"I don't belong here!" he blurted out. Suddenly turning, he tried to run away, but Rich grabbed him.
"Hey, hold on, what do you mean you don't belong?"
"You two are hot and popular, and I'm just nothing! I don't want to be a pity friend! No girls like me! Nobody is going to ask me out! What do I need a homecoming outfit for?"
Rich sighed. Arranging a glowup for Bryce must've slipped his mind. "I'm sorry, Bryce. I'm a shitty friend."
"Why are you apologizing?" His eyes sparkled with unshed tears.
"I was going to train you like I trained my sister, but with everything going on, I just forgot. You don't deserve to be an afterthought, Bryce. Now, I won't lie to you, looks matter. If you want to be popular, you're going to have to put in some effort, but I'll be there to help you every step of the way."
"You would do all that for me?" Bryce sounded like he couldn't believe it. "Why?"
Because I feel guilty for almost killing you, Rich thought, but he couldn't tell Bryce that. "The world is unfair sometimes, Bryce. If we want something to be fair, we have to make it fair. You think I built this body overnight? No, I used to have a weight problem, just like you. The only difference is I had help. There's nobody around to help you. Unless..."
"Unless what?"
"Unless it's me. This is something I'm beginning to realize: you can just choose to be the one who steps in. I'm stepping in, taking responsibility. 'Here I am, send me. ' It's my favorite Bible verse. You're going to get your glowup, and I'll find a nice girl to take you to homecoming."
Bryce was really crying now. They had a nice little moment, the three of them hugging it out in a clothing store in the mall. "What's a glowup?" Bryce finally asked between sniffles.
Beni lost it laughing.
***
They had a fun little boys' day after that, shopping for dance clothes, followed by lunch in the food court. Rich made a mental note to ask Julie about football players she could order to take Bryce to homecoming. Finding an outfit that actually fit him proved to be the biggest challenge. A body like Rich's wasn't exactly common, after all, but eventually they managed to track down a silver shirt and purple pants combo that, while snug, he could actually dance in. On the last stop, they picked up Becca a pretty dress that matched Beni's outfit nicely.
"Honey, I'm home!" Rich called out after Beni dropped him off, but nobody answered. Dad's car was gone. Becca had taken the truck somewhere. Yesenia! He'd completely forgotten his cousin! Did she need a date? He knocked on her door. "Prima! Are you there?" Addressing her in Spanish like that was becoming a habit. Hell, Yesenia had shifted the whole vibe of the Rice house. Everything felt more Mexican with her around. When he saw her, he couldn't forget his other half in a way that even Dad failed to do.
"Come in!" his cousin called. It didn't take her long to start customizing the place, he saw. Yesenia had her own computer with a C++ file open, importing a kinematics library? What the heck did she need that for? Rich smelled burning metal and noticed she was soldering something on her workbench. Geez, couldn't she do this stuff in the garage?
"Hey, Prima, I was wondering if you had a date to-"
She cut him off. "I'm not going, busy," she said shortly.
Busy, huh? That cowboy hat she always wore was hanging on a rack by the door, and in its place she wore goggles, still not looking up from whatever she was doing. "Are you sure?" he pressed. "Getting you a date would be super easy." If Rich was going to go full matchmaker, he might as well complete the set.
Yesenia flipped a switch and lifted up her eye protection. "Definitely sure, Primo. In the first place, I don't really know anyone at my new school yet."
"But you could meet people at the dance! Come on, Yesenia, it could be fun!"
She shook her head sadly. "Dear Ricardo, no sense of self-preservation at all."
There was something odd in the way she was talking, like she was trying to imply something, but Rich couldn't quite cotton on to what. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Yesenia tutted. "Nothing in particular, just Stinger tends to target large public gatherings. You've been put in danger before. Wouldn't it be better to skip the dance?"
"I can handle myself," Rich said boldly. "People are expecting me, Yesenia. I've been fine so far."
"So far," she repeated. What was with her today?
"Come on, Prima, have a little fun! All you do is work!"
"I'm under a lot of pressure right now, Ricardo!" she said fiercely, slamming her fist down on the workbench so forcefully it made him jump.
"What, robotics club?" Honestly, it was just a school club, something to put on college applications, no big deal at the end of the day.
"I'm working, Ricardo, for the family's future, your future." She emphasized the word "future" twice. Rich had no idea what she was talking about. Yeah, Auntie was rich, and the beef industry was only going to get more profitable in the future. So what? What the heck was Auntie making Yesenia do?
"I understand," he said. Rich didn't understand. "Let me know if you change your mind. You're a part of this family, Yesenia. I want to include you in everything." He turned to leave.
"Wait!" she called out.
"Yeah?" He looked back.
"I saw you practicing your karate the other day. You move very well, smooth and confident, like you've been in real fights before. I've only ever seen one other boy move like that."
"Uh, thanks, I guess?" Who was she even talking about?
Yesenia pulled him into a hug. It was just Rich's day to get hugged, it seemed.
***
The Principal's Point of View
The damn band cancelled on them! And every freelance DJ in the city was already booked! Why was it so hard to find people? It wasn't fair! The homecoming dance needed music, and it was only a few days away. What to do?
As if in answer to her prayers, the principal opened an email from a company called Digital Media Solutions, an innocuous enough name. They claimed to have an automated DJ product. Just hook this big computer up to the speakers, and everything would be handled. The price was right! Homecoming was saved! Once again, Plano Liberty Union High's esteemed principal had more than earned her pay.
***
"And now, the homecoming queen and king will share their first dance!" announced the master of ceremonies.
It was hardly their first dance. He and Julie had been hanging off each other the whole night. They saved the crowning till the end of the evening. Rich rested his chin on Julie's shoulder while she held him tight, and they swayed to the gentle music. With his high heels, he was almost as tall as her.
"You look beautiful," she said for the hundredth time that night.
"You look amazing," he said back. Girls didn't really like being called pretty or beautiful here. Her purple party dress matched his tie and pants. They were practically Mrs. and Mr. PLUH. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his big ass sister practically spilling out of her dress, talking excitedly with Beni. They were honestly too cute together. With a bit more effort, he managed to spot Jessie Duval standing next to Bryce. They were going just as friends, but it was still nice to see.
What fearful power I wield, he thought. People waited on him, deferred to him, gave him his way in pretty much all cases. Rich was PLUH's precious prince. The crown was unnecessary.
The whole day had been perfect. He'd gotten his hair and makeup done with Beni and Bryce, and Julie picked him up in her BMW. It wasn't as serious as prom, but the homecoming football game was very serious business. Their cross-town rival, the Pickett High Piranhas, would be here tomorrow. It was hard to believe, but PLUH alumni from as far back as forty years ago flew into town to watch this game. His girlfriend was under a lot of pressure. All Rich had to do was comfort and support her.
The music faded out, and the student master of ceremonies announced there would be one last dance for everyone. The dance floor, previously reserved for just the two of them, rapidly became crowded again.
A slow song started up, and couples held one another, moving in time with the beat.
SCREECH! The music ended abruptly, the high-pitched noise all but cutting Rich to the bone, disrupting his equilibrium and almost taking him off his feet.
"Steady, baby, you're okay, I'm here," Julie cooed comfort into his ear, making him melt at her touch.
Just when he thought it was a temporary audio problem, Rich sensed corrupt energy spreading like a miasma. The computer plugged into the speakers started to unfold, limbs that should not have fit in its case popped out, and it assembled like a Transformer, standing upright.
Stinger! Not again! He should've listened to Yesenia; they couldn't resist the urge to cause trouble and ruin nice things for normal people.
Julie was even more on the ball than he was, picking Rich up and making a fast break for the exit. As nice as it was to be cared for, he had a job to do. Raising his ring, he said the rhyme:
"From a future dark
To a post not set,
Stinger hasn't won just yet,
With Pureheart Power, a noble mission,
Come forth! Future Hero! Henshin!"
Once again, Future Hero was running in the opposite direction of everyone else, trying to force his way through the terrified crowd and engage the DJ robot.
"Excuse me, pardon me, coming through." He tried to be polite about it, but these kids were outright stampeding. Rich couldn't get through.
"Future Hero! What the hell? Where is Rich?" Julie was screaming at him, but they couldn't get to one another through the press of the crowd. "Why do you always show up when I lose my boyfriend?"
Her tone was frantic, half-crazed. Those purple eyes, so warm for him usually, burned with hatred when they looked at Future Hero. He tried not to think too much about it. Once the robot was dealt with, Rich would spend the rest of the night comforting her. She needed to be in top form tomorrow.
Finally, the press thinned, and he was able to break through to the dance floor.
The DJ robot was scratching a turntable, creating awful, inhuman sounds that could probably shatter glass if it wasn't stopped fast.
"The dance is over! You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here!" Future Hero punched the robot, not bothering to feel the thing out. Those shrieks had to be silenced ASAP.
"Nobody appreciates my art!" it rumbled. From there, they were on each other, exchanging blows. With its hands occupied and turntables silenced, Rich found he was getting the better of it. If he could keep it from unleashing the sound attack, victory would be in sight.
They locked up, grappling like wrestlers. Once Rich had the robot in his grip, he drove it outside. They tussled and rolled until they found themselves in a nearby quarry.
"That's strange," Rich said. "It was nighttime at the dance, but now it's daytime in the quarry! How did that happen?"
Rich didn't think too deeply about that.
"Time to finish this! Future Edge!" He pulled the sword handle off his belt and pressed the button, summoning a blade of purple energy.
"No! I have so much to share with the world!" the DJ robot begged.
Future Hero wasn't about to waste time; he needed to get back to Julie. With one swing, he decapitated the DJ robot, causing it to collapse and explode in short order.
Rich turned off Future Edge. "Phew, that was easier than usual. Maybe Stinger is the one who has lost their edge!" He laughed at his own joke and summoned Future Chopper to ride back to the school. His girlfriend must be worried.