Chapter 12: Call Me Red! (1)

"What? Why are you staring at me like that?" Dana asked coyly, definitely trying to flirt with Cassidy, but, well, like before, it was futile. She sounded so much like herself rather than like playboy Vance.

"Hah," Cassidy sighed, clapping her hands together. "How can you even ask me such a question, Dana? You've changed!"

'I changed,' Vance thought. Though he really didn't care if anyone had noticed that the girl was no longer herself due to him being in her body.

Yeah, he didn't really care and it was evident through the way he made Dana shrug her shoulders leisurely.

"Say something, Dana. Anything, Dana Morgan," Cassidy urged, feeling shocked, flabbergasted, and surprised all at once.

Cassidy's voice cracked as she continued, clearly emotionally affected by her best friend's transformation. "Dana, what happened to you? You were so shy and sweet, and then you just... changed. Was it really just because of the car accident? Because…."

Before Cassidy could continue, Dana cut her off with a wave of her hand. "It's okay, Miss Cassidy. Change is a normal part of life. People change all the time, and sometimes it's for the better. You don't have to worry about me. I'm still the same person underneath it all."

Dana's voice was rather mischievous and devious as she spoke, and she walked over to the table slowly, counting her steps and perhaps, feeling like she's walking over the moon. And then she slammed her hand on the table, definitely to impress.

Finally, she looked at Cassidy and finished her thought, "Remember, anyone can change at any time," Dana finished, smiling smugly at her so-called best friend. "So don't worry about me. I'm still the same Dana you've always known."

Cassidy wasn't entirely convinced, but she nodded her head. Dana had definitely swept the words she had in her throat away. She decided to let the subject drop for now, and she changed the topic.

"Okay," Cassidy replied, raising her hands in a gesture of surrender. She took a deep breath to relax herself and lighten the mood. "Let's talk about something else, shall we? What are your plans now? And what next?"

As she spoke, she moved closer to Dana, drawn to her like a magnet. They had always had a special connection, and it had only grown stronger over the years they had been together despite the common odds.

But as Cassidy drew closer, Dana backed away, her face portraying a mix of shock and caution. She held up a hand as if to keep Cassidy at bay, and then blurted out, "Please, stay back. I can hear you perfectly well from over there, you know."

The words came out more harshly than Vance intended, and he instantly regretted them.

The issue, as known, was that Vance couldn't stand to be close to any woman, no matter who it was. It wasn't personal - it was just something he couldn't control. But Cassidy looked offended, she frowned.

Vance didn't care so much about her feelings anyway, he had to look out for his own mental and emotional well-being first.

"Ha, ha!" Cassidy let out a dry, humorless laugh, trying to brush off the sting of Dana's words. She tossed her hair and pretended to be unaffected by the whole exchange. She told herself that it was just Dana's way of playing around, that she wasn't actually trying to distance herself. Cassidy didn't want to believe that their friendship was falling apart.

With that thought in mind, Cassidy decided to change the whole course of discussion. She crossed her arms and took a few steps back, putting some physical distance between them.

"So, Miss Morgan," she asked, "what's the next step in your grand plan for today?" She tried to keep her tone light and friendly, but she couldn't help but feel a little bit of bitterness creeping in.

"Ahem," Dana cleared her throat and spoke again. "I was thinking... that maybe..." She trailed off, pretending not to notice the hurt in Cassidy's eyes.

Now, she was only thinking about how to reply to Cassidy, but at the same time didn't know what to say. Suddenly, she heard Hollywood speak.

[The host had successfully completed her first mission]

[REWARD: Total relief from physical pain]

[REWARD: A black card]

[REWARD: A sum of $1,000]

[NOTICE: The black card is temporarily locked and cannot be used until it is unlocked]

[The host had a choice to make: withdraw $1,000 reward or save in bank]

Hearing Hollywood's words, Dana's eyes widened in surprise. A thousand dollars? That was a lot of money, especially in her current situation. Money was the most important thing in life, right? It could buy anything she needed.

Dana was so caught up in her excitement that she didn't even realize she'd jumped up and was now standing in front of the mirror. She took in her reflection and began to fantasize about what she could do with $1,000.

Vance thought to himself, 'Let's make this girl even more beautiful, and watch the men trip over themselves.'

Turning to Cassidy, Dana said, "I'll answer your question, dear bestie," stressing on the word "bestie" as if it were a joke. A devilish smile played across her lips as she added, "Why don't we go to the spa?"

Cassidy's eyebrows shot up in utter disbelief, and she let out a dry laugh, as if the idea was foolish. "Oh, please," she said with a poisonous sweetness. "You have no money, Dana Morgan, and neither do I. Sorry, but I'm running low on funds."

Dana rolled her eyes and muttered, "Hollywood, withdraw," under her breath.

A moment later, Hollywood spoke up:

[Reward money withdrawn. $1,000 has been transferred to the host's account.]

Dana folded her hands, pasting on a fake smile. She didn't want Cassidy to notice anything amiss, but Cassidy's face was contorted with confusion. Her head was filled with questions, a figurative question mark hovering above her like a cartoon character's thought bubble.

How could Dana afford to treat them to the spa when she knew Dana had no money?

Vance, who was now inside Dana's body, knew from the clips he'd seen that Dana was completely broke. But he also knew that he'd been assured $1,000, and so he believed he had it, even though it wasn't physically in his hands.

As the seconds ticked by and nothing happened, Cassidy decided to take the initiative of asking. "I'm still waiting for the money," she said impatiently. "Where's it going to come from?"

Dana thought about this and then realized, 'Yeah, where's the money going to come from?' Because it wasn't in her hand, and she had no pockets in the hospital garment she was still on.

She then said under her breath, "Hollywood, I told you to withdraw the money."

Hollywood replied instantly, its robotic voice sounded in her head, cold and unfeeling:

[The money has been withdrawn by the host]

Dana became more confused, thinking, 'Huh? Yeah, the money has been withdrawn, but where is it?' However, she didn't voice her conflict, so as not to seem stupid in front of Cassidy, who was already seeing her as a person who was losing her mind.

Cassidy glared ironically at Dana. "You said you had money," she said, picking up Dana's bag and turning it upside down. She was definitely sure no cash was in the bag. "There's nothing in here!" she exclaimed.

But as she turned the bag upside down again, a few hundred dollar bills and a pen fell out onto the floor. "Oh my God!" Cassidy gasped. "There's money in here!"

Dana was just as surprised as Cassidy, because she had been certain the bag was empty. Was that what Hollywood had meant by "withdrawing the money"? Placing cash in unexpected places?

Vance through Dana's eyes just watched Cassidy gape in shock, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water, one naughty thought swirling in his mind. 'Her expressions would definitely turn a man on, on bed.'

"Oh my God, Dana," Cassidy shrieked in astonishment. "I could swear your bag was empty. But I must have been mistaken. This is so exciting!" She let out a squeal of delight. "There's a great spa we could go to. Givens Spa and Spur Mall. They're amazing!"