Wendy wakes up groaning. Her body feels like it got hit by a train. A warm bed is underneath her, and she sighs in relief that her interaction with Joy was just a dream. Not that Joy was unpleasant, but because she got stabbed in the chest. She doesn’t feel Yeri next to her, but figures she got up to look around. Wendy finally opens her eyes, and sees she isn’t in the mall again. What the .

She’s in a small apartment. It’s one room with a bed, and a small kitchen. There’s two doors other than the one that would lead outside, one that goes to a bathroom, and the other she guesses is a closet. The wall is painted blue, and an array of potted plants rest on the windowsill. There are pictures on the wall of Wendy, and people she doesn’t recognize. Except one. Yeri. She knows it technically wasn’t Yeri that stabbed her, but she can’t help but feel a little angry looking at her.

Everything feels too real to be a dream. Wendy sits up in bed, and realizes there’s a hole in her sweater with a large red stain around it. What is happening? She touches the exposed skin, feeling to make sure there still isn’t a hole in her chest. There isn’t. Not even a scratch. She gets out of bed, and walks over to the closet. An identical purple sweater is hung up inside, next to an array of flannel and acid washed t-shirts. She gets dressed into the identical purple sweater, and changes into fresh underwear and jeans. Wendy shakes her head, “Okay, fine. I must be lucid dreaming. This all feels to real, yet nothing makes sense.”

A buzzing sound comes from the other side of the room. Wendy walks over to see a cell phone lighting up with a reminder to go to a café. Wendy opens the phone to find a very detailed schedule. She may as well have scheduled when I pee, too. Wendy realized the “she” she was referring to was herself. Wendy knows this can’t be a dream so she starts contemplating the idea that she actually is switching to Wendy’s in other dimensions. Whatever happened on that day must’ve triggered this weird dimensional shifting that’s happening to me. Maybe that’s why my body hurts so much. Wendy is sitting on the bed now, brushing her hair with the brush that she found on the night stand. Her brain aching trying to comprehend her new life of becoming other versions of herself she never thought existed.

Wendy remembers the photocard, and reaches for her pocket, pulling it out. The corners have some water damage, and it smells a bit like alcohol, but other than that, it’s like new. As long as Wendy can make out the faces of the other girls, it’s fine. She puts the photocard into her pocket, and looks through the other Wendy’s phone. Wendy opens the notes on the phone, hoping to find some deep inner thoughts. There’s only one note: she likes purple. Trying to impress a girl, huh? What a useless lesbian. The reminder comes up again. Wendy sighs. I’m sorry Wendy, how am I supposed to go to this café if I don’t know where it is? The phone buzzes with a text. Your Uber has arrived. Holy , it’s like she knew I was coming.

Wendy makes her way out of her apartment, and into the waiting car. She’s in a city, but she can’t tell which one, and asking your Uber driver what city you’re in would probably make you look weird. So, she doesn’t ask. It doesn’t matter anyway.

They arrive at a café. Wendy thanks the driver, and climbs out of the car. Wendy looks up at the sign. Starry Night Café. Well, here we are. Wendy’s phone buzzes. Another reminder? Are the only notifications she gets from herself?

Talk to her you fool.

Wendy laughs under her breath. This Wendy seems to need some confidence. Wendy walks into the café, the smell of pastries, sandwiches, and coffee mingle together in a lovely way. Wendy immediately relaxes in the warm calm atmosphere. She walks up to the counter where a cute girl is working the register.

“Hi! How can I help you today?” the girl asks with a warm smile. Wendy knows the girl is required to smile as part of her job, but it still makes her get butterflies.

“Uhm, what do you recommend?” Wendy asks, wondering what the other Wendy would get.

“You don’t want ‘the usual’ today? Are you feeling okay?” the girl chuckles a little bit, covering . Her eyes crinkling behind her circular glasses.

“No, I think today I’d like to get whatever your favorite thing here is,” Wendy says, trying to be smooth. I gotta do this for other Wendy. This has to be the girl she talked about in her notes.

“Okay,” the girl blushes, and laughs, “Well, in that case-” the girl grabs a red velvet cupcake from the glass case of desserts next to the register. “I would get this cupcake, and a green tea. It doesn’t sound like the best mix, but they’re my two favorite things.”

“Okay, I’ll take two of those cupcakes, and two green teas.”

“Two? Okay.” The girl starts making two green teas on the back counter. She hands them to Wendy, and then grabs another cupcake. “Did you want this for here or to-go?”

“For here, please.”

“Oh, are you meeting someone here?”

“Actually, I was wondering when your shift ends? See, I bought two drinks and two cupcakes, and I’m not sure I can eat it all.”

The girl blushes again, “Lucky for you, I get off in 20 minutes. If you want to wait, go sit at a table. I’ll come find you when I’m done.”

Wendy smiles, and says she’ll wait. She pays, and takes the food and drinks to a table near a window in the back of the café.

You’re welcome, Wendy. I scored you a date. Wendy has completely decided that she’s switching bodies with other Wendy’s, based on zero scientific facts.

Wendy looks through the photos on her phone. There are a lot of videos of her… singing? And pictures of her, and Yeri on her phone. We must be good friends. Wendy reaches into her pocket to pull out the photocard. She’s starting to miss Yeri, and is sad she never got to hear what happened. Wendy wonders why she was in that universe for so long compared to the one with Joy. Wendy stares at the picture of Red Velvet, and almost jumps out of her seat when she realizes the girl at the café looks a lot like one of the girls on the card. This is crazy. It will either be Irene or Seulgi, I guess.

“Hey, sorry for making you wait.” The girl sits down in the chair across from Wendy, “Awe, you didn’t even eat or drink anything yet, you could’ve started without me.”

Wendy looks at the girl’s shirt to find a nametag, but doesn’t see one. “It’s not a problem, I wanted to enjoy it with you,” Wendy smiles at her.

“You’re in this café often, and I’ve taken your order a lot, but I’ve never asked your name. Usually you seem too shy to even look at me so today was a surprise. A good surprise, of course! My name is Irene, by the way. What’s yours?”

“Wendy. Of course, I’d be shy around you, Irene. I mean, look at you, you’re…” Wendy gestures at Irene, hoping she’s understanding what she’s trying to say.

“Well I’m glad you finally did,” Irene smiles wide, “Honestly, I’ve been wanting to talk to you as more than just your cashier for a while now. I just didn’t know if… well, you know?”

If I like girls. “Yeah, I think I know what you mean.”

There’s a long silence before Irene says something. “I like your sweater. I’ve seen you wear it before, and you look super cute in it. Purple is my favorite color.”

Wendy almost says ‘I know’, but stops herself before she looks like a creep. Although, now she’s wondering about the note on her phone, how did other Wendy find that out. Wendy takes a bite of the cupcake, and realizes the irony of Irene’s favorite red velvet cupcake. “Thank you. I think you look very cute in your little apron that you wear every day.”

“You know honestly, I’m tired of being in this café. I do work here, so I’m here all the time. Why don’t we go somewhere a little more private?” Irene smirks at Wendy, and Wendy knows exactly where this is going. Wendy didn’t take Irene as the type to want to get freaky on the first date, but never judge a book by its cover, right?Wendy sees no harm in going through with this. Except for the fact that there is a possibility she will black out, and wake up somewhere completely different. But what if this is just a dream? Wendy shakes her head. Irene frowns, “Okay, I’m sorry if I came off too strong-”

“No, you didn’t. I was shaking my head at something else. Let’s get out of here.”

Wendy sees Irene’s face light up, and takes her hand, leading her out of the café.

Wendy didn’t expect to end up sitting on Irene’s bed looking at polaroids of skies for an hour, but here she is. Irene seemed super excited to show Wendy her record collection, too. Her room was painted a light purple, almost the same as Wendy’s sweater. Small white lights decorated the ceiling, and pictures of nature scattered the wall. Irene said she loved photography, and that she took all of the pictures. Irene was full of so much passion for the things she loved. Wendy couldn’t help but let a cheeky smile grow on her face.

“Why are you smiling so hard?” Irene teases.

“Oh, nothing. I just think you’re pretty cute.”

To Wendy’s surprise, Irene climbs onto Wendy’s lap. Wendy falls back a little, but catches herself with both hands. Irene kisses Wendy, a kiss so soft and sweet. “You know, I feel like I’ve known you forever. I’m not a kiss on the first date kind of girl, but there’s something about you, Wendy.”

Wendy just smiles. Her brain stopped working when Irene kissed her. Irene pushes Wendy down, and then rolls to her side, holding Wendy’s hand, and snuggling up to her arm. They stare at the lights on the ceiling. Rain starts gently hitting the window in her room. Irene flinches when thunder rumbles loudly outside.

“I’m not a big fan of thunder storms. I get scared easily,” Irene says in a soft voice, holding Wendy’s hand tighter.

“That’s okay, Irene. I’ll protect you from the big bad storm,” Wendy smiles thinking about how adorable this girl is.

Irene has a warmth that Wendy has never felt from another person before. Wendy feels like she could stay here forever.

“So Wendy, what do you like to do?”

“I like to sing. Music is kind of a big deal to me, you know? Like the way you love photography.” Wendy doesn’t really remember that part of her, but she was in a girl group and has videos on this phone of her singing, so she figures music is important in her life.

“That’s so cool. Maybe you could sing for me one day.”

“Of course,” Wendy’s heart aches knowing there will never be a ‘one day’. Well, at least not for her. Maybe the other Wendy will have a memory of this happening, and will sing for Irene one day. I hope so.

They lay like that for hours, talking about their lives. Well, Irene mostly talking, and Wendy listening because Wendy doesn’t have much of a life to talk about. Irene apparently is a closeted nerd, and starts passionately talking about the multiverse theory, time travel, and the theory that all life as we know it is a simulation. Wendy doesn’t believe that those are just theories at this point.

Irene turns, and looks up at Wendy. She looks like she’s about to cry.

“You can’t be here right now, I’m sorry,” Irene’s voice sounded strange, distant.

“What do you mean?” Wendy’s heart wrenched at Irene’s words.

Irene starts crying and digs her face into Wendy’s neck, “Please just a little longer.”

Vertigo swallows up Wendy. Her stomach starts turning, and her vision blurring, and darkening. “What is happening?”

She can’t feel Irene next to her anymore, and everything turns cold, and dark.

There’s a flash of light, and she’s back on the tour bus. The girl next to her pulls her into a hug. Wendy tries to turn around to look out the window, and finally find some answers about what happened, but she doesn’t turn around fast enough. The loud noise echoes in Wendy’s head, and sends her back into the all-too-familiar darkness.