Entry 2: The International Fair
This story may be confusing on its own, although it is a stand-alone work, so reading Part 1 is not needed, though it may be helpful. The most necessary thing to know for this series is that the viewpoint characters are Alexis and Alexander, a girl and a boy respectively. They share a body, and when one sneezes, they transform into the other. If you want a more detailed explanation, there's one in the beginning of Part 1 of this series, which you should be able to find under the list of my stories on this site if you want to read it.
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"I have one more reminder before you all leave," added Professor Strangways, as we all grabbed our books and bags and got ready to leave the classroom. "If you check your syllabus, you'll notice that in four weeks from this Saturday, your final projects are due. I want to give you enough time to finish it. You'll be expected to choose any country from history and share part of its culture with the school at the International Fair. Dress up in an appropriate costume and bring your own supplies. You'll each have a table provided for you to use for your presentation. Make a poster board for your country to provide some information, and be ready to answer questions from visitors. Try not to pick common countries; we don't want a room full of Americas! And be creative!"
I heard a soft chorus of groans around me from students dreading the work, but Elizabeth smiled in the seat next to me. "Awesome!" she cheered. "What country are you gonna pick, Alexis?"
"I hadn't really thought about it yet," I replied. "I'm pretty much English and Irish, and I'm sure there'll be other students picking those countries... Great-grandma Kazinczy was Hungarian, though. Maybe I'll pick that? I'm not really sure. How about you?"
"Some place with belly dancing... Maybe Turkey? Ooh, or the Ottomans! I'll have them all to myself, I bet," answered Elizabeth as she stood up to leave the emptying room. "Can you do anything Hungarian?"
"Um..." I thought... *What do Hungarians do?* I asked Alexander.
*I'm not really sure. Great-grandma was usually too scary to listen to. Lemme see, they're good with horses, right?* Alexander ventured.
"I could do some horseback riding," I told Elizabeth.
"Interesting, honey. And where are you gonna get a horse?" she inquired. "I hope you're not planning on riding it indoors, either."
"Oh... right. I guess that wouldn't work... Maybe I could...cook something? What sort of stuff do Hungarians eat?" I asked.
"Paprika and cucumbers, mostly," Elizabeth told me. "No worries, you can come up with something. We've got, like, a month, right? Let's go shopping this weekend, try to find some costumes and ingredients and props and all that, ya? I'm sure Yui needs to get some stuff, too. I'll ask her to join us. Is Sunday good for you?"
"Ya, that should be fine. Just call when you're on your way and I'll get ready. I'll probably just be doing homework or reading," I told her, waving goodbye as I left. *Alexander, you'll help me cook, won't you? You're better at it than I am, and I know you wouldn't let such a lovely damsel in distress down, would you?* I pleaded.
*Are you trying to seduce me, Alexis?* he asked playfully. *Sure, I'll cook something Hungarian for you. But what's in it for me?*
*Well,* I suggested, *I could always take some naughty photos of myself for you...would you like that?*
*Mmmm, OK. You've got yourself a deal. Hurry home, I have some nice ideas...how do you think you'd look wearing only an apron?* he asked as I walked home, discussing the terms of my payment with him.
I smiled to myself and thought, I love being a girl. There's always such an easy way to bribe boys...
On Sunday, I was reading The Professor and the Madman when my cell phone buzzed on my desk. I quickly slipped my bookmark between the pages and answered. "Hello?"
"I'm outside. Just go to the parking lot and you'll find two gorgeous girls waiting for you. See ya soon, honey," said Elizabeth, before she hung up.
I closed my phone and put it in my purse. I had found a picture of some traditional-looking Hungarian girl online so I could look for parts of her costume. I figured I'd just grab ingredients later on my own. I scanned my room, looking for anything I might have missed before I ran out the door to meet Elizabeth and Yui.
I climbed into the back seat of Elizabeth's Audi and said hi to her and Yui. "How are you guys doing?"
Yui turned around, her sleek black hair falling over her left eye as she answered. "Pretty good. Did you pick a country yet?"
"Ya," I said. "I'm gonna do Hungary. One of my great-grandmothers was Hungarian. How about you?"
"Oh, I was thinking about doing my favorite country, Kazakhstan," Yui replied.
"Really?"
She just stared at me for a second. "That was called sarcasm, Alexis. I'm doing Japan. What else would I pick?" She gestured to her dark, almond eyes and her flat chest. "I can't pass for much else. Besides, I already have my cultural event ready. I brought some of my taiko drums from home. I'm going to play some songs and wear my outfit from my old group." She sighed nostalgically, "I've had pretty much no chances to play here. The school doesn't have a taiko club or anything. I really miss it. I can't wait to get back home so I can practice with my teacher again." She smiled, her snow-white teeth lighting up her whole face. "What are you going to do?"
"I figured I'd cook something Hungarian. Everyone loves free food, you know? Plus I can do it at home, so I can't mess it up at the International Fair itself." I thought back to Aqua Mountain, and how I had kept exposing myself to my crush James. I blushed and continued, "I seem to have bad luck sometimes. I wouldn't want to screw up in front of everyone."
"Nice plan," Elizabeth commented, glancing at me in the rearview mirror. "Of course, Yui's the lucky one. She has everything she needs already, but she just couldn't resist joining us, ya?" She reached over and squeezed Yui's breast gently, eliciting a squeak of surprise from the small girl.
"Elizabeth! Be gentle..." Yui cautioned. "Not everyone is a lumberjack like you, ya know."
Elizabeth, 6'1" and toned, grinned like a delighted tiger. "I know you can handle it. You've got plenty of muscle yourself, Yui. Can't hide much from me; I'll go exploring if I have to," she warned as her hand explored Yui's stomach and chest.
In my head, Alexander sighed contentedly. *Have I ever told you how thoroughly I