The Replacement (Patreon)

He was already waiting at the meeting place when I arrived. Worn Nike sneakers, soiled grey CK joggers, and a black tank top. It was perfect. Fresh tram lines in both brows as well. There were already cigarette butts stamped out around him, so I guess he had been waiting for a while. This wasn't a meeting you wanted to be late to I suppose.

"Everything according to plan?"
"It's alright bruv"
"You used the checklist? Discarded what we wrote, done the purchases, del..."
"Mate," he interrupted, visibly irritated, "I still don't believe you can do what yous promise, but doing what you are supposed to is how yous survive, innit?"
"And I've been told to make sure," I answered, trying to sound like it was a burden for us both. "Tell me about the phone."
"It's factory reset. The listed apps installed and set up. Then drained till it shut"
"Good. Follow me. It's not far."

Of course! He had been waiting for so long because he had no other way to tell time besides the now dead cellphone.

"What about the note?" I asked he as we started to walk towards the industrial building where the magic would happen.
"All passwords and shit neat and tight on the loo mirror. After the swap I won't have any of that, right?"
"No. We'll send in a team right after the swap to reset all codes. You just have to let them in."
"And I get to keeps his money?"
"Money. House. Cars. Everything is yours once you are in his body. We only want what's in his safe."

He was quiet for a moment, walking next to me with an annoyingly bouncy gait. I suspected he wanted to know what was in the safe but was street-wise enough not to ask.

"Why me?"
"What?"
"Why yous pick me to swap body?"
I hesitated for a second. "Because no one would believe what someone with your history would say. And also because we think he would hate to be you."
"Because my life is shit?" I immediately regretted saying that last part. "Yeah, it is innit." he himself concluded.