This is the first chapter of Inversion again. Sorry, but I just had to correct the mistakes that I found when I was looking in over again. This is NOT an update!

Inversion: Chapter 1

Jessie Bannon absentmindedly stared at the photo that had puzzled her for so long a time. No matter how many times she tried to redevelop it, it always came out as a negative. It didn't look to be a meaningful shot, just a timed one of herself, Jonny, and Hadji sitting on a fence near the edge of the Quest estate, but it had importance within her own mind.

It had been taken just before Jonny had left for college.

When he'd left, he'd promised to call, write, visit, the whole shebang. He had written to all of them, but didn't visit once, nor did he call.

He had left nearly a year and a half ago. And he still wasn't back.

A single picture was all that Jessie had gotten from him over the summer, from some kind of scavenger hunt thing to initiate the freshmen, taken by his senior. Jessie glanced over at the photo of Jonny working laboriously in the sun. Her bright green eyes traveled over Jonny's tanned torso, shown clearly in the picture since he was digging shirtless, down to whatever he was excitedly pulling out. His grin, though frozen, showed Jessie how little her childhood friend had changed. Her eyes rose back up to his face, tanner than before, but with the same shock of blonde hair and the same vivid blue eyes.

She glanced at the clock and went reluctantly to her closet, where she pulled out a form-fitting red shirt and a black skirt along with her favorite black boots. Jessie made a face as she stared at the skirt. She didn't much like skirts; she thought they hindered her in movement, which she always needed in case some weirdo tried attacking any of her adopted family. But tonight was a "special occasion," according to her dad; some new teen in town who called himself Jager had asked her out on a date.

Her first real, official, yes-I-am-in-my-own-body date.

Joy.

She changed rapidly, still studying the negative photo.

How odd, she thought to herself. With Jonny inverted, his blonde hair and blue eyes both become black. Jonny inverted looks exactly like Jager does. She shrugged as she zipped her boots up, dismissing the similarity from her mind.

Halfway across the country, Jonny Quest lay in his room, taking a short break before going to his math class; he had to take advantage of the tutoring while it was here.

Jessie, he reflected. And Hadji. I wonder how they are. I haven't seen them in such a long time that I'm beginning to wonder if they aren't just imaginary friends.

"Mail for you, Jonny!" his roommate, Risika, called as she stepped through the door, tossing him a package that bore an air mail stamp. She sat down at the computer and began surfing the web, politely ignoring Jonny so as to give him some privacy.

Jonny sat up and eagerly opened it, ready for news of his friends and family. Once he opened the package though, he stared down at it in surprise. Something was sitting on top that was clearly not from his friends, and had evidently been slipped in at the last minute without the senders' knowledge.

It was a picture of himself, but... not. Black hair, not blonde; black eyes, not blue; pale clothing, not dark. But to the right of the not-Jonny, Jessie was photographed, and she wasn't inverted. The only thing that struck Jonny as odd about Jessie was the expression on her face. Jessie's eyes held a dullness in them that seemed to say more eloquently than words how uncomfortable she was with the boy.

A simple message was inscribed on the reverse of it: She has moved on. It would be well if you do the same. There was no signature.

Jonny swore softly and he crumpled the photo into a tight ball. He tossed it from his sight, and sifted through the rest of the parcel.

One letter from Hadji, one from his dad, one from Race, one from Jessie, and... Jonny laughed loudly when he saw that Bandit had included his paw print on the inner wrapping.

Then he began reading Jessie's letter and sobered slightly, a hint of a smile still playing around his mouth.

Dear Jonny,

I'm so jealous of you, getting to leave for college already. Dad wanted me to take a year off, just like he did before going to college; he does realize that we are two different people, right? Anyway, on to town news. There's this new kid that just moved here, Jager. He's been coming onto me, pretty strongly, and it's been kind of hard for me. I mean, you guys always said how pretty I am, but I've never really believed it. But it's weird (don't think I'm crazy!)... You remember that negative photo I have of us? Well, he looks just like you do in that inverted picture. Anyway, Dad convinced me to go out with the guy once, and he was a perfect gentleman.

But I couldn't get you out of my mind the whole way through. (Curse you, Jonny Quest!)

I really miss you, Jonny. Come home soon.

Love, Jessie.

Jonny thought absently to himself, I miss you, too, Jessie. He gently tucked her letter back into its envelope before reaching for a pen and paper to write a note to her. After a week or so, he would have the next month off, and would be coming home.

A few weeks later, Jessie was staring at Jager as he begged her forgiveness. Her mind flashed back to the pain she'd felt when he'd slapped her. After she told him she didn't want to see him anymore, he'd hit her. Hard.

She interrupted his deluge of pardon-begging with, "Why are you doing this? I don't care how sorry you are, you can't take back what you did." She winced slightly after speaking; the bruise on her face made it difficult talking without it hurting.

Jager's black eyes looked back at her sorrowfully. "Jess, please. I didn't mean it. But you told me you didn't want to see me anymore, and I couldn't understand why. Then when you told me that Jonny would be returning, I knew that it was because of him that you didn't want me around. Then I just... I got so angry at you leaving me for someone else..."

"Sorry, Jager," she said shortly. "But how can I be leaving you if I was never with you?" Jessie stood to leave, but paused when she heard Jager call after her.

"What d'you mean, Jess?"

A smirk played across her mouth. "I mean that I was never went out with you by choice." She turned on her heel, leaving him slack-jawed, and went into the Quest/Bannon house. Once the door had safely shut behind her, she let out a laugh that had been bubbling up within her since she'd told him that Jonny was coming back. She continued laughing hysterically, sinking down onto the foyer floor, hiccupping and laughing alternately.

That was how Jonny found her when he stepped through the door: on the floor, desperately in need of oxygen. He quickly lifted Jessie up and carried her into her room, and gently laid her onto her bed.

Then Jessie saw him, and instantly stopped laughing. "Jonny!" she cried, and lunged to envelop him in a fierce embrace. He hugged back just as tightly, but let her go when a blush stained her features and she pulled away.

"You're here! You're back!" She paused suddenly and suspiciously asked, "This isn't a dream, is it?" When Jonny shook his head no, she smiled and hugged him again. But then Jonny cried out, pressing his fingertips to his temples.

Jessie stared at him in shock and asked him, "Jonny, what's wrong? What can I do?"

Jonny stared back, eyes glazed over. Then he whispered, "Get me into QuestWorld."

Author Notes

Hello there, m'dears. This has been rattling around in my head for a while... Leave reviews!