Chapter 28

When I finish my story, she sits in shock, staring at me. Not once had she interrupted during my story, and I'm not sure what to make of it.

"A-are you ok?" I try to snap her out of her shock.

She looks at me for a moment, opening and closing her mouth wordlessly.

"So y-you're... the daughter of-" She chokes out, but I interrupt her.

"Technically, but we don't talk about that." I shake my head.

"And you're not going to tell anyone about this?" She hesitates. "You can't. People would think you're crazy, and if you showed your power..."

"I would become some kind of government experiment." I finish for her, and she nods.

I hold her hands. "Promise me you won't tell anyone." I say, and she nods squeezing my hands.

"I swear. I won't tell a soul, but you have to show me some magic." She grins, and I return the smile. "Bet." I say. "But right now, we need to go back down to the party." We get off my bed and go back down to the crowded lower floor. I sit down on the couch with Faith, and people flock to me. My stomach twists into knots and I look to Faith. She meets my eyes and she squeezes my hand reassuringly. I'm so glad I have her next to me, my anxiety has returned and I miss when I felt braver.

I can't forget the murders, and the image of the murder scene right where I sit.

The party goes on well into the night, and my anxiety at the huge crowd does lesson some, but not much. Faith drags me up into the loft and we both lay down on the futon. As she drifts off to sleep, I allow myself to relax, and I close my eyes.

You're safe, it's fine. You're safe, you're safe, you're safe. I repeat this mantra in my head to try to calm down, to try to shove the horrors from my mind. Slowly, I drift off to sleep in the arms of Faith.

The next morning, I wake alone on the futon. My heart speeds and I run around the top floor, then to the bottom, fearing the worst. Rushing into the dining room, I find Faith sitting at the breakfast table, sipping orange juice from a coffee mug and reading an issue of Sandman.

She looks up and smiles, and I let out a long breath. Shakily, I sit down across from her and steal her cup. Taking a sip, she snorts.

"Your parents are at work, they wanted to stay here with you, but I told them I'd make sure you didn't disappear again. They didn't want to agree at first, but I told them that while you were away you learned how to wield a sword." She steals back her mug.

I kind of wish that mom and dad were here, but they have been worrying and probably not going to work for too long.

"So, I heard that they found my body." I say, and she chokes on the orange juice.

"Supposedly," she coughs, " They found someone out in the woods, but your parents weren't convinced it was you, your mom said that the body didn't have the scar on the elbow, the one that you got last summer when you crashed your bike on the trail. She said that she knew you were still alive, but she did have a service and burial for the body they found." She takes a sip from her cup.

"I know who she is, the body." I say quietly. "She's the other me, from the AU. She was murdered by her parents because she wasn't me." I explain quietly, and Faith sets the book down.

"The one that was stuck in your mind?" I nod. "So in a way, she was you, and in a way, your mom buried you." I think on it a moment, and refill her mug.

"Yeah, I guess she did. Do you know where she's buried? I want to go." I stand, and she hold out her hand.

"Woah, woah, woah, slow down there, buckaroo. Your parents have entrusted me to keep you under house arrest, and therefore I shall not allow you to leave." I sit down in a pretend huff and pout like a child.

"But mooooom." I whine, and she wags her finger.

"No butts, young lady, you're grounded." We burst into laughter, tears streaming down our face. When we manage to calm down, I walk over to the kitchen and grab a pair of scissors from the drawer, then place them in front of her.

"I need you to do me a favor," I say as she picks up the scissors, "Cut my hair? You want to be a hairstylist, and I'm a willing practice dummy." I sit and remove my hair illusion, revealing my long, black hair. She stands and walks over to take my hair in her hands.

"You want to cut it? But its the length you've always wanted." She protests, and she's right. I had always wanted my hair to be half way down my back, but I don't want to be who I was in the other world.

"I want it to right under my chin, then after that we're burning the hair." I say, confidence painting my words.

"If you insist." She begins chopping and snipping at my hair, and all the while telling me about school drama. She talks about how things changed after I had gone, how there were candle lit vigils, and pep sessions in my memory. She then begins to worry if I will be able to graduate into a senior, but I don't worry too hard on it.

"Middletown High taught me a lot more than here did. All I'll have to do is take an admittance test and they should pass me right along." I say, and she hums.

"I hope so, because if you don't graduate with me, I might die." She says, and knowing her, she's about half serious. About an hour passes before she is done with my hair, and I go to the bathroom mirror and admire my friend's handiwork. She brought back what I had looked like almost two years ago, and I love it. Turning, I hug and thank her, then sweep up my hair. We go out to the fire pit and dump the hair in, then light it, and cover it with the mesh cage. We sit and watch it burn from a safe distance, so as to not inhale the smell of burning hair.

Once the fire dies down, we go back inside and Faith insists that I show her some of my magic. Reluctantly, I agree, and we go up into my room and close the doors and windows.

"What do you want me to do?" I ask, shuffling through my collection of books.

"Make yourself invisible." I laugh, and easily do what she asked. She gasps, and I sneak to be right next to her, then popping back into sight, I successfully scare her. We giggle like the children we are and she gives me a playful shove.

"Ok, ok. Make yourself look like me." I study her for a moment. I look at her beautiful green-blue eyes, over her chin length black and blue hair, her glasses, her large and gentle lips. I look at the gentle curve of her jaw and her soft chin, her broad shoulders. I look at my beautiful friend who I know and love so much, and I close my eyes. I imagine my look to shift into her. When she gasps, I know I'm successful.

"Waddya think?" I ask her in her voice. She looks long and hard at me, and shakes her head slowly.

"That isn't me." She whispers, and I take her by the hand and lead her to the mirror on my door. In it I see no difference between us, and I tell her so.

"This is you, Faith. Never forget you're beautiful." I give her a tight hug and change back to my own face.

"Come on. I'm gonna make ravioli and we are gonna eat in the living room and watch Adventure Time." I drag her out of my room and stay true to my word. After the ravioli is eaten and we've watched about twelve episodes, mom and dad come back home and Faith has to go home.

I say good-bye to her sadly, and promise to talk to her in a few days.

"Promise me you won't disappear again." She whispers, and I nod.

"I swear it. I promise you I won't disappear again." We hug one last time before she drives away, and I go back inside to eat supper with my parents.