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Dear Great Aunt Harriet,
I know you don’t like me. I get it. But I know that Katherine did something to you, and though I’m not sure what it is, I’m sure that it was bad. The only thing I can really do is apologize for her and move on. I’m planning to trick her, if that helps. I’d kill her, but we’re kind of connected, so killing her would kill me. She’s given me a book on doppelgangers, and I’m planning to read it later. Who knows, maybe it’ll have something I can use against her! Anyways, I truly am sorry and hope that we can start again.
Sincerely,
Kieyra Gordon
I put the letter in an envelope addressed to Harriet Pierce and slipped it into the mail box at the Post Office.
“Kieyra, hurry up! We’re going to be late for the wedding!” Sarah called from her car window. Sydney
Chapter One-The Basics
If you’re reading this, you’re either a), a hapless doppelganger trying to figure out how to live with your evil shadow double, b), a skeptic who’s been forced by a friend to learn about doppelgangers, c), someone reading this for a good laugh thinking it’s fiction, or d), all of the above. If you’re one of the aforementioned readers, and either bored to death or in a rush, you should probably just stick to reading the first chapter. This chapter is filled with the basic things you’ll need to know to survive living with an evil double of yourself.
The first thing you’ll need to know is that you cannot kill your doppelganger. As much as we all know you’d like to, you are connected to your doppelganger in numerous ways, and killing them would kill you, and, therefore, would not be in your favor. You can, however, disconnect yourself from the doppelganger, but there are only records of one person ever succeeding in doing so.
Secondly, your doppelganger can feel your feelings, and you can feel theirs. This can be an asset as well as a weakness. Your doppelganger will therefore feel when you are most vulnerable and use your vulnerability to manipulate you, but you can also use this against them.
If for some odd reason you wish to turn evil and get along with your doppelganger, there are some assets you will obtain such as being able to send each other messages with your mind and sensing when your doppelganger is in danger.
“What’s this book about?” Anna asked, ripping the book from my hands.
“Stuff.” I snatched it back quickly enough that Anna couldn’t read the front cover.
“Fine then, don’t tell me. But just remember, you still owe me for letting you-know-who out of the you-know-what.” Anna said quietly.
“Voldemort?” Sarah asked.
“Not that you-know-who, you airhead.” Katie said, sighing.
“Hey! I’m smart!” Sarah defended.
“Yeah, okay. You just keep on thinking that, sis.” Anna said, rolling her eyes.
“Hey.” Jade whispered as I took my seat in between her and Alec.
“Hi.” I said even quieter. I wasn’t exactly in the mood for wedding small talk.
“Are you okay? You look worried.” Alec asked.
“Well, I wonder why.” I said a little too harshly. I was about to tell him that I was sorry and didn’t mean it when we heard the classic wedding march.
I watched as the bridesmaids came down the aisle in their pretty purple dresses, followed by Nathen carrying the ring and Farrah throwing flower petals. Then came my mom and Grandpa, my mom looking all pretty and happy and my grandpa just smiling as he walked his daughter down the aisle.
When I was first turned into a vampire-when I woke up that morning in the dungeons and realized what I had become-I had about a million questions ringing around in my head all at once, like “what’ll I do if I accidentally bite my brother?” or “will I ever get out of here?” and “how long will it be before my vampire hunting father realizes what I am and drives a stake through my heart?”-all generally normal questions. There was only one question that I hadn’t thought of, and as I sat in the front row of chairs next to my best friends and boyfriend it was the only thing on my mind.
I guess I started to think about this when they gave us the option sheets for High School. When I first got them, I had literally no idea what to do. I figured that as a vampire it wouldn’t matter what classes I took-it wasn’t like I was going to University or College anyways. When I told my mom about the options sheets, she sat down with me and asked me what I wanted to do with my life. I told her I didn’t know, so she said, “Then why close any doors? Why take easier classes and lose the opportunities to do what you’ll want to do later? I know you’re young, but it’s never too early to plan for your future.” That got me thinking. What kind of future would I have? What kind of future could I have? I mean, even if my plan did succeed and no one but Damien and his minions had to die-I’d still be thirteen forever. I would never be able to get a driver’s license, drink, get a decent job or-now that I thought about it- get married. Plus, how long until my family and everyone in town realized I wasn’t aging? How long until they sent in doctors and I had to run away? When I ran away, who would come with me? Of course, I wanted Alec to be part of my future, but whom else? I couldn’t exactly ask my friends to throw their futures away just so I wouldn’t have to spend an eternity alone with Alec, Katherine and Dave’s family. How long until Dave had to break it off with my mom? I mean, it’s not like their relationship could last, right? Would I go with the Wilkins’ or would I leave with Katherine and Alec? Just thinking about living on my own with the two of them made me even more anxious.
“What’s wrong? And don’t lie to me this time.” Alec asked, barely even whispering. I was about to say “Nothing” when I realized that, overall, I’d lied too much to him. I tried to remember the last time I’d told him the truth and couldn’t think of a single thing. So I decided to let him in on what I really thought for once. I tried not to think about what I was about to do too much-if I thought about it I’d realize how incredibly risky it was and talk myself out of it. I slipped my charm bracelet off of my wrist and into my lap, repeating the abridged version of what I’d been thinking about-leaving out anything that involved my plans with Katherine. Then I quickly slid the bracelet back on and looked at Alec with a look that reminded me slightly of Bambi after his mom died.
“It’s alright-everything will work out, I promise.” He reassured, entwining his fingers in mine just as my Mom and Dave finished saying “I do” and the Priest said “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.” I wondered if Alec would ever kiss me. I wondered if anyone would ever kiss me. I could have sworn I was the only one in my grade who’d never been kissed. I turned and looked at Alec longingly.
“The timing has to be perfect. It has to be the right moment.” He said. Really? The perfect timing? The right moment? I could think of plenty of moments that were perfect, like when I told him I loved him, or on Valentines Day, or even when I told him I was going to sacrifice myself to Damien. Even right then and there would have been okay. Quite frankly, timing wasn’t important to me, or anyone else in the world for that matter.
After the wedding was the wedding dinner, and then the wedding reception, where mom and Dave had their first dance, which basically means they were too involved in their dancing to care what Nathen or I did. After the first dance there were a bunch of fast songs that I danced with Jade and Tegan to (and badly, I might add), and then a slow song. Tegan found one of my strange cousins to dance with and Jade and I (awkwardly) danced together until I felt a light tap on my shoulder. I turned around.
“May I interrupt?” asked Alec, smiling.
“Of course.” Jade said. She went to go get some punch, leaving me and Alec alone.
“What is it?” I asked.
“Nothing, I just wanted to dance with you. Is that so bad?” I smiled, shaking my head.
“Fine. I’ll dance with you, but only this once.” I said.
“That’s all I get? One dance?”
“Until I figure out exactly what mood I’m in. Then possibly a second.”
“Oh? How are you feeling, then?”
“Well…It’s complicated. Happy, because my mom finally put herself out there and got re-married, sad, because I know that their relationship is doomed to end, scared, because we’re leaving tonight, anxious, because I have no idea how this will turn out, and a little mad because you won’t kiss me. But only a little.” He chuckled.
“I told you, it has to be the right moment.”
“What’s a better moment than slow dancing to a romantic song?” I suggest. He rolls his eyes and kisses my cheek.
“Okay, you know that’s not what I meant.” I growled.
“Like I said, not the right moment.” He smirked.
After the slow song was over, I went over to my mom and told her that my friends and I volunteered to help clean up after the reception was over, and suggested that Tegan and Jade sleep over. She, of course, was delighted that I actually wanted to help out with something and didn’t even think about it before she said yes.
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“Goodnight girls, time to go to bed!” My mom said, opening my bedroom door. All three of us were tucked snugly in our fluorescently colored sleeping bags on my floor, in our pajamas.
“Goodnight mom.” I said.
“Goodnight Mrs. Gordon!” said Tegan and Jade.
“I love you, Kieyra.”
“Love you, mom.” My mom smiled and closed my door. We waited for fifteen minutes, just lying there, until we heard loud snoring.
“Is operation Gordon-Wilkins House Sneak-Out ago?” asked Tegan
“Couldn’t we have shortened the name?” asked Jade.
“Yes and yes.” I said. We put all of our bags on my bed and tied them all to a rope, which we then lowered down through my window. Then, I tied the rope around my waist and stood in front of my window as Tegan and Jade lowered themselves down. Then, I turned out my light, untied the rope, hid it under my bed and jumped out the window.
“You kids going somewhere?” I froze at the sound of Dave’s voice.
“No, we were just…um…” I failed to think of a plausible excuse for why we were leaving.
“Relax, I know all about you guys’ plan to help Kieyra escape Damien, and I’m okay with it.” Mariana appeared in front of us with Katie and Anna.
“Kieyra, I’m officially forgiving you for the Katherine thing.” Anna said.
“Thanks, Anna.”
“I’ll stay behind and text or call you if I see anything happening with the hole-Katie and I will keep watch.” Katie nodded in agreement with her sister.
“I have a few things, too.” Mariana said, “Come with me for a second.” I followed Mariana to the side of the house.
“First is magical dust that lets you see anywhere you want to see in the world if you put it in water.” Mariana handed me a beige leather pouch that I put directly into my pocket.
“Second is for the thing we talked about earlier.” Mariana winked, handing me a small, black rectangular box.
“Inside is a necklace that will render whoever touches it unconscious for two hours. And don’t worry-if someone who used it happened to have a doppelganger, it wouldn’t affect the doppelganger in the slightest.” She added.
“Thanks.” I said. We went back to where my friends were.
“Dave, make sure my mom knows I love her. Nathen too.” He nodded. Anna handed me my duffel bag.
“It’s been nice knowing you, Kieyra. I was wrong about you. You’re not like Katherine at all in the slightest. If you make it out alive, we could actually have a chance at friendship.” She said.
“Thanks…I think.” Anna laughed.
“You better get going now.” Dave said.
“Thanks for all your help.” I said, hugging him for the first time.
“No problem, kiddo.”
The walk to my dad’s house was over an hour long-two hours including the time it took for Elena to catch up to us after we forgot her, plus all of the rest stops my friends had to take. When we got there, we were surprised to see that the lights were still on.
“That’s funny. My dad’s usually in bed by 9:30, and it’s almost midnight.” I said. We heard moaning from inside.
“Is that your dad or a bear?” asked Jade.
“My dad. Bears are more pleasant.”
“Do I really have to go in there?” Tegan asked.
“Yes!” yelled Elena, Jade and I.
“Fine.” She grumbled. The door was locked, so I made her climb in an open window. I looked in and saw my dad-along with ten empty beer bottles-on a rampage around his house, knocking over stuff.
“Why did she have to go and marry that stupid accountant???? Why, why??? I’m not the crazy one!!! I was a good husband!!!!” I heard my dad groan, taking another sip of his beer. Tegan tiptoed across the room, avoiding my dad’s constant throwing of books off of his bookshelf.
“Five bucks on the crazy old guy.
“Where did you guys come from?” Jade asked.
“We’ve been trailing you for the past hour, when you passed Sam’s house.” Ryan said.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“We were bored!” Sam said. I heard Alec’s car going down the road about a mile away.
“Hurry up Tegan!” I whined to myself.|
“Got it!” Tegan said as she crawled back through the window.
“Ha, you owe me five bucks.” Said Ryan.
“What are they doing here?” Tegan asked.
“We have no idea.” Said Jade. I took the keys from Tegan and started loading our stuff into the van.
“Hey.” I heard Alec’s voice behind me.
“Hey.” I turned around and handed him the keys.
“What are the guys doing here?”
“I don’t know, but I have a feeling they have no idea how to get home. I’d suggest we drop them off on the way, but we can’t really go back into town.” Alec nodded.
“We’ll have to take them.” He said as I followed him to the driver’s side.
“I guess so.” He started the engine and the car roared to life. I heard my dad’s moaning stop for a second-he was trying to decipher the noise we’d just made.
“Everyone get in!” Jade yelled.
“I call shotgun!” I said.
“Aw, man!” said Ryan. Tegan, Jade and Elena took the middle and Ryan and Sam sat in the back with all of our luggage.
“Is everyone ready?” Alec asked. There was a chorus of “yeah”s from the backseats. He turned to me.
“Are you ready?” I thought about it. I was just about to execute a very-poorly devised plan that may or may not have worked. Was I ready? I sucked in all my fear and put on my seatbelt.
"Let's go."
"Let's go."
