Chapter 16: Body Snatchers

*REAL HADLEY'S POV*

(formerly known as Briana)

Okay, y'all are probably thinking what the hell?  Who the hell?  Why the hell?  How the hell?

Yeah, I'm pretty much there too.

All I know is that until last night, I thought I was this skinny blonde named Briana with a daughter named Keely and an abusive husband named Trevor.

Why did I think this?  Simply, that was what I was told.  The only thing I remember is waking up in a dirty shack, not knowing who I was, hearing a screaming baby, and being screamed at by an angry man who turned out to be Trevor.  I didn't know what was going on, but if I knew I had to get up and do what he said or risk getting pummeled.  I didn't know how, but I recognized the face as the face of a man that would put a-hurtin' on me if I fell out of line.  I didn't realize it then, but I recognized it from my high school relationship with John.

As time went on, I just believed what I was told.  I have no idea how I got there though...the last thing I remember before that, from my real life...is...talking to Mason in the gym and...oh, wait...taking those pills...geez, I have some figuring out to do...were those body switch pills or something?  If that's the case, who the hell is in my body?  The real Briana?

So the answer is simple, right?  Go talk to...whoever the hell is in my body and get this straightened out...she's probably as confused as I am.

As I'm thinking, there is a knock at my door.

"Briana?  Are you awake?"  It's Mason.  Shit.  Do I tell him?  What do I tell him?  Will it freak him out?  Will he believe me?  Oh God, what if he doesn't believe me?

Maybe I better keep this under wraps until I talk to that other person downstairs...

"Come in," I reply.  Okay, act like Briana, act like Briana...well, how the hell does Briana act?

Okay, chill out, you fool...just act like you've been acting...without realizing that he's your husband...damn, what kind of crazy shit is this?

He walks in and my God is he gorgeous...ugh, this is going to be harder than I thought.

"Hey...uh...how's it going?" I ask, casually...at least I hope.  Of course I'm in this sheer lingerie...and I would like nothing more than to rub my body against his...

Damn it, Hadley!  Get yourself together...maybe I should have taken a cold shower before I talked to him.  This is so not going to be easy.

"Hey," he replies, smiling at me.  Maybe this conversation will work better if I turn around.

He continues, "I have great news..."

I raise my eyebrows, "What's that?"

"Hadley and I made up last night," he replies.

My breath catches.  Oh God, I hope he didn't...sleep with her...he couldn't, right?  He would know.  Wouldn't he?  A low growl comes out of my mouth before I can help myself.

Mason looks at me strangely, "Are you okay?"

Play it off!  "Uh, yeah, I'm just hungry.  My stomach is growling."

"Well shoot, come downstairs and get some breakfast," he says, "I'll take Keely for you and let you get ready."

"Thanks." I reply as he leaves.

I start to get dressed - in some clothes I haven't worn since I was a vampire and only eating blood...these were the smallest clothes I could find to fit on this stick body of hers.  It's funny, I have always been jealous of skinny girls, but being in her little body has been a pain.  I have felt awkward this whole time and now I know why.  I am not used to being this skinny...at least not naturally and for long periods of time.

Even though I told Mason I was hungry, food is the last thing on my mind.

I walk downstairs with a mission - to find my body and talk to whoever is inhabiting it.

I find her outside.  It's definitely weird looking at myself this way.

Halfway through the walk, I realize that she probably doesn't have her memory back, so I'm going to have to be careful what I say.  Shit, tact has never been a strong point for me.

"Hey Briana, what's going on?" She greets me in a slightly better manner than she normally does.  I shudder, worried about exactly why she is in such a good mood.

"Hey...Hadley...I'm okay...I was actually looking for you," I reply.

"Me?" she asks, "Why would you be looking for me?"

She looks at me cautiously, and I guess I understand that.  We haven't really gotten along since Mason invited Keely and me to stay here.

I have no clue how to bring up this subject, but I'm guessing slowly is probably going to do it best.

"I just want to...thank you...again for letting us stay here." I start.

"Oh," she is still eyeing me strangely and if I'm right, I'm sure I'm going to get used to that stare, "well, you're welcome."

"I have a question for you...did you lose your memory a few months ago?" I ask.

She raises her (my) eyebrow and looks at me strangely, and I recognize something clicking for her by the expression on her (my) face.  Just when I expect her to tell me, she answers, "No..."

Hmm, okay...do I give her the benefit of the doubt and think she just doesn't trust me?  I'll go with that for now.

"Really?"  I start, "You know, I really want us to be friends."

"Is that so?  That's news to me," she starts, "because it really seems like you have been trying to get close to my husband."

*Hold temper, hold temper, hold temper...okay*

"I'm sorry if it seemed that way, you guys are just so nice to let me stay here."

"Yeah, well...."

"Ya' know, this life has been hard on...me...especially since I lost my memory a few months ago..."

She looks bored.  Okay, what the hell?  I'm getting nowhere with this conversation.  I'm just going to go for it.

I take a breath and say, "...but things are better now...because I got it back.  I remember everything now."
That got her attention.  She looks up at me and my face that she's using has my "Shocked I got caught" face.

A sick feeling creeps into my stomach as I realize something.
"You know, don't you?" I ask.
"I don't know what you're talking about." she replies, looking away.
"Yes you do, Briana," I say.
Her head whips around so fast I think she has whiplash and she has those fiery eyes everyone used to accuse me of having when I got angry.
"Wow...how long have you known?" I ask.
"I swear, BRI-ana, I have no clue what you're talking about..." she looks scared. Uh-huh, I wish everyone who ever lied to me had my face - it would be a dead giveaway every time.

"See, you can't really lie to me while using my face," I tell her, "I can tell exactly what you're thinking."

She doesn't say anything for awhile, but then she glares at me.
"So what am I thinking now?" she asks.
"You're pissed off, but I can't imagine why..." I tell her.

Exasperation wipes over her face.
"Damn you!" she shouts.
Shocked, I reply, "Damn me?!"

She's fuming now, "Yes, damn you!  Why did you have to get your memory back?  Things were working out so well..."
Say wha-?  "Hold one, what?  Have you looked in the mirror lately?  Things are not going well...things are going extremely screwed up."

"No, things were fine...better actually..." she says.

"What world are you living in, sweetheart?" I ask her.
Her voice gets quiet, "One that is a lot better than the one I was living in, that's for sure."

Shit.  Of course...that's it...how could I be so stupid?  Why in the hell would she ever want to get back in her own body?  She has an awesome house, an awesome husband, a family that loves her...she has my life...and her life was...really shitty.  It was all I could do to get out of it.

She is officially in rant mode, "You should know, you lived it for months before you finally got out."
"Yeah, I do know, Briana, but you're out now...and once we get this straightened out, you and Keely can stay here for as long as you need..."
"No!"  She yells so loud I'm surprised the whole neighborhood doesn't hear, "I'm never going back to that life."

What?!

"What about your daughter?" I ask her.
"Shoot, she's in better hands with you than she ever was with me.  You birthed 100 babies, surely you can handle one more."

I try to be diplomatic, I really do.  Yeah, my temper gets the best of me.
"Bitch, are you crazy?" I scream at her, "What am I supposed to do?"
"I don't care what you do.  I'm in this life now and there's no way I'm giving it up."

"You are insane," I say, "you can't have my life."

A smile of satisfaction creeps over her face.
"I already do," she replies.
"Not when everyone finds out the truth," I say.
"Please, you think they're going to believe you?" she says, "You grew up in this life, if I tell them you're and making up lies about me, do you think they'll doubt me?  As far as everyone knows, I'm you."
My mouth drops open.  She's not actually doing this.
"So what's your plan?  To fake amnesia for the rest of your life, you don't know half of what my life was like."

"I can manage well enough," she replies.

As she stares me down, I realize that she is right - at least for right now, I can't tell Mason what's going on and I need to come up with a plan to expose her...I just don't know how, and I'm going to need some help.