Chapter 20: Just a Small Town Girl, Living in a Lonely World

*MASON'S POV*

Did I just hear what I think I heard?  Surely not.

"What did you say?" I ask again, just to be sure.

"Hadley, our Hadley, is really Briana - and Briana is in Hadley's body - that's why she hasn't been able to remember anything."

Suddenly, I bust out laughing.

"That has to be the craziest joke I have ever heard." I tell her, "Where do you come up with this stuff?"

Evie looks at me and she's not laughing.  I sigh.

"I wish it were a joke, Mason, it's not." she says.

"Ev, come on," I say, "listen to what you're saying...it's crazy."
Evie glares at me, "Crazier than bringing her back from the dead in the first place?  Why is it so hard to believe that her body was switched somehow?"

I can't accept this.  I have been working too hard with Hadley...
"Mason, think about it...you were saying yourself how she wasn't like herself...maybe this is why."

"Okay, even if this is true, why hasn't Hadley in Briana's body said anything to me?  She's been living in my house now for almost a month."
Evie raises her eyebrows, "Probably because of how she knew you would react.  There is no way you would have accepted that coming from some chick you didn't even know."

"I can't believe this," I just keep saying, "this is impossible..."

"Just think about it, bro," Evie starts in again, "why would you even let Briana come stay with you?  You don't normally just let strangers stay in your house.  Why have you been so drawn to her?"

"Evie, I can't accept this...I just...can't..."

"Mason, please think about it.  Hadley needs us."

"I don't know." It's all I can say...because I genuinely don't.  I know that Hadley has been different, but that doesn't mean anything...necessarily...she lost her memory...but...

She hasn't been the same...she's a lot bitchier than she was, and whiny, and all of a sudden she's in love with a horse when she was never a big animal person...her temper is gone...her sense of humor has been gone, she's fixated on being famous and how much the paparazzi loves her...and she's more flighty than she ever was...maybe...

But what if I'm wrong?

What if Briana is Hadley?  What then?  How in the hell are we going to get them back to where they belong?  Why hasn't "Real Hadley" brought this up with "Real Briana"?

Well, I guess as long as I don't know what's going on, both of them are staying in the house...

THE NEXT MORNING....

*REAL HADLEY*

Evie told me she spoke with Mason and even though he acted like he didn't believe her, he is probably thinking about it, so...I guess it's just a waiting game...and I don't want to do anything that might anger the wacko that's taken over my body.

I don't know what I'm going to do...damn, skinny bitch...I should get it really fat.
Pancakes it is!

  

As I put them down on the counter, I hear someone come up behind me.

"What the hell is this?"
Ahh, it's The Bitch.

"Pancakes, help yourself," I tell her.

"They're not poisonous, are they?" She asks, "You know, I'm a little smarter than that."

In response, I grab a fork and take a bite out of one of them.

"You could have poisoned the rest of them," she says.
"I'm hurt, you actually think I would drug you?" I can't keep my smart mouth shut.

"Actually, yeah," she replies.
"So fix a plate and take them to Mason, I hear him getting up," I say, "you know I wouldn't risk hurting him."

This seems to pacify her.

She grabs a plate and eats them standing up.

"These are really good..." she says between bites.
"Yeah...they're a secret recipe...they're m...*light bulb*...they're Mason's mom's famous recipe...his favorite."

"Nice try, I know his mom can't cook," she says.
"Aww, can't get one over on you," I say slyly, "...but it's true, they're pancakes, anyone can fix pancakes."
"I'm not an idiot," she says matter-of-factly.

Huh, matter of opinion.

"I know," I reply, "fine, don't believe me.  I'm sure Mason will realize you're not me when you never remember anything...so, fine, go ahead, give them to him...tell him I made them...that'll be sure to send him into my arms even faster."

"Whatever"

"Screw you too."

She picks up a plate and heads into the dining room calling for Mason all the way.  Now I just have to hope she takes the bait.

Her screeching sounds horrible on my voice, I have to say, "MASON!  Come downstairs, I made you something!"

*MASON'S POV*

"Baby, you made these?" I ask her.
"Yup," she replies.

Hmm, maybe it is her.

"Delicious...eating these always reminds me of being a kid." I tell her.  Is she starting to remember something?

"Uh, yeah, somehow I just knew how to make them," she says, "like I was remembering something...didn't...it's kind of fuzzy, but someone gave me the recipe."

He leans back and smiles, "That's right!  You're remembering...I used to get so excited when I would come downstairs and she would be in the kitchen making these pancakes."

Her eyes brighten and she smiles.  Oh wow, she is remembering something!  Evie is so crazy, she didn't know what she was talking about.

"Yeah, I didn't want to say anything, but I remember your mom fixing these." she says.

Huh?

"Uh, I have to go to work," I say and head out.

Okay, was she confused?  Maybe she just thinks that's who it was in her memories...

See, it wasn't my mom...my grandmother would fix pancakes for us whenever she would visit...and Hadley got the recipe from her...but...if she was remembering the pancakes, wouldn't she remember that?

Damn, how did my life get so confusing?
Unfortunately, I don't have time to think about it because I have a game.

*REAL HADLEY'S POV*

The bitch and Mason are at his football game, Keely is down for a nap, and I am bored...so I start exploring my house...

Ahh, my bath tub...I debate taking a nice bubble bath, but I don't want to freak Mason out, getting all Fatal Attraction on him....and I don't want the crazy bitch to try to drown me...*sigh* better not.

So I head downstairs...

I turn on the TV, but it doesn't help because there's some wedding show on and it reminds me of my wedding...
Am I ever going to be able to kiss my husband again?

This is too depressing.

Back to channel surfing...

I didn't even hear the door open and shut, but Mason comes in and he's staring at me.

"Hey," I greet him.  I'm not in the mood to try to pretend to be someone I'm not, so I hope he just leaves me alone.

"Hey," he replies, but he just stands there.

Oh-kay...
"Have a good game?" I ask him.

"Yeah, we won," he answers.

"Great," I reply...he's still standing there staring at me.  God, he's hot...ugh.  Cold shower, cold shower...

He's still standing there.  What is he waiting for?  An engraved invitation to sit on his own couch?

"Do I have something on my face?" I ask.
"No...uh...I need to talk to you..."

Exasperated, I ask him, "What is it?"

"What did you tell me the first time you saw me dressed like this?"

Wait, that's not a question for the "new" me...
I look at him and he's staring at me expectantly, then I look around for her....she's nowhere in sight...

I stand up...

"Well, first I said..it was different..." I say, walking toward him...
"Yeah?  What else?" he asks.

"...I told you you needed a purple hat with a feather and some gold teeth to go with it..."

He walks toward me slowly...too slowly...or not slow enough...

and before I know what's going on, he grabs me and kisses me...the deepest, most passionate kiss I think I have ever received from him...and we've had some good ones...

Thank God...