A Mistaken Identity

Despite what I told my uncle, I ultimately went back to the orphanage for awhile. It was hard for me to do, but it was the only thing that I could do. For years, he was the only one that really cared about me. Even though I never realized who he was, Uncle Alabaster was always the one to care. So, it was the only place that I could go. The orphanage, as it turned out, was more of a home for me than being with my parents had ever been. It was where I grew up, and it seemed like the only place I could ever call home.

It had been three months since Karleigh’s funeral and I had found that, in the past year, I had changed an awful lot. The techno music that I used to listen to was a thing of the past. It was now Jonas Brothers music. No one knew that though. Only Karleigh knew that. As for Karleigh, she was the only one I ever talked to anymore. My uncle too. I preferred to sit alone in my room talking with my dead twin. Actually, it was because of her that I was even aware of what was going on with the Jonas family. Nick was still upset over what happened, but the others were too busy raising their daughters to care about what I did.

After everything that happened, I felt sorry for Nick. He was having a hard time dealing with Karleigh’s death. He wasn’t the only one; I was too. It was my twin sister. Of course I was going to have the most difficulty with what happened to my sister. Nick though. Hearing that Nick seemed to be having as much difficulty with Karleigh’s death made me want to go back, even though I knew that I couldn’t. It was impossible for me to do Nick wanted nothing to do with me. “Damn it, Nick! Why do have to be so stubborn?” I wondered.

Karleigh laughed. “So, you’ve finally admitted to yourself how much you really do care for Nick. See, I told you that you were going to fall for Nick. It was inevitable. But, with Nick acting the way that he has been, I’m not sure what’s going to happen.” My cell phone rang. “Perfect. There’s our answer. Kimber, answer that phone. It’s going to help.”

“Who is it?” I wondered.

“Well, it’s not Nick,” she said.

“Obviously,” I noted. “Of course it wouldn’t be him. He hates me and we both know it.” I sighed and turned my attention to my phone, answering it as my twin sister asked me to do. “Hello?”

“Hey, Kimberleigh,” Betsy said.

“Oh, hey, Betsy,” I said. “What’s going on?”

Rather than Betsy answering, it was Amanda who spoke up. “We have a plan to get Nick to forgive you for everything that happened. So, we’re going to need you to fly out to Pennsylvania in about two weeks.”

“Pennsylvania? Why?” I asked.

“Because that’s the only place that this is going to work,” Amanda explained. “In about two weeks, Betsy’s and my aunt will be holding her annual brunch. Since all three boys became good friends with our cousin Steve, all three boys were invited, despite only Kevin and Joe being a part of our family. It’s the one chance you have at convincing Nick to let go of what happened and the fact that he believe you had a hand in Karleigh’s death.”

“Okay,” I agreed.

“Good. We’ll see you there,” Betsy said.

That was the conversation I had with the Jonas sisters two weeks ago. I had traveled out to the address the girls gave me and was now awaiting someone to answer the door. A few minute passed and I soon found the door to be opened by the girls’ aunt. “You must be Lizzie and Amanda’s friend.”

I nodded. “I am.”

“Come in then,” their aunt said.

I did so and immediately ran into Betsy and Amanda as they were talking with their uncle. “Come with us. You need to know about the plan we came up with,” Amanda said.

“What is the plan?” I asked.

“Look, for right now, you need to remain hidden. We asked Kevin and Joe to stay behind and come over with Nick. It was done so that we could get you I here and our plan get put into action,” Betsy explained. “Now, go into the back room. When Nick comes, we’ll send him in. Until the two of you are able to work things out, you and Nick will be locked in that room.”

“Okay,” I nodded.

“Perfect. Come on then,” Amanda said.

After I was locked in the back room, all I could do was listen to what was going on outside. I had to wait for Nick. The boys were not yet here and that was what I needed. I sighed. “I hope this is going to work. No matter how much I may have denied, I know that I am in love with him. I guess a part of me always knew that. Admitting it to myself was always the problem. I grew up hating the Jonas Brothers.” As a result of that, I never expected that really was going to fall for Nick, particularly after all the time I had spent persuading myself that something like that was never going to happen. But, it did. And, I knew it.

Half an hour passed before the door was once again unlocked. Nick was pushed inside fore the door was again locked. He looked back and saw me. Seeing me there, Nick then began angrily banging on the door. “Let me out of here!” he yelled to whoever it was that locked him.

“Sorry, Nick,” Joe said.

“Yeah,” Kevin agreed. “You’re not getting out of there until Kimberleigh gets an apology from you for everything that happened. Queeny and Mandolin were the ones who asked that Kimberleigh masquerade as Karleigh as Karleigh. It wasn’t her fault that happened.”

Nick scoffed. “Yeah, right. Now, let me out.”

“That’s not going to happen, Nick,” I said. Nick needed to understand what was going on, and he was not getting out of here until he did. “You need to understand what led to all of this, what led to me doing this. It was all for a reason. And, Karleigh’s death? Well, there was no way that you guys could have known that Allison and Zora were going to do that. It couldn’t be stopped.”

“Really?” Nick glared at me, angered over the fact that he was locked in here with me. He didn’t want to be around me. “And, what if someone I happen to care about dies because of Allison and Zora and everything they’ve done? What’s going to happen then?” he wondered.

“I really don’t know,” I said.

“And, trust? How can I trust you,” he asked, “particular after you spent nine months masquerading as my girlfriend when she had been dead since my brothers got married?”

I rolled my eyes. “Maybe because before all of this happened, I hated you and your brothers. I wanted nothing to do with any of you. The only reason I came into your lives was because of my sister and what happened to her. I deceived you because of her. So, it’s not like it’s ever going to happen again. I’m through trying to deceive everyone, especially myself,” I said, thinking of all the times that Karleigh told me that I was in love with Nick, but I never believed it. Now I did. Karleigh was telling me the truth about me liking him.

“What do you mean?” Nick asked.

It doesn’t matter,” I said.

Nick groaned. “One chance.”

“Huh?” I asked.

“You have one chance to prove to me that you’re not going to do something like that ever again,” Nick explained. “So, I suggest that you use your chance wisely, or else you’re gone.”

I nodded. “Don’t worry. I will.” There was absolutely no way that I was going to waste the one chance I had at proving this to Nick. If I did, there was no telling as to what was going to happen. And, since Karleigh made me realize how much I really did come to love Nick over the past year, I wasn’t going to let this opportunity slip through my fingers.

Karleigh smiled. “Good luck, Kimber.”