Still Deciding

I walked home alone. I didn't know what I had done that had upset Ellie so much but I had to make it up to her. She was probably still upset over what had happened yesterday and really I couldn't blame her. I never should have let her go off with Justin. No. It's not my fault, I tried to convince myself. It probably would have happened eventually anyway, Justin always got his way. He almost had his way with Paige too, but she was smarter, she knew what he was capable of. But how could Ellie have known? I should have warned her.

[-----]

Tina had arrived home to find me still asleep, curled up under my blankets. She woke me up at around six for dinner and forced me to crawl out of my comfy bed to eat. It must be said again how grateful I am that she was the one who had knocked me unconscious. She didn't mention what happened yesterday again and I was not going to bring it up. We talked pointlessly. She asked how I was liking school and then went into how she had loved going when she was my age and then said how much she missed it now.

The next morning came with the prospect of facing Josh again after my angry outburst at him. I hoped he wouldn't be too upset with me.

I made my way through the school to my first class of the day, English. I was inside first, alone with the teacher. She asked me some questions about myself before other students began to slowly enter the room too.

The chairs beside me were pulled unexpectedly out from under the table and I turned left to find Amber and right to find a girl who I had never seen before.

"Hey Ellie." Amber said. "This is Charlotte."

"Hi." I said nervously.

"Hello." Said Charlotte happily.

"So Ellie. You and Josh seem like you're pretty good friends already." Amber remarked.

"Yeah. He's really nice." I replied.

"Well, I wouldn't expect anything from him romantically if I were you. He's still getting over one of our friends." Charlotte said, rather rudely.

"She disappeared not too long ago. It's quite sad really. The police haven't been able to find her but.... we've managed." Amber said, trying to be sad, but I could see through it.

"That's sad. Did Josh like your friend?" I asked, pretending to care.

"Yes. But he never told her. The saddest part is: Before she disappeared, she left Josh a note saying how much she cared about him." Charlotte said sadly.

"I don't think he'll ever get over it." Amber said.

I didn't know why they were telling me all this stuff. What did it have to do with me?

"You look like her, you know." Charlotte said offhandedly. Now I was starting to understand. They thought I could be there friend. Well, I could understand why she left, they didn't seem to care about her very much.

"Really?' I asked uninterestedly.

"Yeah. It's uncanny really. Except for the hair and eyes you two could have been twins." Amber said, and then looked at me for a length of time that began to feel very awkward. It was as if she was trying to make me remember something.

Charlotte was beginning to look frustrated and said, "Listen Paige-" Amber gave Charlotte a look and she angrily shut her mouth.

Why had she called me Paige? That must be the name of their friend that disappeared, I guessed. They really must think I'm her. But I couldn't be her. Could I?