Veronica came back soon after and allowed me to go to the bathroom, for everyone was out at the time. I looked in the mirror as I washed my hands I looked awful. I ran a brush through my hair and a toothbrush over my teeth before Veronica knocked on the door.
"Hurry up!" She shouted. I opened the door and she held the gun up again. I tied my legs once I got to the closet, and she tied the rest, and once again I was in darkness. I sat there for who knows how long. I passed the time with softly singing songs, or humming since the rag was in my mouth again, or just thinking about life. I had no idea how I would get out of this mess. Maybe if there was an opportunity I could tie Veronica up, but I had no idea when that would happen. I preferred not to dwell on that for it depressed me. I took naps, but was frequently woken up by my growling stomach. Veronica came in at one time and gave me a granola bar, but it did nothing to appease my hunger. I thought about school, about the people in my school. Matt especially. Why was he speaking to Veronica? And Tim? Why did he suddenly ask Veronica, who he thought was me, all of a sudden? He had never even spoken to me at school. It was no doubt her revealing clothes that she somehow made it past my parents in. That was another thing, how could none of my family notice the change in personality in "me"? I bet they passed it off as hormones. Wonderful.
Days passed. I was sure I would go mad in this closet. I was living off granola bars that Veronica brought. Occasionally I would be aloud a swig of water. I spent my majority of the time in darkness, listening the the silence or my family talking, when they were home. I got to listen to my brother's guitar playing, something I never knew he did, I heard my mom singing opera, and my dad playing the piano, things they all did when they thought no one was at home. I was really starting to appreciate them more, and I missed seeing them. I also had to listen to Veronica talking lovey-dovey talk with Tim. I could just barf, but didn't want to seeing as these were my clothes all around me. I hated this. I smelled, I hadn't taken a shower in days, and were still in the clothes I had worn the day Veronica had first put me in here. Why wasn't anyone coming for me? Did no one recognize the change? Kimmy had to, we never fought, but she was probably too ticked to notice or care. Kimmy had an Irish temper to go with her red hair, but I still loved her for it. I missed Kimmy, my parents, and even my annoying brother. My heart ached for them. Every night I cried myself to sleep thinking I would never see them again.
I had been in the closet for three days when one night while Veronica was on another date with Tim, I was awake in my closet, singing a New Found Glory in my head, when I heard the doorbell. I wondered who it was. I couldn't hear much until minutes later I heard footsteps coming up the stairs, and the door to my room opened.
"I don't know about this," Danny said.
"Danny," when I heard Kimmy's voice I smiled. She had noticed something was amiss! "You have to have seen something is a little off with Janie."
"Ok, so she's been a little weird, but that doesn't mean you can search her room for clues."
"We're worried about her," a new voice said. It was familiar, but I couldn't place it. It suddenly came to me, Matt. What was he doing here?
"Ok, but make it quick, and I'm staying." I heard my bed creak as Danny sat down. I heard rummaging. "Hey, that's her diary!" Danny objected.
"I know, maybe it'll bring some clues," Kimmy said, I heard pages being flipped. "Her handwriting changed the day we had our first and only fight, and she started wearing that weird getup."
"That's weird," Danny admitted. I heard a drawer being closed and more rummaging.
"I can't find anything else," Matt said after a couple minutes.
"Me either. Maybe there's a clue somewhere else in the house," Danny suggested. They were leaving! No! I screamed, I banged to the best of my ability, I stomped, I did everything I could think of. I even tried to squirm over to the closet door, but I was weak. I crawled, and eventually made it. I knocked my head against the door.
"Did you just hear something?" Matt asked. I hit my head again.
"Yeah, it's coming from the closet." Yes! Minutes later the door opened. Blessed light! All three gasped at the sight of me.
"Janie!" Danny exclaimed, taking the rag from my mouth. "I thought you were on a date with Tim."
"That wasn't me,"I explained everything that had happened. Danny called the police as Kimmy and Matt untied me. "You don't know how glad I am to see you both," I said smiling. Kimmy gave me a hug.
"I knew something was off when you dressed like that," she said. "And when I confronted you about it, and you blew up in my face, I knew it wasn't you. I hoped it wasn't you especially after you went out with Tim," she made a disgusted face.
"I would never go out with Tim," I said disgusted at thought. "So how come it took you so long to come and get me?"
"Well at first I thought you were just having a crappy day, but when you were still acting the same the next day, I knew something bad was going on. I just didn't know what to do about it. Matt came up to me the second day asking if I knew what was up with you, and together we formed a plan, which was come here while you-or Veronica rather-was out," Kimmy explained. I turned to Matt.
"How did you know something was wrong with me, and why did you even care?" Matt finished untying me as I said this, and Kimmy was suddenly interested in seeing what Danny was up to.
"I knew something was up, because I like you. I knew Veronica wasn't you because she wasn't sweet, or kind," Matt said looking at me. I was shocked. Danny burst in just then saying the police had arrived.
When Veronica returned from her date she was in for quite a shock. Policemen handcuffed her, and that was the moment my parents arrived home. At first they were shocked and outraged at their daughter being arrested but when they saw me standing there, and were explained the situation they were calling for Veronica to be locked away forever. As it turns out, due to fingerprinting, Veronica had escaped from a mental hospital, and that's where she returned. My parents hugged me tight as Veronica was put in the cop-car. They had thought my behavior had been weird, but had no idea what to do about it.Tim was quiet surprised to find that the real me was nothing like the one he had been dating for the past few days. When he saw me, he stared at me for a minute, then turned away in disgust. Danny and Matt both offered to punch him, and if looks could kill Kimmy would have murdered him. I was just glad to have that straightened out. When the car pulled away Veronica yelled out the window.
"This is not over Janie!" But it was. It was over.
My life slipped back to normal, but with a few changes. Matt and I started dating, and Kimmy soon joined us on double dates with her new boyfriend Logan. Danny also started giving me guitar lessons, which I absolutely love. Every time Tim passes me in the hallway, he looks as though he doesn't know whether to smile and kiss me or be disgusted at the sight of me. I almost feel sorry for him, almost. I have never seen Veronica again, thank goodness. She seems to be gone for good. My look-alike is gone, but yours might not be. Beware of the look-alikes, you never know when one might take over your life until it's too late.
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