Life Swap

Two Heads

"I don't think they will hear us if we are quiet," Felicity suggested as we sat back on my bed upstairs. Because it was a cabin bed, built into the walls in-between cupboards and drawers, it had three solid sides, so we could not see the girls. It was like sitting in our own little cave. But they were sitting at the table, down the other end of the room, drawing and colouring. It was about four o'clock, and we had spent our time after lunch playing Monopoly, and I thought we would have to stay with the girls forever, until Felicity suggested that the big girls wanted to talk, whilst the twins amused themselves. I did not think it would work, especially as I was the shortest of the four of us, but the girls loved Felicity and knew that I was supposed to be taking things easy, so they agreed, happily enough, because they wanted me to be happy and I seemed to be happier when I was talking to Felicity. Caroline and Charles were both downstairs, largely leaving us alone, so finally, we had a chance. "How are you feeling?"

"Still tired, but better for telling you...like a problem shared...you know?" I suggested, my little legs hanging over the edge, inches from the floor. "But it's all so weird...I don't see how I can reverse magic in the first place, let alone how I can do it as Olivia? I am glad I told you but it still seems pretty hopeless?"

"Have you had any ideas at all?" My confidante asked, playing with the end of her elaborate braid, toying with the white ribbon tied in a bow at the end of it.

"Sort of...but mostly practical things...I thought about phoning or texting Kelly...I mean the real Olivia...but I am not sure what good it will do...or how I am supposed to do it?" I sighed as I imagined ringing my own number and hearing my own voice answer it. "Caroline never really leaves us alone...and I don't seem to have a phone?"

"Olivia asked for one on her last birthday, and Auntie Caroline said no...she thinks you are way too young...but I've got one?" Felicity said, which almost made me jump out of my skin with delight. "Mummy doesn't let me spend too long on it...but she likes me to be able to text her or call when I am not with her or daddy...she gave it to Auntie Caroline for safe-keeping so that I can call her later..."

"She gave your phone to Caroline?"

"Yes...I told you...she doesn't like me spending too much time on it...so, I only really have it on me when I go to my dance class, or if I am out with friends...no adults...which isn't very often...but I will get it later, so that I can call Mummy?" She continued, apparently not finding it unusual that she was not allowed to have her own phone with her all the time, like normal people. Normal people in my world, at any rate. I was slowly starting to realise that Olivia lived by very different rules to Kelly. "So...I can text Olivia/Kelly later...what do you want to say to her?"

"I don't know." I admitted, turning my mind to a potential text, rather than the rules Felicity and the twins all seemed to live under, which I found really strange. Mum had got me my first phone when I was ten, and other than telling me off if I was on it really late, sometimes, she really just let me get on with it. She certainly never took it away from me. "Like I said, when she came to find me, when I was with your mum, she was not freaking out like I was...she seemed happy about the swap and comfortable with it...I know this sounds crazy, but I think she made a wish when we touched the Dream Stone...I think she made this happen? I mean, I know it wasn't me, so how else would it happen? And somehow, that meant that she could cope with the swap, because it was not a shock to her...it was what she wanted?"

"Well...we don't really know how it works...we ought to research the Dream Stone and see if we can find out more...but I do agree it makes sense that Olivia did something?" Felicity said, furrowing her brow as she thought it all through. "You are being logical..."

"No...it doesn't make sense...how can it?" I replied, punching my bed in annoyance. "But I just know that was her inside my body...because she used words and phrases that I would never use...oh shit, I've just thought...does your mum check your texts? I mean, if she doesn't let you have your phone much, she might?" I asked, suddenly seeing a problem with our plan. My mum would never check my texts, and did not know my lock-screen code, even if she felt the urge to try and invade my privacy. But even though I did not know Mrs Blackstone well, I was not sure that she would be so cool about things.