Familiar Strangers

Chapter 3

"Good morning honey!", a voice interrupted her sleep, intruding the darkness and forcing her to open her eyes. The light blinded her for a moment but when the blurry figure became clear and Jasmine saw her mother she smiled. A sweet, honest smile.

"Morning mum." She sat, leaning on the back of the bed, pulling the cover closer. She studied her mother for a while, recognizing herself in every aspect of her face. Except her eyes, hers were inherited from her father. Her mother's eyes had a warm chocolate brown colour. "Can I ask you something?", Jasmine said after thinking for a bit. Her mother nodded.

"Did...you...and dad ever...thought of having....I don't know...like...another child?" her words were slow, hesitant. To an outsider this question would have seemed innocent, simple and maybe even expected from a single child. Jasmine though had met Melissa two days before, nothing about her question was innocent or simple . A day had passed and she hadn't found the courage to tell her mother anything but now that Melissa had asked for them to switch, she had to...

The smile was wiped of her mother's face giving its place to a blank expression. She looked at her daughter...

 A key turning snapped Jasmine out of her thoughts and introduced her back to reality. She shook her head and rubbed her eyes lightly before bracing herself. It was time. Show time... the thought was bitter. It made her sigh.

She stood up, took a big breath and exited the room.

"Why would you ask that honey? We are happy with how our family is."  she answered and her voice was cold and distant sprinkled with a forced normality. 

Jasmine had explored the enormous mansion, taking advantage of the little time she had alone there so now she knew where each room was and how to get there. Her clothes were also different. She abandoned her comfortable t-shirt and jean for one of Melissa's numerous dresses, which she didn't really mind wearing. The large amount of make-up though was starting to get to her but she had to be as similar to her twin as possible.

"Er...I don't know...curiosity...I mean what if I had a twin sister let's say?", asked Jasmine pressuring her mother some more and trying not to face palm herself for saying something so lame.

She walked towards the front door, constantly reminding herself to breath. There was no turning back now. She had to face Melissa's parents one way or another. Jasmine headed for the front door keeping her head high expecting to see Mrs. and Mr. Brown looking back at her. But seeing who had just entered the house surprised her to a halt.

"Oh Jasmine you have such an imagination!"  her mother laughed nervously, a laugh that did not melt the coldness of her eyes.

"Uh-huh..." Jasmine said calculating her next move. She watched as her mother turned to leave and feeling the panic taking over she blurted the first thing that came on her mind. Her mother froze.

Jasmine found herself looking at a tall boy no older than 16, about a year older than she was. He had sandy blond hair and a delicate face. He didn't have Adrian's pronounced cheekbones that she liked so much but he was still handsome in his own way. His bright, striking blue eyes met hers as he spoke.

 "Mum? What if I told you I know where she is?"  she had said.

She turned to face her then, for the first time since she brought up the matter the blank expression had left her mother's face allowing a hint of hope to show. For a moment Jasmine looked at her mother confused trying to figure out the second feeling betrayed by her face but figuring it out she dismissed the idea immediately.

"Jasmine you don't have any siblings and this is the last time we'll talk about it!" she said seriously, slamming the door behind her.

"What are you staring at sis?"

Sis? As in sister? Melissa never mentioned a brother. Jasmine felt light headed considering all the things Melissa might had left out or 'forgot to mention' when they were exchanging information.

Still shaken up from their conversation she got out of bed and got dressed. School was over but she wasn't planning to stay in all summer locked up in her house. In a week Suzan's pool party would take place with many following it. But for now she would just go for cycling with Adrian. She needed some time to clear her head.

Thinking of Adrian she sighed. After Melissa had stormed out Adrian was really mad. Then he saw Jasmine coming out of the fitting room and he was mad and confused. Her attempt to fool him was unsuccessful but any objections he had he kept them to himself.

"Melissa? Helloooo?" the boy snapped his finger in front of her a couple of times. "Are you okay?"

"Uh...yeah...sure...why not?" Jasmine wanted to laugh at the irony of that. She couldn't even begin to count the reasons she wasn't okay. 

Jasmine headed for the kitchen having in mind a delicious breakfast, singing softly a melody that had stuck in her head. She was almost there when the phone in the living room rang. She changed her destination and picked up the phone which as she realized quickly someone had picked up first. Her heart beat faster with every word she heard.

"Wait...oh...yeah...mum wanted to talk to you yesterday...is that why you're being so quiet?" he looked concerned and at the same time uncertain if he should talk about this.

"Uh...yes...yes...the talk..." Jasmine was on the verge of tears from her frustration. It was one of those moments when you want to run up and down screaming until someone comes and asks if anyone is being murdered. 

"Oh Mel! I didn't think you would take it this badly!" he hesitated for a moment but then he hugged her tightly. Take what this badly? she wanted to yell but she couldn't.

"I got your message. The safest thing to do is to tell her what we told most people", a voice she recognized as her fathe'rs said from the one end of the line. He was supposed to be on a business trip in Europe. "We didn't have enough money, we decided to give them for adoption. After her twin was adopted I managed to get my job so we kept her. You know the story."

"Of course, I wasn't thinking of telling her anything else. You know...after all these years our story wasn't the best one we could make. Thank God the economical problems we had were true so they believed us!", a female voice said. Her mother. There was a small pause. "She said she knows where she is Matt..."

 "Beth don't go there..."

"I just wish..." she realized her mother was crying.

"I know honey...but we both know it wasn't possible...the danger of keeping her..." her father didn't sound any better.

"Yes...you're right...of course..."

"I'm sorry that you have to go through all of this alone. I'll be back soon. I love you."

"I love you too Matt.Take care." 

So yes, she guessed the second feeling correctly. It was fear...Pure terror...

Jasmine, buried in the arms of a stranger, thought of that conversation again and she let the tears roll. She had to find out the truth. This was her chance to either bring her family back together or keep her family safe.

"It'll get easier" he whispered "You'll see, you'll get better as time goes by. Just never forget who you are." She didn't know what he was talking about but his words were so true they made her shiver.

I won't she thought. How could she? When she didn't even know who she was anymore?

Thanks for all the reads guys! It means a lot. Hope you enjoy the chapter ;)