The Clone Mansion

Bad Headaches

We run like criminals as we make our way through the maze that is the clone mansion. It's not easy since my army is everywhere. Thankfully, I knew the miraculous place like the back of my hand. I am very aware that I'm holding her tiny hand as I pull her through the large building. Her hand in mine makes me determined, I have to get her out of here and keep her safe. I would take a bullet for this girl, but I would let myself be tortured for the rest of my life to protect Wishes. It's messing with my mind.

We make our way out the front doors, luring me into a false sense of security that's ruined when I see Wishes's eyes on us. She sees us leaving and she lets us go. The fact that she isn't stopping us sends off alarm bells in my broken down head. It's as if my mind has been shut down, like I turned the switch off on one of my clones. I think it's a protective mechanism.

"Slow down, I'm in heels!" My accomplice yells after me.

I keep going, unable to follow her command. "I'm sorry, I just need out of there. I can't risk them catching us."

"Wishes saw us." She tells me what I already know.

My feet come to a stop right in front of the shack. "She's not going touch you."

She pants her way inside. "Got something to drink?"

I laugh at her exaggerated exhaustion. "What kind of drink?"

She eyes me. "We better both do waters."

"You can drink, it's okay! I won't drink just because I see you drinking. I've already gone through my monkey see monkey do stage in highschool."

"Champagne? Do you have any champagne?" Her blue eyes look tiredly at me.

I smirk (as Grant would) and pour her some. "You know I have everything."

My phone goes off. I answer it with caution, since it's an unknown number. "Hello?"

"Grant?" I hear the voice of my troubled helper, the real Grant.

"What's up?" I have to work really hard not to break character.

The response is delayed by deep breaths. "I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but there's some clone war I'm supposed to run."

I shift the phone to my other hand, attempting to look casual. "Is that so? Where are you anyways?"

"Relax, I'm not stupid, no one can hear me. I'm not trying to get the only person I care about killed." He sounds impatient.

His girl makes me hate myself. She's looking at me with interest as he's telling me how much he loves her. "It's all good. There's a crazy woman you can delegate to."

I was so focused on coding my message that I didn't realize his girl coming up to me. "G, who are you talking to?"

I think on my feet. "Darius, he wanted to make sure we made it out okay. He says the clones are freaking out. He also wanted to know if we delivered his message to Onya."

"Oh, I almost forgot. I'll call and tell her now." She scurries out of the room.

I move my phone back to my ear to hear Grant huffing. "Sorry, I'm back. Someone came in."

"I heard who came in." He says, his voice uneven from anger.

I internally freak out. He's not supposed to know I'm with her. I can't deny it now. "She stopped by, wanted to talk to me about why I slept with her mother."

"What'd you say?"

I sigh, in no mood to have this talk. "I told her that I was sorry and I wished I'd met her before I met her mother. I know what you're next question is going to be, she said she needed to think but she wanted to forgive you."

"Whatever, just stop talking to her." He sighs. "So, you think I should tell Wishes to take control of the clone war? Do you really think that's a good idea?"

He's got a point, but no other options. "Yeah, I'd ask her. Have her tell you what's going on so you can report back to me. I have no desire to be locked up again."

"I have to go, Wishes is yelling for me. You owe me your life." The phone goes dead.

Wishes is a pro at getting her way, I have no doubt the clones can win this war if she's in charge. I have never gone to war with my love though, we've always been on the same side, which makes me slightly less confident that it'll go her way. As long as I don't let myself get too caught up in what is Grant's, I don't anticipate any astronomical hiccups in my plan to win Wishes.

My eyes settle on the bright girl who ran away from me; the astronomical hiccup in my plan. My brain frantically searches for a solution the way it loves to and I realize there's only one thing that's going to fix this. I need to get her as far away from my body and mind as possible.

She bites her lip, observing me in a somehow charming way. Nobody has ever tried so hard to figure me out. "What's up?"

I feel like a kid caught with my hand in the cookie jar. "Just waiting to hear what Onya had to say."

"She's, ummm, excited. The reunion is going to be so sweet!" Her voice doesn't sound as enthusiastic as it should, a red flag indicating she is suspicious of me.

I tell myself it's now or never. "Look, I think we need to talk."

"I thought we were."

I shake my head. "About us."

She laughs nervously. "Us? What are you breaking up with me?"

I sigh. It's so strange to have a conversation like this with someone you barely know. "No, but I think maybe we need a break."

"Please explain." There's an edge to her voice that humbles me instantly.

"You just found out that I had sex with your mom, I'm sure you need time away from me to think. I'm no expert, but if we keep spending all our time together, won't that make things worse?"

"Let me get this straight, you think that we should separate immediately after being kidnapped so I can process my feelings?"

"Yeah?" She had a point but Grant would never admit that so I can't either.

She nods. "Fine but I don't do breaks so you better make it crystal clear whether we're together or not before I avoid you like the plague you are."

I'm trapped. If Grant finds out I dumped her, all bets are off and he'll turn against me. If I tell her I want to stay together there's a pretty good chance she'll get in my way. There's no victory for me in sight with this conversation. So, I decide to choose the option I like the most. "I don't think I'm capable of breaking up with you, I'm too attached." My palms begin to sweat when I feel some truth to my words.