Agnes in JackieLand

Chapter 9

One eye, then the other, I slowly opened my eyes. It was dark, and a sudden panic gripped me. The darkness at the beach and the fall into the pit. As I struggled to sit up, I remembered who I was and, after a quick look around, where I was. Dropping back onto the bed, I sigh. A night's sleep didn't release me from this awful nightmare I was in.

Last night, I resolved one thing, my knowledge of Jackie's life was not at all what I thought it was. I had always envied Jackie's beauty, popularity, family, and wealth. But the truth is that being Jackie is overwhelming, especially in terms of popularity.

When I returned to her house yesterday, Jackie's phone, which I had left behind on the nightstand, flashed and chimed every other second. I would never dream of invading anyone's personal space. I didn't even look at it but shut it off after an hour of continuous chiming.

I also didn't envy Jackie for the awful family she had, compared to the not-so-normal family that I had. The twins were raised by a housekeeper who had no control over them. Her family is anything but normal; they were just as dysfunctional as my own but on a different level. Jackie's dad scared the crap out of me, and mommy dearest wasn't any better. What was her deal anyway?

I lay back on the multiple pillows, and a thought came to me, maybe to get back into my body, I had to find something in Jackie's life to fix or help. Her family certainly could use some help. That was it! It was worth a try. If I was anything, I was an organizer. All I had to do was organize Jackie's life a little better.

Feeling much better, I whipped the blankets off me and checked the time. Five-thirty A.M. I had lots of time to start some work. I whipped out a pen and paper at Jackie's writing desk, and the planning commenced.

Time flew by until I noticed that I needed to prepare for school. I smelled my armpit, or rather Jackie's, and decided I/she smelled funky. If I closed my eyes, I could shower without having to look at Jackie's naked body. I wasn't a prude or anything. I just felt like I was intruding on her body. It wasn't like Jackie permitted me to be in her body. I doubt that would happen in a million years. She loathed me, hence the situation we were in now.

I managed to shower and put Jackie's hair in some barrettes I had once seen her wear. After looking at some pictures of Jackie, I put on an outfit she had worn in one of the photos she had taped to her mirror. The look must have paid off because Mr. Franklin looked me over and nodded consent before heading to his office.

Which was good because I didn't want to deal with him this morning, not when I was about to deal with Mrs. Franklin. She was the first person on the list to change. I got the maid to make me a breakfast tray for dear ole mom. With the tray in hand, I went to Mrs. Franklin's room through the house.

I didn't bother knocking this time. I just opened the door and walked in. It was pitch black. I could not see anything, so I took a chance and looked for a light switch on the wall just inside the door. Finding it, I turned it on.

"Turn it off," Jackie's mother said.

I set the tray down at the end of the bed on top of a cedar trunk. I walked over to the window and opened the curtains. I was taken aback by the view. It wasn't a window that showed the outside like I thought it would be. It had a view of the solarium, which was still beautiful but odd.

I walked over to turn the light off and stood by the bed. "Happy," I asked the woman who lay there glaring at me.

This was the first time I had seen Mrs. Franklin up close; I had only seen her in the family pictures hung around the house. She had chestnut brown hair that bobbed around her chin. A set of familiar moss-green eyes glared up at me. They were lacking something that Jackie had. A shine of sorts; maybe it was her will to live.