THE OTHER ME

Episode Twelve : Strategy Shift

As I finally walked through my front door, I felt a wave of relief wash over me. Maybe that black SUV wasn't tailing me after all. I shook off the thought, trying to focus on getting dinner ready. I headed to the kitchen and decided to make spaghetti with marinara sauce—something easy, but with that thick red paste to bring out the flavor. Once it was ready, I picked up my phone and dialed Lana's number.

Lana picked up almost instantly, her laughter carrying through the line like a burst of energy. Talking on the phone somehow made me confident, more in control, even if texting made me feel clumsy. Over the call, I felt like a different person—comfortable, collected, even a bit charming. She kept laughing and blushing, saying she regretted not noticing me earlier. I chuckled at that. If only she knew I hadn't changed at all; it was my clone who had stolen the spotlight. We talked, and at some point, she asked if we could video call.

When I switched to video, she seemed more than a little impressed when I told her I'd cooked my own meal. "You actually cooked that?" she asked, her face lit up with genuine surprise.

"Yeah, I'm full of surprises," I replied with a grin, trying to play it cool, though inside I was beaming.

Just then, I heard a knock at the door. "Hey, I'll talk to you later, alright?" I said to Lana, ending the call.

Opening the door, I found Mom with a couple of grocery bags—and a man standing beside her, also holding bags from the supermarket. "Hey, Ethan," the man said with a friendly smile. He looked familiar, but I couldn't quite place him.

I gave him a nod, then glanced at Mom, silently asking who he was. She chuckled. "This is Mr. David," she explained, introducing him with a light pat on his shoulder. "He's a coworker and helped me carry these from the store."

As Mr. David greeted me again, I couldn't shake the feeling that he was trying to make a good impression. "I've heard a lot about you, Ethan," he said. I forced a polite smile and replied, "Thanks." I wasn't entirely sure how I felt about him, but I pushed those thoughts aside and focused on getting through dinner.

Mr. David offered to stay and eat, so I reheated the spaghetti and served everyone. We all gathered around the table, and Mr. David asked me about school, asking how I was coping with my classes. I answered vaguely, not wanting to give him too much. I just didn't feel comfortable with him yet, even though Mom seemed at ease around him. After the meal, Mr. David thanked us, gave Mom a quick peck on the cheek, and finally left.

I wished Mom goodnight and headed to my room, eager to talk to my clone. I grabbed my iPad and connected to him. "Hello, me," he greeted, throwing a casual wave as he sat cross-legged on a chair, a little too confidently for my taste, like he thought he owned the place.

I wasted no time. "What exactly did you say to Jenna? She's been acting so strange around me."

The clone shrugged, smirking. "Just played it cool, made it look like I didn't need her. Now, with all these girls around, she thinks you're too big for her. She's feeling shy, probably thinks you're out of her league."

I raised an eyebrow. "So, what's the plan now?"

He leaned back, folding his arms with a smug grin. "Now's the time to act. Tomorrow, call her out for lunch. Step away from the other girls just to say hello. Show her she's a priority. Make her feel special."

I nodded slowly, trying to picture how I'd pull that off. "I'm... not sure I can just walk up and do that. What if it backfires?"

"Don't worry," he assured me. "I'm here to back you up."

For the first time, I felt a real thrill at the thought of what lay ahead. Maybe this would work. Maybe I'd finally get through to Jenna. "Alright," I said, smiling. "And tell Mr. Krane I'll be coming over to his lab so early, I'm sending you in my place tomorrow."

My clone saluted mockingly, but with a grin that I couldn't help but return. He had this covered, and I could rest easy for once.

Disconnecting the iPad, I stretched out on my bed. Tomorrow was going to be a whole new game, and I was finally ready to play. With a contented sigh, I drifted off to sleep, thinking of all the possibilities waiting just around the corner.