The Navigator

Part V

Chapter 6 

"Excuse me?" The counselor was giving me a strange look, but I couldn't move.  

I was frozen. It was Quinn. She was alive. The blonde curly hair, the blue eyes, the tanned skin, everything was the same... except the counselor was wearing glasses. I hadn't seen Quinn in everyday life, she was swimming when I had seen her, so I figured she must have worn glasses, but had taken them off before going to the beach. I opened my mouth to say something, but no words came out.  

Quinn put a hand on her hip and, using the other one to tuck a sun bleached strand of hair behind her ear said, "Janie, who's this?" 

I vaguely heard Janie say, "This is my brother, Jax. He's just visiting me from New York City. And he brought me a stuffed Platypus! They're my favorite animal!"  

I saw her hold up Perry from the corner of my eye, but was too busy watching Quinn as she smirked and said, "Well, you would think someone nice enough to buy a stuffed platypus would have the manners to say hello."  

I stood up quickly, so quickly that the newspaper tumbled to the floor as I rushed across the room to take her outstretched, slender hand. "I'm sorry. Hello, I'm Jax Davis." I shook her hand vigorously until she finally extracted it carefully from my grip.  

"How nice." She gave me a small smile, but I knew I needed to gather my wits fast, or she would think I was some mental patient out for the weekend and leave.  

I stepped back slightly and offered her a smile. "I am truly sorry for my first impression. I'm really quite normal once you get to know me. Ummmm..." I was flustered, but she was smiling, so that was definitely a good sign.  

"Well, I hope to be able to get to know you better then." She picked a chart from the table and flipped through it, saying as she did, "So, Jax, how long are you in town for?"  

I had to think for a moment and she looked up at me when the silence continued for a few minutes. "Uh," I thought quickly, "I'm not quite sure yet. I have to work on Wednesday, so I'll probably just leave tomorrow."  

"Oh, Jax!" I heard Janie protest from the bed. "Can't you stay longer?"  

I ignored Janie and kept my eyes on the girl in front of me. I had to know if it was Quinn. "Look, don't you recognize me?" I asked suddenly. I just had to ask and get it over with. 

I watched as Quinn's face grew confused as she stared at me. "No..." 

A sudden urgency came over me and I quickly said, "We met on the beach that night when you were canoeing. Remember? I rescued you and brought you back to shore, but I thought you were dead, but now you're not and you're alive..." I grabbed her shoulders in a vice like grip and shook her gently. "You're alive, Quinn!"  

At the sound of her name, Quinn's smile stiffened and as she glanced behind me and caught sight of the open newspaper, her mouth hardened into a thin line. She stepped out of my grasp and picked up the chart, holding it in front of her like a shield. I saw she was trying to hold back tears, but when she spoke, it was in an angry whisper. "Is this some kind of joke? If you came here just to make me feel worse about my twin sister's death, then you're wasting your time!" She shook her head in disbelief and the tears begin to drip onto her cheeks as she went on, growing louder and more hysterical with each word. "Look! I know it was wrong that Quinn died...it should have been me! Me, imperfect, little Kodi who's dying of a brain tumor anyway! Not perfect little Quinn who was so good at everything and popular and definitely my parent's favorite daughter!"  

I stood in shock as she turned and fled from the room, and as I stared at the empty doorway, the dread began to descend. What had I done? 

Quinn was dead after all...but how was I supposed to know that she had a twin that worked at a hospital and looked exactly like her? So much like her, in fact, that it creeped me out a bit, and it wasn't easy to creep out a person who gathers dead people for a living.