Paper Doll

Chapter Thirteen | Grace

Percy went home to get some things. He also had to tell her mom about the move he's about to do. One thing about her mom, she didn't like me. She remembered what I did when Leigh and Percy were on the roof. She remembered how I talked to her. And even though Leigh and I were identical, she never seen me in Leigh. She liked having Leigh over her house while I was being left alone, waiting when my sister would come back and invite me to come with her. That never happened. Now that she was missing, I was sure it wouldn't happen anymore.

          Leigh's headband was on the computer table. What was it doing there? Leigh wasn't wearing that when she went missing. She hated that thing.

          I took the diary out of my drawer and read to where I left off.

                    Of course Grace will do something about it. She always does things that are quite impossible to dispose. She made another mocha roll for my boyfriend. Yes, for my boyfriend. It's his birthday tomorrow and she decides to make a day before, said it's her birthday gift. Percy likes it so much. He actually loves Grace's cooking. I hate it whenever he asks if Grace will bake something.

                   Grace, once again, gets the spotlight.

          I closed the diary.

          The doorbell rang. I told Percy to just come in when he got here.

          I ran downstairs and quickly opened the door only to find an empty porch. Well, not so empty because there's a pen on the welcome mat. Leigh's pen.

          I picked it up and looked around. "Who's there?" I called out. Nothing. I was about to close the door when I spotted the same shadow again. It was near my car, on the driver's side. My heart raced. "Leigh, if that's you..." I stopped when it disappeared. Just like that, it disappeared.

           "Hey."

           I screamed when Percy appeared in front of me.

           "Hey, hey, hey. What's wrong?" He dropped his things on the floor before cupping my face. "Was there someone in here?" he asked. I shook my head. "You scared me." He pulled me in a hug. The one thing that scared me the most was, the shadow was back. This time, it wasn't just a shadow anymore, but there's a figure as well. Leigh's eyes were blue and so was the figure.

           "Leigh..."

          "What?" Percy pushed me away a little so he could see my face.

          I glanced at him then back to the figure. She's still there. "Leigh is standing on the driver's side of my door," I whispered so she wouldn't hear that I just tell her position.

          Percy's hand tightened on my face. There was fear in his eyes. It was something I hadn't seen before. He dropped his hand and finally looked back.

          "Oh my God," he exclaimed. "Leigh." He ran off to the figure. But just as quick as she went for her, the figure had also disappeared. "Wait!" Percy called out.

           I ran to him and stopped him.

           "No, Grace. That's Leigh. Leigh! She's alive. I told you she's fine. She's just being the kid."

          "I want to think Leigh is fine, Percy."

          "Grace, Leigh is fine. Stop worrying about her."

          "I know she's not okay, Percy. I could feel it. I'm her sister. Her twin! Do you think I won't feel it? She's, like, half of me."

          "Grace, Leigh is alive. She's fine and she'd come back." He kissed me on the cheek. "Leigh is alive."

          "Percy..."

          "Grace, come on. That is Leigh. She's fine. She's just trying to scare us." He looked back to where the shadow—or like he said, Leigh—was. He was insisting it was Leigh. I wasn't so sure if that was really Leigh but that shadow had been stalking me for the last two days.

          I felt tears run down my face and then I was crying, hard. Percy turned back to me, narrowed eyes. I couldn't look at him. My eyes cast down as I continued to cry. One thing was for sure, once Leigh returned, Percy would be back to her. I would be left alone again.

          "Grace, what's wrong?" He touched me on my cheek, trying to lift up my chin. I couldn't. I didn't want him to see me this broken. I couldn't bear to see the pity in his eyes. "Grace, please. Look at me."

          The pleading tone in his voice made me looked at him.

          He closed his eyes, disappointed with himself. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Grace. I'm sorry." He pulled me in a tight hug. It was the tightest hug he had given me. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry," he kept on repeating. "I'm sorry, Grace."

          And I just cried there. No matter what I do, Percy wouldn't look at me the way he looked at Leigh. She'd always be number one for him. I'd always be number two. I would always be the wrong girl.

          "What if Leigh doesn't come back?" I asked on his chest. "What if, even she was still alive somewhere out there, she decided not to go back here? What if she's suffocated by me? She said she wanted to change. She didn't like me watching her back anymore."

          "She'll be back, Grace.She'll be back."