Switching Places

3. Chloe

Your life can change in an instant. You could be hit by a car on your way to work, fall down stairs and break your leg, or tear some important part of your knee in a stupid game of football.

     Of course there are also the good things that can change your life. Like finding out you're pregnant or winning the lottery.

     But then there are those other things that change your life. The stuff that you're not sure should be in the good or bad category. Like finding out you have a twin sister who could possibly be living with your birth parents while you have been stuck in foster care your whole life.

     I was sitting on my bed holding a crumpled piece of paper with a number on it that if I called could possibly change my life. Jody had asked me what the paper was when I got into her car, and I told her that it was just a boy's number. It wasn't totally a lie, it was a number. Just not a boy's number. It was Promise King's number. My twin sister.

     All my life I have been trying to figure out where my parents are. If they were alive or dead or why they gave me up. I never once thought that I could have a brother or sister. Promise King is one hundred percent my twin sister. You can tell as much just by looking at her. We were completely identical, only she looked more fashionable then me.

     After the initial shock of seeing her standing in front of me in the coffee shop bathroom, the questions started rolling off my tongue. I asked her where she lived, who her parents were, if she was in foster care, without stopping to let her answer. She just calmly look at me before reaching into her purse to grab a piece of paper and pen. After scribbling her number on it, she told me to call her at night and left.

     So now here I am, sitting on my bed at ten at night with my phone in hands, looking at her number, wondering if I should call.

     "I guess it's now or never." I said and dialed the number. As it rang I started having second thoughts. What if this is a joke? What if someone just slipped something into my coffee and I have been hallucinating ever since? Just as I was about to hang up, she answered.

     "Hello?" she said. I was speechless. She sounds just like me. "Chloe? Is this you?" she said when I didn't answer.

     "Yes."

     "Oh good. I was afraid you weren't going to call." she said, followed by, "We might as well get this over with. I wanted you to call because I want to switch places with you. Now, I would have done it earlier at the coffee shop, but come one. We clearly have different lives and you need to be taught who the people are in mine, as I yours."

     "Wait a second," I cut her off. "Who said I wanted to switch places with you?"

     "Well, I just figured you would."

     "No, what I really want is answers. Specifically to the ones I asked you earlier." I said, a bit of anger showing in my voice. She was quiet for a while, the only sound I could here was her breathing over the phone.

     "Okay I have a compromise. You willing to listen to it?" she finally said.

     "I guess so." I shrugged even though she can't see me.

     "I will answer any questions you have right now, and then whether you're satisfied with my answers or not, we talk about who the people are in our lives right now, and switch places. How do you feel about that?" She said,

     "Let me think for a minute." I said. How can I pass up the opportunity of learning if she knows anything about our birth parents? She might even be living with them, and if I switch places with her, I will get to be with them. "I guess so." I finally said.

     "So you will do it?"

     "Yes."

     "Great, so ask away." she said. I could hear the rustling of sheets as she got comfortable on her bed.

     "Do you live with our parents?" I asked.

     "No. I was adopted by Jessica and Scott King when I was a few years old." Promise said.

     "Wait, King? Do you mean the people who own King's Publishing? That really big book publishing company?" I asked. If those are her adoptive parents, then she must be really rich. Maybe I should just accept her offer to switch places? I can get a taste of what it's like to actually not stress about money.

     "They are." Promise said.

     "Wow, okay. I'm a little speechless, and I can't remember my other questions."

     "Well, how about we just talk a bit about our lives, and work out details on switching places?"

     "Why do you want to switch places so much?" I ask.

     "I'm tired of the same thing every day. It's nice to have all this money, but I feel like no one really cares about me, apart from Blair. Everyone else tries to be my friend so they can get expensive presents and what not."

     "All right, I guess we can give this switching places thing a go for a few weeks maybe, but you need to know that my life is very different from yours. We struggle to get enough money for food every week and I live in a small apartment, probably nothing like what you are used to." I said.

     "I get it. We have different lives. I'm still willing to switch places. Now tell me about your friends and family so I know who these people are when I meet them." Promise says.

     "All right, well my best friends are David and Jasmine, they always meet me at my locker at school, and then Jody is my foster mom and her son Jake visits on the weekends. Now tell me about you."

     "My best friend is Blair. Dana is also a close friend, but sometimes I feel like she's using me for money. Then there is Frank, who is our personal chef, he is like an older brother to me. I already told you who my parents are, and that's basically everyone important. So how about we meet at that coffee shop tomorrow and, I guess switch places."