Switching Places

4. Promise

     People came rushing in and out of the coffee shop, some desperate for their fix of chai latte, others just clearly late for their job. I sat in a booth in the back corner, sipping on my favourite drink, a white chocolate mocha, while waiting for Chloe to show up.

     I was a little over dressed for this family run coffee shop. Most people came in wearing cheap clothes from outlet shops, while I was wearing expensive designer brands. People gave me weird looks as I ordered, but sitting back here in the booth, no one gave me a second look. Exactly what I wanted, that way people wouldn't be able to see or hear me talking to my twin, who showed up twenty minutes late.

     "Sorry," she said as she sat down, a little out of breath. "I had to walk here, Jody was running late to pick up Jake, and so she couldn't give me a ride."

     "That's fine, you're here now, and that's all that matters. Now give me your cell phone." I said, my palm stretched out on the table waiting for her to hand it over.

     "Okay, gosh, don't have to be so bossy," she said as she gave me what looked like a brick.

     "Seriously? This is your phone?" I said, examining all the scratches and missing buttons.

     "It was all Jody could afford, she just wanted a way to contact me if I was out or something. Oh, and it only makes phone calls." Chloe told me as I put my number into the phone.

     "Are you ready to switch clothes now?"

     "Why would we have to do that?" Chloe said, confused.

     Rolling my eyes, I said "Because Jody obviously saw you leaving the house wearing that. If I show up in these nice clothes, she's going to think you stole them or something. Remember we don't want anyone to know we are switching places. Not our parents, not our friends, only us."

     "Right, okay. Let's go to the bathroom then." she said and I followed her down the hall and into the bathroom, locking the door behind us after making sure no one else was in there.

     I set my purse on the sink counter, then carefully slid out of my shoes. "Right, let's do this at the same time, so I don't have to put my clothes on the floor or anything." I said as I slid my shirt off and handed it to her. She hesitated a little before doing the same thing. Next we switched pants, and then finally I slipped on her dirty running shoes. "This is going to take a while to get used to." I muttered.

     When I had everything on, I turned to look into the mirror. I was shocked by how simply changing your outfit can make you look like a different person. I looked at Chloe, to see her staring at herself in the mirror as well. There was just one thing wrong about her look. I reached into my purse and grabbed my travel makeup bag.

     "Alright Chloe, now I just have to do your makeup, and take mine off, and we should be good."

     "Can this also be a lesson on how to apply makeup? I never really wear anything, so I don't have much practice." she said.

     I nodded my head and emptied the bag on the counter. Then I handed her a sponge and some foundation, and told her to use a little to cover up her whole face. Next was the concealer, which I told her goes where she has red spots or dark circles. Then I gave her a quick lesson on how to apply eye shadow and mascara, before telling her to just look up tutorials on YouTube when she's by herself. Then I finally took off my makeup, and put everything back in the bag.

     "Okay, let's get out of here before someone has to use the bathroom but finds it locked." Chloe said.

     We quickly walked out of the shop, avoiding looking at people, and walked over to the parking lot.

     "Do you know how to drive?" i asked Chloe.

     "Yes, Jody has taken me driving a few times, but I don't have my licence."

     "Well, I do. And you're me now, so technically you have your licence now." I said. "The keys to my car are in the front pocket of my purse. Now come on, drive me back to your place, I don't know how to get there."

     "I don't know how to get to your place either." Chloe said.

     "It's in the GPS, you'll be fine." I said. She looked at me before nodding and taking the keys out of the purse. Once we got into the car, Chloe spent about ten minutes just trying to figure everything out. She turned the radio on and off, the air condition on and off, she looked at all the lights, and how to use the windshield wipers, before deciding she knew enough, and put the car in drive.

     She drove with extreme caution, which I didn't mind because I didn't want my car to get scratched or anything, but it was a little annoying how she drove a little bit under the speed limit. We made it back to her house, or I should say my house now, in fifteen minutes. It should have been about six or seven minute drive.

     "At least we're alive." Chloe said when I told her how slow she drove. I guess I couldn't argue there.

     We pulled up into a parking lot in front of her apartment complex. It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. I pictured moldy windows and doors, with paint chipping and creaky floorboards, but the outside was actually well kept. The building itself was very plain and boring looking, but each apartment had its own little balcony, and there was no chipped paint.

     "So I keep my apartment key in my front pocket. Our apartment is number twenty-seven on the fourth floor." Chloe said.

     "Okay. One of us should call the other tonight to see how it went." I said and she agreed. Before I got out of the car, I helped her turn on the GPS so she could find her way back to my place.

     "Have fun." We both said, and then she drove off, and I was left standing in front of an apartment in old dirty clothes, maybe a tiny bit regretting making this switch.