Living in Her Shadow

How Did This Happen?

I woke up, momentarily annoyed that I couldn't continue or remember my dream. I was groggy as usual but something felt different. I stumbled over to my mirror, no spots, that'd be it, hadn't had that for a while. I went into the bathroom. My shower gels had been replaced by a florally smelling set 'Strange,' I thought, 'Maybe someone had had a clear-out'. My shampoo and conditioner had also been changed, but I thought nothing of it, why would I, it was early, maybe my brain was playing tricks on me. It properly hit me that something was dodgy when I went to get dressed, but they weren't my clothes, they were pretty and preppy, not my casual and comfortable clothes at all. How had they switched? My parents never go in my room, let alone change my whole wardrobe!

"Heidi, breakfast!" My mum called up the stairs, I panicked, what was I going to wear!

"Coming!" I called back, pulling on a pair of denim shorts, a short black t-shirt, white jacket and white trainers. I looked, I looked... Stylish, not like me at all. Did I like this new look? I, I don't know!

I walked into the kitchen to eat. I picked up my cup of tea from the worktop and proceeded to sip it slowly. 

"Good morning, Heidi, no make up today?"

"M-m-make-up?" I stuttered,

"Yes baby, you wear it every day, but clearly not today." she busied herself with the washing,

"D-d-do I?" I asked, heat rising up the back of my neck and a wave of nausea came over me.

"Yes, what is wrong with you today?" 

"Nothing," I replied, placed my tea down and ran back upstairs to apply make-up - like I apparently always did. Something was wrong. I never wore make-up, except when going out for dinner or something, these were not my clothes, that was not my shower gel and my shampoo and conditioner were different. I looked around my room. There were pictures from a holiday on a beach somewhere abroad where I clearly had never been; perfumes that I could never have been able to afford; selfies with my friends where I looked actually good in; and on my bedside table a framed picture of someone kissing my cheek. I looked happy. Of course, I was happy. The someone was perfectly tanned, the someone had exquisite eyes, an amazing smile that brought warmth to wherever he went and gave me butterflies just thinking about him. The someone was able to make me laugh or want to cry with three little words. The someone who I had known since I was a kid, was looking at me with a look of tenderness and devotion that I hadn't seen from anyone before. The someone was the utter perfection of every possible level, chart or poll. 

The someone was Kasper. I took a sharp intake of breath. How is this possible? Yesterday he was with Tara? But now me? And we clearly have a history, a happy one, an intoxicating one, a jubilant one. There was a sudden buzz of a pop song from my - well apparently it was mine - phone, and the image of the same picture as was on my bedside table with the title 'Kasper' followed by a host of love heart emojis. I swiped across the screen to answer.

"Hello?" I squeaked,

"Hi Heidi, pick you up normal time, yeah?" He asked in his uniquely deep and alluring tone,

"Sure." 

What the hell is going on?