Switching Places

13. Promise

   I sat in the back corner of the coffee shop with my head down. Chloe called me a few minutes ago, when I was already on my way here. I was coming to the coffee shop to spy on Alec, after overhearing him saying he was going to come here on the weekend to meet up with somebody.

   I guess it was a good thing I was already coming here, but if Alec shows up and sees both Chloe and I, then it could be pretty bad. I need to keep watch over him to see if he really does know about Chloe and I. It's already bad that Blair knows about us, nobody else can.

   As I was thinking about my plan on what to do if Alec does see both of us together, Chloe and Blair walked in. I didn't see them until Blair pulled me out of my seat and gave me a hug. Chloe tucked herself into the far end of my booth, near the wall, and kept her head down.

   "I'm so glad you're not hurt." Blair said as he hugged me.

   "Why would I be hurt?" I asked, and he let me go. I slid into the seat beside Chloe, and Blair sat across from us.

   "I can't believe you actually have a twin." Blair said, his eyes wide as he looked back and forth between us.

   "I know." Chloe and I said, at the same time. We looked at each other and laughed, but I instantly sobered up when I remember what we were here to talk about.

   "Look, Blair," I started saying, but he cut me off.

   "I know, I know. I can't tell anyone. But why are you guys hiding this?" he said.

   "At first, I wanted to try living Chloe's life because I was tired of everyone always thinking I'm an ungrateful bitch." I said.

   "But you are."

   "Blair, shut up. I was just tired of pretending to be happy around you, and Tyler, and everyone from school. I thought it was because I had everything, and nothing to look forward to, but after taking over Chloe's life, I realized I'm still unhappy and would rather be unhappy and rich, then unhappy and poor." I said.

   "And I only did it because I wanted to know what it would be like to not have to worry about eating to much because we needed more food for the rest of the week. And what it would be like to have a room all to myself." Chloe chipped in. "Also to try and find more info on my parents."

   "We wanted to hide it because it wasn't going to be that long. Just enough for us to see what it would be like. But then Chloe found our birth papers, and someone was sneaking around the attic at the same time she was. And I over heard Alec, from Chloe's school, saying something about twins and it might have to do with us. He could have a spy who works for my parents and try to be hiding what really happened to our birth parents." I said.

   "You know, I should have realized way sooner that Chloe was not you. She is way to nice, and she never cared about what shoes matched her outfits." Blair said.

   "I'm surprised my friends haven't found out anything yet, considering Promise made me give her her credit card to buy a new wardrobe. I would never dress the way she does, or spend that much money." Blair laughed at what she said.

   "So, if we are at an understanding here that Blair wont tell anyone, then I think you guys should go. I'm actually here to spy on Alec. I don't want him to possible see us together." I said.

   "Fine, fine, we'll go. I see you still don't hold anything back." Blair said. I let Chloe out of the booth and gave Blair another hug.

   "I'll see you soon. Once we figure this out." I said, then watched the leave. A few seconds after they drove away, Alec walked into the coffee shop.

   The bruises and blood I saw on his face the first day I saw him, were now gone. Instead, he had a single bandage covering a small cut on his right cheekbone. He wore a wife beater, showing off his arm muscles, and some khaki shorts.

   I put my head down and pretended to busy myself with playing on Chloe's phone, as he walked over and sat in the booth in front of mine. He had his back to me, so I looked up and watched him. It took five minutes before someone walked into the store and he raised his hand to signal them to walk over.

   It was a tall guy, really well built. He would probably scare you if you saw him at night time. The guy sat down in front of Alec, and I got a chance to look at his face. He had several small scars all over, that looked like they came from a fight with an animal.

   "Where's my money." The big guy said, his voice was very deep and manly sounding.

   "It's where it always is, Derek. Still in the hands of the people who place bets. You'll get it tonight." Alec replied.

   "What about the twins?" The big guy, Derek, said. I lifted my head up at this, and watched them full out. If one of them happened to look at me, my cover would be blown, but I wanted to pay attention and not miss a thing.

   "I've been spying on them all week, they have no idea what we're going to do to them." But I do have an idea Alec. I know you've been spying on us, so that puts me one step ahead. 

   When I got back to Jody's place, I could smell soup from the kitchen. Better be vegetable soup, I thought. 

   "How was David doing? I haven't seen him in a while." I heard Jody call from the kitchen. David? Oh yeah, I told her i was going to meet up with him as an excuse to go spy on Alec.

   "He was great. He's getting back into, ow! What the hell?" I said as I stepped on something hard. I bent to pick up what I stepped on. It was a piece of plastic in the shape of a gun.

   "Oh, that's Jake's water gun. I told him to put it away. Will you put it on his bed for me? He can get it when he's here next weekend. Dinner is read now to, so please do it fast."

   I threw Jake's water gun, that's probably broken now from me stepping on it, onto his bed and joined Jody in the kitchen for dinner. We did end up having vegetable soup with dinner rolls.

   After dinner, I went to Chloe's bedroom and gave her a call.  We talked mostly about Alec, and what I over heard today in the coffee shop after her and Blair left. We came up with a few plans on how to handle the situation, most of them ending with me possibly going to jail for murder. We joked for a bit, and just talked like sisters would, before we decided that before I do anything about the Alec situation, her and Blair will look in the attic again for any clues on our parents.

   After hanging up with Chloe and getting ready for bed, I looked around the small bedroom. My eyes landed on Jake's bed, and his water gun. It must be because it's late at night and I'm tired, but I found a way to get Alec to talk to me about what he knows about Chloe and I.