You’re back home. But until Silva – Epsilon – and her partner are dealt with, they won’t be safe.
The trap is already in motion. By now, your mom must be calling Nick. Using his absence from work might alert them, but that’s actually to your advantage – what matters is luring them here. If they suspect you’re hiding as one of your family members, they’ll have to be very careful with their moves.
But you’ll be the first suspect. Or, to say it better – David Anderson will be the first person the impostor suspects. You need to hide behind another of your family members - and without your dad around, it’ll have to be one of the women.
Tina is the riskiest of your choices. Though Nick prefers to wander around because he values his independence, the main reason is to avoid her temper. If you call him, he’ll probably try to bail, but as her, you have the perfect excuse to trap him.
Your planning is interrupted as Jimmy calls for your attention. “Dave? Earth to Dave?”
“Huh? Oh, sorry. I was distracted.”
“Dude, what’s happening to you? I’ve been meaning to ask you – you've been very distracted this past week.”
“Yeah, yeah...” It’s obvious your closest acquaintances are well aware of your replacement’s moroseness. You’ll have to make up a quick excuse. “It’s something that happened last week that has me distracted.”
“So, you finally giving me the scoop? What made you change your mind? You were pissed when I asked.”
“Sorry about that. I wasn’t on the mood to tell anyone. It’s just that I was doing some research about the town and...” You decide that a little realism can go a long way. “It’s about mayor Chen.”
“What’s up with her?”
“She’s into some serious bad stuff, man. And Ashley--” (You’re not talking about Ashley Wright, but Ashley White, editor for the school’s newspaper, of which you’re a member and contributor.) “--she wants me to do a piece on her, but I’m afraid that if I write up what I know--”
“What can be so wrong about a mayor of a town like ours?”
“I heard she’s got connections with the Mafia, man. And one of the councilmen’s accepting bribes.”
“Dude, you’re starting to sound like a conspiracy theorist!”
If you knew about the guys trying to screw everything with skinning pens, you wouldn’t be telling me that. You choose to respond with feigned frustration, though. “See why I didn’t wanna tell you? Now I need to find something else to write up for next week’s newspaper, and I got no clue!”
“I got’chu, bro. No wonder you didn’t wanna come to prank Mackenzie’s party.” (That would be Mackenzie Flannigan, a student of your school with wealthy parents, living in a small mansion in Stately Hill – at least, compared to Isadora’s.)
“Yeah. What happened there, anyways?”
“Oh, we did a really cool thing! We tricked the cheerleaders into thinking we were their dates, then we knocked them off and stole their clothes!”
“That was the stupidest prank you could pull off.” That much is true, but you’re intrigued by how he pulled it off. “How did you do it?”
“We used hoodies and muscle suits, then told them it was getting cold and moved them away.”
“Are you gonna return their clothes to them?”
“Hell no! That’s gonna be my treasure! Though, I’m gonna negotiate with one of the guys to see if he exchanges Meghan’s silk panties with Sonya’s ones.” (That would be Sonya Xie, captain of the cheer squad, and Meghan Martinez, her second-in-command.)
“Dude, that’s sick.”
“I know!” His mirthful jeer disappears as he realizes what you meant. “Wait, you mean I’m sick sick?”
“Yeah! You’re a pervert, dude!”
“Well, you know me. I’m gonna keep those sweaty panties with me forever. Hell – if you pay me a visit, I’ll even let you sniff ‘em!”
“Yeah, I’ll pass.” You check the clock, figuring Nick may already be on his way. “Listen - I gotta go. Need to figure out what I’ll do about that story.”
“You could always talk about our prank. Taut us as heroes and stuff.”
“Then I’ll be asked who did it, and I’m not on the mood. Anyways, gotta go. Bye.” You don’t even let him finish before you hang him up.
And perhaps by the grace of God, your victim – Tina – steps in, ready to bother you. “Davey, what the hell did Mom tell you about that stink!?”
“I don’t smell anything.” (You do, but you know that riles her up.)
“I don’t care if it’s Sunday – you do something about it, or I’m gonna turn your room upside down, and if I find a dead rat’s carcass--!”
“How about you start checking there?” you taunt her, pointing at your closet. “Maybe you’ll find the possum I’ve been trying to scare Claire with.”
She leers at you, scowling with arms crossed. “That's not funny, Davey. Act like someone your age for once.” She turns around, and you slide towards the door, ready to lock it. She notices and threatens you. “You better not try to slip away from me!”
“Why would I?” you say, storing the black pen on your rear pockets and raising your hands. After a long and hard look, she starts rummaging through a pile of used clothes – the perfect opportunity to zap her.
“Davey? What the hell was...?” You see Tina plummeting, deflating like a balloon. Locking the door, you slip off your replacement’s skin, revealing Pandora’s flesh. You lay him on your bed before slipping into Tina’s skin, rushing to avoid Claire’s suspicion; you peel off the upper half of Pandora’s and Ross’s skins. though, hiding them inside Tina so your replacement only sees Silva.
“Huh?” your replacement exclaims as you wake him up. “What happened?”
“Lower your voice,” you order him. “I’m gonna need a favor.”
“Uh... sure. What is it?”
“I’m gonna need to borrow your sister for a while.” You adjust Tina’s face, caring little if she’s buck naked. “I need to trap a dangerous felon. Help me distract the rest of your family and don’t intervene with whatever I do.”
“Sure, yeah.”
“Oh, and I told your friend Jimmy some bullshit excuse about some dirt on your mayor, Ms. Chen. If he asks, tell him you don’t wanna talk about it anymore.”
“Alright.” (He doesn’t seem to question your orders. Could it be the effect of the purple pen?)
“Good.” You take Tina’s clothes, dressing up. “Once I finish, I won’t bother you anymore. I expect your cooperation.”
“I... I will, ma’am.”
“Good.” You lift Tina’s short jeans, wrapping her ample rear. “Don’t fuck this up for me, Davey.”
--
You’re afraid you’ll have to spend the rest of the day as Tina, but Nick eventually arrives. (Even he wouldn’t dare defy your mother’s order to arrive by dinner.) Judging by his look, he’s unsuspecting. “Hi Mom. Hi everyone. What’s for dinner?”
“You’re an asshole.” You invoke Tina’s attitude in full force against him. This is part of your plan; as your mother made dinner, you asked her what “David” was talking about, and after some gentle haranguing, she confirmed your story. To everyone, you’ll appear as the worried, responsible big sister. “Where the hell have you been?”
“At... work?”
“Davey got a call. Your boss says you haven’t been there the past few days.”
“Oh, it’s that... I’ve been working, but not at work.”
“Bet you must be working up Gina a lot, aren’t you?” You stand up, cornering him. “By the way, Kim called me.” (That would be Kimberly Keller, the girl he dated before Gina.) “I can’t believe you’re such a pig.”
“What did I do?” he says, eyeing your mother.
“Tina, what’s wrong between you and Nick?”
“She told me you’re two-timing.” (What better way to put Nick on the defensive than exploiting his fatal flaw?) “Who’s Annette?”
“I can ask you the same thing? Who’s she?”
“Apparently someone you met at college. She told me Tom saw her at your job, asking for you. They were looking for you, y’know.”
“What the hell? Tina, first of all, stop meddling with my life. And second--!”
“And second,” you tell him as you smack the back of his neck, “we’re gonna discuss why the fuck you stopped going to work! Didn’t you tell me you wanted to do your own thing, instead of going to college?” You drag him into the basement, isolating him.
“Tina?” Your mother invokes her own temper on you. “What are you going to do?”
“Knock some sense into this moron.” You smack him again, finally repaying all those times Nick did this to you. “Don’t worry. I’ll handle it.”
As you shove him in, you lock the door. You grab and load the gun from the haversack, which you left hanging on the knob previously, before lighting the door. “Alright, Nicky,” you threaten him as you point the gun at him. “You’re gonna tell me where the hell you’ve been the past few days.”
“Tina?” he says, frightened. “What’s with the gun?”
“I’m not gonna ask you twice. Where have you been?”
“Somewhere that’s none of your business!” As you see him sliding his hands to his pockets, you stop him.
“Hands where I can see them!” You draw the black pen, observing if there’s a reaction. “One last time. Where the hell have you been? I’m dead serious.”
“What’s that? A laser pointer or something? What’s gotten into you, Sis?”
“What were you doing with Gina on the abandoned building on the corner of Sanderson and 5th?”
That gives him pause, even if only to bluff. “Maybe I was humping her. Maybe that Annette lied to you. Why are you asking?”
“That’s not what I heard.” You see a hint of fear in Nick’s eye. “Listen up. I hate having to do this, but if I have to, I will. Get off him. Whoever you are. Or I’ll shoot.”
Without warning, you feel a strong kick to your legs. He knocks you, swiftly disarming you. Yet, rather than finish you, the impostor gives you a warning.
“Stay off our business, David. For your own good.”
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