Who is Perri West?

Chapter 17

The next morning when I got up, I was the only person awake in the house. I decided I was going to make breakfast for everyone. I had headed to the kitchen but as I was passing the living room, I saw something I hadn't noticed last night. On top of the fireplace was a framed photo. As I walked towards it, the outline of three kids came into view. Before I got close enough though I had heard a noise behind me. I turned around and saw Mallory coming down the stairs.

"What are you doing girl? Your being all quiet like some stalker."

I giggled "no Mal, I'm not acting like a stalker I've just got a lot on my mind."

"This has something to do with Drews party, don't it?"

I knew I needed to confide in someone about what had been going through my mind recently. Who better to tell than my best friend?

"Come on Mal, I'm gonna make breakfast. While I cook, I'll talk. You listen, and please don't interrupt until I'm done. Agreed?"

"Agreed, it's about time you start talking I have been worried."

We made our way into the kitchen. She helped me get out everything needed to make pancakes, eggs, and bacon. As I cooked, she listened. I told her everything starting back from Colton's first interest in my locket, the picture of the best friend, the conversation I overheard at the party, Colton's concern about losing me again, and then my dream last night. She had been so quiet when I finished, I didn't know what to do.

"Please, say something Mal? Am I going crazy? Is it all in my head that something weird is going on and I seem to be involved somehow? Or at least my locket? Help me make sense of it all, please." I begged Mallory to help me understand, I was starting to scare myself.

"There has to be an explanation about it all. Have you just outright asked either of the boys? I mean obviously they are keeping something from you. And who the heck is Christine? Is that why you were headed into the living room? To see the picture on the fireplace?"

"Yes, but then you came down and I chickened out."

Mallory stood up from her seat abruptly, knocking her chair over making a loud bang against the floor. She headed for the living room. I quickly turned off the stove and followed her as I heard doors opening down the hall.

"Mal, babe is everything ok out there? You girls alright?" Jaydens worry was clear in his voice.

"Yea, what's going on out here? It sounded like a big bang" Eric said coming in behind Jayden.

Colton sat up straight on the couch "what the heck!" was how he responded.

As we entered the living room, Mallory was holding the photo facing her. Her eyes were huge looking at it. Everyone froze. For a few moments in time nobody moved. Nothing was said. Then Mallory looked past me, past Jayden, and straight at Eric.

"Where did this come from?" she asked him.

"It's a picture of Colton, myself, and our friend Christine. That picture was taken on her 7th birthday by my mom. A few weeks later, she was gone," Eric responded.

Mallory looked back to me. "I don't believe this. It can't be, but it is." She glanced down at the picture again then back to me. "I don't know if you are ready to see this yet Perri."

"Just show me, my brain will think of 100 things that are probably worse than that photo if I don't look."

Mallory came to where I was standing and carefully laid the photo in my hands. Looking down I looked into the eyes of seven-year-old me. My mom had a picture of me wearing this exact outfit blowing out my candles on my cake. In this photo I was standing in the middle of two young boys. The one on the left was definitely a mini version of Colton with a cheeky grin on his face holding a toy car. On the right was an older boy who was easily recognizable as Eric. He stood next to me with his arm draped over my shoulder and my arm was around his.

"How can this be possible? Please, someone tell me this isn't real?" I looked at Eric as A waited for an answer.

"It's very real Perri, I just wasn't sure if it was really you. That first day after Colton saw the locket, he called me with his suspicions. He called again when he met your mom and told me about the way you played with your locket when you are deep in thought or nervous. Just as you are now, as kids after I got the locket for Christine for her birthday, she always played with it when she was upset."

"What are Christine's initials Eric?" I needed the answer to this question. "Please, tell me."

"C.L it stands for Christine Levine."

I slowly looked down and turned over my locket knowing what I would see on the back. C.L and E.H. Christine Levine and Eric Hendrix. It made sense now, but how?

I looked at Eric, "how? How did she disappear?" I asked not ready to admit I was her.

"A few weeks after her 7th birthday Chrissy's, that what Colton and I called her, well her nanny was fired. They were very close, and I don't have all the details of what happened there, you would have to ask Miranda, her real mom. But several days after the nanny was fired, Christine just disappeared. Everyone thought she ran away but it was determined she had been kidnapped. Nothing of hers was missing, just her. They continued the search for years, still to this day they have had a private investigator following any and all leads with any info that may lead to her. Well, you."

"And my mom? Who is she? How does she fit into all this if I am this, Christine?"

"I haven't met your mom, Perri. But I was almost ten when Christine went missing. If I see a picture or meet her I will know but, I expect she is Veronica."

"My mom's name is Victoria. Who is Veronica?"

"She was Christine's nanny. Colton called the day your mom got mad at you about tutoring him. And he mentioned her chocolate cookies. Veronica always made us chocolate chip cookies using a secret ingredient."

"She uses lavender in her cookies...."

I just stood there. I didn't know how to respond to all this. I was confused, hurt, and scared. What if all of this was true? What would happen to my mom? Should I even think of her as my mom? If she's not, who are my real parents? I got some of the answers I wanted but now I just have more. I placed the photo frame back on the fireplace, slowly turned around and told everyone to wait as I headed upstairs to where my stuff was.

I returned downstairs with my phone. One of my favorite pictures of my mom and I was taken when I was about eight years old. I looked at it longingly, the smiles on our faces showed a time when I had no worries in the world. I held my phone tightly and looked up at everyone. Eric and Colton both stared intently waiting for me to hand them my phone. Mallory was crying, Jayden holding her, tears in his own eyes. I sighed and handed my phone to Eric, as Colton jumped off the couch and looked at the phone in his hand.

Colton looked up at me "I knew I was right; it is you; you are her!" He came and hugged me tightly as he cried openly.

"Wow!" Eric said as he handed my phone back tears in his own eyes. "Excuse me guys I need a minute," he said as he walked out of the room and into his own.

I let go of Colton and tuned to face Mallory. "What do I do now Mal? Please tell me how do I fix this? What does this mean for me now? I don't want things to change. I'm not ready for all this!"

"I can't take back time Perri. I don't know what to tell you to do. For the first time I don't have the answers for you Perri."

I looked around and realized that she had been right. Nobody could help me. Well maybe someone could.....

I walked towards the back of the house and without knocking I walked into Erics room.

"Tell me something Eric? You are probably the only person that has this answer. Who am I?"