A Proscriptive Relationship

:A Proscriptive Relationship: 42

The drive to Mr. Heywood's apartment was silent. I stared out the window, watching the streets light pass by. Mr. Heywood kept his eyes on the road, not sparing me once glance. The radio was off, making it more awkward. When we arrived, still no words were spoken as we made our way into his apartment.

Mr. Heywood disappeared into his room for a few minutes and then returned with a pair of sweatpants and a long sleeve shirt. He handed them to me. "Go change or you'll get sick."

"I'm fine," I responded stiffly, crossing my arms over my chest. "You better start talking."

"Holly, just change out of your clothing."

"I said I'm fine."

"You're changing whether you like it or not," Mr. Heywood said, narrowing his eyes at me. "It'd save us both trouble and embarrassment if I didn't have to force you to change."

With a hot face and a scowl, I nodded, taking the clothing and going to the bathroom. I quickly stripped out of my damp clothing and pulled on Mr. Heywood's warm clothes. I inhaled deeply, taking in the scent. He smelled so nice... I shook my head, a blush appearing on my face. What was I doing?

I checked my reflection in the mirror and nearly gasped in horror. I looked like a mess! My hair was curly and knotted, and my make-up was all over. As quickly as I could, I did my best to clean my face up with warm water. When all of the make-up on my face was mostly gone, I dried it, and then returned to the living room.

Mr. Heywood was standing in the middle of it, wearing a black v-neck and grey pajama pants. For a moment I was taken in by his handsomeness, but I pulled my gaze away before he caught me looking. When he did notice me, he gestured me towards him. I stopped a few feet away from him, chewing my lip nervously.

"Are you going to lie to me again?" I asked quietly, looking into Mr. Heywood's eyes.

"I promised I wouldn't lie to you anymore," he said.

"You broke that promise."

"I never lied to you, Holly," he responded, frowning at me. "I just didn't tell you everything you needed to know."

"Don't you think telling me I look exactly like your old girlfriend is something I need to know?" I asked angrily.

"I was going to tell you," Mr. Heywood told me, his grey eyes piercing into mine.

"When? Why didn't you just tell me that night when you told me about her?"

"Holly, I don't think you understand how hard it was just to reveal my past to you," he replied, shaking his head slightly. "My past is not something I'm proud of, and at the time I was worried you'd be scared off after hearing it. When you weren't, I didn't want to take the chance of what happened tonight to happen then by telling you about the other Holly."

"I would've reacted better if you just told me! What was I supposed to do after what happened? This type of thing isn't very common, Mr. Heywood. She looks exactly like me, except older! How can I not feel as though I'm the replacement?"

Mr. Heywood sighed, running a hand through his still wet hair. "Holly, you were the replacement."

I stared at Mr. Heywood incredulously. Was he kidding? I actually was a replacement? He looked back at me with a serious face. A small laugh escaped my mouth. "I knew it," I said, feeling my throat constrict. "I am the replacement. This is great!"

"Holly, I said you were the replacement."

I gave him a flat look. "What exactly is that supposed to mean?"

"When I first saw you at school, I wanted to get as close to you as possible because you reminded me so much of the other Holly. Your hair color, your eyes, even some of your personality."