Identity

1

12:45 a.m.  January 1, 2011

The party was out of control. Red plastic cups were scattered throughout the house, some crushed on the ground and others balanced pretentiously on banisters and end tables. Paper plates of half-eaten food obscured the majestic dining room table along with crumpled napkins and used spoons and forks. In the middle of the living room, a boom box was plugged into a wall socket, blaring some unidentified song with a loud, steady beat. The music was turned up full blast, the vibrations pounding through the hearts of the party guests, getting to everyone’s head, making them do things they usually wouldn’t.

Sunshine Anderson pushed her way through the delightful chaos, grinning at the people who reached out to get her attention, nodding at the sheer multitude of people who adored her party. Who adored her.  

“Sunshine,” said a voice in her ear, a cool hand resting on her shoulder.

“Not now,” she replied impatiently, not even looking, continuing to make her way through the crowd, “I’m looking for someone.”

“Sunshine,” laughed the voice, “it’s me.”

She turned, surprised, to see Oliver Royce standing in front of her. “Oh! Oh, I’m sorry, I couldn’t tell.”

He flipped his dark brown hair from his face and leaned in towards her. “Great party, you know. Everyone’s talking.”

Her heartbeat quickened and her stomach fluttered, yet she managed a flushed smile. “Glad you like it. I was thinking you hadn’t come after all.”

They stood for a moment before he gently took her in his arms and stroked her long, reddish-blond hair. “I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”

She slowly turned her face towards his and their lips brushed, causing a wonderful dizzy sensation. Her eyes blinked a few times to clear her head, but his hands were everywhere, his mouth pressed against hers, and she relaxed and let herself be dizzy. She loved him, after all.

3:14 a.m.  January 1, 2011

The party had begun to clear out, leaving Sunshine with a disaster to clean before her parents got home. A couple kids stayed to help gather up all the trash strewn around, but most were either too tired or too drunk to care. Oliver had disappeared off to somewhere in the last past hour and hadn’t returned. Angry and humiliated, Sunshine racked her brain for what she might have done wrong.

They had kissed for what seemed eternity, when he had broken away at the ringing of his cell phone. “Sorry hon, I gotta take this,” he mumbled and had slipped into the crowd, leaving Sunshine alone on the couch.

She had refused to get in bed with him earlier in the night and wondered if that was possibly the reason he left so soon. But they had dated months now, they loved each other. He wouldn’t have left so quickly unless it was something important, maybe a family thing. But worry poisoned her mind and finally she set down the trash bag she had been clutching and dialed his number.

Three rings. Three long, drawn-out drones and then voicemail. She hung up hastily, not wanting to leave a message. It would look paranoid and desperate, and Sunshine Anderson was neither. “Maybe he’s sick,” she murmured to herself.

“What?” came the reply from the kitchen. Bells Freeling, a close friend of Sunshine’s poked her head around the corner. “You say something, Sunny?”

“Nah, just thinking to myself,” Sunshine assured her. “Hey, are there anymore large garbage bags? This one’s almost full and the dining room is still trashed.”

Bells laughed and tossed her curly black hair. “I already cleaned it. You’ve been moving at sloth-speed for the past half hour. And it wasn’t that bad, some other kids had already gotten rid of all the plates and stuff, so I just finished the job.”

Sunshine groaned. “It kills me when you’re so nice. I feel like a lazy, mean lump compared to you.”

“Lump?”

“Yeah.”

There was a pause and both girls cracked up. “We’re so tired…” giggled Bells and shook her head, retreating back to the kitchen. “Hey,” she added, turning to face her friend, “have you heard from Oliver yet?”

“No. I called him once and texted him, but I don’t want to be all clingy, you know?”

Bells looked troubled, “Was he drunk?”

“A little,” Sunshine shrugged it off, “everyone was,” she added defensively. “It’s no big deal, he probably just crashed at Ben’s house. Or Chris’s. He’ll call.”

“Sure, but if he doesn’t, you know where to find me, hon.”

It took a minute to sink in. If he doesn’t?  “Bells? What do you mean, if he doesn’t?”

4:02 a.m. January 2, 2011

Jinx woke in an unfamiliar place. It was a house, a nice house compared to the one she had fallen asleep in. The walls were a dull light green and the floor was gray carpet. She sat up and realized she was naked. Clutching the sheets to her chest, she slide out of the warm nest of plush pillows and padded softly across the room. There was a large mirror on the wall, but she closed her eyes when she past it, afraid of what she might see.

It was a hotel room. A comfortable suite with a nice bathroom and marble counters lined with little bottles of shampoo and soap. There was a black mini-fridge and a dark gray couch accented with blue pillows. In the corner of the room, there was a desk with a TV.

And then Jinx realized it wasn’t the corner of the room. There was a folding screen separating a second part. She squinted through it. There was another bed, just like the one she had woken up in. In the bed was a person.

I am not alone here, she thought, panic beginning to rise inside of her; there is someone else with me.