The Celebrity Copycat - A Heartthrob Tale

Chapter 29

Chapter 29:

Mina's jaw dropped. She hadn't heard that name in three years. How was this possible? This wasn't possible. No one cared about her anymore. She was dead. They held a funeral for her. There was no way. Her eyes and ears were deceiving her.

Maybe it looked like Rachel, but it couldn't be her. Rachel never wore dresses. And hair looked curlier. No. This was her eyes playing tricks on her. Everyone had forgotten about Mikayla Walsh the day the convicted Anthony for her murder.

"You must be mistaken. My name is Mina."

"No. I don't know why you're lying, but even in a crappy wig and some contacts I'd know you anywhere. You are Mikayla Walsh. Even if I didn't recognize your face I'd recognize your voice anywhere. Why are you trying to hide it from me? Do you not recognize me?" said the fake Rachel.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what you're talking about," mumbled Mina.

The girl that looked like Rachel narrowed her eyes. "You're lying. I've known you for nearly 10 years. You can't lie to me. You're Mikayla Walsh. And you're my best friend." Rachel put her hands on Mina's shoulders and opened her mouth, then closed it again. She seemed to be thinking. "What happened to you?" she said, sadness tinging her voice.

Maybe this really was Rachel. And if it was she was in great danger. Mina didn't want to make Jackson mad. If he knew what was happening, he might hurt Rachel. Mina was better off being his prisoner. No one needed to get hurt on her behalf.

"Whoever this Mikayla is, I can tell she was very special to you, but you've got the wrong person. I'm sorry."

"Bull . . . fucking . . . shit. I don't have the wrong person. I don't know what's going on Mikayla, but I can tell that you're lying for someone. I can feel it in my goddamn bones."

"Bones help no one," said Mina, reflexively, quoting an old meme that she and Rachel used to say back and forth at each other any time one of them mentioned bones. Mina's eyes widened and she covered her mouth.

Rachel smiled smugly and grabbed her phone. "If I had any doubts, Mikayla, that just killed them. You're the only person who'd respond that way." She looked around and grabbed Mina's wrist. Her friend pulled her up and started dragging her toward the bathroom. "I knew you weren't dead. I never gave up hope," said Rachel as she pulled her.

"I swear, I don't know what you're talking about." Mina frantically looked around to see if Jackson was around.

Rachel took another look around and pulled Mina into the bathroom. An employee was washing her hands. She dried them and left. They were alone. Rachel's eyes snapped towards Mina.

"What happened to you?"

Jackson wasn't here. He couldn't hurt her in here. But he could hurt her out there and worse he could hurt Rachel. Mina pulled her arm away from Rachel and leaned against the row of sinks. "Nothing happened. I chose this."

"Really, you chose to vanish?" said Rachel, in that way where she knew she was obviously lying.

"I didn't choose to vanish. You have the wrong person." Mina tried to go to the door. And Rachel's hand clamped around her wrist. She snapped back around to remove Rachel's hand, but was stopped in her tracks by her former friend's sad eyes.

"Please, Mikayla or Mina or whatever you call yourself now, tell me what's going on. I'm sure you're scared. I can see it. I know you'd never have left of your own accord. You're career was taking off. The Mikayla I know would never have chosen to be out of the spotlight. You wanted to make people happy. And you're not doing it while missing. So what happened?" Rachel looked like she was about to cry and Mina couldn't let her best friend be like that.