*~*"The tape isn't important, but I have something to tell you that is. I love you, Phoebe. I'm going to Italy for a week, and I want you to come with me." "Well, I--" She didn't have time to finish her sentence. She was interrupted buy another voice behind her. She turned around to be greeted by Brian, a student in her Psychology class. 'Maybe this is something else Ashley wanted to tell me about,' she thought. "There you are," he said, "I've been looking everywhere for you." "So this is really what you came here to tell me?" Cole asked angrily. "You're seeing someone else? I don't believe you, Phoebe! You lied to me." "Cole, wait!" "I don't want to hear it, Phoebe." With that, Cole walked away, leaving Phoebe alone with Brian. He scoffed at her and walked away. 'So this is how it ends,' she thought. 'Me…here…alone. Maybe it's for the best.' She turned and walked back to her car so she could head back to the manor. She was officially herself again. And at the moment, being herself sucked.*~*
************************************************************************
Phoebe turned away from the apartment complex, deciding the best place to be was at home. Her real home. In her real bedroom. She walked toward the car, opened the door, and started the forty-five minute drive home.
When she arrived, she stepped out of her car, only to stop momentarily, taking it all in. She was finally back as herself. Even if there were problems. She thought about her life as Ashley, and decided that being herself was much better.
Phoebe pushed open the door of the manor she loved so much and walked toward the stairs. She was hoping to not run into either of her sisters. She didn't want them to see her tear-streaked face. They had no idea of the torture that she had been through over the past three weeks, and she wasn't about to explain it to them. Unfortunately, her prayers were not answered.
"Phoebe, where have you been? I thought you met Cole over two hours ago," Piper said as she walked into the foyer.
Wiping her face, Phoebe replied, "Um, yeah, I--I did. I just had to go somewhere to think for a little while. I should have called."
"No, it's ok." Then she asked the question Phoebe wished to have dodged. "What happened?"
"We're finished. Cole and me. Brian found me at the apartment complex and said he was looking for me. Cole thought I brought him here to tell him that I was seeing someone else, so it's over."
Piper comforted her now crying sister. "Phoebe, I'm so sorry. I'm sure he'll figure out it was just a misunderstanding."
"Yeah, I guess."
"Why don't you go up and get some rest? You look like you need it."
Phoebe just nodded as she went up to her room, closing the door. She laid down on the bed, falling into a deep sleep for the next six hours.
************************************************************************
Ashley walked into her familiar apartment. It had been three weeks since she last stepped foot into the place. Phoebe had changed it a lot. If she didn't know better, she wouldn't have recognized her own apartment. She liked what she had done, though.
Ashley walked into her bedroom and found that Phoebe had left all of her pictures of Cole on the dresser. She really made it feel like she was as much at home as possible. Ashley picked up one of the pictures of Phoebe and her sisters. As she looked at it, she realized why Phoebe missed her life so much. She put the picture down a few seconds later to go answer the knock that came at the door.
She walked over to the door and opened it. Her best friend, Erica, walked in holding a fancy dress in her hands. "Okay, you have to tell me you're coming tonight," se said with enthusiasm.
"Coming where?" Ashley asked.
"Some club, I forget the name, but you told me that Jason asked you to it. You said you would think about going. Besides, this would be the perfect time for you to get to know him."
"Guess Phoebe forgot to leave this part out," Ashley mumbled.
"What did you say?"
"Nothing, um, yeah, sure. Is that my dress?" Ashley indicated the red fabric in Erica's hands.
"Yeah, I know you'll love it. Pulled straight from Armani's closet."
"You're kidding...right?"
"Not in the least," Erica said.
Ashley took the dress from her friend, staring at it in awe.
************************************************************************ Phoebe woke up to the knock that came at her door around 6 'o clock. She glanced at her clock, realizing she had been asleep for six hours. She sat up groggily and walked to the door.
"Yeah?" she said, opening the door, and rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
"Piper and I are heading over to the club. You coming?" Prue asked.
"Yeah, sure, let me get dressed." She shut the door and walked over to her closet. She rustled through the clothes trying to find something to wear. She settled for a long leather skirt and her pink feathered tube top. As she did her hair in the mirror, putting it up in french braided pigtails, she realized that this outfit had been the one she and Cole wore to their last dance.
Phoebe got up and walked over to the phone. She dialed his number from memory and waited for him to pick up.
"Hi, this is Cole Turner," she heard his voice say on the other end.
"Cole, hi, it's Phoebe. I--" She was interrupted.
"I'm in Italy for the week, but leave a message anyway, and I'll call you back," the message finished.
Phoebe hung up the phone upset. 'Maybe it's better...I seem to be saying that a lot lately,' she thought to herself.
She grabbed her jacket off of her bed and headed down the stairs.
************************************************************************
Erica pulled her Porsche up in front of P3 and handed her keys to the valet parking guy. Ashley was dressed in a red, off-the-shoulder mini skirt, while Erica was in knee-high boots, a blue leather halter top, and a black leather skirt.
"P3? I've never been here before," Ashley said.
"It's an awesome place. You'll love it. Come on, we have to find Jason."
They walked into the club with confidence, and Ashley turned to Erica. "Do you want anything to drink?"
"Um, get me a Shirley Temple, please?"
"Sure, be right back." Ashley walked to the bar. "Hi, Rachel, I need a Shirley Temple and an Amstel Light."
"Sure." Rachel returned a few minutes later with the drinks. Ashley threw a ten onto the bar and walked away.
Phoebe, Prue, and Piper walked into the club, heading straight to the bar. Piper went behind the counter, while Phoebe and Prue had to stay on the other side.
"Rachel, can you get me my regular?" Prue asked.
"Me, too, please," Phoebe said, then hesitated. "Actually...get me an Amstel Light."
"Sure." Rachel turned to get their drinks, but then turned back around. "Isn't that what--"
"Yeah, it's what Cole always gets. I just want to see why he likes them so much, that's all," she said.
"I was going to say, isn't that what you just got?"
"We just got here," Prue said, confused.
"Oh no, Ashley," Phoebe muttered.
"Excuse me?" Prue asked.
"Nothing. Um, actually, just get me my regular, now that I think about it." After Rachel left, Phoebe turned to her sister. "Would you excuse me or a minute? I'm gonna go dance."
"Sure."
Phoebe walked out onto the dance floor. As she stood in the crowd, she noticed Brian on the other side of the room. At the same time, Ashley noticed Jason. They both walked toward their respective people, only to run into each other in the middle.
"Ashley?" Phoebe asked, surprised.
"Phoebe!" It was more exclamatory than surprised.
"What are you doing here?"
"Jason invited me...OK, so he invited you, which you forgot to mention to me."
"You mean the same way you forgot to mention that you and Brian were going together?"
"Now that's not fair--"
"Isn't it? You could never just..." At that moment, their words were lost as they both started talking at the same time. It would have gone on much longer if Piper hadn't interrupted.
"Phoebe. Phoebe! PHOEBE!!" Both girls stopped talking. "What the hell is going on here? What is this? Since when do I have twin sisters? Phoebe, we're going to my office. We need to have a talk." Piper grabbed ahold of the arm she thought belonged to Phoebe, but instead belonged to Ashley.
"Piper," Phoebe said, "I'm Phoebe." She took Ashley out of Piper's grip and walked them both to the stage. She leaned into the microphone, making sure everyone could hear what she had to say. "Everyone, this is Ashley. For the last three weeks, we have been actresses. We each played a role. She has played the role of me, and I have played the role of her. Most of you were surprised when you heard I got a job at the strip club downtown known as Lucky's. That wasn't me. That was Ashley. If any of you had talked to us since June 28, you were actually talking to the opposite person. Unfortunately, telling you all of this will not change some drastic mistakes I have made these past few weeks. It will not allow me to keep the trust of my sisters, and it will not bring back the only man I have ever loved. We switched places because neither of us were happy about the way things had been going in our lives. I had begun to feel left out of my own family, and from my point of view, my boyfriend was ignoring me. But I regret every minute of it. To think that even for a second that I would want to give up the love of my wonderful sisters, or that of such a kind, caring man, I am ashamed. We're sorry for any troubles that we may have caused in the last few weeks, and we would especially like to apologize to our family members, our friends, Brian, Jason, and from me especially, to Cole, who unfortunately is in Italy for the week and will never forgive me for the things I have done."
"That's where you're wrong," a familiar voice said from the back of the club.
Phoebe's head snapped up to look toward the direction she heard the voice from. Everyone turned to look in the same direction. The crowd parted to let the person come forward. Phoebe gasped when she realized that what she had thought was just her imagination was truly a reality.
"Cole," Phoebe said, barely above a whisper.
Cole waited at the bottom of the stage in front of Phoebe. He took her hand and led her off the stage and into his arms. "I saw the tape, Phoebe. Why did you do it?"
"I thought you didn't love me anymore. When I called you that morning at your house, and you didn't know who I was, I thought that was your way of telling me that we were breaking up."
"So you switched places with Ashley so you could live a different life." It wasn't a question.
"Well, yeah. I'm really sorry, Cole."
"Don't go through it again. I heard it while you were up on stage."
"Forgive me?" She gave him the puppy dog eyes she has used on him so many times.
"How could I resist that look? So, would you please dance with me?"
Phoebe took his hand as he led her out on to the dance floor.
And at that moment, as cliché as it might have been, she knew her and her prince charming would live happily ever after.
************************************************************************
Phoebe turned away from the apartment complex, deciding the best place to be was at home. Her real home. In her real bedroom. She walked toward the car, opened the door, and started the forty-five minute drive home.
When she arrived, she stepped out of her car, only to stop momentarily, taking it all in. She was finally back as herself. Even if there were problems. She thought about her life as Ashley, and decided that being herself was much better.
Phoebe pushed open the door of the manor she loved so much and walked toward the stairs. She was hoping to not run into either of her sisters. She didn't want them to see her tear-streaked face. They had no idea of the torture that she had been through over the past three weeks, and she wasn't about to explain it to them. Unfortunately, her prayers were not answered.
"Phoebe, where have you been? I thought you met Cole over two hours ago," Piper said as she walked into the foyer.
Wiping her face, Phoebe replied, "Um, yeah, I--I did. I just had to go somewhere to think for a little while. I should have called."
"No, it's ok." Then she asked the question Phoebe wished to have dodged. "What happened?"
"We're finished. Cole and me. Brian found me at the apartment complex and said he was looking for me. Cole thought I brought him here to tell him that I was seeing someone else, so it's over."
Piper comforted her now crying sister. "Phoebe, I'm so sorry. I'm sure he'll figure out it was just a misunderstanding."
"Yeah, I guess."
"Why don't you go up and get some rest? You look like you need it."
Phoebe just nodded as she went up to her room, closing the door. She laid down on the bed, falling into a deep sleep for the next six hours.
************************************************************************
Ashley walked into her familiar apartment. It had been three weeks since she last stepped foot into the place. Phoebe had changed it a lot. If she didn't know better, she wouldn't have recognized her own apartment. She liked what she had done, though.
Ashley walked into her bedroom and found that Phoebe had left all of her pictures of Cole on the dresser. She really made it feel like she was as much at home as possible. Ashley picked up one of the pictures of Phoebe and her sisters. As she looked at it, she realized why Phoebe missed her life so much. She put the picture down a few seconds later to go answer the knock that came at the door.
She walked over to the door and opened it. Her best friend, Erica, walked in holding a fancy dress in her hands. "Okay, you have to tell me you're coming tonight," se said with enthusiasm.
"Coming where?" Ashley asked.
"Some club, I forget the name, but you told me that Jason asked you to it. You said you would think about going. Besides, this would be the perfect time for you to get to know him."
"Guess Phoebe forgot to leave this part out," Ashley mumbled.
"What did you say?"
"Nothing, um, yeah, sure. Is that my dress?" Ashley indicated the red fabric in Erica's hands.
"Yeah, I know you'll love it. Pulled straight from Armani's closet."
"You're kidding...right?"
"Not in the least," Erica said.
Ashley took the dress from her friend, staring at it in awe.
************************************************************************ Phoebe woke up to the knock that came at her door around 6 'o clock. She glanced at her clock, realizing she had been asleep for six hours. She sat up groggily and walked to the door.
"Yeah?" she said, opening the door, and rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
"Piper and I are heading over to the club. You coming?" Prue asked.
"Yeah, sure, let me get dressed." She shut the door and walked over to her closet. She rustled through the clothes trying to find something to wear. She settled for a long leather skirt and her pink feathered tube top. As she did her hair in the mirror, putting it up in french braided pigtails, she realized that this outfit had been the one she and Cole wore to their last dance.
Phoebe got up and walked over to the phone. She dialed his number from memory and waited for him to pick up.
"Hi, this is Cole Turner," she heard his voice say on the other end.
"Cole, hi, it's Phoebe. I--" She was interrupted.
"I'm in Italy for the week, but leave a message anyway, and I'll call you back," the message finished.
Phoebe hung up the phone upset. 'Maybe it's better...I seem to be saying that a lot lately,' she thought to herself.
She grabbed her jacket off of her bed and headed down the stairs.
************************************************************************
Erica pulled her Porsche up in front of P3 and handed her keys to the valet parking guy. Ashley was dressed in a red, off-the-shoulder mini skirt, while Erica was in knee-high boots, a blue leather halter top, and a black leather skirt.
"P3? I've never been here before," Ashley said.
"It's an awesome place. You'll love it. Come on, we have to find Jason."
They walked into the club with confidence, and Ashley turned to Erica. "Do you want anything to drink?"
"Um, get me a Shirley Temple, please?"
"Sure, be right back." Ashley walked to the bar. "Hi, Rachel, I need a Shirley Temple and an Amstel Light."
"Sure." Rachel returned a few minutes later with the drinks. Ashley threw a ten onto the bar and walked away.
Phoebe, Prue, and Piper walked into the club, heading straight to the bar. Piper went behind the counter, while Phoebe and Prue had to stay on the other side.
"Rachel, can you get me my regular?" Prue asked.
"Me, too, please," Phoebe said, then hesitated. "Actually...get me an Amstel Light."
"Sure." Rachel turned to get their drinks, but then turned back around. "Isn't that what--"
"Yeah, it's what Cole always gets. I just want to see why he likes them so much, that's all," she said.
"I was going to say, isn't that what you just got?"
"We just got here," Prue said, confused.
"Oh no, Ashley," Phoebe muttered.
"Excuse me?" Prue asked.
"Nothing. Um, actually, just get me my regular, now that I think about it." After Rachel left, Phoebe turned to her sister. "Would you excuse me or a minute? I'm gonna go dance."
"Sure."
Phoebe walked out onto the dance floor. As she stood in the crowd, she noticed Brian on the other side of the room. At the same time, Ashley noticed Jason. They both walked toward their respective people, only to run into each other in the middle.
"Ashley?" Phoebe asked, surprised.
"Phoebe!" It was more exclamatory than surprised.
"What are you doing here?"
"Jason invited me...OK, so he invited you, which you forgot to mention to me."
"You mean the same way you forgot to mention that you and Brian were going together?"
"Now that's not fair--"
"Isn't it? You could never just..." At that moment, their words were lost as they both started talking at the same time. It would have gone on much longer if Piper hadn't interrupted.
"Phoebe. Phoebe! PHOEBE!!" Both girls stopped talking. "What the hell is going on here? What is this? Since when do I have twin sisters? Phoebe, we're going to my office. We need to have a talk." Piper grabbed ahold of the arm she thought belonged to Phoebe, but instead belonged to Ashley.
"Piper," Phoebe said, "I'm Phoebe." She took Ashley out of Piper's grip and walked them both to the stage. She leaned into the microphone, making sure everyone could hear what she had to say. "Everyone, this is Ashley. For the last three weeks, we have been actresses. We each played a role. She has played the role of me, and I have played the role of her. Most of you were surprised when you heard I got a job at the strip club downtown known as Lucky's. That wasn't me. That was Ashley. If any of you had talked to us since June 28, you were actually talking to the opposite person. Unfortunately, telling you all of this will not change some drastic mistakes I have made these past few weeks. It will not allow me to keep the trust of my sisters, and it will not bring back the only man I have ever loved. We switched places because neither of us were happy about the way things had been going in our lives. I had begun to feel left out of my own family, and from my point of view, my boyfriend was ignoring me. But I regret every minute of it. To think that even for a second that I would want to give up the love of my wonderful sisters, or that of such a kind, caring man, I am ashamed. We're sorry for any troubles that we may have caused in the last few weeks, and we would especially like to apologize to our family members, our friends, Brian, Jason, and from me especially, to Cole, who unfortunately is in Italy for the week and will never forgive me for the things I have done."
"That's where you're wrong," a familiar voice said from the back of the club.
Phoebe's head snapped up to look toward the direction she heard the voice from. Everyone turned to look in the same direction. The crowd parted to let the person come forward. Phoebe gasped when she realized that what she had thought was just her imagination was truly a reality.
"Cole," Phoebe said, barely above a whisper.
Cole waited at the bottom of the stage in front of Phoebe. He took her hand and led her off the stage and into his arms. "I saw the tape, Phoebe. Why did you do it?"
"I thought you didn't love me anymore. When I called you that morning at your house, and you didn't know who I was, I thought that was your way of telling me that we were breaking up."
"So you switched places with Ashley so you could live a different life." It wasn't a question.
"Well, yeah. I'm really sorry, Cole."
"Don't go through it again. I heard it while you were up on stage."
"Forgive me?" She gave him the puppy dog eyes she has used on him so many times.
"How could I resist that look? So, would you please dance with me?"
Phoebe took his hand as he led her out on to the dance floor.
And at that moment, as cliché as it might have been, she knew her and her prince charming would live happily ever after.