Chapter 16 - Michaela's Story
October 11, 1997 - Tulsa, Oklahoma

Today was the day. Today was D-Day. Today was Tweedle-Tay-day. Today I would wear my KMart outfit and so would Tweedle-Tay. I knew that he was not very fashion conscious and always selected the clothes closest to the door so I moved the KMart outfit so that it was the closest to the door. I would also put a bulge into the front of my trousers. That bulge would, of course, be the gun that I would use to threaten Tweedle-Tay with. I dressed and walked down the stairs into the kitchen. My brothers and sisters were already eating breakfast. I smiled at them all and said, "My goodness! You're wearing the same outfit as I am Tay!"
"Wow!" he answered sarcastically. "Do you feel like talking to me today? I am like, SO honored."
"Well," I said cheerfully, "I've realised that it's not YOUR fault that I have to leave. There's really nothing you can do. I guess you're not in a high enough position to be able to help." I smiled, trying to infuriate him. "Anyway," I added, "it is my last day here so I may as well enjoy myself. The streets won't be much fun."
Tweedle-Tay could see right through my attempt at a guilt trip and ignored me. I flicked my hair. "I'm going to be clearing my stuff out of the basement. It would be nice if you'd help, considering that this is probably the last day you'll ever see me."
"Michaela, I will help you, but not because you're trying to guilt trip me. I really will miss you, we all will."
I laughed, maybe a little too loudly. "Don't be silly! I'll be fine. You just get on with you career. Now come on! I don't have all day."
I grabbed Tweedle-Tay's hand and pulled him down into the basement. Once he was down the stairs I shut the door.
"I don't think this will take very long," Tweedle-Tay was saying. "You don't really have that many things down here. Actually I can't see anything that belongs to you......."
I put my hand down my pants and took out the gun. "For gods sake Tweedle-Tay! You didn't really think I was bringing you down here for that did you?"
He turned around and saw me. I was spinning the gun around my little finger. I'd been practising and it looked pretty good. "Michaela! What the hell do you think you're doing???"
I walked down the stairs, batting my eyelashes and swaying my hips. I actually felt pretty stupid and Tweedle-Tay was my brother, not my lover, but if this was how they did it in the movies this is how I would do it in real life. "Well," I said. "Basically, I want to stay here. I'm happy here. Now our family doesn't want me to stay, so, I guess that unless you can convince them to get me to stay I'll have to shoot you. We look so alike that no one would figure out what had happened for a few weeks, maybe even months......"
The one hole in my plan was my lack of knowledge about the Manson family. In my rush I had forgotten that my brothers and sisters were all trained in karate. Tweedle-Tay kicked the gun out of my hand and onto the floor. "Michaela," he said. "This isn't fair. I know you're not going to shoot me. You don't have it in you. There's nothing I can do -"
"You wanna bet I wouldn't shoot you????" I walked towards the gun but Tweedle-Tay got there first and knocked me to the ground, winding me badly. "Ow!" I moaned. "What did you do that for??" My tough-girl facade was disappearing fast. I felt the tears brimming in my eyes. I tried to hold them back, I really did but...... "It's not fair! You have it so easy! You just live here in this little Brady Bunch house so happy and serene.......... you make millions of dollars doing the one thing you love. My grandmother, my only friend in the world is dead and now when I have no place to go you just send me away. My grandmother was no Carol Brady but she would be shocked at what this family, my family are doing to me. We weren't even really related but she loved me a million times more than any of you ever will. You wouldn't even have to give up much if I stayed, I'm not a conspicuous girl, all you'd have to do -"
"Michaela, I told my parents I'd leave the band but it didn't work......"
"Don't be stupid Tweedle-Tay and don't underestimate my intelligence! If you had threatened to leave the band they'd be letting me stay. You are by far the most popular band member. Have you never heard those stupid little twelve-year-old girls screaming at you?????" I made my voice high pitched and breathy, "Tay! Tay! It's really him! Oh my god! It's really him!" Tweedle-Tay looked at me blankly. "Don't pretend you haven't, because I know you have. They scream it out at me for goodness sake!"
"I told Mom I'd leave and she said I wasn't as indispensable as I thought I was.............." Tweedle-Tay protested weakly.
"That's because you haven't carried it out in the least. All you'd have to do is miss a couple of rehearsals and refuse to go to England until they agreed that I could stay. Is that really to much to ask? You wouldn't do that for your twin sister?"
"Yeah. I'll do it. But I hope you're right."
"Of course I'm right!" I replied and pasted a smile on my face. "Now help me up." I extended my hand to my brother and he pulled me off the ground. Just then we heard the door close. Neuton was standing at the top of the stairs.
"Well, well, well," he said shaking his head as he walked down the stairs. "What have we here? Tweedle-Tay, Michaela and - a gun!" Neuton picked up the gun. "Well, it's a good thing I arrived before my brother was dead isn't it?" He paused. "Oh, look! Matching outfits. You are a clever girl Michaela. How will I know which one of you to shoot?"
Tweedle-Tay and I looked at each other in fear and moved so that we were standing about three metres apart. Finally Tweedle-Tay said, "Well, I guess if you can't tell which one's which you'll have to let us both go."
"I could," Neuton agreed. "But the devil had been in this house two weeks too long. I'm not leaving this basement until Michaela is dead. Tweedle-Tay, all you have to do is notify me of who you are in some way."
Neuton stared at us both. I honestly had no idea what to do. There was obviously no escape. Neuton was blocking the exit. I didn't want to die. Not one bit. But....... Tweedle-Tay had a lot ahead of him. Fame, love, happiness, money. If he died I would get into a lot of trouble. If I died the Mansons would be rid of me and I would be with my grandmother, Annabelle Morgan.
My thoughts were interrupted by Neuton. "If I can't tell the difference between you soon I'll have to shoot you both," he said.
Okay. So I would die or we'd both die. This made the choice a lot easier. All I had to do was something that Tweedle-Tay would never do. I looked at Tweedle-Tay sadly, mentally saying goodbye and walked slowly towards Neuton..................