Disclaimer/Author's Note: "I'm In Love With My Guitar" belongs to Instant Star. And Alexz Johnson actually sang it. And it was hilarious. Then her character got upset because her best friend said he hated it but it wasn't her fault, it was the record company's fault, and then she admitted that she wrote the song herself. HAHAHAHA. If you guys aren't watching this show, you're missing out, seriously…

Chapter Fourteen

We drove back to the Phillips' house in silence. Actually, Annie didn't shut up the entire ride back, but I just tuned her out. Woefully, I glanced down at the sheet music in front of me.

Whenever we're together no one's a star

I can pour it all out right from the heart

If it's up to me we'll never be apart

I'm in love with my guitar

"This song sucks," I said aloud. "Those are probably the stupidest lyrics I've ever read."

"How's it go?" Annie asked. I sang the chorus for her. "I think it's catchy!" she announced gleefully.

"This is even worse than 'To Dream About You,'" I moaned. "No offense," I added quickly, and insincerely.

"Carey, I have to tell you something," Annie said seriously, clearly indifferent to my most recent insult.

"Look, if it's about the song, I'll learn it, okay? I have nothing better to do, and besides, I already know how to play the guitar, so it's not like they'll have to bother with giving me less—"

"Carey!"

"What!" I asked, annoyed.

"I'm ready to switch back," she whispered.

"You're—what—really?"

"Yes."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Really!"

"Yes."

"Really really!"

"YES! Stop asking me that before I change my mind!" she screamed.

"Okay," I agreed happily. I was grinning from ear-to-ear like some kind of crazed maniac. I was going back, going back, going back to my body! I wanted to jump for joy, but instead kind of bounced around a little bit until my shoulder felt sore from being knocked against the seatbelt so much. "Ouch."

"Oh," Annie said suddenly, interrupting my lame attempt at a celebration. "There's something I forgot to mention."

"Yeah, okay, what? Like some kind of deal? I'll do anything—well—almost anything…"

"Oh, no, not that," Annie replied, setting me at ease back again.

"Okay then. What?"

"Oh. Well. I don't know how to reverse the spell," Annie said casually, as if she had just remarked that it was a beautiful day out today—which it was, until now.

"WHAT?" I screamed.

She shrugged. "Hey! Don't worry about it! We'll figure something out." She smiled.

"WHY DID YOU CAST THIS SPELL ON US IF YOU DIDN'T KNOW AHEAD OF TIME HOW TO GET US OUT OF IT?"

"Gosh, Carey, I'm not a brain surgeon or anything." No kidding. "I just didn't think that far in advance, that's all."

"But—what—I—you—" I spluttered.

"No, seriously, it's okay," Annie went on.

"HOW IS THIS POSSIBLY OKAY?" I screamed. Maybe I was overreacting. I probably should have kept my voice and my temper down a notch if I really wanted Annie to reverse the spell. After all, this could be my one and only chance to escape from her body.

Wait a second. What am I thinking! Annie doesn't even know how to get out!

Just then, we pulled into the Phillips' driveway. "It's easy," she said.

Be calm. Be calm be calm be calm.

I wanted to rip her head off.

"I have a plan," she continued.

"Okay," I muttered. "What?"

"Well," Annie began, "I've stumbled into a lot of weird stuff this past year," she told me, as if I hadn't noticed.

"Really? I hadn't noticed," I remarked sarcastically.

"Yes," she responded, clearly missing the sarcasm. "But I always got out of it!"

"So, let me guess," I ventured. "We're just going to sit around and wait for the solution to come find us? We're just going to wander aimlessly until we happen to stumble into the answer?" I asked incredulously.

"Well, those are some good ideas, but no," she said seriously. I glared at her. "Come on, Carey, think! Who's the one person who always has the answers…"

"You can't possibly mean…" I paused. She nodded encouragingly, waiting for me to continue. "So we're just going to ask Fi?"

"Yes!" she exclaimed, clearly pleased with herself.

"And what if she doesn't know what to do?"

"Oh, she will!" Annie insisted. "She always does."

"Fine," I agreed. "As soon as we get inside that house, we're calling her. Should I talk, or you? Or both of us? Well, I guess speakerphone isn't a likely option since Molly and Jack are home—"

"Carey!" Annie interrupted my senseless rambling. "We're not calling her."

"What?" I panicked. "What is this, some kind of sick joke? Dangle the possibility of switching back right before my eyes, then snatch it away at the last moment just to watch me squirm?"

She giggled. I wanted to strangle her. "No, silly," she replied. "Though that's a tempting idea." Her face turned serious when she looked back at the expression on mine. "Okay, sorry. It's just that I don't ever call Fi. Now that I think about it, that would be kind of awkward."

"Awkward?" I demanded. "You think that would be awkward? And everything that happened this past week wasn't awkward?"

She shrugged.

I give up.

"Okay, here's the deal," Annie said. "You go up to my room, get my laptop, and then go to InstaGab. I'll come upstairs in a few minutes, you know, like after I say hi to Molly and stuff."

I glared at her again.

"Well, what am I supposed to do? I have to act like you, remember?"

"Fine," I agreed. "But what if Fi's not online? What then? This would be a lot easier if we just called…"

"Carey!"

"Fine. Okay. I'll do it."

"Good."

So just like that, our plan was intact. We walked through the front door and went our separate ways. As I placed my hand on the doorknob to Annie's bedroom, it occurred to me that this might be the last time I walked through her bedroom door. Quickly, I tried to push the thought out of my mind, afraid that I would jinx it by being too hopeful. I opened the door, ready to put our plan into action…

…and was immediately greeted by a sight that I did not expect to see.