A/N: Yeah, I totally meant to post this under Creatively Licensed B, but I didn't look at what account I was logged into and I was too lazy to fix it. :P Thanks for all the great reviews, everyone. I really appreciate it.
-XX-
My Only Wish
Chapter Two
As logical as it might have seemed to hold the party on Sunday, the gymnasts' day off, as to preserve the diminishing training time in the days leading up to Christmas, in the grand scheme of things, it might not have been the best idea.
Payson hears the alarm buzzing and it's so loud, it startles her awake. Her eyes snap open and she almost jumps up in bed, she's that taken by surprise. For some reason, as Payson stares straight up, she feels like her ceiling is a lot higher up than it usually is. The alarm suddenly stops without her moving a muscle and there's movement to her left, the ruffling of sheets and a rough, masculine voice sighing deeply.
"Parks, you awake?"
Payson's eyes widen when she realize that voice belongs to Nicky Russo. Even more alarming is when she feels his icy hand against her ribcage, slowly crawling across her flat stomach, ending shivers outward from his touch and throughout her entire body. She almost yelps when she realizes that she's completely naked beneath the sheets.
"Oh my god…"
Payson pauses. Her voice. It doesn't sound like her. It's much higher, almost to the point of being shrill.
Yanking the bed sheets to protectively cover her chest, Payson pushes Nicky's hand away from her and scoots to the opposite end of the bed. She turns and sees him lying on his chest with his cheek pressed to the pillow, looking right at her. His brown eyes are half-lidded with remnants of sleep and his dark hair looks flatter than it usually does but is as messy as always. Payson also takes the time to notice that he's shirtless and probably wearing less underneath.
Did she sleep with Nicky last night? Why can't she remember? What is going on?
Interrupting her thoughts is Nicky's lazy laugh. "Almost forgot. Kelly Parker doesn't do cuddling."
Kelly Parker. Nicky just called her Kelly Parker.
Payson takes a look around the room and she realizes it isn't hers. She hasn't seen this room ever in her entire life. The walls are painted a Tiffany blue and all the furniture looks hip and modern. Payson is immediately filled with a unsettling feeling when she sees the pictures on the nightstand are of Kelly Parker and various people she's never seen before…and Nicky.
Payson's eyes then move down to her hands that seem smaller, tanner and with French tips on her fingernails. She runs her fingers through her hair that's shorter and not to mention brown. Payson's heart starts to speed up and her mind is racing. She wants to say something, but the thought of Kelly Parker's voice coming out of her mouth is too frightening.
Nicky groans and his eyes flutter shut. "I think I hit the snooze button one too many times. We have a good fifteen minutes to get to DE. The last thing I want right now is another awkward talking-to from Marty."
Payson looks over and sees Nicky stumbling out of bed. He's only wearing a pair of snug black boxers, revealing his perfect abs and his hairless chest. Payson feels her face suddenly grow hot when she catches herself staring as Nicky steps into his jeans on the floor and pulls them up to his waist. He looks over at her and Payson stares back at him like a deer caught in the headlights.
"So do you want to ride with me or are we taking separate cars?" Nicky asks. He picks up his t-shirt from the floor and smoothes it down his chest. He looks at her expectantly and Payson just dumbly nods. Nicky's brows narrow and his forehead crinkles. "Okay…well, I'll be waiting in the driveway. If you aren't down in five then I'm leaving without you."
Nicky gives her a playful smile before he walks out the door. Payson waits until she hears his footsteps disappear down the stairs and then she scurries off the bed, bringing the sheets with her. She goes right over to the vanity across the gigantic bedroom and looks right in the mirror. She gasps when she sees Kelly Parker's reflection staring back at her.
It's the oddest thing. Still holding the sheets tight against her petite body, Payson waves her free hand and watches as Kelly Parker's reflection mirrors her movement. She flexes her jaw and purses her lips. When she tugs on the brown strands of hair, she feels the pressure at the roots. This isn't right at all.
Payson doesn't understand any of this. The last thing she remembers is going to sleep in her bed alone and now here she is waking up with Nicky Russo in a foreign place and looking like Kelly Parker's doppelganger. Payson feels so exposed and uncomfortable in her skin. She's trying to make sense of this, but there doesn't seem to be any logical explanation for it.
First things first, it probably isn't helping any that she's naked. Seeing the closet at the far end of the room, Payson goes to it, almost gets lost in it (she's convinced the walk-in is the size of a small apartment) and she quickly pulls on whatever is in her reach. Fully clothed, Payson goes right back to the mirror just to double check, but nothing has changed. It was stupid to expect it would.
"God, you take forever to get ready. You didn't even put your face on yet."
Payson turns and sees Nicky standing in the doorway with an apple. He sinks his teeth into the ripe, red fruit as he looks at her. There's something apprehensive about his expression like he knows there's something wrong and he's trying to work through it in his head. Payson just looks back at the mirror and runs her fingers through the silky brown tresses a couple times, thinking she looks fine.
"I—I figured you'd leave by now," Payson says. Though she expected it, she feels weird when Kelly's voice comes out of her mouth. "I'm guessing it's been more than five minutes…"
"Yeah, sure," Nicky scoffs. "Like I need to give you any more of an excuse to get mad at me. Now come on. We're already late as is. You can put your makeup on in the car."
"Nicky, I don't think I—"
"Did you just call me Nicky?" he asks, looking so taken aback.
Payson sits there and bites her tongue. What does Kelly Parker usually call him?
"Are you feeling okay, Parks?" Nicky asks.
"I…no. Not at all," she replies. "I think I'm going to skip practice today…"
Nicky walks right up to her with purpose in his step and presses the back of his hand to her forehead. Payson feels a gasp in her throat. This is the first time they've been this close since…Valentine's Day.
"You don't have a fever," Nicky says. Squinting his eyes, he stares at her face as Payson resists the urge to fidget. "Therefore, I'm obligated to get you to Denver Elite ASAP. You know the Code of Marty, Parks. If you aren't dying then you're training."
Nicky walks back over to the door and Payson heaves a heavy sigh. She has a feeling that Nicky won't leave her alone until she agrees to go with him and she can't exactly sort through any of this with him hovering over her. Standing reluctantly, Payson starts to follow him to the door, dragging her feet the entire way. Usually she can't wait to get into the gym, but special circumstances call for careful decisions.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" he asks.
Payson blinks. "Am I?"
"Your gym bag. Seriously, Kelly, where's your head today?" Nicky scolds her. He looks annoyed for a split second before his lips curve into a smile. "Must be lost in all this sex hair."
Nicky starts ruffling her dark hair, making it even messier than it already is. Payson loses herself in the moment. She laughs and tries to push him away, letting her hand rest on his firm chest. Nicky then steps back into the room and grabs the royal blue duffel from off the ground. Payson nervously stands in place until she sees the nametag hooked to the black strap that says Kelly Parker on it in big bold letters. She then inwardly sighs before she heads out the door.
Before she makes it far, Payson feels Nicky's hand wrap around her wrist to stop her in place. Gulping hard, Payson pauses and looks back over at him. Nicky gives her half a smile and motions to the half-eaten apple in his hand.
"Want a bite?" he asks.
"No thank you," she replies.
There he goes with the confused look again. "Why do you sound so nice?"
In return, Payson wonders why he's hanging out and apparently sleeping with a bitch.
"You need to eat something," Nicky insists.
Payson just sighs. This must be why he's so good at gymnastics. He's so persistent.
When Nicky moves the apple closer to her mouth, Payson just takes a bite, knowing he isn't going to give in any time soon. Her teeth sink into the apple and it's then that she knows it isn't a dream. She tastes the sweetness of it and feels the pieces move down her throat as she swallows. No dream can be that vivid.
Some of the juice from the apple runs down from the corner of her mouth, but before Payson can get it, Nicky brings his thumb to her chin and brushes it away. She looks up at his face as he stands over her. He doesn't look annoyed or shy or enslaved. He's actually smiling.
It's the way he's smiling, so amused and maybe even loving, that really gets to Payson. It makes her feel even more uncomfortable to know that he thinks he's looking at Kelly Parker.
-XX-
Kelly Parker groans as she stretches her arms out over her head, lying in bed. She lets her hands fall out to her sides and when she finds the spaces around her empty, Kelly groans again and shuts her eyes even tighter. Of course, she's alone in bed. It's routine for Nicky to bail after they hook-up. Kelly always tells herself that he isn't going to be there when she wakes up yet she's always disappointed when it turns out to be true. That's become routine too.
She hears a door creak open and warns herself not to get her hopes up.
"Payson, mom says it's time to wake up…"
The voice sounds so small. Also it's a voice Kelly has never heard before.
Groaning, she sits up and looks to where the door should be. Instead, she sees an old wooden dresser. It seems her room has shrunk over the night and has become a lot more cluttered than it should be. The walls are a cream color and the drapes are floral. There's a shelf lined with trophies, ribbons and medals. The one indication that Kelly is living her worst nightmare is how many pictures of the Rock girls are posted everywhere. Barf.
When Kelly turns to the actual door, she sees a young blonde girl who must be in her early teens. She looks at Kelly with a sour look and her immediate gut reaction is for her brows to furrow and her eyes to narrow in the deadliest glare she can manage.
"Who the hell are you?" Kelly demands. "And what are you doing in my house?"
The girl tilts her head in confusion. "Payson, what are you talking about?"
Payson. That name cannot be common. She must mean Payson as in Payson Keeler. The one and only. Come to think of it, there's a slight resemblance between the young girl in front of her and Keeler. Oh God, a mini-Keeler clone. This nightmare just keeps getting worse and worse.
"Okay, why do you keep calling me Payson?" Kelly asks.
Then she pauses a moment. Her voice sounds different. It's lower and Keeler-like.
"What the fuck is going on?" Kelly practically screams.
"Payson, if mom hears you talking like that—"
"Stop calling me that!" Now Kelly is actually shouting.
She looks down at her hands and sees how her fingers are longer, her nails lack their usual polish and are too short. Not to mention her skin tone is about five shades lighter than it was when she slept last night. Kelly can feel her heart start to speed up and she suddenly feels a little ill.
All Kelly remembers is driving home from that stupid Christmas party at the Rock, changing into sweats and getting ready for bed. She recalls arguing with Nicky via text. He was pissed that she left him there and she assured him that she didn't give a shit. Then he showed up at her front door to continue the fight face-to-face. It started with screaming and shoving and somehow turned into rough kisses and clothes being peeled off. One thing lead to another like it often does when she's with Nicky. Kelly Parker is known for her grudge-holding abilities, but not when it comes to a certain android gymnast.
Then she wakes up here, not with Nicky, but with this girl.
A look of panic strikes Kelly's face as she desperately searches the room for a mirror. She crawls out of bed, drowning in a t-shirt that's too big for her and cotton pajama bottoms. There's a full-length mirror hanging near the door and Kelly's heart nearly stops when she's standing there and staring at her reflection or, rather, Payson's reflection.
Threading her fingers through the unfamiliar blonde locks, Kelly screams so loud that the whole house, if not the entire neighborhood surely hears it.
"Oh My God! I'm PALE!" Kelly shouts. She stands so close to the mirror that her nose nearly touches the reflective surface. Running her fingertips down her cheeks, Kelly feels the soft, cold flesh and knows everything is too real to be a dream. "Even worse, I'm BLONDE!"
"Payson, you've always been—"
Kelly turns and glowers at the girl. "How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that!"
The young girl frightfully backs away, but Kelly is too busy freaking out to really pay attention. It isn't like she'd care anyways. It wouldn't be the first time she's made a girl cry.
"What is going on here?"
Just what they needed. The motherly voice intervenes just like in the sitcoms.
"Mom! I think Payson is going crazy."
"Becca, what are you talking about?"
Looking terrified, Kelly turns back to the door and sees Kim Keeler standing there. Kelly has seen Kim around a number of times, usually at the Rock and especially competitions. She's always there to cheer on Payson. She's always the last one to wish Payson luck before she competes and the first one to congratulate her afterwards. Kim has such a concerned, motherly look on her face and Kelly finds it absolutely terrifying.
"I—I'm not Payson!" she shouts.
Kim gives her a small, amused smile. "Oh really? Who do you suppose you are?"
"Kelly Parker!" she shouts, stomping her foot for emphasis.
That's when Kim and the girl – Becca – both burst out in laughter.
Kelly scowls and narrows her eyes in her best glare. There are many things in life that Kelly absolutely hates and being laughed at is definitely towards the top, right between losing and hipsters.
"What is wrong with you people?" Kelly yells. She's always been the type of person who gets frustrated easily and doesn't know what to do with that coiling, tear-producing feeling. Usually she turns that into energy for gymnastics, but standing there, she has no idea what to do. "I don't know what I'm doing here and frankly, I don't want to be here. I should be in Denver! In my giant house! I don't know what's going on and your laughter, um, not helping!"
"Aw, Payson," Kim laughs to the point of tears. "That's hilarious. Come on, Becca, you can help me with breakfast while your secret comedian sister gets ready. We have a long day at the Rock ahead of us."
Becca laughs. "You totally had me there, Payson."
"I'm not Payson!" Kelly shouts as a last desperate attempt.
Kim just laughs again before she ushers Becca out the door and they disappear from sight. Frustrated and distressed, Kelly walks over and slams the door shut. She then leans back against it and slides down until she's sitting on the floor. Kelly takes supposedly cleaning breaths like the therapist taught her that one time. When that doesn't work, she starts chewing on her fingernails, a bad habit she hasn't done since she was a little girl.
For reasons unknown to her, Kelly woke up looking like Payson or, rather, in Payson Keeler's body and living her life this morning. She's never been the type of girl who believes in magic or fairy tales or Freaky Friday-esque out of body experiences, but apparently she's living one. Hugging her knees to her chest, Kelly doesn't know what to do.
"Payson!" she hears Kim's voice through the door. "Hurry up, slowpoke!"
Kelly's face twists in distaste. Who the hell talks like that?
In all honestly, Kelly's main area of concern is the fact that she doesn't know what to do or how to act around these people. If Kelly herself doesn't know how to act in front of them then how is she supposed to be Payson in front of them? Kelly hasn't even seen her mom since she was twelve and her parents got divorced. She nearly traumatized Becca five minutes ago. Kelly Parker doesn't sit and eat breakfast with people. This is clearly out of her comfort zone.
All she wants to do is try to wake up from this nightmare.
"Payson! I mean it!" Kim calls again. "Get a move on it!"
Then again, Kelly debates in her head, if she doesn't leave the room then she won't have a chance to figure out what's going on.
Getting to her feet, Kelly goes over to the closet and cringes at the things she sees. She pushes hangers from one side of the closet to the other, nixing each outfit. It's a good thing she's only going to the Rock and not walking a red carpet. Everything in there is so Keeler and not Kelly's style at all.
After finding something decent, Kelly struggles to change into it seeing as she keeps her eyes shut tight the entire time. She then looks through every drawer for makeup and all she finds is some basic pencil eyeliner and eyeshadow. Kelly makes a mental note to do Keeler a favor and take a trip to Sephora. Grabbing the gym bag on the dresser, Kelly emerges from the bedroom and walks down the stairs to the kitchen.
The entire house is so homey. It's half the size of Kelly's own house, but a lot more personal with family photos framed and decorating the walls. It's something Kelly would imagine her grandmother's house to look like if her grandmother was an actual grandmother and not a woman who makes her call her "Tish", is obsessed with Carnival cruises and tosses Kelly a crisp fifty instead of baking cookies.
There are egg whites waiting on the kitchen table where Becca is already eating. There's a man sitting at the head of the kitchen table, reading the morning paper as Kim rushes from place to place. They're talking casually about an Aunt Martha and they all share a laugh that Kelly feels on the outside of. She sits at the table and pokes at the egg whites with a fork. She wonders if this is as awkward for everyone else as it is for her.
"Someone's quiet," says the man who she assumes is Mr. Keeler. Kelly looks up from her plate and the man looks at her with a kind smile. Kelly doesn't know what to say. Usually when she's with her father and he's reading the newspaper, it acts as a shield and he's lost in his own world of sports highlights and the latest political scandal. When she's with her father, she usually feels just as alone as if he wasn't even there.
"Someone had an interesting morning," Kim teases. "Tell him, Pay. Tell your dad about your little Kelly Parker impersonation."
Becca giggles. "It's really good."
"Oh?" Mr. Keeler says, raising his dark brows.
"I—it was in the moment," Kelly stutters. The last thing she wants to do is have them laugh at her again like they did earlier. Kelly sets down her fork and clears her throat. "Well, I don't want to be late. Have you guys seen my car keys?"
"To your imaginary car parked in the driveway?" Becca giggles.
"What are you talking about, Pay? You know your dad has his truck and I have my car," Kim explains, eyeing her daughter, who isn't her daughter at all. "Just let your sister finish breakfast and then we'll go to the Rock, the three of us, like we do every morning."
Kelly groans. That's going to make things harder to investigate for sure.
"Anyways, I say it's about time we go out and get a tree and start the Keeler Christmas Traditions," Mr. Keeler says. Becca starts cheering in her seat while Kelly inwardly fumes about Payson's lack of independent transportation. "I'll have the Christmas ornaments down from the attic by the time you girls get home tonight and then you can decorate the house while I watch the game. And you better believe I expect both of you decked out in Viking gear from head to toe."
As Kim playfully complains about her husband's unhealthy love of his hometown football team and they start to bicker as she and Becca look on, Kelly can't help, but be stunned.
So this is what an actual family is supposed to be like.
Kelly doesn't exactly feel comfortable, but she doesn't hate it either.
A/N: You know, every time you review, a reindeer learns to fly. Please do so. If not for me then for Rudolph's bloodline!
xoxo