Bum bum bum. It continues. I came up with a really lame theory. Don't laugh at my lame-ness, damn it! I know, I haven't been updating in awhile, but with school, I've been distracted. And lazy. I always get lazy when school rolls around. I'm just there for the social interaction (I'm such a greaser. xD). I don't think this chapter will be enough to make everyone happy again, but who knows?

Identity Crisis

Eleven

"I don't see how this is going to help," Angela said, glaring at the screen of the computer.

"The internet knows everything. Especially Google... and Jeeves. That's the rule of the future," Jessica said, rolling her eyes. "We just have to find the right word for it to look for. So we're gonna make a list!"

"Uh... we don't even know what's been going on."

"...We'll look up... uh... oh crap," Jessica muttered, holding her head in her hands. "Damn!"

Angela sighed and leaned back in her chair, staring at the computer screen. "At least you tried," She said suddenly, putting a hand on Jessica's shoulder. "I mean, so the internet let us down. It's happened before. Remember when we tried to find Jacob's address when we were in sixth grade?"

Jessica looked up at her surprised. "... Lauren?"

Angela shook her head, blinking. "Huh?"

"How did you know that?"

"I... I dunno. I just started talking and it came out..." Angela said, rubbing her forehead.

"...You're really turning into her," Jessica breathed, her eyes wide. Angela frowned and looked down at her hands. They were more narrow and thin than her own had been. Lauren's mother had said that with hands like that, she'd be a good pianist. 'Lauren' had cringed and shook her head.

"I'm a soccer player, not a musician."

Anglea almost laughed. A soccer player. A musician. She was neither of those. She wasn't even the same age as Lauren and she got the feeling that Lauren was a lot smarter than she was too. It could be because Angela never paid attention in school. She paid attention to the people in school. Sure, she hadn't been failing any classes by the time the end of the year rolled around. She was just coasting through.

'Lauren doesn't coast...' Angela mused, studying her hands. Jessica had turned her attention back to the computer as if any second the right word would put itself in. Anglea looked behind her, where Lauren's mirror hung. She was used to the blonde hair by now. At one point, she had wanted to be blonde. But not at the expense of her own identity.

'Maybe I'll forget I was ever Angela... it'll be like Lauren never left. Maybe it happens all the time. Like, when people get older and they change... it just didn't work this time or something. It could be where the phrase, 'you're like a whole new person' came from. You really do become a new person.'

xxxx

"Oh lookit th-" Jessica's face distorted in disgust. "Never mind," she muttered, quickly shoving the shirt back on the rack. Angela glanced over, but turned her attention back to the earrings she had been looking at. Neither of the girls actually had any money with them, they were just waiting for Jessica's older sister to finish her shopping.

They were ready to go to the Fourth of July carnival and see the fireworks and, hopefully, Jacob. Jessica started laughing.

"Look at this dress!"

"I dare you to try it on," Angela said with a smirk.

"Are you kidding?"

"Double dog dare ya."

"...Damn it," Jessica growled, taking the rather ugly dress and stomping off to the dressing room. Angela smirked, and picked up the earrings, raising her eyebrows and looking too the dressing rooms.

"Need help in there Jessica?" Angela asked, heading to the dressing room, and taking the earrings with her. She paused hearing Jessica's disgruntled "no", and looked through a rack of jeans. She picked a pair up, and hurried to the dressing room at the far end.

Angela did a careful scan of the dressing room, having seen the sign of 'shop lifting is a crime', as she took her time changing into the jeans. They fit, surprisingly. Normally, the would have been too big. She inspected herself in the mirror, still keeping an eye out for any cameras. She knew there was probably one outside the dressing room. Quickly, she took the earrings off of the fancy cardboard they had been on and slipped them into the pocket of her other pair of jeans.

She took off the ones she didn't own and stuck the cardboard into the left pocket, before she put them back on the hanger and pulled her own jeans on. She could feel the earrings pressing against her leg and looked into the mirror again.

Angela grinned, watching Lauren's face instantly light up. No one would ever notice. She grabbed the pair of jeans and put a disappointed look on her face as she opened the door. She hung them up on the rack waiting for all the reject clothes and waited for Jessica.

xxxx

Angela was standing around in the crowd, new earrings dangling and catching the sunset. Jessica hadn't told her she'd be performing under the huge white tent before the fireworks got started. But, after she had mentioned it, Lauren's memory kicked in. Jessica had been in dance for most of her life.

But she wasn't performing just yet. She was backstage with the other girls. Right now was some other girl's turn. She was signing a mish mash of songs, according to her. The one she was singing right now was pretty, but Angela couldn't make out everything she was singing. She had a pretty high voice most of the time, but even that sounded nice. Normally, pretty or no, Angela would have been cringing and leaving that tent without a second thought.

But Lauren liked this kind of thing.

She clapped politely when the girl finally put the microphone back on the stand and bowed, smiling, before walking off stage. Angela could Jessica and the other girls, in their dance costumes, crowded around the stairs, congradulating the other girl on a good performance.

An old man, probably nearing the end of his fifties, announced that the dance team, "Extreme" would be performing and the girls rushed onto the stage, their skirts fluttering. In honor of the holiday, their costumes consisted of only three colors, red, white and blue.

Angela watched with interest as these girls, smiles plastered on their faces, danced their little hearts out. She was pretty sure the cheerleaders she had seen at her school weren't able to do half the things that these girls could.

"Hey."

Angela jumped and turned to look at Jacob who had taken to standing next to her and watching the show.

"Oh, hey," Angela said casually.

"She's good, isn't she?"

"Huh?"

"Jessica."

"Oh. Yeah, she is."

Angela noticed Jacob shift a bit. Probably not a fan of the sudden laspe into silence.

"Does she ever talk about me?"

Angela wasn't sure why, but she felt her stomach drop. "Sometimes," she said with a shrug, fighting against the feelings that she shouldn't have been having.

"Yeah?"

The way his face lit up just about killed her.

"What she say?"

"That you're nice... attractive..." Angela said. Why was Lauren so damn honest? Why was she acting like her anyway? She would have lied and said 'No, she never really talks about you'. Lauren was pretty damn sensitive too; Angela had never felt so sick over a boy. And the happier he got, the worse she felt.

"You're being serious?'

"Yeah. Why would I lie about something like that?"

Because you want him, damn it! That's why you lie! You lie and get what you want! Angela screamed in her head. Vocally how ever she remained quiet.

"Hey... you think if I... ya know-"

Angela laughed and pushed Jacob toward the stage. "Stop asking me questions and go ask Jessica some, huh? I'm sure she'd love it."

Jacob grinned at her, looking over his shoulder, before slinking his way to the stage, being careful not to disturb the girls dancing or the audience that was watching them. They were mostly family of the girls and older couples. Angela sighed and glanced at the entrance of the tent. It was starting to get dark.

Slowly, Angela made her way out of the tent, the warm air and smells of food a definite improvement from the hot sweaty air in the tent. She had been getting used to a lot of things, especially with these summer months. Back in Tulsa it had been almost unbearable to be outside when the sun was out, or even in the house, since none of her friends had a very good air conditioner.

But now, the summer days weren't nearly as hot, though, a few days had been pretty insane when it came to heat. And every house she stepped into had the air conditioner on full blast. It was nice, really. She had hated being sweaty all the time. The only downside was soccer, which never seemed to end.

Oh, and why is it that all of these boys keep ignoring me? Angela thought bitterly. Lauren's not that ugly, damn it!

Angela headed to the carnival that was only a few feet away from the performance tent. She still had some tickets left over from earlier. She guessed she could keep herself entertained for awhile, until Jessica ran out of the tent, giggling and bouncing and going on and on about how "cute it was" when Jacob asked her out.

Looking up at the sky again, Angela stood in the middle of the crowd that was laughing and walking around her. Maybe she'd get lucky and get the top of the Ferris wheel when the fireworks started, which should be in a few minutes if she was right. At least she'd get something out of this day... besides a new pair of earrings anyway.

xxxx

Angela was all smiles, sitting in her seat on the Ferris wheel, her hands gripping the bar across her lap. The wink had been confirmation enough. She'd get the top of the Ferris wheel once the fire works started.

Good, she thought happily, settling in as the lights of the nearby football/baseball field turned off and the cheering started. The Ferris wheel came to a stop. After all the shit I've gone through, this is the least they could do...