Dangerous Love

"Doppleganger"

...A-A-Ariel? 

CARLA: Mom. How did this happen? What's going on? I thought she's already--

MOM: Dead! That means we need to talk to Phoenix. As soon as possible. 

~MEANWHILE IN AZARIA'S HOUSE~

AZARIA: Wait! Stay there. I'll enter first.

PHOENIX: Whatever.

AZARIA: *Then I enter in my room and look around, I guess it's fine.* Okay! Come in. 

PHOENIX: *chuckles* 

AZARIA: Sit here in the sofa and just put your things in the table, I'll just get my laptop. 

PHOENIX: Do you need help? I just thought you did. Laptop is kinda, you know heavy?

AZARIA: Then, can you get it in my desk. Over there.

PHOENIX: *hummed* Ohhh...You have lots of pictures.

AZARIA: Just don't mind it and bring the laptop.

PHOENIX: *shrugged* Here. *lay it down in the table and sit across Azaria.*

AZARIA: I called you.

PHOENIX: Really? Oh I'm sorry I forgot to bring my phone.

AZARIA: *hummed* Cut all of this, and I'll just make the video.

PHOENIX: Uhh, ok.

*after a while*

AZARIA: Can you type this one after? Just having a hard time to type.

PHOENIX: Yeah! Just...a...little *I said while cutting the last picture.*...and...done! *stand up and sit besides Azaria* Where?

AZARIA: Uhhh, this one and this one.

PHOENIX: This?

AZARIA: Uh-huh. Thanks. 

*couple minutes of silence*

PHOENIX: The silence making it awkward. Don't you think?

AZARIA: You're too honest. But yeah! 

PHOENIX: Is your...hand... ok?

AZARIA: *chuckles* Yeah. Just some days and it would finally heal.

PHOENIX: That's relief.

AZARIA: Are you...worried?

PHOENIX: Of course. It's my fault.

AZARIA: Uhhh not the whole I guess, just wondering why did you, you know tried to cut yourself.

PHOENIX: *I stopped for a minute and take a deep breath before I speak again.* I'm just...uhhh alone I guess?

AZARIA: You don't want it? No one will bother you. Just like what you said.

PHOENIX: Yeah. But sometimes I just wished that I hope I'm normal like you.

AZARIA: *laughs* Normal? What do you mean by that?

PHOENIX: Uhhh, you know normal.

AZARIA: Ahhhh okay? Well, maybe it's because your personality. I mean you're quite cold and you know strange.

PHOENIX: *laughs* Strange? 

AZARIA: About your friend--

PHOENIX: Don't bother to ask I won't answer it anyway.

AZARIA: *I can feel that she doesn't want to spill the beans about it, so what can I do? Nothing I guess. I stared at her for a minute and after a while she stares back, our eyes met. I wanted to look away but her eyes was so fascinating like it's hypnotizing my eyes. I'm wondering what she's thinking while staring at me with that look. Couple of seconds but no one of us tried to look away then someone knocks on the door that makes me blink three times while shaking my head like what just happened, then I get up and take five steps to open the door.*

MOM: Sweetie. It's lunch time. Let's all eat.

AZARIA: *I glanced in my watch and look what time is it.* Uhhh, time passed so fast. We'll follow mom.

MOM: *hummed*

AZRIA: *I close the door and walk back towards Phoenix.* Hey! You hungry?

PHOENIX: A bit, I guess.

AZARIA: C'mon let's eat then. *Then both of us went downstairs and proceed to the dining area.*

~After a while~

MOM: So why did you do it? *looks at Phoenix*

AZARIA: Mom, let's just--

PHOENIX: I'm sorry. I'm just having hard times and I feel like I can't handle it anymore, that's why.

AZARIA: (What?) 

MOM: If you feel it again just go and talk to my daughter. She's trustworthy.

AZARIA: What? Why me?

PHOENIX: I will. Thanks for the advice. *smiles* We're in the same class so it will be easy to have a talk with her.

AZARIA'S POV:

It take so long before we finished our lunch because my mom keeps on talking with Phoenix. Then after that we came back to my room and continue our staring, what? I mean our project. Your mom is so cool, she said while chuckling. I know, I mumbled. We still have lots of works to do so let's start, I added. After some hours, we didn't notice that it's already around 4pm.

PHOENIX: I'm sorry but I think I need to go ahead now. It's late.

AZARIA: Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't notice the time. So, uhhh let's just finish it tomorrow?

PHOENIX: Tomorrow.

AZARIA: Ok, then let's go. I'll just accompany you way out. *We went downstairs and saw my mom that's cleaning in the living room.* Mom? Why are you cleaning? We have maids.

MOM: Uhh, nothin'. You're leaving? *look at Phoenix*

PHOENIX: Yes ma'am. I'll just comeback tomorrow to finished it.

MOM: *hummed* Take care.

PHOENIX: I will. *smiles*

AZARIA: Pretty close huh? C'mon this way. *I open the door widely and walks outside.* So, I'll wait you maybe 10? You know we just needed to edit it.

PHOENIX: No! I'm fine with 9. 

AZARIA: You sure?

PHOENIX: Yes, it means I have lots of time to be with you. I whispered enough for her not to heard it.

AZARIA: What? Mumbling something?

PHOENIX: Nah! Just saying it's fine.

AZARIA: Ok, bye then. 

PHOENIX'S POV:

After minutes of driving I finally reached our house but I immediately feel something strange, like something's wrong. So I directly enters and there I saw my mom and Carla patiently waiting for me. What's wrong? I asked firmly. Sit down Phoenix! We have something to talk about, my mom said oddly. I take my seat behind Carla then my mom slightly thrown my phone in the table, I was about to grabbed it when I saw Azaria's picture, then I thought, I know what's going on now.

MOM: Can you please explain it to us?

PHOENIX: I don't have anything to explain mom.

MOM: WHO IS THAT GIRL?!

PHOENIX: Mom! You're getting the wrong idea!

MOM: That's why I'm telling you to explain it!

PHOENIX: *sighs* She's...she's just a classmates mom.

MOM: Stay away from her Phoenix.

PHOENIX: But-

MOM: I know what you're thinking. That she's Ariel? Right? But she's not! She only has her face but she's not.

PHOENIX: *When I heard the name Ariel, everything got flashback.*

~FLASHBACK~

Me and Ariel was so close like we can't live without each other. I like her so much but I can't just confess my love for her because I'm afraid that our friendship will get affected, also I don't want to know what's the meaning of rejection so I just keep it, not when I heard that she also likes me. So I planned to confess to her in her 21st birthday on December 19,2019. She'll be having her party in her house so I prepared a lot for my confession and I didn't notice I'm already late so I did as fast as I can to be there, I'm so exhausted when I reached their house but she warmly welcomed me with her hug and said, 'I thought you're not going to come' She accompany me to my seat and she said she'll just get some drinks for us. I planned to tell it to her immediately when she came back, minutes had passed but she's still not returning, I waited again for at least 4 minutes but still nothing. I got afraid so I ask some of the guest if they saw her but they didn't, I also asked her mother but like the others she didn't. I went to her room just incase she's there but I saw no one. I went outside and walked to find her then I felt so happy that I had a glanced of her. I'm on my way to her when someone that's wearing a black hoddie jacket immediately runs faster away from her, I felt strange then Ariel  suddenly falls on the ground, I run towards her and ask what's wrong. Then I felt something wet on my hands I stared at it, it was blood coming from her waist. I shouted for some help but no one's around. I kept on saying her name and shaking her body. She's groaning because of the pain but I can't do anything to save her. Because of the mixed feelings that I have, madness, sadness, and guilty  my eyes turns into yellow and my veins gradually changing, I can't control it, then I feel her hand on my face, my eyes returns to it's original color. 'I'll comeback' that's the last sentence that I heard from her, then her hands slowly falls on the ground.

~ENDS OF FLASHBACK~

MOM: She's not Ariel!

PHOENIX: *the tears begin to falls* I know mom! But I just don't get one thing. Why are you so serious about it? Why I am having this feeling that every time you said that she's not Ariel you're not really telling it to me but you're convincing yourself that she's not Ariel? Unless your covering something that Ariel's know that's why you're afraid that she came back. Am I wrong?

MOM: I don't keep secrets Phoenix.

PHOENIX: I hope so mom. Cause I don't really know what will happen if you do. I'll just go to my room. *I went upstairs and slammed the door. I throw my bag on the sofa and hop on my bed. I stared on the ceiling for a while then I take a deep breath. I'm still waiting Ariel. I'm waiting. I mumbled.

~MEANWHILE~

CARLA: Mom, what if she finds out about it?

MOM: I won't let it happen Carla. Besides I know I made a right choice after I saw that. 

CARLA: But mom, I know Phoenix was smart. What if... maybe just tell it to her?

MOM: Come to your senses Carla! It's almost a year since it happened, if we just stay quite then she'll never gonna know it.

CARLA: But mom what if the girl who has Ariel's face is really Ariel?

MOM: It's nonsense! 

CARLA: But what if mom? You know doppleganger. What if she's Phoenix's way to find the truth?

MOM: Then we need to do it again before Phoenix finds out.

CARLA: Are you saying we should also...

To Be Continued...