“Remember what I told you,” you warn Claire as you open the door. “Don’t get too shocked by what you see.”
Upon entering, you notice no one around at first. “It’s alright,” you shout. “It’s us.” Then you notice Cassandra snooping around, like a scared mouse, slithering through the steps.
“Oh.” She looks at Claire, pointing at her. “This is your sister?”
“The youngest,” you tell her. “Cassandra, this is Claire.”
“Also known as ‘the smartest one in this house’.” You glare at her, but she’s not entirely wrong. Compared to you and your siblings, Claire has always had straight A’s, and she’s been taking some AP classes already.
If she didn’t brag about it, though... “Just so you know, it’s not like we’re all dumb or anything.”
“Not like you’ve proven otherwise.”
“Let me guess,” you hear Barbara from upstairs. “She’s the youngest, isn’t she?”
“Pretty much,” you say as you sit on the couch, while your mother moves towards the kitchen.
“You’ll probably get along, then.” You notice how Claire’s eyes focus on Barbara’s body, and how you aren’t. “Hello. I take your brother told you about our situation?”
“Yeah, pretty much. He also told me you’re not comfortable with, um...” She winces, but you recognize she's faking it – her lip turns upwards. “P-putting on our mom.”
“Must be terrible for you, isn’t it?”
She makes a curt nod. “I can’t say. What Davey and your sister told me isn’t very good, though. I guess... I’m trying to be strong for everyone.”
“It’s alright.” Cassandra grabs Claire’s hand, rubbing it tenderly. “I know how it feels. Our mom’s... uh, on a similar situation.”
“We also told her about what your dad did to your mom.”
“Ah.” She struggles to grin but manages to. “I... I’m sorry about that.”
“Guess that’s another thing we’ve got in common,” Claire tells her. “At least Dad’s not happy about it.”
Barbara notices, and you feel a drop of sweat running on your neck. “Claire? What’s that all about?”
“The reason for Marie’s divorce.” As Claire’s eyes bug out, your mother clears out things. “Our affair.”
“Ah, yeah.” Barbara chortles, shaking her head. “Must be regretting his wife’s basically gone.” She looks at you, flinching. “No offense.”
“I’m still shocked she offered to help me,” your mother claims. “I guess it’s because I promised I wouldn’t follow on our relationship.”
As Claire looks at you, you build up the story further. “Remember the day Mom told us Dad was cheating on her with Ashley?”
“Yeah,” she fakes to agree, eyeing your mother. “I wasn’t very happy with it. At least I didn’t react like Tina – that's our older sister by the way.”
“When Mom said she’d go on with the divorce and that Ashley was helping her, we were confused. But she’s proven to be good.”
“I still feel guilty, though. If it weren’t because of... of Dad and his people...” She genuinely tears up, despite the hoax – almost as if she was reviving the betrayal.
“It’s alright, Ash.” Barbara embraces her older sister, but it only makes her more sentimental. “It’s probably God’s way to save our family.”
“If you ask Tina,” Claire interjects, “that wasn’t the case.”
“How come?”
“Tina’s angry with everyone – with Dad and Ashley for the affair, and with us for agreeing. Heck; when Davey told her Mom’s acting off, she broke.”
“Broke?” the middle Wright sister asked. “Like, psychotic break?”
“Pretty much. She’s thinking that Mom took over Ashley or something. Saying it’s her way to get revenge. Real nasty stuff.”
“Then, why don’t you take her to the hospital?”
“I don’t think that’ll help her,” your little sister embezzles them further. “Plus, the hospital could be full of your dad’s goons. Better to keep an eye on her.”
“That sounds serious,” Barbara tells you both. “I thought I was going mad when Ash and your brother told me about what happened.”
“It’s a crazy thing,” Claire tells her. “But Davey and your sister have no reason to lie to us.”
“True.” Though Barbara claims that, you notice the lack of belief in her eyes. “That means I’ll have to pass off as your mom, though.”
“I can help you.” Claire looks and jabs at you. “We are gonna help you. If someone asks, we’re gonna distract them.”
“I hope I don’t blow it, then.”
“And don’t worry. We’re gonna try and make it up for you. Ashley, Davey and I are already planning something to fix it.”
That brings some life into the Wright sisters’ eyes. “You do?” “How?”
--
You bring your mother and Claire to your room for a talk, using the excuse of fixing your room. Despite your mother suggesting using Nick’s room, you agreed to let her sleep in yours, as you sleep in the couch and Cassandra sleeping in Tina’s room.
As soon as your mother closes the door, she tears up again. Claire approaches her, bringing her to your bed. “Mom? What’s wrong? Is it Davey’s stink?”
“Hey!”
“It’s not that,” she claims. “It’s...” She sobs, covering her face. “It’s Tina’s rejection.”
“She’s got every reason to,” Claire argues. “What you’re doing is not good.”
“I know! I don’t like that everyone’s judging me, but I can’t go back. Claire, I feel them like my own sisters – I even feel closer to them than to your aunt Louise!”
“And that’s saying a lot,” Claire admits. (And you do, too. Your mother and your aunt have a healthy sibling relationship – in that they speak to each other at least once per month, if not more.)
“I had to tell them it wasn’t my fault – I mean, Ashley’s – but it was. Maybe Paul didn’t tell her about the affair, but despite her doubts, she still accepted the relationship. If I... If I could only convince her to give me her life, and in exchange I’d give her someone better...”
“Why don’t you do that instead, Mom?”
“Because then, she’ll return with Paul, and then--!”
“Your new sisters aren't keen with it, from what I’m getting. At least Barbara isn’t.” Claire stares at your mother, amused and curious. “Say - are you supposed to be the bossiest sister?”
“I kept an eye on them, but... Why?”
“It feels like Barbara’s your Tina. I mean – based on their reaction.”
“You’d be surprised,” your mother reveals. “Barbara and I... Barbara and Ashley were really close. It’s more like both keep an eye on each other, and in turn they keep an eye on Cassie.”
“Yeah,” Claire acknowledges. “Geez - she’s a scaredy-cat.”
“That’s because she doesn’t know you guys. There where you see her, she’s really outspoken. And a little irresponsible too.”
“That’s not the vibe she’s giving me. In any case, if you were to strip off Ashley, Barbara would stop her from having anything with Dad. Say – why not find someone else and clone their skin? I recall you did it with yours.”
“Yeah,” you tell her. “But that’s not necessary,” you say as you point at the garment bags.
“Why not? Hey, don’t tell me you’ve got--” As Claire zips one open, she gasps. “Whoa-hey! Davey, tell me these aren’t real girls!”
“Well...” You feel Claire’s anger, but you quell her quickly. “None of those are. They’re skins Tessa cloned from the real ones. But if you had asked me if any of those are real people...”
“Davey! You’re also acting like Mom!?”
“It’s not with the girls!” You point at another garment bag. “Open that one.”
As she does, she quavers in disgust. “Eww. Why do you want a guy’s skin? I mean, wearing it wouldn’t make you gay, but why one so ugly?”
“That’s the guy that was wearing Cassandra.”
“Really?” She looks at you in disgust. “Yeah, must be the dorkiness.”
“Claire!” your mother demands. “If anything, I’m the one that allowed him to keep them.”
“Mom, you shouldn’t praise a psychopath.” You stare her down, and she breaks. “I’m joking, Davey!” She checks one of the other garment bags and gasps. “Hold on. Isn’t this the head cheerleader at school!?”
“Not really. Someone from her family.”
“Jeez! Is everyone from her family this stacked!?” You stare her hypocrisy down, but she resists. “Hey - I know you’re gonna play with these girls’ pussies, so don’t act like you’re a saint!”
“What bothers me is that you do.”
She shrugs, caught in the act. “I mean... I’m not gonna lie, I’m kinda interested in seeing how I’d look with bigger boobies. Looking like the hot cheerleader from school’s a bonus.”
“Those are your brother’s... things,” your mother claims. “When Barbie and Cassie aren’t looking, I could show you the rest.”
“Really!?” You notice how Claire’s eyes sparkle as she glomps your mother with a hug. “Thank you! Don’t worry, Mom. You can keep her.”
Sell out, you critique your little sister in your mind.
“That doesn’t mean it’s the right thing. Maybe I should consider the alternative – even if I don’t want to.”
You’re surprised about your mother’s change of mind. There will be an issue with the real ones, but there are two options that might work.
You could always tell her to put on Quentin. Of all three, he’s the only one without ties to Tessa. If your mother agreed, she could use his intelligence to good use.
Or, she could choose between two skins you recall Marvin mentioned were the real deal – a couple named Rachel and Leah. With some maneuvering, she could replace any of them, but she’d have to live on Tyneside instead.
But since Quentin knows about hacking, how about making a fake personality for her? With the white pen and some changes, your mother would look distinct, and the fake ID that you’d make would allow her to get enough money to live comfortably.
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