Swapped Love | ✓

■ Love gone wrong

I slammed my bedroom door and shouted my lungs out. I ripped the jewellery off me and pulled the pins out of my hair. I quickly took off the lens and vigorously rubbed my face, almost wailing.

"Allison? Allison?" Alice shouted from outside, her footsteps growing louder as she opened the door.

She entered and froze seeing me.

"Jesus christ, what happened to you?" She asked grabbing my face and forcing me to look at her, "Shit."

"What happened? What did Jared do?" She asked, looking panicked.

"Its your fault! Its all your bloody damn fault!" I screeched, jerking my face away.

"Alli, what happened? What are you saying?" She frowned.

"Its all your fault! Why don't you like Jared? Why did you meet him that day at the market? Why did you dress me up as Alice Marshall? Why?!" I bellowed.

"You are not making any sense. Calm down and tell me the problem," She said quietly.

"He fucking loves me! He said he loves me," I croaked, fresh tears pouring.

Her hands dropped and eyes widened, "What?"

"Yeah. He said he loves Alice Marshall," I screamed.

"But that's great! I knew it! Everyone knew it. It isn't hard to notice by the way you guys acted. Why are you crying about it?" She asked, looking perplexed.

"Don't you get it? He loves Alice Marshall, not Allison Marshall," I shouted.

"No no Alli, you are wrong. Its just the name. He loves you, Allison. He loves the person inside you, not the name," She shook her head.

"No. Please stop saying that. He fell in love with you. He loves you. He is in love with the idea of you. Its all your fault. You shouldn't have dressed me up as you," I sobbed.

Alice looked at me scrunching her eyebrows, deep in thought.

"No," She said, "You are wrong."

"What no?" I snapped.

"Its not my fault. At least, during later periods. I admit it was wrong of me to ask you to pretend in front of Jared and break his heart but then you carried it on. I told you to leave him. I told you a thousand times to say no and finish things with him. But you couldn't decline. You egged him on. You gave him hopes. You continued meeting him. You fell in love with him. Thats not my fault," She explained.

Damn it. She was totally right. She was absolutely right. That didn't mean it didn't hurt.

"Well, it wouldn't have happened in the first place if you just said to him you didn't want anything serious. Hell, even the previous Alice would've given him a chance and I would never get involved with Jared that way."

"What do you mean?" She scowled.

"You could've easily moved on from Trevor and avoid a stupid makeover, both physically and personality wise. Then, you wouldn't go on dating assholes who only used you to forget him and then, this entire fiasco with Jared-"

"I know I made mistakes after Trevor left, Alli. Geez, you don't have to remind me at every step. I know I made some stupid decisions," She snapped.

"I don't remind you at every step-"

"Your judgemental looks are more than enough. I know you think I am a dumb girl who can't get over her ex but I am trying to be a better person. I am trying to be there besides you now. I know I fucked up many times but at least, stop resisting my efforts. And bringing in Trevor and my makeover has nothing to do with Jared. You like that guy so much that's why you didn't stop hanging out with him. That's not my problem," She said seriously.

Great, now I felt even worse.

"I-I am s-sorry. I don't know what came over me. I am so messed up. I can't even look at him right now without feeling the need to throttle myself," I sniffled, "I shouldn't have said stuff. You are right. You are trying and I am not helping by bringing up the past."

She came and hugged me.

"I am sorry too, Alli. I was so busy with my love life that I forgot about you and Jared. But trust me he doesn't love me. He loves you. He loves your personality. You know what, tell him the entire thing tomorrow. Don't delay it until the wedding," She said.

"I can't. I can't face him anymore. You should have seen his face when he said it. I can't break his heart. Can you do me a favour?" I asked, wiping my nose.

"Shoot."

"Go to his house and tell him everything. Each and every detail. I won't be able to control myself if I see him. Finish everything. Its for the best," I sniffed.

"Are you mad? Why would you fini-"

"Alice, I always did what you told me to do. So, for once do me a favor and go to his place tomorrow and tell him everything. Apologise on behalf of me," I said.

"You guys are perfect. Why are you doing this?" She frowned.

"Please do it. This thing has gone too far. I am using him. But I won't anymore. I wanna go to sleep now," I sniffed again, checking my phone.

Thirty three missed calls and twenty nine messages from Jared.

Fourteen missed calls and eleven messages from Hailey.

I switched off my phone and got up, "Please do it for me, Alice. I am too much of a coward to say it. You tell him the truth."

"Alli..."

"Do it," I ordered this time.

"You shouldn't have led him on if you wanted to end things this way," She said quietly, "You scolded me for doing the same."

"I know but I liked the times we spent together. Also, it was the first time someone paid attention to me instead of you. They made me feel cherished and pampered. I felt loved. He made me so happy. Otherwise, the only proposals I have got till date were from extremely creepy guys, you know that. Guys don't go for girls like me, Alice."

"See? This is the problem. Your thinking is so narrow. You have this stupid notion that guys don't go for girls in glasses or bookish-"

"They don't. You are more leaner, have better fashion sense and-"

"Jared isn't other guys, dammit! When will you realise that? Gosh, I don't know him at all and I can tell you this much that Jared doesn't give two fucks about how you look. You told me he specifically told you he likes girls with glasses but since you are so insecure, you think those are just words to get in your good books. Learn to have some faith in people and stop putting everyone in a negative light! Not everyone is the same!" She exclaimed, "If the other guys made you feel bad, that's on them and they are crappy humans."

"Alice, I understand but I am not in the condition to speak. So, please can you do this one thing for me? I will speak to him later, I promise," I sniffed again.

She looked unsure, "You're making a mistake, Allison. Just like you did all these months."

"No, I am rectifying my mistake. Just do it for me," I said.

She bit her lip, shaking her head. She blinked before giving a tiny nod.

"Fine. I will do it."

Just as she was about to leave, I called her again. She turned back with a sullen look.

"You might just be the more mature and sorted out twin at present," I said truthfully.

"It seems we take turns. You really are an idiot, though."