Switch Up

Chapter 14

Blair

I knew my plan was crazy. It popped into my mind when I had been trying to find a way to get Carter to fall for Claire as I tossed and turned in bed the day before, and I had no idea if it would work. The idea was a long shot, I knew that for sure, but I had a feeling it was our best shot. With Carter so attached to me, there had to be a way to get Claire and him closer.

     It was strange how I had suddenly switched sides. After I realized how much Claire meant to me, I had thrown away my safe haven and started plotting immediately. For Claire, my sister who I had become distant with, I was trying so hard to make things right again with her. Honestly, a part of me hoped that if I got Claire and Carter together, everything I had done behind her back would be forgotten.

     Sighing as I tied up my blonde hair, I felt nervous because Claire and I would be planning what to do together. We would also be teaching each other how to act like the other, so it would be believable to our classmates when we switched. When I thought about that, I felt nervous because Claire was so much different than me. She was popular and always had attention on her, and I wasn't fond of attention at all. The thought of having eyes on me made me uneasy, but I told myself to suck it up for Claire. After everything I had done, it was the least I could do.

     Suddenly, my phone rang and I saw that it was Carter. I ignored it, feeling guilty in the process since Carter didn't deserve the way I treated him. A part of me hated myself for leading him on and staring at my phone, I really hoped Carter would listen to my words of never bringing up our hook ups, even when it was with me. With Claire taking my spot, I knew it was risky. If her and Carter talked, I really hoped they wouldn't bring up our past.

    Once again, that was a long shot. Carter was too careless and even though I told him to act like we were strangers at school, I had a bad feeling he wouldn't be able to. At that, all I could hope was that Claire and Carter would never have a full conversation when she was pretending to be me. Maybe then Carter and I's history could be forgotten.

    Realizing I should probably head to Claire's room, I shoved my phone into my pocket and walked into her room. I didn't bother knocking since I could already see Claire standing in front of her closet, analyzing her clothes. She was biting her lip, her eyebrows furrowed as she seemed to wonder what to wear.

    "Hey," I said, moving to stand next to her.

    "Hey," Claire said, looking at me and smiling. "So, I was thinking about you and how you like to dress... In a conservative way. I don't want to force you into wearing something you're not comfortable with when you're pretending to be, but at this rate I can't find something that's your style."

   "It's fine." I shrugged, uncaring. "If I'm pretending to be you, I don't mind dressing differently."

     Claire looked confused because the truth was, I hated showing skin. I was an insecure person and that meant I liked to be covered. But if I wasn't being myself, I didn't mind as much since people wouldn't be judging me. Claire's eyes were full of questions, so I decided to elaborate.

    "When you're someone else, people aren't judging you so I don't mind doing things out of my comfort zone," I said. "I'm not saying you dress badly or anything, but... I don't know. I feel like dressing differently won't be so bad if I'm pretending to be you."

     Claire still looked confused, but she nodded. That was something I liked about Claire. Despite what people commonly thought, not all popular people were judgemental. Claire definitely wasn't and I felt proud of her. Unlike her friends, she had a mind of her own.

    "So, what is it like to be Blair?" Claire asked, moving away from her closet to sit on her bed. "How should I act to make it believable?"

    "I'm pretty easy... I think," I said, joining Claire on her bed after she patted the spot next to her. "You don't need to say much. Just listen to what Erin has to say, pay attention in class, and you've got me down."

    "That's boring." Claire pouted. "No offence."

     I was a boring person. Unlike most teenagers, I didn't have any crazy stories to tell my future children about my time in high school. It was kind of sad, but I hated drama. I hated attention, so it was worth losing.

    "What is it like to be Claire?" I asked. "I have a bad feeling it involves me throwing myself out of my comfort zone."

    "It honestly does," Claire said, eyes softening with sympathy. "You have to be talkative. Seriously Blair, my clique is going to think our grandma died or something if you don't contribute to their conversations. Also, make sure to smile a lot. I'm known for my smile, so people are going to think something's wrong if you don't. Oh, and also make sure to look confident. I radiate confidence wherever I go. And don't forget -"

    "Whoa," I cut in, stunned. "I'm already overwhelmed."

     I didn't realize Claire had so many little things about her. But when I thought about it, these things were quite obvious. If they disappeared, people would think that something happened to our grandma. A part of me began to feel uneasy because I was the exact oppposite of her. I was more of a listener, I didn't smile a lot, and I had no confidence at all. I seriously had to do some major acting when I would pretend to be Claire.

    "You're naturally good at everything," Claire said, surprising me. "You'll have no problem being me."

     Her words were a surprise because I didn't think I was good at anything. Other than school, I thought I was quite talentless.

    "No, I'm not," I said, frowning.

    "Oh please, you always seem to do good in everything," Claire said, shaking her head. "Don't be so modest."

     I really wasn't trying to be modest, but I decided to drop the topic. Her words still left me surprised, but I decided to just forget about them. They were inaccurate and I was sure of that.

    "So, when should we start switching?" I asked.

    "Monday?" Claire looked hopeful. "The sooner the better."

    "True, okay. Sounds good."

     We didn't say anything for a moment and I glanced around Claire's clean room. A part of me wondered what I was getting myself into. I was literally throwing myself out of my comfort zone and with Carter and I having a history, I wasn't so sure if what I was doing was smart. But looking back at Claire and seeing how hopeful she looked, there was no way I could back out.

    "Do you think it'll work?" Claire suddenly asked. "I really hope it does."

    There was no way I could confirm that. I didn't believe in making promises that couldn't be kept, so I decided to say what I really felt.

    "We'll see," I said. "Who knows what could happen."

    "That's true," Claire said with a sigh. "Thanks though. Seriously, it means a lot."

     Claire smiled at me and I found msyelf knowing I had to make this work. For her, I had to somehow get them together. That was my senior goal.