BRIDGETTE

I was still wearing my triumphant smile as I walked out to the parking lot and to Cara’s car which, for the moment, I had to consider as my own. The sun was hot today and I forgot to wear my sunscreen. I loaded the shopping bags at the back of the SUV and quickly climbed behind the wheel.

Wondering what could have happened to Cara, I dialed my number and waited for her to answer, tapping my foot on the gas pedal.

The call was accepted but there was no ‘hello’.

“Cara?” I asked.

I heard a catch of breath and rolled my eyes. I’d heard Cara cry over the phone a lot of times years ago.

“Cara, what the hell happened? What did Quinn do this time?” Really, that guy better learn how to let go. If someone was bitter, it was him. Cara had always been soft, a big weakness. Why couldn’t Quinn just freaking be professional?

“I’m sorry, Bridgette. It just happened,” Cara said between sobs.

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“I told him. I told him about our secret.”

I felt blood draining down my face, my neck and down to my feet. “What?!”

CARA 

I was still sobbing as I walked away from the coffee shop.

I held Bridgette’s phone to my ear, my head furiously looking around for somewhere to sit. I remembered I left the car in the parking space outside the shop and I was afraid to go back and get it. I couldn’t stand another chance of seeing Quinn.

“What the hell!” Bridgette was screaming in my ear.

“Don’t shout, please. Don’t shout. I’m…I want this to be over! I want it to be over!” I desperately cried. For the first time in my life, I wanted to lash out and let the world know that there was one lady trapped inside someone else’s body.

“Cara, calm down,” Bridgette said, lowering her voice.

I gulped down my tears.

“You told him everything? Everything?”

I nodded as I said, “Yes.”

“How did he take it?”

“He doesn’t believe me. He thinks I’m crazy.”

“Of course he wouldn’t believe you, you idiot. I wouldn't if I am not in the same situation! Get back and tell him you were just playing with him.”

“That’s what he was already thinking.”

“What the hell, Cara. Why do you have to be so damned frail?”

“I told him he can find another planner.”

“Of course you did! Do you know you just ruined my career? I’m almost broke and you ruined the only chance I have to get back on track!”

The tears stopped flowing. “You’re broke?”

“Almost. Now, go back there and tell him he better be professional, the contract was signed and he could still have his happy ending as long as he keeps his mouth shut.”

“I can’t. I can’t face him.”

A very long silence followed and when Bridgette finally spoke, she said, “Wait for me. Tell me where you are right now.”

BRIDGETTE

I drove as fast as I could. I didn’t pay attention to the furious honks thrown at me by the cars I passed by. If I met an accident, it would have been better. I might just get the chance to go back to my own body.

I found Cara standing outside a pastry shop. My body couldn’t have looked more vulnerable and I wanted to grab on to those shoulders, pull them back and tell Cara to better straighten up. God, why did I have to swap souls with a weakling?

“Where is he?” I demanded when I reached her.

“I don’t think he’s still there,” Cara answered.

“I asked where.”

“In the coffee shop. I don’t think he’s still there, Bridgette,” Cara tried again as stumbled after me.

“Shut up and let me handle this,” I shot at her without a word.

It didn’t take a minute before we reached the coffee shop. I went to the door and pushed it open as hard as I could.

Quinn was still there. He was sitting in one corner and his eyes gave way to a lot of emotions when he saw us--when he saw me. At first he was shocked, then anger came in, and then more anger.

I strode towards him, stopped just a foot away from his seat and placed my hand on my hip. “If you still have some scores to settle, settle it now. I don’t want anything to keep me from doing my job.”

“Cara, great, a perfect timing,” he uttered, his eyes throwing daggers.

“Didn’t she tell you I am not Cara?” I asked, arching my brow. I turned to look at Cara but she was by the door, a turtle trying to hide inside her shell.

Quinn raised his eyebrows. “So…you’re also in on this trick? Don’t you guys have anything better to do? Really? Swapping souls?”

“Well, believe it or not, it’s actually true. Even though Cara doesn’t want to work with you, she has no choice because this is my job. But if you are not man enough to work with her, then we don’t have a choice.”

“Not man enough? Really, Cara, this is our first meeting after ten years and you are here to fight with me?”

“Really, Quinn, you still don’t believe me? I am Bridgette inside Cara’s body.”

“Don’t expect me to believe you. And don’t expect me to still work with you.”

“Well, I wonder what your fiancée would think when she learns about this.”

His face turned angrier. “Don’t you dare pull Natalie into this.”

“Then what do you think you should tell her? You came here to talk about your wedding and you go back without a planner.”

“She will accept any reason I give her.”

“You think she will accept mine? Let me see,” I said, looking up the ceiling, pretending to think, “I will tell her you want to change your wedding planner because you are still not over Cara.”

He laughed sarcastically. “You wouldn’t do that.”

“Hey, you’re talking to me, Bridgette. You think I cannot do something simple like that? Come on, Quinn. You know me better than that.”

That made him pause. I didn’t care if he still thought of me as the mean, nasty girl he had always known me to be. All I cared about was keeping my bank account full.

“Well?”

He looked away, staring out the window across the room. Then his eyes drifted to me and then at Cara behind me. I did not dare look away when his angry eyes stayed on mine longer.

“As long as you promise never to mention this stupid thing about swapping bodies, I will try hard to be professional. And I don’t want to see you again, Cara. It is enough to be working with Bridgette and to see you from time to time will only frustrate me.”

I sighed. I didn’t know what I should feel. He didn’t believe our story. Well, that was good. If he would think we were crazy after this, then I’d let him.

“Fine,” I said with a smile. “It was nice to see you again, Quinn.”

He frowned and nodded. “Just tell Bridgette my decision is final about the venue. No beach wedding.”

“Of course. Just remember what you promised.”

He did not answer. Instead, he stood up, dropped a bill on the table and walked away. I turned to face his back and I saw Cara cower away to give way.

CARA 

Quinn stopped right in front of me. My head was bent, embarrassed of the things I had said earlier.

“Don’t do that again, Bridgette. It doesn’t suit you. Crying, I mean. Your lying I am used to.”

I did not move a muscle until I felt him walk towards the door.

When I thought he was gone, I looked up only to see Bridgette glaring at me. God, I looked horrible when angry.

“You know what? It’s a good thing the two of us are never trustworthy in Quinn’s eyes. If he believed just one word of what we said, I don’t know what would happen to us. Just make sure you don’t mention about the swapping thing again. Stick to our plan and we’ll be alright. I’m doing my best in the hospital and what have you been doing lately? You’re almost mute when you are having a meeting with Quinn, you fell asleep while I’m doing your job and you blurted our secret to the only guy who hates us for the world.”

“I’m sorry, Bridgette. I’ll try harder. It’s just that he strikes the right nerves.”

“Then think of something to block those strikes. Think like me and what I would do. That way, you’ll be great. Come on, I’m hungry.”

I followed Bridgette outside, more calm now.

It had always been like this between us before we hated each other. She was the fighter and she made sure I was never harmed by bullies in school. I would stand in one corner as I watched her give the kids at school what they deserved. It had been ten years and things did not change after all despite what I wanted to believe.

BRIDGETTE

“How do you think I can be like you?” Cara asked me while we were having pizza.

I gulped down my drink, stared at her for a long time and said, “Just think awesome.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m serious, Bridgette.”

“Fine, fine. Just think like me. Never ever look away from the person you are talking to. You should also learn how to be more confident--like you know what you are doing and saying when in fact you don’t.”

She just looked at me blankly.

“Just…don’t care. Don’t care about what Quinn would think. Don’t care what others would say. Just don’t care. Care for one thing: YOU.”

“I’ll try that.” She nibbled on her pizza before she asked again, “You think he believed us? Even for just a second?”

“Are you crazy? Even I can’t fathom the fact that we’re trapped inside each other’s body. And he would never believe a thing we say. The only weapon we have is Natalie and Quinn obviously doesn’t want her to know about us.”

“What do I do when I meet him again?”

“I don’t think you will meet him that much after what happened, but if you do, remember what I said. Don’t care. Don’t remember. Don’t look.”

She slowly nodded, but I doubt if she could do a thing of what a said. To keep her mind off the Quinn topic, I said, “I met Dr. Newman earlier.”

It was her time to widen her eyes. “What?”

“Yeah. I think I pissed him off again,” I uttered proudly.

“Bridgette, please, stay away from him.”

“I’m trying to. He keeps finding his way to me. Not my fault,” I said with a wink. I finished the rest of my pizza before I leaned forward and whispered, “You know what? I think he has a secret. There is always a story behind men like him.”

“How can you tell?”

“His eyes. They’re like blank despite that anger.”

“You’re over-thinking this, Bridgette,” Cara said. “Just stay away from the guy.”

CARA 

I went back to Bridgette’s apartment. We both decided it would be a good idea to temporarily live in each other’s place after I told her about my dad’s visit. She also said she didn’t want to have to face her parents if ever they came for a visit.

“Just don’t answer the door and if you really have to, tell them you have to go to work. Let them in and start fixing yourself. They will get the signal.”

That did not sound so difficult so I said yes.

As I was walking down the hall, holding Bridgette’s keys, a black-haired boy was standing outside the door. He seemed like he was in his teens, around sixteen. He was holding a bunch of roses and when he saw me, his face turned red.

“Can I help you?”

“I…I just want to give you these,” he stammered, holding out the flowers.

I frowned. “What for?”

“Just to tell you I like you, Bridgette.”

“I’m sorry…” it was then that I realized I didn’t know his name.

“Todd…Todd Lorre?” he filled in, his blue eyes looking at me. God he was tall--and young and totally infatuated with me, or Bridgette.