“A five plus? Did you study at all?” Alice snapped. She was still there. It had been a few days since Fiona had heard Alice’s voice. She had started to hope that maybe, this time, Alice had gone for good. No such luck, of course. Alice was there, as angry as ever.

“Listen, I was going to study, I tried, but I just-” Fiona spluttered.

“No! No excuses!” Alice broke in. “You had time! Don’t pretend like it’s anyone’s fault but yours! God, you are so useless!” Fiona was the much more soft-spoken of the two, making her an easy target for Alice’s rage.

“I’m-I’m sorry Alice. I’m going to try harder next time. It’s my first year in high school; you can’t expect me to be perfect right away.”

“No, but I can expect you to not be a complete failure! Is a passing grade too much to ask?” Alice asked scathingly. Fiona usually took Alice’s anger silently, but now she was becoming irritated.

“Listen Alice, why are you even here? I didn’t ask for you, all right? I don’t even want you!”

“I’m here because you need me, and don’t you dare even try to argue with that! You’d be lost without me! Why don’t you just let me out, Fiona. Let me take control for a bit. I’ll make things better, I promise. Just give me control for a little while. Nothing permanent. You can have the body back after a couple of weeks, I promise.” The bite was gone from Alice’s voice. Her offer was almost tempting to Fiona. Almost.

“No! You know what happened last time I let you do that! They thought I was crazy! I am crazy!”

“Fiona, you know better than that,” Alice soothed. “You are not crazy. Different, yes. Crazy, no. You should be grateful that you have me to help you. Not everyone gets this lucky, you know.” Fiona ran a hand through her auburn hair, distressed.

“I know, I know. You’re right, I’m lucky. I am.”

“Exactly.” Alice agreed. “And trust me, I’m doing all I can to help you. But you know that if I had control for a little bit, I could turn your life around. I could get you better grades, make you some friends, maybe even a boyfriend. Your parents would be so proud!” Fiona stiffened.

“Don’t bring my parents into this, okay? They already think I’m a failure! They don’t care about me! So what I’m doing, I’m doing for myself, okay?” she hissed. Alice cocked an eyebrow.

“So you’re agreeing? You will let me out?”

“No! It’s not like you could change anything in less than a month, anyway, right?” Alice recognized weakness in Fiona’s voice. Fiona had had a rough year in school, and her parents were becoming increasingly disappointed in her. They were her pressure point, and if Alice knew exactly where to press, she could bend Fiona to her will.

“I could! You know I could. Finals week is next week, right? I would be the one taking all the tests! So you wouldn’t have to stress at all. You know how happy your parents would be if you aced the math final.”

“I told you–” Fiona began, but Alice cut in.

“Yeah, I know. You think they don’t care. But if you did well on your finals, they would care. And don’t tell me that you don’t want that, because I know that’s a lie!” Fiona was silent, which was confirmation enough for Alice. “So what do you say? Let me out. I get control of the body for three weeks. No more. Three weeks from today, I’ll give it back. I promise, okay? You know that I would never break my promise to you, Fiona.” Fiona still looked unsure.

“I… I still don’t know if I can trust you, Alice. What if you don’t let me back out?” Alice snorted derisively.

“Seriously? Is your opinion of me that low, Fiona? I can’t believe this, really! All I’ve done is help you from the moment you were born, and this is what I get? Mistrust? You’ve got to be kidding me!” Alice spat. Fiona was much weaker willed than Alice, and Alice could tell that she was about to give in. She pressed on, not as harsh as before. “I’m your best friend, Fiona. Your parents might not care about you, but I do. Let me help you. It’s what friends do, isn’t it?”

“You promise you’d let me back out after three weeks?” Fiona asked.

“Yes, of course. You know I would.” Alice assured.

“I– I suppose. I guess so. You can have control, okay?” Fiona stuttered. Alice’s eyes widened.

“Yes! You’ve made the right choice. Three more weeks and your life will be so much better. Now, you know what to do. Just take a deep breath.” Fiona closed her eyes as Alice went on. “Now, imagine a door. I’m trapped behind that door, and only you have the key. So unlock the door and let me out.”




“Fiona, sweetie, are you okay? you’ve been sitting awfully still like that for a long time.” There was worry in Mrs. Carson’s voice. “Your father and I are making spaghetti for dinner, so why don’t you get up and set the table, okay? You’ve just been sitting there alone for a while; are you sure nothing’s up?” A grin cracked across Fiona’s face, but somehow it didn’t quite look like Fiona. She straightened up, her eyes snapping open.

“Hey, mom. Sorry to be the one to break this to you but Fiona is, well, she’s gone, poor thing. Not coming back. But don’t worry, you’ve got me now. You can call me Alice.”