Will You Be My Friend?

by P. J. Night

  As Beth mindlessly flipped through the pages of her magazine, something in the window caught her eye. There, standing in the hallway, looking into her room, was a girl who looked exactly like Beth.

  “Lizzie?” Beth wondered aloud. “Lizzie!”

  Fighting past the pain, Beth tossed her magazine aside and threw off the covers. She struggled out of bed, wincing and moaning. Stumbling to the window, she pressed her face against the glass and felt as if she were looking in the mirror. Then suddenly Lizzie bolted.

  Walking with great difficulty, her rib now burning from the pain, Beth shuffled to the door and threw it open. She stepped out into the hall and looked in both directions, but there was no sign of Lizzie.

  Wait a minute! Beth thought, struggling back into her room. She glanced over at her bed, half expecting to see herself lying there. How many dreams have I had lately in which I saw a girl, or lots of girls, who looked like me? Could this be another one?

  She reached her bed and crawled back in.

  If this is a dream, it’s pretty cruel that I would dream myself in so much pain! Still, what sense does it make that after all I’ve gone through to find her, Lizzie just shows up here at my hospital room at three o’clock in the morning!

  Exhausted by the act of walking across her room, and emotionally drained from the events of the past twenty-four hours, Beth finally drifted off into a deep sleep.

  She had no dreams for the rest of the night—at least none that she could remember.

  Dr. Snow entered Beth’s room early the next morning, clutching a new set of X-rays that had been taken late the previous day. She flipped on the light above Beth’s bed, startling her out of her slumber.

  “Sorry for the rude awakening, Beth,” Dr. Snow said, “but things get going pretty early around here. And I wanted to discuss these X-rays with you.”

  Grimacing with pain, Beth sat up in the bed so she could get a better look. Dr. Snow held the X-rays up against a light box.

  “Now, you see this dark line right here,” Dr. Snow said, pointing to a spot on the film. “That’s the bruise on your rib. Unfortunately it’s worse than we first thought. I’m afraid I’m going to have to keep you in the hospital for at least one more night.”

  Beth slumped down in disappointment, although a part of her was relieved. With as much pain as she was in, she knew that she’d be more comfortable here, though she was anxious to get back home to her mother after the weird way she had left the previous day.

  “Dr. Snow, this may sound like a strange question, but is there another patient in the hospital who looks like me?” Beth asked.

  Dr. Snow smiled. “Why do you ask?”

  “Last night I saw a girl who looked exactly like me standing out in the hallway, staring at me through that window,” Beth replied, pointing to the window on the far wall.

  “No, no one who looks like you that I know of,” Dr. Snow said. “But it’s not unusual to have very vivid dreams in a hospital, especially dreams about missing your friends or kids your own age.”

  Beth nodded. She decided not to tell Dr. Snow about all the other dreams she’d been having lately in which she saw girls who looked like her.

  “Speaking of kids your own age,” Dr. Snow continued, “my daughter is here with me at the hospital today. She’s about your age. It’s gotta be pretty boring lying around here by yourself. Maybe she can stop by a little later and you two can hang out. It might help break up the boredom.”

  “That sounds like a great idea,” said Beth. She smiled at Dr. Snow. “Thanks.”

  “Great, I’ll let her know,” said Dr. Snow. “Now I’ve got to check in on my other patients.” She turned and left the room.

  Beth spent the next hour or so reviewing the events of the past few days. She pondered what she might have done differently and couldn’t really come up with anything. She thought about her mom and how strangely she had acted yesterday.

  Beth’s ruminations were interrupted by a knock on her door.

  “Come in,” she called out.

  The door swung open and in walked a girl. Beth couldn’t see her clearly at first in the harsh, cold fluorescent light of the hospital room. The girl was tall. She appeared to have short black hair and pale skin.

  “Hi!” the girl said, stepping into the room, her head down so her hair covered her face. “I’m Elizabeth. I’m Dr. Snow’s daughter. She told me that you might like some company.”

  “Sure,” said Beth. “Thanks. I’m Beth.”

  “I know,” said Elizabeth, coming closer to the bed and lifting her head.

  Beth was stunned to discover that the girl in her room was indeed Elizabeth—the same Elizabeth whom Beth had met yesterday. The same Elizabeth who went to Glenside Middle School and helped Beth sneak inside.

  But what in the world was she doing here?

  CHAPTER 11

  “Elizabeth!” Beth cried. “I can’t believe it!”

  But Beth’s happiness didn’t last for long. She suddenly remembered seeing Elizabeth at the window in the records room, shaking the ladder just before the man came into the room and Beth fell.

  “What happened in the records room?” she asked. “I remember seeing you just before I fell.”

  “I was trying to stop you from getting caught,” Elizabeth explained. “As I was on my way out of the school, I overheard a conversation about how the school was in the process of scanning all the old records, and how someone would be in and out of the room all day.”

  Beth recalled the conversation she had heard through the door about Harold Wasser.

  “I didn’t want to risk going back into the building and getting caught,” Elizabeth continued, “so I went around to the window, hoping I could climb in. But the opening was too small.”

  “But why didn’t you just talk to me through the open window?” Beth asked. “You could have warned me.”

  “Just as I was about to do that I heard someone coming,” Elizabeth replied. “I got scared and ran away.”

  In her mind, Beth went through the series of events that had happened in the records room. Things remained a bit fuzzy for her, but what Elizabeth just explained made sense.

  “And now here you are,” Beth said.

  “Here I am,” Elizabeth repeated. “I think there’s a ladder out in the hall you can climb on if you like. You know, for old times’ sake!”

  Beth started to laugh. Elizabeth joined her. Beth realized that this was the biggest, most genuine laugh she had had since the night of the sleepover at Chrissy’s. She was surprised by how immediately comfortable she felt with Elizabeth, as if she had known her for her entire life.

  And she also realized that laughing made her rib hurt. She winced and clutched her side.

  “Are you in a lot of pain?” asked Elizabeth.

  “Only when I laugh, doctor,” replied Beth, sending them both into gales of laughter once again.

  “Shhh,” cautioned Elizabeth, putting a finger to her lips. “We’ll disturb the other patients.”

  “Not to mention my poor rib!” said Beth.

  And again the two girls laughed loudly.

  “So,” Elizabeth began when the laughter subsided, “did you find that girl? What was her name—Wait, don’t tell me. Lizzie, right?”

  “Yes, Lizzie, and yes, I found her!” Beth said triumphantly.

  Elizabeth gave her a high five.

  “Well, I didn’t find her, of course,” Beth continued. “I haven’t been anywhere but the hospital since I saw you, but I did find the file about her.”

  “And?” asked Elizabeth.

  “And I was right!” said Beth. “Or I should say my friend Chrissy’s cousin Alice was right. Lizzie did go to Glenside and she did look like me. I mean, exactly like me, like a twin sister.”

  “So what are you going to do?” Elizabeth asked. “How are you going to find her?”

  “I don’t know,” answered Beth honestly. “One second I was thrilled to have found her file, and the next
second I was falling off a ladder, blacking out, and waking up here.”

  “Well, you should stay here and get well and worry about Lizzie later,” said Elizabeth.

  Beth nodded. “That’s the plan. Dr. Snow—your mom—told me I would have to stay here at least one more night.”

  “Well then, let’s make the best of it!” cried Elizabeth. She pulled out her phone. “I have thirty-eight games on here. My favorite, though, is Counting Chickens. I’ll show you how it works. It’s easy!”

  It only took a few minutes for Beth to get the hang of the game. When they got tired of playing Counting Chickens, they moved on to another game. The minutes melted away. At times Beth even forgot that she was in a hospital bed; she was so focused on playing with Elizabeth.

  “I see you two are getting along well,” Dr. Snow observed, walking into the room.

  “Elizabeth’s awesome, Dr. Snow,” said Beth. “Thanks for bringing her here.”

  “Well, I think Elizabeth thinks you’re pretty awesome too,” Dr. Snow said. “Because of my schedule, and how much time I spend here, she has to be here a lot, so I’m glad she found a friend.”

  Dr. Snow listened to Beth’s heartbeat, took her blood pressure and temperature, then felt around her rib, being careful not to press too hard.

  “You seem to be healing nicely, Beth,” she said. “You’ll spend the night and then we’ll reevaluate tomorrow. Now don’t let me interrupt your fun any longer. I think you two are going to be great friends!”

  “Thanks, Mom!” said Elizabeth.

  “Yeah, thanks, Dr. Snow, for taking such good care of me,” said Beth.

  Dr. Snow smiled and left the room.

  “Now, where were we?” Elizabeth asked. “Oh, yeah, level nine of Cosmic Climb. It’s your turn. You’re on the Labyrinth Ladders. You have to make it to the Vanishing Vault before the Dark Demons finish you off. Ready?”

  “Ready!”

  “Resume!”

  The two girls played all the way through the afternoon, pausing only to eat. Over lunch, Beth grew curious about her new acquaintance.

  “So, do you have a lot of friends?” she asked Elizabeth between bites of her tuna sandwich.

  “Not many,” Elizabeth replied, her shoulders slumping, her eyes looking away. “Most of the friends I’ve ever had have left. They’re not here anymore. I get lonely sometimes.” Then her face brightened. “That’s why I’m glad I met you.”

  “Me too,” said Beth. “I don’t have many friends either. Just Chrissy, my neighbor. It’s nice to have a new friend.”

  Elizabeth gave Beth a gentle hug, being careful not to squeeze too hard. “I’m so glad to hear you say that.”

  Beth smiled. “Now all I have to do is get well and get out of this hospital.”

  Elizabeth smiled back but didn’t say anything.

  “So, what’s our next game?” asked Beth.

  “Journey through the Elf Kingdom,” said Elizabeth. “You get to be a queen, or a ghost warrior, or a sorcerer princess. You have to journey through the kingdom to get to the Golden Palace of the Elves before the Crazy Creatures get you.”

  “Cool,” said Beth, unable to remember the last time she’d had so much fun. “I’ll be a sorcerer princess.”

  “I’ll be a ghost warrior,” said Elizabeth. “Let the game begin!”

  The girls battled trolls, recited secret chants, unfurled ancient spells, and trekked through stormy forests and over craggy mountains until they finally reached the Golden Palace of the Elves.

  Beth completely lost track of time. She was surprised when the tray with her dinner arrived and Elizabeth had to leave.

  “Will I see you tomorrow?” Beth asked anxiously.

  “Of course,” said Elizabeth, smiling broadly. “We’ve got twenty-one more games to get through!”

  “Thanks,” said Beth. “This was a really great day.”

  “I think we’re going to have lots more great days for a long time!” said Elizabeth. “See ya tomorrow.”

  Beth ate her dinner, watched a little TV, then drifted off to sleep. She had had so much fun with Elizabeth that it never even occurred to her that her mother hadn’t come to visit that day.

  CHAPTER 12

  That night Beth slept deeply, dreamlessly, until something woke her up. It sounded like a distant voice calling to her, penetrating her sleep. As her mind cleared slightly, she realized where she was. She looked at the clock: 12:44 a.m. Then she discovered the source of the voice.

  Sitting up, Beth could clearly hear two people yelling. They seemed to be right outside her room. She climbed carefully from her bed, threw on her robe and slippers, and went to the window that looked out into the hallway. She was stunned by what she saw.

  There, standing in the hallway, was Dr. Snow. She was arguing with a girl who appeared, despite all logic to the contrary, to be Lizzie!

  Beth froze. She desperately wanted to rush out into the hall, talk to Lizzie, and confirm once and for all that she was not crazy, that she truly did have a twin sister. But something held her back. She was intimidated by Dr. Snow and didn’t want to interrupt her or get in trouble for butting in where she didn’t belong.

  Beth watched as an attendant rushed over to Lizzie, gently but firmly pulled her away from Dr. Snow, and led her down the hall. As Dr. Snow composed herself after an argument that had clearly shaken her, she glanced toward the window and caught Beth’s eye.

  Beth gasped and hurried back toward her bed.

  Dr. Snow walked into the room.

  “Are you all right, Beth?” Dr. Snow asked, as if nothing unusual had just happened. “What are you doing out of bed so late?”

  “I was awakened by the yelling,” Beth blurted out.

  “Yelling?” Dr. Snow said, sounding very surprised. “What do you mean?”

  “Just now. Out in the hall. You and Lizzie were arguing.”

  “Lizzie? Who’s Lizzie?” Dr. Snow asked.

  “That girl you were fighting with in the hallway,” Beth explained, stunned and a little annoyed that Dr. Snow was acting as if she had no idea what Beth was talking about. “You know, the girl who looks exactly like me!”

  “I don’t know what you mean,” said Dr. Snow in her most calm, professional tone. “I was just making my late-night rounds, looking in on some of the more critically ill patients.”

  “I’m sorry, Dr. Snow,” Beth began, unable to disguise how upset she was. “Are you saying that you were not arguing with a girl in the hall just now? That I imagined all that? I’m obviously not dreaming, since I’m here talking to you.”

  “Now, calm down, Beth,” said Dr. Snow, reaching into the pocket of her long, white coat and pulling out a syringe. “Sometimes patients can go a little loopy in the hospital. The technical term is ‘hospital psychosis.’ They have weird dreams that they think are real, or imagine seeing things that didn’t really happen.”

  “That’s not what this is!” Beth insisted.

  “You’re getting a little agitated, Beth,” said Dr. Snow. “I’m going to give you a little something to help you sleep. You’ll feel better and see things more clearly after a good night’s sleep.”

  Before Beth could protest, Dr. Snow stuck a needle into her arm and gave her a shot.

  Beth instantly felt drowsy. Dr. Snow helped her get back into bed. Beth mumbled something about Lizzie and then fell into a very deep sleep.

  Beth opened her eyes slowly. She felt rested, better rested in fact than she had felt in a long time. Yawning, she stretched her arms and felt a pinch of pain up near her left shoulder.

  The shot! Dr. Snow gave me a shot to help me sleep!

  Memories of last night flooded back—the argument in the hall, seeing Lizzie, Dr. Snow denying that Beth had seen anything. It was all so very strange.

  And that’s when Beth noticed that she had been moved to a different room. This room looked much more like a girl’s room in a house than a hospital room.

  I must have really been out las
t night, Beth thought. But why was I moved? And where am I? Am I still in the hospital?

  Looking around, Beth saw a second bed, covered by a pink bedspread with fuzzy pom-poms and tassels dangling off the edges. A shelf filled with dolls sat across from the bed. A small vanity with a mirror held makeup and hairbrushes. A guitar sat on a stand in the corner.

  One whole side of the room was covered by curtains. Beth climbed out of her bed and pulled the cord that opened the curtains. They parted, revealing a wall with six photos. Each photo was of a girl who looked exactly like Beth, with her auburn hair and freckles. At first Beth thought each was a different photo of the same girl, but then she noticed the labels. Under each photo was a number and the name of a different girl. In order from one to six they read: Liza, Betty, Bess, Liz, Lizzie . . . and Beth.

  Beth gaped at the pictures as she tried to grasp at their meaning. It was more like looking into a series of mirrors than photos. The pictures made her think of all the dreams she’d had recently involving mirrors and multiple images of herself.

  Baffled and curious, Beth reached out and touched the first photo.

  Suddenly Beth’s mind flooded with images—memories and experiences that felt as if they had happened to her, vivid feelings, smells, strong memories.

  She was at a beach. She could feel the wind whipping through her hair, smell the salt water and French fries, hear the sound of a baseball game coming out of a nearby radio and waves crashing against the shore.

  She let go of the photo and was instantly back in the room, stunned and a bit out of breath.

  What was that? she wondered, at once fascinated and terrified. Her curiosity quickly overcame her fear. Beth reached out and touched the next photo. Again she was overwhelmed by a flood of memories.

  This time she was riding a mountain bike down a twisting, bumpy dirt road that wrapped around the side of a steep mountain. She felt the wind in her face and the sensation of extremely fast movement coupled with a palpable sense of danger.