"So you think it's totally reasonable that you're my mother and the same age as me?" Zoe asked, trying to get Linda to see the contradiction of what was happening.
Linda just gave her an odd look, then said "Well, no. Of course not. I ..." Her face went blank. "What ... what's happening?"
"That's what I'm trying to figure out."
"I can't be the same age as you, but I am. I mean, this feels normal to me. But at the same time, it doesn't make any sense. If you hadn't made me think about it, I might still believe that nothing was weird. How did this happen?"
"I think it has something to do with that weird mist I saw last night," Zoe said.
"You mean in the hallway? That wasn't a dream?" Linda asked.
"No, that was real. And so was that weird light show. Somehow, it caused you to become like me. It changed your age to match mine and then turned you into a Goth girl who's similar to me."
"But I am a Goth girl. I have been for years ... as long as you, actually."
"No, you've never been Goth. Your memories must have been changed."
Linda grabbed a seat at the kitchen table and dropped down into it. "So my whole life as I know it is a lie? Who am I ... really?"
"You're my mother."
"I already know that. But what am I supposed to be like? You said I wasn't Goth. So what was I like?"
"Well, you were like a mother. Motherly, I guess, but also strict." Strict, as far as Zoe was concerned. Jon never thought of her that way.
"That's nothing like me," Linda said. "I hope I never get any of those fucking memories back. It sounds so horrible. I wanna stay like you."
"Uh ... okay. But don't you think we should try to figure out ..."
"We can deal with all this bullshit later," Linda said, cutting Zoe off. "Let's go out and have a little fun."
"But don't you need to go to work? Or do you work?"
"Yeah, I work. But today I'm thinking of blowing it off. Let's go to The Spiked Pit. I know you like that place."
Yeah, but you don't, Zoe thought. Her mom hated that place. And she hated that Zoe went there.
"Maybe you could call up some of your friends to join us," Linda suggested.
"But there's school today," Zoe pointed out.
"So? Blow it off."
"You want me to blow off school?" This was a first. But considering the circumstances, maybe not that surprising. Her mother was just like Zoe now. So she had the same kinds of thoughts.
"Sure, why not? You've done it before," Linda said. "Now, go back upstairs and get dressed and cleaned up. I'm not taking you to the club looking like a mess." Now that sounded like her mom. "We may be the same age, but you're still my daughter."
