Roger smiled as he finished his long call with Charlotte. He'd been gossiping with the girl just as the real Bethany had been before he arrived. There was a distinct joy to having a bestie again, since he didn't have many close friends in his adult life. No that wasn't right, Roger Gibson was the adult didn't have many friends, Bethany was a popular 8th grade girl. Roger hopped off his bed and wandered through his new home to find his "mother", Lisa cooking dinner. "Hi mom, dinner smells super."
Lisa smiled and pulled Roger into a hug. She knew the rules of the game and despite her distaste for the man, she'd treat Roger just like her darling daughter. "Hello sweetie, I hope you like it. I made your favorite."
"YAY, spaghetti!" Roger cheered. "You're the best mom."
"No your the best!" Lisa argued while kissing him on the cheek. "Are you excited for your party on Wednesday?"
"You bet I am!" Roger gushed. "I'm so excited to be a teenager, plus the water park is going to be super cool. Thanks again for putting it all together, mom."
"Anything for you, Bethany."
ELSEWHERE:
The real Bethany was crying on Roger's bed. She'd managed to get his Camry back to the house without crashing and quickly hid herself in Roger and Linda's bedroom. It wasn't fair! He was stealing her birthday! Maybe she could talk to her mom and get him to pick someone else. She picked up her cellphone and found her mom's number in the contacts.
"Gibson, what is it?" Lisa asked with a sharp tone Bethany had never heard from her before. "Uh, I was calling to see if you could-"
Lisa cut her off. "Look Gibson, I'm sure whatever it is can wait until tomorrow at work. I'm spending quality time with my daughter right now, so I'll see you then. And remember I want those reports on my desk first thing!" The line went dead as Lisa hung up. Bethany sobbed "But, I'm your daughter" into the pillow.
