Jon had managed to sneak out just before 4 am. He had to be quiet as Melissa was asleep on the couch. She must have fallen asleep in front of the TV, he thought. If she had been his actual mother, he would have but a cover over her, but she wasn’t beside it, might wake her up, and that might lead to questions that he couldn’t answer. So he just left her sleeping there. He reached the end of the driveway, still not sure where he was going. Then it hit him if Melissa had replaced his mom, who had replaced Melissa, so he started towards the Smith house to find out.
The Smiths lived in one of the more affluent parts of Lakeview, not the same well-to-do area as Sarah had before she had joined the Madison family a few days ago, but still a richer area than Jon and whichever version of his family lived.
He saw the blue-clad men unload a brunette girl and carry her inside the house. He was right, they were replacing Melissa with someone. He had to see who it was, so he followed the blue-clad men upstairs to a bedroom where they placed the girl into the bed that was sitting there. The blue-clad men continued to place personal items around the room to make it look like this girl had always lived there and had been part of the Smith family.
He saw one of them place a cheerleading uniform inside the closet along with hangers full of other clothes which were meant to belong to this girl. It looked like they were almost done; he had only a few minutes to see who had taken Melissa’s place not only in the Smith family but, judging by the uniform he had seen on the cheerleading squad, as well.
Jon took a step forward, inching closer to the bed. He needed to know. He drew closer, his shadow stretching across the floor, until he was standing directly beside the bed. And then he saw her. Lying there, was Nadine Ferguson. But this was no longer the Nadine he had seen only a few days ago, the shy, unassuming girl who blended into the background at school. Her hair, which had been a mousy brown and usually tied back in a practical ponytail, was now a rich, dark chocolate color, styled in soft, elegant waves that fell to about chest length, framing her face with a new sophistication. Her eyes, once a mild hazel, now appeared large and almond-shaped, darker and more captivating. Her nose, which had been somewhat nondescript, now seemed more petite, more refined. And her mouth, usually set in a slightly hesitant line, was now full and wide, hinting at a confidence she had never possessed before. Her body, which had always been slender, almost willowy, now had a toned, athletic build, and her skin had a sun-kissed tan that would rival any of her new teammates. In other words, she looked like a perfect, textbook cheerleader.
Jon stood there, his mouth hanging open, a silent gasp escaping his lips. This was no longer Nadine Ferguson, the somewhat prudish, devout Baptist girl he had known for the last few years, the one who always carried a worn Bible and spoke in hushed, respectful tones. This was Nadine Smith, the vibrant, confident, undeniably popular cheerleader. The transformation was so profound, so complete, that Jon felt a dizzying sense of disorientation. It was like looking at a stranger wearing a familiar face.
He looked around and saw the last of the blue-clad men leave the room. He knew now he didn’t have long until time started again. He left Smith's house, wondering if he now had enough information to work out who was doing this. Maybe if he could talk to Dr. Schreber, he would have more information on who had been changed than Jon had. After all, Dr. Schreber was being forced to help whoever this was. Jon was sure that once he knew who it was, he would be able to stop them, but how could he get in touch with Dr. Schreber? That was something he would need to work out later. Right now, he had to get back to his house before his new Mom noticed he was missing. The last thing he needed was to get into trouble with Melissa, who thought she was his mom at the moment and would no doubt act like she was.
