Jon and Sarah's trip to the mall was very much a re-boot of Sarah's intrusion on Jon's morning earlier that day. But it was bigger and better in every way.
Jon enthusiastically took part, fully trusting Sarah's judgement. The clothes they bought fit him snugly and comfortably, and they fit him well. Sarah bought Jon new skin creams and hair care products, and Jon's only questions were "what does it do?" and "how do I use it?"
Then, as the piece de resistance, she took Jon to see her father's personal barber. It still hurt Jon to laugh, but he could smile. And he did, as conversation between himself, the barber, and Sarah flowed as naturally as though the three of them had been friends for years. Sarah was genuinely trying to understand Jon better, and Jon was genuinely trying to understand Sarah better. And by the time the two of them returned to Sarah's Miata, Jon looking the best he had ever looked in his life, headed back to the Gibson home, they had successfully met in the middle.
But meanwhile, Karyn had decided to take a leap of faith in herself. When she left school, she started walking towards Jon's house. And she blacked out a few times along the way, but when she came back into herself, she was still on the same route each time. Her other self hadn't peeled off to go to her own home, or to Sarah's, or anywhere else. Whatever Other Karyn was thinking, Karyn had succeeded in planting the idea in her head that they needed to go to Jon's house.
And they needed to wait for him there until he came home.
Karyn sat patiently on the front porch of the Gibson home, meditating to herself, thinking positive thoughts about Jon, being intentional about why she was there. And her alter-ego never left her spot on the porch. Whatever she was thinking, whatever she was feeling, Karyn had a pretty good indication that her two halves were at least a little bit in sync, at least for this one purpose.
And eventually, finally, mercifully, Sarah McMillan's white Miata pulled up the Gibson driveway.
Karyn had deliberately positioned herself so that she would be closer to the driver's side of any car parked in the driveway, so she was in control when Jon exited the passenger side and asked "What are you doing here, Karyn?"
The girl stood up from her seated position. "Do you trust me, Jon?"
Sarah opened her own door and stepped out of the car. "Karyn?" she asked.
Karyn took a step forward. Jon's chest tightened, sending a small flash of pain through him.
"Jon," she asked again, "do you trust me?"
Jon looked at Karyn, then looked at Sarah. If Karyn came too much closer, or if Sarah got back in the car and left, Jon would be alone with the version of Karyn that hated him.
A slow trickle of dread slid down Jon's throat. But Sarah turned and met his eye, confusion on her face. And he thought back to their conversation in the parking garage. And he looked over at Karyn, who had just taken another step forward.
"I trust you, Karyn. I trust you to Heaven and back."
"Are you two alright?" Concern rose in Sarah's voice.
Karyn took another step forward. And then another. And another. She was standing in front of the hood of the car now.
"I don't want to take this last step, Jon," she said with a tremble in her voice. This was a risk. She was willing to take the risk, she was confident that she had done all of the work necessary. But it was still a risk. "I want you to do it. If you trust me, if you truly trust the whole of who I am, then take a step forward. Come close to me. I want you to do it. And I want you to trust me that it will be alright. Because you trust me."
"I don't understand what's happening right now," Sarah turned to Jon. "Do you understand what's happening?"
Jon nodded solemnly to Sarah. Then he took a step forwards towards Karyn.
And the face of the girl standing in front of the Miata lost all of its tentativeness and curled into a malicious snarl.
But it was, somehow, more subdued than the malicious snarls that Jon had become accustomed to from his friend. Almost softer. Still malicious, but no longer lethal.
"Jon Gibson," Karyn growled, "I want you to take me out on a date. Tonight. Right now."
