The Switch

Brinley’s life had always felt lonely, like she was missing a piece of her. She had a great step mom and dad who had adopted her when she was a couple months old. She lived in an enormous house and was the most popular girl in school, yet she still felt like she needed more. That was until the day she was searching on facebook and saw a picture of a girl who looked exactly like her. She knew that had to be her identical twin sister named Tatum.

Tatum lived in foster care with an abusive and alcoholic guardian. She lived with five other foster kids so she was used to fending for herself. Tatum always wished she had a family to call her own. She often laid awake at night wondering what she did wrong to have her mother abandoned her. She also felt like a half of her was missing. That was until she got a video chat from a random caller. That random caller was Brinley, the identical twin sister that Tatum never knew she had. Brinley told her to run away and get on the next train to Beverly Hills, California to meet her. Without hesitation, Tatum said yes.

The day the girls met, they were both astounded. They walked around in circles looking at eachother for about ten minutes, wondering if their eyes deceived them. Then, Brinley asked the question that Tatum had been wondering and also dreading. “Were you adopted too?”

Tatum’s eyes glazed over and she felt like she was kicked in the gut. She absolutely hated it when people asked her that question, even if it was her sister. She answered shakily, “No, I live in a foster home right now.”

Brinley looked at her with that pity look that she had seen too many times before. Tatum did not want her pity, she just wanted to feel like a normal girl with a normal family, but of course it was not that easy. Brinley told her, “ I was adopted when I was four months old to lovely couple who couldn't have kids of their own.” Tatum thought that Brinley was rubbing it in her face because she had said it with overconfidence. Tatum had realized that they were very different. Brinley looked like she could not do anything on her own, that everything was just given to her, including that prada handbag slung around her tiny wrist. Tatum had to earn everything, was independent, and was used to being alone. Of course she would love to be given nice things but she knew that wouldn’t happen anytime soon.

Brinley broke the silence and said, “I want you to switch places with me so I can go look for our birth mother. I am almost positive I know where she is. I will only be gone for a couple of days.”

“What if somebody recognizes that I’m not you,” asked Tatum.

“Have you seen us, I can barely tell us apart!” Brinley replied. Tatum finally said yes, but said Brinley had to be back in at least a week or the deal was off.

Tatum walked through the huge wooden doors of Brinley’s house, and strangers started hugging her. She wondered if they were Jenna and Thomas, Brinley’s parents. They asked her all sorts of questions “ Where were you? Do you know what time it is? I'm just glad you're safe honey.” Tatum thought to herself, so this is what it feels like to have parents who care about you. She had a warm fuzzy feeling in her stomach that she had never had before. Tatum realized it was the feeling of someone loving her, but then it hit her. They didn't actually lover her...they loved Brinley.

Meanwhile, Brinley took a train to Fresno, California to look for her birthmother. She had been to five hospitals asking who had given birth to twins on January 9, 1996. No one would give Brinley any information, so she broke into the hospital records and found what she thought she was looking for. Tamara Walker had twin daughters on January 9, 1996 and had a strong resemblance to Brinley. This was the break she needed. Brinley copied down her address and set out to find her mother.

Walking down the dark alley, Brinley felt helpless, and wondered why anybody would ever want to live here. She got to Tamara's house and rang the doorbell. She had butterflies in her stomach and almost ran away. What if her birth mother was not what she expected? What if she had kids of her own and she just didn't want Tatum and her? Nobody answered the door and the anxiety was killing Brinley, so she threw a rock into the window shattering the glass. She ducked inside and look around the small, cramped house. There, she saw a picture of Tamra with her twin daughters. Oh no! She had the wrong person! Just then, Brinley heard sirens in the distance and panic spread throughout her body. Someone came up behind her and pinned her to the ground. All Brinley could think was, “I’m screwed!”

Back in Beverly Hills, Tatum enjoyed life as Brinley. Tatum envied Brinley for her friends, parents, and lifestyle. Tatum went from being on “no” list, to the “A” list, in one day. Brinley’s clothes were incredible and her friends were amazing. Taya was Brinley's best friend...and now was Tatums. She really wanted to explain the situation to Taya, but she was afraid that if Taya found out she was a nobody, she would drop her like last seasons Gucci handbag. Taya and the other girls kept asking Tatum what had changed over the summer and why she was being so nice. That made Tatum wonder what her identical twin was really like. Was she a spoiled brat that took everything for granted?

Brinley’s cell was cold and damp and she had to share it with big scary women who treated her like scum. Luckily she was not there long. The police came and told her that no charges were being pressed and she was free to go. Brinley made a final stop at a hospital a couple of miles out of town. She snuck into the hospital late at night and found the confidential files. She found a woman named Amanda Clark who had given birth to identical twins on January 9, 1996 but gave them up for adoption. A couple of years later, Amanda was killed in a car crash. Brinley flipped the page and saw the unthinkable. Thomas Faust was listed as her legal father. Brinley’s “step dad” was really her biological dad!

On the train ride home, Brinley’s mind was spinning with all of the possible questions to the situation. “ Had her father had an affair? Why did he give her up for adoption and then adopt her back? Does he even know that Tatum exists?” Brinley needed to get back to Beverly Hills as fast so she could to tell Tatum and confront her father.

After all that had been going on, Brinley had forgotten to be sad about the death of her birth mother. Then, all of the emotion hit her like a ton of bricks and she began to sob uncontrollably. As she looked through the kitchen window, she saw her family, friends and Tatum all laughing and looking like they were having the time of their life. Part of her was happy that her plan had worked and that they had not notice that she was gone, but the other half was devastated and angry that her best friends and even her family had not recognized that Tatum wasn't her. Her stomach felt like a cold bottomless pit, and she had a feeling she had never felt before...not being loved.

Brinley couldn’t take it anymore as a rush of rage came over her. She was going to march into the house and confront her father for cheating on her stepmother. After that, Tatum would go back to foster care and Brinley would never have to see her again. She didn't want to have a sister anymore, she wanted to be the one who got all the attention and the only one her parents loved. Then, all of her confidence crumbled when she saw her parents kiss Tatum good night.

Tatum heard a knocking at the window and saw Brinley standing outside. Tatum’s heart beat faster and faster waiting for the news that was about to come, yet the only words that came out of Brinley’s mouth were, “ get out.” There was no emotion in Brinley’s voice. It was a voice that Tatum had heard many times before while getting kicked out of different foster homes. “What’s wrong?” Tatum asked in the most sincere voice she could. Brinley explained the whole story about Thomas having an affair with a girl named Amanda Clark and then giving them up for adoption. Brinley also explained that she had to tell Jenna, even if it would rip their family apart.

The girls talked all night and finally made up. Tatum confessed that she got caught up in being part of a family and that it felt so nice to be loved. Brinley said she understood and apologized for being so rude. The next morning, Brinley was terrified to confront Thomas and Jenna, but it helped to have Tatum’s hand locked with hers. As they both walked into the family room, Thomas stood up and Jenna looked pale. Jenna was the first one to break the silence. “What is going on here?” Brinley told them the whole story, even the part about Amanda and Thomas’ affair. Tatum and Brinley could barely look Jenna in the eye because of how pained she looked.

Tatum and Brinley had been video chatting for a couple of weeks and life was back to normal for Tatum. She was back in a new foster home and the days drifted by endlessly. She missed Jenna, Thomas, Taya, but most of all, Brinley. Brinley told Tatum that dad was staying in a hotel and that Jenna was trying to stay strong. Then there was the day that Tatum got a surprising phone call from Brinley. She answered and Brinley was screaming excitedly into the phone. Tatum had to pull the phone away from her ear because the screaming was so loud! Brinley finally calm down and said the words that Tatum had been waiting to hear since she was born, “ It’s official, you're now part of our family!” All Tatum could say was, “ What?” Brinley replied, “Well, Jenna and Thomas are back together and they think it is a great idea!” Tatum was astonished and all she could say was, “ Thank you!”

Tatum remembered the first time she walked through the big wooden doors she felt intimidated and helpless. Now walking through them for a second time, she felt strong, powerful and had that warm fuzzy feeling in her stomach again. This time, she knew that when her family hugged her, she would feel the love they had for her and not for Brinley. Only one question loomed in the air for Tatum. Why had Thomas only looked for Brinley to adopt and not for her too?