Chapter 23 (last chapter :()

Note for Tess and Katie:  I would love to help!  Just comment with your email and I'll help as best as I can.

It's been a few months.  A few very strange, fast months.  Xander (it's weird to call my clone that-the guy that looks at me..), is on the move.  He is trying to find a place to live with Marina.  It's almost as if he's scared that Leonora is going to find him.  But I can't blame him.  Because I would feel that way.

Oh, hold on.  I'm getting a ring.

'That's right, you can't blame me because this is exactly what you would do.  We're alike not only in our DNA, but the environment has played only the smallest factor in my personality.  Because I could read your mind and I was there with you at all times in a way, I am almost not even my own person.  We are clones as much as possible.'

There's the explanation for you, courtesy of my clone that knew exactly what I was thinking.

Seems you're going to gain more of your own personality now that you're on your own-with Marina-and not 'with me' at all times.

'Yes, I suspect so.  The environment certainly plays a factor now.  But remember, no matter what, you will never again be alone again.  I am always with you in thoughts-literally.

My clone speaks the truth.  He is with me whenever I want to 'talk' with him, but I also have Rachelle now.  It's nice that someone else besides 'me' gets me (that would be sad if only I got me).

Rachelle has been coming to my house a lot over the past few months, most weekends in fact.  When Jeff and Marshall first saw her, they sorta just stared at her a while.  It wasn't an 'Oh ma freakin llama look at that hotness' stare, it was an 'um...okay...' stare.  Later they told me that she was pretty but 'not the type that they usually go for.'  I never knew that Marshall and Jeff could speak such true words!  They much prefer the stick skinny, non-weird types.  But I don't really care about the size (okay fine, I don't want a hippo for a girlfriend, but certainly not a stick figure either).

I didn't want to tell everyone that I had a clone.  Who knows what they could think what they could do once they discover the impossible is true (and that's considering that they'd believe me, which isn't like me, they'd just give me a look!).

My grandparents already knew, and I would tell my parents and maybe my uncle.  Eventually.  After all, I knew that they would believe me because according to my grandparents, they've gone through some pretty insane things in their lives.

Rachelle hadn't been through those things, but she has been sharing dreams with me for about six months, and she has seen my clone...

We hang in my room a lot.  Not to do you know what, but just hang and talk.  Neither of us are terrified of the bedroom anymore (surely you remember the dream?), we don't want to have sex until after mirage.

"Hey, so...um.  You remember those dreams when there were two me's in them?"

"Of course I do.  Yeah?"

"And how he was always tellin me that he was real outside of the dream world just like you?"

She raised an eyebrow, but nodded.

"Yeah-turns out he is real.  I found him one day...he's my clone.  It's genuine."

I decided I would only tell her about the clone part, not the Leonora and Marina part..a guy's gotta keep his secrets!  Besides-I knew how to prove it with my clone.

"You're funny Alex, you know that?" 

But then, I called for Xander in my head.

'I listen to ya Alex, I listen to ya.  I have the perfect solution!  Tell her I'm going to call in two seconds, I'll call right after you're done saying it.  She would have to believe then!  With the dreams and this, it's fool-proof!  You've never lied to her before anyway.'

"Okay Rachelle, you don't believe me?  He's going to call me in two seconds.  You can say hi to him on the phone."

So, just like he said, my cell phone rang two seconds later.  I gave Rachelle my phone.

After five seconds, she mumbled a 'hi', and stared at the cell phone with the biggest eyes I've ever seen her make-well, probably the biggest eyes I've ever seen anyone make.

She hung up the phone. "Holy crapoli.  You are no liar, Alex."

"No, no I am not."

One day we went to my cousin Stephan's wedding.  He was getting married to a girl named Judith-a very skinny blonde woman.  She's okay I guess, awfully nice, but she just looks plastic to me.

But seeing the way they kissed each other on being man and wife just made me smile.  Maybe I'm just a hidden romantic that never got what he wanted until recently.  I couldn't help but think about Rachelle and me's wedding.  I knew it would happen, it's just a matter of when.  We are so compatible that we have shared dreams together on a regular basis!  Can't get any better than that.

Once the ceremony was over, Rachelle and I went over to talk with my parents. 

"Hey mom and dad!  I would like you to meet Rachelle, the girl I was telling you about."

They both looked at her and smiled. "It's very nice to meet you, Rachelle!"

"Nice to meet you guys too."

So far so good.  The parents aren't showing any baby pictures to her yet-but oh yeah, that's right.  That's why I wanted them to meet her here!  They don't have any pictures with them, and they can't embarrass me so much with people around!

"What do you do for a living, Rachelle?"

"I'm a teacher.  I teach little second graders.  I love kids."

"What a nice career!  Is it a lot of hard work?"

"I suppose so, but it's worth it.  I love to see the kids' faces everyday, and watch them grow and learn.  I've always had a knack for teaching, I guess.  I wasn't exactly a tutor-but I probably could've been."

My parents talked to Rachelle and I for a good forty five minutes.  I could tell that they really liked Rachelle!  But I wanted to talk to uncle Otto about my clone..I could tell my parents another time.  After all, my uncle is more likely to believe me than they are since Xander has confronted him once.

"Hey uncle Otto.  This is Rachelle."

He beamed at her. "Ah, so this is the girl I've been hearin' about!"

How can my uncle possibly be more embarrasing than my parents?

But Rachelle just beamed right back at him, "Oh, so Alex has been talking about me, has he?"

She looked in my direction with an amusing expression.

Uncle Otto himself looked amused, at Rachelle.

"Oh, Alex.  You don't have to get red!  I've been talking about you too."

She barely got red at that statement.  Sometimes she doesn't seem as red-prone as me.

"Hey uncle Otto-what happened that one day when 'I' came to visit your house?"

He laughed. "Why do you want a recount of our visit?"

"Because that wasn't me-it was my clone."

He laughed even harder. "Yeah, that's what you tried to tell me. But I wouldn't fall for it.  You think you're so funny Alex!"

"No, I'm serious."

Xander and I did the same thing as I did with Rachelle.  It was just a good thing that we were on the edge of the party!

"Oh my gosh Alex-I'm sorry to have doubted you.  If you excuse me, I have to use the boy's room."

He was literally shaking!  It was as if learning the impossible made him extra jittery!

Later, Stephan cut the cake and Judith watched him.  It was so cute seeing the way that they looked at each other.  It just brought a smile right to my face!  He wanted to smash cake in her face, but he wouldn't let her.  I think he was only joking because I mean, come on.  My goody two shoes uncle doing that to his bride?  Puh-lease.

Rachelle really loved that cake!  She is nothing like the date that only eats salads when you're with them.  She's perfectly comfortable eating what she wants, and I admire that.  Heck, she acts how she wants whenever she wants.  Her goofy, weird self that I love.

She chowed down that cake to ever last crumb, scraping it off the plate.

"You like that cake, huh Rachelle?"  I laughed.  I've been doing that a lot these past few months.

"Oh yes, I love cake.  Especially chocolate chocolate.  You remember that."

Oh, so I have a hint now to make cake?

'Get used to that Alex, Marina always wants me to buy her ice cream!'

Later, Rachelle and I got groovy on the dance floor.  That's right, I said groovy.  Rachelle has really gotten me into saying any word that I feel like at the moment.  I'm not really into what people think of me, but Rachelle is that way even more than I am!

Rachelle was no shy lady when she was dancing.  At first she just did the basic dance moves by me, but then she started to do some funkier moves around me.  I would try to step in.  By the end, she was moving away from me from the dance floor!  She was doing a lot of moving steps.  She has a really different dancing style!  Which is good.  Better than okay.  That's what she and I are about!

When it was getting late, I took Rachelle to a secluded part of the venue.  This time, her hands were getting a little sweaty, she was nervous for something.  But the walk was beautiful-flowers everywhere!

We were mostly being quiet with our walk, admiring nature and the sunset.

We found a little rocker on our journey, and we sat on it looking at the pond.

I held her close.  I was warm wherever her curves touched my body.

"It's so beautiful tonight", Rachelle can be silent sometimes, but at other times it seems to be hard for her to keep it so quiet.

"Almost as beautiful as you."  The most cliche term in the book, but at least it works.

Rachelle smiled shyly at me, and leaned into me more.  That was better than a thank you or a reciprocal reply.

"I love you, Alex."
"I love you too Rachelle.  More than anyone I've ever loved."

We haven't ever exchanged I love you's, but I think we knew that we loved each other long ago-on the first day that we officially met.  It was never necessary to speak the words, but tonight was the perfect night.  Love was in the air.

I held her as close as I could, and I kissed her hard.  One kiss after another.  Her lips were so warm and perfect tonight.  Our lips went in perfect rhythm.  Our tongues colliding just enough.

I leaned into the kisses.  I put my arm around her, she touched my hand.  It was perfect.  Absolutely perfect.  I can't put it in any other terms.  Everything about this evening was going absolutely perfectly-I couldn't hope for anything better.

We both decided to watch the stars after making out for about ten minutes straight.

As I looked at her, I was confirmed that she was the one.  I wasn't told just then that she was the one, I think I knew all along.

We both stared at the stars for a long time, not speaking.

Naturally Rachelle had to break the silence, "do you think there's other intelligent life out there?"

"I do."

"Yeah, me too.  I figure that if the universe is as big as it is, it would be impossible for there not to be other intelligent life."
"You speak the truth."

"That's why I love science fiction books.  I love to think about the future-what could be.  It's also nice that they're relatively unpredictable.  But I seriously believe that in the future, it won't all be fiction."

"Sounds interesting.  Maybe I should read a science ficion book."

"You should."

We both got up. 

Perfect time.

I got down on one knee, and I pulled out the ring.

"Rachelle, I love you so much, llama knows.  I knew right from the second I first laid eyes on you that you were the one.  These past few months have confirmed that.  You are perfect for me-you are a real catch.  I could never find a girl as perfect for me as you.  I could wait longer, but that would just be stalling the inevitable.  We were meant to be together.  Will you marry me?"

She covered her mouth and her eyes enlarged.

She didn't say anything, but accepted the ring as I slid it on her finger, and she went in to hug me.

"You know, I'm not really a hugger.  But I am with you now," she whispered in my ear.

I was just grinning from ear to ear as I held her.  My life couldn't be any more perfect, now.  It was only six months ago that I was in despair wanting something interseting in my life.  I have overcome the haze in my life-and even in my dreams somewhat.  They are only becoming more clear and more interesting, thanks to Rachelle.

And I know that we'll be having many more adventures in our dreams together.  We will soar above the clouds, exploring our dream world togther.  Could a guy be any happier?

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I hope you guys liked my story!  I would appreciate any comment even if you've never commented before.  Don't be shy!

I will be starting a new story soon, and I hope that you guys will read it!  It will star their daughter.  I'll post here when I have the intro done :).