DOUBLE TAKE

POV: LUCAS

If it wasn’t for the fact that I was born with these damn chromosomes that just happen to be the exact same as my brainless brother, I would be happy right now and still on the path I intend to follow, leading me to my future.

Instead, I sit here feeling empty inside, staring at a three-horned rock that used to bring me so much joy, but now I just want to smash it to smithereens.

Which would not only be a tragedy and ruin a piece of history, but also flush all of my future plans down the toilet and probably land me in jail... At least that would secure the image everyone has of me, the one that I, for some reason, wanted to create for myself. And I’m beginning to question why? She makes me question everything.

It started at the beginning of our senior year. See, my other half has a huge secret that only I know, but unfortunately for me, he also knows a secret about me that only he knows.

But my brother’s secret is too big for anyone but me to know—not even our parents are aware. Having the same DNA does come with some advantages, like him not being able to hide anything from me, at least for long. Although the knowledge goes both ways, which sucks for me.

Sitting in my room, where everything is some shade of black or red, my two favorite colors, but my stepmother, Vanessa, or step-Vanessa as I’ve come to call her, being an interior designer, had to have the best and most expensive of everything.

I’m currently drawing in my sketchbook while relaxing against my silk pillow, trying not to slip off as I have in the past, when Andy (Mr. Goody-Two-Shoes) bursts into my room, interrupting not only my music but also my focus.

Dropping my sketch pad, I turn toward him, grunting, “Andrew, how many times have I told you to knock first?”

“Sorry, Anderson, but this is important!” my identical twin breathlessly says, sounding as if he’s been running.

“First off, I told you not to call me that ridiculous name.” I then sit up off my black pillow and place my pad to the side, giving him my full attention. “And what has you in such a panic?”

Walking over, he sits down on my red rolling desk chair, facing me. “Do you remember that girl I told you about that I’ve been noticing looking at me lately? That I was thinking might have a crush on me?”

“Sally…Sammy…something like that?” I guess as I try to dig up from my memory bank.

He gives me an incredulous look. “At least you got the first letter right. It’s Rina, but yes. Well, her mother just contacted Mom, and she wants me to tutor her. I guess she didn’t do too well on last year’s end-of-year testing, and her mother is making her be tutored.”

Rolling my eyes, I interlace my fingers, putting them behind my head. I put my legs up on the bed and lie back. “So what does that have to do with me?”

“Well, let’s see. They want the best in school, and although the school has signed a non-disclosure agreement so everyone doesn’t know that’s you, Lucas, the best is still you and not me.”

That gets my attention, causing me to jump up from the bed. “Hey! I only have one more year. Don’t ruin it for me now, Andy…please!”

I watch as he puts his hands up in a surrender position. “Hey, calm down, Lucas. I wasn’t planning on telling anybody anything. I’m not saying I understand why you care if people know you’re a smart, good guy instead of a dumb, slacker jackass, but I’m not going to out you.”

“I just need you to go in my place and tutor Rina. She really needs you!”

Glaring at him, I respond, “You are kidding me, right! I don’t want to waste my time tutoring one of your stalkers.”

This time it’s his turn to glare at me. “She’s not a stalker. I wouldn’t do that to you. They said they’d pay me, and she’s actually pretty cute, Lucas. You’ll see.”

“And how exactly would you know if she was cute or not, Andy? You’re not really the person I would go to for anything related to the opposite sex.”

Offended, Andy stands up, sending my chair flying across the room. “Hey! Just because I’m gay doesn’t mean that I don’t know who’s attractive and who’s not!” he whisper-shouts, offended.

I sit back down on my bed and ask, “And what if I have to say something with an ‘R’ in the middle of the word, you know, like her name for instance? You know I have a speech impediment that you don’t. And although it just sounds like an accent, she will definitely know that I’m not you.”

Walking over toward me, Andy sits down and puts his hand on my shoulder, knowing talking about my speech isn’t an easy thing for me, as I look toward the ground.

“Don’t be so down on yourself. If you focus, you can’t even tell. And even if you don’t, it’s not that noticeable. Especially if you haven’t spent a huge amount of time around us, which she hasn’t. And unless you say the word ‘world,’ you should be fine. And about her name, just call her ‘S’ or something. It will be a cute nickname.”

I ask, “And what if Gazel finds out and ruins things? You know she’d go after what’s her name.”

“Didn’t you say you wanted to break up with her?”

Rolling my eyes, I let out a huff. “Get rid of her—we were never together—but yeah, and it’s not that easy. She’s a little crazy.”

He gives me a confused look and inquires, “Then why have you stayed with her the entire summer?”

A huge smile breaks out on my face. “Because she’s crazy, and my oh so innocent brother, do you know what crazy girls are willing to do?”

Wincing before he fake vomits, he stands up, walking toward the door, causing me to laugh. “Okay, I’m going to leave now that you’ve fully disgusted me!”

Andy then turns back toward me and proposes, “How about I break up with Crazy Gazel for you, and you tutor Rina for me?”

Sighing, I move my head back and forth, thinking it through. “And the parentals know about this little switch scheme of yours? Because you know how they hate it when we switch places.”

“I okayed it with them first. They agree that you should tutor her instead of me, with my football schedule and everything.”

I shake my head and reluctantly answer, “Fine. But only on a trial basis. You have to switch me back at a moment’s notice if I ask for it. Especially since you only have to break up with Gazel once…hopefully. Which reminds me—make sure when you break up with Gazel, you really break up with her, because I don’t want her to come back. The crazy ones usually do. I’m just glad we don’t go to the same school. Have fun with that one, little brother.”

Opening my door, Andy comments with a grunt, “I’m so excited.”

Before he shuts the door, leaving me alone to resume my wind-down before the first day of school tomorrow.