Girl With My Face
[ Lorton City.]
[Timeline notes: This takes place after "In The Loop" and "New And Improved".]
“The suspense is killing me.”
Caderyn turned his brown eyes to Lessa, watching her shift so she was sitting cross legged. “Did James say when they were coming?”
Resting her elbow on one thigh and propping her chin on that hand, Lessa grumbled, “They went to get food, and then they’re coming home. James said he’s going to get Chinese food.” As if it weren’t enough that she was worried about meeting this girl who shared her face - at least, according to James she did - she was hungry. “I hope you like fried rice. James wasn’t sure what to get you, so I told him to get fried rice and sweet and sour chicken.”
“That’s fine. I like both of those.” She was tapping the fingers of her free hand against her leg, Caderyn noticed. “You’re pretty anxious, aren’t you?”
“What if she doesn’t like me?” Laughing a little, she admitted, “I don’t normally worry about what other people think, but…”
Caderyn shrugged, biting his lip a little. “I… guess you’ll have to wait and see. Maybe she’s just as worried as you are. But…”
There was a long pause, and Lessa began to wonder if he’d ever finish the sentence. When he didn’t, she spoke again. “I don’t know. I’m just… we’re going to be living together, and… well, she’s my…” My turn not to finish a sentence, she thought, jumping to her feet. “Look, it’s the car!”
Just as well, Lessa told herself. I didn’t really know how to say that anyway.
The elf got to his feet too, not quite as quick as his friend but not slow by anyone’s standards. The two watched the car back into the driveway; Lessa found herself stuck between her desire to run and see the girl with her face and her fear of making a bad impression. By the time she began thinking that she needed to do something, the car’s engine went quiet and the passenger’s side door opened.
Her hair was shorter than Lessa’s, and dyed bright red; she was wearing a black tee shirt and jeans, with a fingerless glove on each hand, one red and one black. Her eyes were the same vivid green shade that Lessa’s were, and, all this seen, Lessa dared to examine this girl’s face more closely.
Fawn was gazing back at her, looking as though she might faint. Both of them, though neither would ever know the other saw it too, had the same thought go through their minds.
A girl with my face.
Caderyn looked from one to the other. There were differences, but so slight that they didn’t matter. Neither one seemed willing to speak, but James’ voice broke the silence.
“Lessa, this is Fawn. Fawn, this is Alessandra, and her friend Caderyn is over there.”
Fawn took a deep breath to steady herself, resisting the urge to close her eyes and pretend to not have seen what she’d just witnessed with her own eyes. A twin. There’s no mistaking it. This girl… Alessandra… She’s my twin.
This… the girl my mom gave up. She must resent me so much…
Lessa and Fawn both hesitated for a few long seconds; Caderyn and James held their breath, not daring to break the moment for fear it would ruin any chance of the twins accepting one another. Finally…
“It’s… nice to meet you.”
Fawn’s green eyes went wide, staring into their mirror image; both of them were trembling slightly, but neither realized it until they saw the other’s gaze quivering. “It’s… nice to meet you too.”
“I… Welcome home.”
That did it; Fawn’s eyesight blurred until she could barely make out her twin’s face - not that she needed to see it, since she knew exactly what she would see: a girl with her face. Lessa, feeling tears rise in her own eyes, stepped forward and held out a hand to her sister. “Welcome home,” she repeated.
“I’m…” She rubbed at her eyes before taking Lessa’s hand. “I’m home.”
A girl with my face... Maybe we’ll be okay.
I think we’ll be okay.
[Timeline notes: This takes place after "In The Loop" and "New And Improved".]
“The suspense is killing me.”
Caderyn turned his brown eyes to Lessa, watching her shift so she was sitting cross legged. “Did James say when they were coming?”
Resting her elbow on one thigh and propping her chin on that hand, Lessa grumbled, “They went to get food, and then they’re coming home. James said he’s going to get Chinese food.” As if it weren’t enough that she was worried about meeting this girl who shared her face - at least, according to James she did - she was hungry. “I hope you like fried rice. James wasn’t sure what to get you, so I told him to get fried rice and sweet and sour chicken.”
“That’s fine. I like both of those.” She was tapping the fingers of her free hand against her leg, Caderyn noticed. “You’re pretty anxious, aren’t you?”
“What if she doesn’t like me?” Laughing a little, she admitted, “I don’t normally worry about what other people think, but…”
Caderyn shrugged, biting his lip a little. “I… guess you’ll have to wait and see. Maybe she’s just as worried as you are. But…”
There was a long pause, and Lessa began to wonder if he’d ever finish the sentence. When he didn’t, she spoke again. “I don’t know. I’m just… we’re going to be living together, and… well, she’s my…” My turn not to finish a sentence, she thought, jumping to her feet. “Look, it’s the car!”
Just as well, Lessa told herself. I didn’t really know how to say that anyway.
The elf got to his feet too, not quite as quick as his friend but not slow by anyone’s standards. The two watched the car back into the driveway; Lessa found herself stuck between her desire to run and see the girl with her face and her fear of making a bad impression. By the time she began thinking that she needed to do something, the car’s engine went quiet and the passenger’s side door opened.
Her hair was shorter than Lessa’s, and dyed bright red; she was wearing a black tee shirt and jeans, with a fingerless glove on each hand, one red and one black. Her eyes were the same vivid green shade that Lessa’s were, and, all this seen, Lessa dared to examine this girl’s face more closely.
Fawn was gazing back at her, looking as though she might faint. Both of them, though neither would ever know the other saw it too, had the same thought go through their minds.
A girl with my face.
Caderyn looked from one to the other. There were differences, but so slight that they didn’t matter. Neither one seemed willing to speak, but James’ voice broke the silence.
“Lessa, this is Fawn. Fawn, this is Alessandra, and her friend Caderyn is over there.”
Fawn took a deep breath to steady herself, resisting the urge to close her eyes and pretend to not have seen what she’d just witnessed with her own eyes. A twin. There’s no mistaking it. This girl… Alessandra… She’s my twin.
This… the girl my mom gave up. She must resent me so much…
Lessa and Fawn both hesitated for a few long seconds; Caderyn and James held their breath, not daring to break the moment for fear it would ruin any chance of the twins accepting one another. Finally…
“It’s… nice to meet you.”
Fawn’s green eyes went wide, staring into their mirror image; both of them were trembling slightly, but neither realized it until they saw the other’s gaze quivering. “It’s… nice to meet you too.”
“I… Welcome home.”
That did it; Fawn’s eyesight blurred until she could barely make out her twin’s face - not that she needed to see it, since she knew exactly what she would see: a girl with her face. Lessa, feeling tears rise in her own eyes, stepped forward and held out a hand to her sister. “Welcome home,” she repeated.
“I’m…” She rubbed at her eyes before taking Lessa’s hand. “I’m home.”
A girl with my face... Maybe we’ll be okay.
I think we’ll be okay.