I glared in pain as my eyes adjusted to the square white floodlights installed in the ceiling. The walls were painted a plain lint gray. The place also had the faint citrus-like smell of cleaning wipes. I sat on the symmetrical square couch, set my things down, and sighed. “Summer, I don’t know why you choose to live in a psych ward. Maybe all the decorative genes went to me.”
“Shut up. My apartment is clean, the direct antithesis of your junkyard.” she chuckled. Then sighed, and I noticed her cheeks were shiny-streaked.
“So what happened?” I patted the seat beside me and reluctantly she came over.
“Nothing…it’s just. I haven’t heard from Russell in a long time and I’m worried something happened to him. He hasn’t texted me in 5 days, Autumn!”
I deadpanned. “You’re worried because your boyfriend hasn’t texted you in a week?”
“What does it mean!? Is he tired of me!? Does he want to break up!? Or-or did he have a heart-attack or something!?” Summer wrapped a blanket around herself and rocked back and forth.
I nearly laughed, but I caught myself. “Summer, you are the most dramatic person I know. Russell is a coder. He’s probably just working on a new project or something and hasn’t had the time to text you.”
“But it’s been 5 days! He always at least reads my texts! They don’t even say ‘read’. We’ve never not talked for this long! I don't know what to think!”
“Please. Try being single your whole two decades of existence and suddenly 5 days ain’t that bad,” I mumbled ruffling through the bags I'd brought.
“Huh?”
When I turned back to her I smiled. “Nothing. These bags are filled with all the books you wanted to borrow from me and chocolates to snack on! Cheer up girl! I’m sure you’ll hear from Russell soon enough.”
Summer smiled. “Thanks, Autumn. Having a sister like you is a blessing.”
I nodded, while staring out the window. “Yeah. Go get cleaned up.” I shook my head and rubbed her back as she rose and headed toward the bathroom.
In the silence that followed, I went back to staring off. I’m the more talkative twin, everyone knows that, but if I put my hair in a bun and sit quiet for long enough, people assume I’m Summer. Everybody loved Summer, they were always following her around in school or asking her for advice on things. Even Russell, one of the finest looking men in the city, liked Summer, even though I’d tried talking to him multiple times before.
At first it broke my heart that he liked her, but for Summer’s sake, I pretended to be just as happy as she was when he asked her out.
When was anybody gonna notice me? When would I finally be Autumn, and not Summer’s sister?
I felt tears warming up my eyes, and I rose up from the couch. “I-” I steadied my voice. “I think I left something in my car, I’ll be right back Sum!” I hollered and then headed for the door.
I tumbled down the stairs wiping my eyes when I ran dead smack into somebody. “Oh, I’m so sorry-” I started, but the hand that reached out to me was already yanking me up.
I knew those honey-hazel eyes from anywhere. It was Russell, looking nice with his new puffy goatee.
“You alright?” He asked, his eyes searching my face.
“Yeah. I’m fine.” I smiled, cursing my tear-streaked cheeks and sniffles. Russel sighed. “Summer, I’m sorry I ain’t called you much lately. I’ve just been so busy with work. But lemme make it up to you.” he smiled, putting an arm around my neck. “I got a surprise I know you’ll love,” He wiggled his eyebrows at me, and my heart started beating like I was in a marathon.
Wait. No way Russell thought I was Summer!
I should tell him I’m Autumn. I should allow him to be embarrassed for a moment and walk past me so he can find Summer, the favorite twin.
But I didn’t. Instead I said, “What!? What’chu got!?” Then I stopped myself. Summer never let herself get all giddy. She was way too bland for that. I cleared my throat and in my most monotone voice said. “Let’s see what you’ve done this time.”
Then came the most awkward car ride I’ve ever had. Russell spent most of the time telling me jokes I know would’ve made Summer laugh, but just fell on awkward silence with me.
He took my silence for anger and kept apologizing for being so busy. It pulled on my heartstrings to see Russell look so guilty, but I couldn’t say anything now. Not when he was about to show me the surprise.
The city was always so beautiful at night. Buildings with neon outlines and streetlights kept the place well lit and people in coats and sweaters filled the sidewalks. We got to a building that was all gray and had small circle windows. It had one square-shaped sign beside it that read El Sala de Silencio.
I didn’t think the inside could be worse, but I guess that was the surprise. It was a bunch of square tables lining the sides of gray walls. Each of the walls was covered in huge portraits of art that had more negative space than any pictures on them. I never knew dust had a smell until I entered that place, and the chilly air made me wish I’d brought a jacket. A black carpet with golden embroidery went down the middle of the place leading to a counter with trays and platters of food and machines behind it, placing food on those platters with their plastic claws.
“This is a completely modern restaurant, Summer. Robots make the food, robots serve the food, so we ain’t even gotta see nobody. And I just know you gon’ gobble up all the sushi they got here.”
“Sushi!?” I blurted. Why did Summer have to like seaweed rolls of raw fish!? Inside I cringed, but on the outside I said, “t-thank you Russell. You’re the best.”
Then, his eyes were sliding closed. He was leaning towards me.
My heart was racing. Kissing Russell would be the ultimate sister-betrayal. I couldn’t go through with this! But…hadn’t this been what I wanted?
But I couldn’t. I couldn’t kiss him with a good conscience.
“Stop!” I yelled and backed up. The few heads of people eating in the distance all turned to us.
I shook my head. “I’m not Summer, Russell. I’m Autumn.”
Russell stood speechless for a second, then did a slow blink. “What?”
Outside and out of the way of everyone else, I explained to him what I had been doing at Summer’s place and how he had mistaken me for his girlfriend.
He dropped me off at home and I explained the switch up to Summer over the phone.
Summer stopped talking to me after that incident. I knew I had done wrong, but after nearly a month of being ghosted, I realized I couldn’t live life without my twin sister by my side.
I went to her apartment. When she saw it was me, she was already on her way to closing it again.
“Wait. Summer. I’m sorry about pretending to be you that one time. I was just so jealous of you. You don’t even like people, but everyone loves your company. I’d give anything to have someone to talk to who liked me for me, and I just let jealousy take over. I’m really sorry Summer. I brought some candy over for you.”
After a moment she sighed. “Apologies mean nothing to me, Autumn. You know that. But, I did figure if you were really a horrible person you would've kissed Russell. He told me you were the one to set things straight. And you did bring peanut-butter chocolates…” Summer did a sly grin.
That was a green light. I laughed. “I missed you Summer.”
“I missed you too, Autumn. Just don’t do anything stupid like that again.”
Hey there! I’m Shila! I’ve loved books since I could read, and decided I would write books I wanted to see written for others! Check my children’s book Imagination on Amazon!
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