HE, HIM, AND US (Complete ✅)

Just like you

New is facing the three friends. They are in the center of the suite he just paid for. Tay has his arms crossed over his chest and a scowl on his face. New can tell his opinion of him hasn't changed in the face of the revelation. Other New must have done something terrible.

Arm is standing a little farther away. He believes New is a brain-eating alien. Off is the exact opposite, poking New's arm every two seconds to see if he will indeed transform into a zombie alien and eat their brains out.

"Maybe he got it lasered off." Arm reasons. He shuffles behind Tay, peeking over his large distracting shoulders.

"He wouldn't," Tay responds. His voice, firm. "He wouldn't do that. This isn't New." Those laser eyes scan his shirtless body again. "This one has never been touched."

"Hey!" New exclaims. He steps back. Crosses his arms over his torso. "I take offense. I've been touched! Several times. By many people."

Tay rolls his eyes. New can tell he's amused only by the lack of frown lines between his brows. "You're not him but you do think like him." He says it with some kind of fondness.

"Why do you have matching tattoos? I thought you hated each other."

"Not your business."

New carries on. "Do people not find it strange that you have the same tattoo?"

"Nobody knows I have a tattoo. Just these two and Gun."

"You were just at a public pool, bare-chested."

"I had a towel ready to cover up."

"That's extremely reckless. You didn't answer my question, why do you have a matching tattoo with your arch-nemesis?"

"I did. I said it is none of your business."

"Come on! Tay where I come from is my best friend so I naturally sought you out first. Everyone looked at me like I was crazy. Then I found that disgusting video." New shakes his head. "Tay and I would never do that. We love each other too much for that."

Tay shifts on his feet. He looks away. "Good for you."

"No, listen I'm not judging you. I just don't understand."

"We don't owe you an explanation."

"What if it's the key to going back home?"

"I highly doubt that. Why would my business with that screwball be so important that the universe would intervene by exchanging him with a boring look alike?"

Tay is making some reasonable points. Why would their conflict be enough to trigger such cosmic consequences? "I don't know, Teh."

"Tay."

"Tay, whatever. I don't know what's going on but I can't do this alone. Not without my friends."

The boys look at him in silence until Arm asks, "Are you guys not weirded out?"

"I am." Off says. He pokes New's arm again. "He's just like New but like...,"

"Less crazy." Tay completes.

"Hey!" New cries. "Don't talk about him like that. He might be going through a lot. I can't imagine a world where I didn't have you guys. I've been here for 7 weeks and I feel myself going crazy."

"What do you want from us?" Arm leaves the shelter of Tay's shoulders to ask.

"Help me get back home."