COPYCAT ✾ The Umbrella Academy

{ ONE }

Mom comes running down the hallway, a cheeky smile on her face. "He's just behind me." She says to me while setting down the briefcase we used to get here. Lila leans against the wall, in front of me, so my father won't see me when he gets here.

I can't help but smirk as I hear his footsteps running down the hallway. I can't believe I'm meeting my father for the first time in my life. I've never seen him before, but Lila says I look exactly like him. It's a funny feeling to know you look just like a person, yet you've never met them.

"Get ready." My mom whispers over her shoulder, and a moment later, his footsteps stop at the end of the hall. "Hello, lover," Lila says as she sees him. "Holy shit..." Diego, my father, says quietly as he (I'm assuming) looks Lila up and down. "You really came back?"

"You miss me already?" Lila asks, biting her lip. "That's too bad. I'm not here to stick around. I'm just doing a quick little drop-off." "Of what?" Diego asks. Lila steps away from me. "Our daughter." She says simply.

My father's jaw drops as he sees me. I crossed my arms, slightly tilting my head. Mom was right, we do share a resemblance. "Diego, meet Darla," Lila says while trying to hide a smirk.
"I pictured him taller," I state after a moment of silence, glancing at my mother.

Mom chuckles, smoothing down my hair before picking up the briefcase she set down earlier. "Wait, what?" Diego asks as Lila starts for the elevator. "Hey!" He calls, immediately springing into action to stop her. "Hey! Hey, hey, hey, hey! Listen-" Diego grabs Lila's shoulder just as she presses the call button for the elevator.

I turn to face my parents and sigh as I lean against the wall. Diego looks at me for a long moment before turning back to Lila. "Hey, this-... this is a joke, right?" He asks quietly, hoping I can't hear him, but I can. "That your boys can swim fast? Yeah, the joke's on me there." Lila lets out a breathy laugh before her face turns serious. "I've had Darla for thirteen years." She says.

Diego looks back at me, just as mom grabs his chin and forces him to look at her instead. "It's time for you to do your part," Lila says as the elevator arrives and the doors slid open with a ding. "Have fun bonding." She says, stepping into the elevator. Before the doors slid shut, mom calls out to me, "Be good, sweetie."

Once the elevator doors have fully closed, Diego turns to me, looking like a deer in headlights. I sigh, scooping my backpack off the ground where I left it before walking away.

"Hey! Get back here." Diego says, quickly catching up with me and grabbing my upper arm. "Where do you think you're going?" He asks. "To find some food," I say. "Now, get your hand off me before I break it."

Diego looks down at me, squinting, wondering if I'm being serious. I look back up at him, staring so hard into his cold brown eyes that I can see myself staring at him in their reflection. After a long moment of utter silence and starting, Diego releases my arm and takes a step back.

"Thanks, dad," I smirk before walking away again.