Pepper Heart

2- About friends

I had started the story a little further ahead, but I realized that I would have omitted an important part, so I went back in time a bit. Here, I was 14 years old, in the eighth grade. It's necessary to talk about my friends from that time. Besides Cristina, who was my best friend, our group included Leila and Débora, our schoolmates.

So, one day we were all at Leila's house (Débora's house wasn't very suitable, since her mother, Graça or "Grace," worked receiving clients in a room there). At some point, Sebastian, Leila's boyfriend, had also arrived and he was the one who started all of this.

—Have you told Jayne that your friend who just arrived from the United States looks just like her, baby?— he said.

—Looks just like her? Nátane is saying she arrived from the United States recently?—Cristina laughed.

—No. It's Beatriz. She really looks a lot like Jayne, doesn't she, Débora?

—You need to meet her, Jayne. For a moment, I thought she was Nátane and I was scared. —Débora laughed.

—She's dating Zé Augusto. —Sebastian added.

Oh no. Cristina had a crush on Leila's brother. I glanced at her with concern, but the girl remained impassive.

—Everyone knows her, except me?— I asked, bewildered.

—Me neither, but my brother has been somewhat interested in her, even though she hasn't realized he exists.

—Which brother?— Sebastian asked. He was the one who enjoyed gossip the most.

Cris gave me a look similar to the one I had given her when Zé was mentioned. So it was Diogo. We had gone out a few times recently, but it wasn't a big deal. I didn't have possessive feelings towards him.

—If you want to meet her, I'm throwing a little party on Friday.

                         ######

The loud music, colorful lights, and lively chatter filled the atmosphere of the party. I was dancing and laughing with Cristina and Débora, enjoying the night. Leila had gone off with Sebastian. They were probably making out somewhere, as they always did in any situation. Meanwhile, I noticed Cristina's gaze being drawn to something. Her brother, Diogo, and José Augusto seemed to be arguing nearby. I knew my friend was upset because of Zé's new fling, so I pretended not to notice and tried to distract her. I could have talked about Diogo and let her make fun of me. I was about to do that when my eyes locked onto a girl on the other side of the dance floor.

It had to be that Beatriz girl. Damn, she looked surprisingly similar to me, but even more so to Nátane. If I didn't know for certain that it was impossible, I would have thought she was a third twin separated at birth. How was it possible? It was like looking at my sister. The same facial features, the same dark blond hair, and the same expressive blue eyes. It was an uncanny resemblance.

Leila, who had approached (without Sebastian), noticing my astonishment, whispered, "Didn't I tell you she looks just like you?"

I almost denied it, but ended up biting my lower lip, intrigued by the resemblance and agreeing, "Yeah, it's kind of creepy, isn't it? I mean, not as creepy as Nat, for sure." I laughed nervously. Nátane was truly scary with that personality of hers. "I mean, she can't be as bad as my sister, right?"

Cristina joined the conversation, and when she noticed where we were looking, her face twisted with jealousy. At that moment, José Augusto had reached Beatriz.

"Ugh, is he really with her?" she commented.

"Why does everyone think I needed a cheap copy of myself here?" I tried to lighten the mood a bit and joked about the situation.

It didn't work, and I sighed, disheartened. I knew Cristina's jealousy was a natural reaction.

"Jay, do you want to meet her now? After all, that was the main reason we brought them both here," Leila asked.

"Only if Cris is comfortable with it!" I said. At that moment, I noticed my best friend picking up a glass that I believe contained something alcoholic. I thought about stopping her, but Leila signaled for José Augusto and Beatriz to join us. She introduced them, hoping that a casual conversation would lessen the tension, but things were too weird.

"Damn, you two really look alike!" Sebastian said, arriving at that moment, looking between Beatriz and me.

"What's that, Sebastian? I can't believe I have a copy out there. I'm unique, after all," she said. God, she really sounded like Nátane when she said that.

All I could do was laugh nervously.

"I don't know if you're right. Maybe no one can be like you. But you do look a lot like my twin sister... and maybe a bit like me too," I smiled, and she smiled back, seeming more relaxed now that the initial tension had dissipated.

"I guess it's true that we resemble each other. But it's also not like I want to steal your identity or could even do it if I wanted to," I didn't think it was really impossible for her to pass for me, or more precisely, for Nátane, but I didn't say anything.

"I'm just here to have fun. With or without a doppelgänger."

"Me too. And you can call me Bia, if you want."

"You can call me Jay." I noticed Cristina had moved away and was now with her brother. That made me feel more comfortable in Bia's presence.

"So, Bia, how did you meet José Augusto?"

Bia rolled her eyes (scary how much she looked like me in that moment) and laughed. "He's friends with Paula's friends, a friend of mine. A true blind date. But I'm not complaining, José is nice. Plus, I'm also friends with his sister."

Cristina came back, looking more relaxed, and ended up overhearing the conversation, but she didn't mind. She joined us again, followed by Diogo, who smiled at me before greeting her.

Bia nodded in return.

"Since we're all here to have fun, why don't we just enjoy the party?" Débora intervened, thinking things could get awkward if everyone kept talking.

Without saying anything, we headed to the dance floor, which was by the poolside, determined to create unforgettable memories. It wasn't every day that I met another clone of myself. Diogo seemed about to taking some initiative with me, but knowing his interest in her, I intended to refuse.
Or maybe I would dance with him, there was no problem with that.