THE OTHER ME

Episode 𝑺𝒊𝒙 : 𝑬𝒅𝒈𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝑪𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒂𝒑𝒔𝒆

ETHAN WALKER

I woke up the next morning, my heart already pounding in my chest. Today was the day. Jenna would definitely come to talk to me. I couldn't mess this up. My thoughts spun wildly in my head as I rushed to get ready for school, but something gnawed at the back of my mind. The memory of yesterday still lingered, but I had to focus on the present. I couldn't screw this up.

I was hoping to catch a ride from our neighbor like yesterday, but of course, luck wasn't on my side today. He must've left for work early. So, I grabbed my bag and resigned myself to taking the bus. It felt like every second ticked away too fast, and by the time I arrived at school, the bell had already rung.

I tried to sneak in, hoping no one would notice, but just my luck-it was math class, and Mrs. Kessler was in the middle of teaching. I could feel the whole class's gaze turning toward me, including Jenna's. She gave me a smile, which should've calmed me, but all it did was make me more nervous.

"And where have you been, Ethan?" Mrs. Kessler's voice was sharp, cutting through the room.

"I... I missed the bus," I mumbled, barely audible.

"Well, since you're so late, why don't you come up and solve the 3x3 matrix on the board?" She handed me the chalk and stood there, waiting. The entire class was dead silent.

I felt my face go hot as I approached the board. My mind was blank. I knew I couldn't solve it-I hadn't been paying attention in math for weeks. I stared at the numbers, feeling like the walls were closing in on me. Suddenly, Mr. Thaddeus Krane's words flashed in my mind, "Aren't you here for your clone? Someone that will be the best version of you, someone under your control." God, why didn't I take his offer? Right now, I was standing here like a fool, and my clone would've aced this easily.

"Ethan, are you solving the problem, or are you just admiring the chalk?" Mrs. Kessler snapped at me.

The class burst into laughter, and I could feel my stomach churn. Even Jenna was laughing. The embarrassment was unbearable. I wanted to disappear, to fade into nothing.

"Go sit down. I'll report this to your class teacher. Dull." Mrs. Kessler's words stung as I handed back the chalk. The student who solved the problem after me did it in record time, and I felt even worse.

When the bell finally rang, I bolted out of the classroom, dodging Jenna. I couldn't face her, not after that humiliating moment. She didn't even try to find me like she normally would. Instead, I saw her laughing and chatting with the other girls, and a pit formed in my stomach. Were they talking about me? Were they making fun of how clueless I looked up there?

I sat down by myself, feeling low when Sam came over. "You're not still thinking about that sci-fi nonsense, are you?"

I forced a smile. "Nah, I'm over it." But I wasn't. I couldn't stop thinking about Mr. Krane's offer. If I had a clone, none of this would've happened. The perfect version of me would have charmed Jenna and solved that stupid matrix.

The lunch bell rang, signaling the start of break, and before I could even process what was happening, the sports master, Coach Browne, was blowing his whistle and rounding up the boys. Practice was on. We had a big interschool match in a few days, and the coach was focused on prepping us.

We all gathered on the field, and the coach started planning the lineup. Jake Callahan, of course, was the middle striker. He was confident, and everyone knew he was the team's star. I, on the other hand, was placed at left midfield (LMF). My height matched Jake's, and I wasn't exactly the worst player.

Coach Browne scanned the field, nodding at Jake but then pausing when he got to me. "Is Walker fit for LMF?" he asked, looking at the others.

Sam, ever the supportive friend, shrugged. "He's trying."

Jake, of course, had something to say. "He's slow, Coach. If we're serious about winning, we might need to swap him out with John. He's faster and more skilled."

Coach Browne seemed to consider it but then waved Jake off. "We'll keep things as they are for now. Next practice, I'll see how you all play before making the final decision."

As practice ended, we ran to the cafeteria, eager to grab some food before break ended. But before I could even get in line, Mr. Curtis, the strictest teacher in the school, came barging in, yelling at everyone. "Break's over! Get back to class!"

We tried explaining that Coach Browne had borrowed some of our break time for practice, but Curtis didn't care. He shooed us back to class, and my stomach grumbled in protest.

To make matters worse, as I was heading back to class, I saw Jenna. She was handing a snack to Jake, laughing as she did. "I bought this for you," she said, smiling at him.

I felt a sharp stab of betrayal. Was she really giving him something? The same Jenna who'd been showing interest in me just yesterday? My heart sank, and I turned away, not wanting to see any more.

I trudged back to class, feeling like the world was against me. Everything was falling apart. First the math class disaster, now this. How was I supposed to face Jenna tomorrow? The clone... the idea of the clone crept back into my mind. Maybe I should have accepted Krane's offer after all. Maybe I really did need the perfect version of me.

As I sat down, Sam nudged me. "Hey, snap out of it, man. It's just one bad day. You'll get over it."

I nodded, but deep down, I wasn't so sure.