Falling In Love With My Identical

Chapter Two: Girl Turned Detective

Tracy Cartier

It's Monday morning, three whole days after the pep rally and track and field event and all the hype has toned down. "Make sure to eat all of your lunch." My mom says, interrupting my thoughts, as her blue Honda Accord comes to a stop. "I always do. By mom." I reply and hop out of the car.

As I head into the school, down the corridor I get the usually "hi" and "hello" from a few people. As I enter homeroom, I noticed that almost everyone is in there, but Lucy observed my tardiness and saved me a seat in our usual row to the back near the large bay windows.

"Mornin' Lucy!" I say and she immediately turn from Shakar and acknowledges me saying "Mornin' Tracy!" The thing about Lucy is that she's half a year older than me and she always jokes that I should greet her first since she older and if I don't, she won't respond until I do. It is a bit funny but sometimes it can get annoying.

After Mr. Ranford records the attendance, everyone in class goes over to the auditorium in a single-file line, with the girls being in front. The seating arrangement in there are set by the grade you're in. First formers to the far left, second formers to the far right, the third formers in the middle and everyone else to the back. I take a seat next to Nanxi Saintclare, a girl from my class and house. She is kind and funny, but we don't talk much; just the basic conversation starters. Since I am the last person in the row, Lucy and I got separated and she has to start the next row of seats.

As the third formers fill the seats I notice as Nanxi stares past me with gleaming eyes. I only notice because I am doing the same thing in hopes of seeing Oliver. She touches my shoulder just as I spot Oliver walking to a seat with Lucas Blake behind him. Nice hairstyle Lucas. His eyes are glossy, and his hair is falling in front of his face like a fashionable mess. He runs his hand through it, forcing it straight back.

"Who are you looking for?" Nanxi says leaning forward with questioning eyes. "You know who our house captain is right? He talked to the persons who participated at the track event Thursday," I answer. She replies enthusiastically, "Oliver López! That's who I'm looking at." I give out a nervous laugh to cover my blushing. "He's so hot!" Nanxi exclaims. We continue conversing about our mutual fondness of Oliver not paying much attention to Principal Nellie calling out the announcements.

My first class is Visual Arts and Ms. Higgs has already written the topic on the chalk board by the time we reach the class. Nanxi has convince me to sit with her at the back of the class. Just from our little conversation, we're now friends getting to know more about each other. As I flip through my textbook to find the page with the topic we're doing, a paper, crunched up in a ball, lands in front of me. It came from the direction Lucy is sitting and when I looked over to her she gestured for me to open it.

Why'd you change seats? We always sit together. And since when are you so close with Nanxi?

I am flattered that Luce misses me so much and it is true we always sit together. Guilt riddled, even though I can tell she's not mad just worried, I write back: I'll explain after class :)

While engaging in conversations, most people sketched their motif design. Already finished I turn to the window and get lost in thought. For some reason I get the feeling eyes are on me, so I subtly scan the room and find Cameron watching me. I fumble in my seat uncomfortably with unwanted memories rising and quickly put my focus back to the view outside the window. Ms. Higgs heads to her office leaving us mice to play. Cameron is now laughing with Toby and the rest of the boys at their table and Nanxi is getting irate towards her sketchpad. I watch as she flips it shut and tosses it aside on the craft table then turns to me. "I hate art," she exhales. I laugh and she playfully glares at me then leans in and whispers louder than a whisper should be, "Why is Shakar looking so gloomy today?" Before I even get a word in, Cameron interjects loudly from his seat by the table perpendicular to ours, "Probably because his crush is always drooling over me." Almost everyone looks our direction, while oblivious Nanxi asks, "Who's his crush?" at the same time Shakar, completely broken from his woeful state, exclaim, "I don't have a crush." "Tracy of course. Suits him right for choosing to like a wanna be hoe," says Cameron while his rusty laugh fills the atmosphere.