Falling In Love With My Identical

Chapter Four: Can't I Get to Know You?

Tracy

The morning goes by faster than I could blink and suddenly it's time for lunch. I'm so glad mom didn't insist on making mine when I told her I could just eat at the diner. Lucy, Nanxi and Brandy are crossing the street with me going to Kenny's. We take a seat at the booth closest to the door and I look up at the today's lunch special:

Wednesday. Sept. 25
Chicken Wrap
Macaroni and Cheese
Lasagna
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Chicken Caesar Salad

I decide on a square of lasagna and a grape soda and wait for the girls to finish selecting. Brandy raise her hand partially off the table to signal that we're ready to order and a slender waitress comes with a little notepad. I think I've seen her before and when I properly take in her attire, I realize that it's just a hamburger pattern apron covering our school uniform. "Hey what can I get you girls?" she asks. We each tell her our order and she scampers back behind the counter, pinning the page from her notepad on a stand by the order square.

I reach into my jacket for my phone and almost have a heart attack when I don't feel it but realize I left it in my bag during culinary class. I place my head on my folded arms after grabbing a pencil from Brandy's bag and start doodling on the table. Faint humming starts from beside me and I turn my head in Lucy's direction. "Thanks for reminding me. What happened after I left Monday?" I ask her. Brandy looks up from her phone and for a second her constantly bored expression disappears. "I joined the band," Lucy replies simply. "Did anything happen with Oliver?" "Nothing happened when you were there so why would that change?" she sneers. "Ouch," Brandy mocks from across me, holding her chest as if wounded. "Trace he has a girlfriend. You should probably stop liking him," Nanxi interjects. Do you still like him? I want to ask but instead I just shrug my shoulders and continue to doodle.

Someone bursts out into loud laughter and everyone is looking at them until Kenny exclaims, "Milia focus, the order is ready!" The waitress from earlier brings over my lasagna, a chicken caesar salad and two grilled cheese sandwiches along with two sodas and two milkshakes. "Thanks," Nanxi and Lucy says simultaneously. That must be my favorite thing about them. They have the riches families out of the four of us but prove that the snobby stereotype is false for they're always so courteous and respectful. I give Milia a grateful smile, grab a fork and knife and dig in.

"Ew," I say as Lucy pops a vanilla milkshake coated lettuce in her mouth. She laughs covering her mouth oh so lady like and Brandy quips, "And I was beginning to think you eat healthy." "Milkshakes make things ten times better," Nanxi says. I look down at my grape soda and my smile starts to fade. "Shit. I didn't mean it like that at all. I was just saying something," she says quickly. There's a silence between us and it leaves after I say, "No, its cool."

And it was, even though it hit a sensitive part of me, but my family's financial situation is no one's fault but my arse of a sperm donor who left us only to come back now as if he's perfect. As if things weren't already complicated at home, my subconscious grumbles.

We're ready to leave and Nanxi is slurping trying to finish her milkshake. She gave up on her straw so when she's done, she has a thick mustache of chocolate milk. Before anyone can object Nanxi pays for our lunch at the counter. "Let's go Steve Harvey I don't want to be marked tardy," Lucy laughs. She's confused by the joke but when were outside the diner, Saige who is about to cross the street, wipes the mustache off her face with his checkered rag while laughing. "God knows where that rag has been Saige," Nanxi says with a cringe on her face that only makes us all laugh. "It's always on me," he says with a wicked smile.

"Coach Ranford look who decided to come to class after all," Cameron says as soon as Lucy, Nanxi and I enter class. Brandy is so lucky she doesn't have to deal with him. I give Cameron my fakest smile and roll my eyes at the fact that we're not even late. "I'm surprised chasing after Aurora didn't make you skip," Lucy says smiling as she takes a seat, and a giggle escapes from my mouth. "You should learn to shut your mouth," he grimaces. "Only when you straighten your teeth that seems to keep yours from shutting," Lucy says lastly before Mr. Ranford admonishes us. "Time for attendance," Mr. Ranford says after the bell rings two minutes later.