Whore.

Chapter 35: Anaphase

There is a difference between 'you look like that guy' and 'you're fucking clones'. I continued to stare at the stranger who could only be Jeff. He didn't seem at all shocked by my presence. He crossed over and sat on the bed. I had swiveled in the chair to look at him. I still couldn't believe it. Except for the fact that I was a little more tan than he was, had a little more muscle and his eyes were just a little bit darker than mine, we were perfect copies.

"Hey bro. Long time no see."

I stared at him and blinked rapidly. That voice. It was like listening to myself. Except that it was a little raspier, like I sounded when I was recovering from a sore throat.

"What did you just call me?"
"Oh, don't be a dumbass. We're twins."

I was thankful I was in the chair because I would have surely fainted if my heart rate got any quicker. This was too much to take in at once. I continued to stare at Jeff. It was hard to doubt that we were twins, not with this degree of resemblance. What I had found more disturbing was his apparent lack of concern about it, like it was nothing special.

"I'm guessing your parents never told you."
I swallowed, because my mouth was dry from hanging open. "What are you talking about?"
"We were separated when we were three after our real parents died. They listed their two best friends as godparents; who were your Mum and my Dad. I lived in Milwaukee. I was told you were in Springfield. They kept us separate because they didn't want to complicate things with a visitation schedule. Seriously, they didn't tell you any of this?"
"No. I mean...what?"

I was too shocked. Not that you could have a better reaction if you found out you were adopted and that your real parents were dead from your long estranged twin. Jeff went to the fridge and grabbed a can of Sprite. He was looking at me, as if patiently waiting for me to calm down. I tried to collect and classify the information I had gained so far. I was adopted. My real parents died so long ago that I couldn't remember them. And my adopted parents, who didn't tell me anything, had died looking for my stupid runaway ass. And my twin was a nonchalant asshole who had gotten me in trouble with a couple of loan sharks, and was once fucking my current boyfriend.

Where was the camera crew? This had to be some sort of joke.

"You okay bro?"
"Don't...call me 'bro'." I shot back at him.
"Sorry. Just thought you'd be happy to see me, that's all."

He shrugged and took another sip of the sprite while I continued to stare at him with disbelief. It was so weird how differently similar we were. Did that even make sense? We were different, but the similarities were remarkable. I knew I had the same stand-offish nature. There was the physical resemblance, which was beyond ridiculous. I couldn't blame anyone for confusing us now. Hell, even I had thought I was looking at myself, even though that didn't make sense. But if we were so similar, then...

"Malone," I muttered under my breath.
"What was that?" He looked uninterested. He just wanted to get me talking, I guess.

I'm so stupid. How could I be so stupid? I thought to myself. There was no way in hell Malone wasn't using me as a replacement. I mean, who offers to let a guy live with him after knowing him for just a week? It was all clearly transference. The emotions were for Jeff. I just happened to be a photocopy. But he never even mentioned Jeff when we were together, I thought. It was almost as if I needed to make an excuse for Malone. Superego Michael started talking in my head. Remember the first time you slept at his house and he screamed 'Jeff, don't go' when you got out of bed? I remembered it clearly. Back then, I thought he was still getting over his ex that looked like me or was too sleepy to know the difference, but clearly I was wrong. I felt like a squashed tomato, like I'd been stepped on by some giant's foot. It was like everything I thought I knew was crashing down around me. My past was a lie. My present was a lie. I was a damn lie, and I lied to everyone to keep up appearances. I felt I deserved it.