Exiled (AmBw)

Chapter 34

Crystal POV

'Honestly, can this day get any weirder?' I thought, watching my doppelganger enjoy her iced frappuccino in front of me.

From morning til now, a series of unusual events have taken place, leading me up to this strange discovery. First of all, I rarely wore a grey hoodie and black leggings out of the house, but thanks to a red sock in my wash, I had no other outfit choices. On top of that, on the way to visit my friend in the hospital, I realized I bought nothing to give her, no flowers, no "Get well soon" card, nothing. So after hunting through a few stores, I discerned that the majority of Japan wasn't well right now since the only cards left were 'Happy Aniversary,' 'Happy Birthday,' and 'It's a Boy/Girl' cards. The plan was simple, grab everything quickly and hop back into the car but instead, I almost clocked a creep for interfering with me because he mistook me for my long lost twin. MY TWIN...I just had to repeat that one for my own sanity.

It was strange at first, but the more I looked at her, the easier it was to swallow my new 'normal', that being Layla Kato. She was pretty much my same height, same build, and of course, my same face. Even though these things tied us together, I could tell we were quite different. As we spoke in this quiet cafe, the more our differences showed. She had something I haven't had for years. Hope, I could see it as it sparkled in her eyes. Layla was bubbly, asking most of the questions and frequently making jokes to lighten the mood. She fidgeted a lot in her seat and tried not to stare as we spoke, unlike me. I couldn't help staring, I was fascinated, noting our subtle distinctions. Layla seemed overly polite, occasionally saying sorry even though she didn't do anything wrong, I figured it was a nervous tick, she probably picked up the habit from being mistreated or bullied when she was younger. I had worked hard to break that nasty habit myself, so I understood. She seemed like a pretty happy-go-lucky person, which was a complete contrast to me. I wouldn't say I was a pessimist. I tried to find the good amidst the bad, but I had rarely found things that convinced me to become a full-blown optimist. I wondered what made her so prone to smile so freely. Was she as happy as she seemed? 'I guess I'll find out in time.' I thought finally taking my gaze off of her.

Crystal: "So." I said pausing. "You don't think we need a DNA test, do you?" I said, assuming the answer.

Layla: "I mean, if I can be honest, I don't see the family relation." Layla joked. "Yeah, there are one or two similarities but other than that." She said sarcastically.

We laughed for a bit before settling down.

Layla: "I really can't believe I have a sister. I've always wanted a sibling." She smiled sweetly before her expression changed solemn. "You know what I find strange, though." She paused. "Why didn't my parents adopt you as well? I'm sure if they knew I had a sister, they would have taken you too." She seemed bothered.

Crystal: "Maybe they just wanted one child. That happens sometimes. Siblings usually get split in the foster system that way." I said, sure that was the reason.

Layla: "I doubt it. That's not the type of people my parents were." She said, still concerned.

Crystal: "Were?" I asked, wondering why she would refer to them in the past tense.

Layla: "Yeah, they passed." She said quickly.

Crystal: "I'm sorry to hear that." I said.

Layla: "It's alright. It's been a few years now." She said. Her joyful demeanor faded.

It saddened me to hear that she had lost her parents. I couldn't imagine what it was like to lose someone you'd known for your whole life. I had experienced losing a loved one before, but no one as close as parents or blood relatives.