Hearing the comments coming from behind him a small blush crept onto her cheeks as she tried to figure out what was going on. Of course, seeing him react seemed to do something of the ‘trick’ as it were as the boys behind him all stopped talking. Although, she could see them talking amongst themselves instead. It was weird. How could he not have any idea what she was talking about? They went to school together they were in a similar social circle. Why was it weird for her to be suggesting that they hang out with said social circle?
But then he said something even more off than that he hadn’t any idea what she was talking about. He said that she had him mixed up with someone else. Regan wasn’t exactly someone you could mix up with someone else. Especially not when you had a crush on him. Oh, she knew what he looked like and had yet to find anyone who looked like him. So, how could she have him confused with someone else? What, was there a weird twin running around that no one knew about that spent his time with whoever these people were that he was with.
“I don’t really…” she started only to have him ask her name and the genuine interest in his voice really had her confused. He didn’t know her name. Now, she knew that she and Regan didn’t have every class together, but she knew his name. How could he not, after all their years in school together, know hers? That was mind blowing. No. No what came next really sealed the deal. Confusion and genuine embarrassment were evident on her features as he introduced himself as ‘Evan’. Who was Evan?
Holly went to speak but words failed her as she looked from ‘Evan’ to his friends and back again several times. She was trying to process what he’d said. He wasn’t Regan but he literally looked like the mirror image of him. How was that possible?
“I…I….I’m Hollis,” she finally got out as she looked back at Evan once more, the confusion still there although it was getting a little better. “Everyone calls me Holly.” Her gaze once more briefly went to his friends before it moved back to him, her attention solely fixated on him once more. He asked if she was new and that got Holly to smile and laugh a little. “My family has been here for generations. I’m pretty sure Dewinter Brewing was the last thing the town needed but here we are right?”
Holly wasn’t a big fan of the family business, fortunately her parents seemed more than willing to drag her older sister along for that ride. As long as Holly kept out of trouble, they left her alone and didn’t bother her with ‘family’ or ‘business’ matters. “I go to the Academy, that’s probably why we haven’t met before.” Which was the truth. When she wasn’t in school or with her friends, she was usually under lock and key to ensure she wasn’t doing anything to disrupt the family reputation. Especially since Holly wasn’t really the typical ‘Dewinter’ in behavior.
“I’m sorry about the confusion.” She said as she flushed a little in embarrassment. “You must think I’m absolutely crazy. It’s just…I’ve seen you before when I’m at the coffee shop at work and well it explains, well a lot actually. So, again I’m sorry. It’s just that you really do look a lot like Regan. It’s almost scary…Regan’s one of the guys in my school.” She explained sort of indicating toward the crowd behind her. “It makes a lot more sense for you to be well you, rather than him I guess but…”
Holly trailed off and turned to look over her shoulder at the crowd behind her for a brief moment. She watched her friends walking around with each other, obviously gossiping about something – probably her brush with the public-school kids. Turning back toward him, she offered him a smile. “Evan?” His name came out as a question to make sure she got it right, before her smile widened a bit. “Well Evan, you seemed to be having quite a bit of fun before I arrived and ruined your night. I should let you get back to your friends, and brave going back to mine.”