Sydney Sage (sage_lily) wrote in madisonvalley, @ 2017-03-11 15:06:00 |
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It was unseasonably warm out - at least during this hour. The weather had been fickle lately, veering from freezing to almost spring-like in the space of half an hour. Normally Sydney would've attributed it to weather systems running into each other, but here, it was impossible to separate the vagaries of nature from the vagaries of the dome. She was still trying to recover from the last one. Whatever the case, Sydney was taking advantage of the sunshine to have a cup of coffee outside as she worked on her American architectural history essay. Sitting at one of the outside tables at Starbucks, Sydney typed quickly on her laptop. *** Summer, too, was taking advantage of the weather. This felt almost like the southern California sunshine she was used to. She wasn’t complaining. Besides, school just let out for the day. She never thought that was a bad thing. Still, she figured it couldn’t hurt to find a table after ordering her drink and maybe getting a start on some of her homework. As she was searching for a table, she came across a face she recognized. Was that Taylor Townsend? Of all the people from home, it had to be her who showed up here? At least it was someone, right? She didn’t even consider this could be face twin shenanigans going on when she marched right over and sat down without asking. “Oh my god, Taylor Townsend? When did you get here?” She peered a little closer as if spotting something new. “And when did you get a tattoo? On your face?” That kind of seemed like a weird thing Taylor would do. *** For a moment Sydney didn't look up, since she didn't realize that she was being spoken to. When the presence that had seated itself across from her stayed where it was, she finally looked up - and stared back at the girl who was so fixedly staring at her. Still not quite believing she had anything to do with this stranger, she looked around to see if the girl could be talking to anyone else. “Are you...talking to me?” she finally asked when she didn't see anyone else around. *** "Yes, I am really talking to you. The shock will wear off...eventually." Summer resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Sure, Taylor didn't associate with Summer and her friends back home. There was a social order at Newport Harbor High. Summer was on top of the popularity ladder. Taylor was...not. They didn't talk to each other. It was different here. Most of the refugees were at the bottom of the ladder. They could all socialize with each other. It was actually kind of nice not to worry about popularity so much. It was kind of exhausting trying to keep up a false sense of self in that way. "We can be ourselves here." *** For a moment Sydney wondered how this dark-haired girl could possibly know about her existential crisis about how she could possibly be both a witch and an Alchemist. Be herself? She wasn’t even sure who that was anymore. But why did the girl choose to say that? And to her, of all people. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she finally said. “Who are you?” *** Summer just stared for a moment. "Really? It's me, Summer. You have to remember me. I borrowed your mermaid poem because I forgot to write my own in fifth grade in exchange for being invited to my birthday party? Ringing any bells?" That was probably the only time they did talk to each other for a long duration. She figured it was hugely memorable for Taylor. She still wasn't considering this was a face twin situation. *** But Sydney finally clued in, and her look of confusion turned into one of understanding. It was strange: she’d heard of people looking like each other - wasn’t there five of the same guy here at the moment? - but she’d never imagined it would ever happen to her. What kind of world did her doppelganger live in? It opened up so many questions, it took her a moment to actually speak. “Actually, no. I think you have the wrong person. I’m Sydney Sage. Maybe you know someone who looks like me?” *** Summer was now mentally facepalming. Or possibly physically doing so. Of course. Face twinitis was a thing in this town. Before, she hadn't even considered it. Now, she was embarrassed because she didn't. Guess she wasn't as used to living here as she hoped. Sometimes she was just in denial...maybe. "Ohhh, that makes more sense," she said, nodding. "You look exactly like a girl I know back home. Except for the tat. Everything else...whoa." It was uncanny. *** It was disconcerting, how the other woman was staring at her. Sydney, who was so used to not being noticed, didn’t know what to do now that someone was focusing all their attention on her. And the fact that there was someone out there who looked just like her? Even more disconcerting. “What’s she like, the person who looks like me?” *** Summer didn't actually know Taylor all that well, but she would have to try her best to describe her. "Taylor's really smart and eccentric and kind of socially awkward." That was all pretty much the truth. Maybe exaggerated a little. "And she's...not a bad person." She was probably a perfectly nice person, but Summer never made a real effort to get to know her. Now that she was here and experiencing being the outcast at school, she was kind of sad about that. *** “Oh.” That sounded a bit like Sydney herself. She wondered if the facetwin phenomenon applied to personalities as well. “I've never had a doppelgänger before,” she said. “I've heard it happening to people here, but it's hard to imagine that somewhere, someone looks just like me.” Except for the tattoo. How fitting that the one thing that set her apart from this Taylor girl was the thing that pretty much influenced her entire identity. She reached up a hand to lightly touch it - maybe to see if it felt any different, maybe to see if it was still there. It was an illogical gesture, but she felt compelled to do it all the same. *** "It's never happened to me either. I can't imagine how strange that must be for you," Summer said, feeling a bit of sympathy for the other girl. "Though I do live with a guy who has like five face twins. Quadruplets?" That might have been a slight exaggeration. "Did I really weird you out? I'm sorry. I can buy you another coffee to make up for it." She was quite serious about that. *** Sydney was weirded out, but maybe not traumatized enough to warrant a free coffee. Of course, one could never have too much coffee. “It’s okay, I should get another coffee but you don’t have to pay for it. Do you...want to sit for a bit?” She wasn’t really the social type, but in this case, maybe she could make an exception. *** Summer actually brightened a little at that. "That is something I can do. And I'd actually like that." She did like making new friends. Oddly, seeing someone who looked like someone from home was comforting in a way. It made her think of home, and that was never a bad thing. "Thanks," she added. That was for letting her sit here after rambling at her and also for giving her a little piece of home. |