Dark And Light

Maddy

I could see Mia sitting there in the window of the café as Mike and I approached. She was beautiful, always the prettier one out of the two of us and I realised then that I had never hated her, and it was just that we were different from each other for a while. We were growing up and trying out our individuality. We were very much alike at the end of the day and I never wanted to fall out with her ever again and somehow even after all this was over I knew we’d be in touch forever.

Sitting next to her was Jed. Oh my god, what was he doing here? I’d missed his company so much and so many times I just wanted to call him up and tell him what I was up to, to laugh and joke about it and tell him about Mike and all that had gone on between us.

But when he found out that we’d lied to him, he was going to hate us. Well, he already hated Mia but… now he would hate me too.

I took a deep breath and entered the café.

Mia

Here she is and boy does she look good. I always thought Maddy would end up the prettier one out of the two of us and I was right. She’s hardly got any make up on and she looks fantastic, her skin is just amazing. I wish now that I’d contacted her and told her about my dreadful marriage. I knew she would have understood, she’d always understood, it’s just that we grew apart for a while.

Well that wouldn’t be happening again, ever.

She’d brought Mike with her, I wondered if she would but my heart quickened because she’d told him that she was me but all I wanted was Jed who sat beside me now, sitting close. We’d grown so close in a short time and I was scared now because this was it.

He was about to find out.

I was sure he’d hate me even more than he hated the real me because now, any minute now he’d find out that I’d lied to him.

And that was no way to start a relationship.

“Hey,” Maddy said coming over to the table.

“Hi,” I said looking up at her.

“Listen, do me a favour, could you come to the ladies room with me, just for a minute,” said Maddy.

She looked nervous, as nervous as I felt.

”Sure,” I said to her, getting up and leaving Jed and Mike to it. I was sure they’d find something to talk about. I couldn’t look at Jed suddenly, couldn’t even offer him an explanation and I guessed that Maddy had felt the same way as we walked away and left the guys at the table.

“Are you OK?” Mia said to me. She could always read me and knew there was something wrong.

”No, I still haven’t told Mike that I’m not you,” I said. I couldn’t bring myself to, where would I start and I couldn’t bear to look at his face while I’d told him I’d deceived him.

“Oh.” Said Mia.

“Is that all you can say?” I said to her. I could see us both in the reflection of the mirror of the ladies room. We were so similar had once again worn similar outfits but I still couldn’t work out how Judy didn’t realise who I was. May be we were more similar than I’d ever imagined.

“It is because…because Jed still doesn’t know that I’m not you.” She said. How the hell could Jed not know me? He’d known me all my life, he knew everything about me and I’d swapped roles with my sister and he thought she was me. This was unreal.

“I can’t believe it, we’ve lied to everyone around us Mia and this has got way out of hand. I don’t know what to do, they’re going to have to realise sooner or later.”

“Maddy there is something you should know,” said Mia. She was looking away from me; she could never look at me when she was about to confess something.

“What is it Mia?” I said.

“I’m in love with Jed.” She said, still not looking. She was extremely pink faced but looked ashamed too.

”What?” I said. “You are in love with Jed and he thinks you’re me. Please don’t tell me that you and he…,”

“Yeah,” she said. “He loves me too, we’ve been together for a week now, we’ve slept together and have hardly spent a moment apart.” She said.

“I don’t believe it, you’ve been sleeping with Jed and he thinks you’re me. That’s gross.” I said not really understanding how anyone could fancy Jed. No that was wrong of me, Jed was good looking I supposed but he was never my type and I’d never seen him in that way.

“Actually its not gross,” said Mia looking directly at me now.

We were quiet for a minute, each lost in our own thoughts and wondering what to do next.

“So… you’ve slept with Mike and he thinks you’re me and I’ve slept with Jed and he thinks I’m you.” Mia said.

“That about sums it up,” I said. My head was starting to pound and I didn’t know what to suggest.

“I love Mike,” I blurted out. “I don’t want to be apart from him Mia, it’s all I’ve ever wanted and I don’t want to give him up, not for anything, not for my old life back.”

“Well…I love Jed, possibly as much as you love Mike. I want to be with him, we’ve talked about the future and…I can’t bear to be away from him either Maddy.”

“So…what shall we do?” I said. “This could change everything, this could…this could be the end of everything. Once we’ve told them they’ll hate us, I have an awful feeling here. True love is based on trust and…how can they trust us after this?”

“You’re right. I think it’s over Maddy and I think we’ve messed it up for ourselves. Its our own stupid faults.”

“At least we’ve got each other, that’s the one good thing that’s come out of this.”

“I agree. I suppose we’d better go face them and tell them,” she said.

We hugged. We hadn’t hugged for years. We’d always be together now, we both knew that and we’d have to be satisfied with just that.

As we left the ladies room Mia stopped dead in her tracks.

“Shit Maddy, Judy’s there. She’s sitting at the table with Mike and Jed,” she said a shocked look on her face.

”Judy. What the fuck is she doing here?” I said.

“You must have told her where you were going,” Mia said looking at me with frightened eyes.

“Of course I did but…I didn’t think she’d want to come along. Why does she want to be here?”

“Who knows,” said Mia. She sighed, “come on, lets get it over and done with and then we can get on with the rest of our lives.” She said heading over to the table. I just followed right on behind her.

“You were gone for ages,” said Jed. “I nearly sent out a search party.” He laughed out loud then.

“Hi Judy,” said Maddy.

”Hi, I was just passing and saw Mike and Jed, realised you two would be here and just wanted to say hello to everyone.”

She was lying and Mia and myself knew this.

The atmosphere was quiet. What was wrong with everyone?

“I can’t do this any longer,” said Judy.

”Me neither,” said Jed.

“Nope, my head is exploding with all this,” said Mike.

Mia and I just looked at each other, confused then the three of them just burst out laughing.

My heart was pounding fast; I guessed Mia’s was too. What the hell were they going on about? What was happening here?

All three of them were looking at us, staring, waiting for us to say something but we didn’t.

“When were you planning on telling us?” said Judy. “Or were you just going to keep the game up?” she said.

“What do you mean?” I said.

“Come off it Maddy,” she replied staring at me. “Yeah. Maddy, I know who you are, you’re not Mia at all.”

I felt ashamed and my face burnt. I glanced at Mia and she looked how I felt.

“You know.”

“We all know,” said Jed. “Even Mike.”

I glanced at Mike, not wanting to catch his gaze. He was smiling at me, knowingly, not vindictively and then, that very moment I knew it was going to be OK. He’d always known that I wasn’t Mia; he’d known all along that I was Maddy. I looked over at Jed but he wasn’t looking at me at all he was gazing into Mia’s eyes and he took her hand. He loved Mia. He’d always hated her but now he loved her and I could see they were right for each other.

Glancing at Judy she was grinning.

“How long have you known?” I said to her.

“Jed called me while I was in Spain. He guessed what you two were up to the moment he returned to Scotland. He called to see if I knew all about it and of course I didn’t. I told him that you both wouldn’t last living each other’s lives but you proved us wrong.”

“So you knew it was me all along?” said Mia gazing back at Jed.

“Of course I did and I loved giving you strawberry ice cream the other night because there was no way on earth that the real Maddy would eat strawberry ice cream as she’s allergic to strawberries. Remember?”

“Shit.” Said Mia, obviously forgetting and obviously being so caught up with Jed that she’d forgotten something so obvious.

I laughed but still couldn’t meet Mike’s gaze.

“But you were nice to me Judy, I thought you’d always hated me.” I said looking over at Mia’s lifelong friend.

“I’ve never hated you, we were just different. We’re not so different now we’ve grown up, you’re good company.” She said smiling at me.

“You are too,” I said to her.

I sighed then I felt a strong hand on mine. Mikes hand and he squeezed mine ever so gently I couldn’t help but look up into his bright blue eyes.

“You OK?” he said.

“I’m fine. I’m sorry for deceiving you.” I said to him.

“Hey, its fine, we’ve all had a great time wondering when you’d both tell us haven’t we guys?” He said looking at Judy and Jed.

“So..when did you realise?” I said to Mike.

”From the very first time I saw you. Actually…the second time when you came in the bar looking so uncomfortable. I knew Mia had met up with her sister and I guessed. I have friends that are twins and I guessed it was something that they would do. I played along with it but didn’t bank on falling in love with you.”

“So what happens now?” said Judy.

Mia and I glanced at each other then Mia spoke.

“I…I’d like to stay at home, see how things go, I’m so enjoying running your business,” she said.

“That’s great,” I said, “because I’m not ready to come home yet, I’ve missed you Jed, missed calling you up and telling you all that’s happened but I don’t really want to come home yet.”

“You’re coming away with me aren’t you?” said Mike squeezing my hand once again.

“If you still want me,” I said to him feeling slightly embarrassed as he’d asked me to go away with him while he toured the night before.

“Of course it is.”

“Well I’m going to live in Spain, I’m renting a villa there and have been offered work so, free holidays all round,” Judy said laughing.

“I’d like to buy the apartment,” said Mike. “So that when we’re in London we have somewhere to stay, any of us,” he said looking around at all the guys.

“So, that’s settled then,” said Judy. “Everyone’s happy, we’re all friends. That right?” she said.

”Yeah,” I said glancing over at Mia.

“Best friends,” said Mia glancing at me.

Then we all laughed, the waitress came over and we all ordered hot chocolate with double cream knowing that everything was going to be OK.

I had my sister back, I was in love with Mike Dirnt and I could call my best friend, Jed at any time and tell him anything I wanted.

I knew that Mia was happy I could just tell and seeing her face, knowing she was happy made me happy too.