Dark And Light

Happy Birthday

"Call him back," said Judy sitting on the bed. Mia was still looking at her phone. Mike Dirnt. She couldn't really remember much about him to be quite honest but she sort of remembered his eyes a little.

"No. I can't" Mia said throwing the phone down onto the bed and getting back under the quilt.

"Why not?" said Judy. "What have you got to lose? It's been ages since you've been out with anyone. Come on, the last guy was....."

"Please don't mention his name," said Mia.

"No, sorry babe but it was and how long ago was that? Six months ago?"

"There or thereabouts," said Mia huffily. "Anyway, I can't really remember this Mike guy. I didn't think I was that drunk," She said pulling up the covers.

"You weren't drunk but you were a little tipsy and it was your birthday celebrations after all," said Judy.

"Yeah I know." Sighed Mia. "But you know what Judy, sometimes I get sick of going out clubbing and being out late and having to keep my appearance. You know, sometimes I wish I were more like Maddy who didn't seem to have to worry about how she looked. I wish I could get up and just brush my hair, put it back into a pony tail and slouch around in some comfy clothes."

"My god you wouldn't want to be like Maddy at all, you're kidding right?" said Judy.

"Sometimes I do," she said.

"Do you think she'll call you today?" Asked Judy.

"Who knows? Its ages since we saw each other but we spoke at Christmas the last time."

"Do you miss her at all?" said Judy.

"Occasionally I do, it's weird. I hate her and love her at the same time. She is my twin after all. Sometimes when I suddenly feel sad or down for no particular reason I often wonder if its because may be she is sad or down and I am just feeling it."

"That's stupid," said Judy.

"May be it is, but that's what I think," said Mia from the confines of her quilt.

"Call him," said Judy again.

"No," said Mia.

"Suit yourself. Come and get some chocolate cake. Forget about your weight for one morning and have a huge piece of chocolate cake. You burn most of it off when you dance anyway; look at you, there's not an ounce of fat on you." said Judy, flinging back the bed covers.

"Yeah but I work hard at it," said Mia, "There's so much competition around nowadays, there's the younger ones coming up and getting auditions too. I have to be on my toes you know," she said.

"Yeah well sometimes you go too far with the health thing and the exercise. Don't you ever feel like eating a plate of chips and mayo?"

"Quite often but today I'll settle for the chocolate cake," said Mia following her friend out to the Kitchen.

**

"I'm going to call her up," said Maddy

"Why is it you that does the calling?" Said Jed

"Actually, she called last, at Christmastime"

"Fuck that was 9 months ago," said Jed. "Geeze may be you should call her then."

Yeah. I'd better. , thought Maddy guiltily.

**

Mia's phone rang.

"I bet that's him, take the call, see what he wants," said Judy.

Mia picked the phone up and checked the caller ID. "It's not the Mike guy, it's Maddy," she said.

"Hi Maddy. Happy 21st," said Mia into the phone.

"Mia, Happy 21st to you too. Let me guess, you spent the night at a club with Judy," She said.

"Yep and I bet you had a Chinese take away with Jed," said Mia laughing.

"I did. We don't change really do we?" said Maddy.

"Not at all," said Mia. "How's the web design business going?"

"It's going good thanks. The dancing?" asked Maddy.

"Fine, but I haven't got much on at the moment," Mia answered.

"Oh," said Maddy, surprised. She always thought Mia was busy dancing night after night, that was what she was led to believe.

"Have you seen Aunt Jane at all lately?" said Mia.

"No. Thank goodness," Said Maddy rolling her eyes to herself.

"What are you doing today?" said Mia.

"Not sure really," said Maddy.

"Me neither," replied Mia.

"Anyway have a good day whatever you do?" said Maddy.

"Yeah and you Mads," said Mia.

"Bye" they both said, then they were gone.

Mads,thought Maddy. She hasn't called me that in years.

"Great conversation as usual," said Jed overhearing Maddy on the phone.

"Well, you know what its like, it's a bit like a duty call," said Maddy.

"I suppose it must be. Well it'll be her turn next and that'll be THIS Christmas," said Jed.

"Yeah I suppose," said Maddy but speaking to Mia had made her a little sad. Suddenly she remembered the time before their little feud. They had been so close and shared everything, every little secret. They used to play tricks on their parents and teachers. Once they even swapped roles for a whole week and nobody noticed at all. Weird but Maddy sort of missed it.

"You OK?" said Jed looking over at his friend.

"Yeah, just thinking a little of Mia," said Maddy.

"Why?" said Jed.

"I don't know, remembering before we were five, what we used to get up to," she said.

"Yeah but you're not five and well, Mia is Mia, she only thinks of herself and what new top she can buy," said Jed. "She'll never change, you must know that by now."

"Yeah probably," said Maddy thinking about how they'd changed and now shared no secrets at all. Mia didn't even know about her Mike Dirnt thing....

*

"How is she? Still as boring as ever," said Judy.

"Just the same," said Mia feeling sad.

"You OK?," said Judy.

"Yeah just thinking about when we were younger, before we had that huge fight and went our separate ways," said Mia.

"Best thing you ever did," said Judy.

"Yeah but we were close then, you didn't see what we were like together, like two peas in a pod. We used to call out bedroom the pod," She said reminiscing.

"But that was ages ago, you've both changed. I bet Maddy is as selfish and as weird as ever," said Judy.

"Yeah probably," said Mia. Maddy probably didn't even know what shows or TV appearances I'd done, and she definitely didn't even know that she had been married...

*

Maddy was sitting at her computer as usual. She loved being in front of it; it was like a window to the world. When she wasn't working on her website designs she was surfing the net. She downloaded most of her music and she knew everything there was to know about Green Day, as she was a member on all their websites. She had Green Day wallpaper on her computer. Was she obsessed? May be she was at her age; after all she was now 21. May be she should try and get a life outside of the house but how? This was all she knew, sitting here working for other people. Her clients even came to the house to meet up with her.

She thought of Mia again and about how different their lives were, totally different. What would it be like to be Mia? What would it be like to be Mia just for one weekend? When they were younger they would have planned something like this and gone right ahead and done it, swapped roles. Maddy typed in 'google' and then 'Mike Dirnt and then 'images' she pressed enter to see what new stuff she could find on him...

*

"When are you back?" said Mia.

"In about a month. I can't wait to see my parents again. This trip to Spain is going to be a well-deserved rest," Judy said.

"Have a wonderful time," said Mia. "I'll miss you."

"No you won't, you can have a great time without me," said Judy.

"Don't be daft, who am I going to have as a drinking buddy now?" said Mia

"Why don't you call up that Mike guy, I'm sure he'd have a drink with you," she said.

"Don't be stupid, anyway if he is that interested he would have called me back by now," said Mia.

"Oh bloody ring him woman," said Judy. "What have you got to lose?"

Mia sighed, said goodbye to her friend and walked back into the flat.

She went and topped up some make up so that she could go to the shop and get some groceries. Why the fuck did she have to put make up on to go there. It was just something she did.

She thought of Maddy then and their differing lives.

What would it be like to be maddy for a weekend? When they were younger something like that would have made them laugh, swapping roles. She would love to do it now, to just get out of this rat race and hang out somewhere where she didn't have to look so good...