text: Being identical twins is a little irritating at times since only Mom and Dad can tell us apart, but Zoey and I get to have our fun with it. On test days, we switch places, which works really well since I’m good at math and Zoey is good at English. Today is a two for one special. We both had an English and Calculus test. I take Zoey’s math test during third and mine during fifth. Meanwhile, she gets to do English for us. On top of that, Mom is taking us to school, so we don’t even have to take the bus. All I had to do was show up to first and second period, switch shirts with Zoey before and after third, and bingo! I’m out of English and she’s out of math. “Breakfast,” I heard mom scream from downstairs. The smell of bacon drew me downstairs with ease. “Chloe, is your sister awake?” “Yeah, she’s changing.” I offered as an excuse for why I was still in pajamas. I plopped down into a chair and began reciting the different ways to take a derivative. Then, Zoey came downstairs. She didn’t have her hair and makeup done, just a simple ponytail tied up in back. Her black converse complemented her skinny jeans and gray t-shirt. Thank god. That means I don’t have to do my hair or makeup today. After nodding at Zoey, I went upstairs and got ready while we all waited for Dad to come downstairs. I threw on my black converse, skinny jeans, and a blue t-shirt. I tied my hair in a ponytail, then hurried back to the table. Dad was already sitting down, so they started eating without me. I didn’t mind since I usually eat quickly. I scarfed down the bacon and eggs Mom put on my plate. The drive to school was nice. Whenever we take the bus, kids try to guess “who’s Zoey and who’s Chloe” for the day. Without the mild irritation added to my morning, I was able to enjoy the conversation with Zoey and Mom. Mom was telling us about how she was going to have a special day at work today. She’s a substitute teacher, and apparently the school she’s subbing at today starts later than her regular shifts, so she was able to give us a ride. Mom dropped us off at the parking lot, and Zoey and I headed inside. We sat with our friends until the first bell rang, which wasn’t too long after we arrived. First period was slow, and I spent most of the time staring down at my study guide for Calculus. Second period was the same. My nerves built up in anticipation for the test. During passing period, I met with Zoey. We ran into the restroom and traded shirts. All I had to do was walk in, ace that calculus test, and go back to my normal schedule for the day. We exchanged “good lucks” and headed to class, as usual. I went into Zoey’s class and took a seat. The teacher was gone. He was probably just finishing up printing the tests. Of all the times I’d been in this class, he never printed them in advance. On top of that, he changed versions every period, so I couldn’t even breeze through my own test. While I was looking down at my study guide, I heard a familiar voice in front of me. “Surprise, sweetie!” “Mom?” My heart pounded so hard I was surprised it didn’t pop out of my chest. “I didn’t tell you earlier because I thought it would be fun to surprise you. I didn’t know you had a test today.” “Yup. English and math.” Mom smiled and walked back to the teacher’s desk. I’m wearing Zoey’s shirt, so maybe she won’t notice. The bell rang, and I knew if I made it past the next five minutes, I’d be fine. “Good morning, everyone. My name is Mrs. Styles and I’m going to be subbing for Mr. Hickman today. I’m gonna call roll now, so please tell me if I say your name wrong.” “Michael. Gerardo. Mina. Elizabeth. Brittney. Angel. Coralyn.” As she got closer to my name, I began shaking. I listened as she listed off my classmates’ names. “Zoey?” She cocked her head and looked up at me. “Here,” I responded. She just looked back down at the roster, continuing to read off names. Oh God. Did she hear my voice? I probably sounded nervous. She questioned it. Does she know? It’s Mom. She would definitely say something if she knew. I shook off my nerves and prepared for the test, which was more important at the moment. *** The test wasn’t as bad as I expected. However, I was still as nervous as ever. I ran to the restroom to talk to Zoey. As we exchanged shirts, I explained the situation to her. “Dude, if she knew it was you, she would’ve said something.” Zoey tried to reassure me. “Yeah, but she looked at me.” “Chloe, you’re fine. She didn’t say anything; she probably just felt bad because she thought she mixed us up. We’re gonna be fine. You’re gonna go take your test and I’ll take mine. Problem solved. Worst case scenario, she finds out.” “Yeah, worst case scenario, she beats our asses.” “Oh hush, you’re being over dramatic. We’ll be fine.” I was still shaking, but I finally gave into her argument. By the time lunch came around, I didn’t have an appetite. I mean, I was the one who had to face Mom again. What did Zoey have to worry about? She can’t be responsible for giving anything away if she’s not there. The bell rang and I headed back to Calculus. Act surprised, I told myself as I walked in. I sat down in my normal assigned seat, hoping that Mom would notice the difference. I figured that if I talked to my friends instead of looking at notes, she would know that I’m Chloe now. “Surprise, sweetie!” She interrupted my conversation. “Mom?” Oh shoot, I hope that was convincing enough. “Chloe didn’t tell you?” “No...” I said, acting like I didn’t know what was happening. “That’s odd. You girls tell each other everything. Maybe she wanted you to be surprised too.” Oh phew. She didn’t say anything. I allowed myself to calm down and I took my test. I walked out feeling confident. Both my test and Zoey’s test seemed to go really well. The rest of the day ended relatively quickly. I told Mom I wanted to walk home with my friends, and I pressured Zoey into going with me. I knew any conversation with her could make one of us crack. Mom knows how to find out when we’re lying. We opened the front door, peeking behind it to see if Mom was anywhere in sight. We were safe. Zoey and I walked to our rooms. I wasn’t sure what she was doing, but I figured that if I did my homework, Mom wouldn’t bother me. I relished in my solitude for a few hours, until I heard the call for dinner. I didn’t realize Dad got home. I ran downstairs, hoping to eat something since I didn’t eat lunch. “Wait, where’s Dad? I thought dinner was ready.” My mom turned around with her spatula in one hand, and the other on her hip. “You can have dinner after you bring your sister down.” I thought something was wrong, but I didn’t want to point it out in fear that I was just overthinking what she was saying. As I stepped on the first step, I heard Mom’s voice again. “Chloe, hold on. Come back here. I forgot to ask. How were your math tests?” I stopped mid-step and looked back at her. *She knew*. “I asked you how your math tests went.” I didn’t want to respond. “Did you really think you would get away with that?” I knew I’d only make it worse if I didn’t respond, so I said, “I don’t know.” “Honey, I asked if ‘Chloe’ told you. Zoey has third period. The second you said no, I knew it was you. First of all, I know my girls. Second of all, I know when my girls are lying to me.” I stared at the floor, keeping Mom in my peripheral vision. “Go to your room. I’m gonna deal with you and your sister as soon as I finish dinner.” I went to my room and texted Zoey everything. I laid back on my bed, feeling like I couldn’t breathe. I fucking knew it. I told Zoey this would happen. I was just waiting for mom to come upstairs, spatula in hand. It felt like eternity had passed, but I finally heard footsteps coming up the stairs. I watched in horror as my doorknob turned. The knot in my stomach tightened as the door swung open. “Wait. Where’s mom? When did you get home?” Dad walked in, closing the door behind him. He was holding his belt in his hand. “Mom told me what you and Zoey did today.” “But she said she would come upstairs and deal with us. She didn’t say anything about you.” “Don’t forget, sweetie. We can switch too.