New York Swap

5: Hallie

It was the next morning. I sat in the corner of the hotel lobby, opening my sketchbook to a fresh page. The fireplace was warm, and crackled beneath me.

But something still felt off.

Just then, my mum sent me a text message.

"Hey Hallie, you can go explore for a little while while your father and I are at lunch. Have your location on, and be safe."

At that moment I was thrilled! I quickly replied back:

"thank you mum!!!"

The sun was warm, and the streets were filled with people. Tourists with their cameras, locals rushing to get somewhere. I blended into the background, which was nice for a change. Nobody knew me, and I liked that. 

After a bit of slowly strolling, I saw a bus stop up ahead and figured I'd check the routes. Maybe I'd hop on a random bus and see where it took me. I wasn't really in the mood to plan anything, and I wanted to ride a bus since my mum would never let me after this.

But as I got closer to the bus stop, I noticed something strange. There was a girl standing there, looking at her phone, but when I saw her face, I stopped. She looked exactly like me.

I mean, exactly.

Same blonde hair, same body type, same clothing style (if my mum actually would let me wear what I wanted). It felt like looking in a mirror, except I was still standing across the street, staring. For a second, I thought maybe I was imagining it- but nope. She was real, and she was right there.

I walked over, trying not to seem too freaked out. The girl looked up from her phone and noticed me too, her eyes widening We stared at each other for a moment.

"Okay, this is... weird," I said, laughing awkwardly.

She blinked and nodded, still looking shocked. "Yeah... uh, no kidding.."

We stood there for a second, neither of us really knowing what to say. I had a thousand questions running through my head, but I didn't even know where to start. How was it possible that someone could look this much like me?

Finally, I just blurted out, "Do I know you from somewhere?"

She looked back, confused. "I don't think so. Unless we're like, long lost twins."

I laughed, feeling a little less weird about the whole thing. "I'm Hallie, by the way."

"Nice to meet you, I'm Kadence," she replied, still looking at me like she couldn't quite believe what she was seeing.

I glanced around, realizing I had no idea what to do next. "So... are you from New York?"

"No, I'm just here on vacation with my family, I'm from Canada," she said, looking a little more relaxed now.

"Oh, cool. I'm from London," I said. "I was just kind of wandering around, I wanted to get out of the hotel."

Kadence nodded. "Yeah, I get that. I'm running an errand for Mandy I mean- er, my adoptive mom. Oh, and I like your British accent." she smiled.

I smiled back. "Thanks. So you're adopted?" I asked curiously.

"Mhm," Kadence smiled lightly, then frowned. "I've never seen my real parents. I wish I knew them."

"That's tough, my parents are famous fashion designers, and I don't really like my life that much. Sometimes my parents are really carefree, and other times they're strict as can be. Mostly my mum. But, what can I say? I guess this is how my life is supposed to go."

I was still trying to think about the whole situation as Kadence and I boarded the bus. We both found seats near the back, and even though neither of us said it, I could feel the tension between us- it was awkward.

"So," I started, glancing at her out of the corner of my eye. "What's the errand you're running for your adoptive mum?"

Kadence sighed, brushing her hair back. "We just found out she's pregnant, and I'm just running to the pharmacy for her."

"Oh wow, congratulations...?" I said, unsure of how she felt about it. "You seem... I don't know, not thrilled?"

Kadence looked down at her hands, playing with the strap of her bag. "It's not that I'm unhappy, it's just... complicated. I guess I'm just feeling a little... left out? I don't know, I'm happy for her and everything, but with the new baby coming... I'm starting to feel like I don't really fit in."

That hit me harder than I expected. I mean, I'd never been adopted, but the idea of feeling like an outsider in your own family? That was something I could get.

"I relate. Sometimes it feels like my parents care more about fashion designing than their own daughter. And it feels like I only exist for the purpose to sit and look pretty."

Kadence shrugged, a small frown forming on her face. "Oh, I'm sorry, that sounds tough. She's always been great to me, my adoptive dad and brother too, but sometimes I just wonder, you know? Like, when the baby comes, will things change between us? What if I don't matter as much?"

We both fell into a comfortable silence for a moment. The bus rolled along the street. Kadence looked out the window as if lost in thought, and I couldn't help but feel like I'd just learned more about her than I ever expected.

"I can't believe how much we look alike," I said after a while, shaking my head. "It's kinda freaking me out."

Kadence laughed softly. "Yeah, it's definitely weird. Like, I keep looking at you and thinking I'm seeing a mirror or something."

After a few more stops, Kadence glanced up at the screen displaying the next destination and sighed. "This is my stop," she said, standing up and slinging her bag over her shoulder.

I stood too, not wanting the conversation to end just yet. "Hey, before you go, we should exchange numbers or something. I mean, it's not every day you meet someone who looks exactly like you."

Kadence smiled, pulling out her phone. "Yeah, definitely. I feel like we need to stay in touch. This whole thing is just too weird not to."

We quickly exchanged numbers, and as she headed for the door, she looked back at me one last time. "It was really nice meeting you, Hallie. Even if it was a little creepy."

"You too, Kadence," I said, giving her a small wave. "Good luck with everything... and take care."

"Thanks," she said with a nod before stepping off the bus.

I didn't know if our paths would ever cross again, but little did I know, it wouldn't be the last time I saw her.