Ryan walked down the high school’s hallway trying to blend in. It was a little challenging, considering the three bodyguards surrounding him. Several girls spotted him and whispered, clutching their books. He smiled at them and watched as they turned to their friends and giggled. Ah, high school. What he wouldn’t give to spend one day here as a normal teenager with classes and homework.
He reached the main office and triumphantly grinned at the secretary, who was buried in paperwork. “Can I speak with the principal, please?”
The woman didn’t look up from her stack of papers, and answered, smacking her gum, “Son, you’ll have to have a seat and wait your turn.”
For the first time, Ryan turned and noticed the group of students crowding the office. Most were pouting with arms folded, ready and waiting to be lectured by the principal.
He winked at one of his security guards and turned back to the secretary. “Ma’am, I don’t think you understand…”
She finally glanced up from her paperwork and her eyes popped out as she realized who she was talking to. “Oh, Prince Ryan! My sincerest apologies! I’ll go tell the principal you’re here, and he’ll be with you in just a moment.”
At once, she hurried from her desk into a back room as Ryan laughed. It pays to be royalty, he thought.
Justin tried to keep his eyes open during his fourth period English class. When he had finally picked up Olivia from Sam’s house and fell into bed, it had been about 3:30 in the morning. He gained about three hours of sleep only to be awoken by his alarm at 6:30.
Now, he had been fighting to stay conscious all morning. The teacher’s droning voice echoed through the room as she explained the main theme from The Hobbit. He leaned his cheek on his arm as his eyes continued to droop…
“MR. TIMBERLAKE?”
His eyes jolted open at the sound of the his name. He sat up and shook his head a little. “Yeah?”
The teacher held a small slip of paper out to him. “I believe you’re wanted in the principal’s office.”
The class’s “Oooooo” followed him as he staggered out of his seat. He took the paper and managed to find himself in the hallway. ‘Why would I be called to the office?’ he thought as he ran his eyes over the slip. He hoped there was no emergency with his dad, or worse, with Olivia. He suddenly gained awareness and his pace quickened.
Ryan stepped out of the office and glanced down the hallway. He could see Justin making his way toward him. He had asked the guards to leave, so that no one in his household would know that he had a clone.
As Justin approached, Ryan noticed that he was no longer in the nice clothes he had been wearing the night before. Now he was wearing what looked more like rags, than actual clothes. He had to admit that if he had seen Justin on the street in that, he never would have noticed how alike their faces were or even given him a second glance. His face still looked astoundingly similar to Ryan’s, but what he was wearing was quite a disguise. He smiled, this plan might work better than he thought.
“Justin, my man,” Ryan smiled, extending his hand to the pitiable guy in front of him.
Justin looked confused as he took it. “What are you doing here?”
“Walk with me,” Ryan said, leading him out the school’s main doorway. “We have a lot of talking to do.”
“I have class,” Justin said, stopping himself questioningly.
“Don’t worry. I already excused you for the rest of the day.”
Surprised, Justin followed him into the sunlight as they walked through the school’s courtyard.
“So J,” Ryan began. “Mind if I call you J? Tell me about that girl you left the club with last night.”
Justin frowned, “That was Samantha. She’s my best friend, but I don’t see how…”
“Then you two are close right? But she‘s just a friend? Not a girlfriend?”
“Me and Sam? Yeah, just friends. Why do you want to know…”
“Have you ever seen the movie The Parent Trap, Justin?”
Justin shook his head, “Yeah, I’ve seen it. Why are you asking me all this?”
“I think we could pass for twins, J. If we switched places, maybe we could even pass for the same person.” Ryan said, taking off his sunglasses.
Justin laughed out loud. “Why on earth would you, a prince who lives in a palace, ever want to switch places with me? Do you realize where I live?”
Ryan shrugged. “Not important. What IS important, though, is who you know. You have connections, my friend. It sounds like a very strong connection, with a girl I’d like to get to know.”
“So let me get this straight. YOU want to act like me, live my life, wear what I wear, eat what I eat, the whole thing just so you can get to know Samantha? It‘s crazy. Why don‘t you just ask her out as you?” Justin said, incredulously.
“I’m not the same as everyone else, J. I can’t just ask a girl out without it being this huge ordeal. My parents have to have a thorough background check, she’d be bombarded by everyone just to be seen with me, and I’d never know her true affections. Any girl could act like she loves me, just because I’m the prince or because she wants royalty. Or worse, because she’d be too afraid to turn me down. I have to know if she would love me for me,” Ryan said, looking depressed.
Justin nodded, finally understanding him. “But, it could never work. My father’s a drunk. I have a little sister to take care of…”
“They’d never know the difference J. I‘d take care of all that, and they‘d think I was you,” Ryan insisted. “You’d get to kick back and relax from all your responsibilities. You could eat the finest meals, wear the finest clothes, and hang out with Princess Emma...”
Justin‘s eyes lit up. “Princess Emaria? I met her last night.”
Ryan nodded. “She thought you were me, man. Samantha thought I was you last night. I‘m telling you, we could convince everyone."
Justin still looked unsure. Ryan continued, "It‘s a chance of a lifetime. I want the freedom you have and I want to hang out with Samantha. I know you want a break from this,” He said picking up Justin’s shirt.
“...And you could hang out with Emma. She might even fall for you,” Ryan said, with hopeful eyes.
Justin contemplated the situation for a moment. He sighed, wondering if this decision would change his life forever. “Okay, you have a deal. So, you want to see where I live?”
Ryan beamed, “Now you’re talking.”
