Struggles Twofold
Lunch Time Conversing
Kim sat up abruptly in bed, "Owww!!!" She cried out, holding her head.
Jenn dropped the book she was reading, "Kim, are you alright?" She
asked, concerned the way her friend was wobbling about where she sat,
"Did you have a nightmare?" She asked.
"No..." Kim held her head, she felt rather dizzy, but could not recall
what woke her, "If feels like someone hit me on the head." She stated
still rubbing her head.
Jenn cocked her head in confusion, "No one hit you." She said, "I was
here the entire time."
Kim shook her head again and nearly fell out of bed when Jenn helped her
lay down again, "You should rest more." She said gently, "I heard the
lunch bell a moment ago... would you like something to eat?" She asked,
brushing a lock of the redhead's hair around her ear.
Kim slowly nodded, "I'll come with you." She started to try to sit up
again, only to be overcome by another wave of dizziness.
"No-you-don't!" Jenn ordered, "You are staying in bed this time. I'll
bring something for you."
"Can we eat in our rooms?" Kim asked shyly.
"I don't know." Jenn thought for a moment, "They will probably let you
considering you are not feeling to good." She smiled down at the girl,
"Just rest up, alright?"
Kim nodded again and watched her friend begin to stand, "Thank you." Kim
whispered.
"No problem." Jenn stretched before starting towards the door, "I'll be
right back, alright?"
Kim gave a small smile as she watched Jenn leave the room. Her smile
quickly turned to a frown as the door closed and she rubbed the bump on
her head. Something didn't feel right, but she could not quite place
what it was. She closed her eyes and decided to forget about it for now.
******
Kim's doppelganger sat upon the floor in the corner of the lobby near
one of the circles of couches. Her legs pulled up close to her body and
her eyes darted from Kris to Jessica, who were both sitting on the sofas
watching her closely. Natalie suddenly came rushing out of the cafeteria
with a tray of foil wrapped hot dogs.
"Lunch is served!" Natalie declared, setting the tray on the coffee
table in the middle, "I got a couple for everyone." She stated with a
smile, then grabbed one of the hot dogs and approached Kim, "You should
eat something." She said softly while handing the food to the girl.
Kim cautiously took the hotdog and started to unwrap it, "Thank you."
She said in a soft whisper before hungrily biting into it.
Natalie smiled and ruffled the girl's hair, "If you want more I can get
you some."
Jessica grabbed for a dog, "Is this such a good idea?" She asked
nervously, glancing around the lobby as couple more girls entered the
building and headed straight for the cafeteria. For the most part
everyone was already eating in the cafeteria and no one took notice to
the strange doppelganger. Kim seemed afraid of the crowds so they all
thought it would be best to eat in the lobby for the time being, however
the occasional straggler passing by worried Jessica. "I mean, what if
the Head Mistresses find out about her?" She asked, unwrapping the
hotdog and taking a bite.
"Knowing my Aunts," Kris swallowed a bite of her food; "they will be
ecstatic to have another girl on the grounds. They are weird that way."
She explained shaking her head in disapproval.
"Still..." Jessica stared at her food.
"Stop worrying." Natalie grabbed a dog for herself and sat on the sofa
chair next to Kim, "Nothing is going to happen."
Just at that moment Jenn came down the stairs and into the lobby and
approached the group of girls, "Hi!" She said with a wave, "How's
everything going? You all had me worried for a while."
"Hey Jenn!" Jessica waved to the girl, "Going to get some lunch?"
"Yeah," Jenn replied, "and could I bring some up for..." She arrived at
the couches to see Kim's double still sitting in the corner munching on
her hotdog, "...Kim...?" She blinked in confusion at the sight.
Kim glanced up at Jenn and smiled, then gave the girl a little wave,
"Hi." She said shyly.
"But how?" Jenn spun around and stared at the stairs she had just
descended, then back at the redhead, "I thought I told you to stay
put!?!" She asked confused.
Jessica dropped her head in her hand, "Oh boy..." She said with a sigh.
"Ummm..." Natalie tried to think of an easy way to explain things as she
glanced between the redhead and Jenn, "That is..."
"She isn't the same girl." Kris said bluntly.
"Huh?" Jenn stared at Kris, "What do you mean? She looks exactly like
her."
"I am and I'm not..." Kim said sadly.
"I'm confused." Jenn rested a hand on the back of the sofa, "What is
going on here?"
"There are two Kims." Natalie said with a sigh.
"That is impossible." Jenn stated firmly, "There can only be one real
Kim."
Kim stood up and walked over to Jenn's side, "I'm Kim and so is the one
you left sleeping upstairs."
"How can you be the same?" Jenn demanded.
"It is a long story." Natalie said, "You want a hotdog?" She tried to
change the subject.
"I want to know how this could possibly be Kim when I just left her?"
Jenn stated getting annoyed with everyone dancing around the subject.
Natalie finally stood, "Jenn, I'd like you to meet Kim's ummm...
repressed half..." Not really sure if she made much sense.
"Repressed half?" Jenn glanced at Kim again, "You are trying to tell me
that this is another Kim?"
"The side of her she hates." Kim stated sadly, she signalled for Jenn to
come closer. Hesitantly Jenn approached the redhead, whom leaned close
to Jenn's ear and whispered, "I'm sorry if I've acted inappropriately in
the past and I know what your t-shirt means." She half grinned.
"You..." Jenn stammered, stumbling backwards in shock, "How?" She
blushed deeply.
The other girls watched the conversation with intent interest. "Did
something happen between you two?" Jessica asked slyly.
"No no..." Kim said, giving Jenn a knowing smile, "Nothing special."
"Anyway," Natalie interjected, "This really is Kim's double and she is
going to be staying with us until we can find a way to get the two Kim
as one whole again." She explained.
Jenn was still bewildered; "This is going to be confusing with two Kims
walking around."
"I could get my hair cut if that would help." Kim suggested, pulling her
hair back into a pony tail, "It is always hot on the back of my neck I
just have not had the courage to cut it before."
"But what about her name?" Jessica asked, "We can't just call you 'Kim's
double' now can we?"
"We could always call her Kay... or something." Natalie suggested.
"Key-ma..." Jenn said softly, still blushing.
"What was that?" Kris asked, wishing for the girl to clarify herself.
Jenn thought for a moment, "Kima is Japanese for Kim. It is spelt
K-I-M-A." She stated, "I don't know why but the name sort of sprung into
my mind just now."
Kim hugged Jenn, "I love it!" She declared more so because it was a
nickname that Jenn thought up.
Jenn's blush deepened somewhat as the girl squeezed her tightly.
"So Kima it is." Jessica affirmed with a smile, "Let's just have you
added to the books so we don't forget someone is rooming with Nat." She
said as she went over to the office.
Jenn seemed surprised, "You are going to live with Natalie?" She asked
Kima.
Kim blushed, "Yeah. I'd love to stay with you, but two Kims would get
crowded."
"Maybe you could borrow some clothes from Kim's room." Jessica
suggested, "If you want a haircut I don't think you can go to the mall
dressed in a blood covered house coat of all things."
"But what about Kim?" Jenn asked nervously, "Isn't meeting your double
kind of bad?"
"She is not a doppelganger." Kris reassured, "and they need to meet each
other soon. It is not like we can keep this a secret for very long."
Jenn scratched the back of her head, "I guess... this is so confusing."
She suddenly remembered the original reason for her coming down stairs,
"I almost forgot. I was going to get something for Kim to eat."
Natalie picked up two hotdogs from the tray before her, "Here you are."
She offered with a smile.
Jenn took the food gratefully, "Thanks." She really didn't want to fight
through any line-ups at that time.
"Shall we go?" Natalie gestured towards the stairs with a bow.
Jenn took another glance at Kima who was in turn was watching her
carefully, "You sure Kim won't get hurt?"
"Not physically at least." Kima said with a forced smile.
Reluctantly Jenn started up the stairs with Natalie and Kima following
close behind her.
*****
To be Continued...
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