Kennedy had showered, and was now back in her bedroom trying to decide what to wear. She had gone shopping earlier that day, and now had several outfits spread out on the bed. One was casual chic with a pair of Juicy Couture black stretch denims and a white beaded Rocawear tunic. The other outfit was more casual with a pair of Miss Sixty jeans, and a lavender hoodie by Ed Hardy.
She stood back and surveyed her goods. The black jeans were a bit too dressy for the movies, so she chose the blue jeans instead, and the white tunic.
Kennedy started to flatiron her hair but she didn’t really feel like it. Besides, Lucas didn’t seem impressed when she had done it before, so she let her natural locks flow freely.
She had finished dressing, and was slipping on her cork-heeled wedges, another new purchase, when she heard a knock at the door.
“Come in!” Kennedy yelled.
The door creaked opened, and in came Reagan. This time, instead of surveying the room like she had done before, Reagan studied her sister. Her eyes were like tiny laser beams, zeroing in on every inch of Kennedy’s body. “When did you get those shoes? I saw them in Neiman’s catalog,” Reagan finally said.
“Oh these Miss Sixty wedges?” Kennedy said, pointing her toe like a ballerina. “I ordered them from the Neiman Marcus website to go with my new Miss Sixty jeans that I bought today,” she said, twirling around so that Reagan could get the full effect.
Reagan’s jaw dropped. She didn’t know that Kennedy was hip to the latest designers, let alone where to buy them. Kennedy had never shown any real interest in shopping before; now it was like her sister was being possessed by the fashion editors of Vogue, Mademoiselle, or Glamour, or maybe all three. The jeans accentuated the curve of her hips, and the top showed off her collar bone perfectly. She looked like a model, except for her unruly hair.
“Soo…where are you going all dolled-up like that?” Reagan asked.
“Out,” Kennedy simply said.
“Okay, Ms. Smarty Pants, I can see that. Who are you going out with?” Reagan asked, refusing to drop the subject.
Kennedy thought for a second, trying to decide if she should tell Reagan that she was going on a date with Lucas. Then she decided, why not? He had made it clear that he wasn’t interested in Reagan. “I’m going to the movies with Lucas.”
“Lucas?” Reagan asked, scrunching up her face.
“You know, the new guy in our chemistry class.”
“Him! Why are you going out with that loser?” Reagan asked, as if Lucas were pond scum.
“He’s not a loser!” Kennedy said, raising her voice and coming to his defense.
Reagan put her hand on her hip. “If he’s not a loser, why is he at Walburton on a scholarship?”
“Who told you he was there on a scholarship?”
“It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that one out. Look at his uniform. It’s too big, like it was donated or something,” Reagan explained, making her case.
Kennedy had a good mind to tell her that Lucas was a singer and rapper, and that his new video was going to be aired on BET, but she decided not to. Besides, Reagan probably wouldn’t believe her anyway, and if she did believe her, knowing Reagan, she’d be all over Lucas at school on Monday, trying to lure him away. Not telling Reagan was the best way to go, so Kennedy said, “Whatever.”
“Have a good time with your loser,” she said, putting up her fingers, making an “L” out of her thumb and index finger. “If that’s possible.” She laughed and walked out.
“You’re laughing now, but trust me, I’m going to get the last laugh,” Kennedy said, underneath her breath.
As Kennedy was applying a thin coat of lip gloss, her cell rang.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Kennedy, are you ready?” asked Lucas.
“Just about.”
“Good. What’s your address?”
Kennedy told him where she lived.
“Okay, I’ll be out front in fifteen minutes,” he told her.
“Sounds good. See you then.”
Kennedy ended the call, put the tiny phone in her purse, and danced around the room. This was her first real date, and she couldn’t have been happier. For once she was the one going out on a Saturday night instead of her sister, and she was thrilled to no end. Kennedy completed the finishing touches, grabbed her purse and a jacket, and raced downstairs to wait for her date.
Lucas arrived exactly fifteen minutes later. Like a true gentleman, he was right on time.
“Wow, you look great!” he said, complimenting Kennedy on her outfit.
“Thanks.” She blushed.
“Since the theater around the corner is playing that new horror flick, I thought we’d walk over there and check it out. You do like horror movies, don’t you?”
“Yeah, I love ’em. The gorier the better.”
“Excellent! Some chicks are too squeamish about all the blood and guts.”
“That’s so not me. I’m tougher than I look.” She smiled.
“Okay, Ms. Tough, let’s get going so we can get some good seats,” Lucas said, leading the way.
They rounded the corner and headed for the Cineplex on Broadway. Once inside, Lucas stepped up to the window, and bought them tickets.
“You want some popcorn or candy?” he asked.
“For sure! What’s a movie without popcorn and Raisinets?”
“That’s what I’m talking about. Most chicks are so afraid of getting fat that they don’t eat much, let alone buttery popcorn and chocolate-covered raisins.”
“Again, I’m not like most chicks. I don’t know how many times I have to keep telling you that,” she said, poking him in the side with her elbow.
Lucas pulled Kennedy to him and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Yeah, I’m beginning to notice.”
After stopping at the concession counter to fuel up, they headed into the theater.
“Where do you like sitting?” Lucas asked her.
“It doesn’t matter.”
“How about right here in the back,” he said, gesturing toward two seats. “That way there’ll be nobody screaming at our backs, or throwing popcorn over our shoulders.”
“Makes sense,” Kennedy said, making her way into the row.
As they waited for the previews to start, Lucas decided to ask Kennedy about Reagan. He found it odd how a set of twins could be so different, and wanted to know why. “So, why don’t you and your sister get along?”
Kennedy sighed. “It’s a long story. I don’t even know where to begin.”
“Start at the beginning.”
“If you want to go back that far, you could say that it all started when our parents named us.”
“What do you mean?”
“I was named Kennedy after my mother’s favorite president, and Reagan was named after my father’s favorite president. If you know your history, you know that those presidents were complete opposites. President Kennedy was a liberal Democrat, while President Reagan was a conservative Republican,” she explained.
“Okay, that explains the names, but from what I’ve seen, your sister is anything but conservative.”
“This is true, but have you ever heard of the ‘Excess Eighties’? President Reagan was said to have instituted the overspending of the nineteen-eighties,” Kennedy explained. “My sister surely has the spending part down. She buys more clothes than anybody I know.”
“Oh, like you don’t go shopping,” Lucas said, ribbing her.
Kennedy popped a handful of popcorn in her mouth. “Yeah, I shop, but I’m not addicted to it.”
“So, you and your sister have different spending ethics; that’s not such a big deal. What else drove you two apart?” he asked, trying to learn more.
Kennedy started to tell Lucas about Reagan stealing her boyfriend, but she decided not to. She didn’t want to come off like a whiner. “Let’s see…I’m into saving the environment, and she’s into what? Oh, that’s right, nothing but herself.”
Just then, the previews started, and the lights dimmed.
“Okay, I get the picture,” Lucas whispered.
Kennedy was relieved that the previews had begun, because she was tired of talking about Reagan. This was her date, not her sister’s. Now that Lucas knew the difference between them, he would never get them mixed up—or would he?