Six months had passed since the day Jeff transformed into his younger brother Riley’s clone and became “Sam,” and in that time, life had settled into an unexpected rhythm. Sam now sat cross-legged on the floor of his shared bedroom with Riley in their new house. Sunlight streamed through the window as he concentrated on snapping the final piece of a LEGO model into place. Beside him, Riley worked on his own part of the build, both of them quiet in their focus, yet content in each other's company.
Their lives had changed drastically since their parents moved them to a new state, leaving their old life behind. But the bond between Sam and Riley had only strengthened. They were inseparable now, not just as brothers, but as near-perfect twins. Sam had, in many ways, fully embraced this new version of himself. Though it had once been unimaginable, he was no longer Jeff, the older brother. He was Sam, Riley’s equal in every way.
"Got it!" Riley exclaimed, snapping in the final brick of his section. "This looks awesome."
Sam grinned, admiring the LEGO model they’d spent the past hour building. It was a towering skyscraper, intricate and detailed. He looked at Riley, who wore a matching grin, and for a moment, it was like staring into a mirror. They really were identical in almost every way now—down to the scars on their knees from rough soccer matches, the way their hair grew, even the small wobbly baby teeth they were both losing at the same time. If Riley got one, so did Sam. Their lives, their experiences, had become almost synchronized.
"I love it," Sam said, leaning back and stretching his arms. He felt the healthy ache in his muscles from their last parkour practice, and excitement bubbled up inside him. In just an hour, they’d head to parkour club to show their instructors the flips and tricks they’d been perfecting. The twins were known as the stars of the class, their natural athleticism and near-telepathic coordination setting them apart from everyone else.
"Parkour’s gonna be sick today," Riley said, bouncing slightly where he sat. "I can’t wait to show them that double vault move we’ve been working on."
Sam nodded, feeling the same buzz of anticipation. He and Riley had both come a long way. Soccer had become a huge part of their lives too. Both of them were the star strikers on their team, which had just won the state championship last week. They’d led their team to victory, and now, they were gearing up to compete in the national cup. The idea of playing at that level thrilled Sam—he and Riley, side by side, unstoppable on the field.
In these moments, it was easy to forget about the past. Easy to forget that there was a time when Sam had been someone else entirely—Jeff. But that old life felt distant now, like a dream. In truth, Sam had mostly given up on getting his old identity back. It wasn’t that he hadn’t tried—he had, more times than he wanted to admit.
Twice, he’d attempted to steal Kyle’s phone—the phone that had once been his. The first time, he had barely touched it before Kyle caught him, laughing as he snatched it away and tickled him in front of his new friends, making him feel helpless and humiliated. The second time, Sam had managed to unlock the phone for a few brief moments, but Kyle had changed the passcode, and once again, Sam had been caught. This time, Kyle had been more serious.
"If you try this again," Kyle had warned, smiling darkly, "I’ll turn you into a baby and make Mom and Dad think it’s normal. They won’t even remember Sam the twin ever existed." The threat had been enough to stop Sam from trying again. He knew Kyle had the power to do it, and he didn’t want to risk losing everything.
Now, Kyle was thriving in Jeff’s body. He had made tons of friends, excelled in school, and even had a girlfriend, much to Sam’s annoyance. He often saw Kyle—his old self—hanging out with friends, laughing and doing “homework” with his girlfriend, living the life that should have been his. Sam hated it at first, watching someone else wear his face, but over time, he’d accepted it. There was nothing he could do. And as much as it stung, Sam had come to enjoy his life as Riley’s twin. He had a body just as athletic and talented as Riley’s, a strong bond with his brother, and a new set of friends who genuinely cared about him.
"Hey, you’re zoning out again," Riley said, nudging Sam with his elbow.
Sam blinked, pulling himself out of his thoughts. He smiled, shaking his head. "Sorry. Just thinking about how far we’ve come since I... well became a thing."
Riley grinned. "Yeah, it’s pretty cool. We’re like... the best strikers in the whole state. Maybe the whole country."
"And parkour legends," Sam added with a smirk.
Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of their mom’s voice calling from downstairs. "Boys, time to go to parkour!"
Sam’s heart leapt with excitement. He stood up and stretched again, then looked at Riley with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "You know what? Tonight, I want to pretend to be you. Like, totally switch places. I’ll be Riley, and you can be Sam. Let’s see if anyone notices."
Riley’s eyes lit up at the suggestion, his grin matching Sam’s. "Really? You wanna switch?"
"Yeah," Sam said, feeling a rush of excitement at the idea. "We’ll see if we’re as similar as people think we are."
Riley laughed and shrugged. "Alright, fine. I’ll be Sam tonight."
And Sam could not help but think that this is what... how things are meant to be.