Double Life

My name is Sofia Prescott and Amahle Bhele. I know, you're very confused right now. Don't

worry. I'm not crazy with two personalities or a secret superstar wearing a wig. I'm actually one girl who has two living bodies. When I'm Sofia, I live in Los Angeles, California with my mother Monica Prescott. I have golden blonde locks with smooth pale skin and baby blue eyes. Plus, I have a yummy boyfriend named Jonathan. When I'm Amahle I have chestnut brown hair with warm brown skin, adorable dimples and dark brown eyes. I live in Cape Town, South Africa with my older brother (Fredrick Bhele), my two little sisters (Hannah and Emily Brown), my mother (Kholwa Bhele-Brown) and her husband, my step father (Cedric Brown). A lot to keep track of.

One problem I run into is obviously time conflicts. But ever since I started getting homeschooled and was diagnosed with narcolepsy in my life as Sofia, it’s been easier to explain my sleep schedule. Now I know you're still confused about my two lives or double life as I call it. I’m still confused about it sometimes. All I know is I fall asleep in one body and I am instantly in the other. I actually have never slept a day in my life.I just close my eyes and open them back and wake up. It’s been like this ever since I could remember.

And no, one life isn't just a recurring dream, ruled that out a long time ago. I thought my life as Sofia was a dream until I was eight. I got a cut from a nasty fall on my arm as Sofia and had one in the same exact place on my other body. After that, I started testing my bodies to see what would happen to the other. Finally, after researching myself and my family in both bodies, I realized I am two girls and if one body gets harmed the other suffers too. That was a bit much to take in at eight but I’m seventeen now and my double life couldn’t be better.

Right now I am in the body of Sofia and coming back from my grandma’s house with my mom. I’m squeezing my pink stress ball and looking out the window. My mom looks at me and gives me a ginormous grin. She looks just like me, but older and way prettier. The golden blonde hair, the smooth pale skin and the baby blue eyes. If she didn’t have me, she’d probably be my doppelganger.

“What are you thinking about?” my mom says to me.

“Nothing just about my other life…” I laugh as if it's a joke and she joins. If only she knew how serious I was… She would probably think I’m insane and put me in a mental institution. I look at the clock. Dang it! It’s 3:22 A.M. I have to get back to my other life because I'm in school right now and class is almost over.

“I'm gonna get some shut eye mom.” I say as I sit back, get comfortable and close my eyes. After a few minutes of drowning the radio out, I open them and I'm back in Ms. Flora's class laying in a puddle of my disgusting slobber of drool and getting laughed at by my best friend Tessa. I’m definitely Amahle

“Dang Le, when you’re out you’re out cold!” Tessa whispers, trying not to disturb the class as if she cared if the teacher lectured her on the ‘fundamentals of learning’ one more time. I roll my eyes at her and smirk. If only she knew where I went and why I probably seem like I’m dead or something. Not that I’ve ever seen myself sleeping. I’ve thought about recording myself but felt weird doing it. I just imagine that I look lifeless because well, I’m in another life. Also, this isn’t the first time I’ve been told I’m a very deep sleeper. My family tells me that all the time and as Sofia I’ve been diagnosed with narcolepsy I look forward to the front of the class to see what Ms. Flora assigned for homework. This is the best Math class I’ve ever been in. Ms. Flora is old so she never notices when I take a little trip to Los Angeles to see what’s happening there. One time, I had a full hookup with Jonathan during ‘independent work’ and she didn’t even realize.

The door near the front opens slowly and I know exactly who it is before they come in.

Calvin, the new student from New York. In he walks, with his messy curly dark brown hair and deep brown eyes to match. He’s got light brown skin and he’s really tall, kind of like Jonathan, maybe taller. He got here 3 months ago and he seems really cool. I have a couple classes with him, one being Ms. Flora’s Math class. This is where we met, He walked up to me while I was explaining the California weather to Tessa. He tried correcting me about something but I instantly shut him down. How is a boy from New York going to correct me about my home state? I couldn’t use that as an argument of course but Google did the trick. After that we’ve had more and more conversations but not enough that I’d call us friends. We just talk in the classes we have together. Still it was nice to have a kind of friend who kind of gets both sides of me, being from America.

Calvin always walks in the class late and super slow, I guess because he’s trying not to disturb the class. But the class is almost over and he’s never been this late. I wonder why…

“Look Le, it’s your boyfriend” Tessa whispers with an annoying snicker after. She insists that I like Calvin and that he and I would make the cutest couple but as I said before I have a boyfriend in my other life. Jonathan Velasquez. He’s the absolute best. He’s got beautiful deep tan skin, sandy brown hair that’s silky and hazel brown eyes. His cheeks are kind of puffy but in a cute way. He’s really tall, 6 foot 1 to be exact. I’m not that far off, in both of my bodies I’m 5 foot 9. I tower over a lot of girls. But kissing Jonathan would be hard if I was petite and dainty so thank goodness. Anyway, I’m in love with Jonathan. It would be cheating to go after Calvin if I felt something… Wouldn’t it?

Calvin walks in, takes his seat and smiles at me. I stick my middle finger up at him and we both laugh. Ow! A rushing headache just came out of nowhere. My head is throbbing, I look at Tessa, she’s always got some type of drug from Tylenol to Weed.

“Got any pain killers for a headache” I whisper with my hand on my head. Tessa shakes her head, making me groan. I raise my hand and ask to use the bathroom and Ms. Flora dismisses me from class even though there’s 5 minutes left in the period. I quickly put all my books and my pink stress ball (identical to the other) in my bag and speed walked to the bathroom. I go to the sink and look in the mirror, this pain is unbearable. What’s going on? I begin splashing water on my face when I start to hear voices. But not like I’m ‘mentally unstable’ type of voices. It’s like I’m somewhere else. I hear someone crying.

“It’s okay mamn.” A soft voice says, “we just need to know her name.’

“It’s.. it’s… Sofia… Sofia Prescott.” My mom cries. Wait, I'm not Sofia, I’m Amele. Why am I hearing my Mom as Sofia? What’s going on? The headache gets stronger, I look up from the sink and look in the mirror. I see myself as Sofia but I look bruised and bloody. What the hell!? What’s going on in my other body? I take a step back. I feel woozy. I don’t know what’s happening. I’m really scared. I hear ringing and begin to lose my footing. I plummet onto the floor and my eyes start closing. I guess I’m about to find out what’s happening. I close my eyes.