The Similars

by Rebecca Hanover

  I remind Levi on the first day back after American history, “Oliver’s parents will be here on Saturday. Do you know what you’re going to say to them?”

  “Do you?” he shoots back.

  During lunch, Headmaster Ransom makes an announcement. We’re all being issued new keys.

  “First,” he explains to the hushed crowd, “let me acknowledge what you’re already thinking—that a midsemester key replacement is, indeed, a first for this institution. The old key system has served the school well for nearly two decades. Yet it has come to our attention that there are certain security limitations that we cannot overlook. Your new keys are outfitted with updated software that can track your whereabouts via GPS and serve other important safety functions. Many parents have clamored for these changes in light of the unfortunate incident that happened in the boathouse in September. With that in mind, we ask that you not, under any circumstances, remove your key from your neck.”

  Several students start to protest, but Headmaster Ransom holds up a hand and continues, “Each and every one of your parents has already signed a privacy waiver, giving Darkwood permission to virtually track your movements to keep you safe.”

  There are whispers all around. Though I don’t say it out loud, I am sure that one of the current keys’ “limitations” is the very loophole that allowed Levi to enter Oliver’s old room.

  “Once your key is initialized,” Ransom continues, “during the first twelve hours you wear it, it will learn to recognize you via your DNA, as well as several other markers that are distinctly yours and yours alone.” He doesn’t have to say it, but I’m certain that the Similars will no longer be able to swap keys with their originals, and vice versa.

  After we deposit our old keys into a metal box, new keys that look identical to our old ones are looped over our heads. I run my finger along the beveled edge of my new key, along with Oliver’s. I haven’t turned his in. No one except Levi knows that I have it, so the administration can’t ask for it back. And I’m certainly not ready to give it up, not when I haven’t discovered what Oliver was trying to tell me.

  That Saturday, with two keys rattling together under my shirt, I walk down to the field where the dedication ceremony will be held. Principal Fleischer instructed me to meet Jane and Booker fifteen minutes ahead of the ceremony to welcome them to campus. When I asked her if anyone had told them yet about Levi, she said it was none of my business.

  It’s not hard to interpret what that means. It’s up to me. For whatever reason, I’ve been left with the job of breaking the news to them. Maybe this is what Ransom wants? Maybe he thinks I’m best equipped for this heartbreaking task? I have no idea.

  When I arrive at the empty field, I’m bowled over by the beauty of the day. The sky is azure and cloudless, the expanse of grass still green in spite of the mounting cold that nips at my hands and face.

  I walk over to where a wooden stake has been hammered into the ground with a sign. OLIVER WARD HALL: DEDICATION CEREMONY. There’s a podium set up next to it, flanked by a few folding chairs.

  “Emmaline?”

  I turn and see two figures walking toward me. Booker has one arm around Jane like he’s holding her up. Her familiar face comes into view, and I’m instantly filled with love for her and for Oliver—and an intense longing for a life that will never be, not ever again.

  “Jane,” I say quietly, and before I know what’s happening, her frail arms wind around me in a hug. A few moments later, Booker clears his throat, and we pull apart.

  I finally get a good look at Jane’s face, and I’m stunned by how much older she looks now than before her whole world cracked and shifted like tectonic plates. Her forehead is lined and weary, and dark circles shadow the skin beneath her eyes. I don’t know how I’m going to do this—adding to her pain feels wrong on so many levels.

  “I’m so glad you came,” I say, and I give Booker a cursory hug as well. We’ve never been close, he and I, but I can see the toll the past few months have taken on him too.

  “Oh, Emma,” says Jane, blinking back tears. “I never thought… This isn’t…”

  “Maybe you should sit.” I pull up folding chairs for them. “Were you traveling all day? You must be exhausted.”

  Jane shrugs, and Booker rests a hand on her shoulder. “It’s hard being back on campus, knowing how happy Oliver was here,” he says as an explanation.

  “Tell us, please, Emma, about your junior year so far. We want to hear everything,” Jane says. “We love you like a daughter. That won’t ever change. Not because—” She stops, unable to say the words out loud. Not because our son has died.

  “Jane, Booker, there’s something I have to tell you.” I take in a halting breath. This is it, the moment of truth. I’m about to launch into my prepared speech when I see him in the distance, walking toward us. My heart stalls in my chest.

  Levi.

  I want to yell at him to go. Not yet! I want to shout. They’re not ready. I’m not ready. Levi meets my gaze, and it’s like he reads my mind. He pauses a couple of yards off, standing still as a statue.

  “Emma? Are you okay?” Jane asks. She starts to turn to follow my gaze, and I lower my eyes.

  “There isn’t an easy way to explain this,” I say.

  Jane and Booker stare at me quizzically, not understanding what I am trying to say. How could they?

  “The clones at Darkwood,” I say. “The ones who joined the junior class this year?”

  “We heard,” Jane says. “Three of their names were leaked. It’s all over the feeds. They were—they are—clones of Tessa Leroy, Jake Choate, and that other girl? The Huxleys’ daughter?”

  “Madison,” I supply.

  Booker whistles. “Her family can’t be too happy about that. I keep telling Jane, I wouldn’t be surprised if the National Anti-Cloning Commission got involved and petitioned the school against having them here.”

  Jane squeezes Booker’s hand. “Let’s not bore Emma with unsavory politics. You were saying, dear?”

  My mouth gapes.

  “Emmaline, honey,” Jane starts, then glances over at her husband, who nods. “What is it?”

  “As you know, there are six Similars,” I blurt. “Except one of the students was cloned and his parents weren’t notified, not like the others. At least, I don’t think they were,” I add quickly. “I would like you to meet Levi. The sixth Similar. He’s your son.”

  Dedication

  I don’t wait to hear Jane and Booker’s reaction. I motion Levi over to us.

  I don’t tell Levi I told you so, though I know in my heart of hearts I was right. Jane and Booker had no idea he existed. It couldn’t be any clearer from their faces. Oliver’s parents look lost, confused. Worse—they look torn apart.

  Levi approaches, and as Jane and Booker get their first look at him, at his Oliverian face, his too-long hair, and his gray eyes, I’m plunged back into the memory of when I first laid eyes on Levi. I know how Jane feels. Seeing Levi is like seeing a mirage or a cruel optical illusion. He is so exactly like Oliver, and yet, he is not.

  “I don’t know why no one told you…” I feel like I’m babbling. I don’t know what else to do.

  “The school left us some messages,” Booker says, his voice hollow. “We didn’t listen to all of them…” He and Jane continue to stare at Levi. Levi holds out a hand for them to shake. When they don’t move, he retracts it and slips it into his coat pocket.

  “Hey, no worries,” Levi says with a shrug. “If I were you, I probably wouldn’t want to meet me either.”

  “This is Levi,” I jump in, because he deserves a proper introduction. “Levi Gravelle. He grew up…up north. He’s smart and really good at martial arts.” It’s a bit random, but we’re all just trying to make it through this moment. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know how to tell you. When I first met him, when I first saw him…
” My eyes meet Levi’s in a silent apology. I’m bad at this, but I’m trying. I hope he knows that. “At least now we know. Your guardian lied to you. Jane and Booker never knew you existed.”

  “Is it wrong that I hoped?” Jane asks, her voice warbled and strained. Levi and I both turn to her, surprised. “Is it wrong that I dreamed this would happen?” she says to Booker. “When I heard about the clones coming to Darkwood, there was a part of me that wanted Oliver to have one. A Similar. Because after he died…” Her words melt into sobs, and Booker embraces her. “After he died, I did too.”

  Out of the corner of my eye, I see Levi sag. I get it now. This is his worst fear, that he’ll only be seen as a copy. A replacement for a dead boy.

  Before any of us can say more, students begin convening on the grassy pavilion. It’s time for the dedication ceremony. Kids are filing in, teachers too. The hush in the air is gone, and our serene, quiet space fills up with chatter. I notice Headmaster Ransom arrive and snag Principal Fleischer for what looks like an intense discussion. I watch Madison, Tessa, Archer, and Jake filter in out of the corner of my eye. Madison looks angry about something. The others look amused.

  “Will you have lunch with us, Levi? After the ceremony?” Booker asks. “Please forgive our initial shock. We would very much like to get to know you.”

  Levi nods, and then Principal Fleischer interrupts, leading Jane and Booker to the podium to speak about their son.

  * * *

  In the dining hall, I park myself at a table with a plate of pasta. It sits untouched in front of me. Across the way, I watch Jane, Booker, and Levi, who are eating together. Pippa pulls up a chair next to me, and though I haven’t had a chance to tell her about the Wards’ meeting with Levi, it isn’t hard for her to figure out what happened. Anyway, Levi probably already filled her in.

  “How did they take the news?” she asks, her voice solemn.

  “I think it’s the first time someone could say they saw a ghost and mean it literally.”

  “I’ve never understood why there weren’t told…” Pippa says.

  “The Wards had just lost their son.” I shrug. “Maybe whoever was supposed to inform them couldn’t bring themselves to do it.”

  “Maybe,” Pippa says. But she doesn’t sound all that convinced. Then her eyes widen. I follow her gaze to the feeds, where there is a picture of a familiar-looking man projected with a headline below it: MEDIA MOGUL—GUILTY AS CHARGED.

  Pippa shakes her head. “Tessa’s father, Damian Leroy. A jury found him guilty this morning on seven counts of securities fraud.”

  I’m not surprised. We’d all seen this coming, what with the media coverage of the evidence presented at trial. Yet, as I stare up at the feeds, the headlines are shocking, nonetheless: DAMIAN LEROY: BILLIONAIRE CROOK and THE LEROY DYNASTY—THE MAKINGS OF A FRAUDULENT EMPIRE.

  A slideshow of photos sweeps across the view space. Damian and his wife. Damian and their two children—Tessa and her little brother. I scan the cafeteria for Tessa, but I don’t see her.

  Then another familiar face pops up in the view space. It’s Jaeger, looking as careworn as ever, but suited in a spiffy blazer. Next to him is a young anchorman I recognize from the feeds. Pippa stiffens at the sight of her DNA father.

  “Jaeger Stanwick, thanks for being with us today,” says the anchorman. “You were the first to break the story of the FBI’s investigation of Damian Leroy’s financial reports.”

  “It wasn’t a job I relished,” Jaeger says. “Damian and I were schoolmates back in the day. He’s an old friend.”

  “And now, a convicted criminal,” the anchorman points out.

  Jaeger sighs. “Facts are facts. It was my journalistic duty to expose his corruption.”

  “Some say that your personal connection influenced your report.”

  “People say a lot of things,” Jaeger responds darkly. “That doesn’t make them true.”

  “Up next,” the anchorman says, “‘The Case for No Clones.’ Mr. Stanwick, you have a lot to say about that essay, I presume?”

  “Only that it’s indefensible,” Jaeger replies.

  “So you don’t believe the Similars are a danger to society?”

  “Absolutely not.”

  “More on that when we return. First, a word from our sponsor,” the anchorman says before the feeds cut out. I let out a heavy breath. Seeing Jaeger always makes me think of Pru.

  “Jaeger didn’t look so good,” I tell Pippa.

  She shakes her head. “No.” Then, “I wonder where Tessa is?”

  “Hiding in her room?” I do feel sorry for Tessa. Even she doesn’t deserve a father with a prison sentence.

  A burst of voices comes from across the room, and I spot Levi getting up abruptly from his table. He looks rattled, which is unusual for him. He’s always so impassive. Jane scoots back her chair to get up too, and she moves to fold Levi into her arms. Though Levi reacts stiffly, he allows her to hug him. Once Jane lets go, he takes a step back. I can’t quite tell what’s happening, but it’s clear he’s not happy. He picks up his tray of food, barely eaten, and walks out the door.

  I don’t bother to bus my tray. I ask Pippa to take care of it for me and run after Levi. He’s walking toward the woods. I hurry to catch up to him.

  “Levi!” I shout.

  “Can I help you?” he asks distantly when I reach him at the edge of the brambles. It’s quiet as a morgue out here, and there’s not a soul in sight. A voice deep down warns me that I shouldn’t be out here alone with him. What if that report is right and the Similars are dangerous? I shut the voice out of my head as quickly as it came.

  “What happened?” I ask. “What did they say?”

  “Let’s see,” says Levi. “Once they got over the shock of meeting me, they called their family lawyer. They decided to name me a beneficiary in the family will, along with their twin daughters, Chloe and Lucy. They called them my little sisters,” he says, emphasizing the word like it’s terrible. “Here’s the best part. Their lawyer is planning to shift equity in the Ward family business, so that as soon as I sign some paperwork, I’ll be gifted a large grant of super voting shares of Ward, Inc. stock. It is stock Oliver would have held…if he’d lived.”

  “I don’t understand,” I say. “They’re doing everything in their power to make you a part of their family. To be like a mom and dad to you. Why are you so upset?”

  “A mom and dad? To me? Are you delusional?”

  “No,” I say, trying not to sound too defensive. He’s in pain, I remind myself. “All I know is that if Jane Porter wanted to be my mother, it would be the best thing to ever happen to me.”

  Levi storms into the woods. I follow. He’s walking fast, as though he’s trying to outrun it all, and I hurry to keep up, my heart pounding in my chest.

  “Levi,” I cry out. “Wait!”

  He wheels on me, his breath shallow, his cheeks red. Something in his eyes makes him look lost, as though he could breathe fire. A shiver runs up my spine.

  “I would have thought you of all people would understand,” he seethes.

  “Understand what?”

  “The look on Jane’s face when she was telling me she wanted me to be a part of their family’s legacy. It was the same look you had on your face the day I met you.”

  I flinch. I remain silent as I follow him deeper into the woods. When Levi reaches a small clearing, he kicks at a bed of leaves, sending them flying. I move past him and sit on a rock, wrapping my arms around my knees.

  “You could get surgery,” I suggest. “Remake yourself.”

  “Don’t think I haven’t considered it.”

  “Would you? Change your face?” I ask. Before I can stop myself, I reach out to touch his cheek. As soon as I do, I pull back as though singed.

  “In an instant,” he says, looking directly into
my eyes. “I’ve told you that already.”

  “And now I believe you,” I say quietly. Because I am quite certain that being Levi Gravelle and living in Oliver Ward’s body isn’t something I’d wish on anyone.

  * * *

  It’s Sunday morning, and I’m meeting Jane and Booker outside the main house to say goodbye.

  “Emma?” Jane asks as I approach. If she was exhausted and emotional yesterday, today she looks wrecked. She clutches her purse, and Booker wheels a suitcase behind them.

  I pull Ollie’s letter, now careworn and wrinkled, from my pocket. “Oliver’s note, the one you sent to me? I don’t understand it. I’ve been trying to work it out, but nothing makes sense, unless…” I am not sure how to say this. “You read it, right? Who is ‘him’? Who is he talking about?” I hand Jane the note to jog her memory. “Did he know? About Levi? Did Oliver know he had a Similar?”

  “How could he have known?” Jane asks. “We didn’t know ourselves.”

  “Could someone have tried to contact you, and Ollie intercepted the message?” I know it sounds far-fetched. But still, I can’t think of any other explanation for Oliver’s note, for Oliver’s leaving.

  “Emmaline, please,” Booker jumps in. “Don’t start this—” He stops himself, his harshness dissipating, when he sees the hurt in my eyes.

  “I’m sorry, Emma,” Jane says. “We’ve been through an untold amount of stress. Booker didn’t mean…”

  I get it. I nod. Still, there’s something else I want to say to them. “Levi was upset yesterday. What you offered him, it was very generous. I’ve gotten to know him the past few months. He’s a good person. I know what everyone says about the Similars, but it’s not true. They aren’t dangerous, and I don’t think they were brainwashed—” I stop myself as Jane starts to get emotional again. “Levi deserves to be a part of a family, of your family.”