Janus Complex 02 (Patreon)

Janice walked through the school halls in a hurry without speaking or paying attention to anyone. She was used to ignoring the attention she and her twin caused but she was not prepared for Janine to be flirting on day one. All she wanted to do was get out as quickly as possible, out of the sight of the rest of the students. She just wanted to push through the school day and go home.

“Janice…” Janine said, trying to get her attention.

Janice continued walking, ignoring her. She had had enough of her antics.

“Janice!” Janine said again, more firmly.

Janice continued to ignore her, walking swiftly through the halls.

“Janice. Stop!” Janine said angrily. At that moment, Janice felt her legs stop, almost making her stumble. She dropped her books as she skidded abruptly to a half.

“Janine, give me my legs back,” she ordered her twin.

"No! You are ignoring me and that’s not cool!"

“I ignore you because you are annoying.” Janic said. “I’m trying SO HARD to get through this day without becoming the hot gossip of the day so can we PLEASE try to be normal for once?”

The students around her stopped and stared. She was making a scene.

“For once?” Janice whispered, her cheeks turning red.

Janine sighed. She took a foothand out of a shoe to pick up their books and hand them back to Janice’s arms. While she didn’t give back control of the leg’s she did, at the very least, move the two to a stairwell, where they could talk in at least a bit more privacy and peace.

“I’m really sick of this,” Janine said. “I’m sick of you treating me like some sort of pimple on your back. I’m my own girl and I can talk to whoever I want.”

“Not in the middle of class!” Janic said. “Everyone else was focusing on their work and you were doing nothing but flirting with that guy the whole time!”

“So? What if I wanted to flirt with him?”

“So you make a big deal about being your own girl but I don’t see you being your own girl? Tell me, where’s your essay?” Janice barked. “You are a student too right? You are your own girl? Did you do any work? Or are you exempt from work because you face backwards all day.”

“Screw you,” Janine said.

“Screw you!” Janice shot back. “I have more respect for myself than to flirt with every guy that doesn’t treat us like a circus freak. So I’m going to study, I’m going to get into a good university, and I will drag you along kicking and screaming whether you like it or not!”

The two were silent for an awkwardly long time before Janine was willing to speak up again.

“Don’t you think there are more important things than getting good grades?” she asked.

“Like what?” replied Janice.

“I don’t know… having fun? Making friends? Trying new things? … Dating?”

“Hah!” Janice laughed. “You know that ship has sailed. Every single guy we have ever tried to go out with has been a meathead. At best they are into us just because of our mutation and at worst they get freaked out after date one. You already know that conjoined mutants like us have SUCH a hard time dating.”

“Yeah but it happens!” Janine protested. “Besides, conjoined twins were around WAY before mutants were around, and they often managed to have successful love lives. They just have to work at it, and SOMEONE here doesn’t want to work at it.”

Janice rolled her eyes, “It is HILARIOUS that you would scold me about not doing work you know that?”

“Seriously though! We are turning eighteen and we haven’t had a single boyfriend! Just lots and lots of failed dates. It’s frustrating!” Janine whined. “And it’s frustrating because whenever things get difficult you cut and run, just like all the other meatheads. You push every single guy I meet away and it’s starting to get tiresome.”

“It’s their fault, not mine! And what, do you think that that kid that sits behind us is gonna be any different?”

“His name is Asher!” Janine said. “And to be honest he was kind of sweet.”

“You barely exchanged words with him!” Janice said, rolling her eyes once more. “Are you THAT desperate?”

“I’m not desperate,” rebuked Janine. “I just have a good feeling. I’m ALLOWED to be attracted to boys OK? Do me a favor and just let me talk with him?”

“You’ve gotta be kidding me…”

“Please! It’s my senior year too!”

Janice sat long in thought until finally giving in. “Fine, FINE, fine. You can talk to him but on one condition.”

“What’s that?”

“You are doing at LEAST half of our schoolwork. And no talking during class! It was mortifying when the teacher called on me.”

“No promises…” Janine said.

“Remember, we are sharing a body, and I can fight you every step of the way. I’m sure squabbling won’t be particularly attractive.”

“OK, OK, I’ll share the work and you share the flirt deal?”

“Deal.” Janice said.

“YAY!” Janine said, jumping up and clapping her foothands in the air. Unfortunately she wasn’t able to get them underneath her in time to prevent the two from falling to the ground with a heavy thud, their books scattering everywhere.

“I’m already regretting it,” Janice sighed.