The Same But Different

 by Luca B. 

10-year-old Lottie Prescott stepped out of the buggy after her brother and ran up the porch steps, I'm so happy it's the weekend! No school. No Math, no spelling, nothing! She thought as she burst though the door. "Mama we're home." Jared, her 13-year-old brother called.
Mama was in the kitchen wearing her apron which was covered with flour, "Hello darlings, how was school?"
Lottie slumped into a chair by the table. "Ok, I guess." She eyed a tray of cookies that sat on the kitchen counter to dry, "But history was so dull."
"No it wasn't." Lily said. Lottie rolling her eyes, Lily liked boring stuff like history. Lottie just didn't understand how they could be twins and still be so different.
Then 6-year-old James spoke up, "Guess what mama? At school today I found a frog and I make a home for him in my desk!"
"Made, James, not make." Lily corrected.
Lottie walked over to her mother and hugged her, "Love you mama. Just going to my room to do something." As Lily hugged her mother she stretched her hand out to the side to grab two cookies off the tray. As she turned to head to her room Jared came up behind her. "Sneaky." He whispered.
Lottie sighed, Jared always saw through her tricks, "Please dont tell mama."
"I won't if you give me one cookie." Jared grinned.
"Fine."

***
Lottie watched her sister twirl in front of the mirror, Oh Lily. That dress looks great, but why do we have to spend all afternoon in Susie's room looking at her old dresses?
Lily's voice pulled Lottie out of her musing. "Lottie, what do you think?"
"Looks good."
"I just love this one Susie!" Lily exclaimed.
Susie smiled, "You can keep it if you like, Lily."
'Really?"
Susie smiled, "Of course, it's too small for me now anyway."
"Thanks!"
Just then Jared popped his head round the door, "Twins! Mama said we need to go."
Thank goodness! Lottie thought, I don't think I could stand to see another dress. She jumped up from her seat and raced to the door.
When Lottie got downstairs she looked around. Everyone was chatting and laughing together. Sundays where her second favorite day of the week (after Saturdays) because after church the entire family came to the Circle C ranch for lunch and often the afternoon too.
Then she spotted uncle Mitch. Mitch's wife Liberty was talking to grandmother about babies (Liberty was expecting a baby in a month or two.) Lottie walked over to her uncle, "Guess what uncle Mitch!"
He grinned, "What?"
"Spirit had her foal yesterday! And daddy's gonna let me and Lily name her! He said if it was a boy he would let Jared and James name him, but it was a girl so we are!"
"Nice, so what what are you going to name her?" Uncle Mitch picked her up and tossed her in the air.
"We haven't decided yet."
Suddenly Mitch's son Henry ran up, "My turn daddy!"
"No it's still my turn for uncle Mitch to pick me up! And I'm older so I get a longer turn!" Lottie exclaimed.
"Your only 2 years older!"
"Settled down now, Lottie let's give give Henry a chance, ok?"
"Ok." Lottie consented as uncle Mitch put her down.
"Lottie!" Mama called. "We need to leave before it gets dark."
"Coming Mama."

***
That night Lottie and Lily sat on the beds in the room they shared, talking, " Susie asked me to go riding with her and Gracie on Saturday," Lily was saying. "And I said yes but I don't really feel like going."
"Why not?" Lottie asked. in her mind she couldn't think of anything better than a day of riding.
"Are you kidding? It's summer. Do you know how hot it is outside in the day? No way."
"Sounds fun I wish I could go!"
Lily sat up, "Why don't you?"
"What? But she invited you." Lottie was confused.
"I know," Lily was getting really excited. "But we're identical twins! We could switch!"
"I don't get it."
"I could pretend to be you and you could go riding as me."
Lottie grinned, "Like a prank, Lets do it!"

***
Saturday came and there plan was set in motion. Lottie put on one of Lily's riding skirts (way less dirty than her own) and Lily got an every day dress of Lottie's.
James came into there room. He tugged on Lottie's skirt, "Came on Lily, daddy said that he is riding with you to the Circle C."
Lottie smiled, there plan was working! James thought she was Lily! "Ok."
They walked into the kitchen where to table was set for breakfast. Mama was still frying eggs And her older brother sat waiting for the food.
Lottie took a seat, "Morning Mama, morning Jared."
"Good morning, Lily. I made eggs and bacon with toast, because I know it is your favorite." Mama smiled, as she set a plate full in front of her.
Lottie groaned, Lily loved this breakfast, but she, Lottie, hated eggs. How was she going to pretend to be Lily and not eat her eggs?
Then Lily walked in. Her eyes grow wide when she saw what was for breakfast. Father came in from outside apparently he had been up early. "Good morning to my lovely family." He walked over and kissed mama. He looked at Lottie, "We're leaving right after the meal, ok?"
"Sure daddy."
Jared looked at Lottie. "You sure where hungry, you finished you eggs in five seconds."
Lottie grinned, glancing at her suddenly full skirt pocket, "Yay, I guess." Everyone else's plates where still full.
Mama when to dish food for Father but he stopped her, "It's ok darling, I'm not that hungry. Lily and I are leaving now." He took Lottie's hand and they walked out the door.

***
After Lottie dumped her breakfast somewhere nobody would find it, she sat on Lily's horse Amber and beside her, her father was on his horse Dakota. "Nice day for a ride." He said. "Oh Lily, have you and Lottie thought of a name for the new foal?"
"We each like different names. Lil- I mean, I like Jewels and Lottie likes the name Sugar, so we can't agree."
"Well, a name needs to mean something."
"What do you mean?"
Daddy smiled, "Like your name Lillian Joy, Lillian is for the Lily flower and Joy means great happiness."
"Ok, thanks daddy." Lottie wanted to ask what Charlotte meant but she did not what to give away her identity. So instead she said, "Want to race to the ranch?"
"Sure."

***
When they got to the Circle C they where hot and out of breath. Amber had won but Lottie was sure that her father had let her win.
Susie and Gracie where outside waiting for Lottie. Well, Lottie thought, I guess they're waiting for Lily and they think I'm her. Lottie thought, she suddenly felt a little guilty for lying to her family. Don't be silly, she told herself, it's just for a day, tomorrow she and and Lily would switch back. Nobody would know and Lottie would have gotten a nice ride.
"Hello Lily." Gracie said, Gracie always was nice to the twins even though she was four year older.
Uncle Justin and uncle Chad stepped out of the house, "Looks like you girls are set. Here's a picnic lunch that Nila packed. That way you can stay out all day." Chad said as he tucked something in to Susie's saddlebags.
"Thanks." Susie said, she turned to her cousins. "Race you!" She started galloping. Lottie and Gracie laughed and followed.

***
"Watch this!" Lottie told the others an hour later. "Daddy showed me how to stand up on a horse." Ok, her father had showed Lottie how in secret so mama would not know and she had learned on her own mare, Diamond, but doing it on Amber couldn't be much harder.
"Are you sure Lily?" Gracie asked.
"Of courses!" Lottie said, standing on Amber trying to balance, She did and stood tall.
Susie came over to Lottie on her horse, Honey, " that's so amazing Lily!"
"Than-" before Lottie could get her words out Amber who was unsettled at Lottie standing on her back, reared up on her hind legs and Lottie fell from her back. Honey, startled by Amber through Susie off and to the ground. Lottie suddenly landed sideways on Honey, she fell. Then everything when black.

***
Lottie awoke to Gracie shaking her, "Thank God you alive! Are you hurt?"
Lottie felt bruised from the fall but otherwise not harmed. "No, is Susie alright?"
"Look." Gracie motioned for Lottie it sit up and see. Lottie did and gave a sharp cry at the sight of her cousin. Susie lay pale and motionless with blood seeping from a long cut on the right side of her head. Her right arm bent under her at an awkward angle. Lottie turned to Gracie, "What do we do?"
"Well, if your sure your ok, you ride to the Circle C for help."
"I'm fine, I'll go right now." She slid onto Amber.
"Ride fast Lily!" Gracie called as she galloped away. Lottie felt a twinge of guilt for not telling the truth.
She pushed Amber hard, harder that she had ever pushed a horse in her life. Lottie mentality kicked herself for switching with Lily, if she had just asked to come along with her cousins instead of lying about her identity, she would be on Diamond, and Diamond was a lot faster than Amber.
"Sorry Lord," Lottie prayed, "I should have never done such a thing. Forgive me."

***
By the time Lottie reached the Circle C both she and the mare where sweating. One of the ranch hands came over to her. "Miss Lily, back so soon? Where are your cousins?"
"Sorry, I have to go!" Lottie ran past the hand. She hurry into the house and straight to where her father and uncles sat. Uncle Justin cut mid sentence off by her entrance, looked confused. Lottie rushed to her father, "Oh daddy, it was a terrible!" She cried.
"What happened darling? Why are you alone?" Father held her.
"Susie-" Lottie was still out of breath and couldn't continue.
Uncle Chad stood, "What happened to Susie?" He demanded.
"Easy Chad, let Lily get her breath back."
Lottie told the entire story, ending with, " And so I it was strange galloping a horse that belonged to Lily- Oops."
Father looked at her, "Charlotte Faith Prescott."
"Yes."
"I knew it." Father said, " you respected to Charlotte, your Lottie. Why did you lie?"
"I don't have time for this. we go get my daughter!" Uncle Chad left the room, The rest followed.

***
Lottie rode with her father to give Amber a break. Ones they arrived at the spot where Lottie had left her cousins, Uncle Chad leaped from his saddle to crouch by his daughter.
Lottie ran over to Gracie, the girls hugged.
"Lottie, you ride honey ok?" Father said.
"Ok." She replied.
Gracie frowned, "Aren't you Lily?"
Lottie sighed, "It's a long story."

***
The twins where punished for lying and a couple day later, Father, Lily and Lottie sat outside memory creek ranch house talking.
"So," Lily said, "how is Susie?"
"Better, her head and arm should be better in a couple weeks." Father replied.
"That's good." Lottie said, looking up into the sky. "Daddy, are stars all the same?"
"That's a random question, but no, look closer and you'll see each is a little different from the other."
"Like people are all different." Lily smiled, "Like Lottie and I are twins but not the same on the inside."
"Right."
Lottie jumped up, "I know, let's name the new foal, Star!"
"I love it!" Lily agreed. The twins hugged.
In the that moment the girls expressions looked identical, But inside they were unique.