At First Glance

The Tweedles

    "Cameron was thirty minutes late for training," I type out a text to Regina. Scrolling up, there's an impossibly long string of what I've come to call my tattle notes about Cameron's ability to show up for training, or lack thereof. None of the texts receive a response, and if it wasn't for read receipts, I'd swear Regina didn't even look at them. That and the fact that every time Cameron shows up to train, he shoots me dirtier and dirtier looks. 

    Right now, he's in with his trainer working on some cardio as punishment for yesterday's lateness. If there's one thing Cameron hates, it's cardio. If it's even possible to stomp while running full-out sprints on a treadmill, Cameron does it. If he'd actually show up on time for anything, this could easily be avoided. I get that downtown traffic sucks, but I have to take multiple forms of public transportation to get to work every single day, and I always manage to be on time, if not early. I'm sure Cameron wouldn't be caught dead on public transportation, even if he wouldn't be swarmed by hormone-driven teenage girls and the paparazzi. 

    I'm working on scheduling a group class for 3 and 4-year-olds when two guys burst through the front door with the energy of escaped puppies. At first, I think I'm seeing double, but then I realize that they're twins. They both have close-cropped brown hair, deep tans, and athletic builds. I recognize them from pictures of the elite gymnastics squad - Hunter and Clayton Jenkins, Cameron's best friends. 

    "Woahhhh! New girl alert!" One exclaims to the other, nudging him with his arm. They whip off their sunglasses in sync and grin at me. I blink again, their mirrored movements making me feel like I'm in the twilight zone. I'm still trying to focus when they dash around the desk, enclosing me between them.

    "What's your name, new girl?" This time the other twin speaks, both of them still smiling.

    "I'm... I'm... My name is A-Amy," I stutter, overwhelmed by their high energy. 

    "A-Amy! Is that like A-Aron?" The first twin chuckles. 

    "Nametag says Amethyst, the girl says A-Amy, I'm guessing it's just Amy...?" The second twin asks, seeming to read the vibes I'm giving off. I give a nod and he nods back. "I'm Clayton, but everyone calls me Clay."

    "Well I call you Tweedledee, and you're Tweedledum," Cameron says, slapping the back of Clay's head and then the back of Hunter's. He'd come up behind us so quietly, nobody had heard him approach. The three guys dissolve into a combination of mock-fighting and hugs.

    "And you're the freaking Cheshire Cat, aren't you CamCam?" Hunter pokes Cameron affectionately in the cheek. Catching my confused look, he explains. "Mom put Clay and I in gymnastics at the same time Cam got into it. Unlike Cam who had the natural talent, Mama Jenkins was just trying to get the two of us to stop maiming each other from our hyperactivity. Our first coach nicknamed us Tweedledee and Tweedledum, and it just kinda stuck. Cameron's the Cheshire because not only does he have mad gymnastic skills, he's successfully picked up every single girl that wa-"

    "Quit!" Cameron barks, shoving Hunter in a way that's a little less friendly this time. Hunter obediently shuts his mouth and looks away. I look between the three of them, a fairly dark mood descending.

    "Anyways... If you need to tell us apart," Clay says, stepping towards me and opening his eyes wide. I gasp and he chuckles. "Yep, I've got one green eye and one blue one. Hunter's are both grey."

    "But I'm older and better looking!" Hunter waggles his eyebrows at me mischievously. 

    "By two minutes, and you're Tweedledum," Clay counters. A loud whistle sounds from inside the gym and all three boys' heads turn immediately like there's some kind of otherworldly pull to the sound. 

    "You said my mother wasn't here," Cameron spits at me coldly. 

    "Oooh... the Red Queen returns!" One of the twins exclaims. I can't tell if it was Hunter or Clay because my eyes are fixed on Cameron's and I'm unable to look away. Now, of all times, my aversion to eye contact fails me. 

    "She wasn't... I didn't see her pull up so she must've parked on the side of the building or in back," I say. I'm finally able to tear my eyes away from his and survey the full parking lot to the best of my abilities. 

    "It's not enough that you're her informant, now you're lying for her? Pathetic..." Cameron sighs dramatically, turning away from me and heading back toward the doors leading to the gym. Hunter follows him immediately, but Clay lingers for a second. My shoulders slump in defeat.

    "Hey, don't let him get to you. He gives everyone a hard time because..." Clay shakes his head for a second, searching for words. "Well, it's hard for him to trust that people want to get to know him for him, and not just for his fame."

    I nod and Clay rests his hand on my shoulder for a second reassuringly before following Cameron and his brother. As I step back up to the desk and start scheduling again, my mind is spinning. I can understand what Clay means about people using Cameron for his connections or even his money. On the other hand, all I want is to be able to go to work every day and feel at least halfway competent at what I'm doing. Right now, that's pretty hard because I'm torn between being Regina's minion and trying to earn a single ounce of respect from Cameron. All I know is that while I'm caught between Regina and Cameron Symms, my life at Symms Gyms is going to be really, really interesting.