Doppelganger by David Stahler Jr.

so much the face, but the hair and the clothes, the backpack. It was all so familiar. Those parents probably never found their daughter, just like at some point Echo’s brother would disappear and she and her parents would never find him. It was only a matter of time. And I was the only one who knew it.
    Of course, my mother would have a different take. “ You’re overthinking things ,” she’d probably say. “ Just become the form. Forget about your own miserable self for once .”
    And she would probably be right.
    Â 
    Later that evening Echo knocked, then poked her head in. I hit the mute button.
    â€œSupper’s ready,” she said. “Mom told me to get you. She made yellow meal.”
    â€œOkay,” I said, wondering what “yellow meal” was. I got out of bed and followed Echo down the hall.
    â€œYellow meal” turned out to be frozen fish patties heated in the oven, Kraft macaroni and cheese, and canned corn. Apparently it was my favorite. To be honest, it was pretty good, if a bit monochromatic, and I was hungry, too, having eaten only half a can of beans in the last two days. Still, I was supposed to be sick, so I poked the food around the plate a bit at first. I figured sick people weren’t supposed to seem too eager.
    â€œStill not feeling great, huh?” Sheila asked, watching me. “By now you’ve usually inhaled your first plate and reloaded for seconds.”
    Before I could answer, she turned and hollered into the living room.
    â€œBarry, get in here! Your supper’s getting cold!”
    A minute later Barry came in, the smoke from the last drag of his cigarette still trailing from his nostrils. He swigged the remnants of his beer and set it down next to the two other empty cans on the counter.
    â€œYou left the TV on, Dad,” Echo said. Barry turned to her but didn’t say anything, and after a second Echo looked down at her food.
    â€œHow was work?” Sheila asked.
    â€œA bitch. Big delivery in the morning, then a bunch of pipes broke at the hospital and I had guys coming in all afternoon looking for this and that. I told Mitch, another day like that and he could find himself a new manager.”
    â€œCareful,” she said, “he might take you up on it.”
    â€œFunny, Sheila,” he said. “He knows he could never make it without me there to run things for him.”
    â€œI suppose,” she replied.
    â€œNo supposing,” he said.
    Then nobody said a word. We all just ate, staring at our plates, glancing up from time to time to see if anyone else was glancing up, and then ducking our eyes back down. Finally Barry broke the silence.
    â€œAnd what about you?” he said, turning to me. “Is the little pansy going to be feeling good enough to go to school tomorrow?”
    â€œBarry, stop it,” Sheila said.
    â€œWell, the game against Waterbury’s coming up this weekend. I don’t care how good a linebacker he is, if hemisses another practice, coach might not start him.”
    â€œI’m feeling better,” I said.
    â€œWell, start acting like it. You know, you look kind of funny. All pale and everything. Jesus, no wonder Amber doesn’t call anymore.” He started laughing.
    â€œBarry, leave him alone,” Sheila said. “Things are going fine with Amber. Isn’t that right, Chris?” She turned and looked at me expectantly.
    â€œSwimmingly,” I said. I’d heard people say it in the movies before, and I always liked the sound of it. Unfortunately it didn’t go over well with Barry.
    â€œSwimmingly?” he said, scrunching up his face. “What are you, a faggot or something?”
    â€œNo,” I said. “I just meant things were all right, that’s all.”
    â€œSwimmingly,” Echo said, then giggled to herself. She liked the word too.
    â€œShut up, Echo,” her father barked.
    â€œSwimmingly,” Echo