Ahhh I can't believe I'm doing a multichapter story! This is my first real project so I'd love to know what you think. Huge thanks to Captain Crunk for being my beta on this, I really needed one.
If it was possible, Jess was in a better mood than usual. By the time Winston and Nick had emerged from their rooms and Schmidt had returned from the gym, she had mopped, febrezed, made pie, baked cookies and finished the knitted sweater she was now sporting over her bright pink dress as she bustled around the loft wiping surfaces and humming 'Walking on Sunshine' to herself.
"Damn girl. What did you do wrong?" Winston asked suspiciously, he and Nick taking the fresh mugs of coffee she had just poured for them as they approached the kitchen island.
Beaming brightly, Jess turned to them clutching her peppermint tea, drumming her freshly painted fingernails on the side of the cup. She'd been fidgeting with excitement all morning waiting for her roommates to show their faces. One thing she knew about herself was that she was terrible at holding in her excitement over good news. Nick was looking at her expectantly over his coffee as Winston unfolded the morning newspaper, and she couldn't contain herself any longer.
"My sister called last night," she announced giddily. "She's in LA and needs a place to crash for the weekend so she's on her way over now. I'm so excited for you guys to meet her!"
"Woah, time out," Nick said, his trademark turtle face making an appearance. "Since when have you had a sister?"
Jess rolled her eyes as a freshly showered Schmidt entered, scoffing loudly. "Nicholas, as expected, you were not listening when Jess told us about Amy. She's been in Africa for the last two years doing charity work and that's why Jess hasn't been able to speak to her until now."
Jess watched as Nick looked incredulously at Winston, who sighed over at her from across the counter. "She has mentioned her before Nick."
"Oh, wait," Nick said suddenly, a look of recognition passing over his features. "Was that the day Schmidt was wearing those leather pants? Because all I could hear that day was the squelching sound of bad life choices-"
"They keep my tushy tight. I was keepin' it tight Nick." Schmidt interrupted hotly. Jess wrinkled her nose at the memory, her gaze passing between the two men in front of her. Eager to get back to the topic of her beloved sister, she cleared her throat loudly and stepped up to the counter.
"Right guys, I want to lay down some ground rules before Amy gets here. First of all, please for the love of God gentlemen, remain fully clothed at all times. Amy's been witness to a lot of harrowing images these last couple of years and watching you flex your base might just push her over the edge." She looked pointedly at Schmidt, a horrifically offended expression on his face.
"Second," she pushed on in her singsong voice, "No fighting. I want her to think I live with normal roommates who do normal boring guy things like watch the game and talk about the weather and...you know, bird watching and stuff." She sipped the last of her tea innocently as the three men exchanged confused glances at her clearly misunderstood interpretation of what they liked to talk about. Keen to move on and noticing the guys' attention wavering, she continued.
"Last of all, please be nice to her and make her feel welcome, I know I was a little intimidated when I first came here. And as you'll see, we're very similar." She grinned at them like a Cheshire cat before turning and rinsing her mug as the guys shrugged and collectively helped themselves to cereal.
Jess and Amy had been inseparable back in Portland, but both knew their big personalities and differing aspirations would mean moving away from each other eventually. Once Jess had received her teaching degree she had set out to LA, hopes high for her dream job in her dream city. Her sister was always more of a free spirit and had taken gap years before and after her journalism course at NYU, much to their father's disdain. They often commented on how Jess had more of Bob's practical, proactive personality, whereas Amy could happily float along with Joan's carefree attitude.
The day they separated was a teary one. Both girls wore their hearts on their sleeves that day, Jess feeling very much like the star of her own movie as she sobbed openly out of the cab window, waving as Amy jogged as far as she could down the street after her before the car rounded the corner. Since then they had slowly grown to accept their lives spent mostly apart from each other, occasionally calling to catch up and giggle together like old times when they used to eat gummy bears and discuss favourite boy bands, heads dangling upside down over the side of the bed.
Of course, in recent years Amy called to discuss much more adult topics of conversation, like whether or not she should elope with her latest summer fling, Sebastian, or whether it was appropriate to smuggle African wildlife into the country. "But Jess," Amy had whined down the static-ridden phone line as they had their first real conversation in two years, "if you could see his little orphan face you wouldn't want to leave him either. They treat him so badly over here, they keep him in a cage. A cage Jess."
"I think you should reconsider sis. I think customs would notice a cheetah cub," Jess chuckled as she pushed the phone closer to her ear, grimacing as the voice on the other end crackled loudly.
If there was one thing they could rely on each other for, it was balancing out their respective amounts of crazy. It was always either Jess or Amy in a weird midlife crisis-type frenzy, never both at the same time. When Jess had sent Amy a frantic email babbling about freezing her eggs, she received a calm, collected and sensible reply. Five months later when her inbox flashed with an urgent message about Amy's genuine concern for the wellbeing of the African rainforest, she simply shook her head in amusement and emailed back in her best teacher voice, telling her to calm the hell down and carry on saving the planet one tree frog at a time.
Jess continued to wash up as she smiled at the fond memories of her sister. She had called again the night before, this time from a hotel near LAX, and asked if she could stay for a few days while she got her bearings. Ecstatic at the thought of her best friend returning with stories of her travels, Jess hadn't even hesitated. Now she felt a sense of anticipation at the thought of being reunited with Amy after such a long period of time. She had so much to tell her, and particularly wanted to discuss the subject of her lying, cheating ex-boyfriend.
As she placed a soapy bowl on the drying rack there was a sharp knock and she let out a squeal of excitement, bouncing towards the door with her roommates shuffling along in tow.
"She said and I quote, 'we're very similar'. Do you know what this means? We're gonna have two Jesses for an entire weekend," Nick huffed, reluctantly dragging his sock clad feet.
Winston chuckled beside him. "I think your cynical old man brain might just implode with all the ribbons and crocheting."
Nick shot him a glare and Jess scowled at them before she threw open the door. "Sis!" She half screeched, pulling the girl in for a hug. Her sister's giggles were muffled in Jess' shoulder as she attempted to hug her back, laden with all her travel bags. "These are my roommates, Schmidt, Nick and Winston," Jess stated as she pulled away, gesturing behind her with a grin. Nick's eyebrows shot up.
"Hi," Amy said breathlessly, dropping her bags to the floor and extending her hand to them. "I'm-"
"-A twin." Nick finished, eyebrows still buried in his hairline. "Of course, you're Jess' twin sister."
