Prelude

Since the time Nikki was born, her parents were always aware that their daughter was acting very weird. When she turned two years old, she started playing toy guns and robots but there are times that she threw them away and play with her dolls instead. Same thing continued happening everyday that even made her parents confuse. Sometimes she watches Barbie movies and then sometimes you see her watching Justice League shows.

One time, when she was already seven years old and just entered her first grade, she cried when one of her male classmate kept teasing her but everyone was surprised when she stood up wiping her tears and gave the little boy a spank in the face (as what she usually saw Superman was doing to his foes). Nellie, her mother was sent to the principal's office immediately for her daughter's offense.

"Mrs. Marlowe, I am very disappointed at your daughter's actions and I'm afraid I have to suspend her for the rest of the week as detention." Said the principal, Mr. Hentson, as he twitches his huge, round eyeglasses and set it above his crooked nose. Nellie kept looking at her silent daughter sitting at the couch, just beside her, playing with her fingers. She turned to Mr. Hentson and gave a weak smile.

"I apologize, Mr. Principal," Nellie stated. "But I can't blame my daughter for her transgressions. She may look normal, but she isn't what she supposed to be. But I assure you I would confine her as you had directed. Thank you." Nellie stood up and took Nikki's little arm and gracefully aided her out the principal's office. She held Nikki as they walk out the building and went to the parking lot. Nellie went to the driver's seat and waited for Nikki to finally climb up and pulled her seatbelt. They rode through the avenue without a word until Nellie started the conversation.

"You know, you have caused your sister some trouble on your first day in school, Nick." She said as if she was talking to a little boy. Then, as Nikki lowered her head, she uttered a soft apology. Nellie gave her a gentle brush on her short hair and flicked the small pink ribbon clip that stick at her bangs. "I know you've come out to save her but spanking a close friend for revenge? Not a good idea, Nick."

"He's not my 'close' friend, mom, not even 'good'." She answered in a little boyish tone; soft but hard. Nellie gave a shake of her head and didn't add another word for Nikki's protest.

Moment later, they were in a small clinic just at the edge of the city and they were entering the door. A small, old woman greeted them with a wide, toothless grin, "Why, hello, Mrs. Marlowe! And well, look who's here?"

"Nick" simple word Nellie gave to indicate that Nikki was 'off' and Nick was 'on'. The old woman gave out again one of her toothless grin and patted Nick on the shoulders but made her way to the main counter. "Ms. Ricks, is Dr. Pevery 'in' today?" Nellie asked the old woman who was walking away. Ms. Ricks gave a slight turn and a nod to denote the attendance of the person Nellie's looking for.

Nellie went to a room just a meter away from the sofa that lies across the clinic. She opened her hand behind her suggesting Nick to hold her hand as she went inside the room. There they saw a man, just a little younger than Ms. Ricks, wearing a white lab-gown over his blue polo shirt that was secured with a striped, red necktie. He turned to see the mother and child and exposed his nearly-bald head and gray beard. He also has a small round spectacle hanging just in front of his right eye and a stethoscope that hangs around his stubby neck.

"Why, if it isn't Mrs. Marlowe and …" he paused looking intently at Nick. "Nick?" he added jerking his spectacle as he moves his head closer to the little girl. Nick nodded. Nellie ordered little Nick to go toward the doctor and he was lifted to sit at the bed covered with white linen fabric.

"Did she just switch?" asked the doctor glancing at Nellie.

"Yes, doctor. And he also made a little trouble on his first day of school." She reported putting her hands on her waist and looking a little limp. Then the doctor moved to face Nick.

"Do you know what's happening to your body, Nick?" asked the doctor. "…or preferably, your mind?"

He gave a shake of his head as he continued to look at the doctor. "I really don't know, doctor, but I think I am supposedly to be a twin brother who didn't able to form my own body and now shares with my sister's." said Nick with his cute little boyish tone.

"Maybe… but the most preferred term for your situation is you have a 'Multiple Personality Disorder'. When you're older, you can understand this easily, but as of now we will stick to that idea of yours." Mr. Pevery said giggling, as if his joke was a bit funny.

The he turned to Nellie, "What I don't understand is that Nichole was born with this disorder yet almost all people with this case obtained it due to severe physical abuse and gone with trauma."

Nellie came closer and crossed her arms in her chest, "So, what does this mean, doc?"

The doctor gave a slight shrug, "I don't know yet, but for the record, your daughter has the rarest case of all MPD cases, Mrs. Marlowe. And the majority for this, usually, people only changes into different personalities but in Nichole's case, she has two totally different gender-based characters, which is female & male, that not just changes unconsciously but it's as if they had mind of their own switching whenever they want and they can also talk to each other telepathically."

"So you're saying that my daughter has MPD but not like the usual MPD case? Then what should I do to help her, doc?" Nellie implied worriedly as she stares at her little girl altering looks from her mother to the doctor and back to her mother again.

"For now, just teach her how to control her personalities as not to confuse her and can adapt to her surrounding without getting into a misunderstanding with anyone. Let her have equal control of the 'female' and her 'male' personalities to avoid conflict between them and won't hurt her self. Her 'male' personality possesses such aggressiveness that she can cause harm to other people. As for her 'female' personality, she may be a little soft but she too is as aggressive as the 'male' counterpart." The doctor reminded as he accompanied his patient and her mother to the clinic's main door. "And please do help me as I also search for other doctor that specializes on your daughter's case."

"Yes, doctor. Thank you." Nellie replied as they went back to their car. The doctor kept talking even after she closed the door of her car. Mr. Pevery glanced at Nick who was sitting at the back, "Nick?"

Nick looked at the doctor and gave a smile, "Yes?"

"Be good to your sister, okay?"

"Yes, doctor, I will."

Mr. Pevery returned to the mother, "I'll see both of you next time, Mrs. Marlowe." And Nellie nodded then started the engine. Nick gave a wave at the doctor as the car began to move and ran along the silent streets.

"Mom, am I that different from others?" Nick asked innocently staring at his mother through the mirror. Nellie glanced at him with a smile, "You're not different, sweetheart. You are 'special'."