"Replica03 - Another Amy - Kaye, Marilyn" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kaye Marilyn)

"She's just like me, Mom. She's a clone. And if she doesn't know that already, she should."
"Amy, please. Stay away from her."
"I can't! I want to know her. She'll want to know me."
"You can't be sure of that," Nancy argued. "That girl could be perfectly happy and contented just as she is." She let out a sigh. "You know, as a teacher, I never thought I would say this. But sometimes ignorance is bliss."
Amy countered this with another classic saying. "And the truth will set you free."
"Amy . . ."
"Mom, she's like me. She could be in danger, like me. She needs to be warnedЧshe has to stay alert. She can't protect herself unless she knows everything about herself. She has a right to know the truth."
"She doesn't need to learn it from you," Nancy pointed out.
"Then who is she going to learn it from?"
Nancy fell silent. Amy returned to the bed and sat down. Nancy put an arm around her. Finally she spoke.
"I can't forbid you to seek out this girl, Amy. But do meЧand her, and yourselfЧa favor. Go easy on her. Be very, very careful. Keep in mind what a shock it was to you when you found out who you really are. If, and I repeat, if, this girl is a clone and doesn't know it, the revelation could be traumatic."
"I'll be careful," Amy assured her. "I'll understand how she feels. We're identical, Mom, remember?"
"But even if it's true, if she is another Amy, remember that you're only identical in a genetic sense."
"Isn't that everything?"
"Not at all. You may have been born with identical genetic structure, but since then you've had different upbringings. The way someone is nurtured, the values she learns, the experiences she hasЧthese help to make a person what she is. Science has shown us that identical twins who are separated at birth may end up having a lot in common, but their personalities can be totally different. This girl, this actressЧshe may not be the kind of person you think she is."
Amy considered this. "I won't know until I know her, will I?" She leaned over to get another glimpse of herself in the mirror. Nancy put her hand under Amy's chin and gently drew her face to meet her own.
"Just be careful, Amy. You don't know what you're getting yourself into here."
Amy didn't want to be rude, but she couldn't resist saying, "Neither do you."
"That's true," Nancy said. "And I know I'll never be able to completely understand what you feel. I've learned that I have to let you live your own life." She leaned forward and kissed Amy's forehead. "Just always remember that I love you. You may not be the child of my body, but you're the child of my heart. And I don't want to see you get hurt, in any possible way."
Amy hugged her mother. "It's okay, Mom. I can deal with this." She spoke with a confidence that she really felt.
Nancy didn't look anywhere near as confident. But Amy couldn't expect her to. After all, Nancy hadn't just come face-to-face withЧ
Suddenly Amy knew what to call the actress. Not a clone, a twin, or a replica.
A sister.


6

Amy had warned Tasha by phone that she wanted to get to school a half hour earlier than usual the next morning. It was only in the past few months that Tasha had gotten into the habit of showing up at Amy's door on time. Amy wasn't holding much hope that Tasha would come by for her early.
But once again, she underestimated her best friend. Precisely thirty minutes before their usual departure time, Tasha was on the doorstep. When Amy opened the door to her, Tasha yawned in her face.
"Don't expect me to be too upbeat," she grumbled. "I've had thirty minutes less sleep than I'm used to. I hope you appreciate the sacrifice."
"I do, I do," Amy said, feeling upbeat enough for the two of them. "Mom! Tasha's here, I'm leaving!"
"Have a nice day, girls," Nancy called from upstairs. "And Amy, please, remember what I said."
"I'll remember," Amy called back. She hurried out the door before her mother could remind her again.
"Remember what?" Tasha asked.
"Mom doesn't want me to pounce on the actress," Amy said cheerfully. "She says I should take it easy when I talk to her, because she might not know anything about herself. It could be a real trauma for her when she finds out."
"And you're going to tell her?" Tasha asked in alarm. "No offense, Amy, since she may be your clone, but after seeing the way she behaved yesterday, I wouldn't want to be giving her any news she doesn't want to hear."
"Give me some credit," Amy said. "I'm not going to throw my arms around her and yell, 'Hey, sister!' I'll have to win her trust first and make friends with her."
"How do you plan on doing that?"
"First I'll go by the trailer and apologize for bursting in on her yesterday."
Tasha was skeptical. "I hope you get a chance to say something before she starts screaming again."
"She won't scream," Amy said with confidence. "She's had time to recover from the shock and get used to the idea that someone looks like her. She'll be curious, and she'll want to talk to me."
"And while you two are having your heart-to-heart, clone-to-clone conversation, what am I supposed to be doing? Just sticking around in case she goes on the offensive and you need help fighting her off?"
"Don't be silly," Amy scolded her. "Once she becomes my friend, she'll be your friend too."
"Goody, goody," Tasha commented.
"Don't be sarcastic. Tasha, think about it, this could be great for you. If you guys become friends, you'll be able to get all the inside dope about the movie. She'll introduce you to all the important people, maybe even arrange for you to watch some of the filming. You'll write a brilliant article for the Journal and become a famous reporter!"
"Yeah, I guess that could happen," Tasha said thoughtfully.
"Of course, if the conversation between me and the actress gets really intense and we start talking about stuff you wouldn't understandЧ"
"Don't worry, I'll know when my presence is no longer desired."
Amy smiled at her friend gratefully. Then she glanced over her shoulder.
"If you're looking for Eric, forget it," Tasha told her. "There's no way he'd get out of bed thirty minutes early."