Twins. They speak in unison, finish each other’s sentences, wear matching clothing, and are perfect carbon copies of one another. Right?

Wrong. For Kayla and Kyla Shepard, it isn’t just about seeing double. In fact, their differences reach far beyond the number of A’s in their names.

Mr Grieves, English teacher to the twins explains, “They see things differently, they phrase things differently, they might hold a few things in common but, no, it’s wonderful just getting to know both of those young ladies.”

Unlike what popular stereotypes say, the girls haven’t taken advantage of their similar looks. Still, the similarity causes enough trouble on its own.

Kayla said, “It’s pretty easy for people to meet us and not know the difference.”

“Like when people see us they think there’s just one of us. They think we just switch a lot,” Kyla recounted.

Kayla also recalled a common example:

CLASSMATES: “Didn’t you just have red hair? (referring to Kyla’s candy-red hairstyle.)

KAYLA: “No?!”

Some peers obviously don’t even know they are twins.

Kayla continued, “I have to tell a lot of people, ‘Yeah, I have a twin sister’ and they’re like ‘What? You have a twin?’ and I’m like ‘Yeah, I have a twin sister.’ ‘Are you sure?’ ‘Yeah, I’m sure’.”

So what exactly sets these two sisters apart?

Kayla claimed, “Kyla’s more goofy than I, and I take a lot of things seriously and she doesn’t.”

Kyla, not to be outdone, retaliated, “She’s a big worrier. I’m the twin that is not gonna worry about it like that. She worries to the point… she just like, she just…” Kyla, not being able to find the words let out a strangled noise, imitating her sisters anxiety and voicing her distaste for it in one syllable.

“She just scratches her own eyes out, like, she worries… She worries about every little thing that goes on in her life. She’s very, she’s extremely sensitive. It’s OK to be sensitive. I’m not saying you can’t be sensitive. But she’s the overboard. That’s how sensitive she is. She’s like a little flower. I’m more, like, not a flower. If that makes sense.”

Kayla indignantly defended herself, “I am maybe over-sensitive or worrisome all the time, but she doesn’t worry enough. She doesn’t worry about stuff that you should worry about, like, she doesn’t worry about if she gets a bad grade on a test… I remember recently I just found out that I had straight A’s and one C+ and I cried because I had that C+, and she’s like ‘why are you crying?’ ”

Kyla quickly shifted from a teasing tone to a more apologetic one, “ I don’t mean to be that way but I’m just not as sensitive. It’s just like, girl, man up, you know? It’s gonna be a rough ride….I’m the type of person like that if I see something negative I’m not gonna reminisce on it I’m just gonna move on with it. I’m gonna accept it and move on with it. She, she likes to sit there and marinates in it… and I’m lookin’ at her like ‘Girl, stop doing that. Like, stop it, be happy!’”

Even though Kayla claims she is the more sensitive of the two, she admitted she also is the less empathetic one, “I’m more outspoken than Kyla is. Like, it’s not hard for me to hurt somebody’s feelings.”

Kyla didn’t let her sister shoulder all the guilt, though, “It’s not hard for me to hurt no one’s feelings either, you just have to push me to that point.

She’s that twin where she’s not gonna be nice to you first. I’ll be nice to you first until you make me mad and then I turn into her,” Kyla concludes with a triumphant laugh.

Not only do their personalities set them apart, but their hobbies do as well.

“I’m more of a home person. I like to write poetry, and write little stories, or draw or sketch,” Kyla said.

On the other hand, Kayla explained, “In my time, I like to watch TV, I love going shopping like I love buying stuff…”

Kyla laughed, “No you don’t.”

Kayla asserted the fact: “I do love buying stuff. Dad thinks that I love saving money [but] we both love spending our dad’s money. I lost my wallet and he flipped. I found it, but I didn’t tell him because he’s probably gonna make me pay for my own stuff so…”

Both girls paused, some mutual thought was reached, and they both let out a solemn “Yeahhhh…”

Naturally, while on shopping, the topic of fashion was brought up. Kayla stated, “I like buying lip gloss (“Yes, I LOVE lip gloss!”) I like buying shirts. Kyla’s in love with crop tops and leggings. I’m more of a jean kinda person. I like holes in my jeans, you know.

“That’s what I’m wearing!” Kayla laughs.

“I love shoes sandals, boots,” she added.

Kyla interjected, “I’m more of a tomboy, she’s such a girly girl.”

Confirming this, Kayla said, “I like to dress cute and stuff.”

“I’m like the opposite, I’m more like the sneaker-head. I wear sneakers,” elaborated Kyla.

Kayla confessed, “I get cute just to walk around the house. I wear lip gloss before I go to bed. Seriously.”

“I don’t find that to be normal, but she does for some reason,” said a skeptical Kyla.

Kayla, not very apologetic, said “I’m not really normal…”

Despite their many differences, however, both of the girl’s favorite memories revolve around their love of dancing.

Kayla recalled the first time she saw her sister onstage, “I saw her out there dancing and I was like ‘Oh, I can’t wait to get up there and dance!’”

Kyla shared a very similar memory, “My favorite memory was the time when we danced together for the, um, festival… our duet.”

Kayla, remembering the event, confirmed the duet and is quick to draw a connection, “I think my favorite was watching her dance and her favorite.”

Kyla continued the train of thought, “ My favorite was dancing with her.”

“You see how different we are?” Laughed Kayla.

One thing’s for certain: it is evident that Kayla and Kyla share a bond far beyond that of just any pair of siblings.

Kyla struggled to explain their relationship, “When it comes down to it, you’re never by yourself, you know what I’m sayin’? Just say you go to a new school. You have somebody to talk to, you have somebody to sit with. So you’re never by yourself and that can be a good thing and can be a positive thing. You know, because she likes to come in my room a lot and just talk my head off.”

They both giggled.

“The only thing Kyla wants to talk about with me is boys,” Kayla accused, still smiling. Then she continued, “Things can get annoying too ‘cause when she annoys me like… I can’t leave!” she said in amused desperation, “We live in the same house so I can’t just leave and never come back or never talk to her again…”

“Oh my goodness when we apart…” Kyla trailed off at the thought and then continued, “I miss her when she’s away from me, sadly,” she added with a smirk.

Kyla later added, “I’m surprised you haven’t asked that question:” She raises the pitch of her voice a bit to simulate a curious bystander. “Can you guys feel each other’s pain?

Kayla quickly interjected, “It’s not a myth, it’s true. One time we went to the dentist to get our cavities filled and they had to numb us and they shot a needle in our mouth…”

“…But neither one of us could get numb,” continued Kyla, knowing the story almost by rote.

“And I hear them on the other side talking like: ‘She can’t get numb! She can’t get numb!’” explained Kayla, accurately illustrating the panicked dentists.

Kyla continued on their shared connection, “ Its just like she’s…when she’s heartbroken or sad, I feel bad.”

Kayla added, “Literally, when she felt pain I could feel her pain. When she used to hurt herself, I used to be able to feel her pain.”

So, despite all their differences, despite all their banter, Kayla and Kyla share a very deep and beautiful connection they were willing to share.

Mr. Grieves confirmed, “What I notice is that they really both do take care of each other. They have the right to sit wherever they want to but they’ve chosen to sit next to each other.”

And so they do every day, inseparable, similar maybe, but their differences reach far beyond just an extra A.