Eye Opener

I was already well aware of my flaws. But being able to see it first hand was rather jarring. All of the physical insecurities that I had laid in bed constantly worrying about seemed rather miniscule now. My body was nowhere near as sickly looking as I feared. In fact, the opposing person's smile seemed to diminish any visible hints of sickliness. The blemishes that I thought marred my face beyond repair were barely visible beneath the hazy florescent lights. Acne that crept along the sides of my face shared a similar fate. It was mostly hidden by hair as well.

Speaking of hair...

The stubborn wavy tresses that refused to obey any brush, comb or iron were actually quite nice. It was still very thick and the layered texture had no rhyme or reason to it. But the longer I looked at it, the prettier it seemed. It suited me.

"I bet you're disappointed." The person on the other side of the portal chuckled darkly.

"Quite the contrary." I responded "But I am disappointed in how self deprecating you seem."

Her eyes widened in response and their dark chuckles morphed into stunned silence. After a pregnant pause had ensued, she laughed. This time, it was a bright, hearty type of laughter.

"Are you sure we're even the same person?" She asked.

"You should look into a mirror." I told her. I meant it in more ways than one. But the gravity of my statement was diminished by the fit of giggles that escaped my mouth. Her laughter was oddly contagious.

"So what have you been up to so far? How's life treating you in that dimension?" She prodded.

"I'm a sleep deprived college student who doesn't know what to do. You?" I sighed.

"I guess our realities aren't far off." She mused. "I was once a very lost, sleep deprived college student."

"Was?" I asked in alarm. "Did you drop out?"

She snorted and clutched her stomach as she began to laugh even harder.

"Miraculously, no. I've graduated a while back." She said. "Now, I'm a sleep deprived physician."

I felt my body and psyche simultaneously jolt. "Physician????"

"Oops, I didn't mean to spoil!" She gasped.

"I don't know what your goals are and I can't gauge how different we are right now." She started. "But if you truly are my counterpart, I know you'll push through and do whatever you want to do. It'll be a massive pain in the ass but you can do it."

"Aye, aye captain."

The timer above the portal began to display a countdown. 10, 9, 8, 7

"But don't neglect your wellbeing in the present. Enjoy the moment and take care of yourself." She scolded.

"You better take your own advice." I shot back.

"Will do." She acknowledged with a goofy salute.

The communication portal finally flickered shut.

Technology in my dimension is still fairly primitive so exploring other dimensions isn't possible. I wish I could visit my alternate counterpart but being able to talk is enough motivation to finish my lab report.