The face that was not my face looked at me, manic energy fleeing from every pore.

"So yes! It works! Hi!"

I was too tired to muster the energy for this. This was impossible in at least five different ways, and I dealt with it by not dealing with it.

"What."

My twin-no, my counterpart, started gesticulating wildly.

"Right. Right! Okay, see, the problem is that parallel universe is that by, well, definition, they're parallel."

I felt like I should have reacted more to that statement, but I just kept glowering at her.

"Which means they don't touch. Ever. They just...go in the same direction, forever. Which means dimensional travel is impossible".

She was losing steam, a bit. Good.

"Which is where I come in! By changing the direction of my own entire universe, I was able to make them cross over, once! Something which will never happen again, ever! And thus, I was deposited here, and now we can live together, and be friends, and talk about our hobbies, and-"

I tuned her out, and got a good, hard look at the person who was saying she was me.

Her clothes were dirtier than mine, and not kept as well. Also, a geeky t-shirt does not a stylish garment make. Her hair was a mass of frizz, unlike my own styled locks, and there were deep bags under her eyes. Also, she smelled...bad. Very bad.

I felt a pit form in my stomach. Even though I'd studied economy, not physics (like I presumed she had-well, I don't think they give access to the LHC to just anybody) I had an inkling of what happened. Especially if our childhoods were the same up until a certain point. She was still me, after all.

Time to take the plunge and see if my instincts were right.

"See, this is why boys aren't interested in us."

It was like turning off the robot. Her face crumpled, and she looked at me like I'd told her Santa wasn't real. Or, more likely, as if I'd told that really, she was very sweet, but what happened last night was not an invite to start an entire relationship, and that yes, we could still be friends and that it's not you, it's me.

"I'm guessing you felt lonely...very lonely. And instead of trying to read up on social skills, or sucking it up and going out more often, you concocted this insane scheme to be with a different version of yourself, because obviously your own self would be your very best friend."

A mute nod.

"Except you didn't think that all the bad traits that push away others might also possibly push away me too?" The floor, disappearing under her feet. "Or that everything I hate in the mirror is going to be present in you too, and I'm going to hate it a lot more?"

I sighed and put my face in my hands, trying to ignore a strangled sob.

"It's okay. You're still me. I'll help you. But this is not going to be easy, and it's not going to go how you imagined. The problems you're having won't have an outside fix. You're going to have to work on yourself, and only you can do it. But I'll still help you."

Her bottom lip trembled for a moment, and then I hugged her and stroked her back while she bawled her eyes out.

I felt pity for her. But if I could make it out, then I could teach her how to do so too.

There was still hope.