By Staff Writer: Eliza Bengala

They dress the same, they look the same, and they play the flute in the high school band. They must be twins, right? Well for juniors Madi Atkins and Sydnei Thames, meeting people who have come to these quick conclusions has become reality for them, especially on Fridays when the two girls coordinate their outfits and come to school dressed exactly alike.

‘Twin Fridays’ was Thames’ idea.

“It started as a joke,” Thames says. “We should do a twin Friday thing. Now we message and Snapchat each other down to, like, the shoes. As close as we can get it.”

Thames and Atkins met when they were in the fifth grade. Thames’ mother tutored Atkins’ little sister at the library where the two girls first met, but their friendship took off when they both started playing flute in the sixth grade band.

“It started at band camp in ninth grade,” Atkins says. “We walked out wearing matching sweatshirts and glasses with our hair up. We weren’t even trying. Kim Zepp [Howell High School Drum Line coach] was the first to notice. Ever since then people always ask ‘are you guys twins?’”

“It was because of band that we became friends,” Thames says. “If we didn’t decide to do band, we wouldn’t have been friends because we didn’t have any other classes together.”

Thames and Atkins have a lot more in common than just playing the same band instrument. “Like, everything,” Atkins says, referring to tastes in clothing, books, T.V. shows, and where they like to shop.

“Literally,” Thames says.

“We’re, like, the same person,” Atkins says. “We even take the same classes.”

“It’s literally like hanging out with myself sometimes,” Thames says.

In fact, Atkins and Thames hang out so much, they couldn’t pin point a funny story to tell.

“I’m trying to cram six years of memories into one interview,” Thames says. “Sometimes it feels like I’ve known her [Atkins] for longer.”

It is difficult to even distinguish any differences between the two. Thames and Atkins stared at each other, silent while thinking. Finally, Atkins mustered an answer.

“She [Thames] can act and sing,” Atkins says. “I can do neither of those.”

“Madi  also has a boyfriend, and I don’t,” Thames says, laughing.

Atkins and Thames also have special aspects of their friendship that has kept it strong for so many years.

“Our disagreements never turn into fights, just disagreements. We usually compromise things,” Atkins says.

“I usually just compromise and move on,” Thames says.