Seniors Gina and Ally Franken wake up in the same house. They dress themselves in the same uniform. They drive to the same school each morning. However, these girls drive separate cars to school. According to both Gina and Ally, this is typical of, what they call, their “love-hate relationship.”

‘I leave before [Gina] in the morning because she’s late to school every day,’ Ally said. ‘I hate [Gina’s] car: it’s so tiny and I can’t reach the seat-belt. I like my car so much more, and [Gina’s] also a terrible driver.’

Gina and Ally are fraternal twins. They were born on the same day, have attended the same schools, and share similar facial characteristics. Although they may appear alike on the surface, according to Gina and Ally, they are opposites of one another.

The girls’ mother, Dee Franken, also views her daughters as two individuals. According to Dee, they are siblings, not twins. Gina and Ally’s parents always intended for them to have separate identities.

“Ally and Gina are sisters that happened to be roommates before they were born,” Dee wrote in an email interview.

The twins agree that their relationship became more distant over the years. As children, they were closer than they are now.

‘[Gina’s] first word was A-wee-son (Allyson),” Ally said. “That’s my real name. We used to share a room; I guess we were pretty close.’

According to Dee, over time, Gina and Ally have maintained the same core values, but have developed different personalities.

“Gina is a very social person and is spontaneous,” Dee wrote. “Ally is very competitive and organized. These traits show in their daily lives.”

Despite Gina and Ally’s different personalities, the girls’ father, John Franken, feels close to both daughters. He has shown his support over the years, having coached their softball and basketball teams during their grade school years.

“Gina and I are very close,” John wrote in an email interview. “I support her in all her endeavors. Ally and I are very close. I support her athletic activities and serve as her softball practice catcher.”

However, one of the biggest differences between the girls, that may not come as a surprise, is their decision to attend different colleges. Ally plans on attending Kansas State University and Gina plans on attending Missouri State University.

‘Maybe we will get close,’ Ally said. ‘Maybe some time apart will do us good.’

Now, both Gina and Ally believe that they usually don’t get along, but sometimes they have their moments.

‘We love each other, we just don’t tell each other, it’s just a knowledge thing,’ Gina said. ‘We beat up on each other a lot and make fun of each other a lot but it’s all in good fun.’

One of these moments occurred this month, when Gina and Ally biked to Quik Trip together.

‘[Ally] made me bike to Quik Trip [three weeks ago] and that was fun, kind of,’ Gina said.

Sometimes, Dee and John attempt to create these loving moments for their girls as well.

“When Ally got back from Kairos, my mom was like: ‘Go hug her; this is the only time you will be able to hug her’ and I was like: ‘No, mom, she doesn’t want a hug’,” Gina said.