Story by Emily Wemhoff, Photos by Allison Fitts

It’s a typical Friday night for fraternal twins Frannie and Ed Wilkinson. The twins, sophomores at STA and Rockhurst High School respectively, are hanging out with the group of friends they share. They watch the same movies, hear the same jokes and go to the same places.

They also share STA sophomore Clare Mitchell, Frannie as a best friend and Ed as a girlfriend.
Frannie and Clare have known each other since freshman year. According to Clare, the two girls are very good friends and hang out every weekend. Both Frannie and Clare said they have gotten a lot closer because they see each other a lot more now that Ed and Clare have been dating for six months. Although you might expect awkwardness when your brother is dating your best friend, Frannie is comfortable with Ed and Clare’s relationship.
“Without me, he wouldn’t even be dating Clare,” Frannie said. “It wouldn’t have happened.”
When Clare and Ed began their relationship, Clare said that she and Frannie talked about the dating situation and both agreed that it was not awkward.
“We’re all good friends and we talk about everything, so if there is ever a problem, then I’ll talk to Frannie about it,” Clare said.
According to scientificamerican.com, some twins view dating as a contest to prove social dominance by establishing the first serious relationship. Frannie said she just wants her brother to be happy and said it doesn’t matter who has a girlfriend or boyfriend first.
Their parents Jim and Ann Wilkinson see their kids being comfortable with the relationship.
“Because Frannie and Ed spend so much time together, if a boy wants to date Frannie, he had better get along well with Ed,” Jim said. “If a girl wants to date Ed, she had better get along with Frannie. Frannie once said it’s a little like dating both of them.”

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Ann said she understands how difficult it can be meeting guy friends when going to an all-girls school and having a brother the same age helps out with that.
“I went to STA and I remember how difficult it was meeting boys,” Ann said. “Coming up with a date for the dances was sometimes a challenge, but Frannie and Ed have it a little easier because they have each other’s friends.”
Jim believes the twins have an advantage in meeting new people because they can hang out with each other’s friends.
“I do think Ed has a better understanding of girls because he spent time with them at a younger age when most boys wanted nothing to do with girls,” Jim said.
Frannie said she does know more people because of her brother, but she still believes dating is harder if you have a twin.
“I’m not allowed to date his friends, but somehow he can date mine,” Frannie said. “I think it’s just more awkward for the boys if they know that their friend is dating their sister.”
Frannie and Ed said there have been plenty of interesting moments as a result of Clare and Ed dating. Frannie said she enjoys teasing Ed after he comes back from his “alone time” with Clare.
“Ed comes back and I just giggle and ask him what he has been doing,” Frannie said. “He is so embarrassed and basically doesn’t answer, but it’s all in good fun.”
Now that the twins go to different high schools, the two have become more independent. They aren’t known as “the twins” any longer, like they were at Notre Dame de Sion lower school.
“In grade school, it was hard for me because I was used to having teachers being like, ‘Oh my goodness, you guys are twins!’ then they would automatically love us,” Frannie said. “At STA, I don’t have that and I’m my own person.”
According to Frannie, she and Clare will remain friends even if Ed and Clare break up.
When the twins hang out together on the weekends, they admit they sometimes bicker, but they will always enjoy each other’s company.
“We’ll always be close,” Ed said.