The fourth grade “Popularity Contest” finalist of Meramec Elementary School glanced into the cheering crowd with a smile. As he accepted his award, from the corner of his eye, he could see the solemn and forced applause from his twin brother.

Immediately after the ceremony, he approached his brother. He took his brother’s hand, assured him that he was just as well liked and popular, and gave him a warm hug. This wouldn’t be the last time CHS juniors Peter and David Ryffel would overcome a challenge together and ultimately lift each other up.

The brothers, who have physically and emotionally grown side by side, participate in several of the same activities including soccer, tennis, band and excelling in incredibly tough courses.

“I think that the most difficult thing about being a twin is that we compare ourselves to each other,” Peter Ryffel said. “We don’t recognize that we have different strengths, and I frequently find myself frustrated when I work harder than David and he gets the same results as me.”

However, although their priorities and hobbies overlap, they also share different levels of commitment and interest in the things they do. “This year I am co-president of politics club, while David only comes every once in awhile,” Peter Ryffel said.

The social aspect of having a twin of the same gender can also be challenging.

Often times, people perceive twins as “one” or the same person. It is common to blend twins and assume that they will make similar decisions and act in the same way.

“I think that one of the main disadvantages of being a twin is that people always confuse us,” David Ryffel said. “When people don’t know who we are, I feel like we aren’t individuals. I get the idea that people think of us as ‘the twins’ not as David and Peter.” The Ryffel brothers share a lot of the same friends, while Peter is closer with some and David is closer with others.

An interesting comparison to the Ryffel brothers is Gwyne and Marina Henke, also juniors at Clayton High School. Gwyne and Marina are also successful musically, athletically and academically.

“As we develop our own interests I realize how ridiculous it is to constantly look at both of us as the same people,” Marina Henke said. “That’s a crucial part of being a twin. You have a person that is a mirror of you in many ways, but you have to be able to not see each other as duplicates.”

Aside from competitive energy, twins can find themselves dependent on the support of one another.

“I rely on Marina for a lot of things, especially when it comes to social events or experiences,” Gwyne Henke said. “One of the hardest things about being a twin is fighting to remind others and yourself that you are an independent individual.”

Without a doubt, the Henke sisters call each other best friends. Identical twins such as David and Peter utilize each other as backboards for academic and emotional support.

“I think that being a twin allows both David and myself to help each other when one of us has difficulty with a task,” Peter Ryffel said. “Being a twin is like having a friend that lives with you all the time.”

The Ryffel twins and the Henke twins acquire numerous differences, but overall, their unconditional support is always present in whatever task they choose to take on.

“Marina understands and believes in me completely, sometimes more than I do in myself,” Gwyne Henke said. “Having a twin means having a best friend with whom you never have to be anyone but yourself.”