Chapter 1: Sisterly Favours

© Abbie Orsar

I'm a morning person. I find it hard to sleep at night. So I wake up, every night at 4:00am, read, eat and-

"Athena!"

"What?" I call back to Bella.

"Did you make breakfast today?" She asks from her room.

"I always do." I reply rolling my eyes as I turn the spoon to mix the sugar in to the tea for me.

"Let me get showered and all and come eat."

Bella says no more as I hear the shower turning on. I breathe out a sigh unsure why I had held it in.

I dash the spoon towards the sink and get it in.

My eyes gaze at my tea and I sip it quickly, my hunger somewhat banished. Food was a faraway thought to me. Breakfast made me sick and it hurt my belly, a lot. Tea was the only thing I would willingly drink in the morning. Another problem that wanders my thoughts during mornings was my parents. They weren't bad or anything, they were great actually. The problem was ever since they took the time to realize Bella and I were already 18, they decided they needed another kid. Now they took most weekends, trying to relive their youth. That is all I'm willing to say.

School was almost over for this year. I grow anxious thinking of how I am graduating high school this year. I grow anxious thinking of how next year, I will be studying to become a doctor. I grow anxious thinking of how Bella and I might separate because of this graduation fiasco. I grow anxious-

"Athena, what'd you make?" Bella disrupts my thoughts as always.

I smirk at her just wondering if she purposely interrupts my thinking.

"I know what you're thinking." She states and I smirk from ear to ear.

Bella thinks that because we are twins, we can access each other's minds. I don't disagree with her because most of the time, she knows what goes on in my head. I also disagree because she knows me too well and that makes it easy for her to know my thoughts.

"You never let me finish my complete thoughts." She mimics me and I laugh at her.

"I do not sound like that." I shake my finger side to side in front of her face.

"Yeah you do."

"No I don't." I get all straight face on her to make a point and she knows this face means end of conversation.

She falls gracefully on to the couch, makes an attempt at turning the television on. But she doesn't because she remembers what it does to me.

"Umm sorry, about that. I forgot what happened back then with the television."

"Don't worry Bella. We all forget. Now come eat, I made your favorite. We have to be out of here before the 'rents get here."

Unease is in her steps as she sits. The moment she starts to eat, all unease has been driven out and she smiles because she loves bacon. Some vegetarian she is.

"If anyone saw me eating this, I would be dead."

"Yah you would."

Bella is a vibrant girl. Never stepping on someone's mood. Her smile is a constant thing. I'm apparently her older twin sister because I popped out thirty seconds before her. Her strawberry blonde hair is in waves and her blue-green eyes always seem welcoming. Then there's me with my brown hair, blue-green eyes and all.

Finishing off her meal, we get our things for school and get going. I lock the door, if it weren't for me, the robberies we would have had in our home. Everyone but me forgets to make sure the door is always locked. My family is forgetful and I am just the different one in the bunch.

"Can I drive this time?" Bella begs.

"No. You know how Mom and Dad feel about you driving."

Last time, we let her drive the Ford; she crashed it because she was drunk. I finally got an excuse to get a blue Nissan Sentra and I loved it. Everyone complimented me on the car, most were Bella's obnoxious friends. The 'one-brain' group is my name for them. Bella's smart, like me but she fakes being dumb to please them and fit in. Simply because they are the 'in' crowd. The faster she learns being herself is the best way to go the better.

I jump in to the car and Bella sits down next to me growling on how she's never given a chance to redeem herself. Thing is she has been given chances, twice actually. So I make it a point to tell her that.

"Bella, you were given chances."

"It wasn't my fault I made out with Lenny while I was driving."

We still had that beat up old Ford because Dad had fixed it up for us, only to have it damaged...again.

"What about the third time?"

"Chrissy stole the car keys and she crashed, she didn't know how to drive."

"Really?" I ask as I ignite the car on by asserting the keys in and we are on our way. I drive slowly.

"No. That time I crashed the car was because I got distracted when I saw Chrissy openly making out with my ex Lenny, on purpose. I hate that girl, she is so two faced. I had to watch them. And then bam, I'm in an accident."

"You've had so many broken limbs and bones."

"Not as many as my amount of boyfriends." She chuckles and I laugh along because it's the truth. I shake my head at her and she chuckles louder.

The ride is smooth, no accidents and definitely no broken bones.

School is another story, it doesn't go smooth, accidents always occur and broken bones are just a part of it. That is why when I consider graduation, an escape, but at the same time I wonder if it will just be like high school.

I separate from Bella as we walk down to our separate classes. The hallways are filled with kids, tall boys with raging testosterone and just kids trying to get somewhere without being traumatized. II have three months before I can escape. Three months before I don't have to see any of these faces anymore. The only face I'll miss would be Bella. She's going to California Institute of the Arts. It has been her dream since forever. I am going to Harvard; I got accepted and celebrated with not studying and having a party with my family. Just my family, might I add.

I'm in class now and I'm seated closest to the teacher. The front row of course, I listen in halfway and tune out the other half, because now all I can think is how badly I want to eat chicken. Besides the teacher is lecturing about something I have been thought a million times. Something about... you know what, I have no idea. How I ace my classes are still foreign reasons to me. I guess my smiles are too charming, at least that's what Bella tells me.

"Class you are dismissed for Lunch," As if on cue, the bell rings as Miss. What's-Her-Face dismisses us.

I scurry out the room heading to the cafeteria, wait in line like usual, get the same hamburger combo I always do, wave at Bella as he loathsome friends stare at me and head out the cafeteria. Where I head for lunch depends on my mood. Today I am okay, great if possible, yesterday I'd found out my older brother Cayden was coming to visit us. Five years older than Bella and I, he was mature. Not really but he was Cayden of course. A whole week to live before seeing him.

I am walking somewhere, my feet just move me and I don't know where they are taking me though. I just a feel a cool breeze hiss on my neck and stare out at the open field. I sit down and eat. There is another person here, a boy with a black hoodie and black jeans with blue Nikes. I don't get a glance of his face, not like I could care so I sit down and start to eat. Then he speaks and apparently his words are aimed at me.

"It's a nice day."

I swallow my food, and it goes stuck mid-way because I am nervous (I am always am around boys) so I forcefully push it down my throat. But now I want to say something to him, reassure him that I heard him.

"Did you hear me?" Mystery Boy asks.

What do I do?

How am I expected to respond?

Maybe I over analyze situations too much. Actually I tend to do that a lot.

"Hello earth to girl with the hamburger." His voice is sweet and it surprises that the third time he speaks is when I recognize it. Third time's the charm I guess.

"It is a beautiful day." I croak out the words, a little unsure of them.

He glares at me and I still can't see his face well. He gets up from his spot and comes closer to me. Close enough for me to feel his thigh next to mine. He recognizes me and is total complete shock. He is cute, matter of fact, he is hot, but I know this face. It is very familiar. Brainstorming, I come up in the end with nothing.

"Bella? How's you get your hair long and brown overnight?" I frown at his words I suddenly know this guy is not a definite keeper. Bella has shoulder length hair, and I have mid stomach length, this guy was making no sense.

I somehow regain my composure and replied saying, "I'm not-"

Cutting me off, he speaks (I swear the world has a thing against letting me finish my sentences or thoughts), "I know you're not Bella. You're Athena."

A sigh that I hadn't meant to hold escapes, I tend to do that too, a lot.

A sudden question pops in my head, "How do you know me or my name for that matter?"

"One, everyone knows you 'cause you're Bella's twin. Second, we've met before; I can't believe you don't remember me."

I find myself shocked, I remember everything, except him of course and I feel ashamed to even let him know that he could remember me and I couldn't return the little favor, I feel mean.

"I'm Derrick. Your sister's boyfriend of two months and counting."

Then it all comes rushing to me and I feel like a complete nincompoop. When Bella had introduced me to him at our house, she was so 'love-struck' by him. Yet she'd called him eye candy when they'd first met. He'd been nice and sweet to me, not two faced like most of Bella's exes. Not at all like Lenny in particular. To my surprise and loss of a bet, they'd managed to stay strong for two months, since February, now ending Grade 12.

"Oh," I reply trying to play the nonchalant I'm-too-cool-to-care card. I'm afraid he might see my act though. I was never the actor, Bella though; she is in love with the art of being an actress.

"You totally forgot I existed." He does a sad puppy dog face at me and my insides tingle. His bluish eyes are too magnetic.

And it's not that I forgot he existed, I just didn't really have the intention of getting to know my sister's boyfriends. I just didn't do it. I didn't feel the sudden urge to add stalker to my list of specialities.

"Bella remembers me though. Thank God, because if she forgot about me, I might lose it."

"Usually I have the best memory in my family and the rest always forget, I remember. I just..." I stopped short looking for the right words to say. I didn't want to downright say to him, I forgot you because I couldn't care less about you so I say, "I just have blackouts and right now, when you were calling me I had one. My brain just..."

"I know someone like that. My mother, lady's kind of crazy but I get along with her. Anyway, she has blackouts because apparently giving birth to my younger brother and I was too much for her." He chuckles and I laugh along. Unsure if we should be laughing at the fact that the birth of him caused his mother to have blackouts.

I hadn't exactly lied when I told him I'd had blackouts. The only thing was I'd stopped having those things a long time ago. They related to my fear of television. But those were long gone time I decided to let go or they'd hunt me.

Feeling a boost of my courage, I ask "So how's everything with Bella?"

He arches one eyebrow at me like he is surprised I have that much confidence to ask that kind of question. I surprise myself too. Being around him, it's not good. It's really not good, that I find a voice around him.

"Well since you asked out of the blue, I have to answer," He grins and continues, "We're good, you know, we have a lot of fights, sometimes I feel a little disconnected from her and stuff but you know, I like her a lot. Not sure if it is love or anything?" He stops then opens his mouth to say something else.

"Man I'm almost whipped by your sister."

I shake my head at him and laugh. He's down to earth.

"Yah, Bella does that people, gets men whipped over her."

A blush fills his cheek and I am surprised that I Athena Carter made Derrick, star of the basketball and rugby team blush. I should get an award.

The award for breaking the unbreakable barrier of Derrick Woods and causing him to blush goes to over achiever and outgoing Athena Carter. The crowd gets up and goes wild cheering.

"Hey, are you there?" Derrick's voice snaps me back to the present.

He waves his hand in front of my face, "Earth to lost girl."

Staring at him, I find his eyes mesmerizing and avert my gaze from them. Pretty soon, this conversation is going to become awkward and I will be stuck here the moment he realizes I can't hold a conversation...at all with anyone other than family.

"Did Bella ever tell you how many times I called her beautiful?"

Yes. Yes she had, too many times, I'd been stuck listening to her. I tuned her out most of the times. Bella wasn't the girl who would want to talk about their relationship but she had talked on about him.

I face him trying to keep my façade of being nonchalantly cool. Then I speak, "Yah, she does pretty much all the time."

I can see that by me saying that, his courage level has boosted and broken the scale. I know this because the smile on his face reaches both of his ears.

"You do know that if I called her beautiful, I am complimenting you. I am openly calling you beautiful."

He walks away with the most innocent smile on his face. My thigh now burns as the breeze hits it because he is no longer shielding it with his. I watch him walk till I can see him no more.

My mind is blank.

Completely blank.

Last period class is Anthropology. I love this subject. Somehow the lesson manages to take all my anxiety inducing thoughts of we all know who, Derrick. I am into the lesson, absorbing every word the teacher says. Literally, hanging on every syllable, waiting patiently for the next. I scribble my notes down with my alien language of cursive. We are assigned to teach the class about one component of ours or someone else's identity. We are going to be graded on our neatness, organization, essay, how well we understood the assignment and our preparation.

Being the ever dedicated neat-freak I know I am going to just ace this. When the bell rings, we are allowed to leave the classroom.

Bella meets me in the parking lot ready to go and her books in her hand with her duffel bag slung over her shoulder.

"D'you have a nice day Athena?"

"Why are you asking? You've never bothered to know."

"Yes I have." She protests as we slip into the car.

She is lying to me and she knows it. She wants something form me and that is why she took the liberty to care about my day.

"You're usually blabbering about your day."

As I start driving, she bites her lips parting her lips as if to say something but doesn't. Two minutes into the drive and tension is higher than Mount Kilimanjaro. And finally she starts to talk.

"Something good happened."

I tap lightly on the wheel and ask, "What?"

"Well there is this big acting role audition coming up..." She stops and seems too shy to speak. The last time she had been shy was non-existent.

"What about this acting role Bella?"

"Well it's on April 15th."

Trying to focus on the road and pay good attention to Bella is hard.

"What about it? I'm not a mind reader."

"Well actually the twin thing-"

I cut her short and urge her to talk without changing the subject.

"Well I really want to go but the problem is my anniversary date with Derrick is on the same date."

"How do I fit in to all of this?" I ask feeling like I am on the edge of madness with all the suspension.

She takes in a deep breath and says, "I know I might seem like a bad person but I am picking the audition over the date."

I don't judge her, she is in love with acting, I can't stop her from changing her mind. Poor Derrick though.

"This is where you come in Athena. I need a huge sisterly favor from you."

Now I am confused. Really confused and so close to pulling over so I can squeeze the words out of her.