The first day of school. Yet another day for me and my siblings to be outsiders in a new town. Although, I never thought I'd share my new room with Molly and a ghost. I still got out of bed and got dressed for school. "Hey Scratch!" Molly shouted, summoning Scratch in midair. "Whoa! You can summon him?" I asked. "Also, why is he all wet?" "Ahh! Molly, Amber, turn around, please!" Scratch screamed. "Oh, what's the big deal?" Molly complained. "You don't even wear clothes." "Yes, but I happen to be emotionally naked right now." Scratch explains, putting on a towel. "What's so important that you had to rip me away from my me time?" "I'm afraid, Scratch." Molly confessed. "You? Afraid?" I gasped. "Now we're getting somewhere." Scratch said. "Be specific please." "I know that you said you're very popular in the ghost world." Molly said. "Yes, yes I am." Scratch lied. "I'm very popular. Like, number one on the list if there was a list, but, of course there's not because it would hurt everybody else's feelings." "Why do I get the strange feeling that you're lying?" I asked. "Because it's the truth." Scratch replied. "I knew it. So, you probably can't relate." Molly sighed. "But, today is the first day of school, and our family's moved a lot. You know, like, a lot a lot. So, trust me when I tell you the first day of school in a new town is super important, and the stakes have never been higher. Do you realize that even one eensy-weensy embarrassing mistake can turn me into a social outcast forever?" "Scratch, just ignore Molly." I groaned. "She's like this all the time." "You'd be ruined." Scratch said. "Exactly!" Molly panicked. "You'd have to leave Brighton." Scratch continued. "Highly doubt that." I commented. "The curse would be broken and I'd be back in this house by myself." Scratch finished, completely ignoring me. "You know, actually, now that I'm talking to you about it, I hear how ridiculous all my fears sound." Molly said. "See?" I asked. "Uh, I don't think they're ridiculous at all." Scratch replied. "It's gonna be fine." Molly smiled, enraged with positivity. "No, it's gonna be a disaster." Scratch explains. "And I love making people happy, so, I'm bound to make tons of friends." Molly said. I rolled my eyes. "Not on my watch!" Scratch snapped. "This will be the worst first day in the history of first days. I promise, McGee. You won't make even one friend!" "Nice try, Scratchy. I already reenergized my positivity." Molly said, leaving our room. "Thanks for being a sounding board. Byeeee." "She bothers me." Scratch said to me. "You and me both, Scratch." I sighed, about to leave for school. "At least you don't have an identical twin who thinks positivity is her superpower."

Mom and Dad drove us to our new school. But this year was different. "Wow, all three of our kids in middle school." Dad said, about to cry. "They're just... They're growing up so fast. Next it's gonna be college, then a career, then grandkids. Oh my gosh, I'm gonna be a grandpa! You do it!" Mom grabbed the phone to take a picture of us. "Okay, big smiles!" Mom exclaimed. "Who's ready for a fantastic school year with minimal trips to the principal's office?" "Me!" Molly exclaimed. "Her!" Darryl and I replied in unison, pointing to Molly. "Alright, you three. Have fun." Mom said. "You know I will." Molly replied in a singsong voice.

In class, our teacher, Miss Lightfoot, told us to come to the front of the class. "As I'm sure many of you have noticed, we have two new students joining us." Miss Lightfoot said. "Welcome, Molly and Amber McGee. Would you like to tell us a little about yourselves?" "I sure would." Molly replied. "But, I'll let my sister go first." "Well, my name's Amber, I enjoy reading and being independent." I introduced myself. "That's it. I'm going back to my desk." "If you know only one thing about me, it's that I..." Molly explains as she suddenly slipped on the floor. "I, uh, like to dance." Surprisingly, our classmates were amazed by Molly. But, one student stood out in particular, giving my sister some slow claps. "Brava!" She said sarcastically. "Ahn-drea Davenport, social influencer, future disruptor, Brighton Middle School's official good will ambassador." The entire class applauded her. "It's a lot of things in one, I know." Andrea said. "I'd be honored if you'd join me on stage this afternoon at the New School Year Assembly." "Wow! Thanks! That would be incredible, Ann-drea." Molly replied, butchering her name. The class and Miss Lightfoot gasped. "Now she's done it." I whispered to myself. "It's actually Ahn-drea." Andrea corrected. "Isn't that what I said?" Molly asked. "No. You said Ann-drea." Andrea grunted. "Oh, I'm so sorry." Molly apologized. "Oh, honey, it's fine. It's your first day, forgive and forget." Andrea explains. "Oh, thank you, Ahn-drea, that's very nice of you." Molly thanked. "Oh, crud, is it Ann-drea? What was it again? Which vowel? Is it A, E, I, O, or is it, like Aun-drea?" "Maybe you should take a seat." Miss Lightfoot said as Andrea was still mad. "Before you make this even worse." Molly went back to her seat as the class started gossiping about her. "Oh, God." I said. "Hey, in the first grade, there was a girl named Libby." The girl behind me whispered. "She was bright-eyed and full of promise, until one day, she called Ahn-drea Ann-drea, and from that moment on, she was an outcast, forever shunned from respectable society." "What happened to her?" Molly asked. "Did she die or something?" I wondered. "Oh, she's me. I'm Libby." She introduced. "And don't get too close! I think I almost got her worn down. Looking good, Ahn-drea!" "You know, just because she's popular, doesn't mean you have to respect her like some kind of celebrity." I commented.

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Basically, I was mistaken for Molly by everyone. During passing time, I've gotten a few kickballs to the face. There's a curse that comes with being an identical twin. At least to me, it feels like a curse.

I ran into the bathroom where students were still throwing kickballs at me. "For the last time, it's Amber!" I complained, blocking the door behind me. "Get it together, McGee." I heard Molly say. "You got this!" "Molly? What are you doing in here?" I asked. "Nothing, Amber. Everything's great." Molly lied. "Gotta hand it to you, Moll." Scratch said. "You ruined this day better than anything I could've done. I mean, that was some primo stuff." "No, I can still turn it around." Molly disagreed. "Nah! This day, like you, is over." Scratch explains. "So, let's go home, pack up your things, I'll call a moving van, you can get out of here." "There's still the assembly!" Molly gasped. "And what do you think is gonna happen there?" I asked. "Some kind of miracle where, suddenly, everyone likes you? Molly, I almost got a black eye because we look alike." "It's done, Moll. You have no future at this school." Scratch added. "Or in this town." "You're right. Today's been a disaster. Things can't get any worse." Molly sighed. "Therefore, they can only get better!" "What?" Scratch and I asked. "I was wrong." Molly explains. "It's not about the first day, it's about every day." "It's totally about the first day." Scratch said. "No it's not!" "So I'll just keep being who I am and eventually, one fine day, someone will be my friend." Molly encouraged herself. "You got inspirational... in a bathroom." Scratch groaned. "Yup, like I told ya, she thinks of her positive attitude as a superpower." I explained. "What's scary is that she did it at a funeral once." "You are the most frustrating..." Scratch complained as Andrea walked in the bathroom. Andrea fainted at the sight of Scratch. "Whoops. Reflex." "Oh, no! Wake up, Ann-drea!" Molly exclaimed. "Ahn-drea." I corrected. "Oh, whatever! Help me get her in the cart." Molly groaned. "Disposing of the body. Great plan!" Scratch complimented. "She's not dead, Scratch." I explained. "What? No! We have to get her to the nurse's office." Molly explains. "That lady has nothing but Band-Aids." Scratch said.

I followed Molly through the hall to take Andrea to the nurse. "Wait a minute. I have no idea where the nurse's office is!" Molly panicked. "Do you know where it is?" "You think I know?" I asked. "Oh! A map!" Molly gasped. "Slow down, Molly! We're going too fast!" I shouted. The cart was uncontrollable and eventually stopped at the stage. "Ah! What an elegant bouquet of emotional and physical floundering. Ah, youth." Scratch sighed. "It's fine." Molly strained, pulling Andrea across the stage. "I just need to get Ann-drea..." "Ahn-drea." I corrected again. "Not now!" Molly snarled at me. "I have to get her to the nurse's office before anyone notices. Can you please get the door?" "Great idea!" Scratch exclaimed. "And I'm gonna raise this curtain for no particular reason." The stage curtain was raised to show Molly carrying Andrea off the stage. "It's, uh, not what it looks like." Molly explains. The students insulted Molly, going as far as calling her the worst of the worst. "Hey, don't talk about my sister like that!" I snapped. "Put the kickballs down!" "Please, when you hear the story of what really happened, you're gonna think we're both crazy." Molly begged. "I'm gonna need a plan B." All of a sudden, Andrea's body dropped to the ground. "Hey, hey, gang!" Andrea said. "It's me, Andrea Davenport! Give me that applause already, what I gotta do?" The class applauded her, but this couldn't be the same Andrea that made Molly look like a fool. Then it hit me. Andrea was possessed by Scratch. "Scratch?" Molly and I whispered. Scratch winked at both of us. "Okay, thank you. Where to start. First, I'm over the whole Ann-drea Ahn-drea thing. I mean, believe me when I say life is too short! You can call me Ahn-drea, Ann-drea, Or-drea, Au-drea, whatever. I say go nuts with it. Let's get creative." Scratch said. "Now, I'd like to bring it down a little bit, get a little serious. Because there's a girl out there having a really rough day, and I think in some small way, that's my fault. She doesn't deserve to be treated like the worst of the worst. No one does! So, please, on my behalf, give a big Brighton Middle School cheer for... Libby! She's okay now, I decree it!" "Yes! Outcast no more!" Libby cheered. Molly glared at Scratch. "Also the McGee twins aren't so bad, either. Cut them some slack, you animals." Scratch added, leaving Andrea's body. As she woke up, our classmates cheered for Andrea, butchering her name.

School was finally done for the day. I decided to walk home with Molly. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but this was the best first day ever." I said. "So, you were both wrong." Molly smirked. "I ended the day with a lot of friends." "Ugh! Like that's a good thing?" Scratch asked. "Yeah, because they thought Andrea Davenport was saying nice things about you." I recalled. "But, you were also right." Molly admitted. "Because this day would've been a huge disaster if it weren't for my favorite sister and my very bestest best friend ever, eh?" "No biggie." I said. "Who, me?" Scratch asked. "Oh, no, I'm not your friend!" "Then why'd you save our first day?" I asked. "Uh, because, otherwise, one of you, Molly most likely, would be headed to jail, and I can't get in that kind of shape." Scratch replied. "You can't deny it, Scratch." Molly said. "We're friends, my dude. We're more than that. We're best friends. Besties!" "No! I don't have besties." Scratch denied. "Someone's in denial!" I taunted.