A/N: Here it is, the first chapter of my sequel to Tapestry. As you'll soon figure out its set two and a half years later. Hope you like!
It had been two and a half years since Lizzie turned twelve. Two and half years. 30 months. 130 weeks. And since then my life had been seriously weird. Sure, we had reconciled, and we were still best friends. But I had known for a long time, even though it scared me to admit it when I was still so young, that I loved her. We'd been through everything together for close to four years. When I had a problem she was the one I'd go to, at least now. Sure, I used to ask Derek, but I learned a long time ago that Lizzie was a much better choice, because with Derek and Casey in the house it always turned into a competition. Not to mention she was a lot smarter than Derek and Casey when it comes to advice giving. We often teamed up against them now even when they didn't drag us into it, for laughs. The problem was that she didn't feel the same way. Lizzie still saw me as a best friend. She got crushes on other guys, and now she had a boyfriend, Oliver. That hurt me. A lot. But I never let it show. That wasn't something anyone needed to know. I played my game well. The family never suspected because they saw me as a mini-Derek. Since last year I'd take a new girl out every week. I chatted up the girls in the hotel on vacation. I was seen as a player just like Derek was at my age. Derek was proud of me; Casey was disgusted, calling me a 'skirt chasing cad' like she always called Derek. It was just like it had to be. I wasn't completely like Derek though. No one knew it but me, but Lizzie wasn't just my first kiss, but my only. I took those girls out for a reason. People would get suspicious if I just stopped getting crushes, because when I'd fallen for Lizzie, with my reputation, I was already well on my way to being a mini-Derek. If they, especially the family, noticed I didn't get crushes anymore they'd start bugging me about it wondering why, and it would come out I liked Lizzie. Then Casey would try to make things better and Derek would think I was nuts and those two would pretty much make my life a living hell. And I really have no idea what my parents would do, but at this point, it was just better to put on an act. So I took the girls out. But I never, ever kissed them. Why get their hopes up? I still carried a torch for Lizzie even if she didn't feel the same way. And I still hoped maybe someday she would.
Something was wrong with Edwin. He got less and less happy everyday. He tried to hide it, but I was his best friend, I could tell. He used to come to me with his problems. Now he just sat there brooding until I suggested some game or a plot against Derek and Casey, and he'd comply. His heart never seemed to be into anything he did anymore. I'd tried to talk to him about it, and Edwin, ever-honest-with-me Edwin, would brush it off and say something about needing more sleep or not eating well. I knew that was total bull, but I had no idea what was bugging him. I wanted to help him, but if he couldn't tell me what was wrong I hardly knew what I was supposed to say to him, let alone do for him. Last week I'd learned something a little startling. My friend Lindsey had been his flavor of the week. I'd warned her he never goes out with someone more than once, but she insisted she knew that, but that he was still fun to hang out with. Anyway, she'd called me the next day, which was a habit of hers. She'd call after a date to "give me the rundown". Of course, hearing a rundown on Edwin seemed a little silly to me, but this one wasn't all about how much fun he was etc. She said he'd called her Lizzie three times on their date. I said maybe, but he lived with me, so he said Lizzie all the time, and it sounded a lot like Lindsey, so it's an honest mistake. I was pretty sure that was it too, but I wasn't positive. My friend Diana had been out with him a month ago and told me he talked about me a lot. Sure I was his best friend and his stepsister, which is what I'd told Diana, but after hearing what Lindsey had to say, and seeing Edwin's odd behavior, I wasn't entirely sure what to think anymore. It was funny, too, that we still got along so well, yet he was holding this back from me. And now, today, I was devastated and crying, because Oliver broke up with me. Yet somehow I had it in me to keep worrying about Edwin. Eh, well. It's official. I am not normal.