Every summer Jane and her twin brother John spent it with us at our home in PEI. Back then some of the games we'd play with our brothers was soldier games with our toy water or soft dart guns. Our brothers always cheated with colder water when the weather was hot. Dad gave them the idea since he's a jokester of the family, he'd join the boys on the hotter days once he got home from work. I'd always hated it when they cheated as I'd run into the kitchen to mom as she'd dry me off as she gave me advice that had been passed for many generations.
"Don't get mad just get even." she spoke to me, as sometimes my grandma and Great Granny say the same things to Melissa and I. Then Jane gotten an idea as from that point on she always made sure we had extra bottles of water on us just in case. So when Dad came home I got him first, then everyone decided to get him too.
They'd come down for Christmas, as Jane, Melissa and I always prepared in advance to make our snow forts, and snowballs. Unfortunately so did the guys, but when Dad came home, all of us ganged together to get him, then each other. Luckily the girls and I made escape tunnels, until Dad accidently found them when the boys tripped him into the snow. We weren't in them thank goodness, but Jane figured maybe going back to trenches was a better idea. Then the freezing rain come in and we'd pretend we were bobsledding for a gold medal. Winter was endless when they came over.
During spring break and or Easter time it was rare we'd play Knights and Royals, but it was fun although Jane didn't care much for it. She was more of a tomboy than my Sister and I but we didn't mind. Sometimes when I wanted to be alone Jane find me digging in the soil pretending to be looking for treasure in the soil she'd would join me as she'd turn it into a trench, and sometimes that turned into most times the guys would help us out.
My Family and I moved between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Well it was mostly New Brunswick during most of the year and summer it would be in Halifax. My parents didn't want to move us around too much, felt it was for the best of us. Summer time we'd go camping although Dad worked it mostly. I loved it there, the history I was drawn to it soaking it in like a sponge, learning of the multiple cultures, languages and the most fun of all the festivals.
Funny thing is nobody calls themselves Americans over here. Since the Second American Civil war a lot of us prefer calling ourselves Canadians and Maritimers. Most of us were offended if we were called North Americans so if tourists came here they were warned once they arrived. Sometimes my temper got the most of me as I ended up making a new friend out of it. As strange as it sounds yes it happens.
That was when things started to change as we drifted apart from John and Jane. At first Jane, Melissa and I would send messages to her like pen pals. Then it just stopped when things got complicate on their side. Time flew by and we had no way knowing if or when we'd be reunited with them again. Probably one of my largest regrets was keeping in touch but what happened next was part of the reason...
2167
Melissa and I were starting Middle School as Mr. Wadup was our homeroom teacher in middle school. It wasn't long before we found out he lived not far from us, that not too many people except Mr. Wadup could tell us apart as he quickly figured it out.
"Um Mr. Wadup how were you able to tell us apart?" Melissa asked as we approached him at lunch break.
"Besides the fact you ladies have different hair colour? Melanie has a little mole behind her right ear, you don't Melissa." He replied.
This day also started a rivalry she and I made up out of stupidity, and the fact one guy played us both. His name was Cameron and he was the bad boy in school. She and I met him on our first day of school, as he seemed to be a nice guy at first. However once school was done we both had revealed to each other that we had met the same boy as he asked us out on other days for a lunch date. As we both figured out maybe Mr. Wadup wasn't the only guy who was able to tell us apart.
I was fighting to get good grades, but my hearing problems came back as it was making my life miserable. I broke it off with Cameron letting Melissa to have him. But he always found a way to sneak back to me. I was getting extra help classes that were also being held in detention time, in the same room. To me that wasn't a smart decision by the staff, so I did my best to ignore him, I knew he was trouble, as did she but neither of us cared.
Halloween started, as it was during the Dance he took turns with us, and he kissed us to but separate times. The first time I missed when he kissed Melissa. But the second was when Melissa saw him kiss me on the cheek in our classroom as she punched me in the face. I wanted to be left alone but it was during lunch break after telling Cameron off and ending our relationship again, Melissa who was still mad came after me in the school yard. Melissa turn on me as Cameron grinned excited. I didn't want to fight her as I just defended myself, finally she saw a broken golf ball and hurled it at me in face under my bottom lip. Blood came out from under there as it went everywhere as I then heard, "Melissa, Cameron, Melanie Detention now!" said Wadup, "You girls should know better to get into a fight like this, especially you Melissa! Your sister was loyal to you the time!" Which was right considering I barely had friends as I only felt the teachers were the only people who'd listen to what troubled me, I never lied to them.
We went inside, I was still bleeding, holding my tears as we sat the rest of the hour in separate tables. I took out some paper as I wrote out a contract for her and I to sign.
I Melissa Hansen, and I Melanie Hansen, promise not to fight each other in violence ever again. If so the reason must be for a good reason not for personal gain, the reason must have a purpose.
Sis I never wanted to fight you, I had ended it with him ages ago, but Cameron wouldn't accept it. I am pretty sure he took stuff from us as I recall you and I were accusing of each other of taking our school supplies. I feel he is the person responsible behind this, not me nor you.
Melanie.
I signed it then passed it to Melissa as she read it quietly. She wrote something down and signed it. But as she passed it back Mr. Wadup thought we were passing notes so he took it only to see it was a contract. He smiled as he added something, and signed it. After Detention, he and the Principal saw us.
"The girls were smitten by Cameron, as he manipulated the girls to turn against one another. I admit I thought the girls were better than this, but we made this contract together." explained Mr. Wadup.
The Principal looked at the note, as it was stained with both my tears and blood, "The first two paragraphs are the same in their handwriting." The principal mentioned, "Ladies I'm not sure what I should do with you two, your behavior you performed today is unacceptable."
"Sir, we don't want to be expelled, I'd rather detention. I feel bad for hurting my sister and believing Cameron's lies..." said Melissa.
"The fact doesn't change that both you two fought on school grounds, you have detention at both noon and one hour after school for the rest of the month, and no contact with Cameron." said the principal, "Neither of you are to pass notes or talk to each other during that time. There is already an investigation concerning the boy."
Our parent's grounded us of course, and we never spoke for 2 weeks. Unfortunately an illness outbreak happened as our school was hit hard. I had it the worst. When we came back Melissa let her anger out at Cameron as she told him to leave her and I alone. She didn't have to do that but I was kinda glad she did, and she felt so good doing it. It wasn't long before more news of Cameron came up, apparently he was kicked out for other reasons. Perhaps the rumors was true he did steal something from the school besides our hearts. I took counseling as so did Melissa but she and I never discussed it at first.
Things were getting worse between her and I as our parents decided to put us into two clubs, a Christian girls group and Army cadets. Melissa and I didn't think it would help at first but it was a start. Our first day at Cadets had one surprise as we saw Mr. Wadup as the Commanding Officer. From that time on things started to look up.
