I woke up to screams. I then realized that they were my screams once mom and dad come rushing into my room.
"Jae, honey, are you okay?" My dad asks.
"Yeah, fine dad, just a bad dream…" I'm still a little out of breath so my reply is weak. Next thing I know, my brother Noah is standing in the doorway or my room as well.
"Damn Jae, is this a horror show? That was one hell of a scream."
"Noah! Don't be like that!" Mom chastised her son, in the way that only moms can pull off. I check the clock, it seems like a good time to get out of bed to get ready for school, and so I climb out and lay my claim on the bathroom.
"Aw c'mon, seriously? I was just gonna go in there!" Noah pulls a face. I smirk and give him my finger.
"Ya snooze ya lose brother." That's when the twins decide to come out of their rooms and tackle me, and it is now Noah who smirks down at me.
"Well it seems you won't be using the bathroom any time soon, Jaecanne. I think I will use it while you wrestle with the monkeys." I glare at him as he walks past me into the bathroom, all the while "the monkeys" Calder and Lily start tickling me.
"Hey you two! Get up, or we'll all be late for school." I say as I attempt to get up, barely being successful.
By the time Noah is finished from the bathroom and I finish using it, mom and dad have packed the kids lunches and gotten some breakfast for twins as well as themselves.
"Mommy, I think I'm sick, can I stay home today?" Calder uses his best puppy-dog eyes, but mom doesn't cave.
"Cal, kiddo, you're not sick. You just don't want to go to school." It's that matter-of-fact voice and the hands on the hips that remind me mom has raised two teens, and is raising two crazy four year olds. She's pretty much built up a load of tolerance for puppy-dog eyes and quivering lips.
Cal makes a noise of protest and looks at Lily, who smirks in a way that is so similar to Noah it's creepy.
"Told you mommy wouldn't buy it."
"If you kids think kindergarten is hard, wait till you get to high school! Jae and I are in our last year there and it's still hard." Noah sits at the table reading his notes, preparing for a test he has today. I notice dad glance at clock, and I glance too. Before I can get the words out, he beats me to it.
"Jae, Noah, if you don't leave now you're gonna be late." Dad's also going to be late for work if he doesn't leave soon, so he starts cleaning up and prepares to leave as well. Noah and I head out to the car, and I get in the driver's seat and Noah is in the passenger seat. I drive off, knowing that more taunting awaits both of us at school.
As soon as we step out of the car, Jordan, the number one dumb jock of the school, is there.
"Hey princess and vamp, having a nice morning so far?" Ironically, "princess" refers to Noah, just because he's gay. "Vamp" refers to me because of my eyes. Noah and I are both the same age, but we have different moms. Noah's mom is the woman I refer to as mom, because I never knew my birth mom. All my siblings are my half siblings, same dad, different mom. Noah and I could be twins, save for the fact that our eyes are different. We both have brown eyes like our dad, but my eyes have a ring of dark red around them. Doctors say that it's nothing to worry about; lots of people have two different coloured eyes. But those people don't have one colour for the iris and then a ring of a different colour around it. I suspect it has something to do with my birth mother. Dad used to "get around" in his younger years, and two women ended up having his kids around the same time. That's how Noah and I are the same age, yet not twins.
"Oh, and how's your dad? Hit up any women lately?" Jordan has a sneer on his face that I'd love to slap right off, but I refrain because I know I'll be in trouble. It's no secret that our dad was with many in his younger years, everyone knew it. But the fact that Jordan kept being a jerk about it, day in and day out makes me want to give him what he deserves; a punishment of sorts.
"You know what, forget about that. Princess! Still chasing after men you'll never have?" Jordan is trying to get a rise out of us, I can tell. "Hey, man, what do you think turned you gay?"
Noah's hands ball into fists, and then relax. He replies, with an eerily calm voice. "I was bitten by a gay spider. Better watch your back, Johnson, I didn't kill that spider. You might be its next victim; you might wake up one day and have an unexplained attraction towards me." Jordan's expression is priceless, if only someone took a picture of it.
"Whatever Princess. I've got better things to do than talk with you losers. Vamp, you know where to find me if you get a little bored with your step-brother." Jordan then proceeds to wink at me and walk away. Just in time too, because the bell rings signalling the start of first period.
Math with Mr. Roberts is probably the hardest and most dreaded class for everyone who has him as a math teacher, or a teacher for any subject. Everybody is convinced that he jumped from teaching grade twelve math to teaching University level math. I may have tuned out, and then I hear Mr. Roberts calling my name to answer a question.
"Um, can you please repeat the question Sir?" My voice is steady, surprisingly.
"Miss Chance. I wouldn't need to repeat the question if you actually paid attention. If you plan on passing this class, I would strongly advise you to not tune out. Understand?" His voice is intimidating, and I only nod. The rest of the class goes by, and I stay checked in, for the most part.
Noah and I get home and crash on the sofa, as per usual.
"So, did Brent spare you a second glance today?" I ask Noah, knowing his answer, and knowing that it's a lie; even if he doesn't know it's a lie himself.
"Nope, not one." He tries to sound as if he's okay with that, but I know him too well and can tell otherwise.
"Don't worry, I know a closeted gay when I see one." I wear a smirk that has my brother fishing for more information.
"What? What are you talking about?"
"Please, I watch the high school basketball team for a living-" and it's then that dad chooses to walk in.
"You what now?" The way that dad asks the question tells me that he's only joking around.
I decide to go along with his little charade. "I mean, just as a hobby, and to make sure Noah's okay. Not to stalk the players of course. Just to watch totally athletic guys play basketball."
Dad rolls his eyes, "suuuure…"
"Anyway, I notice Brent looking at the other guys when he can, and not just regular looks either. I'm not sure how to describe the way he looks at the guys; it's almost like a look of longing. But, I noticed, he looks at you the most." The news that I've revealed brings a new light about Noah's eyes.
"Are you serious? Holy crap, you're sure?"
"Yes and yes. Tell you what, him and I are lab partners, and we have an assignment. I can invite him over, and do some match making at the same time."
"You are the best sister ever, I love you."
Hey, okay, no chick-flick moments… you're welcome."