Title: Ghost You Know (1/5)
By: a_lil_nothing
Rating: PG w/ some language.
Summary: Emily, Naomi, & Katie in middle school.
Notes: 1) Could be considered a prequel to A Comet Appears. Some of the same characters are here. This takes place before the start of series 3 (when they're in middle school) so in this universe I guess series 3 is the sequel. 2) I've changed my narrative to a sort of first person. Just trying it out. Let me know if it works or doesn't work. 3) Feedback is always appreciated. Thanks to everyone that left feedback on my other fics and favorited them. 4) Not beta-ed so please point out mistakes and such so that I may correct them. Thanks!
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Ghost You Know
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Naomi POV
It was meant to be the last assignment of the year before our exams and as soon as he mentioned the project would be handled in pairs, I groaned. I really did. Loudly. I even rolled my head back in disdain. Out of the corner of my eye saw one of the twins in the class, Emily Fitch, half smile at my antics. If only she knew how much I hated group projects. With a passion. Due to this fact, I wasn't looking forward to hearing the teacher call out my name and whom I'd be working with. I just hoped if there really was a Jesus Christ that he didn't pair me up with Emily's twin, Katie- a proper witch spelled B-I-T-C-H.
"Naomi and… Emily", the teach read out loud from his notes.
Katie sure was quick to react to my surprising coupling, "What?!" She pounded on her desk her objection. She even stood up for extra effect, I believe. "That's not fair!"
"Katie." Emily whispered to her sister.
I was a bit surprised the shyer twin had said anything at all. Emily hardly spoke in class- she usually let Katie do all the chatting- complaining really. Emily would whisper things to her sister or speak when spoken to; I could count with three fingers the times I'd heard her say anything without being prompted.
Identical twins are an odd concept. Freaky, really. Two people that were meant to be one and for some abnormal act of nature they split into two human beings… with two arms, two legs, brains and all. Yet, Katie and Emily didn't seem identical to me. In looks or personality. I didn't understand how it was I could tell them apart when even the bloody teachers couldn't. I certainly wasn't friends with either, never even had a proper conversation with one or the other, but I knew Emily's face was squarer, her voice huskier, she was- best of all- quieter. Katie, on the other hand, had a heart shaped face with a bollocky-grabbing attitude and a lisp I found funny at times but never laughed at it. Even when I was hung over and the others would giggle at the lisp until Katie gave them her frightening 'go fuck off and die' stare. Truth be told, I didn't mind the lisp. It was more the girl doing the talking that drove me bonkers.
"Miss Fitch, life is not fair." The teacher retorted.
I had to stop myself from chuckling so I just rolled my eyes heavenwards instead. Why was that always the adults reply when a teen cried it wasn't fair? Couldn't they come up with something more original? Like: 'Katie, you're a twat that always makes your twin sister do your homework for you and I'm not letting you get away with it anymore'? He may get a warning from the school board for calling a student a 'twat' but it would be well worth it. In my opinion, of course.
Katie was fuming at this point. "I-".
"You're not going to change my mind by banging on about it. Just because you are twins does not mean you have to do everything together. Now, who's next?" he carried on naming other pairs.
Katie sat down next to her sister again and grumbled, "As if, tosser."
"Leave it, Katie."
"Whatever, Em. You're the one stuck with Margaret fucking Thatcher."
I have to admit I was impressed when I overheard Katie refer to the former Prime Minister. Maybe she had been listening in class after all. I quickly glanced back at the twins not really knowing why. Whilst Katie glared at me, Emily's lips curled up in a bashful smile. I wanted to smile back but I looked down at my notes instead. For some reason Emily's innocent overture unnerved me.
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As I was stuffing my World Cultures and Geography book in my bag, I heard Emily's voice from behind. "I can ask to be switched with someone else." It was so faint, honestly, that I wasn't sure I'd heard anything at all. I turned around towards my project partner, "Why?"
Emily shrugged her shoulders, "I dunno." Her under the shoulder length brown hair had a few pink streaks in it- like Katie's. I thought Emily wore it better. Don't know why.
With the girl standing in front of me now, face to face-ish; I realized I had never noticed how petite Emily truly was. It was weird. I was gazing down at her- being almost a head taller than the twin- and randomly wondered if Emily would grow anymore. Scientifically speaking weren't we past the growth spurt stage? After all, I'd hit puberty few years ago and look where that got me.
"Look, lets just get an outline done and we'll split up the assignment. All right?" I mentioned, walking past her and towards the classroom door. She smelled of shampoo, cigarettes and some perfume I couldn't quite place. Scented oil perhaps?
"Sure." I heard her reply. But I didn't hear the click, click of her heels following me.
I turned back around- she was exactly where I'd left her. "Well, come on." I even waved at her to come along, like calling over a puppy. "To the library. Where the books are." She started to smile at me again as she just… stood… there. Fucking confusing it was. "Well, then?"
"Are you always this bossy?" she asked me.
Her grin happened to be contagious and I smiled one of my 'I'm trying not to smile' smile of mine as she passed by me and headed out the door… Interesting: who knew Emily Fitch had a backbone? That was a rhetorical question, by the way.
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