"Sebastian, I can't believe you got kicked out." I said to my twin brother. I was sitting on his bed, hugging a pillow tightly to my chest as he packed for school. In two weeks school would actually start, so would soccer practice, and for the first time, I was going to a school without my twin brother. The Hastings twins look identical, that is, if it wasn't for my long hair and Sebastian's short hair. Other than that, we looked exactly alike. The people who actually know us though, can tell the difference. Sebastian is about two inches taller than me, he's short for a boy, but he doesn't complain. He doesn't want to be six foot two and muscular. He likes his 5'8" body, he is in no way sculpted like an athlete, but he does have muscles. Unlike me, Sebastian plays the guitar instead of soccer. He'd rather be writing songs than getting dirty and running suicides.
Sebastian stopped packing for a second to give me a look. I sighed in defeat. "Fine," I said, "I knew it was coming, but still. You're my brother; you're supposed to be in the same school as me."
"Viola, I can't be with you you're entire life. Yeah, I'll miss you and you're annoying soccer habits all the time, but I have no choice. I skipped too much."
"Well how about you don't skip anymore?"
"That's kind of the point of me going to Illyria. If I miss a class, I pretty much flunk it because of how hard it is."
"And I'm not going to be there to teach you how to do everything. Please, Sebastian, you have to find a way to come back to Cornwall." I begged my brother. He shook his head and zipped up his third suitcase. "Why are you packing all of these clothes? It's a uniform school."
"Weekends? After school? Do you think I'll be wearing uniform the entire time? Hell no. Besides, I'm not coming back to this house with Mom acting the way she is."
I almost started crying when I heard that. "You can't not come back home. I need you Sebastian. Mom's insane with all of this planning and dress buying; she wants Justin to come over like every night for dinner. Please, you've got to help me out."
"Look," Sebastian moved over to his closet as he spoke, "you can come by the school whenever you want. You've got the address, you have money, and you know the number for a cab. I'll give you my dorm number and if my roommate is cool with it you might be able to crash on the floor whenever Mom gets insane or on a Friday or something. As for Justin… you're on your own."
Sebastian tried to comfort me, but it wasn't working. I'd be over there every day, all day, if I could. My mom is obsessed with the debutante thing and I'm not. She expects me to wear whatever frilly and fluffy dress she buys and I have to burst her stubborn bubble every time she opens her mouth about it. She goes out nearly every night, except for the ones where she's planning or expecting me to invite Justin over for dinner. She's had more dates than I can count, she's hung out with her friends more often, and I all but beg my dad to come back and live with us. I don't blame him for wanting a divorce from her, but I can only take so much from that woman before I snap… or sneak out. My brother taught me how to get out of his room with his rope once. I've never done it, but I will if I have to.
"Just leave the rope." I tell my brother after a long stretch of silence. I hugged the pillow closer to me and closed my eyes. I hated this feeling of separation and abandonment. I knew Sebastian had to leave, but I didn't have to like it.
"When are you leaving?" I asked him. Probably tomorrow morning or tonight if mom get's to be overwhelming.
"So that means tonight." I said. He nodded his head and grabbed another suitcase. "I've got conditioning at three. Some of us were going to head over to the beach and play around for a few hours so I've gotta get ready."
Sebastian looked at the clock on his bed side table. "It's eleven."
"Justin is going."
"Oh. Well I'll see you later. I'll text you when I leave if you're not back by now."
"Okay." I stood up and put the pillow back on his bed. When I got to the door Sebastian spoke again.
"Hey Viola?"
"Yeah?"
"I love you."
I smiled and replied with a, "Ditto."