Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from Cheaper by the Dozen
A/N: This story is mostly out of Jake's POV because I find it easy to see things his way. Sarah and Jake are twins. They just seem like that, and I think the characters are better that way. And Jake is the older twin. So here are the ages:
Nora: 23
Charlie: 18
Lorraine: 16
Henry: 14
Jake and Sarah: 12
Mark: 10
Jessica and Kim: 9
Mike: 7
Nigel and Kyle: 5
It's story time!
Jake:
"Get ready to blow out the candles you two!" our dad was in our faces with the video camera, while mom was right next to him with the digital one. Our parents find it fun to have us blow out the candles on our birthday cakes on the exact minute that we were born. Sarah and I were just two out of the six, so I guess one-third of the lucky ones born in the afternoon. We were sitting at the head of the dining room table with a huge cake in front of us. The whole cake had 24 candles on it so that there would be 12 candles for me to blow out, and 12 for Sarah. Ever since Lorraine's birthday, our parents also make big deals out of our 12th birthdays because it is how many kids we have in our house. It used to be the 10th birthday until Nigel and Kyle.
"Okay Jake, you first," I was born 2 minutes before Sarah, so I went first. It would have been an easy job if the flash from the camera wasn't blinding me. It was the exact minute for Sarah by the time I was done, so she went after me. Then the two blinding lights from both cameras came at us again. After eating and all of that, we were free to go.
We decided to skateboard up and down the walkway, but then got stopped by Jessica and Kim. "Hi!" they said, jumping and smiling.
"Uh, hi...what do you want?" Sarah said sweetly.
"Well...I was reading this book about twins, and it said that once you reach the age of 12, the two begin to go into different path. The older one tends to boss the other around," Jessica was still smiling, was this funny to her? I mean, if it is true, then the same thing will happen to the two of them in 3 years. Who's the smart one now?
So I rolled my eyes, "Jessica, I hate to tell ya this, but you're not the person on TV who tells everyone's future." Sarah and I never really think about those two minutes. Until we turned 10, we thought we were born at the same time, and it was dumb to make a big deal out of it.
"Well, I was trying to help! I could be a psychic if I wanted to!" Jessica yelled as she stomped off. The only good part about our birthday is that it is a day where we can do whatever we want and can't get in trouble.
After four hours of staying outside and swimming in our new swimming pool, (it was for everyone, not for us, it is only a few months old. So it's not like its a present) Dad called out for everyone to come in and change for dinner.
Sarah and I ran up to our room. It was blue inside (benefit of having a tomboy twin) with all this sports stuff around the walls and on the floor. We had glow in the dark stars on the ceiling. Our room is the only room shared by a boy and a girl, because Dad said that twins share, so it didn't really bother us because in our old house, we shared a room in Midland too.
We are called the Identical Fraternal Twins. The name was given to us by Charlie, because he said if Sarah was a boy, or if I was girl, then we'd be identical in both personalities and looks. We technically look the same (except for the gender part) but Sarah's face has a small touch of a girlish look to it. We have gotten identical injuries, scars, bruises, and punishments, and we pretty much finish everything at the same time, so as you see, the joint nickname fits.
I ran down the stairs with Sarah one step behind, we would have been on the same stair, but I was closer to the door. We sat in the dining room again at new chairs. Every kid has a chair that they only sit in at birthday dinners that have yearly pictures on it. Mostly, our chairs have professional pictures of us together, but there are our school pictures which are separate. Either way, if you put all of the pictures together (and ignored the dresses that Sarah was forced into when she was little, it stopped when we turned 10, then you get to pick out your own clothes) it looks like the same person, rather than twins. Oh yeah, you also have to ignore Sarah's long hair.
Birthday dinners were special. The twins, or single person's favorite foods were made, even if the others didn't like them. Too bad the foods had to be homemade, otherwise we just should've gone to McDonalds. Dinner passed by slowly, because Dad just had to tell the 6 kids that were younger than us and to remind us and the older ones, about all the cute and embarrassing things we've done in our adorable 12 years.
The rest of the night went by with Dad, Henry, Charlie, Sarah, Mike, and me playing 3 on 3 touch football. The others just watched. Lucky for us, this was not a tradition or we'd have to sit through going to the Nail Salon with Lorraine every year. Games stopped at 10:00 pm when Nigel, Kyle, and Mike went to bed. Everyone else had an hour (yeah, even Lorraine) to do anything else. Even when it's your birthday, and it's summer, you still have a bedtime.
Sarah and I were lying in my bed at 11:30, staring at the glowing ceiling. Don't get any ideas; we have been sleeping in the same bed since we came home from the hospital. Mom said we cried if we were separated, even if separated meant that our cribs had a wall in between us but was still locked together. When we got older and got beds, they gave up because there was no possible way they could get us to stay in our own beds. If they stayed up until we went to bed, then we would sit up in our beds and stare back. So we still have two beds, and we need both in case we get tired of one of them. It also means one less part of our room to clean.
"Night Jake..." Sarah yawned and turned her back to me.
"Night Sarah..." I stayed were I was. Even though this birthday had the same routine, there was something special about it. Every birthday has something different about it...oh well, I'm tired...I figure it out later...
A/N: Hope everyone liked it! R&R! When I get a certain number of reviews, I'll post chapter 2.
