I hope you enjoy this chapter! Also thank you for all the favorites, follows, and/or reviews! It makes me incredibly happy to know that people enjoy this!
Warning: Human AU.
I recommend listening to the song "Half-breed" by Shania Twain because the story might get a little confusing. Sorry if that happens. Also it's a country song so if your not into that type of music, you don't have to listen to it.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything!
Alfred and Matthew Jones stood shyly in front of the class. Being the new kid was never easy, no matter how many times they've experienced it.
"Why don't you tell the class your names?" the teacher smiled kindly.
The twins gave a quick glance to each other, a silent conversation passing between them.
"Hi! I'm Alfred!"
"Hello. I'm Matthew."
"Welcome to our class Alfred and Matthew. Tell us a little about yourselves."
"Well we're half Cherokee. We get it from our mom's side. But we get our looks from our dad." Alfred said happily. "I'm the oldest by three minutes! So no one mess with my brother!"
Matthew blushed in embarrassment from his brother's exclamation. He just wanted to hide under a rock, but stood confidently like Alfred.
The first week was relatively peaceful and Alfred and Matthew hoped that they would make a lot of friends. However, that hope was crushed immediately. They had tried to make friends but the other kids just teased and bullied them.
Recess and lunch were the worst parts of the day because that was when the torture and humiliation would happen.
Eight year old Alfred and Matthew sat close to each other during lunch. They only had each other. No one else wanted to be near them and bullied them for being different.
They ate their lunch in peace and hopefully would stay that way for the rest of lunch.
But it would seem today would not one of those days. The other kids stared and whispered while pointing to them. They had tried to ignore the teasing but it was really hard.
A kid from their class strutted to their table with his goonies in tow and taunted, "Hey half-breeds! That's what my Dad said. I told him about you guys and he said that you're half-breeds!"
Alfred crushed his juice and Matthew bowed his head and grabbed his twin's hand underneath the table.
Alfred looked defiantly at the boy. "Leave us alone."
The boy laughed followed by his friends. "Ha. Like you can do anything half-breed."
Everyone around laughed.
"Oi! Someone hand me a feather! We got ourselves a couple of Cherokees!"
"Half-breeds! Half-breeds! You two are half-breeds!"
Soon the whole cafeteria began chanting. They felt like they were being shown off like animals, giving everyone the right to mock them.
Tears threatened to spill from their blue eyes.
They left the cafeteria together. The chanting continued until they couldn't hear it anymore. Alfred lead his brother to a large tree that was isolated from the playground. Their own spot to call their own.
When alone, both children let their tears fall. Alfred hugged his younger brother tightly.
"Why...*sob*...are they...*sob*...mean? Why do...we have...*sob* have to be...*sob*...half-breeds?" Matthew cried into Alfred's shoulder.
Alfred rubbed soothing circles onto his brother's back and tried to be the strong one. "I don't know Mattie. But Mama and Papa love us, no matter what."
Matthew faced his twin, his eyes red and puffy and large tear streaks running down his cheeks. Alfred could see the anger in Matthew's blue eyes.
"No!" he yelled, startling Alfred a little. "Even the tribe doesn't like us. And Papa's friends and family! They all hate us! Why are we half-breeds, Alfie? I just want to be normal." The last words were whispered sorrowfully and Alfred knew what his brother said was true. They were different and weren't even accepted in their own families.
Being home wasn't any better for the young children. Though their mother and father loved them unconditionally, it wasn't enough when both sides of their families despised them.
Alfred shyly walked to an older woman sitting in a chair and knitting. Her once black hair now a grey color, but her brown eyes held wisdom and spunk, even for her age. Alfred imagined that was what his mother would look like when she would get old.
He waited near her chair and she finally acknowledged the child. She said nothing but waited for him to say something.
"Um..grandmother...Could you tell me some stories from when you were little?"
"You have books of your own," she replied matter-of-factly. Alfred fidgeted, a little bit nervous.
"I read those stories tons of times...and...I wanted to hear some stories from you."
Alfred waited with a held breath. Maybe his grandma would finally accept him and Mattie, if they started to act like her and grandpa.
"I am busy. Go read your own books."
With that, she continued to knit and ignore the presence of the child. Alfred feeling rejected, went back to his own room and closed the door. When in private, Alfred sat dejectedly on his floor.
A book about Native American folktales sat in the middle of the floor. Alfred angrily threw the book against the wall. He let out his frustration onto his pillow and stuffed toys.
Tears fell down from his blue eyes. He hated this. He hated his family. He hated everyone at school. He hated himself. But most of all, he hated being different.
Half-breed. Half-breed.
He hated that word.
A name that he could never escape. Like a tattoo that was branded onto his skin. He cried until he fell asleep.
Fourteen year old Alfred and Matthew stood in front of their homeroom class, in the middle of the school year. Their parents constantly were having them move, and they knew that they wouldn't be here very long.
"I'm Alfred."
"I'm Matthew."
The teacher placed them on opposite sides of the class room and began the lesson. The twins pretended to pay attention but the already wished that school would end.
Sneakily, Alfred pulled out his phone and began texting. Matthew felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and already knew who sent him a message. He scowled at his brother who looked much too innocent at the moment.
Think this year will be the year?
Matthew mentally scoffed and text back.
When that happens, I think Hell would have to freeeze over. Twice.
School eventually ended how they thought it would. All because of a stupid project in history. They had to do a family tree. They were reluctant to do it but it was a good portion of their overall grade.
Alfred and Matthew stood in front of the class. Everyone watched them expectedly and the twins took deep breaths to calm themselves down.
"This is our family tree. Our mother is full Cherokee and our father is Caucasian." Alfred began.
"Our parents met in college. We learned many different cultural ideas between both families." Matthew continued.
The class watched them like predators, silent and waiting for the prey to falter. Fifteen minutes later, their presentation finished.
"Any questions?"
Alfred hoped they would be spared any more torture but alas, it seemed today was not their day. A boy raised his hand and called out his question before being called upon.
"So...does that make you guys like, half-breeds or something?"
Well...obviously. Alfred thought sourly.
"Yes. We are half-breeds." Matthew tried to say unaffected.
"So how come you look white?" A girl chimed nonchalantly.
God they just wanted to sit down already. Better yet, go home and never come back.
"Well. We look our dad. He has blonde hair and blue eyes." Alfred had a strained smile in place.
"Oh."
Before any others could start asking any more questions, the twins sat in their seats. The rest of the students presented until the lunch bell signaled.
All the students' eyes were watching them. As they sat down with their lunch. As they talked. It seemed to be deathly silent even though their was talking going all around them.
As the minutes dragged on, Alfred and Matthew had only eaten a little before abruptly leaving the cafeteria. Eyes followed them until they could no longer feel them.
The house was empty, but quiet it was not. The lights were off and only the living room's TV light could be seen.
Alfred hugged his brother close, the last scene of ghosts and gore making him jump at any noise. Imaginary or not.
"Nononono. Don't go in there! He told you not too! You're going to die!" Alfred cried out to the unsuspecting character.
Matthew held his breath as the character went through the basement door. It was a suspenseful scene. They held each other close, knowing but waiting for what was going to happen next.
Knock. Knock.
The unsuspecting noise made the twins jump and cry out in fright.
"Oh God! Mattie!"
"Al! Don't leave me!"
Knock. Knock.
The knocking continued and they realized it was the front door. Matthew quickly paused the movie, while Alfred uncertainly opened the door.
Two police officers stood outside their door.
"Who is it?" Matthew called from the living room.
"It's two police officers!"
Matthew immediately came to his brother's side.
"Hello. I'm Officer Gomez and this is Officer Anderson. Sorry to disturb you but there is a situation that involves you." A policewoman said apologetically.
Alfred and Matthew nodded confused. A policeman cleared his throat and looked at them in sympathy and the twins knew that it wasn't good news.
"Do you know an Mark and Alyiah Jones?"
"Yes. Those are our parents." Matthew answered.
"We're sorry, but your parents have been in a car accident. They were pronounced dead at the scene. We needed the closest family members, in this case, you two, to identify the bodies. Its alright if you don't want too."
"W-what?" Alfred choked out.
Fifteen year old Alfred and Matthew Jones don't remember how they ended up there, identifying their parents' mangled and bloody bodies.
No remembrance of people giving them sympathy and pitying looks. The policewoman tried to comfort them as best as she could but they just wanted their parents.
The funeral went by even faster. So many people are here in their house. Strangers. That's all those people are. Half of the house is full of strangers from the mother's side and the other from their father.
And they don't belong to either. Forever stuck in the middle.
Half-breeds.
They hated it here. The pristine and clean house felt too claustrophobic even though it was a large and spacious house. Their father's mother looked at them critically.
From the clothes they were wearing to the small amount of suitcases each had.
"You two will share the spare room in the far back of the house. I don't want to see anything out of place." the woman huffed in annoyance. "Tonight I am hosting a dinner party, so I want both of you dressed nicely and on your best behavior."
They agreed and headed to the room. The room in the back, like hiding them away from the world.
"At least she was a little nicer this time," Matthew said false cheerily. Alfred just scoffed but didn't say anything. The rest of the day went by relatively smooth and quiet.
Until dinner.
The high class country club guests present in their grandparents' house, slightly intimidated the twins. They kept their manners even when they were continuously indirectly insulted.
Their grandmother was a great acctress, being able to put on a mask of politeness, even when it was so painfully obvious of dislike between many of the women.
The way they would gang up on each other when the opportunity arose, or defend when only seconds ago, they could have just been insulting each other.
Granddad kept a poker face throughout the entire dinner, making it hard for anyone to tell if he was annoyed, mad or just plain neutral.
Alfred and Matthew just wanted it to end.
"So tell me Alfred, Matthew. How old are you again?" A Mrs. Moldford asked curiously.
"Fifteen but we'll be turning sixteen in July." Alfred politely responded.
Her eyes lit up in excitement. "Oh my! Such grown young men. I remember when your father was that age. If only he married my daughter instead, maybe he would still be alive," she sighed wistfully.
The twins said nothing but didn't have a good feeling about where the conversation was going.
"Oh please. Mark would have been better off if he had married my niece, Michelle. They got along wonderfully." Mrs. Cord rebutted.
The twins gripped the silverware in their hands tightly. The fact they just indirectly insulted their mother. Right. In. Front. Of. Them.
Dad had always loved mom. He even told them. And he would always say that he would never love another unless it was their mother. And she would just laugh and smile at her family.
"Mark is my son and any woman would have been better than the woman he chose." their grandma said haughtily.
Slam!
Everyone looked to the noise and saw Alfred stand with hands slammed onto the table.
"Shut. Up." he said coldly.
Everyone gaped at the teen.
"How dare you. Where are your manners!?" Their grandma said in disgust.
Matthew stood and glared coldly at the woman. "Nobody talks bad about our mother."
Their grandpa watched them with a stoic expression while their grandmother spluttered in shock at the disrespect.
"Your mother wasn't fit to marry my son! She must have bewitched him! She was just a poor girl who used her charms to gain money and status. Not to mention she was Native American." she sneered.
The twins glared at their grandmother and her guests before storming out towards their room. Everyone watched them leave with judgement in their eyes.
Half-breeds.
That's all they were.
Alfred and Matthew changed out of their nice clothes into sweaters and jeans. While the adults were still in the dining room, Alfred and Matthew snuck out.
After all, they wouldn't care if they stayed out to hang with their friends. They hated being in that house. It was too claustrophobic.
I hope you enjoyed the first part of this short story. That country song I mentioned at the top, inspired this story.
I'm not sure if there should be more than two parts for this short story. Guess I'll have to see how the chapter writes out.
PLEASE REVIEW ! They inspire me!
Until next time! ;)