Chapter 1 - "Fly the Wings of An Eagle" - Tweedle-Tay's Story
May 27, 1999 - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
"Have a nice flight," the flight attendant said to me, checking my ticket and flashing a big smile. "Is this your first trip to LA?"
"No, I've been there a few times before," I replied, taking in her gorgeous face and long, slim legs.
Michaela rolled her eyes. "Yes, we used to live there," she said, taking my hand to drag me away. "Have a nice day," she added with almost mock courtesy.
"See you on the flight," I added, glancing back at the woman. Michaela and I walked down gangway, carrying our hand luggage.
"Let's see, we're in seats 5A and 6A," Michaela said, checking the tickets. We walked down the aisle of the plane and took our seats. "I can't wait to get back to LA," she said happily. "It will be so nice to see my house again and look at the posters on my walls and swim in my pool and go to the beach and see all my old friends........."
"Will we be going to Beverly Hills High?" I asked, surprised. "Wouldn't that be a little stupid. I mean, all your friends will think it's a little weird that you've disappeared for a couple of years and then all of a sudden reappear with a brother."
Michaela looked thoughtful. "You're right. How silly of me. We'll have to go somewhere else." She sighed. "I'm going to read," she said, picking up the issue of 'Brassy' that she'd bought at the airport shop. Matt Damon was on the cover. "He is so feral," Michaela said, a look of disgust on her face. "He looks like a deformed vampire or something!" She held up 'Sixteen' magazine and raised her eyebrows. "Do you wanna read?" she asked.
I nodded, and took the magazine from her. No sooner had I browsed the contents page than a girl with a light brown bob appeared next to me. "Excuse me," she said, "But I think you're in my seat."
"No I'm not, my ticket says that I'm sitting in seat 5A and my sister's sitting in seat 6A," I replied.
"Well," the girl said, her hands on her hips. "I think you'll find that you're meant to be sitting in 4A. My ticket says 5A." She held up her ticket. It said 5A.
Michaela held up my ticket. "Well, my brother's ticket says 5A as well," she said emphatically.
I nodded and looked at the ticket. "Actually, it says 4A," I stuttered.
Michaela frowned. "Look," she said to the girl. "My brother and I would like to sit together. Surely you don't mind sitting in 4A?"
The girl scowled. "I paid for 5A and I'll get 5A. If you don't let me have 5A I'll complain to the flight attendant," she said.
Although I quite liked the idea of the flight attendant coming over to talk with me, Michaela did not. "Whatever," she said, motioning for me to move.
I got out of my seat and let the girl sit down. I looked at her. She looked about fourteen and had light brown hair and light brown eyes. She had a sprinkling of freckles over her nose and she was wearing baggy jeans and a Puff Daddy T-shirt. A homie. She noticed that I was looking at her and said, "Hi, I'm Lauren*. What's your name?"
"I'm Michaela, and this is my brother -" Michaela began.
"My name's Twee-" I began.
"This is my brother TJ Hanson," Michaela said, looking at me meaningfully.
"So TJ," Lauren said, batting her eyelashes. "How old are you?"
"I'm sixteen," I said, unenthusiastically.
"We're twins," Michaela added.
Lauren looked at Michaela with contempt. It angered me. If she wanted to talk to me, she may as well talk to someone who was almost an exact genetic replica of myself as well. "I'm thirteen," she continued, flicking her hair. There was a silence. "So, why are you going to LA, and where did you come from?"
"Well, when two people love each other very much, sometimes...." Michaela began sarcastically.
"We're going to LA because we're going to be living there and we came from Tulsa," I said politely. I saw fear light up Michaela's eyes and she started shaking her head and mouthing 'don't go there'.
"Really?" Lauren said. "I just came from Tulsa, my grandmother lives there. What school will you be going to? I'll be starting San Fernando Valley High next September."
"Um, we don't know yet, but we might be going there," I said nervously.
Lauren gave a little smile that said 'you are sooooo boring, I'm just going to try to get out of this conversation right now'. Well that was fine with me. "I think I'll just listen to my walkman," she said, plugging the head phones in.
I was so happy because I thought that would mean she'd finally stop talking. I opened up 'Sixteen' and looked out the window that was next to Michaela. Fluffy white clouds filled the sky. I turned to an article called 'Losing It - The Giant Leap'. I began to read about the trials and tribulations of a girl who lost her virginity at twelve when I heard an awful noise filling the plane, or at least the area near me. I looked at Michaela, but it was Lauren. She was obviously a wannabe homie because she was singing along with Jewel, if you could call it singing along. She was missing every note that went above the G above middle C or below the B below middle C. It was shocking! I looked at Michaela who was trying not to giggle. Lauren had her eyes closed and was immersing herself in Jewel's singing. Unfortunately, we had to immerse ourselves in Lauren's singing.
Finally the song finished and Lauren removed her head phones. "I've been taking singing lessons," she said.
"Oh, you should keep them up," Michaela replied, wide eyed and serious.
"Thanks," Lauren said, smiling. "So," she said, returning her attention to me, "Do you have a girlfriend?"
May 27, 1999 - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
"Have a nice flight," the flight attendant said to me, checking my ticket and flashing a big smile. "Is this your first trip to LA?"
"No, I've been there a few times before," I replied, taking in her gorgeous face and long, slim legs.
Michaela rolled her eyes. "Yes, we used to live there," she said, taking my hand to drag me away. "Have a nice day," she added with almost mock courtesy.
"See you on the flight," I added, glancing back at the woman. Michaela and I walked down gangway, carrying our hand luggage.
"Let's see, we're in seats 5A and 6A," Michaela said, checking the tickets. We walked down the aisle of the plane and took our seats. "I can't wait to get back to LA," she said happily. "It will be so nice to see my house again and look at the posters on my walls and swim in my pool and go to the beach and see all my old friends........."
"Will we be going to Beverly Hills High?" I asked, surprised. "Wouldn't that be a little stupid. I mean, all your friends will think it's a little weird that you've disappeared for a couple of years and then all of a sudden reappear with a brother."
Michaela looked thoughtful. "You're right. How silly of me. We'll have to go somewhere else." She sighed. "I'm going to read," she said, picking up the issue of 'Brassy' that she'd bought at the airport shop. Matt Damon was on the cover. "He is so feral," Michaela said, a look of disgust on her face. "He looks like a deformed vampire or something!" She held up 'Sixteen' magazine and raised her eyebrows. "Do you wanna read?" she asked.
I nodded, and took the magazine from her. No sooner had I browsed the contents page than a girl with a light brown bob appeared next to me. "Excuse me," she said, "But I think you're in my seat."
"No I'm not, my ticket says that I'm sitting in seat 5A and my sister's sitting in seat 6A," I replied.
"Well," the girl said, her hands on her hips. "I think you'll find that you're meant to be sitting in 4A. My ticket says 5A." She held up her ticket. It said 5A.
Michaela held up my ticket. "Well, my brother's ticket says 5A as well," she said emphatically.
I nodded and looked at the ticket. "Actually, it says 4A," I stuttered.
Michaela frowned. "Look," she said to the girl. "My brother and I would like to sit together. Surely you don't mind sitting in 4A?"
The girl scowled. "I paid for 5A and I'll get 5A. If you don't let me have 5A I'll complain to the flight attendant," she said.
Although I quite liked the idea of the flight attendant coming over to talk with me, Michaela did not. "Whatever," she said, motioning for me to move.
I got out of my seat and let the girl sit down. I looked at her. She looked about fourteen and had light brown hair and light brown eyes. She had a sprinkling of freckles over her nose and she was wearing baggy jeans and a Puff Daddy T-shirt. A homie. She noticed that I was looking at her and said, "Hi, I'm Lauren*. What's your name?"
"I'm Michaela, and this is my brother -" Michaela began.
"My name's Twee-" I began.
"This is my brother TJ Hanson," Michaela said, looking at me meaningfully.
"So TJ," Lauren said, batting her eyelashes. "How old are you?"
"I'm sixteen," I said, unenthusiastically.
"We're twins," Michaela added.
Lauren looked at Michaela with contempt. It angered me. If she wanted to talk to me, she may as well talk to someone who was almost an exact genetic replica of myself as well. "I'm thirteen," she continued, flicking her hair. There was a silence. "So, why are you going to LA, and where did you come from?"
"Well, when two people love each other very much, sometimes...." Michaela began sarcastically.
"We're going to LA because we're going to be living there and we came from Tulsa," I said politely. I saw fear light up Michaela's eyes and she started shaking her head and mouthing 'don't go there'.
"Really?" Lauren said. "I just came from Tulsa, my grandmother lives there. What school will you be going to? I'll be starting San Fernando Valley High next September."
"Um, we don't know yet, but we might be going there," I said nervously.
Lauren gave a little smile that said 'you are sooooo boring, I'm just going to try to get out of this conversation right now'. Well that was fine with me. "I think I'll just listen to my walkman," she said, plugging the head phones in.
I was so happy because I thought that would mean she'd finally stop talking. I opened up 'Sixteen' and looked out the window that was next to Michaela. Fluffy white clouds filled the sky. I turned to an article called 'Losing It - The Giant Leap'. I began to read about the trials and tribulations of a girl who lost her virginity at twelve when I heard an awful noise filling the plane, or at least the area near me. I looked at Michaela, but it was Lauren. She was obviously a wannabe homie because she was singing along with Jewel, if you could call it singing along. She was missing every note that went above the G above middle C or below the B below middle C. It was shocking! I looked at Michaela who was trying not to giggle. Lauren had her eyes closed and was immersing herself in Jewel's singing. Unfortunately, we had to immerse ourselves in Lauren's singing.
Finally the song finished and Lauren removed her head phones. "I've been taking singing lessons," she said.
"Oh, you should keep them up," Michaela replied, wide eyed and serious.
"Thanks," Lauren said, smiling. "So," she said, returning her attention to me, "Do you have a girlfriend?"
