Chapter 10 - "Would you have hidden me in your attic" - Tweedle-Tay's Story
April 20th, 2000 - Tulsa, Oklahoma

The revenge plan was almost complete. We had done almost everything we had to do. We'd tortured our parents to no end - they were probably half-mad by now. Just a little more torture and they'd be ready for the final push. They'd be sorry they kicked me out of the band then. Not that it mattered now. Grubbery and I were starting a new band, a grunge band. It was going to be much better than Manson.
Today, Michaela, Grubbery and I were going to our house again, possibly for the last time. We planned to paint evil messages all over the wall and floor of the attic. That would scare our parents to no end. They'd be sorry then.....
"Tay!" Grubbery called, walking into the kitchen, where I was eating a chicken and salad roll. "Tay, would you help me with this Math problem?"
"Sure," I replied. "No problem." I looked at the book. An entertainment system costing $250 is bought on hire purchase. A deposit of 10% is paid and monthly installments of $45 are made over 3 years. Find the total paid and the flat rate of interest charged. "Hire purchase?" I asked, confused. "Flat rate of interest?" I handed the book back to Grubbery. "I don't remember any of this."
Grubbery looked distressed. "Then how am I supposed to do it?"
I shrugged. "Sorry. I guess you'll have to wait until Michaela comes home." I looked at my watch. "She shouldn't be long now." I went back to eating my sandwich.
Grubbery sat down and sighed. "Well that's great," he said sarcastically. "I'll just sit here, waiting....."
At that moment we heard the door slam. An out of breath Michaela (with her hair all over her face) came bounding into the kitchen. She stopped to catch her breath, took off her sunglasses and put her hot chips down on the table. "Guys," she said breathlessly. "We have to go down to the house." She took her powder compact out of her bag and began to fix her hair in the mirror. "Now," she added.
Grubbery stood up and handed her his math book. "Could you help me with this?" he asked nicely.
"No time for that," she said, brushing him off. "Where did we put the red paint?"
"Why do we have to leave the house now Michaela?" I asked. "I'm eating."
"So am I," she said impatiently, gesturing to the chips. "But I saw the parents' car going past the general store when I was buying my lunch and, well, we have to get the stuff done while we can."
"Oh," Grubbery said, picking up the paint tins from the corner of the kitchen. "Let's go!" he said, more enthusiastically.
I reluctantly put down my lunch and picked up another couple of paint tins from the corner. "I guess they will be back pretty soon," I agreed.
"Exactly," Michaela said, nodding. "That's why we have to leave now." She picked up the last few paint tins and we all walked down the hallway and out the front door. "We're going to have to be quick."
I nodded. "We should have someone on sentry as well," I said, as we began to walk down the street. "Any volunteers?"
We all looked down at our feet. "Who?" Grubbery asked.
"Maybe Michaela," I said quickly. She hadn't said that she *didn't* want to go on sentry. I turned to her. "It'd be safer for you."
She rolled her eyes. "Why? Because I'm a girl?" She looked at me for a reply.
Well, yeah. I didn't say it though.
Michaela shook her head. "That is so sexist, Tweedle-Tay. I am just as tough as you and Grubbery. There is no way you're getting me to do it now." She paused. "Maybe Grubbery should do it. He's the youngest. We don't want him coming to harm because of us."
Michaela was right. I turned to Grubbery. "She's right. You're going to do sentry duty."
I think I heard Grubbery mutter something that sounded suspiciously similar to,"That's fuckin' ageism," but he nodded. "Okay," he said. "I can't be bothered arguing."
We collected the spare keys and unlocked the door. "You wait here Grub," Michaela said. "If you hear the parents coming just....."
"Yell out.... 'MMMPop'," I suggested.
Michaela raised her eyebrows and smothered a laugh.
"Okay," Grubbery said reluctantly, shrugging.
"Cool," I said, Michaela and I walked up the stairs to the second story of our house. I snuck a look inside my own room. Grubbery's trundle bed was missing now. All evidence of me was gone. There were still bits of Neuton and Grubbery floating around though. It wasn't fair. How could the parents be so mean? Didn't they care about Michaela and I at all? We were their own flesh and blood, for God's sake!
Michaela squeezed my hand and gave me a sympathetic look. "C'mon Tweedle-Tay," she said softly. "We have stuff to do."
I nodded and we walked up the attic stairs into the attic. Michaela shivered. I wasn't sure if it was because of her short skirt, or her memories of the attic. Although we'd been back to the house several times we'd hadn't actually been into the attic again. Not until today.
Michaela gave a little, strained, smile. "It seems like it's been ages since we've been able to talk alone," she said, as she took the lid off a can of paint.
What was that supposed to mean? Didn't Michaela like Grubbery?
"Not that I don't like Grubbery," she added hastily. "It's just that I haven't been able to talk to you."
Shit. She could read my mind. "Likewise," I said.
Michaela smiled. "How's Alisha?" she asked, painting on the floor.
I opened up my tin of paint. "She's good. She can't come to see us yet, though."
"Still infatuated?" Michaela grinned. "Sorry, in love."
I nodded. "She *is* great, Michaela. I don't know why you can't see that in her."
"I guess she is quite pretty," Michaela said carefully.
There was a silence. "Do you think this is going to help, this revenge?" I asked Michaela.
She shrugged. "I hope so. I hope our parents are suffering. I hope they realise-"
"MMMPop!" came a voice from downstairs.
Michaela and I looked at each other in fear.
"MMMPop!" the voice called urgently.
"Shit!" I said, dropping my paintbrush.
Michaela put the lid on her paint tin and began to pick up as many as possible. "Tweedle-Tay," she said, with forced calm. "We have to get rid of evidence of our being here....."
I was already racing down out of the attic and down the stairs. I ran down the hallway and out of the front door of the house, where Grubbery was waiting for me. He grabbed me and pulled me behind a hedge. "Thank you, Grub-" I began.
He clasped his hand over my mouth. "Shhhh," he said.
We watched the parents, along with Liz, Kess, Mackie and Mozzie walked up the path to our house.
"Thank you for the ice-cream Daddy," Elizabeth said sweetly.
"Suck," Grubbery hissed into my ear.
"Yeah, thanks," Kestrel said. Mozzie and Mackie through in their appreciations. The kindness of the parents took me back to when I was twelve, before they turned evil. I remembered how our parents would always buy us a chocolate after shows, an extra treat, although not as good as the applause. Our family was approaching the open door of the house.
"Daddy!" Elizabeth said nervously. "The door is open."
"Well aren't you clever...." Grubbery muttered sarcastically.
"I know honey," our mother replied.
"We were expecting this," our father added.
It was as they all made their way eagerly into the house that I realised what Grubbery and I had done. "Michaela," I said urgently to him. "Michaela's still in there!"
"Shit."
I thought quickly. "Go home Grubbery. There's bound to be trouble, and if you leave now, it might be harder for them to find out where we're staying." I paused. "I'm going to go get Michaela." Grubbery ran off down the street and I ran into the house. I could hear noises coming from upstairs. Michaela must have only just walked down from the attic! What an idiot! She should have left the paint there and saved herself.
I ran up the stairs where our father was confronting Michaela. "You little whore," he said to her. "I should have known that it was you. I always knew you'd be the downfall of the family, as all pretty twin sisters always are."
I saw my mother wince at that one. So she should. Michaela saw me and looked at me pleadingly. What could I do?
"You do know that breaking and entering is illegal, don't you?" our father continued.
I had to do something. If only I weren't so thin. But I had to do what I could with what I had. My father couldn't see me...... I had some sort of advantage there. I ran in front of him and kicked him between the legs. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough strength to knock him out, but he did stumble. I grabbed Michaela's hand and we ran down the stairs together, Michaela *still* carrying the paint. I could hear the rest of the family running after us.
"Tweedle-Tay?" Elizabeth kept on saying. "What is *he* doing here? I thought he left two years ago....."
Michaela and I ran out the door and down the street. We couldn't go straight home, then they'd know where we lived. We had to get away from the, though. And there were more of them than there were of us. We were going to have to use our wits.
"Thank you Tweedle-Tay," Michaela said, still running.
I grinned. "It wasn't like I was going to let you die."
She attempted to laugh, but failed. "Do you have any friends around here? Who's houses we could go into?"
I frowned. "No any more. I haven't seen them for so long...." I paused. "I've got it!"
"What???"
"We'll run to the mall. There'll be so many people there they'll never be able to spot us," I explained.
Michaela somehow managed to laugh and run at the same time. "Yeah, 'cause Tulsa is *such* a big city....." She paused. "But what if they decide to chase us in the car???"
Well, there was nothing we could do about that. Thankfully, our parents didn't think of that, and by the time we'd gotten to the mall they were off our trail. We walked to the food call and I sat down exhausted. Michaela was so tired she nearly fell on top of me. "Sorry," she said, giving a little grin. She sat down in a separate chair. "Tweedle-Tay, thank you so much for coming after me."
"That's okay," I replied honestly. "I never should have left you there in the first place."
"Hmmm...." Michaela paused. "Well, I think we've gotten the message through to them. We can't go back there now. That would be idiotic."
I nodded. "They'll have the place locked up like a fortress."
"We're going to have to put the last part of the plan in to place as soon as possible. We don't have time to leave it any longer. They know it's us. They know it's not God punishing them," Michaela continued.
I shook my head. "God is punishing them through us."
Michaela raised her eyebrows. "Anyway, I'm going to make the phone call this afternoon." There was a silence. "Shit Tay, I should have taken my bag with me."
"Why?"
"I left my make-up at home and I've been running for fifteen minutes. I must look a mess," Michaela was overly distressed, for someone who'd nearly been killed by their own father.
"You look fine," I replied, honestly. "A little red faced perhaps."
Michaela whimpered.
"You look gorgeous," I added. "Like me," I joked.
She made a face, then laughed. "Thanks Tay," she said kissing me quickly on the cheek. "For everything." She stood up. "We'd better get home to our food..... unless you have money?"
I shook my head and stood up. "Unfortunately, no."
"Oh well," Michaela said, taking my hand. "I guess we'll be going now."
"I guess we will be," I replied.
If only Grubbery were old enough to drive!