Chapter 11 - Tweedle-Tay's Story
July 13, 1998 - Tulsa, Oklahoma

"That Claudia is sooooo irritating," Michaela said, rolling her eyes. "I can't believe the girl who plays her is actually older than us. I swear, you'd think she was twelve or something the way she carries on."
Michaela and I were watching cable TV, old repeats of 'Party of Five'. It was the episode in which Claudia gets the soccer playing boyfriend who she thinks is really cool and she wants to make out with him and stuff, but he doesn't want to because he likes Julia. "She probably was twelve or thirteen when she filmed this episode," I suggested. "Remember, it is a repeat."
"Her boyfriend is so feral. As if you'd go for him. She must be really desperate. He's not even mildly interesting, I mean, all he ever talks about is soccer," Michaela whined.
"I used to play soccer," I pointed out.
"Your point is?" Michaela said. She smiled. "I'm sorry, I just don't go for that sort of guy."
"Really?" I said, trying to look nonchalant. "What sort of guy do you go for, Michaela?"
"I don't know...... not him. Anyway Tweedle-Tay, I'm trying to watch television," she said, returning her interest to the screen. I didn't even bother pointing out that she was the one that started the conversation.
"What about Bailey?" I asked a few minutes later.
"What about him?" she said.
"Is he the sort of guy you go for?" I asked.
"Bailey?" she repeated. "God, no. He's an idiot. He's not even faithful to Sarah."
"Right," I said. "Who do you think I'm like?"
"On 'Party of Five'?" Michaela asked.
"Yeah."
"I don't know..... why are you asking these sorts of questions anyway?" Michaela asked. Her eyes widened. "Oh...... don't worry Tweedle- Tay, just think of all those singing girls throwing tomatoes at our brothers," Michaela said, patting my arm sympathetically.
What did Michaela mean? Did she think I was pathetic? Did she find me irresistible? "Don't you worry about your attractiveness either Kay," I said, testing her reaction.
Michaela raised her eyebrows and bit her lip. She gave a little smile. "Thanks," she said, rather unenthusiastically. She scooted along the ground so she was sitting a few inches further away from me for the rest of the show. When it was over she flicked through the channels. "Forty channels and absolutely nothing to watch," she commented wryly.
"Are there any movies on?" I asked.
"Lets see," she said, grabbing the TV guide. "'Father of the Bride II' enough said, 'Mimic' crap, 'Spiceworld' probably the best so far and 'The Heartbreak Kid'. That's practically a porno."
"Well," I said smiling. "'The Heartbreak Kid' it is."
"Yeah," she giggled, setting the channel to 'Spiceworld'. I looked at her blankly. "My god, Tweedle-Tay you aren't serious are you?" I didn't say anything and Michaela changed the channel. She moved yet another foot away from me.
I didn't get Michaela. Was she in love with me or not? She suggested that I practice my kissing techniques on something other than her magazines, yet she insulted soccer players. She agreed to watching sexy movies with me, yet sat two feet away from me during them. I looked at her. Her body language wasn't exactly good. Her arms were folded and her legs were tightly crossed. She looked so pretty. The movie was getting pretty steamy. Michaela looked at me lustfully and got up. "I don't want to watch this Tweedle-Tay," she said. "I'm going to go and read the old papers in the corner."
"Why?" I asked, disbelievingly.
"I happen to find genealogy very interesting," she said, biting her lip.
"Well I happen to find gynecology very interesting, but that doesn't mean I go around studying myself all the time, does it?" I replied.
Michaela was slightly put off. "I don't care," she said, walking to the other side of the attic. And so I didn't speak to Michaela throughout the rest of the movie.
When the movie finished, Michaela and I each, in turn, went into the bathroom to get changed for bed. When Michaela came out she kissed me softly on the cheek. "Sorry Tweedle-Tay," she said. "I didn't mean to fight with you, I just hate that movie. It's so pointless....... Did you like it?"
"Yeah..... well...... it was okay........," I replied.
Michaela gave a little smile. "You liked it," she said. "Typical guy." We each got into our respective beds on opposite sides of the room. "Goodnight Tay," Michaela said softly.
"Goodnight Kay," I said. I loved Michaela so much. Sometimes, okay often, I worried that I loved her more than a brother is supposed to love his sister. But how Michaela felt was such a mystery to me. She allowed me to watch sex movies........ but then again she wasn't exactly in the position to tell that I shouldn't be watching them. She kissed me......... it was on the cheek...... but it was so seductive in its own way. She said I was attractive, in her own little way, but she was a nice girl, and was probably just being nice. And had she looked at me wistfully as she climbed into her bed? It was all such a mystery to me. After considering it carefully for about ten minutes I decided that Michaela probably felt the same way about me as I felt about her. And, to be honest, I didn't care if she didn't feel the same. My love was strong enough for ten people.
I lifted the covers off my bed and quietly got off. I tiptoed softly across the attic towards Michaela's bed. I lifted her blanket carefully and hopped in. The first thing I noticed was a piece of material lying beside Michaela. Her night gown. Obviously she had psychically predicted this and removed it just for me. I felt Michaela's body tense. "Tweedle- Tay?" she said, her voice shaking. "What are you doing in here?"
"I love you Michaela," I said, kissing her hair.
Michaela turned to face me. "Tweedle-Tay, would you please get out?" she said.
I ignored her and kissed her. She bit my tongue. I don't know what happened. I loved Michaela so much, I should have gotten out, but I was so angry after that. It was a battle of strength and because, we were both weak and emaciated, only I was a good ten pounds heavier, I had the obvious advantage. No matter how much Michaela kicked and bit and scratched, I was inevitably destined to win.