DISCLAIMER: This licence isn't mine. The opinions express by the characters are not mine. I do not support nor encourage the illegal acts or words present here. I can make a distinction between fiction and reality and I trust in my readership's ability in doing the same.

Chapter twenty-five : A family secret

-Are you sure I'm the best person to judge your performance ? Plum Puddin' sighed.

-Of course you are, because you're closer to me than everybody else because you are my brother, Plum Pudding retorted. « Right ? »

-Right. But I meant I won't have the capacity for assessing you. You know I aim to be an engineer, not a judge. Talking about that, how was your little party at Strawberry Shortcake ?

-Let's said it was berry lively.

-I'm glad for you.

-There, I had a talk with Angel Cake.

Stopping talking, Plum Pudding looked at her brother in the eyes.

-She told me that we absolutely don't look alike.

-I hope you answered her it was natural for fraternal twins.

-Please, don't joke, the one time I'm serious ! Plum Pudding begged. « She pointed something I had often noticed before, but I never dared to talk about it with you before. »

-How could I explain that to you ? Plum Puddin' muttered. « We both have a different DNA, it's why we can't be similar ».

-Thank you big brother, Plum Pudding moaned, « I perfectly knew it. I meant we haven't even the same tastes. You like hard sciences when I like having fun, you hate sport while I can't stop dancing, you're serious while I'm eccentric, you're chicken-hearted while I'm risk-taking… »

-Hey !

-You are boastful while I'm modest…

-Stop it little sister ! Plum Puddin' cried. « I understand. That's perfectly normal for a brother and a sister to don't have the same tastes. Look at Strawberry and her sister Apple Dumplin' ! »

-I met the young Lem and Ada at the party last time, Plum Pudding continued, dreamously. « They can hardly be differentiated, even though they are fraternal twins like us. »

-Are you jealous ?

-I'm not. But Angel Cake asked me if I was sure we were really twins.

She caught Plum Puddin's hands.

-Did our parents told you that one of us is adopted ?

Plum Puddin' removed his hands.

-Are you crazy ?! He shouted.

-I'm extremely serious ! Plum Pudding cried, her voice shocked with tears. « I simply want to understand… »

Plum Puddin' felt guilty. He didn't want to hurt his sister.

-Forgive me Plum, he muttered. « Brothers and sisters aren't always alike. We are fraternal twins; that means we are both different, and this is visible by our tastes… and our physical appearance ! None of our parents never insinuated you're not a part of our family.

-They didn't neither said they are disappointed by me ?

-Why would they be disappointed ? You are an artist, you are healthy in body and mind, you honestly earn your living and, most of all, you love what you do. What could they ask more ?

-Maybe they'ld like me to be a scientist, like our mother and you.

-Did they forbid you to be a dancer ? No, they didn't. That must means they agree with the fact that you follow your dream. Do you know what ? I follow my dreams, too, but mine was to be an engineer. It's not because you really enjoy doing something that it means this something isn't serious !

-Understood, Plum Pudding ironically said. « Can you now watch my choregraphy, just to be sure I'm able to pursue my dreams ? »

-Is it going to be long ? Plum Puddin' anxiously asked. « I promised TN Honey I'll meet her this afternoon ».

-So, you'll tell her you were extremely occupied with your twin sister. If she really loves you, she will understand.

In the sports hall, Plum Pudding was rehearsing her choregraphy, all alone, but her mind was still with her brother. He might not be the favourite child, but the arguments he chose for explaining her they were truly twins hadn't fully convinced her.

-Miss Plum Pudding, can you tell us more about the terrible family secret you've learnt just before the beginning of your carreer ?

-I must admit that this secret was rather obvious, but I didn't notice anything before my early twenties. One of my acquaintance pointed, once, the fact I don't look like my twin brother at all, and she was right. So, in spite of my brother's denial, I made my own researchs, and I learnt my story : When I was just a few days old, I've been found in a basket, in the wainting room of a hospital. All the investigations made for finding my biological parents failed. The staff was supposed to send me in an orphanage, but instead of that they asked their patients if they could adopt me. In this hospital, a young woman was still hospitalized because she had just gave birth to a little boy. She was married, her husband and she earned a good living… Well, they brought me along and their son and me were raised up like twins. It would be terribly romantic to say that I had always noticed that our parents treated me differently… but it would be totally wrong. As I said, they never let me know I was adopted. Even my « brother » wasn't aware of that.

-Are you angry against your adoptive family ?

-I'm not. I think my adoptive parents were just afraid of hurting me, and they had always been extremely kind with me. They did their best for me. As for my brother, I still consider him as my brother, even though I know now that we're not twins. We're not particularly close, but we get on well.

-And what about your biological family ?

-Unfortunately, I never managed to gather informations about them. If they are reading this interview, I want them to know that I'm not mad at them and if they reveal themselves to explain me why they let me in this waiting room, I'll be extremely happy to meet them.

Yes, this will be the kind of interview that will be published in all the magazines as soon as she'll be famous. She simply hoped Plum Puddin' wouldn't be too hurt by this revelation.

-You dance magnificently well, a voice said in her back.

Plum Pudding turn back to see that Lime Chiffon had entered the sports hall and was looking at her.

-What do you want ? She asked, a bit abruptly.

Plum Pudding disliked being spied. Was Lime Chiffon trying to see if she was composing a new choregraphy ? Was she trying to steal her ideas ?

-I can't find my ballet shoes, Lime Chiffon explained. « Did you saw them ? »

-No, sorry, Plum Pudding retorted. « I don't ».

She had learnt that sometimes, the truth must be hidden.

To be continued…