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"All right," said Rebecca, looking in the mirrow one last time. "Swear to me that I don't have any more of that stuff on my face." She couldn't imagine anything more devastating than Yami Muto seeing her and noticing that her ear was a little tan.
"I swear," replied Becky. "You look totally pale and ill again."
"Good," Rebecca said gratefully. "Almost ready?"
Becky wrinkled her nose. "I still have to fix my hair. Besides, maybe it's better if we leave separately. Won't people get suspicious if we're seen together too much?"
Rebecca nodded. "You're right. I'll go first."
Becky put down her lip gloss. "You know," she said, "really did look terrific in that skirt."
"What I know," said Rebecca, hugging her sister, "is that you look terrific in that skirt. See you in science."
Rebecca pulled open the heavy door.
"Shimai," Becky called after her.
With a shock, Rebecca saw Yami Muto less than ten lockers away. He was leaning against them and looked like he was waiting for someone.
He must have been there this whole time! Rebecca realized, her heart jumping around in her chest like a bat caught in daylight. What if he heard what we were saying?
"Rebecca," he called.
He's talking to me!
"Rebecca," he repeated, coming closer.
Rebecca forced herself to put one boot in front of the other. She ran a hand along the wall of lockers to steady herself. "Hi, Yami," she said in a tiny voice.
"Listen," he began. He was the most handsome boy she had ever seen. "Do you..." He stopped and looked at the floor.
She heard her voice say, "Uh-huh?"
He looked right at her. Rebecca put both hands on her bags to keep them from shaking.
"Do you want to meet up at the Ancient Egypt Exhibit? Like, after school?" he finally asked.
Rebecca didn't respond. She thought she must have misheard him.
"Listen, I... never mind," Yami gabbled. He shook his head. "I'll see you around." Suddenly he was walking away.
Speak! the voice in Rebecca's head cried. Speak!
"Yami!" Rebecca croaked. He spun around. "Um, what time?" she asked.
His smile shone. "Does five work for you?"
"Sure," she answered, trying to sound relaxed. "I'll tell my grandpa I'll be home before sundown."
"Great," he said. He put his hands in his pockets, and then was gone.
Rebecca collapsed against the lockers. Her hands were still shaking, and her heart pounded. People looked at her as they walked by on their way to class, but she didn't care.
Well, she thought breathlessly, that's one good thing about having a twin sister who's a social butterfly!
As if on cue, Becky emerged from the bathroom. "Wow! What happened?"
"He asked me out," Rebecca whispered. She couldn't believe she was saying it.
"What?" Becky asked, drawing closer. "Talk louder."
"He asked me out!" Rebecca said again hoarsely.
Becky's face burst into a smile. "Go, Rebecca!" she shouted really loudly.
"Shut up!" Rebecca scolded, even though she couldn't help smiling, too.
"That's awesome!" Becky said. "When's the big date?"
"Today. After school." Rebecca panted. "The Ancient Egypt Exhibit." Becky gave her a squeeze. "I have to scoot or I'm going to be late for Art, but we are going to have so much to talk about in science!" She hurried off with a wink.
Rebecca was going to be late for class, too. She worked up the strength to start walking, and, as she made her way slowly through the prebell crowd, she let herself imagine her coming date with Yami.
They would walk around the exhibit together; she knew he was into everything about it. And when they were done looking in the exhibit they could go to the Domino Coffee place. He'd sit across from her in the shop, drinking My Coffee.
As Rebecca turned into the main hallway, she imagined the two of them walking side by side, talking on and on about...
What are we going to talk about? she thought with a jolt.
Her wave of excitement disappeared like predawn fog. How was she going to talk to Yami Muto for a whole afternoon when five minutes ago she could barely string two words together?
She imagined herself with Yami at the Exhibit again, but she couldn't picture him smiling. They'd sit in silence. He'd to stare out of the window and order another coffee to kill time. He would think she was an utter loser. She'd try to come up with something to say, probably about duel monsters, but he would rarely say anything. He'd just look away.
I can't go, Rebecca thought.
The bell for the next class rang.
I'll tell him I'm sick, she decided.
Suddenly somebody came up from behind and linked arms with her. She nearly jumped out of her skin.
"And where were you at lunch today?" Akiza demanded, poking her in the side. "Come on! We're late for English."
Rebecca didn't say anything. She let Akiza lead the way.
"What's with you?" her friend said. "You look like you've seen a ghost. What, did Yami Muto ask you for a pen or something?" she teased.
"I don't feel well," Rebecca replied weakly. "I think I'm sick."
Akiza stopped in her tracks. "No way, Rebecca." She shook her head. "You are not going to bail on me! You promised me ages ago that you would come to today's meeting."
Rebecca realized that she had completely forgotten about the meeting. She couldn't go to the Exhibit with Yami; she'd agreed weeks ago to go a meeting after school with her best friend. Akiza would put a stake through Rebecca if she backed out now.
"I know you, Rebecca," Akiza declared. "You never get sick!"
"That's not true," Rebecca replied halfheartedly. "I got sick in the second grade."
Akiza smirked. "You were choking on food."
"Okay, okay," Rebecca said. She took a deep breath. "I'm going. Five o'clock, right?"
Akiza nodded, and Rebecca felt the blood drain from her heart. It's better this way, she told herself. I'll put a note in his locker after school, telling him I can't go.
She let her bangs fall infront of her face and followed her friend into their fourth period class.
"Okay, class!" Mr. Strain shouted, holding a ridiculous orange cap on his head. "Spread out! I want to see a full report on this soccer field's flora! Remember, conifers are extra credit!"
Becky clutched her sweatshirt around her and looked down at the leaf-covered grass. "I'm all in favor of science class outside," she said just loud enough so that Rebecca would hear. "But this is really dumb."
She turned to see her sister's reaction, but... Rebecca was gone. Becky spun around and spotted her sister's black figure trudging off into the distance. "Wait up!" Becky shouted.
She caught up with Rebecca near the edge of the field. "Hey!" she said. "What are-"
Rebecca held up a red leaf. "Do you think this is an oak or an ash?" she asked tentatively.
"An oak," Becky told her, slightly confused. "I didn't know where you went."
Rebecca threw the leaf away and bent down to pick up another and then another. She mumled, "I didn't want anyone to disturb my leaf sampling."
"Okaaay," said Becky doubtfully.
Rebecca kept working silently, picking up leaves, lokking at them, jotting notes down, throwing them back. She looked really sad.
Becky sighed. She touched her sister's shoulder. "You're really nervous about your date with Yami, huh?"
Rebeca moved away.
"It's okay, Rebecca," Becky continued, full of sympathy. "This summer, there was this guy I had the biggest crush on and he-"
"I'm not going," Rebecca said to the grass.
"What?" Becky said.
"I can't." Rebecca shook her head. "I forgot I had this meeting I have to go to. I promised Akiza ages ago."
"The guy you're 'utterly in love with' asked you out, and you're not going?" Becky cried.
Rebecca wouldn't look at her. "That's right," she said. "And it's for the best anyway. If I go, I know I'd just do something seriously grave. And then I'd regret it for the rest of eternity."
"What are you talking about?" Becky demanded.
"I know I would, Becky," Rebecca barreled on. She was scattering leaves this way and that. "And he'll hate me-worse, he'll think I'm seriously bizarre. And-and I'll have ruined everything."
"Oh, my gosh," Becky said with a shake of her head. "If this were the movies, I'd have to slap your face to make you snap out of it." She was so dumbfounded she couldn't think of anything else to say. Finally she just sat down on the ground, eyes closed, thinking hard. She could hear her sister scribbling and picking up leaves.
It was a windy day, and Becky shivered. She wished she was still wearing Rebecca's leather pants. That's it! she thought, springing to her feet and rushing to her sister's side.
"I really wish you'd stop disturbing my sample," Rebecca said, stomping around.
Becky grabbed her sister by the shoulders. "Rebecca, we have to switch again," she said sternly.
"You're right," Rebecca replied with a frown. "You'd be much better on the date."
"No,you'll go on the date," Rebecca said, grining. "I'll go to the meeting!"
"Oh!" Rebecca said, sounding shocked. Then she shook her head. "I think it's one of those meetings where a dancer might stick out, though."
Rebecca was clearly confused, so Becky had no choice but to speak extra slowly. "There will be two Rebecca's, you dork," she explained. "Imposter Rebecca-that's me-will go the meeting with Akiza. Real Rebecca-that's you-will go to the Exhibit with Yami."
Rebecca silently studied the lef in her hands for a long moment. Finally, she looked up. "I know you're trying to help, Becky." She sighed. "But it won't work. This meeting will be all Goths. And even if you could get by everyone else, you'll never make it past Akiza."
"If you can fool Bulla, I can fool Akiza," said Becky confidently.
"She's my oldest friend," countered Rebecca.
"Don't underestimate me," Becky pleaded. "Just because I'm a dancer that doesn't mean I don't know all about Goths. I'm like the number one vampire novel fan in high school today. I've read every Count Vira book four times. I promise, I'll fit in."
Rebecca laughed uncomfortably.
"All right, class," Mr Strain's voice wafted across the field. "Times's almost up!"
"Say you'll do it," Becky said intently.
"I want to, Becky. But..."
Becky took her hands. "Rebecca, I swear to you as your twin sister that if you don't go on this date, you will never forgive yourself. The boy you like likesyou. He likes you. The only thing that will definitely ruin that is if you blow him off."
"But what will we talk about?" Rebecca asked desperately. "Somehow I don't think asking about the 'latest' is going to work in this situation."
"I'll help you," Becky said firmly. She wasn't going to take no for an answer. "You'll be fine, just like you were at lunch."
Rebecca was silent.
"Girls!" Mr. Stain called.
"Say you'll do it," Becky whispered. "Please." Rebecca blinked. "Okay," she said, a smile creeping onto her face as she squeezed Becky's hand. "But I get to wear my black velvet boots."
Becky used Rebecca's cell phone to call her mother as soon as the final bell rang, and told her that she was going to Rebecca's house after school. This was techically true, because twenty minutes later, Becky stood with Rebecca at the base of a japanese honey tree-lined driveway that led up a hill. At the top was a house that looked like something out of Gone with the Wind. It had windows that were about fifteen feet tall and a columned front porch that spanned the front of the house.
Rebecca started up the drive.
"This is your house?" said Becky. She thought of the two-story house her family had just moved into on the other side of Domino High. Becky really liked their new house-her bedroom was at least twice the size of her old one-but this place was a total mamsion.
"Yeah," Rebecca said. "Why?"
"It's nice," said Becky, shaking gravel out of one of her flip-flops.
They hustled up the hill and climbed the sweeping front steps. A huge lantern of dark red glass hung above the porch, flickering even though it was day. Rebecca paused before turning the burnished brass knob on the ornately carved oak front door. "Stay here for a sec." She disappeared inside.
From where she stood beside a pile of firewood taller than she was, Becky could see almost all Domino High below her. It looked beautiful with houses poking up among the trees. She spotted the roof of the school in the distance.
Rebecca reappeared. "Come on," she said, pulling Becky inside. "My grandpa's not home."
Becky's eyes slowly adjusted to the dim light. The entryway was huge, with walls covered in interlocking patterns of stone and dark mahogany. She could just make out an extravagant staircase snaking up to the second floor; a window above it was shrouded by thick black velvet curtains.
Apparently, Rebecca's not the only black sheep in her family, Becky thought. This place is Goth heaven!
Becky followed her sister past a suit of armor and down a twisting flight of stone steps. A series of electric candleabra lit the way. They came to a landing and turned a corner.
Suddenly Becky found herself at the top of a staircase. To her left was a window covered with a heavy black velvet curtain, which Becky realized must be set just above ground level. As she followed Rebecca down the stairs, the wall to her right fell away to offer a clear view of the spacious basement room below.
In the center of the stone floor was a huge, round creamy-colored rug. Tall mahogany shelves crammed with papers and books took up the far wall. In one corner was a huge desk with a computer and toppling stacks of CDs and paper documents; in another was a big black bed strewn with dark purple pillows. Black shes littered the floor everywhere, looking like fallen bats. "This is the coolest room room I have ever seen!" Becky admitted as she reached the bottom.
"Thank you," said Rebecca, sounding pleased.
Becky turned around and noticed some words written in big black calligraphy on the stones that ran down the side of the stairway: "The matter is that I never get any rest, and my nights devour my days."
"That is so weird," she murmured. "That's from the Guy de Maupassant story story I read in the library today. I even told Yami to read it!"
"The Horla?" Rebecca responded. "It sucks, doesn't it?"
"That's exactly what I told him." Becky grinned. Then she noticed the largest wardrobe she had ever seen, made of ornately carved mahogany. It had five doors, one of which hung open. Necklaces and purses glimmered in the dim light. Becky charged over, flinging open the doors. There were racks upon racks of tupetops tanktops, leather pants, jeans, and shirts in every imaginable shades of black, dark purple, gray, with occasional flashes of ocean blue and ruby red. There was one section filled with more black leather shoes and boots.
"I knew we had something in common," Becky said excitedly as she took inventory.
She immediately pulled out a short-sleeved, lightweight, v-necked t-shirt in a rich red wine red. "Can I try this on?" she asked.
Rebecca stood looking in the mirror, examining the outfit her sister had helped her choose for her first date with Yami. She hadn't worn this tanktop in ages, but she had to admit that Becky was right-she looked drop-dead in it. Becky had also picked out a black vest(like Duke Devlin's but black) and black pants for her that Rebecca had owned.
"What do you think of this?" Becky said behind her, referring to her latest creation. She was wearing black baby tee and blue leather pants. It must have been the sixth outfit she'd tried.
"Now that," said Rebecca, "looks like me."
Becky inspected herself in the mirror. "Let's accessorize," she decided.
She went down to the end of the wardrobe and came back with an armful ofleather things. She carefully handed Rebecca some leather wristbands, a leather choker, little hoop earrings, saying, "I can't believe you wear this stuff," to which Rebecca just shrugged. And for herself, she'd chosen a black velvet choker.
Rebecca sprayed some Pale Beauty on Becky's face, and then they crowded side by side in the mirror to finish their makeup.
Rebecca glanced at her watch and shot her sister a pained look. "You have to meet Akiza at school in fifteen minutes, and I still don't know what I'm supposed to talk to Yami about."
"Okay," Becky said, hurrying to finished applying her eyeliner. "Want to know the secret to an awesome first date?"
Rebecca nodded impatiently.
"Ask questions. Get him to talk about himself: his family, friends, and what he likes."
Rebecca thought, That's it? and looked at Becky skeptically.
"It's all about getting to know each other," explained Becky. "And, if he's really boyfriend material, he'll ask you some questions, too."
Rebecca got nervous. "What will I do if that happens?"
"Talk. Tell the truth. Tell him about what you like and what drives you crazy. The only thing you might want to leave out is your brand-new, dancing twin sister. That might freak him out."
"No kidding," Rebecca said, rolling her eyes. "That should be the number one rule of romance: no secret twin sister revelations until at least the third date."
Becky giggled and stuffed her clothes into Rebecca's fuzzy black backpack. "And remember," she said, slinging on the back, "even if you're not perky fashion victim, you could try smiling once or twice."
Rebecca heard a door slam upstairs. "My grandpa's home." She winced. "And I don't think now's really the right time to introduce you to him. No offense."
"I'm not going to tell my parents about you either," said Becky, "at least not before we figure a few things out for themselves."
Rebecca nodded. "We'd better sneak out the window," she said. She led Becky up the staircase and threw aside the curtain.
"This is so secret agent." Becky giggled as Rebecca pushed out into the backyard.
A minute later, they'd reached the bottom of the driveway. "So what's this meeting I'm going to?" Becky asked.
"I'm not completely sure," admitted Rebecca. "Akiza is constantly signing me up for clubs and stuff. I think she didn't want to tell me, because she knew I wouldn't like it."
They took the shortcut through the woods behind a neighbor's house.
"Whatever you do," Rebecca instructed as they marched down the leaf-covered path, "don't look happy to be there. No perkiness, no enthusiasm, 'Hi, guys!' You do any of that, and they'll eat you alive."
"Got it. Where's the meeting going to be be?"
"I'm not sure. I know it's not at school though. It will probably just be a bunch of"-Rebecca hesitated- "Goths debating something."
Suddenly Rebecca started to have second thoughts. What if somebody says something that makes Becky suspicious? She stopped at a fork in the path. "Anyway," she said nervously, "don't pay too much attention to anything anyone says. At all."
Becky looked at her in confusion.
"You know, b-because," Rebecca stammered, "Goths can have really strange...uh...senses of humor."
"Okay," Becky said, and shrugged.
"I'm going this way to the Egypt Exhibit." Rebecca gestured down the path. "Keep going straight, and you'll end up back on the field behind school. You're meeting Akiza by the front doors."
They hugged. "You're going to be irresistible!" said Becky.
"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Rebecca answered. "Seriously." Then hurried off down the path to the Museum, determined not to faint at any point during her first date with Yami Muto-even on the displays.
End of chapter 5. And please review because I want reviews.