a.n. Review please! How about I update when I get 15 reviews? Because, quite honestly, that would work very well for me. =) please?
And I changed my pen name. Yay! I am now Banana Smoothie! Cuz I had one for lunch. =)
My favorite thing that Avery did was dismiss her sister. She dismissed the Queen of the Locker Girls, the Empress of Middle School, the Conductor of the Gossip Train. I have got to give that girl her props. I would never have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes.
"So, what? Are you banishing me from your house?" asked Avril, like she didn't understand, which she totally could. She may not be the sharpest crayon in the box, but she of all people should be an expert at the wars of Middle School Girls. This occurred after she tried the whole we-are-twins-so-it's-all-or-nothing thing. This didn't work because Avery didn't back her up. If you could see me right now, I would be sticking my tongue out.
"We aren't banishing you, sweetie," assured Avery. "We're just...dismissing you."
"Is that any better?" inquired Avril with a scowl.
"Oh, yes. Much better, isn't it Kylie?"
Kylie grinned again, and I noticed that she was missing a few teeth. Awwww, how cute!
Avril scowled at Avery, this time accompanied with a glare. And then, do you know what Avery did? She told her to "shoo" like the fly from that one song that I only know the chorus to. Including a hand motion.
Avril's face sweetened like someone had poured an entire jar of sugar in her tea, or whatever her beverage preference was. Probably some kind of foreign water imported from France or something. She smiled at Oliver slyly. "See you at the picnic, Olsen." And then, the Queen Bee accepted defeat and walked down the sidewalk. I hoped all her mirrors would break. Or maybe it's like that thing with poison. If you have it in your system for long enough you become immune or something of that nature.
"Tori!" shrieked Kylie. It was like that little girl had been freed of her shackles are five years instead of five minutes. She tackled me, and this time, I actually did fall on my behind.
To my surprise, Avery didn't scold her like before.
"Aren't you going to tell her to let go?" I heard "Olsen" whisper.
Avery smiled sweetly. "That's all for Avril. She would be absolutely mortified if Kylie did that in her presence, even if she doesn't show it." Then she went over and tickled Kylie beneath her little armpit, and her younger sister completely collapsed into giggles. I needed to remember that trick for the next assault. "However, I do have to fix you, Tori. Come on Kylie, up you go." She heaved up the little girl from the tangle of Tori and Kylie and took hold of her hand.
"Please?" asked her little sister, her navy eyes big and sad, her lower lip put into a slight pout. "Pretty please with a cherry on top? And mint chocolate chip ice cream, because that's your favorite."
Avery knelt on the ground and looked Kylie in the eye, navy to navy. "Don't you remember what Avril said?"
"Since when do you care what sissie says?" asked Kylie innocently, but her eyes betrayed her devious thoughts. That seven year old would be in theater, just thought I would let you know my opinion. I think it's a pretty good one.
"I always take what Avril says into consideration."
"Then why don't you ever do what she tells you to?" I had a hard time imagining Avril "telling" anyone anything. She always had had that ordering kind of tone.
"Well, I would if the advice she dealt were in everyone's preeminent interest. Seeing as this is usually not the case, I don't see any reason why I should take it." Avery looked at Kylie just as innocently. That's the way to bamboozle a seven year old. Confuse her with lots of big words.
She stood up again and brushed doff her white skirt. "Why don't we just head up to your bedroom." Kylie shook her head enthusiastically.
"You two go on up, it's the first one on the left with the green paint," I instructed as they started up the steps. "Be there in a minute!"
Kylie looked up at her sister innocently. "Is she going to yell at him?"
"Shhh, let's go," tried Avery. Kylie didn't move. "Oh, fine. I'll race you up the stairs."
"Yay!" Kylie bolted, her goal achieved.
"I second Kylie's question," commented Oliver, relaxing on the couch.
"Don't slouch," I snapped. Then I winced. "Sorry."
"Yeah, I think you yelled at me enough yesterday, to be honest." My face fell. "Okay, fine, sorry. What do you want to supposedly yell at me for?"
"I'm not going to yell at you," I said. "I'm just offering a...warning."
"For what?"
"The Taylor twins."
"That sounds like a circus act."
"Oliver!"
Oliver threw his hands up in defeat. "Okay, sorry. Why should I look out for "The Taylor Twins"?"
"Well, Avril is a typical cheerleader stereotype, and she isn't even a cheerleader."
"And Avery?" asked Oliver, curious.
"Well..." I scowled. "They're related. Shouldn't that count for something?"
"She seems okay to me, that's all. In fact she seems almost like that one girl two years ago." Oliver stood up. "Do we have any pop-tarts?" He walked passed me. Thanks for heeding my reluctantly given warning Mr. Oliver.
"Will you take this seriously?" I hissed.
He popped open a can of Ale-8*. "They're Middle School girls, Vicky, the worst they can do is start rumors and shoot glares. Remember," he tweaked my nose. "I shop monsters in half for a living." Then he went into his own room up the steps.
"And don't call me Vicky," I mumbled long after he closed his door.
"Tori?" asked Avery when I walked back into my room, her head cocked to the side. "Are you okay?"
I looked her over again, head to toe. "Yeah, I'm fine." I sat down on my bed and stared out my window, where I could see a bunch of volunteers setting up inflatable castles and stuff, and a bunch of father grilling up things scattered around on the plane. I looked her over again, trying to find a resemblance of Avril, the girl who worked harder to ruin my life than to finish her homework.
Avery shifted a bit, like she was uncomfortable. "Are you looking for my 'inner demon'?"
I looked at her in alarm. Could she read my mind or something?
"You aren't as discreet as you wish you were," she explained, shuffling her way through my closet. "Besides, I get it a lot, being Avril's twin and all. Let's say that some of her friends aren't as friendly when she isn't around." She tossed me a forest green tank top and a brown short-sleeved shirt to go under it, along with a denim skirt. "Go on," she said, prompting me to change.
"Well, turn around," I said self consciously. Avery rolled her eyes.
"We're all girls," she insisted, but she turned around anyway.
I started changing, and eventually the silence was suffocating. "I never see you in school." As long as I was in need of small talk I might as well figure out a mystery. "How old are you?"
"Me and Avril are twins, so I'm 13 like you."
"Do you go to a private school, or something like that?"
Avery sketched a pattern on my bedspread with her finger. "I'm in another grade that my sister and you."
"Did you get held back?" I found that hard to believe. "Okay, you can look."
Avery turned around and started to mess with my hair. "Actually, I skipped a grade. Testing scores and stuff, you know."
"Wow." Avery made my hair look as curly as possible, and made me up with eyeliner and mascara and this gold flecked eye shadow in about five minutes. Once again, I have to give that girl her props.
"Yep, and I still get confused with her. I have random people come up and start screaming at me after school." She stepped back to admire her work. "I did a good job, if I may say so myself. Let's just hope Olsen cleans up nice."
"Who is—" I only barely caught myself. Avery looked at me funny.
"I knew your brother," she started again a few minutes later.
"Oh...really?" I gulped. Maybe she caught on.
"Yes, when I was in sixth grade, he was the person I had to follow around for a day to get the hang of the school. Olsen and Oliver look a lot alike, or I would imagine they would if I saw Oliver at 15. Only Olsen is a lot...more muscular than I ever imagined Oliver being." She shoo her head and smiled.
"Well, they are related," I said, laughing nervously. Way to keep your cool Tori, like an ice cube.
"Are you coming?" called Oliver up the steps.
"Yes!" I called back. Kylie jumped a little. She had been absolutely lost in the world of One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. The plot really sucks you in.
"Well, hurry! Before I grow a beard!" shouted Oliver.
Avery gave Kylie a piggyback ride down the steps. "You look nice," she said as she passed him. And he did. Very nice, to be honest.
My stomach roared. "But a muzzle on it or something," was the brilliant advice Oliver offered.
"Or," interjected Avery, who was in front of the line to get food. "You could just eat a hot dog." She thrust one into my hands. "Condiments are over there," she added, pointing at a little stand not too far away.
She thanked the person who had given her the burger on her plate (I believe his name was Mr. McKessie) and went over to it, putting ketchup and lettuce and onions on her sandwich.
"Thanks for the hot dog," I said while I put ketchup and mustard on my own food.
Avery reached down to get a soda and started walking off. "No problem!" she shouted over her shoulder. Then she plopped down at a picnic table with Avril, Kylie, along with a woman who was at least 25 and a baby.
"Tori!" shouted someone. It was Josh, running over to them. "Oliv—"
"Shut up!" I hissed. "How bad would it be if my felon of a brother turned up at a neighborhood picnic?"
"Bad, I'm guessing." Josh smiled. "So what am I supposed to call you? Phillip or something?"
"Apparently my new name is Olsen, her cousin," muttered Oliver, shaking his head.
"Well, sorry. It was on short notice. You didn't even gave them a name. So I win." I took a bite of my hot dog.
Oliver threw grass at me, which is totally immature for a 15-year-old. For a 13-year-old, however, grass throwing is a perfectly respectable pass time.
Oliver shook stray leaves out of his hair. "I missed you."
"As you should," I said, shaking my head.
Josh, who was sitting beside me, tensed. He started to stare off into the distance. It's a little disconcerting, because he looked like someone had removed his brain. And I knew well now that certain people could.
"Olsen," he said, trying to get my brothers attention. "Olsen. Oliver!" Oliver napped to attention. "Look." He pointed over to where the Taylor's were sitting. Kylie was pointing at something far away, and Avery was trying to calm her down. But her eyes looked worried.
"Tori, do you see anything weird?" he asked, and my heart flip-flopped, but I didn't mind at the moment.
"Does a giant man with six arm count as 'weird' for you?" I asked, my mouth taking on a very attractive "O".
"No, not really," admitted Josh. "But it's always fun seeing other peoples reactions."
"Oh, ha-ha."
There was a man in a classic trench coat, only instead of only one sleeve, he had six, three on each side of his body, and his torso was really long just to be able to fit so many. In fact, he was long all around. This guy had to be at least 8 feet, maybe more. And he was just walking around the field like he wanted to eat a hotdog and catch butterflies.
"Avril?" Avery asked. I could hear it all the way over where we were because her voice got really high pitched and loud when she was nervous. "Watch Kylie for me, just for a little while. Please." Avril, looking around for cute guys to flirt with, nodded. Avery took off. A few minutes later, Avery hadn't returned, and the giant came up to the table.
"You're big," said Kylie, in absolute awe. "How do you get so big? I want to be big! Like a tree!" Kylie exclaimed, making arm motions.
"Would you like to learn?" asked the man, and his voice was low and almost a growl.
"Yes yes!" Kylie clapped. The man took her hand and they headed off into the forest. Avril didn't even blink. Some sister.
"Stupid Gegenees," Josh muttered.
"They're a type of giant. They all have six arms," explained Oliver. "I haven't seen one in years."
"Well, then that's good to know. Do you want me to work on another conspiracy theory?"
"If you can do it while you fight a giant, sure why not," said Josh, standing up.
"What? Woah, wait there a minute," I stood up too. "How am I supposed to beat up a giant? I'm barely up to your shoulder." It was sad, but true. Not only was I abnormally short, but Josh was abnormally tall.
"You don't beat him up. You chop him up," he said, throwing me a dagger. It went right through me.
"Wait to go. I can't use that."
Josh smiled like I was an idiot. "You can't touch the blade. The hilt is fine. The hilt isn't celestial bronze, so you can use it." He smiled like I had made his day.
I scowled. I hated looking stupid. But I picked up the dagger anyway. Avery still hadn't com back, and Avril still didn't notice that her sister was going to be...whatever it was that giant thing was planning. I'm going with lunch. I just couldn't see that monster eating a salad.
"Let's go," said Oliver, standing up too. He didn't have a bow, which I found weird, because I vaguely remember Apollo being an archer, like his sister. Didn't Josh say that he was a son of Apollo?
I didn't have time to mull this thought over. The next thing I knew, we were running in the direction that the giant and Kylie had gone. I felt like one of those idiot girls in horror films. You know, going toward the scary monster. It made more sense to run away.
We broke into a clearing. I saw two very weird things. One was the giant carrying an unconscious Kylie to an unknown destination. The other was the giant itself.
He growled, kind of like a dog. He lay Kylie down on the ground surprisingly gentle, and then he turned, snarling I might add, to us.
Oliver and Josh had a good go at him. I'm ashamed to say that I hung back and only swiped with my dagger when it was necessary. I know, I know. I was a wimp. But I could leave the heroics to my brother. That's his forte. Mine is being wimpy. And I am perfectly okay with that.
They were trying their best, I'm sure. But fight a guy 8 feet tall with six arms, which were much beefier when they weren't confined in the trench coat is a lot easier said than done. And if it sound easy you are either insane or...well, even more insane.
"Oliver!" shouted Josh, and I ripped myself from my own head. I'm guessing that isn't safe in a fight, but I wasn't really doing anything. Guess ADHD actually does have its upsides.
Oliver's knife had been flung from his grip and was now very deeply embedded in a tree. The giant grinned, and I could see he had less teeth than Grandma Edna, and that's saying something. He could use a dentist.
He started to go after Oliver, and Josh flung himself at him, just to be thrown back with a swipe of the dentist-needing giant's hand. He landed with an "oof" and looked disoriented.
I tried to force myself to stand between my brother and his attacker, but I just couldn't. I mean, that's what they do in all the movies, right? The wimpy person who had hung in the background suddenly burst forth and defeated the monster. But this wasn't a movie, and that didn't happen in real life. So my feet refused to move.
"Oliver!" I shouted, still stuck. I threw a rock. It ricocheted off the giants head and hit a tree, in which it got stuck in the crater it had made. Right under Oliver's knife. How ironic.
The giant turned toward me, which made me wish he hadn't, because he had beady little eyes way too small for his head. He grinned savagely. Then, he made a small whimpering noise and exploded. It was so cool! He turned into a giant cloud of dust!
"That's for kidnapping my sister." I couldn't believe it. There she was, with Oliver's dagger in her hand after she had pried it from its prison.
"Avery?"
Avery smiled. "Hey, Tori." She gave Oliver back his blade. "It's nice to finally meet the other Williams sibling.