Annabelle:
Did I ever mention how much I hated love? Because trust me- I really hate love, romance, and most of all- drama. Geesh, so much love in the air makes me choke and gag. How can Mason stand this stuff?
"Turn it off," I whined.
Mason stuck his tongue out of me,
"Don't diss on my soup opera!"
"Annie, dearie," Auntie called, "let Mason watch his show!"
I groaned again. There was only one TV in the house- the one in the living room. Auntie took away the TV in my room and the one in Mason's so that we could 'spend more time together as family.' However, that included taking turns deciding what was on the television. It was the reason was on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights that I spent time with Rosayla, Lysander, and Castiel. Anything to get me away from the nights Mason has control of the TV. Unluckily for me, Castiel was sick, Rosayla was on a date with Leigh, and Lysander didn't reply to any of my messages or calls.
Mason was in the recliner and I was stretched out on the couch- looking at the ceiling. I had my wrist in front of my face and was glaring at it. It was still ticking, still counting down. 00:01:10:05:15:24 (one month, ten days, five hours, fifteen minutes, and twenty-four seconds). One month…we've been in Amoris for one full month and honestly- I am just happy I have survived…even if I still have to get revenge on Amber. Though the last time I tried to get revenge, I ended up finding out about Castiel and Lysander's band. I grabbed a pen and started to poke at the watch.
"If I poke it enough, maybe it will scratch so bad I can't see it," I muttered until Auntie walked by and grabbed the pen out of my hands,
"You don't have to sit in here dearie," she chimed, "you can go outside! Write! Draw! Sing! Take a shower! There are more things to do than just sit here and listen to Mason's really confusing soap opera."
I jumped up from the couch,
"You're right!"
At the same time Mason was yelling at the TV,
"NO! You can't have sex with him! He screwed your brother! He killed your twin!"
I stared for just a brief moment and then shook my head, yeah I will never know what's more confusing- my brother or the soap operas he watches. I headed to my room to change out of my pajamas. My PJs were something I didn't want anyone to see. It was a bit embarrassing for a seventeen year old to be wearing, admittedly cute, pajamas that were pants with pictures of cartoon toast on them with a tank top that matched with a piece of toast popping out of the toaster saying 'I'm Toasty!'. It didn't help that the only other pair of pajamas I owned was something just as childish. It was green pants with little cartoon pills all over them and a pink tank top that had the two cartoon pills on them. One pill was cursing (the words was just $# !*) and the other one was smiling saying 'take a chill pill.'
So, taking off the I'm Toasty pajamas, I changed into something different- black jeans and a black Victorian-like shirt. Lys would be so proud. I chuckled to myself slightly then stopped when I realized what I was doing. I shook my head and finished by putting my green hair in a ponytail, leaving my bangs out. I grabbed my notebook and headed out. I haven't written poetry in along time- so I thought that this might do me some good.
000
When I got to the park, I noticed that it was actually pretty dark. It wasn't totally dark- just dark enough that most people in the park cleared out. Good, I don't like dealing with people anyway. I settled down underneath a tree and leaned against it. It was a pretty nice tree. I brought my knees a bit closer to my chest and rested my notebook on my legs as I wrote.
Tick-Tock:Tick-tock-tick-tock The never-ending sound. Tick-tock-tick-tock
The sound that haunts my dreams.
Tick-tock-tick-tock
The sound of time running out.
Tick-tock-tick-
The beeping, the ticking, so evil.
Tick-tock
The noise so constant I wish it would end.
Tick-
I wish for the silence, I wish for content.
No sound.
No noise.
No beep.
No ticking.
And when I look around,
I realize that there is not another soul,
And I cry.
When I wished for it to stop,
I never wished to be alone when it did.
The poem had meaning. It could be read two ways. Some may see it as the ticking of death, that I wished for the ticking to stop and death to come…but I didn't want to die alone. I glared at the watch on my wrist, in truth it's about this stupid thing. I continued writing.
Porcelain Doll:Sitting on a shelf,
Watching life pass by,
Because they consider me too fragile.
Yet I wished I could jump from the ledge,
And not break,
So I can cry.
Because when I am Momma's Porcelain Doll,
I must smile,
I must be good.
I must never show,
Just how cracked this porcelain doll is.
I didn't realize the tears silently going down my face at the words I wrote. When I read over it, I realized just how much of what I thought flowed onto the page. It's true. I did do a lot of bad things when Mom and Dad were alive, but around them…I was really myself sometimes. I smiled, I was good. I didn't show them my flaws. I guess in some twisted way, I hoped if I was good in front of them- well, I use the word good lightly- then maybe they would see that I was just as good as Mason.
"Are you alright?"
I looked up to see Lysander. I sighed,
"I'm fine."
He looked at me and I couldn't read the emotions in his eyes. He sat down beside me,
"Normally when someone says that they are fine, they usually mean the exact opposite."
I smiled faintly, but I wasn't sure what to say.
"You write poetry," he asked and I nodded,
"Every once in a while…I haven't written it in awhile. It was my…stress relief…before I got into smoking that is," I answered honestly.
He looked a bit conflicted,
"That is interesting…you do know-"
"-smoking is bad for me," I finished, "yeah. It's just a nasty habit."
I shrugged and Lysander sighed,
"What are you doing out here in the park? It's dangerous this late at night."
This late at night? I looked around and noticed- it was pretty late. I guess I wrote longer than I thought I did- opps.
"I didn't realize it was this late," I mumbled. Lysander looked at me mildly amused.
"Perhaps, it would be best for you to return home?"
"Probably," I agreed and then my stomach growled. Why did I leave before diner? Gosh this is embarrassing. Lysander looked at me amused,
"Though maybe we should get some food first?"
I looked at him confused as he stood up.
"We?"
He held out his hand to help me up,
"But of course. It is impolite to let a woman such as yourself wonder around the streets after dark by herself."
"I can protect myself," I mumbled. Lysander sighed,
"I am well aware of that fact. Yet, I still insist. It doesn't mean you are not capable of protecting yourself, it just means that I wish to be a polite gentleman."
You know Lys- you're confusing, but I'm starting to like you better and better.
Mason:
I was a bit surprised when there was a knock at the door. Annabelle never knocked. She usually just burst into the room and declared 'honey, I'm home!' okay so she doesn't say that but she does burst into the room. I opened the door,
"Auntie was getting a bit worried about you and-"
I stopped. It wasn't Annabelle. Well it was, but there was a guy with her- Lysander. I never met the guy personally, but I did know him and he knew me. I slyly smiled,
"Sissy…you didn't tell me you had a boyfriend…"
She turned bright red and even Lysander blushed faintly. Haha!
"Not my boyfriend," Annabelle muttered. Lysander coughed nervously,
"We would have been home sooner, but we did stop to get some food. I apologize."
"OH I KNEW IT," I pointed at him, "You were on a date!"
Lysander blushed faintly again and Annabelle sighed,
"You know, what? Forget it. Thanks Lys," she nodded, "Mason- just stop…"
Then she brushed past me and headed towards her room. I laughed,
"Well, she likes you! Otherwise you wouldn't have gotten a thanks…I'm still trying to get a thanks," I muttered, "Dang it.."
Lysander looked at me curiously- but he didn't comment. Instead, he nodded and left. He was polite- but he wasn't any better than Alexy and Armin. Those two were my go-to-geeks. Annabelle was still muttering under her breath- I could hear her when I passed her door. I knocked on it,
"You okay, Annie?"
"Just dandy."
I looked at my watch- still ticking. I wondered…if we only have a month left, and we're at Sweet Amoris, does that mean that our soul mates are one of our classmates? I felt a tingling sensation in my stomach. I hoped so. Then maybe…my crush would be it…No that only happens in cheesy movies and romantic books…or fanfictions.. I shivered, fan fictions…they're a death trap. Armin had introduced me to them and I regretted it. Some of those were scary. I shivered, not to mention nasty.
00000
The next day at school, I laughed at Alexy and Armin. Those two were defiantly my best friends now. Then again, in a way, I was friends with everyone at school- aside from my sister's friends. I don't really talk to the people that my sister considered friends. She always seemed so mad when I did. If I didn't know better, she acted like I was trying to steal them away from her. I don't want to upset her, so I don't.
"Wait," Armin said, finally looking up from his video game, "Anna-jerk is your sister?"
I narrowed my eyes. I was well aware that some people at Sweet Amoris (Armin, Peggy, Amber mostly) considered Annabelle as Anna-jerk because she was a bit meaner to them. Still, she wasn't cold on purpose and I knew she was like that to people she didn't like. Armin had made her mad- I think it was from him suggesting her to do this sexy cosplay thing.
"No," I said glaring slightly at Armin, "She's my twin!"
Armin blinked in shock,
"What? No…You're nice!"
Alexy elbowed Armin with a slight glare and then smiled at me,
"Sorry Mason…but…Annabelle can be a bit rude."
I shrugged,
"Yeah, I know. She's pretty cool though. She's just going through things- it's why she dyed her hair green."
I tried to justify my sister, but what could I tell them? She was mad at the watch? She was still mourning our parents? That she…she was sad. I knew it. She tried to hide it but I knew on the inside, she was still mourning for our parents. I hoped that Lysander, Castiel, and Rosayla helped her. Because if she didn't get help soon…I was scared that she may have locked herself up too much.
Alexy smiled at me,
"So, Mason, shopping?"
I cheered,
"You know it!"
000
When I got home, I found Annabelle crashed out on the couch. For once, she wasn't watching TV either. She was actually writing. She was laid down on the couch in her 'chill pill' pajamas, her hair in a loose bun, and a notebook. I almost dropped my shopping bags,
"Oh my gosh you're not watching TV?!"
She stuck out her tongue at me.
"I can do other things beside pig out in front of the television."
I blinked,
"Well yeah, you also pig out in your room."
"Says the guy with a mini-fridge in his room."
She looked amused and I smiled. I was glad that she was in a good mood. Sometimes that seemed to happen less and less. I sat down my shopping bags. Her jaw dropped,
"What did you do?! Clear out the whole shop?!"
"Almost," I smiled cheekily, "Alexy helped out too! I got you some things!"
She raised an eyebrow and sat up on the couch. I pulled out the clothes,
"See?"
"Wow," she whistled, "Not too shabby…"
"I know my sister," I cheered.
Honestly, I was glad she liked the clothes. I got her a cute black dress that had a deep dip in the back, but it was covered with green ribbons that criss-crossed like the laces of a corset. I also got her some other clothes too: a black tube top that had white stars on it, black skinny jeans with random white spots of 'paint' on it. My favorite thing that I got her was a cute blue dress that would go mid-thigh. It was high-colored and very short sleeved. It even came with a white-studded belt and the skirt of the dress was so frilly. It was cute!
"This must've cost a fortune," she muttered.
"Oh no! There was a sale," I said happily and then I spotted the last piece of clothing I got her.
"Oh yeah, Leigh picked this out!"
It was a black Lolita dress that looked like something that Lysander would wear if he was a chick.
"Leigh," she muttered, "Oh yeah- Lysander's older brother. And Rosayla's girlfriend."
"She's dating him?"
She shrugged,
"Is that much of a shock?"
"Not really," I answered honestly and then sat down beside her. I looked at her slyly,
"Speaking of boyfriends and girlfriends….Who do you like?"
"I'm not talking about this," she growled. I groaned,
"Oh come on! We're twins! You can tell me," I whined. She scowled,
"Speaking of being twins…Nathaniel came up to me at school and I had to redo all my paperwork!"
"What," I said confused, "Why?"
"Because apparently you put two different birthdays on our paperwork! We're twins, idiot! We're both Gemini!"
"Oh yeah," I said sheepishly, "In my defense, you do act like a Scorpio."
Annabelle rolled her eyes. I chuckled and poked her sides,
"Hey, quit it," she laughed, "that tickles!"
"Na-uh," I said, "You can't get rid of me that easily! Who do you like?"
"No one," she growled, "No leave me alone, you ass!"
"Never, bitch."
"Don't call your brother names," Auntie called out from her bedroom. Annabelle scowled,
"Of course but she doesn't say anything about him calling me names," she mumbled. I frowned, Auntie just probably didn't hear me.
"So what about you and Alexy," she mumbled. I blushed,
"What?"
"Oh come on," she rolled her eyes, "you like him. It's okay you're gay. I know Alexy's so gay he can't see straight."
I fidgeted. It was true that I did like Alexy. I wasn't gay though…I was actually bisexual. Hence I would actually be okay with my watch going off and my soul mate being a girl or a dude. Annabelle would flip if she got a chick though.
"Speaking of that," I bit my lip, "I...I need your advice."
"On what?"
"Dating," I said nervously. She raised an eyebrow,
"Why? And you know I don't do the mushy stuff. Love makes me gag."
"I didn't say love," I pointed out, "and because you've dated so many guys…I was wondering what's the best way to ask a guy out."
She sighed,
"You know you'll owe me later, right?"
"Yeah," I pouted.
"Okay," she said taking a breath, "Look, most guys like a more direct approach. As for dating ideas, a date at the park is pretty popular. You could always be cliché and take him to a movie or something too. Personally, I think he would it if you took him to that fashion show that's coming up. But you do know him best so-"
She was cut off by me hugging her tightly,
"Oh thank you! You're the best twin ever!"
"….I…can't…breathe…."