Chapter 23: My Other Half... Sort Of

Author's Note: Hey hey heyyyy. Sorry the first part is very writer's-block-ish. But the longness of the chapter should make up for it, hehe. Review! :p

"Melanie's calling?" Freddie asked, his eyes wide. "Does she even know about you getting kicked out?"

"I didn't tell her," I told him, staring at my phone, still ringing as Melanie called.

"Wait, so this means she's real right?" Freddie asked stupidly in a joking way.

I rolled my eyes and spoke quickly. "Yeah. It's a long story... but long story short, me and Carly never lied, except for when we gave in and said Melanie wasn't real. We only said she was fake 'cause you wouldn't give up. Now shh, I'm answering."

"Hello?" I said after answering the phone.

"Sam?" Melanie asked, her voice more high-pitched than mine like usual, which didn't make sense considering we're twins. She sounded excited.

"What's up?" I asked casually.

"Guess where I am now!"

"Some fancy place in LA?"

"Nope! I'm in an airport here in Washington! I just need to take a quick ten minute train ride, and I'll be right nearby! Surprise!"

My jaw dropped a bit. "Have you, um, called mom?"

"No," Melanie said, seeming a little bit disappointed that I didn't react to this in an excited way. What did she expect? "Why?" she asked.

"Don't. Um, I'll be there in a few." I sighed quietly.

"Cool, I can't wait!" Melanie exclaimed.

"Yeah, yeah. See you soon." I hung up.

"She's here?" Freddie asked just after I hung up.

"How'd you know?" I asked him.

"'I'll be there in a few'? 'See you soon'?" Freddie said. "She's at the airport?"

"Yeah," I said, not in the mood for this. "But she has to take a train ride. We have to go pick her up."

"Why is she here?" Freddie asked slowly, seeming nervous as if he assumed Melanie knew.

I shrugged. "A surprise," I said while rolling my eyes.

"How should we get there?" Freddie asked. "Should my mom drive us?"

"Nah," I said, wanting to hang out with Freddie's mom as little amount of time as I could. "I guess we can take a cap there, but we should walk back. We've got a lot to tell her."

"Mom kicked you out?" my twin sister asked me in shock. Her curly blonde hair was in a ponytail, and she wore a white blouse and pink shirt. Freddie and I picked her up after going over some dumb ground rules with his mom. No hugging, cuddling, or touching after nine PM. No falling asleep in each other's beds. Five servings of vegetables a day. Gosh, does Freddie have such a different life than I did at home.

I stuffed my hands into my dark purple hoodie's pockets, walking on the sidewalk back to Bushwell Plaza. Melanie was walking to my left, with Freddie at my right. "Yeah," I said. "A while ago."

"And you live with Freddie?" Melanie asked, surprised, taking this in.

"Yup," Freddie cut in.

"Wait... does this mean I'm kicked out too?" Melanie frowned.

"I don't know... wouldn't it be kind of awkward if you weren't?" I said, starting to feel angry that she would be on my mom's side.

"Sam... she's my ma," Melanie said miserably.

"Whatever, Mel. Ignore the fact that she abused me and that she tried her hardest not to be drunk when you came to visit."

Melanie turned to me with a sad look. "I'm sorry, Sam... and I'd probably have to go through the same thing if I lived at him. But... I need to talk to her."

I sharply turned my head to her. "How?"

"I'll call her when we get to Freddie's place... or your place... you know what I mean."

I nodded slowly, my eyebrows raised high. "Yep."

Marissa and Melanie met, and Melanie was acting all sweet and polite. She makes me sick.

After they met, Marissa walked into her room. But on her way there, she whispered to Freddie, "Now that's the kind of girl I want you to be friends with." She then walked back into her room, thinking I couldn't hear a thing. Either that, or she whispered it a little louder than a normal whisper because she wanted me to hear it.

I frowned. I remembered that now she even hates Carly too since Freddie saved her life. As if that was Carly's fault.

I guess Melanie didn't hear her, because after she put her stuff in Freddie's room, she was already doing something on her cell phone. She then looked hesitant and worried, pacing around the kitchen area. The kitchen area was sort of like the main room in Freddie's apartment, because it was the room you're in when you first walk into the apartment.

I looked over Melanie's houlder onto her phone, that she was holding extra tightly. Our mom's number was dialed in, but Melanie didn't call her yet.

"Why aren't you calling?" I asked, getting annoyed and impatient. I stepped back from over her shoulder, and then stepped in front of her.

"I'm scared," she admitted. She stopped pacing and her blue eyes looked into my identical ones. She continued, "You know I don't want to go back to her. You know I hate what she did to you. But Sam... this phone call will change my life. Like... where am I supposed to stay when I come home for the summer?"

"With us," Freddie said. I turned to his serious face, and we both slightly smiled.

"But like... what about her custody? Did you guys make this legal?" Melanie asked, still unsure.

"Nope," I said. I shrugged. "She's probably scared to bring it to court. She knows I'd be able to prove that she abused me."

"But if she does," Freddie added, stepping over to stand right next to me so my shoulder touched the top of his arm, "bring it on. Carly and I will be right by Sam's side, and I know you will too, Melanie."

Melanie's frown slowly turned into a confident grin. "Okay. I can do this." She picked up her phone and quickly called our mom, as if doing it before she regretted it. She put the phone to her ear. After some seconds, she said, "It went to voicemail."

"You can call her back later if you want to have a conversation," I said. I knew that if it was me, I'd rather yell at her over the phone than yell through a message that my mom might never listen to.

Melanie hesitated for a quick second, but then shook her head. "No. I never want to hear her voice again."

I smiled, seeing a bit of Sam rage in her as she said that.

I heard a beep come from the phone, and I knew that that meant Melanie's message was about to start. Melanie said into the phone with all of her emotions clearly coming out as she spoke, "Hi mom. It's Melanie. I heafrd about what you did to Sam... everything. Everything that happened since I left for boarding school. I know that you kicked her out. I know all of the terrible stuff that happened before that. I hope you know that means you kicked me out too, whether you like it or not. Mom, I never want to see you again. The act you've given me as such a 'great' mom is gone. You can't do that to my sister and expect me to not find out, and to not car.e And if you're thinking of bringing this to court, bring it." She smiled at us. "But be prepared to lose. You hurt my sister, and I was lucky enough to not get hurt by you since I wasn't home. But mom, you disgust me. Bye." Melanie was grinning widely as she shut her phone.

Melanie looked at Freddie and me. Her grin slowly turned into a frown, her bright eyes turning small and wet. She looked down and her face became red. Tears poured out of her eyes and she made a squealing sound. Just like that, she was crying.

Melanie looked back up and pushed her bangs out of her eyes. Her face was red and wet and sad. Do I really look like that when I cry? Thank God I don't cry that much. Well... I didn't until I moved in with Freddie.

I sighed quite loudly and opened my arms lazily, ready to to unhappily comfort my upset sister with a hug.

But instead, Melanie walked right past me, into the open arms of Freddie.

She went on her toes and rested her head on his shoulder.

Just like I do.

He rubbed her back gently and whispered, "It's okay. I know this was a big step, but you did the right thing."

Comforting her, just like he does to me.

I cleared my throat, but neither of them even glanced my way. They were ignoring the rest of the world.

Just like Freddie and me.

I gave them one last glance and shook my head. I slowly walked into Freddie's room and sat on the edge of his bed. I stared at my knees. I couldn't believe I thought for a small second that Freddie could have had just a bit of feelings for me. Yeah, right. He's just like that to all girls.

I should've known.