Life Sized

"Little Girls are cute and small only to adults.

To one another they are not cute, they are life sized."

~ Margaret Atwood – Cat's Eye.

Stacie and Vera said side-by-side on the sofa, snuggled together, each enjoying her own book. Until several moments before, when a cold war seemed to have broken out amongst the twins. They had stalked through the living room, not talking to one another – but with tension palpable. "What do you think is up with that?" Stacie asked, listening as one of the thirteen-year-olds stamped around.

"Poppy's mad because Bella won't go to a party with her," Vera said simply.

"Poppy can't go on her own?"

"Poppy wasn't invited. Bella was. So she can only go if she goes with Bella."

"Oh," Stacie said, understanding. Teenage girl politics were rough. "And Bella doesn't want to go?"

"No," Vera responded. "Mommy and Mama said no anyway. Poppy asked when she thought she could convince Bella. But it's a boy-girl party. And our parents don't know their parents. It's a new girl at school. Mama got all blotchy and red – and she said "absolutely not." Vera mimicked Beca's voice perfectly and Stacie smiled.

"That sounds like Beca. So why are they still arguing?"

"Poppy's trying to convince Bella to sneak out."

"They hell they are," Stacie said, sitting up straight. "Not on my watch." She hugged the ten-year-old. "Sorry, sweetie. I think snuggles are over for now. You okay by yourself for a bit?"

Vera nodded and shrugged. "I am. I'll go read in my room."

"Sounds like a good plan. Thank you for the intel. After I knock the idea of this party out of your sister's head, we'll have ice cream." Vera smiled and hugged Stacie again before she headed for the stairs.

Stacie knocked on Poppy's door. "Come in," she heard, rather glumly. She entered the room to find the redhead buried under her covers. She closed the door and sat on the edge of the bed. "You okay in there, Poppy?"

"I'm fine," she groused.

"You sure? You sound kind of angry, kiddo."

"I'm just tired of people always wanting Bella and not me."

"Well, I just don't believe that's true," Stacie said. "I for one, would be very unhappy if there was only a Bella and not a Poppy. Who is telling you otherwise?"

Stacie eventually pried the covers down and saw that Poppy was crying. "Oh, honey," she said, softly. She sat against the headboard and pulled the young girl against her, hugging her. "What's going on?"

Eventually, Poppy told her about a group of girls they hadn't gone to the lower school with – who had only transferred in that year starting in middle school – who had now become the cool group and were icing her out. They wanted Bella to be part of their clique, but they snubbed Poppy. Bella, unimpressed with their mean-girl attitudes and gossipy ways, had absolutely no interest in them.

Stacie stroked her hair. She sighed. "Seventh grade is hard," she told Poppy. "I'm sorry these girls are being mean to you. But you really don't want to be friends with people like that."

"It's not all of them," Poppy told her, through her tears. "It's mostly Meredith. She's new. The other girls are afraid not to do what she says."

"Interesting," Stacie said. "Is she bullying you?"

"No," Poppy said. "She leaves me alone. She doesn't want Bella to be angry with her." And Bella had made it very clear that any encroachment upon her twin would be seen as a direct assault. "She still wants Bella to be her best friend," she said in an annoyed voice. Her voice cracked at the "best friend" part of the statement.

"Luckily, you're both smarter than that," Stacie said, rubbing her back. "But I know, it hurts, not being included when you want to be." She thought for a few moments, humming before speaking again.

"If I know anything about people – and trust me, I know everything about people – it's that they like things that are hard to get."

"Why?" Poppy sat up to look at her.

"I don't know that part," Stacie admitted, widening her eyes a bit to show her confusion over the topic. "But we do seem to make things more difficult for ourselves. People like it when other people play hard to get, seem a little more aloof or mysterious."

"I don't understand that at all," Poppy said.

"I know – because you wear your heart on your sleeve and throw yourself out there. But think about how Bella acts when something is going on. Does she always seem immediately interested?"

"Never. But she's usually not," Poppy responded.

"Well," Stacie told her. "We know that. But to the rest of the world, it just seems mysterious and deep. You don't have to change your personality. That's not what I'm saying. But maybe – calm down a bit. Come on a little less strong? Be confident. If they see that you don't need them to be happy and have fun, then it will look like you're the one who knows what she's doing – and they'll come to you."

"How do you know?"

"Many years of dealing with large groups of girls," Stacie told her. "Just be yourself, sweetie. And be confident that who you are is awesome. And you'll get your mojo back."

"What's mojo?" Stacie laughed and then tried to explain it. Once she felt Poppy was cheered up at least a bit, she got up to leave. She stopped in the doorway and turned back.

"Poppy?" The young girl looked up at her and Stacie looked her directly in the eye. "Just so you know, if someone were planning to try to sneak out while I am in charge, that would be an extremely bad idea. You've never seen me angry." Poppy's eyed widened and her aunt, happy that her point was made, crossed the hall and pushed on Bella's door, which was already open a crack.

"Hey," Stacie said. "Sorry to interrupt your book."

"But you're going to?" Bella asked, half-smiling as she marked her place.

"Yep." She closed the door and sat on the bed. "What's up with your sister?"

"Which one? I have two."

"Don't be a smartass," Stacie said, looking at her fondly but shaking her head. "I'm very tired. "I delivered like ten babies this week. "You know what I'm talking about."

Bella rolled her eyes and set her book aside, sitting up and stretching. "Poppy is freaking out because there's a new girl in our grade – and she's popular."

"And?"

"Poppy was always the most popular person in our grade. Always. Now Meredith is taking that spotlight – and Poppy's freaking out. Really freaking out. I've never seen her this crazy."

"And how is this Meredith treating people?"

Bella shrugged. "I don't trust her. I told Poppy to calm down and that people would eventually figure out that she was just shiny and new – not actually valuable or fun to be around. But she doesn't listen to me. What would I know?" She asked, sarcastically.

"Poppy said that this girl wants to be your friend."

Bella laughed. "That's not going to happen. I have plenty of friends. Friends who I trust. Friends who aren't weirdly trying to win me over in some kind of freaky contest with my sister."

"Have you told this girl that you're not interested?"

"We're not talking about dating, Aunt Stacie. We're talking about friendships."

"I know. But is there a way to get her to leave you alone?"

"She doesn't bother me. I just ignore her."

"She's driving your sister crazy."

Bella lifted her hands and shrugged. "I keep telling her it's not worth it and that I'm not going to be friends with Meredith. I don't know why she doesn't trust me. It's not like I've lied to her before. Maybe you can try?"

"I think she trusts you," Stacie promised. "I just think this girl has shaken her confidence a bit."

"Well, she shouldn't. Poppy is better than her in every conceivable way."

"Have you told Poppy this?"

"No. Why?" Stacie buried her face in her hands and wondered how Chloe and Beca did this. All. The. Time. "Have you told your mothers about this?"

"No," Bella said, her tone insinuating that her aunt was insane. "And you can't."

"I have too."

"You can't."

"I have too."

"You can't."

"You see how this can become an eternal back and forth, right? Why can't I tell your moms?"

Bella made a face at her. "You've met them," she said. "Mom is going to want all the details – and give way too much advice – and Mama is going to be upset and worried for at least the next two months – and that's if Poppy cheers up."

"Bells, you can't protect your Mama. That's not your job. Quite the opposite, actually. She would want to know. And so would your mom. I know she gets a bit – overinvolved – but she means well."

Bella shook her head. "It's just going to make things more complicated."

Stacie laughed and pulled her arm around Bella. "Trust me. Things get a lot more complicated than teenage friendships. And your moms are here to help – not to make it more complicated. You need to tell them what's going on – because Poppy is about to explode."

Bella made a face. "Why does she want to be friends with someone who isn't being nice to her?"

"That's a great question. Maybe, like I said, her confidence is a little shaken? Think you could deign to talk to her about it? Entertain her interests for a few minutes?"

"She doesn't listen to me."

"Just try. Maybe don't make light of what she wants for a few minutes."

"What she wants is shallow."

"Maybe from where you're sitting. But maybe from her perspective, it feels really important."

Later that night, after all the girls were sleeping, Stacie sat in front of the fireplace with a glass of wine, staring at the flames. She smiled in greeting when Beca and Chloe returned. Still dressed in their finery from the event, they both sat with her on the sofa. "Why do you look so serious?" Beca asked, kicking off her heels. Chloe did the same, curling up next to her wife.

"Well, I had a little chat with Bella and Poppy this evening," Stacie began. "And I have no idea how you deal with three of them every day. They're great kids – but the emotional roller coaster is insane. And they're not even officially teenagers yet."

"What's going on?" Chloe asked, her brow furrowing slightly.

Stacie sighed, glancing at the two women. "Well, it seems that Poppy is having some issues with a girl at school. She apparently dethroned Poppy as the most popular in their class – and is trying to ice Poppy out of everything. She seems very sad – and kind of paranoid - about it."

Beca and Chloe exchanged a worried look. "Oh no," Beca murmured. "Poor Poppy. I thought she was being a little weird yesterday, but she didn't say anything."

"That's not all – it seems this little Regina George wannabe is trying to pit your daughters against each other. "She wants Bella to be here friend, while trying to alienate Poppy."

Beca laughed and Chloe shook her head with a smile. They knew how likely that was. "Good luck with that. What did Bella say about it?"

"Bella's not concerned about the girl – or doesn't seem to be," Stacie replied. "She's more worried about Poppy – and doesn't understand why Poppy would want to be friends with someone who isn't treating her well. She seems to be ignoring the situation as much as Poppy is harping on it."

Beca groaned. "Teenagers are the worst." Chloe patted her shoulder.

Stacie explained what she had told the girls – and that she thought Poppy needed a bit of a confidence boost.

Once she poured her own glass of wine, Beca looked at Stacie. "How did you come across all this drama?"

"Vera."

"Should have known," Beca nodded. "We'll talk to them tomorrow. Thank you for talking to them. It sounds like you gave them good advice. Sorry you got pulled in."

"I'm sorry you have to deal with this every day. It's exhausting." Beca laughed.

"Trust me, it's not this dramatic every day. Otherwise, I wouldn't have survived this long."

Chloe and Beca did talk to Bella and Poppy the next day – together. Hearing Poppy's concerns aloud, Bella was able to answer them head-on and with their parents there, Poppy seemed to believe her. Once everyone seemed calm and was at least mostly okay with going back to school Monday, they went their separate ways. But Beca followed Bella to her room and stood in the doorway.

"Did you threaten someone for your sister?" She asked, studying her daughter.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Bella –"

"I didn't threaten her – I just told her what I would do if she continued to bother Poppy. So, she stopped bothering her. Unfortunately, leaving her alone is also driving Poppy crazy, so—" she shrugged her shoulders.

"My love, that is called a threat," Beca responded, trying to keep the smirk from her lips.

"Are you mad?"

"No. Just, next time, maybe talk to us before you resort to threats?" Beca crossed the room to hug her. "And thank you for trying to protect your sister."

Three weeks later, Meredith was no longer interesting – she had been mean to enough people at school that they were not interested in being her friend. Poppy and – more quietly – Bella – were back at the top – and leading a very kind and drama-free seventh grade class.

Thank you so much for reading! Please leave a comment or review and let me know your thoughts - and other snippets you might like to see. Also, if you aren't following me or the series, you may not already know - but I published another short-story installment in this universe called. "Don't Forget to Keep That Smile." It's going to be about 3-4 chapters and follows the family about a year after Bella's anxiety diagnosis - and their run-ins with some non-supportive family members. I hope you check it out!