CHAPTER 3

  TWELVE YEARS EARLIER...

   Carly McAdams walked downstairs. It was one week towards the end of the second last semester of her senior year. As always she was the last one to wake up despite it being a school day.She was not one to shy away from sleep even though she knew that it would cause a morning scandal with her twin brother, it always did.The fact that she loved sleeping didn't mean that she didn't complain for not being woken up;she had school to attend. She found her mother in the kitchen.

             "Good morning sweetheart, did you sleep well?" her mother asked.

               "I overslept and no one woke me up.Carl will be up my ass again,a very good morning indeed!" she replied arrogantly.

             "Oh come on Carly,you are heading to college in the next five months. It's time you started being responsible for everything you do.Neither your brother nor me will be there for you."

             "I'm sure I'll have a roommate then," she replied. Seventeen years of age and she was already feeling the energy of an adult.The mentioning of college was one of the favourite things that one could ever say around her.It was like feeling honey on her tongue."Speaking of Carl,where is he anyway?"

              "I'm here dummy. And if you don't hurry your ass up you are going to get your own ride.I will not be late,again, because of you," Carl said as he walked into the kitchen. He was slightly taller than Carly but they were totally identical.One face was like the mirror of the other,only that Carl kept his hair short.

           "And there he goes again," Carly said rolling her eyes.Carl made as if to respond but their mother beat him to it.

              "Now, now kids.Isn't it a little early to be arguing?Carly, go on upstairs and get ready."

                "Okay,alright.I'll be back in a few minutes," Carly said raising her hands up in defeat then went back upstairs. She walked into her bathroom and turned on the shower.As she stood under the warm spray,her mind relaxed and decided to take a trip down her memory lane. There used to be better days when she and her brother were the best friends in the universe. They never argued and Carl was like her protector through out the days.Despite them being twins,Carly had developed slowly, becoming the littlest kid in their grade in middle school and Carl swooped in to always protect her.He acted like a big brother  and  Carly was lucky for that.

        »five years earlier...»

     Carly walked into the boys locker room in search for her brother. He was in the school's soccer team since the fifth grade and now they were in seventh grade.Their father had come to pick them up and Carl had delayed,so Carly had been sent to get him since their father needed to make it in time to his workplace. The stench of sweat and mildew hit her as soon as she went inside. ‘I get it now why girls hate the boys locker room,’she thought and wrinkled her nose. Suddenly, a figure stood before her,blocking her way.She looked up and met Jake's burly figure, a little too burly for a thirteen year old and the school's known bully.She trembled and stepped back.

           "Well,well,well.What do we have here?" he said in a voice which was now beginning to break.

               "I am looking for my brother Carl...do you know where he is?" she asked hesitantly. She was totally terrified of him.

              "Oh,Carl and Carly.Ain't that cute?" he laughed. "What are you,puppies?"

               "Please, I don't want any trouble."

              "You shouldn't have come to the boy's locker room in the first place."

               "I just want to talk to my brother," she replied in terror as she cowered with her back pressed against a locker.

               "Ohoo,you are so tiny.You look like the dolls my baby sister plays with," Jake said ignoring her and walked closer.Carly step away from him shaking and managed to turn around the corner of the first row of lockers and bumped into her brother.

              "Carly, what are you doing here and who are you running from?"

                        ★★★

           "Carly?Hurry up or we are gonna be late," her brother called and knocked loudly on her bedroom door rousing her from her thoughts. She quickly turned off the shower and dried herself then dressed up to go.She then walked into the room where her brother waited,holding a cup of coffee and a bag with scones in the other hand. He looked at her reproachfully and handed her both.

           "Why do you have to be such an ass?" Carly said as she grabbed the bag from Carl.

             "Why do you have to be such a slug?" Carl shot back.

              "I didn't even get to do my make up."

               "That ain't my fault. You will have to do all that in the car while we go."

            "Uggh!God I can't wait for all of it to be over and begin dictating how I spend my own time.Mom,are you going to work today?"

          "I'm taking the night shift today so,I'll not be with you tonight. Well,we won't see each other until tomorrow after school. Your father will be coming later today so,you won't be alone," her mother replied.

            " Oh,great!What's new?" she replied with a condescending voice. Her mother Bridget worked as a nurse at a local hospital and her working hours were not constant.She occasionally swiped right in to stand in for a colleague, whether day or night.She was always readily available much to the irritation of her daughter. She seemed to love her job more than everything else,even her own family. Carly bet she could count the number of days her parents had spent a night together ever since she turned ten.

            "Come on Carly,don't pretend like it's bothering you. I know you are happy without me around," she replied. "Now you both,do me a favour. Stop arguing and be good kids for at least one day.I'll see you tomorrow after school."

             "Bye mom," Carl said as he grabbed the car keys from a tray and kissed her on the cheek.It was a habit he never got tired of even in his teens.

Carly followed him out towards the car.It was their sixteenth birthday gift from their grandfather who died two years before he had a chance to give it to them.He had stated it clearly in his will that it belonged to both of them.Their parents had kept it from them until they turned sixteen and that had been their surprise. Being his favourite grandchildren and both named after him,their bond was the strongest and so was their loss.They were struck the hardest.She remembered how the three of them would go out fishing by the river and later take swim lessons from him.Of course it was behind their parents backs because if they were discovered, they would be banned from spending time with their grandfather again.It was their secret until they were finally eleven and had their parents approval. Of course by then they were already swimming like fishes but they had to hold back. For five years they had kept the secret;they were not about to blow their cover and land their grandpa in trouble. Three musketeers they had been.

           "Good old Grandpa Carl, I miss him everyday," Carly said as they drove towards their school.

Carl looked at her briefly then turned his attention back on the road, "I thought we weren't supposed to talk about him,"he said.

           "Do you find it healthy?" Carly asked him.Carl pursed his lips but didn't turn to her."At least he left us this gift to remember him by.Speaking of,why do you get to drive everyday and yet it is ours both."

              "That's because I am the oldest. Until we get another car,I am the driver."

               "You are only old by five seconds. We are basically twins for Christ's sake. Come on,what's the use of the license which if I may remind you we got at the same time?" she paused and sighed,"I wish he was still alive. "

             "And whose fault was it that he died?" Carl snapped.

              "Please don't start again on that.We both know what really happened so,give me a break."

            "Just sit tight and concentrate on doing your make up or you are going to end up like an overdressed steak."

               "Just shut up!I would concentrate more if you kept your mouth shut." 

  They drove on silently for a while. Carl concentrating on driving while Carly applied make up on her face.There was no single day that they drove the fifteen minute ride without arguing.This was a day just like the others.Carl kept on stealing glances at his sister without saying a thing.Carly noticed out of the corner of her eye."What?"she asked without looking at him.

             "How comes you always wear make up but never wear heels like your group of friends? I thought the two go together to bring out the cheerleader in you," he teased. Carly was surprised by that. It was the first time in  three years that he had shown interest in her personal life.

           "You of all people should know that I hate cheer leading. I only do it because of mom.She made me do all this and I wanted to do one thing that wouldn't disappoint her like everything else I do.So, I agreed with everything else except wearing heels which she only tolerates."

                    "What?" Carl asked clearly confused.

Carly went on,"She will never understand why I won't wear them.Heels,makeup... I take all those as a basic form of female oppression. I have to work my way around my mouth while eating to make sure I don't ruin my make up or even swallow it and if I wear heels,I'll have to maneuver my walking style to make sure I don't trip.There,oppression."

               "No,not about that.You mean mom made you into a cheerleader? That it's not because you wanted to be one?"

  Carly did a double take. Could it be possible that her brother had no idea of what was happening right under his nose?All that time she thought he knew and just decided to ignore it.Turned out she was wrong."What else would I mean?" she asked.