Chapter 18

I HATE WAKING up early. I was actually surprised I woke up to my alarm clock though, I always set it to 6:30am but I always end up hitting the snooze button. Then I really wake up at 7:30am and get late to school.

            I guess today felt kind of important so I readied myself. I took a nice 10 minute shower then brushed my teeth. I blow-dried my hair and styled it to perfection (kinda) and picked out my best clothes (which was whatever wasn’t dirty): Skinny jeans, a soft, purple shirt, matching jacket, and converse shoes. By 7:23 I was out the door headed for school.

            Everyone was surprised I had gotten to school so early, and that I had given a ride to Nick. Bea wasn’t there yet, or hopefully she wasn’t coming at all today, but then she came, 5 minutes to the bell. Everyone walked away when she got there, and I felt a little sad leaving her behind like that, but maybe it was for the best.

            I went through the whole day as usual, with a lot of things on my mind. Mason constantly had to keep me on track because I kept spacing off. I took a test in Algebra class and I don’t even know if I was really paying attention to the questions I was answering. I hope I got at least an 80% on it.

            At lunch I continued telling Nick all about the Justin-Kevin thing. At first, I was actually surprised that he’d believe me, I didn’t think he would.

“Well, normally I wouldn’t have, but it makes a lot of sense on why he’s not at school a lot, and when he is, his personality is totally different.”

“Mason and Issac thought I was crazy.”

“It sounds crazy… But I always thought maybe he had a double personality.”

“That sounds crazy.” I rolled my eyes.

“Yeah, but it also sounds like the most logical way of thinking about it.”

“Wait wait, I thought you believed me!”

“I do, but I’m talking about Issac and Mason. That seems more logical to them than an identical twin.”

He did have a point. I explained to him everything (that I knew), even what Nee told me yesterday. At first he laughed, which kind of made me feel embarrassed, but after I finally got him to stop laughing, he got serious again.

            I think I saw Bea looking at us from 3 tables away. She had a face of guilt, sadness, and anger. It was hard to think of what she was thinking so I just pushed it off to the side.

Once it was after school time, I ran into Nee again. Good thing he caught me right before I was going to get on the bus home.

“H-hey, Aika!” He was gasping for breath, which was kind of odd for how energetic the little guy usually is.

“Nee? Whatever you have to say, make it quick the bus is going to leave!”

“Uh, oh, well. It’s not going to be quick.”

            I sighed and signaled to the bus driver to take off, I’ll wait for the next one.

“Ok, so now I’ve missed my bus…”

“I’m sorry.” He said with a sparkle in his eyes.

Baaaah, you little runt! How can anyone stay mad at you with that adorable little face? I shook my head.

“Ok ok, you’re forgiven… Just please, stop with the eyes already!”

He giggled, kind of. “Oh, ok. Well anyways, uh, K-Kevin wanted me to give you this.”

He handed me a small card. Nothing written on the outside, it was just plain. “What is it?” I asked.

“I dunno, really. Open it!” I could tell he was really eager, so I opened it like he said and read:

Dear Aika,

        I believe Nee gave you the message from me yesterday like he was suppose to. If not, knock him on the head for me please.

I started to chuckle, then I kept reading…

        Anyways, I need to tell you something. Tomorrow. After school. I’m not suppose to leave my house, but I’m doing this because it’s something kind of important. That’s all I can say, so please, don’t forget!

   -Kevin

“Ah…” I said and then stuffed the note into my pocket.

“W-well, what did he say?” Nee asked, looking a little worried.

“Oh, he just wants me to meet him tomorrow, after school. He wants to tell me something.” I started thinking about what Nee had told me yesterday, about Kevin possibly having feelings for me.

“TOMORROW??” Nee said in shock, and grabbed onto my shirt.

“W-what are you doing�"?!” I was interrupted.

“You can’t! Because Justin, ah, uh….” He stopped.

“Justin, what?” I said, leaning in closer to him.

“J-Justin..” And then he said this next part really fast that it was like one word. “Justinwantstomeetupwithyoutomorrowsohecanconfesstoyou!!” He screamed and ran off.

What was that last part? He wants to what to me?

          The next bus finally came and I got on that one and took it home. I was thinking about even MORE things than usual!!

 

          When I got home, I sat on the steps leading up to my house and just sighed.

“UGHHHH!! WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO ME???” Then my mom walked out onto the porch.

“What’s with all the shouting?” She had a face of worry.

“It’s uh, complicated…”

“Ohhh… Are you on your TOM again?”

“Uh, TOM?”

“Yeah. You know, you’re Time Of Month…?

Time Of Month? Wha-? OH!! Then I stood up, embarrassed. “NO MOM!! It’s something else… School issues.” I grabbed my bag and marched inside.

“Oh, well do you want to talk about it?” She asked, slowly closing the front door.

“I would, but, you wouldn’t really do much help.” I admitted to her.

I took out my notebooks, as if I was going to start my homework, I thought maybe that would drive her away, but it didn’t. She sat down right beside me at the kitchen table.

She fluttered her eyes in that sincere way moms always do when they’re ready to talk about something serious. “Honey, you can tell me anything. I promise to listen.”

Hmmmm. I still wasn’t buying it. All I had to do was say “His name,” and the word his would just bring it down from there.

“Is it a boy?” My mom finally asked.

I turned around fast and looked at her. “Uh. Um…” I looked at the ceiling. I had to pretend I was thinking, I couldn’t just stare at her face and admit she was right.

“I guess, some of it is about a boy.”

“Look me in the eye and say that.”

I looked back at her… I couldn’t! “Ok ok ok, it’s about  a boy. All of it is about a boy!” I dropped my head on the table. “I don’t want to talk about it mom… It’s harder even talking to dad about this.”

My mom laughed, which wasn’t really the response I had thought of in my head. “That’s because he’s your dad, but I’m your mom. You’re suppose to have these kind of talks with me.”

I blinked my eyes. “But, I thought you didn’t like talking about this?”

“Well, I don’t. You’re still too young to be thinking about boys, but if it’s bothering you… I want to help my daughter.” Then she smiled.

            I loved my mom’s smiles. They were always so kind and warm. My mom isn’t the best mom, she yells at me sometimes, gets mad at me, nags me to do chores, but that’s like any other mom. I still love her though, and I know I can trust her. So, just like I did with Nick, I told her everything.

           

            I’m so glad my mom understood… even though it took me like 2 hours to explain it to her. It was already 4:30 by the time I was done! And I got home around 2:30 (my school got out early today, normally we get out at 3:15). She really didn’t believe me at first (the whole twin thing), and I thought maybe I should just have left it like that, but then the rest of the story would have seemed unreal to her so I had to convince her my story was true.

            I finally began to do my homework, and before I could even get my pencil out, the phone rang.

“Uhhh, it says Hoo-ey Residence.” My brother called from the kitchen.

“What Aaron?” My mom said with a giggle.

“I dunno.. It’s spelled H-U-E.”

H-U-E? Hue?! KEVIN!! Or Justin!! I ran right to the phone before it went to the answering machine and grabbed it from my brother’s hands.

“He-hello?” I said, starting to calm myself down.

“Hi. Aika?”

That soft voice. It was so soothing. It was Justin.

“Oh, h-hi!”

“I heard that �"cough�" that, school got out early today? Right?”

“Yeah. Did Nee tell you that?” I could tell that he still wasn’t feeling good.

“Mhmm. Hey, how would you like to go out with me? For uh, -cough- for a little errand shopping.”

Whoa! No way! He wants me to go out with him?! I mean, I know it’s only shopping but, wow!

“You mean, now?”

“Yeah. Just in the St. Johns area. A special event is coming up, and I need to go pick up a few things. My mom gave me a map, but I still don’t think I’ll be able to get by on my own.” He chuckled, then coughed again.

“Hehe, you do get lost pretty easily. Wait, but you shouldn’t even be leaving the house! You’re weak!”

“I know.. But it’s really special. I was able to trick my, uh, ahem, -cough- my mom, into thinking I was giving the map to Kevin, but he doesn’t know.”

“Oh I see.. Well uh, what time?” I looked over at my mom, she mouthed ‘Are you going somewhere?’ and I nodded.

“Hmmm. Now?”

“Now? Do you even know how to get to my house? Maybe I should just go to yours�"”

“NO!”

I froze.

“Uh, I mean, I wouldn’t want you to get in trouble. �"cough- Besides, I’m the gentlemen, so I’ll pick you up.”

Even though I couldn’t see it, I knew he was smiling on the other side.