Prologue

A Chapter by Jemma Packman

Officers Farwell and Schwartz are escorting Vanessa Keating to a patrol car. Olivia Keating is screaming "Where are you taking my sister?"
Farwell puts Vanessa into the car. Olivia puther hands against the window. Vanessa looked at Olivia and half smiled as the car pulls away.

This is what happened on April 26th. My sister, Vanessa, was arrested for the attempted murder of Robert Valle, a guy that at one time had been my friend and who had once nearly killed me. Robert was laying in a critical condition at St Patrick's Hospital while Vanessa and I were celebrating our 18th birthday. You see, we're twins. Not that you'd know that if you saw us together. Let's start at the beginning.

The start of our senior year at high school. As I'm sure you know, high schools are separated into groups. The jocks, the geeks, the freaks, the grease heads, the "beautiful" people, and the people no-one notices. I'm sorry to say, I uphelp those groups. Me? I suppose I'm catergoroized as a "beautiful" person. I'm not a jock or a cheerleader, but people kissed my a*s.
Vanessa, on the other hand, was not so easily sorted. She knew cars but she wasn't a grease head, she's nearly a genius but she wasn't a geek, she played soccer but she wasn't a jock, and there's no way you would have found my sister in a mini-skirt shaking pompoms. Vanessa could have been a "beautiful" person but refused the attention, people noticed her but she wasn't a freak. Vanessa had her own group of friends that changed from day to day but it never seemed to bother my sister. As long as she was with her best friend, Isla Mastandrea, she didn't care who else was around. People thought Vanessa and Isla were a couple. I used to be of the same opinion, until I was let into her life and once I was in, I was shocked by how much I didn't know about her. I guess I was hurt by how shut out I was and how, in part, it was my own fault.
Let me explain. Vanessa and I used to be close, almost inseparable, like her and Isla were then, but all that changed after we were involved in an accident when we were eight years old. Each week, Vanessa and I took turns in picking somewhere to go and something to do for the day. This particular week it was my turn to choose and I wanted to go to a fun fair. We'd had a great day, going on all the rides we were allowed and eating cotton candy. On the drive home, I had seen an ice cream stand and nagged to get some, so dad pulled the car to the side of the road. Both our parents went for the ice cream, leaving Vanessa and I in the car. They were only out of the car for a few minutes, but while they were gone, a woman lost control of her car and plowed into us. She hit my side of our car, pushing us into a lampost. I was hurt pretty bad and was in hospital for three months after it happened. Vanessa's injuries consisted of a broken leg, broken wrist and cracked skull.
That's when the change in Vanessa started. I have always believed that she blamed me for what happened, despite how many times dad would say that the knock to Vanessa's head must have scrambled her brain. She started to distance herself from us all and none of us did a thing to stop her. As we got older, I let my friends get between vanessa and me more than I realized.
I can't really explain this because I don't understand myself, but if you'll let me, I'll tell you my story.

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