Eighteen Years Earlier
Chance
I hate these pants,this shirt, this tie, and these stupid shoes. These are just some things I add to the long list of things that I’ve hated sincewe lost our mom. And when I say we I mean me and my twin sister, Cacey. Speaking of Cacey, I pass by her room noticing she’s not ready and I decide I hate that too, because now I’ll have to listen to my dad yell some more today. Which means he’ll be yelling at me. It’s always me, never Cacey. Instead of going downstairs, I go into her room to get her to hurry up. That’s when I see it’s some girl with the same dark-colored hair, just not as shiny as Cacey’s, who’s wearing raggedy clothes that are too small. She turns around and jumps back, scared like I’ve caught her in the act as my father would say, so I put on my best mean face, and I decide to just go with it.
“Who the fuck are you, and what are you doing in my sister’s room?” I growl, giving my best impersonation of Arthur Sullivan. And instead of crying or running away like I thought she would, she scrunches her nose up like I smell or something.
“I’m Alex. Do all the boys around here have potty mouths like you?”Before I can reply to her, my father yells for me to get downstairs because I’m somehow the one that's late again.
“CHANCE! CACEY! Come out here and meet your new nanny!” My father booms from somewhere downstairs. I see Cacey coming out of the bathroom, eyes beaming with excitement as she makes her way downstairs in a pink and white polka dot dress. She looks so happy. I don’t understand how she can be so happy when I’m so unhappy.How can she be so happy with our mom gone and being replaced by some nanny?A movement draws my attention back to the dark-haired girl. I’m still trying to figure out who she is, so I stay in the room a little longer to keep an eye on her.
“Hurry up and get down here, boy!” my father yells, as I continue to drag my feet. I make my way downstairs to see a grey-haired woman that my sister is hugging like she’s some long-lost fairy godmother. “Chance, Cacey, this is Ms. Wilde. I suppose y’all already met her granddaughter, Alexa.”Thanks for the warning, dad.I think to myself. He always makes sure I’m the last to know something. Cacey clearly knew who the girl was and that she would be here today. “They’ll be moving into the apartment over the garage,” he adds, interrupting my thoughts.
At that moment Alexa or Alex as she calls herself makes her way downstairs, with a bin full of Cacey's old clothes.She looks a little embarrassed and not as sassy as she did up in the room when she was judging me about my language. Since my dad’s finished the introduction, I’m ready to get upstairs and out of these clothes. But he has other plans for me, as usual.“Chance, you're going in the wrong direction boy, you need to go help get Ms. Wilde and her granddaughter moved in.”
“I can help too, Daddy.” Cacey adds.She’ssucha suck up.
It was the beginning of the summer and instead of sleeping late, playing video games, and playing with my friend Cameron like I planned.I was going to funerals, wearing suits and moving boxes.
Alex
I try not to look at the potty mouth boy. He thinks he’s going to scare me off by cursing at me with that stupid look on his face. But I don’t scare easily, and his face is too nice to be scary. I pretend not to know anything, but I know his name is Chance Sullivan. I know he’s ten years old like me, and that he has a twin sister, Cacey. She’s so much nicer than the mean boy with the nice face. I also heard my grandma talking to his dad about how much trouble he has become since their mama died. But I know all about losing people, so I decide to ignore his nasty attitude and try to be his friend.
14 years earlier
Alex
“Give it back!!!”
“Not until you say please,” he smirks. Like always, everyone around us is laughing, which just pushes him further.
“Please, Chance. Give me back my notebook.” The little shit throws the notebook at my feet before turning to walk away.After the small crowd leaves, I pick up my makeshift diary as it lay, face down and open in the dirt.Looking at the tattered page, I cry harder. Embarrassed that the subject of my private thoughts had not only seen that I obsess over him, but laughed and taunted me about it.For four years, I’ve tried to get his attention, which has only made me the target of a playground bully.I’m done trying to have anything to do with him.In a few short years I’ll go off to college, leaving this stupid town and Chance behind for good.
Chance
I walk away from a crying Alexa feeling semi-satisfied with myself. I don’t know what makes me taunt her like I do. Maybe it’s that I can’t believe she’s so bold, signing her name as Alex Sullivan.She’s always denied it, but I know she's been gunning to get in my father’s good graces and a spot in my family, making me look bad all along the way. Four years… four... long... years. I’ve had to put up with this girl, her perfect grades and perfect attitude, only raising my father’s unrealistic expectations for me. He always likes to pit her and I against each other and it’s sad to admit that she usually wins. Well, today I finally had the last laugh.
10 Years earlier
Alex
“Congratulation's baby! I’m so proud of you,” my grandmother says. Excitedly, I look around the crowd while people filter out of the auditorium in every direction. That’s when I see Cacey and Chance walking up with their father. I can’t believe this is actually happening, that I’ve graduated and will be going to NYU in a few short months.This is the perfect moment to cap off a great year, save for half of my interactions with Chance. It’s crazy because at some point last summer something changed. He went from semi-likable back to asshole at the drop of a dime. If anything, I think I got whiplash from all of his erratic mood swings.
Cacey and Chance will stay close to home since they both got accepted to North Carolina State University.Chance will major in engineering and Cacey will study fashion and textile design. Before I can process another thought, Cacey runs towards me at full speed and starts squeezing the life out of me.Who knew she was so strong?As soon as she releases me, her dad is pulling me into an equally suffocating hug. Next in line is Chance, so I look down, not knowing what to expect. That’s when I’m suddenly assaulted by his warm, woodsy scent. He doesn’t hug me as hard as his sister or dad, but he definitely leaves the most lingering effect. For a moment, I’m lost and someone clears their throat as I realize two things. One… I’ve been holding on to Chance for too long. And two… my friend Josh is standing behind me, looking more annoyed than he should.
“Alex, you ready to go?” Josh asks as Chance steps back, looking just as annoyed.
“I thought you were coming out with us tonight to Dane’s party,” Cacey pouts.
I don’t want to go to a party, especially not at Dane’s house, since he and Chance are best friends. But to keep in the spirit of celebration I offer, “I am! We’re just going to grab a bite to eat and come by later.”
Before Cacey can respond, asshole Chance rears his ugly head. “Not sure who invited Josh, but whatever. We could use some fresh meat.”Yeah,nice Chancehas officially left the building. Josh thankfully ignores Chance’s jab and pulls me away to his car so we can head to dinner.
While Josh’s extended family is in town, I’m playing the role of the devoted girlfriend, but he’s taking things way too seriously. Three times, I’ve stopped him from moving his hands to places they shouldn’t be going. Or turn to make conversation with his cousin when it seems like he’s moving in for a kiss.I’m fuming, and I can’t believe he’s done this to me.We’ve been friends for years and there’s been no sign that he’s been harboring feelings. Yet here we are with me, sitting awkwardly at the table since my pretendboyfriendis reneging on our agreement.
I’m relieved to leave the restaurant and say our goodbyes to his family…two hours later,only to be stressed out at the thought of going to Dane’s party. Cameron Dane has been in my life just as long as Cacey and Chance have. And he's been just as much of a pain in the ass as Chance, being his best friend and all. But I promised myself and Cacey that I would go to this party, what’s the worst that could happen? I’m leaving at the end of the summer anyway… for good.
Dane has a decent size driveway, but Josh and I still end up parking down the street and walking a ways to get to his house. By the time we make it to the front steps, Cacey iswaiting for us at the door. I texted her we were on the way, but didn’t think she would stand by waiting. I’m sure this is just to make sure I wouldn’t skip out on the party once I saw the number of people in attendance. As soon as we come through the door, Cacey hands me a red cup full of some fruity smelling concoction. I instinctively toss it back without a thought, ignoring the after burn it leaves in my throat. Maybe it’s all in my head, but I feel more relaxed than I have all night.
