Two
927 Words
The crowd goes crazy; some people are laughing, their teeth gleam like sharp blades, others are shocked mouths wide open.
"You're full of bull s**t, you're a f*****g fraud. Act all you want to impress your friends, you'll never hurt me" Linda nods viscously at my statement but Jude flinches, you'd almost miss it, the tense stance, the jutting out of her left shoulder as if she were shrugging. What? She wants me to admit that she hurt me? I want to laugh, want to scream, want to slap her.
"What are gonna do about it?" She recovers and steps closer, her lips split into a sly smile.
The room is quiet again, nothing but the few whispers.
My mind reels. I'm angry that she makes me mad, makes me feel the dread of being embarrassed all over again, I'm angry because she is standing there with her stupid smile and her stupid friends making a fool of me.
"I'll take your crown" I hiss surprising myself and the crowd, even Linda stares at me in disbelief. I am crazy for doing this, but there's no way I can back out.
Commotion rises, more people come into the kitchen, their friends catch them up on the debacle. I hear Sam Greyson say "Twenty bucks to bet!" some students swam to him like bees to flower petals, others stay glued to their spots baying for a cat fight.
Jude laughs like I told a joke. At Grahamson being crowned means success at it's peak. She is the reigning queen of the gallery. Every year we compete for a spot. It's like prom, but make it artsy. And most if not all visual art students want this, I want this, not only for the honor but to make Jude regret ever messing with me.
Chad moves back to her side, he has a lazy mocking smile, one that tells me I'm stupid for even considering this.
"We all know Jude has been queen for two years straight, you think you're going to take that away from her?" he looks to the crowd, as though he were a preacher preaching to a congregation.
"You'll never be queen." Jude's voice wavers a bit, I know I have her where I want her.
"Yes she will." Linda says.
The room roars with with conversation, people are on their phones probably posting about this on i********:, let them post, I want the world to know that I am coming for Jude and her crown.
"Gi for queen" someone in the back shouts, it ripples around the room like the tides of an oceans pulled by the moon.
"Gi for queen!" they chant. Jude looks a bit panicked and Chad yells at the people around him to stop chanting.
"Gi for queen!" I shout. This is dangerous, stupid even, but it's euphoric, it's chance for me to prove myself, to show them who I am; not Linda's twin, not the fat girl they always bully but me, the real me.
"Gi for queen!"
***
When Linda and I make it home the lights are still on, this is a bad sign, a horrible sign.
"You think she's still up?" Linda asks as our Uber parks on the side walk.
"Of course she's up, the lights are on"
The Uber driver clears his throat in a way that says 'get the f**k out' and we do with little whispers of prayer that ma just forgot to switch off the lights when she went to bed.
Here's the deal, out mother runs a design studio company, that means she barely comes home by the time we are asleep and she leaves for work before we wake up, Usually Linda takes advantage of this, goes to parties and concerts without ma even knowing and if she does come home early I cover for her, but if we're both not at home by the time she comes back we're in deep s**t.
"I got this, let me do the talking"
Linda nods, she's a horrible liar, and all the covering I've done for her over the years has given me some practice.
"I hope we make it out alive" Linda murmurs.
We stand at the door for a few seconds gathering courage, even though we both know no amount of courage will save us from ma's wrath.
I open the door, Linda trails behind, we're sure to walk softly in case she's asleep.
"Linda Rose and Gianna Olivia Carter if don't get your asses to the kitchen right this moment" ma doesn't have to finish her threat because she knows we know we're in so much trouble.
Linda startles, almost tripping over her own legs.
"Remember, I do the talking" Linda nods.
Ma is sitting on the one seater couch, she looks tired. The guilt rushes through me, she works so hard, too hard she doesn't deserve this.
"Ma" I say brightly, like my twin and I didn't just walk in after midnight.
"Explain" ma takes her glasses off and folds her arms preparing for the lies I'm about to tell.
"We were helping Hazel with her film project, we lost track of time. I'm sorry"
"Very sorry" Linda blurts.
We put on a show lowering our heads and pouting. I know ma is way to tired to deal with us I'm not surprised when she says "We'll discuss this tomorrow."
We run back upstairs to the safety of our rooms. "Good night" I murmur as Linda reaches the door to her room.
"Goodnight queen of the gallery"
- Writer
