The Shadow Twin

THE LETTER

Chapter 1: The Letter

MARIANA'S POV

The envelope was in the mailbox when I got back from work.

I saw the golden seal of St. Aldrich University and my hands started shaking before I even opened it. I tore it open right there on the porch and read it once, then read it again. I got in. Full scholarship.

I pressed the letter against my chest and just stood there for a moment, letting it sink in.

I had been waiting for this for months. Studying after double shifts, skipping meals to save bus fare, telling myself over and over again that it would be worth it one day. And it was. I walked inside still smiling.

My mother was by the radio and my father sat at the window with a cigarette between his fingers. I held the letter out to both of them, my voice coming out louder than I intended.

"Mom, Dad, I got into St. Aldrich University, on a full scholarship, and everything will be covered, right from my tuition to my accommodation, even books too."

My mother took the letter from my hand and read it. She set it down on the table without a word.

"Olivia applied there too," she finally said.

My smile faded. I had not expected that to be the first thing out of her mouth.

"I know she did," I said carefully.

"She did not get in." My mother folded her hands on her lap. "You are going to give her this scholarship Mariana, she needs it more than you do, she is the older one."

I stared at her. "You want me to give away my scholarship."

"It is the right thing to do."

"No." The word came out before I could stop it. "It is not the right thing, it is not fair and I am not doing it."

My father took a slow drag of his cigarette and finally looked at me. "Do not be selfish."

"I am not being selfish. I worked for this, I studied for this, I have been working two jobs since I was sixteen to save enough money to support myself through university and now that it has actually happened you want me to just hand it over to Olivia?"

"She is your sister," my mother said, like that settled everything.

"She is my twin sister, she had the same opportunities I did, the same teachers, the same school, the same house. If she wanted St. Aldrich she should have worked for it the way I did."

My mother's expression did not change. It never did when she had already made up her mind. "The decision is final Mariana, you will give Olivia the scholarship and that is the end of it."

I picked the letter up off the table. My heart was still beating in my chest but now, it wasn't from excitement anymore.

I looked at my mother, then at my father who had already turned back to the window like the conversation was over.

"I am not giving it to her," I said quietly, took the letter and I went to my room.

I sat on the edge of my bed and stared at the letter for a long time. The room was small and the walls were thin, and I could hear my parents talking in low voices on the other side.

I already knew what they were saying. I had heard versions of that conversation my whole life. Olivia needs this. Olivia deserves that. Think about your sister Mariana.

I was tired of thinking about my sister. I changed out of my work clothes, grabbed my jacket and slipped out through the back.

I needed air and I needed to talk to someone who would actually be happy for me. And that's Ethan.

Ethan's house was a ten minute walk. We had been dating for two years now, and he was the one person who had always told me I could get out of this place.

He had gotten into St. Aldrich himself on a rugby scholarship and spent months telling me I would get in too, that we would be there together, that everything we had been working toward was finally going to pay off.

I knocked on his door. There was no answer but the lights were on so I tried the handle and it opened.

"Ethan?" I stepped inside.

The living room was empty. I could hear something from the bedroom, voices, low and close together. I moved toward the door and pushed it open.

I wish I had not because Ethan was on the bed and he was not alone. I recognised the girl immediately, the auburn hair, the small tattoo behind her left ear. I had known that girl my whole life.

Olivia.

My twin sister. In my boyfriend's bed.

They heard the door and both of them turned at the same time. Ethan's face went white. Olivia's expression changed slowly from surprise to something that looked almost like satisfaction… I don't want to guess that she's happy God.

Nobody said a word. I stood there in the doorway with my acceptance letter still in my hand and the three of us just stared at each other, the silence so bad that I could hear my own heartbeat.