Eska ~ The Forgotten Gilbert

1. The Crash

Eska's POV

"I've called Mom and Dad to come and get us, Eska," Elena shouted in my direction, her voice sounding whiny and nasal from crying. She'd fought with Matt, again. I rolled my eyes. Perhaps with all the fights they were having, they just weren't meant to be, although God knows, I'd never say that to my sister in person. She'd probably kill me...

I ignored her and walked a little further into the woods to try and find just a little bit of peace and quiet. I hadn't wanted to come to the party - it really wasn't my thing, but my parents had insisted that if Elena was going, I should go too to keep her company. It was typical really - my own free will was second to that of Elena, and if she wanted something to happen, 9.5 times out of 10, it would. But such is life... I get on with it and deal with things as best I can.

Being Elena's twin honestly takes it toll on me. I don't like to be that person who complains all the time - that's Elena's job - but it really is hard. I don't think that people realise it, but she is so obviously the favourite. Growing up in our house, it was a case of she who shouts loudest gets heard, and of course, Elena always won that battle. If Elena wanted something, she got it, no matter what the cost to anyone else, or there would be hell to pay. I guess people just got so used to it that it became normality - a simple fact of life.

At school, I'm known mostly as 'Elena's twin' - I don't seem to have an identity of my own. She has her pick of all the boys; they practically drool over her, and I'm convinced that she knows it and takes great pleasure in stringing them along, despite the fact that poor, old, gentle Matt is 'officially' her boyfriend. She's so beautiful and outgoing - the complete opposite of me...

Well actually we are pretty much identical so I guess that she can't technically be classed as more beautiful than me on looks alone. But it's the way she carries herself that makes her stand out - she holds her head high, shows her perfect figure off with the clothes she wears, and makes sure that everyone knows who she is.

I, on the other hand, whilst having the same features and being the same height, am as different from her as I possibly could be within the realms of being her twin. My eyes are green in contrast to her dreamy, chocolatey ones, my hair is wavy whereas Elena straightens hers to within an inch of its life, and whilst Elena has perfect curves, I am skinny and thin. The last comparison is totally on me. I am struggling at the moment, and I've lost a lot of weight without really meaning to. It's pretty tough to eat when you haven't any appetite, and you're so low that you can't function like a proper human. Not that anyone has noticed...

Walking further into the woods, I suddenly heard the snap of a twig behind me, and I turned quickly to see who was following me.

"Katherine?" The voice belongs to a tall, dark stranger. His black hair is wavy and brushed out of his eyes which are an icy blue.

"Er, no, sorry. I'm Eska," I stammer out a reply, suddenly feeling unsafe in the presence of this strange man who I've never met before.

"Eska..." he repeats my name, frowning as if he's trying to work something out. "What are you doing out here? Alone?"

I swallowed, nervously, feeling my heart start to hammer away in my chest. He smirked at me before I could answer.

"There's no need to be scared of me, princess..." he said, his voice low and husky.

"I'm not scared..." I lied, trying to look braver than I felt. "I'm here with my friends. My twin sister is waiting for me actually." I turned to go back the way I came to the relative safety of the bonfire where my friends were gathered getting increasingly drunk.