My Last Year

A Trip to the Zoo

      The remote fell to the ground with a clatter, and the batteries spilled out.

      How on earth did the news broadcast get a hold of my story? I felt my breathing begin to come in gasps and I started to shake. True, I had just had a newspaper interview, but that was different! Not everyone reads the paper! Not like it was going to make the front page! Then again, maybe this was good. Maybe I could spread my story to more people this way…It’s not that I am trying to be the center of attention, it’s just I want people to know not to waste their life! I want people to learn from me!

      I ran to my room and grabbed my laptop. Bringing it to the living room, I opened it and went straight for my blog. I noticed then, that the news reporter had been right; I had 3,020,306 reads! My eyes grew enormous. Wow. I had about 1,026 comments, too. No way had I read them all…

      I clicked on my latest blog, where I had posted pictures of myself. Should I delete them? Then people won’t know it’s me…

      I noticed the huge amount of comments on just the pictures and took a deep breath, muttering under my breath as I clicked to show them.

      “Oh, boy…”

      My eyes scanned the screen, and then I caught onto what the words actually meant. 

      “Wow…”

      “You’re sooo pretty!!”

        “Will you marry me?” 

      “Hey! I think I’ve met you!” 

      I smiled at most of these comments, but at the last one my heart sank. Who? Who was that? How did they know me? Maybe it was just someone who had met someone who looked like me…Hopefully.

      Why was I so afraid that someone might figure out what I was doing? Was I worried that they would react like June? Perhaps…

      I heard the car outside and glanced at the clock. I’d been on the computer for forty-five minutes. Or at least just staring at it…

      A minute later Peter walked in the door, keys in hand. I stood at the top of the stairs, hands on my hips. “Where’s Mom and Dad?”

      He shrugged.

      I rolled my eyes. “When are you going to grow up and accept it?”

      Anger flashed across my brother’s face, and it contorted with pain. “Why do you care?”

      “Hmm, lemme think…” I said, pretending to think. “Because you’re my only sibling. My twin brother. And I’m about to die. I sorta want you to be an active part of my last year. A good part.”

      I saw his adam’s apple bob up and down as he swallowed. “You’re my sister…” He whispered. “You’re not supposed to die.”

      I grabbed Peter’s hand and smile at him. “But I am. So let’s make it the best death ever. Or I could make you happy I’m dying…”

      Again, anger flashed over his face. “I could never be happy over anyone’s death, much less my sister’s.”

      I smiled wider. “That’s good, because I wasn’t sure how I was going to make you hate me…” I shrugged as my brother laughed. Then he became serious again. “It amazes me how you take this news so carelessly. It hardly fazes you! I mean, look at yourself. I haven’t seen you shed one tear over the matter!”