The Ups and Downs of being Twin Witches

Chapter 1

Average, ordinary nerd

Hey, im Juliet Manning. I dont like my last name, and i know it isnt mine. Im adopted. Guess what else? I have thick glasses, braces and wear baggy clothes. Nerdy, right? Well, its comfortable, i usually wear a lab coat and goggles around my neck. Im a child prodege in science. I'm trying to use my gift for the greater good of humanity. Im working on a fuel that is good for the environment, and not explosive.

Enough about what im working on, most people dont like it. Now onto what i was meant to tell you. About what happened that totally changed my life. For the worse or better, i still havent decided. I should start the day before the whole thing happened. Ok, here we go.

~~~~~~~~~~

I woke up as usual, 5:30 a.m. on the dot. Early, right? But i work for a while before school. I'm in 12th grade a.p. everything but gym.

In that i was in regular 9th grade with an average mark. I tried so hard to get a high mark, but the only thing im good at dancing, and that isnt part of this school ciriculum.

Back to what i was saying before. I woke up at 5:30 a.m. and got dressed and ate, my foster parents were still asleep, i ate quietly so i wouldnt wake them. Then after breakfast i brushed my teeth and put on my lab coat and goggles. After that i went out to my lab.

It isnt really a lab, or mine, but until i get the money for a real one, the room above the garage will have to do. When i got there, Todd, my only friend, was there already. He didnt have a home, and he was a theif. I offered him to stay with us, so did Terese and Lewis, but he liked living on the streets.

"Hey, Juliet. [hehe xD its a song. sry, just had to point that out] Whats up?" He was juggling some beakers, i ran over and snatched them from the air. "Dont play with those! I need those to-" "Make an earth-friendly future for man-kind. I know. Relax, Jules, i know how to juggle." I put them down and pushed my hair behind my ears. "What do you want, Todd? I didnt think you'd be up this early." "Eh, i slept here tonight, let me tell you it wasnt too-" "You did what?" "Realax, Jules." "No, and stop calling me Jules." The morning went on like that until it was time to go to school, he followed me as i walked.

Todd may be annoying, but he sure is stubborn. Honestly, he's fun to be around too. "Hey Jules, got any money?" "Yeah right here-" I reached into my pocket, but the change i had wasnt there. "Todd!" He put his hand behind my ear and pulled out my change. "I hardly think all of that was behind my ear. But it was a good trick."

We entered the school and i went to the most deserted part of the school, where my locker was. It was actually the grade 9 hallway, but none of them stayed there. Unless of course, Jade is here. Then the hallway is crowded. Lucky for me, i came in before her.

"Todd, beat it. You're not supposed to be here." I opened my lockers and took out all the books i was going to need for the morning and put them in my bag. Then i heard it. The unmistakable sound of girls chattering to each other. "No. Todd, lets go." "Why? I think Jades kind of pretty." "Todd, follow me or beat it." We turned the corner and i thought we escaped, but then i heard it.

"Oh, hey. Look its towo lowest 9th graders in the world. A drop-out and a nerd. How you guys get along, i dont know." I flinched at her voice and started walking, pulling Todd with me. She just laughed with her friends.

"Dont listen to her, Jules, you arent a nerd." I scoffed and sat in my seat. "Yes i am. Even i think im a nerd." I pulled my hood over my head as the class started. Todd sat in the desk beside me, trying to look natural, like he belonged there. Well, as natural as a dirty urchin can look in a 12 grade classroom.

Thankfully, there was a substitute, so she didnt suspect a thing.

That class was easy, science. Actually, all of my classes were easy. The class that wasnt, was the one i remembered the most. It was gym, the most dreaded class and the only one i had with Jade.

I sighed and went into the girls change room, leaving Todd to play basketball by himself. He was the sporty one. Literally like a monkey, a very, very athletic monkey. Our gym teacher didnt mind him, as long as he didnt har

rass his students. I went into one of the stalls where the more uncomfortable girls changed. After i changed into my baggy pink shirt and basketball shorts, i tied my hair in a loose bun and went out. "Ok, today, we are doing basketball." We all groaned and Todd high-fived a couple of students that didnt want to be high-fived. He was always optomistic, no matter what. It was annoying at times.

All of our school was horrible at basketball. So, i wouldnt stand out.

"Suck it up people. Ok, you will have partners to practice passing." I didnt see why we had to practice passing, we already knew how to since grade 5. "Ok, first pair, Jade and Juliet." I heard Jade whisper under her breath to her friends. "Oh hell no. Like im doing anything with her. Watch this."

She walked over to me, smiling. I knew it was fake, and so was the next thing she was goning to do. She tripped, making it look like she hurt herself. "Ow, Mr. Mursh, can i sit out. I fell." He nodded. "Ok, looks like you can practice with Todd today." I nodded and went over to Todd, who already had a ball and was shooting it into the hoop. Getting it in every time. "Hey Todd. Jade hurt herself, so im working with you." He nodded and passed me the ball, it hit my stomach and i grunted. "I wasnt ready yet." I passed it back. "You ready now?" I nodded and he passed it. It did the same thing. "I thought you were ready." "Shut up!" We passed it back and forth for the rest of the class.

After class i went home and Todd came in with me. He was like family, he even had his own key. Terese, my greek foster mother was waiting for us in the kitchen. "I smell cookies! Terese must be baking again!" Todd ran to the kitchen Terese stayed at home, but she loved to bake. She was really good at it too.

Lewis was a C.E.O. of a company that sells cars and anything involved with cars. When i finished my fuel, i was going to sell it to him so he can introduce it to the world.

For now, the world was without my fuel and Terese's cookies. I put my backpack down and took off my shoes, then went into the kitchen. "Hello, Juliet. Welcome home. I make cookies." She could hardly speak english, but we could understand her enough to know what she means.

She held out her plate of sugar cookies and i too kone, unlike Todd who was gobbling them up, ten every second. "Todd, i dont think you should eat so fast." "Nonsense. Toss is growing boy. He eat as much as likes." "But that much food at one time could make the acid in his stomach unstable and he could-"

Todd puked all over the rest of the cookies. "Do that." Terese took the edge of her apron and wiped his face. "Oh dear! Let me clean up mess. Todd, get some of Lewis's old clothing." I left to my lab as Todd went to get some new clothes.

I dont know how long i spent in there, but i didnt get any results. I skipped dinner and it was 10:15 p.m. by the time i went in. Lewis was sitting at the kitchen counter, eating a fresh muffin. "Any luck?" I shook my head, wiping sulfur from my face. An experiment that, literally, exploded in my face. "You hungry?" "No, Lewis. Im fine, im just going to bed. Night." I stopped calling them mom and dad long ago.

I changed into my pjs and wiped my face. Then i crawled into bed. I looked around my pink room, at the wall across the room that wasnt a wall at all, but a window looking out onto the back yard, and my collection of stuffed toys above my bed. Then i took off my glasses, turned off my light and went to sleep.