Better Together

one

dallas, tx ✹

taylin rivers

"I know yo' ass ain't in here studyin' on the second day of classes!" my brother, Jaylen, yelled coming into the school library.

I smacked his arm. "No, I'm not studying, and stop bein' so damn loud."

Just as Jay was about to respond- with something slick, I'm sure- my best friend Tyler came jogging up the stairs to the second floor where I was trying to submit some assignments.

"Ayo, Tay! I know you ain't up hea' bein a fuckin' nerd, man." He yelled, dapping up Jaylen.

I shook my head, gathering my stuff. "Let's go before y'all get us thrown out. Loud as hell like this ain't a damn library."

"My fault, y'all!" Tyler yelled towards everyone else in the library, as we walked down the stairs. "Y'all have a blessed day!"

I glared at the both of them as we stepped outside. If it was one thing these two could do, it was definitely get under my skin.

"You lookin' like we finna' get sent to the principal's office or some." Tyler joked.

Jaylen busted out laughing causing me to chuckle.

"Y'all are so damn aggravating, you know that?"

"And you think you ain't?" Jaylen asked, looking me upside my head. "Look up aggravatin' in the dictionary and yo' picture gon' be sittin' right next to it."

I swung at him as I laughed out loud. He threw me over his shoulder before pretending like he was going to drop me.

"We finna take our aggravatin' asses to practice." Ty said, throwing his gym bag over his shoulder. "You comin'?"

I nodded as I pulled out my phone to call my best friend, Skylar. "Yea, I'ma meet up with Sky and we'll be there later."

"Aight, twin." Jay kissed the top of my head, before he and Tyler took off to the gym.

"I love you, jit!" Tyler called out to me.

I laughed at how loud he always is. "I love you!"

Jaylen wasn't actually my twin, just my "Irish twin". Our mom had him January 7th, and then had me November 10th of the same year. A couple of years later, she popped out our little brother, Cayleb.

Everyone just assumes we're twins so we go with it, despite how much we were pulled apart growing up.
When I was 13, my mom kicked me out to go live with my dad while she kept my brothers, Jaylen and Cayleb. With visitation rights, I was able to see them every other weekend and I was also able to see Jaylen at school. But other than that, our mom did her best to keep us separated.

Now, Tyler and I have been best friends since we were freshmen in high school. We had almost every class together, and because we were always together, everybody swore we were secretly dating.