SCARLETT PARKER
Six Years Ago
"I'll meet you in like an hour, yeah?" I told Seth as we stood between the boys' and girls' dorms in the courtyard. "Text me your room number."
"Yeah, okay," he took off to the right, so I turned left and dragged my singular suitcase and pillow along with me.
When the elevator seemed too crowded with girls and their moms waiting to head up to their proper floors, I decided to suffer and take the stairs up to the second story. I ignored the looks and distasteful stares at my outfit as I glanced to my right and left to check the numbers on the doors.
Inside my supposed room was a girl with light brown wavy hair tied up in a ponytail. She smiled as soon as she saw me and it wasn't that awkward and weird smile you usually get from a stranger. It was as if we already knew each other and she was just waiting for me to walk in.
"Hi!"
My eyes widened slightly. "Hi."
"I'm Emma," she came around her twin bed to hold her hand out for me to take, and it was then that I noticed her eyes were pink like she had been crying.
"Scarlett," I reluctantly shake her hand.
"Sorry, I'm a mess," she laughed and swiped under her eyes. "My mum and dad just left."
"Mm," I pressed my lips together and tossed my pillow onto my sheetless bed by the door.
"Are your parents here?"
I laughed as an honest first response. "No, and thank fuck for that."
"Oh..." She offered an awkward chuckle in return. "So, you're American then?"
"What gave it away?" I smirked.
"Right," she cleared her throat. "What are you doing here then? Study abroad?"
I shook my head. "I was born in America but I've been living in London with my brother and mom since I was six."
"Oh, I see," she nodded. "Well...that's nice."
"Sure," I glanced at the incoming text from Seth and dumped all my clothes out on my bed to stuff in the dresser drawers on my side of the room, figuring I could just fold them later before I turned to see Emma neatly organizing everything on her bed first. Great. She's a neat freak.
"Well, I'm gonna go see my brother, so," the heels of my boots clomped on the creaking hardwood floor as I started on my way to leave.
"Your brother goes here too?"
I twisted around to face her again. "Yeah, he's my twin. Did I mention that?"
Like most people's, her jaw dropped with a curious little smile attached to her expression. People always seemed to be fascinated by twins, especially boy and girl fraternal twins in my experience.
"That's so cool! Will I get to meet him maybe?"
"Most likely," I nodded, trying to gauge whether or not she was Seth's type, but she was way too nice. Pretty for sure, but too nice for him. "Anyway, um...bye."
"Wait!" She dropped a cosmetic bag on her bed and walked around the mattress. "I just want to say that I'm really looking forward to getting to know you this year. I don't have any siblings or anything, and I know it's way too soon for me to say that we'll be like sisters, but...yeah, I'm just really excited about this."
