On The Outside Looking In {DISCONTINUED}

12

"Let me get this straight," I said. "Everyone thinks we're related?"

"It was either that or dating." I stared at Isaac. "You won't believe how many people thought we were dating in primary school."

I hummed. "Why didn't we go for dating?"

"Long distance doesn't work. You lived five hours away, and we had already decided siblings would be more fun." He pointed to himself and grinned. "I'm the older twin."

I threw a handful of popcorn at him. "Bullcrap. Even I know I'm older."

"Well, I look older and am taller."

"How's that a good thing?"

He was silent. "Fuck you."

I had won that argument.

Let me catch you up on what was happening. Isaac and I were sitting on the lounge watching some crappy Superman movie. Turns out I'm not a fan of superheroes. He said this was the one where Superman dies, and I spent a good half hour asking if he was dead yet. It got to the stage where Isaac had tried to smother me with a pillow for not shutting up. After accepting defeat, he started filling me in on some less widely known details about us.

It was no wonder I felt comfortable around him and people who went to our primary school would give us knowing looks if they thought we were related. We looked similar enough to pass as twins and our birthdays were very close together. He was a late born by about two weeks while I was an early born by a month. No wonder he was so tall, and I was so not. When I said as much, he laughed. Aside from that, we had quite a lot in common but were also very different. It didn't surprise me at all when he told me how our parents played along with the whole being related thing.

"Why did you wait until now to tell me this?" I asked around my drink. "Seems rather important."

"If I had told you you're my sister at the hospital, which I almost did, how would you have taken it?"

"I would've freaked."

"Exactly."

I nudged him playfully. "Always my best interests in mind."

This time, he threw popcorn at me. "So, why didn't you tell me about the powers thing?"

"I thought you'd take it bad. I mean, how would someone who didn't know me react when they saw me do something like this?" I made my cup float down to the table.

"Jack took it pretty well," he pointed out.

True. "How's he doing?"

"As good as someone who saw a girl trying to kill herself using superpowers can be," he answered flatly.

I blushed, feeling slightly embarrassed. "How many more times do I have to tell you that I'm fine now until you believe me?"

"I'll let you know." He tapped the scars on my left arm. "You should have told me. I could've helped."

"Had you not been so busy with girls, work, your reputation and being a moron, perhaps I would have considered it," I snapped. "But, no. You had to worry about what people thought of you hanging with the unpopular freak who spends all her time in books."

"Wait. Are you jealous?"

"Of you spending more time with a bunch of women who dress like sluts, wear a shit load of makeup, and don't know how to do anything short of turning a guy on instead of your own gods dammed sister? Why, no." In all honesty, some of them weren't like that, but still.

"You are jealous," he teased as I went red. "Relax, Eb." I didn't relax. "How about I buy you a block of caramel chocolate and we order pizza for lunch?"

I narrowed my eyes. "What kind?"

He sighed. "Because I'm trying to stop you from destroying the Earth, how about either margherita or garlic and cheese?"

I sat up straight as he named my two favourites which I had apparently become obsessed with since my trip to Europe. Turns out I had had the best pizza in Rome, Sorrento, and Ercolano. Funny how all those places are in Italy. "Deal." He got up, going to the kitchen and looking for the number. He ordered both, explaining later that I could just have the rest later. While we waited, I picked out a movie that I preferred despite Isaac's complaining about how bad my taste was. I chose In and Out.

When the pizza arrived, I tried to pay but he insisted on doing so. Deciding it was pointless to argue, I went and started the movie. Whenever I looked at him properly, Isaac acted like he hated the movie, but I caught his smile and laugh when he thought I wasn't looking. By the end of the movie, there was hardly any pizza left. I called dibs straight away and went to wrap it up, so it stayed fresh. Eyeing what was left in the fridge, I called, "Hey, did we have a dinner plan?"

"Nope," he called back. "Why?"

"You want breakfast or dessert for dinner?" I asked. "We got pancakes, snags, eggs, bacon –"

"Breakfast sounds good." I turned to see him give me a questioning look. "Can you cook?"

I went to the cupboard and pulled out a box of cake mix. I held it up to him. "Shall we find out, little brother?"

The look he gave me was nothing short of deadly as he acted offended. "Knew I shouldn't have told you that, baby sis." He picked up the TV's remote, flipping through the channels with a smirk. I stuck my tongue out at him and rummaged around for a mixing bowl. "If you make it right, that's dessert."

"You could always get off your arse and help me."

"Not a chance."