Open mind for a different view
Chapter 1
She sat against the chain link fence for lunch while the other kids sharing the same lunch period used the tables scattered outside and paid her zero attention, she was used to it and more then that she didn’t care. Amelia Lowell only went to school because her mother forced her to and as much as she didn’t care for many things in life she didn’t want to disappoint her mother.
She watched the people in front of her like they were a TV show, fake, pretending for the audience. Her twin sister Lena was one of them; always worried about what others would think with a need to have the latest and greatest, and to be what others considered perfect.
Mel thought grades were important because it led to college and a career but Lena never did agree with her sister.
Lena could be cold toward those not in her crowd of people but she always went out of her way to say at least hi to her longer, geek and sometimes depressing sister. “Hey.” She greeted while she kneeled down carefully with her skirt. “I need a favor.”
“Ok.” Amelia kept her eyes forward, counting the seconds it took for Lena to spit it out.
“You have to say yes because this is important to me.”
“Just say it.” Amelia snapped, she hated when her sister would say she had to do something and then attach the guilt trip.
“Tutor Eric in chemistry.”
She scoffed, it was loud and not very ladylike. “Your idiot boyfriend doesn’t know chemistry? No wonder you’re so uptight.”
Lena groaned. “Stop being dirty minded and he’s not my boyfriend. He’s a friend whom I care about and if he fails this test he won’t be able to play football anymore.”
“Be still my heart.”
Lena let out another groan and tried to get more comfortable in her skirt and heels. Hell would freeze before she just sat on the floor and stopped with the awkward positions, sitting would dirty her outfit. “You’re the top student in that stuff, it would be a huge favor and I’d owe you.” She said softly, smiling with hope as she begged for help.
“You’ve been here for longer then a minute, the cheerleaders look ready to send the rescue team.” Amelia stared ahead and rolled her eyes, Lena and her friends could be too dramatic and they had no idea what real drama was.
“Mel! I’ll do whatever you want.”
“I want you to leave me alone.”
“I will once you say yes.”
Amelia knew her sister would keep pressing and bugging her. Since they lived together it was a safe bet to assume Lena would resort to any measures possible until she agreed. “Fine. I’ll meet with him and if he annoys me once; it’s over.”
“He’s not that bad, you just hate people. I’m going to take you to his place after school. His mom comes home late.” Lena stood and stretched her cramped legs then walked back to her table.
Amelia and Lena Lowell were twins but you never confused the two. Mel dyed her natural blonde shade to black while Lena added highlights to make it more golden. Their features were identical except for their eye color, Lena had light brown eyes while Amelia had emerald green. Lena loved dresses and skirts, even as a toddler she wore heels while Amelia liked to walk barefooted in the mud. The Lowell’s used to joke Amelia was the son they never had. Until two years ago Mel had been out going, liked to have fun even if she considered science projects fun. Now she liked to sit away from the crowd and not speak to others unless she had to.
~*~
“I got my sister to tutor you.” Lena beamed.
Eric stopped in the hallway on their way to his locker. “How’d you do that?” he couldn’t imagine Mel Lowell jumping at the chance to help him. They didn’t know each other but whenever they were in the same room she didn’t seem like she liked him very much. He was close friends with Lena for about two years now but they hung out in public or his place. He only met Mel once and ran into her a handful of times.
“I asked her as a favor to me. I know people think she’s a big weirdo and she can be but we still share a bond. I’ll bring her by your place after school.”
“Alright. I’ll do whatever it takes to play in next week’s game.” He knew school work was important but it was football that was going to get him a scholarship out of town.
“Speaking of have you seen the star quarterback also known as my boyfriend?” Lena asked with pride, she was proud of Andy being the best and to be the girl on his arm when he could have his pick out of any girl in town.
“He cut out early for a doctor’s appointment about his knee. Text him to meet us at my place later.” Eric suggested while stuffing books into his locker.
“Maybe I shouldn’t. Mel doesn’t like anyone but she really doesn’t like Andy, she won’t even remember he’s my boyfriend.” Lena said then dramatically rolled her eyes. “I’ll figure it out later, class is about to start.”
~*~
Amelia stood at the edge of the parking lot with her arms crossed tight and a strong urge to walk away and ditch her sister and her idiot friend. Every other day she’d walk, never wanting a ride from Lena, then at home she’d say a quick hello to her work-from-home mom before locking herself away in the solace of her bedroom and CD’s.
“Melly!” Lena called out as she got closer. Mel hated when she called her that as if they were five years old again. “Ugh! Do you have to wear that stupid hat everywhere?” she asked referring to the black baseball cap with the word ‘reaper’ stitched across the back.
Amelia wore it low so that it shadowed her eyes. “Do you have to wear that stupid necklace everywhere?” she challenged but her voice didn’t carry the same flare.
“Of course, Andy got it for me.” She always lit up when she said his name, Mel tried not to barf.
“And Zander got this for me so shut up and let’s go.” Zander was a very painful subject and Lena knew better to push her on it.
“I told Eric we’d meet him there.” They didn’t talk again after that.
Amelia didn’t always want to be the bitch but sometimes Lena talked too much, never understanding but at the same time Mel didn’t want her to and know the pain she lived with everyday. She had made Zander her everything and when he was brutally taken away there was no way to cope, to ever live life normally again.
She tried to focus her attention on the street because if she thought about Zander too long she’d completely shut down and she didn’t need no damn football player making up anymore stories about how weird she was.
Eric Marcetti lived in the cul-de-sac three streets from the school, it didn’t take long even with the school zone speed limits to get there.
“Ugh.” Lena groaned at the sight of a blue old school mustang. “Tony’s here, that’s Eric’s loser brother and he’s so freaking annoying. A real pig.”
“He must be for you to almost curse. Just say ‘fucking,’ mom’s not here to scold you.” Mel said before climbing out the car. She needed this over as quick as possible. She left her jacket and bookbag in the car then followed Lena up the walkway.
“Please keep in mind he’s not a jerk like you’re used to dealing with at school and this will mean a lot to me.” Lena said before ringing the doorbell. Having left before them Eric was already home waiting. He opened the door and stepped aside to let them in. “Eric, you remember my sister Mel, Mel this is Eric.”
“Hi.” Eric greeted with an awkward smile.
“Yeah, let’s get this over with.” They all moved into the living room where Eric had his books out. Five minutes into the tutoring session Lena’s cellphone rang; it was Andy. “Go,” Mel said. “You don’t have to baby sit me. It’s not like I’m going to kill Eric and bury him in the yard.”
“No that privilege belongs to me.” Tony Marcetti joined in the fun, stepping off the staircase with a teasing smile. “Who do we have here?” he asked, looking at Mel.
“This is my twin sister Mel, leave her alone or I will cut off your balls.” Lena acted protective of Mel, with people she didn’t like that is.
“Always with my balls Lena. I told you if you wanna see---”
Lena tossed an empty soda can at him then turned back toward her sister. “I’ll be back in about half hour, just keep doing what you’re doing.” The session was going pretty well, what could really go wrong in 30 minutes?
“Yes mother.” Once alone again -Lena leaving to see Andy and Tony back upstairs- Mel glanced at Eric, normally she avoided all eye contact with people and therefore never got a good look at what they looked like. He was focused on a formula sheet she wrote out so Mel decided to look. Eric’s build was of that of a typical athlete; tall, lean with defined muscle from all the time on the field. His hair was a light brown and a little messy from running his hand through it. His eyes were hazel and now looking at her. “What else do you need help on?” She took advanced classes and didn’t share the same homework he received, she didn’t know what he had to complete.
Eric pushed a stack of books with random sheets of paper sticking out of them forward. “What would it take to get you to do this for me?”
“Help you cheat?” she frowned, was this guy for real?
“Look I’ll study for the test but this is all too much and I can’t miss practice tomorrow.” Eric said with a sigh, running his hand through his already messy hair.
“If you start acing this stuff the school will know something is off and if I get caught helping you that ruins all my hard work which no one helped me with so no thank you. I’ll help you learn it but that’s it.”
“You’ll agree to keep tutoring me?” there was no mistaking the surprise in his voice and hazel eyes.
Mel shrugged. “Yeah, it’ll get Lena off my back.”
“Ok, deal.”