(POV: KAYLA)
"Kayla, take your things up and choose a room," my mom said with a joyous air.
I stepped out of the car with the warm summer air swirling around me and stood in front of this big house that was supposed to be ours until we decided to move again.
After Ma got married to Darnell, we've been on the move because of his job. It probably sounds like fun, but to be honest, after a while, it got annoying having to start over in a new place and at a new school.
Darnell went ahead of us to settle in; then, he sent his driver to pick us up from the airport and bring us to our new house.
Kaylen kept bothering me in the car, telling me that she was gonna get the bigger room, but she fell asleep, so I didn't bother to wake her up. From outside the car, I could hear her loud snores, and I just laughed.
She was always happy whenever we moved, but it wasn't my favorite.
"Yeah, I'll go up and check it out," I said.
I threw my backpack over my shoulder. Ma asked Mr. Felix, our driver, to help me take my things upstairs, and he happily lifted my suitcases, and we marched on up the long walkway to the front door.
"Mr. Felix, I hope this is the last time you have to take us to a new house."
I pushed the door open.
"Be grateful, Ms. Kayla. Not many people have what you guys do." He whispered back.
I guess he was right; many people didn't have what Darnell had, so I should be contented; whenever I complained, he always knew what to say to have me feeling guilty for not wanting to live life like this anymore.
Sometimes I just wanted to go back to my old life when we didn't have as much and were still happy with what we had. I wanted to go back to the days when ma was still with dad, and we lived in a humble home in the suburbs, but it was never going back to how it was, and I just had to get used to moving all the time.
I opened up to a huge, nicely decorated house with marble steps descending from the second floor. There was a huge chandelier hanging from the ceiling of the fully furnished entrance. Darnell's team trophies were displayed neatly in a glass cabinet in the dining room, and his first ball that he took everywhere with him. I rolled my eyes; it looks like Darnell outdid himself again.
Mr. Felix and I made our way up the white marble stairs.
"Thanks, Mr. Felix."
I smiled, falling back onto my new bed, then I watched as he saluted me and walked back out. It looked like the biggest room upstairs, so my mission was complete.
Felix was a nice guy; he always made sure our family was safe and comfortable when Darnell wasn't around, which was most of the time. He was always busy with his team and making sure everything went smoothly with his investments.
I scrolled through Instagram, double-tapping pictures of my friends from back home enjoying the end of their summer. All this moving always got in the way of everything, and it's the main reason I didn't want to start a relationship with anyone because I never knew when we were going to move.
I liked this guy when we lived in Atlanta, and things were going well and smoothly till we moved to Florida. He was about 6'1, brown-skinned, with a nice smile, super cute, smart, baller, and an amazing personality. Since then, we haven't talked or anything. I guess he already found a new girl.
"Why are you so ugly, Kayla!?" Kaylen said.
She stuck her head in through my new bedroom doorway.
"I told you I wanted the biggest room upstairs."
"You were sleeping, Kaylen. I didn't wanna wake you up."
I laughed, looking over my phone at a mad Kaylen with her hair covering half of her face.
Although we were twins and grew up in the same family for seventeen years, our personalities were completely different. Kayla was a more aggressive and quiet one, while I was more outgoing and sweeter at times. There were some times when I acted just like she did, though.
"So why didn't you just choose another room?"
I could tell that she was becoming slightly annoyed with me, but she'd get over it.
"Cause I wanted this one." I stuck out my tongue. "Now shoo little grasshopper, go chirp somewhere else."
"Uhh!" Kaylen stomped off.
"Love you too, Kaylen!"
I sighed as I continued scrolling through my timeline; everyone else seemed to be happy except me. Kaylen never really complained about mom being with Darnell or about us moving so much; she just said that she was happy once her college tuition and food were being paid for.
I know I had a lot to be thankful for, but I wouldn't say I liked the fact that mom and dad weren't together anymore, and we kept moving further and further from our childhood neighborhood.
I clicked off my screen and placed it on my chest. My ombre curled hair surrounded my face. Sometimes I wish I could be someone else and maybe live in a lesser fortunate family with fewer commitments. Still, for now, I just had to be contented with who I was, Kayla Marie Payne, the step-daughter of a former basketball star and the biological daughter of a businesswoman and an alcoholic.
"Oh, Kayla."
Kaylen peeped in through my doorway again.
"Yess, Kaylen?"
She raised a box of Twinkies in her hands. Darnell knew we practically lived on those things, Ramen Noodles and Gatorade, so he made sure and stocked up on them every month. I sat up quickly on my bed in disbelief. Oh no, she did not!
"I wonder who's not getting any of these Twinkies?"
I took off running after her.
"Kaylen, no! I want a Twinkie!"
I chased her down the stairs. Her giggles fell behind as she took off speeding down the hall.
"Not after you took my room! You ain't getting nothing!"
She flung open the backdoor and went running into the big yard, trying to dodge the pool. I jerked back a little, running outside cause the sun was still bright out. Kaylen stood on the far end of the yard, then she pulled out her phone and turned her back toward me.
Taking the chance to sneak up on her, I took off running, and when I was close enough to her, I pulled on the box of Twinkies, which scared everything out of her. She started screaming and almost dropped her phone.
"I told you I'm getting a Twinkie."
I tugged, and she tugged back at the box.
"No, you're not!"
She tugged back harder. The both of us tugged with everything we got, then after when neither of us didn't have the strength to pull any more, we fell back onto the grass and started cracking up. Kaylen and I fell right next to each other.
"You're not a nice person!"
She busted out into laughter, trying to kick the Twinkie box still away from me.
"You ain't a nice person either!" she said. "You threw me down for a box of Twinkies."
"Girls! You guys ready for dinner!?" I heard Darnell's voice call from the direction of the house. Kaylen and I looked up at the same time.
"Yes!" Kaylen jumped up, getting all excited.
She went running off toward the house and took the box of Twinkies with her. I rolled my eyes, seeing Darnell in his grey suit and purple striped tie. There was no time that he wasn't dressed in his work attire. It took me a while before I decided to get up off of the ground.
"Kayla, you coming in!?" Darnell said, using his hand to keep the door open.
"Yea...I'm coming in soon..."
I stayed back a little to look up at the beautiful summer sky. All the white clouds floated around in almost perfect shapes, swimming around the blue sky. Even the clouds seemed to be having more fun than me this summer. I reluctantly got up and dragged to the back door.
It was dinner time.
"So, how do you girls like the new place so far?" Darnell asked.
He took a slice of turkey from the tray in front of him. Everything was already cut and orderly placed before us. I looked down at my plate, putting a fork filled with rice in my mouth.
"It's really nice!" Kaylen smiled. "The only problem I have is that Kayla decided to take my room today." I laughed a little, looking down.
"Kayla took your room?" Mom asked, looking at me.
"She was sleeping. She couldn't choose her room if she were sleeping."
"You know you just wanted the biggest room." Darnell laughed, and I did too.
It seemed that even though I didn't like him that much, he knew me really well, and we always got along when I did decide to talk to him.
"So, how do you like the place, Kayla?" mom asked.
I looked up at her and then at Darnell with a small smile.
"It's...nice. Just like all the other houses we've lived in."
Mom coughed a little giving me the eye cause she knew how I felt about moving all the time. I twisted my mouth to the side, looking down at my plate.
"Yea, it is nice," Darnell said, giving his star player smile. "Just making sure you guys are comfortable."
"Thank you," Kaylen and I said in unison.
Darnell nodded.
"So when are we starting school?" Kaylen asked.
I listened for the answer, stuffing my mouth with mashed potato. I was actually really excited to start school. My senior year was gonna be a turn, and Kaylen and I were ready for it. We were ready for Prom, Project grad, graduation, maybe a relationship...and everything else that was coming with it.
"Well, I'm gonna take you guys down for Registration tomorrow." Darnell smiled.
Kaylen and I both turned to each other and started screaming.
"Thank you!" Kaylen said.
I just smiled at Darnell and continued eating. It then hit me that the only thing that came with Darnell Rose, former NBA player, taking us to school was that everyone was gonna swarm around us the minute they noticed him.
It was easy to notice him, too, because he was towering over everyone at 6'8, and he was pretty good-looking. Darnell had light brown skin, with his hair in black waves and dimples.
At the past schools, we've been to, when Darnell would take us into school; there would always be that one tall skinny black guy who noticed him, and then everyone would come running to take pictures with him and talk to him about their future in basketball.
If Kaylen and I weren't careful, we'd end up having a bunch of fake friends and 'crushes' who just wanted to get the chance to come to our house and meet Darnell Rose.
"Darnell," I said, and he looked at me with a pleasant expression on his face.
I know he liked to register us at school since he didn't have any kids of his own and had never done it before Kaylen and I came along, but I rather prevent the stress of having people use us.
"Is it ok if Mom is the only one who registers us at school tomorrow?"
I tried to sweeten my voice so that he wouldn't feel bad. When I proposed the idea, I saw his facial expression change.
"Sure...I'll just take you guys there."
I nodded my head, trying to smile at him. I felt horrible.
Everything had gotten quiet after that, and everyone just sat eating their dinner. Ms. Lucia, our cook, brought us glasses for our drinks, and all through, I couldn't help but look at Darnell's face. He seemed a little disappointed after what I said.
"So, how was work today, honey?" Ma finally asked, breaking the silence.
Darnell finished chewing his chicken then he smiled at the question. Talking about basketball always made him happy.
"It was good. The guys are training hard for the season. They pulled some prank on me today when I went into the office."
Kaylen and I busted out into laughter.
"What did they do?" I asked, trying to rebuild the neutrality between Darnell and me.
"Well..." He chuckled.
He cut his turkey slice with his knife and fork. He then took a bite and dabbed his mouth with his napkin.
"Detrick Johnson came into my office this morning, and he told me that the team was waiting for me outside. So I walked out to meet them in the parking lot, and Ernesto Perez came behind me with a hoop held over my head, and when I turned back, Detrick dunked a basketball over me. Then the entire team jumped out dying with laughter."
I had to rest my fork on my plate and cover my mouth because I was laughing so hard. Kaylen giggled slightly, but I was dying. Every time I saw those videos where people dunked over other people, I always think they're hilarious!
"Chill, Kayla. It's not that funny," Kaylen said, laughing at me, still cracking up.
~~~
"Tell me the truth Kayla," Len said.
I quickly looked up from my bed, wiping my eyes, and I saw her step inside. I came up here crying because of everything. I wouldn't say I liked living like this, where I had to keep my life a secret because I was scared of having fake friends.
"Do you like it here?"
She closed the door behind her and took a seat on my bed.
"No." I cried, burying my face back in my pillow.
"I just want to go back to South Carolina."
Kaylen rested her hand on my shoulder.
"I do too, Kayla, but once we start school, it's gonna be good. It's senior year. Our senior year."
"I know. But I miss everyone and dad..."
We didn't really talk about our dad, but sometimes I just missed him so much. Forgetting his alcoholism and all, he was still our dad.
"I do too. But you know we can't do anything about it."
"Yea, sadly."
I didn't want to talk about it anymore, and I didn't think Kaylen did either. She told me goodnight and closed the door behind her.
I just wanted life to be normal again. I promise you I won't complain again if we somehow get a chance to go back to South Carolina. Texas is nothing like home, and it's too hot out here. You have to be carrying around water like a purse.
Before I slept, I pulled a picture of dad out from my wallet and stared at it for a while. He had dark hair like Kaylen and me except with darker skin.
He looked like a good man in the picture...most people knew he wasn't. But forgetting all of that, I miss him so much. I just wanted to go back and see him...
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