Chapter 1
I am not your average girl, I am not your average daughter, I am not your average sister, and I am not your average friend. I am different from everyone, and least almost everyone. My friend, Alice, she is just like me. Almost like my twin sister, only we don’t look alike. She has blonde hair I have black hair, she has brown eyes I have blue eyes. But we like the same things. We are both interested in the afterlife and we both believe in ghosts. And we both agree that high school is the complete worst.
We are our own group, nobody else. We like being in the library, quiet places. Besides our looks, the only difference is I have an annoying younger brother and she is an only child. I wish she was my sister instead of having my brother. We walk to school, we don’t drive or take the bus. Neither of us drive, that is one of the main cause of death and Alice doesn’t like the bus because its too noisy and crowded, neither do I.
Everybody who knows me knows my mom but everybody who knows my mom doesn’t know me, but they do know my brother. I am completely different from the both of them, some even believe I am adopted or a maid. We do look the same but are nothing alike. My mother, brother, and I all look the same. Black hair, blue eyes. But I am nothing like them. Alice is the only person who knows I am alive.
Sometimes my mom will ask me to go with her and Dari to her work, and that’s only never. But when I do go, I don’t like it. I’d rather be at home, alone or with Alice. My mom works as a personal assistant for the owner of Walker Designs. It may look like I don’t pay attention, but I do. Besides Alice, Mr. Walker is the only one who knows of my existence. I found out the only reason why mom takes me with her is because Mr. Walker wants to see me. He is the only adult who likes me, let alone tolerates me. Even then I show him little to no respect or emotion. I am like that with everyone except Alice, because she understands me on a different level.
My mom would talk about me to Mr. Walker, saying that I was a pain. So he said that he would like to meet me. She thought that was a mistake and I did as well. He still met me and now he always wants to meet me. I don’t know what he likes about me. But I can tell the only reason why my mom would even go along with it is because she is in love with him, she will do anything he asks. They have never had sex, he doesn’t like her in that way. He always buys me nice things, expensive things. Things like clothes and books. He even buys me the right clothes in the right color, he knows me better than my own mom. He once bought me a book about talking to the dead, then I had to give him a little respect.
Mr. Walker has a son, Luka, and he goes to my school. Luka and my brother are best friends, they are like twins, only Dari is homosexual and Luka is pansexual. Mom never worries about them trying to have sex, after all Luka is seventeen and Dari is twelve. But I know the truth. They have had sex, multiple times. I caught them once in Dari’s room. I won’t say what they were doing, but I will say they were bare. After Luka went home and mom went to bed, Dari came into my room. He begged me not to tell mom, I understood why. He was mom’s angel and if she found out she would forbid him from seeing Luka. Whether I love him or loathe him, he is my brother. I was never going to tell her in the first place, it wasn’t my business.
The next day mom asked me to come to work with her. I did. I knew why. We went straight into Mr. Walker’s office. I always stayed in his office while they both worked. I was fine with it, it was quiet in there. Mr. Walker greet mom with the usual nod and me with a smile. Sometimes I wish I got the nod instead. I knew mom was lonely. I knew mom wanted Mr. Walker to help create her second miracle. Then that child would replace me, the mistake.
“Hello Jade, how are you today?”
“I am fine.”
“Good. what do I have on the schedule, Sarah?”
“You have a board meeting at three and a dinner meeting tonight at eight with Mr. Lee and Mr. Roberts.”
“Alright. Jade would you like to stay in my office?”
I nodded, I never said much, he knew that.
“Okay, please enjoy yourself while we are gone.”
He placed his hand on my head and smiled. As they walked away my mother glared at me. She hated me. I always knew that. After a while she began to believe Mr. Walker had feeling for me and not her. She was very angry, she beat me. I went to school with a black eye and bruises everywhere. She still hates me to this day and her beliefs are still there.
I wait in Mr. Walker’s office with Dari.
“Luka is coming over and I’m going with him to go hang out.”
“Okay.”
“Will you be okay?”
“What?”
“Will you be okay?”
“Yes.”
My brother has never asked if I was okay, he has never talked to me much. I knew why. Mom told him not to as a little child, she said he would be like me if he was anywhere near me. He was her angel and I was her demon. He believed her.
“Look, Jade, I really need to tell you something.”
I stared at him, that was my answer, he knew that.
“I’m sorry. Sorry for not standing up to mom and trying to protect you.”
He was apologizing.
“You have kept all of my secrets, and I have done nothing good for you.”
I have caught them multiple times.
“From now on, I am defending you when mom tries to hurt you.”
“You won’t be her angel anymore.”
“I don’t care, I think I’m as far from an angel as I can get.”
“You’re human.”
“Yup, and so are you. Thank you sis.”
That is one word that I have never heard come from his mouth, and I’ve heard many. He smiles at me. I know I should do something but I don’t know what. I smile back. That is the first time I have smiled in a long time. He smiles even wider and even laughs. Luka opens the door wearing a confused look. Dari smiles at him and I return my face to normal.
“Hey babe. What’s going on?”
“Oh nothing, just having a little sibling conversation.”
He actually called me his sister.
“Great. Thanks for covering for us Jade.”
Wait, does mom not know about this?
“Mom knows you’re going out right?”
“Come on Jade, let him go.”
“No, she doesn’t. And neither does Mr. Walker. Please don’t tell them.”
“Where are you going?”
“Nowhere.”
“By the eastside river.”
“Babe! Don’t tell her everything!”
“I have to!”
“Why!”
“She is my sister!”
“What if she rats us out? Then we’ll both get in trouble!”
“She won-”
“I won’t tell anyone, just be back before nine.”
“Why?”
“Mom and Mr. Walker will be back around nine.”
“Okay, thanks sis!”
“Be careful.”
“Will do!”
Babe. they are dating now. I know I have to start acting like a sister. He knows once Luka turns eighteen they can’t date anymore, it would be illegal. I wait a few hours. I stare at the wall, every second of those hours until I hear footsteps. I stare at the wall even when the door opens. Luka and Dari come in, laughing. I avert my eyes to look at them. Dari sits next to me while Luka sits across. Luka leans in to kiss him but Dari pulls back and stares at me. I stare at him, he knows my answer. When I look away, I said no. He leans in a kisses Luka.
I don’t look but I can see from the corner of my eye. When I see things, I remember everything. Luka pulls at Dari’s waist until Dari is sitting on his lap. Dari wraps his arms around Luka’s neck while Luka runs his hand under Dari’s shirt.
“Stop.”
“What? Why?”“Don’t worry about her, you know how you sister is.”
“Wait, why should we stop? Is this making you uncomfortable?”
“Why do you care?”
“Because he’s my sister.”
“Seriously Dari?”
“Yes.”
“Stop. Dari get off.”
“Okay.”
“No, Dari. What the hell, Jade?”
“Stop. be quiet.”
Luka moves the chair back to the other side of the room and sits there. We wait in silence.
“What was that for?”
“Stop.”
“Why?!”
“Luka, please listen.”
“Fine.”
We wait in silence until the door opens. Mr. Walker and mom. Dari and Luka looked at me with eyes opened wide.
“When did you get here, Luka?”
“A few hours ago.”
“Oh, okay. And how are you two?”
“I’m great!”
I just stare. He nods. Luka gets up.
“Hey dad, I’m staying over at a friend’s house.”
“Alright.”
Luka leaves and mom speaks up.
“I should probably get Dari home.”
“Alright, what about Jade?”
“She said she’ll stay with her friend.”
I never said that, but it’s better staying with Alice then my own mom. But I know why she said that. She’s mad at me. So nobody finds out she beats me, she sends me to Alice’s house to prevent her from beating me.
“Alright, I’ll take her.”
“Are you sure? I don’t want that to be trouble for you.”
“No trouble at all!”
“Okay, let’s go Dari.”
“Okay. Bye Mr. Walker, bye Jade.”
I stare at him and he smiles. I stare at the wall once again. Dari and mom leave. Mr. Walker gets up and walks over to me with a book in his hand.
“I was thinking of you when I saw this and I thought you’d love it.”
It was a book I have always wanted. One I could never get because it was too expensive. There are only 10 of these books in the world and now I’ve got one of them. I reach for the book and take it. The cover is made of leather. I should say something, this is reater than ever.
“Thank you, Mr. Walker.”
“No problem sweetie.”
He smiles and kisses my forehead. Sometimes he does that, mom never does. He grabbed his coat and looked at me again.
“You ready to go?”
