~Chloe~
I got home two hours later, clutching the letter and my bag to my chest. I was sweating profusely like I ran a million miles when it wasn't up to a kilometer. Heck, I didn't even run at all.
How did he find me?
Why did he send the letter?
Of all times why now?
These were the questions running through my head while I ran up the stairs to my room with Zoe was hot on my tail. Immediately I entered my room I slammed the door hard and locked it behind me. Taking a deep breath, I finally settled down in my room amidst Zoe's constant yelling and knocking on the door.
I pilled myself out of my school uniform and headed to my walk-in bathroom. Once I was in, I socked my self in a warm bubble bath allowing the warm water to easy my tensed and worn out muscles. In as much as I didn't want to, I really couldn't help it as my mind wondered back to the letter I received.
I was still in a bit of a daze as to how I even got it in the first place. I mean it's me Jessa Olamipo Chloe Babajide the underdog of S.S 3 Science class. How did I manage from being the Under dog of the class to being the center of attention. And how did that happen so fast on the first day of school! All because of one letter.
This was supposed to be an uneventful last school year. You know, where the only event happening will be My senior WAEC exam( West Africa Examination council ) and NECO exam(National examination council). Then maybe prom and graduation, which I would most likely be forced to attend thanks to my obnoxious, selfish twin sister.
Not wanting to think about it too much I rinsed the soap off my body and got out of the bathroom. I changed out of my bathrobe to something more baggy and comfortable. Satisfied with my baggy appearance, I came out my room only to find Zoe whose room was directly opposite mine coming out of her room as well. Immediately she noticed me, she launched at me and thanks to my quick reflexes, I dived out of the way just in time.
I ran as fast as my legs could carry me down the stairs heading for the kitchen. Zoe was still hot on my tail and immediately I got to the kitchen, I grabbed any thing my hands could find, luckily for me it was a frying pan. I didn't mind if I looked like Rapunzel right now with a frying pan pointed to my sister I just wanted to protect myself.
"Seriously Chloe, frying pan?" She smirked.
"What! would you rather I use a knife instead? I could go down that road if that's what you're asking" I said.
"Urgh Chloe I don't care what utensils you use. I need that letter!" She yelled to my face. Very typical of Zoe, always wanting what was originally mine. In as much as I wanted to let her have her way and give her the letter, I resisted the urge to do so and so I said.
"No! I'm not giving you, the letter was addressed to me, it even had my name on it!"
"Urr see that's where your wrong, who in there right mind would address a letter to the ugliest underdog in all of Wesley Academy."
The minute she said that I knew she was right, I might not be the ugliest but i was certainly ugly and and one of the underdogs in Wesley Academy. And if there is one thing for sure, underdogs don't get letters, ever. I knew for a fact that It was probably all a big mistake, a mix up, after all we were twins so it was bound to happen some how. I slouched, feeling defeated yet again as I slowly lowered the frying pan I pointed to her face.
"Chloe you're not worth writing a letter to, when will you learn that? Don't make this hard on yourself and just give the letter that was supposed to be addressed to me." She said.
If I was slouching before then, I was certainly crumbling now, how could my sister my twin sister say this to me. Sometimes the way she talks to me got me wondering if we were ever related, if we were ever born of the same mother, if ever sucked and nibbled on the same breast of our mother.
But each time I look at her, it's like I'm looking into a mirror seeing my reflection staring back at me, so there was no doubt that we were twins. Even as broken as I was, I still managed to gather strength to lift the frying pan back to her face and with a weak smile on my face.
"No I won't. You don't even know who sent the letter so --"
"What's going on here? " Mom's voice interrupted my statement. Apparently we didn't hear her walk into the kitchen due the argument we were having. Immediately she repeat the question with a raised eye brow, I quickly hid the frying while Zoe threw her left hand over my shoulder. With a fake smile one Zoe's face I tried to explain the situation at hand saying.
"Weeeee... Urrr... rehearsing "
"Yes! that, rehearsal forrrr"
Zoe said in agreement and before she could stutter for long, I concluded.
"A play. A school play "
"That's right mom, my twin sister Chloe and I are doing a little rehearsal for a school play" Zoe said with a tone of finality and that bright fake smile on her face. How she makes her fake smile look so real I would never know. But what I do know is that look of skepticism In mothers eyes, I don't think she bought our little shenanigans and it was obvious when she stated with a frown itching on her face
"You both are science students"
"Oh oh oh urrr yes, yes that is correct."
"But umm, we are rehashing ...Bee... Because we can act now "
I said trying to back Zoe up and not stutter so much at the same time, but mothers will always be mothers. Her next statement made me, made us realize that we weren't fooling her and we might as well drop the act.
"Really acting with a flying pan. What are you Rapunzel? Your hair isn't even half the length of hers. C'mon drop the act and talk to me."
At this point Zoe had already created enough distance between us. While I went to return to the frying pan I was holding, Zoe had already started ranting to our mother about the letter.
Well so much for being Rapunzel. It was cute while it lasted.
Shut up! I responded to my subconscious not having the strength to argue with her. Before Zoe could finish ranting my mothers ears off I had already gone back to my room to grab the letter. By the time I reappeared in the kitchen mom beckoned on me.
"Okayyyy Zoe I think I've heard enough of your side of the story. So, Chloe lets hear your side. "
"It was after a school today when a junior student walked into my class asking for me. She said she has a letter for me, dropped it on my table before I could ask any question."
I narrated my own side of the story making it as short and as presided as possible. Mom of cause was surprise at how I didn't spend up to a minute in narrating what actually happened. And when she said her next statement i wasn't surprised at all. I just shrugged it off.
"Whao that's it, thats what happened? Wait how come your side of the story are always shorter?"
"Yeap, oh and I don't know mom. maybe it because somebody exaggerate too much" I explained to my mom with a victorious smile on my face while Zoe was glaring a dagger at me. If looks could kill, I would have been 6 feet under by now. It took all of my sanity not to burst into laugher with the way Zoe was glaring at me. Once mom noticed it, she called her to order.
"Zoe! I am still here "
"Mom, she is obviously lying she does want t--"
"Oh really says the person who switched her grade for her sisters. Hmmhmmm did you think I won't find out."
Ooh so thats why I got a C- in physics, chemistry and biography. Shoot! I should have known it was Zoe's result.
My sub consciousness noted, it took all of the atom of discipline in me not to laugh at the priceless look of shock on Zoe's face. She kept opening and closing her mouth like a fish in dire need of water, struggling to find the right words. Once mom noticed she was tongue tied she asked for the letter which I had already retrieved from my room.
"Hmmm, where is letter Chloe?"
"Right here"
I said bringing out the letter that was safely tucked into my back pocket. She collected it from me and and read it out loud.
"From Jayson to Chloe--"
"Wait Jayson? As my ex- boyfriend Jayson? Okay that's obviously not possible" Zoe said.
Ex-boyfriend yeah right in your dreams
"Well then the letter says, Dear Chloe..."
The confused, shocked and paranoid look on moms face after she read that made me realize some thing was definitely not right. Why was her mouth still ajar and why does her eyes have so much worry in them? When she didn't say anything for Another 5 minutes the curiosity within me had already turned to fear. I had to clear my throat multiple times to get her attention. Once it finally worked I asked again.
"Mom, What does it say?"
"It's blank, Chloe. It's a blank letter. Nothing else was written in it after Dear Chloe." She said.
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