Irish twins | b.swan

04

Nora smiles as she sees Bella smile for the first time in a long time. She's talked Jake into rebuilding these trashy bikes she found and he's, of course, ecstatic to get his hands dirty in a new project. They work on them a lot, do homework and hang. Bella is actually a real good wing-woman.

"So I think Mike has a crush on Nora now he and Jess are on a break." Bella says as they eat pizza one night in the garage.

"What!" Jacob scowls, looking at her then Nora. "That's weird."

"Why?" Bella asks as Nora flushes the deepest red, willing a hole to swallow her up any moment.

"Coz..." Jacob shrugs. "She's Nora."

"Nora happens to be a very pretty girl who lots of the guys at school ogle at." Bella shrugs, throwing her crust down.

Jacob shrugs again. "Nora isn't one to date. She's never had a crush."

Nora clears her throat. "I uh, I am here guys. Hi." She waves her hand with a nervous laugh.

Bella scowls at Jacob. "I'll prove you wrong. Let's go to the movies tomorrow, I'll bring a date for Nora."

"Fine like I care."

Nora blushes furiously, already thinking of ways to get out of it. There must be a god somewhere because around 3am she rushes to the bathroom, finding herself stuck beside the toilet as she's overcome with sickness. Bella finds her there the next morning and cringes. "Dude...."

Nora tiredly opens her eyes. "Oops... there goes that date." She mumbles, not hiding her satisfied smile as she let's her eyes close again. Her cheek is smooshed against the tub, a towel being her makeshift pillow.

Bella sighs and fills the water glass for her. "You want me to stay home?" She offers, stroking her sisters head.

"I'm cool." She hums, half asleep.

"Okay... I'll make sure Jacob is so in love with you that he'll be here tonight begging for you." Bella promises.

"Yay." Nora hums, hearing her sister laugh as she leaves.

That's not exactly how the night goes; Bella runs in around 10, straight past Charlie and into the bathroom where Nora still resides. She pushes her sister out of the way, just getting her vomit into the toilet.

Nora opens her eyes slowly and cringes. "Ewwww."

Bella pants and brushes her hair back, sinking down on the other side of the toilet opposite Nora. "I take it back - I don't want to share everything with you."

"Hey, we were 5 when you made that promise. It's stuck." She muses.

Charlie takes a picture of the two as he chuckles, highly amused they're going through it together. It's another few days before Nora feels better, Bella following shortly after. Jacob, however, still seems to be unwell. Nora hates not hanging with him and so does Bella - both for different reasons. Bella sees Jacob as a coping mechanism for her.

"I'm gonna go see him." Bella decides one morning.

Nora looks up from the newspaper on the table, her eyebrows raised. "Billy will kill you and so will dad - he told us to leave it be."

"Aren't you worried?" Bella snaps.

"Of course I am." Nora scowls. "But what use is it pissing Billy and dad off? It won't help Jake."

"Fine stay here." Bella mutters, storming out.

Nora sighs and pushes her food away, no longer hungry. She decides to clean the entire house, on her third load of laundry when Bella comes home soaking wet and sad looking. Nora frowns. "Is Jake..."