Hate at First Sight

Chapter 9

Alice's P.O.V

I'm gutted about what Lea has said. I know now that again I'm just another unwanted being, in this house, which granted, is very different to Aunt Amy's but the circumstances are similar.
I'm really unwanted here, a burden to my sister. But my parents want me here so I'm staying whether she likes it or not.

I grab an Abercrombie & Fitch hoodie from one of my drawers and pull it on over my vest top and shorts. I decide I'm going on a walk. Ireland is quite green to be fair and for the most part the people are all very friendly. But the weather is terrible.

I shut the door behind me and walk slowly, in no hurry to be anywhere because I have nowhere to be. I wonder if everybody wants me to leave? Or just my twin? It's so upsetting to me because I always wanted a sister to share everything with, from ice cream to secrets.
But my twin hates me.

I find myself in a trance, not even aware that I'm walking but my feet continue to move forward.
Then bam!
"Woah watch it!" A girl glares at me.
"Leave her alone Roisin. She's new!" I hear a voice to my right and turn to see David smiling at me .
"She Lea's twin?" The girl asks in recognition.
David nods at her. "Mmmm."
The girl just glares at me some more before storming off.

"She doesn't like Lea?"
David thinks for a minute before he answers me.
"I think it's complicated."
"Oh."
"Yeah I don't know details though."
I nod. "How well do you know Lea?"
David shrugs. "Ehm I don't know I mean I always liked her and whatever but we've never been really close or anything." He looks at the ground as we continue walking.

"Are you complicated?" I blurt out.
He laughs a little.
"Life's complicated Alice. People just get caught up in different degrees of complicated-ness."
I giggle. "That" I say "is not a word."
He laughs with me.
"So what's your life been like then Miss America?"
Now it's my turn to shrug.
"I dunno. I'm the party girl I guess. Spent most of my days on the beach, loads of friends around me all the time, expensive taste. But never quite there."
"There?" He questions.
"There was always something missing. Maybe it was a twin thing and I subconsciously knew I was apart from my sister."
"You didn't know about her?" He seems shocked.
"No! Not until recently."

"But they sent you cards? And letters and I know you got presents and stuff. And they always said about yours and Lea's birthdays!"
I giggle feeling truly dense.
"My aunt didn't want to hurt me by telling me. So she told me Lea was the dog that they bought on my birthday to compensate for not getting to celebrate with me."
Now it's his turn to laugh. "You bought that!"
I nudge him playfully with my shoulder.
"Hey if you were in my position would you have been like I definitely have a twin sister and not a dog!"
He grins. "I'm very intelligent!"

We walk and chat until it begins to rain. I pull my hood tight around my head but David is only in a t-shirt. So I bring him back to our house which we are only about five minutes away from. We go inside and I make him a cup of tea. Irish people really like their tea. His top is soaking wet so Dad, who is sitting having a coffee offers one of his old ones. He wanders off upstairs and throws down an old Ireland jersey.
David goes into the sitting room and I follow behind him with his tea.

He pulls his top over his head and changes in front of me. This might seem like a bigger deal if I hadn't practically lived on the beach in LA. I wasn't fazed by bare torsos any more, no matter how attractive. I plop down on the sofa (or 'couch' as they call it here.) David throws his wet top to the floor, slipping Dad's over his head and sits down beside me, ruffling his hair.

I shiver and he laughs.
"How are you finding the weather?"
I grimace. "It's rotten."
He just laughs some more.
"I'm freezing."
"Have some tea!"
"I hate tea!"
"Weirdo!" He laughs pulling me to him and wrapping his arms around me to keep me warm. I nestle into him and rest my head on his shoulder.

We hear the front door open and voices at the door beside us. I know one if them is Lea. She sounds like me except for the accent. The other one is male and unfamiliar. I lift my head slightly so I can see who it is. They walk in laughing and Lea's smile fades as soon as she sees me. David's body tenses a bit and I look at him quizzically but he relaxes almost immediately.
"Hey Lea." I smile.