Remember the Alphabet

Chapter Two: The Beginning, Sort of

Where do I start?

I could start with the day Alphie and I were born. The ultimate beginning of everything in this story.

But frankly, my life isn't that interesting, and it would be incredibly boring to explain everything that's happened to me in my eighteen years. Nothing important really happened until Carter.

So I guess I'll start a little later than that.

I could start with the day I met Rooney, or when I told him. But frankly, I'm still mad at Rooney. He may be an end now, but I'm not letting him be my beginning.

I could start with the accident. But that seems really anticlimactic.

I could start with the day of first pressure. Yes, that's important, but it's not where it all began.

Or I could start with Carter.

Holy shit, I am so obsessed with Carter.

I'm sorry, but I can't help it. Carter is the only thing that matters in my life.

It seems really cliche to start with the day I met Carter. But it's the only thing that really makes sense.

So I guess I'll start there.

I just realized how many times I've said the word start in the past five minutes.

Oh well. We begin!

(Yeah. I know. I'm the world's biggest nerd.)

(Just not quite as big of a nerd as Carter.)

Speaking of Carter, I'll get back to the tickets later. But now... we begin!

***

"I'm telling you, B. Zach is the one."

I snorted and shifted my bag from my left shoulder to my right. "I doubt Zach can count to one."

"Oh, very funny..."

It was the third week of November, my sophomore year. I remember that clearly. Autumn was being whisked away by the breeze that was rapidly turning cold. the scrawny trees looked like hat racks against the flat gray sky, and Alphie, Rooney and I were all shivering under our "Oh please Mom it's not winter yet" jackets. Many houses we passed had bunches of Indian corn fixed to the front doors announcing Thanksgiving's approach, and old, rotten Halloween pumpkins sagging dejectedly on the front steps.

Rooney punched Alphie lightly on the arm. "You can do better than Zach. He's an ass." He told her cheerfully.
I ducked my head and watched my feet to hide the grin on my face from my twin.

"Like you can talk. Nobody asked your opinion, Slushie," Alphie snapped.

Rooney's face went red as his hair. I could tell he wanted to punch her. I know all Rooney's expressions. But he just muttered, "Whatever," and pushed past us, walking with quick, small steps.

I bit my lip, looking after Rooney. He was almost a half block ahead of us now. The back of his freckled neck was flushed too, and he was holding his gear bag like it contained an injured animal that might smell. I turned to Alphie. "Why did you need to bring up the Slushie?"
Alphie stuck out her bottom lip. Her defensive pose. "It's not even a big deal. It was a joke."

"It was a big deal to him," I pointed out, debating whether I should run after my best friend. He'd just shrug me off and be silent and surly the rest of the way to school though. He'd been so touchy ever since the Slushie incident. Before that, even.

"It was funny. Zach and the others didn't mean any harm, they were just messing around," Alphie persisted.

My mouth fell open. Rooney was a full block ahead now. "Just messing around? Alphie, they dumped an entire water cooler of seven-eleven Slushie on him! And took pictures! And mortified him! They totally stole the idea from Glee, but you get my point! Who are you going to be loyal to, Alphie? Your asshole of a crush? Or your twin sister and the boy you grew up with?"