A Birdie's Tale

Chapter One

Have you ever had one of those days when you ask yourself, 'What stroke of insanity drove me to get out of bed?' Well, I was about to have one of those days.

"Wait!" calls Raven as I was about to run out the door.

"I gotta go!" I call back. I turn to leave and there she is, standing in the doorway with her arms crossed over her chest. How does she do that?

"How do you plan on buying lunch without your wallet?"

I check my back pockets; they're both empty. I look back at her; she has one hand on her waist and the other holding my wallet out to me. Seriously, how does she do that?

"Oh." I say, smiling sheepishly. "Thanks, Rae."

"You're welcome. Now get going."

I grab my wallet; rush out the door and down the street.

Raven is my older sister, whom I am fortunate enough to live with. Her job at the police department pays well enough that she can afford to house her baby sister; and the hours aren't too bad either. Home by six and most weekends off.

No, our parents aren't dead. They live in Charleston, South Carolina. I don't live with them because they have some issues. Issues that Raven thinks a sixteen-year-old shouldn't have to deal with and I couldn't agree more. It was just too much drama.

But anyway, Rae and I live in Sylvester, Georgia.

I'm a junior in high school. Yet, for some reason, Rae and I look extremely similar. To everyone not us, we appear to be twins. But there are some differences in our appearances. Raven's features are slightly darker than mine. We're both a light chocolate brown, but her skin is a shade darker. Her eyes have a frosty quality to them; perfect for staring down at you. Her hair, as well as mine, is black and just above her waist, but in direct light my looks to be a deep dark brown, where as hers still appears to be as black as the night sky. To make things even weirder, we have the exact same birthday! How do we look identical and have the same birthday, if there is a six year difference in our age? No one has a clue.

I got to the Starbucks two blocks from school; there's a twenty minute line, plus a ten minute wait to get my Latte. They really need more people working the morning shift. I finally get my frothy cup of caffeine and turn to leave. As I do, I bump in to someone and my coffee spills down the front of his shirt. The man bites back a curse.

"Ohmygod, I am so sorry." I shoot a look at the man's face; "It was an..."

I couldn't finish. Oh... My... God... He has the most beautiful blue eyes I have ever seen. We stare at each other for a moment. Or ten. He blinks quickly, as if I had pulled him from a deep thought.

"It's alright. It was an accident." he says.

He's just a few inches taller than me. He couldn't be much older than Raven. His skin is tanned a little; he must get a lot of sun. His sandy blond hair hung just above his eyes. Such a striking pair of blue eyes...that are staring down at me with a look of confusion. That's when I realized that I was staring at him; mouth most likely open and everything. How embarrassing.

I shake my head, "I'm sorry, what?"

"I said 'My name is Aaron Watson. What's yours?'" He says with a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Oh." I can feel a blush rising in my face. "Sorry. My Commings Robyn name is." Idiot! "I mean, my name is Robyn Commings." God, my face has to be as red as a cherry by now. I hate it when I blush; though it happens more when I'm nervous then when I'm embarrassed.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Robyn." he chuckles.

Yep, it's official. You can now fry an egg on my face.

Looking down so he can't see me blushing, I say "I really am sorry."

I hurry pass him. I feel those amazing eyes on my back as I stumble out the door.

Perfect, just great, in less than five minutes I have lost every drop, piece, and scrap of cool and dignity I have ever possessed. Not to mention my Latte; and I haven't even gotten to school yet. You can just tell that it's going to be a great day.