Cupboard Narnia

Cupboard Narnia, Chapter 14

Lily woke up the next morning, tired and grumpy. She didn't like sharing her room. She wasn't used to it; she hadn't done it since she was six. Lucy had been very annoying throughout the night. She had snored, rolled into over her side, almost squashing Lily, sleeptalked, and stolen the duvet.

Now, she shoveled cornflakes into her mouth and spoke brearily to her mother.

"What time is it? Did I miss the bus?" Lily had slept through her alarm clock. Or rather, her alarm clock hadn't gone off. Lucy had complained that she preferred to wake up to music, and seeing as it wasn't a radio alarm, had unset it altogether.

"Nope, you've still got a bit of time, enough for you to get a shower and walked Lucy to the bus stop." her mother replied. Lily stopped, mid-chew, and stared up at her mother.

"Walk Lucy to the bus stop?" she repeated, swallowing her cornflakes.

"Yeah," Sarah said, smiling. "Lucy won't be missing two months of school after all - Mike managed to contact Lucy's school about the fire and they set up a deal with yours. Brilliant, isn't it?"

Lily nodded slowly, groaning inwardly.

"G-glad to hear it. Lucy will be at St Bean's. Great." Lily wasn't pleased. With Lucy tucked away safely at home, bored until the holidays started, things would have been almost bearable. She'd only have had to see who she was starting to call her ex-twin after school. For once, school could've be an escape route. But no. Now, she would see Lucy every second of the day. No doubt Darcy and her clique would add her to the team and a mirror image of Lily would be picking on her.

Such fun.

                                                                               ***

Lily showered and dressed, packed her bag and put on her coat. Waiting for her at the door was Lucy, wearing shiny black shoes and Lily's spare tie, shirt and skirt.

"Your clothes don't fit me." Lucy said, annoyed.

"They don't fit me, either." Lily assured her. As twins, they were exactly the same size, but Lily had made sure to lend Lucy last year's uniform.

They walked to the bus in silence, swallowed up in awkwardness. When they arrived at school, Lily pointed to the only empty seat, right next to herself. Lucy sighed loudly and flopped down, as if it was a great strain to sit next to her twin. Scratch that, though Lucy. It's ex-twin.

There were still 20 minutes until the bell; the bus Lily took came in early. There was barely anyone else in the classroom. Lily got out her book. Then she put it away. She took out a peice of paper. Then crumpled it up. She knew Lucy was watching her and the awkwardness was starting to kill her. Lily just opened her mouth to say something - she didn't care what, anything would do - when in walked Darcy and her clique.

Darcy stopped, seeing Lucy. She stared, speechless for several seconds, then she laughed.

"Girls, look, Lily got so lonely without any friends she made herself a clone. Aww."

They other girls laughed, and stared at Lucy.

Lucy got up.

"I'm Lucy." she said. "And you are..?"

"Darcy," she said. "Seriously, are there any more of you? Lily didn't mention a clone."

"I'm not her clone. I'm her...her...I'm her -"

"Ex twin." Lily finished.

Lucy looked at her, surprised, and nodded, a small smile of understanding playing on her lips. Lily was right, they weren't twins anymore. Not really. They were just unfortunate parts of each other's lives.

"Yeah." said Lucy. "I'm Lily's ex-twin."