I'm going to the family room. Only my sister and I actually spend any time in the family room. It makes more sense that we're the only ones that use it because we're the only ones that treat each other like family. It's always been like this, sixteen years of covering our ears to block out the yelling and fighting between the king and queen.
Before I get to the family room, I take a detour into my sister's room, just proportional to mine. She's still putting on her dress and fixing her hair with her nurse.
"Are you going to let me walk to the room by myself Lynn?" I ask in my most frightened-childlike voice. She has always seen me as the younger sister, although we're identical twins. And I was born first. So my big baby eyes were a perk for getting my way with my sister.
"I'm coming.... Give me a second... Jeez!" She growls under her breath as she twists her hair up in a perfectly messy bun.
Her hair is always perfect. (Although looks just like mine, just... better) She turns toward me, wearing a identical sundress to mine, just hers is a sea green that made her look really pretty, more than usual. "You look good!" She says typically as she takes my hand and starts down the stairs and through the hall to the family room. She always says stuff like that to keep me from noticing how much better she looked than I did.
I sit in my usual armchair that was supposed to be father's, but since he doesn't come into the room to use it, who cares? There was a tray of scones, crisps, disgusting English breakfast tea, and hot chocolate. Both me and Lynn hated that breakfast tea and my nurse knew that too, so she already had marshmallows placed in our oversized mugs.
"Margaret is the best," Lynn mused out loud a she poured out hot chocolate in our cups. "She knows us so well."
"Rebecca is getting to know you," I tried my best to sound convincing. Rebecca is Lynn's new nurse. Her old nurse, Marie, got fired because father thought she was trying to steal from Lynn. She actually knew Lynn pretty well and for her old age, understood her just as well. "she's trying at least..." I managed to get out before my sister scoffed loudly.
"Trying isn't good enough for me." She sneered nastily at Rebecca who, luckily, wasn't in the room but Lynn pretended she was. It was just as unnerving. She was stretched out in the love seat, picking at a scone lazily. Even when she's bored out of her mind, she manages to maintain her grace. I want to learn that... I thought miserably to myself.
"Oh, yeah-" she started but I cut her off. I know where this was going before she had said anything.
"We are noootttt talking about my lacking of a boyfriend right now."
"Ohh why noootttt?" She whined. "That's not really what I was going to say but whatever"
"Fine then," I sigh audibly "What us it?"
She grinned slyly, "Fathers throwing a masque to make up for missing our birthday.... Tonight"
I almost spit out my hot chocolate on my sundress.
"Tonight!?"
"Tonight."
"How did you know?" I ask
"How did you not know?" She replies cooly.
I had to admit, I deserved that.
"Point taken." I take a second to collect myself. "What are we going to-" I stop myself before I finish my question because I already know the answer. And although Lynn knows that I know, she's going to tell me anyway...
"My dear Ash," she begins and I slump uneasily in my armchair. Whenever she says 'My dear' anything, that means a overly dramatic speech. A trait from Marie, I gather.
Blast that kind woman.
"You spend all of your time in your room writing, when you can be taking to real guys, and not those... online virtual boys."
She knows how sensitive I am to her calling my friends virtual. "They are real people, stop talking to me like they aren't!" I snap bitterly, sitting up sharply.
"Hey, Hey, don't get me wrong, I like your online friends," she lifts her hands, palms up in surrender. "I just don't want my Lil' sis to be a shut in all her life."
I have much more common sense than to say "Thanks" (as much as it was on the tip of my tongue) but I can't help but agree with her, although I know very well that I'm not going to be a shut in. I'm a princess. "Fine, but if you set up a blind date for me, I will kill you. Birthday party tonight or not." I say finally, not a hint of joking in my voice.
"Deal, deal." She says sincerely disappointed.
I make myself comfortable in the oversized armchair and tears as ungracefully as possible at another scone. A masque...
