The Other Argent

Not Such A Happy Birthday

I get up the next morning and dress for school. In a dark green long sleeved shirt and denim jacket with maroon jeans and black converse.  I pack up my bag, and finish my small single braid that sits in my curls. I look at my phone, and notice Allison is still in the bathroom. 

"Allison hurry up!" I call from my bedroom heading towards the stairs. I get stopped on the stairs. "Hey Emily, can I talk to you." I smile at her my throat tightens, all the information I know about her banging around in my head like wrecking balls.

I nod and back up to the top of the stairs and she climbs up the two steps and stands in front of me. "What's up, Kate?" I inquire.

 "I'm glad I caught you it seems like we keep missing each other here, but I wanted to apologize again for my lack of not spending anytime with you, and the way I grabbed you with my bag, you think with me being around you so much when you were younger I would be used to you always trying to grab my things, you always had an eye for my stuff."

I smile. "Yeah, I was always the curious one." 

She smiles back, "Still are, I hope." If only you knew lady.

"I believe so."

"Good, so in order to make sure my beautiful niece does not hate me, I want to give you your birthday present early." 

 She hands me a small black box. I open it to find a silver wolf sitting on a silver background with an arrow next to it and the Argent crest in the corner of it. 

"It's beautiful. I love it." I give her a fake smile. It really is, I just don't know if I can wear it.

 She takes it out of the box and puts it around my neck. "Notice the crest on the pendent?"

I pick it up and study it. "Yeah." 

"Restez curieux, ma nièce." She says to me in perfect French. Stay curious my niece.  

 "I will." I respond. She smiles and walks past me up the stairs.

  Allison comes down the stairs shortly after I do. We share a look before heading to school. We don't speak of our birthdays because we hate them. 

= 

I walk into school and Allison and I open our lockers simultaneously and balloons shoot out of our lockers. "Shit." I mumble while trying to shove them in my locker.

Allison tries to shoves hers in as well but it is no use. I pull out a card that says happy birthday from Lydia.

She holds up a matching one that was placed in her locker. Allison and I share a look of annoyance how did she find out?

 "Is today your guy's birthday?" Scott asks while coming up from behind.

 "No ,no ,no. I mean yes." I say while fumbling horribly with the balloons. 

Allison gives up and turns to look at Scott. "Please don't tell anybody. I don't even know how Lydia found out." Allison adds.

 "Why wouldn't you tell me?" Scott inquires look between the both of us.

 "Because we don't want people to know. Because... We are 17." 

"You're both 17?" Scott asks incredulously. 

"Yes that's how the whole twin thing works." I reply sarcastically. 

"That's the reaction we're trying to avoid." Allison replies. 

"Why?" I let out a sigh.

 "Because anyone who finds out thinks we had babies or had to ride the short bus." I reply annoyed thinking back to those memories.