Isa's Scars

last summer.

~~~~~B E T T Y~~~~~

I love summer, it's the best time of the year! Days of laughter, barbecued bananas and sunbathing. My parents always bug me and Isa about tanning but we don't care. Well get as much sun as Edinburgh will give us.

I swim almost every morning in summer. Sometimes at the pool at six or seven in the morning. I'm 9th best female swimmer under 16 in Scotland... not to brag. My birthday's in summer as well and obviously Isa's is as well. Because we're identical twins. In case you didn't know.

We always have a barbecue in our garden. It's big with lots of grass and trees, a ping-pong table to the left and a big barbecue on the patio.

The barbecue is tonight so, due to my family's completely organised, colour coded spreadsheet, Isa and I are frantically preparing kebabs and cakes...and unwrapping the snacks from Tesco's. Shh!

"This year is going to be the best!" Isa says, enthusiastically while sliding pineapple onto a kebab stick.

I can't help but smile and agree. Even though she says that every year. She looks so happy and free that anyone who sees her has to feel happy.

Our Mum comes rushing into the kitchen.

"You girls go and get ready now! I'll finish these!" She says, beginning to mix the cake batter.

"Oh girls, that's too much chocolate!" She tuts at us.

"But we were doubling the quantity," Isa protests, then pauses before saying, "of chocolate!"

We laugh and run upstairs to get ready before people start arriving. I know what I'm going to wear. Isa and I went shopping and I bought so much!

I am wearing a pair of dungarees over my pink crop top. It's warm outside, thank goodness! I decide to curl my hair because I have plenty of time.

Isa has on a denim dress and a crop top that mirrors mine apart from the colour, baby blue. She looks amazing! We like to keep our outfits similar but never the same.

Once I've curled my hair I offer to do Isa's. She agrees readily. I have always been better at hair and makeup and other unnecessary girly stuff that won't have any impact on my survival but hey whatever.

I sigh, "I wish I could just die right here. This happy."

"I don't." Isa says confidently, "I want to go with a bang."

I hear the doorbell ring loudly. Quickly coating my eyelashes in mascara I rush downstairs, closely followed by Isa.

I am not surprised to see Elle and Ali standing waving gifts. They hug us and Elle squeals,

"Wow fifteen!"

" I know," I reply, "I can't believe it either!"

"Yeah" says Isa, pretending to ponder her existence, "we are OLD!"

Ali hugs Isa and I tightly.

"My Ali-bear!" coos Isa, fondly. That's been her nickname for Ali since we were tiny.

Joking and laughing, we all make our way through the house to the garden. I sit next to Elle on a blanket which my dad placed on the freshly cut grass this morning along with some deck chairs and cushions for people to sit on. The picnic table is blanketed with a pink, plastic tablecloth and paper plates covered with fruit, crisps and cakes.