Mismatched

Chapter One

"I want your synopsis of chapters ten through fifteen on my desk, Monday." My English teacher, Mrs. Odare, instructs the class just as the final bell rings, dismissing us for the day. The white noise of the class moving to shove their papers and books into their bags echoed against the bare pale blue walls of our English classroom. I am no exception to the masses, as I push everything into my green messenger bag without looking, and stood to leave through the rear classroom door.

It's Friday. Our weekend has officially started and I wasn't going to worry about a little thing like crumpled papers get in the way of some quality time with my pool. We didn't have many days left to enjoy our warmer temperatures before the autumn chill showed its frosty face again. I, for one, was going to enjoy it while I could.

I follow the herd of students through the corridors and downstairs to my locker. I spin the stiff dial of my lock, putting in my combination, when I see someone stop next to me.

"In a hurry?" I hear my twin sister, Bryony, say by my ear.

"You know how I love my pool time, Bry." I reply.

"You'd think with all the time you've spent next to that pool you would have formed some sort of tan." She teases me. My locker opens and I put in all of my class books I won't need before looking at myself through the small locker mirror on the door. Pale skin and heart shaped face framed by dark brown hair. Too large, blue-grey eyes, and pale pink full lips.

"If I got a tan I couldn't call us twins anymore." I tell her, now looking back at her through the mirror. Her features, identical to my own. The only difference being the length of our hair. I chopped mine off to end at my shoulders while she kept hers long, now falling to her mid back. She usually straightens it or puts it up into a ponytail while I leave mine loose and wavy.

"We can't have that, now can we?" She smiles. I finish exchanging my books and shut my metal locker door with a loud clang.

"Where's Ivy?" I inquire about our little sister.

"Probably out by the car, waiting." She suggests with a small shrug. We weave our way through the lingering students loitering in the hallway and work our way out toward the student parking lot. I scan the outside for Ivy as we walk down the steps toward the sidewalk. There I spot her familiar blonde head bobbing as she talked with the school's football team.

I scoffed as I saw her twirl a lock of her bottle blonde locks around her finger as she attempted to flirt with five large varsity linebackers. 

Ivy was two years younger than Bryony and I, making her a freshman this year, but you'd think she was lobbying for senior homecoming queen with the way she chatted up all the guys at our school.

She was bouncing off the walls all summer, waiting to finally start high school. I told Bryony about how I found a copy of High School Musical in her room a few months back. She probably thought that was how high school really was supposed to go. Well, if this is High School Musical, then Ivy is doing her best to become Sharpay.

Bry and I finally reach our baby sister just as she tinkles out a dainty giggle at something the guys said.

"Are you finished, Ivy?" I called out, grabbing her attention. She stiffens but then recovers and giggles again nervously before turning her head to me. She attempts to give me a wide eyed glare and a silent 'back off' message but I'm not interested in playing this game. I've got a pool waiting.

I smirk at her before looking at her harem of footballers.

"I didn't realize the varsity team was into freshmen. Is that a new thing this year?" I ask them. Their eyes go wide.