Not What She Seems

Approaching Nine Days in Paradise!

  "Is she okay? Was it just a random incident?" the mother asked. The little girl placed her ear closer against the wall.
  "At first, it seemed completely random, but it wasn't. I'm sorry to say this, but she's sick. She has Etonus, but this isn't like anything we've seen before. The one's we've seen before were....more mild, but her's is serious." the doctor informed her. The little girl's face paled. She didn't know exactly what that was, but she knew it was bad. Very bad. The little girl and her mother later went home, and her mother pretended like everything was great and fine. The little girl stayed awake for most of the night, scared of what'll happen to her. Then, the little girl realized something. Something that made her smile and fall asleep almost immediately. It also made her feel safe and comfortable, too.
Daddy won't let this happen. Daddy won't let me go, not even for a second.
He will not let me go. I won't go.

******

A
  "So, um, father, we kinda have something we want to tell you." Olivia states. Father turns around and looks at us, all ears.
  "What can I help you with?" he asks.
  "Well, father, so we're friends with this girl. She's really nice and such, but the thing is well, we both find it interesting that she looks almost exactly like me. Like my twin, except with a few different things." Olivia explains.
  "Oh really?" he asks again.
  "Yeah." Olivia answers.
  "Have you ever been to her house? Seen her parents?" Father questions.
  "Well, she told us that her father is always busy and it's practically impossible for her mother to find a way to see her." I answer.
  "She looks sort of like you, and the features she doesn't have in common with you, she probably got from her mother. So, our question is, did you know her mother or something? Is she possibly our cousin?" Olivia questions.
  "Describe her." Father declares.
  "Dark, dark, DARK red hair, hazel eyes, mixed sort of, about my height, always happy." Olivia describes.
  "Yes, I did. It's a long story." Father admits. We stood there in shock.
  "Although, she was very young and won't agree to the idea that you're related to her or I knew her instantly." Father informs us.
  "What do we do, then?" I question to break the silence.
  "No. We can't be completely sure. What's her name?" Father ponders.
  "Yavara." I reply.
  "Oh, I'm sure it's her now. Well, she may not know about her relationship with you guys, but she would know something. Something obvious." Father thinks aloud.
  "And what'd that be?" Olivia asks.
  "Nothing you really need to worry about. Just get her alone and find a way to use this name in a sentence: Serravena. I wouldn't really say that both of you should approach her at the same time, but you do you." Father instructs, turning back to his work.
"And what does that mean?" Olivia asks.
"Nothing much. It just lets her know that you know. I can see you about to ask "Know what?" and the answer is none of your business. Stay in a child's place. Don't get yourself caught up in stuff that'll make your head spin." Father warns us.
****The next day.....
  "Now we get to relax and enjoy ourselves." I say, happy.
  "Don't get too happy, Armon, we haven't even got on the plane yet." Olivia states.
  "Why are you always such a bummer. Hey.....isn't that Yavara?" I question, squinting. Olivia gasps.
  "That is! And her family! Should we go say hi to them?" Olivia asks. Then, I take another look. Wait a minute....isn't that Avarra Cyvaira, the amazing scientist? She's so famous it's ridiculous! That's what she meant by her mother could never manage to come see her! She's crazy famous, so it must even be impossible for her to leave her house for a split second without paparazzi, how much more come all the way down to Apermae Academy to come see her.
  "No, let's just let them be." I answer. Wow. No wonder! I knew that last name sounded familiar!
"Armon, Olivia, we got to go." Mother tells us. We quickly hurry over to her.
****Yavara
"Mommmm." I start. She glances at me, then returns back to her phone.
"I'm hungry." I whine. Mom opens her bag and picks out something.
"Here have some Tylenol." Mother says, throwing me a container of Tylenol.
"But Tylenol isn't food." I state.
"Is it not supposed to be eaten?" Mother asks.
"Well, you can—" Mother cuts me off.
"Then it's food." Mother states, going back to looking at stuff on her phone. Later, we finally get to board the plane. As we're boarding, I turn around and realize mother, Alton, and father aren't following me.
"They want us on a private plane. We'll meet you there. Don't be stupid." Mother warns, walking towards a flight attendant and following her to, I suppose, their plane. Aww. I've never been on a plane without mother and father. Mavaro must be coming with them too.
"Where's mother?" Ravamara asks.
"Her, father, Alton, and Mavaro are boarding a separate plane." I respond.
"Oh." she comments. I put up my luggage and sit down in my seat by the window.
"Dang it, you got window seat. Well I'll get middle seat then." Salene says, taking a seat.
"I get aisle seat then." Sofiayh adds. She follows Salene in taking a seat in my row.
"I guess I'll sit with Markus then." Relvin states, taking a seat next to Markus.
"Aww poor Relvin. He was so ready to sit next to his girlfriend only to no get to. I ship it. So sad. Almost makes me wanna give up my seat." Salene comments in a baby voice.
"Great. She's hooked on this too." I say.
"Well, I'm just gonna start preparing myself for 10 hours of ships, ships, and more ships." Relvin says, getting comfy. I go into a comic app and start reading one of my favorite comics, which takes place in Korea.
"What're you doing, huh Aulelei? Are you looking at pictures of you and your boyfriend together and recalling how much fun you guys had before Verlynn came and ruined everything?" Salene questions. I giggle.
"Hey!" Verlynn says, offended.
"No, hehehe." I answer.
"I knew it. You're making a shrine!" Salene accuses.
"No. Absolutely not." I reply. She leans over my shoulder to see me scrolling through my comic.
"Ohh, she's looking at her other boyfriend. How could I of been so stupid?" Salene realizes.
"Yavara, your boyfriend won't be here two hours from now." Relvin states.
"Don't kill my boyfriend." I warn.
"I have a fist." Relvin threatens.
"My boyfriend'll never die. He's immortal." I reply.
"So what's your boyfriend's name?" Verlynn turns around and asks, clearly entertained.
"His name? Oh he has the best name." I comment.
"What is it?" Verlynn asks again.
"The God of High School." I answer.
"Wow, he sounds handsome, can I see him?" Verlynn questions.
"Oh sure." I reply, handing her my phone.
"Oh, he's super cute. Yavara, I may have to steal your boyfriend." Verlynn states.
"No. You can't. Salene and I are sharing him already."
"Aww, do you have any other super cute boyfriends?" Verlynn questions again.
"Oh yeah. There's Tower of God, Sweet Home, Lookism, The Gamer...." I list.
"Oh, can I see Tower of God?" Verlynn ponders.
"Absolutely." I say.
"Oh he's super cute." Verlynn comments.
"I know right?" I add.
"Well, I'll have you know my middle name is The Tower of God!" Relvin says.
"Ugh. What a knockoff." I comment with disgust.
"I know right. It's Tower of God. Not THE Tower of God, get your webtoons straight buddy." Verlynn states.
"For shame." Salene adds.
"You all are horrible. I hope you have a horrible time on this trip." Relvin remarks.
"Don't mind him, he's just mad because nobody likes him." Elizah comments.
"I can't believe we're the only ones flying first class, though." Salene comments.
"Me too. I can't wait until we get to Asomia so we can finally relax." I add.
"And get really bad tans." Sofiyah adds.
"Nah, just you. Hope you packed sunscreen!" Salene replies.
"I didn't, actually, because it's just gonna go away once I hop in the pool." Sofiyah answers.
"I'm gonna continue talking to my boyfriend The God of High School because he's the best." I say, getting phone back and returning to reading my webtoon. Later, I turn off my phone and rest, plunging myself straight into darkness.
"Your daughter....has Etonus. This is more mild than I've ever seen before." a doctor says. Then, I find myself in two little girls' bedrooms. I lay on one of the girls' bed and watch as a little girl plops herself on the bed I'm on. She faces the opposite direction of me and I wait a while before moving. I stroke her silky red hair. This hair....it's different from mine, which is dark and silky, as hers is a vibrant red. As I stroke her pretty hair, I see a beautiful drawing of flower—a lotus flower—on the side of her neck. I trace my fingers over it. It's like, engraved in her skin. I'm jealous. The little girl turns around and locks eyes with me. She has pretty hazel eyes and caramel-like skin—much like mine.
"Oh, it's just you." she says softly.
"Mother told me to spend the night with you." I say. I didn't say anything, though....huh, that's weird. Am I...a boy? I sound like a boy.
"I'm fine." the little girl responds.
"Okay, but that doesn't mean I'm not gonna move." I say again.
"Fine." the little girl agrees. She turns back to the direction she was facing before and I hear her say something quietly—almost inaudible.
"Daddy won't let me go. Not even for a second...." the little girl mutters.
Then, I hear a disgusting noise in my ear. I wake up.
"What do you want?" I snap.
"I got you dinner." Salene responds.
"Do you have to breathe heavily in my ear?" I ask.
"I wasn't breathing heavily, I was chewing and whispering annoyingly in your ear." Salene corrects.
  "I don't care what you were doing, just never do it again. Like, never. That was creepy." I say, ripping open the plastic wrap around my fork and cleaning it off with my hands.
  "What's the time?" Salene asks.
  "I don't know." I respond.
  "Whats the time?" Salene asks again, leaning on Sofiyah's shoulder.
  "12:30" Sofiyah's responds. Only two and a half hours? Also, isn't it a little late to be serving dinner? Everyone's quiet for a while because we're all busy eating, but then I look up and notice Savara trying to rip something.
  "Savara, be careful—" I stop dead in my tracks. The thing she was tearing finally ripped and she elbowed her cup of coke. The cup starts to tip over, and an attendant whips her head around to see the cup about to fall. The cup starts to rock on the edge of the tray and slowly and carefully rocks its way back on the tray. I see the attendant visibly sigh of relief, and I do too—what a mess that would've made. Savara whips her head around and mouths "Thanks" to Sofiyah. Hmm....Savara knew? She must've been snooping around and found out. I finish eating my food and eventually fall into a deep sleep.....
****Avarra
  "Are you on the plane?"