Different Yet The Same

Chapter One

-Ember-

I wake up, my eyelids flickering against the light streaming into my bedroom, the suns rays slightly obstructed by my half closed window and bouncing off countless mirrors, all different shapes and sizes plastered on my rooms sky blue walls, and warming the old news articles stuck with pushpins over every available inch of the faded paint.

I pull myself out from underneath my old knitted quilt and trudge over to the window; I place my pale and slender fingers on the warmed wood, it's teal paint flaking off on my fingertips. I pull the window all the way up and poke my head out into the cooling autumn air. I look at the lone tree sitting in front of our house, that my family shares with the other tenant Mrs. Herringdale. It's long branches supporting leaves of pumpkin orange and blood red, as the glistening gold ones fall simultaneously to the ground. The leaves dancing in the breeze, to music only they can hear.

As I head towards my bedroom door, wanting to go downstairs for breakfast. I get a glimpse of my bedraggled self in the mirror, my valentines day shorts decorated with red hearts against the fraying white fabric, accompanied by a matching red tank top. My naturally curled raven hair, tangled and strewn across my head. I try to smooth it down, which doesn't help and I give up on my fruitless attempt, with a sigh I pull open my door, slip on my white slippers and head downstairs.

I half walk, half jump down the stairs, and almost barrel over my twin sister Spark.

"Ember! What's the rush?" She asks, she's holding a plate stacked with five chocolate chip pancakes, completely covered in syrup and sugar, and I can see bits of sugar in the corners of her lips. I make no attempt to hide my smile, and she scowls at me in return. Spark is my twin in every way, looks and personality, we're cut from the same cloth as my mom says. Same tall, pale body, same crazy, untameable, raven coloured hair, and the same emerald green eyes. For our whole lives being the same has done more good than bad.

Heeding the call of my stomach, I walk down the hallway in two long strides and enter into the sun yellow kitchen, it's white cabinets and freshly polished surfaces reflecting the light that comes in from the patio door, the sweet smell of warm chocolate hanging in the air.

My mom stands over by the stove expertly flipping pancakes. I reach into the cupboard beside the fridge and grab a plate, piling it with seven warm, chocolate chip pancakes. I sit down at the table, it's wood, painted white to match the rest of the kitchen, and cover my pancakes in sugar and syrup, and finally I dig into the sweetest thing to ever be created.

After I finished all my pancakes my stomach is full, and I go upstairs to get ready. I open my closet, and see all my clothes shoved in, forming a huge clump of crumpled fabric, I grab the first thing I see, which is a red v-neck shirt and a pair of black ripped skinny jeans. I throw on my favourite black combat boots and brush my hair, taming it miraculously, and apply bold eyeliner and some bright red lipstick. I head over to Spark's room. When I step into her room I'm greeted with the familiar sight, identical to my room, Spark has mirrors and articles plastered all over her walls. She's standing at one of her many mirrors and turns around...we sigh in unison, we're wearing the same thing...again.

"No fair I had it on first!" I yell in mock anger, stomping my feet and throwing my hands above my head.

"But I look better in it." She's says, snapping her fingers. We instantly start laughing, and collapse onto her bed in a fit of giggles. She sighs and looks at me.

"Come on Em, let's go see your lover boy." She laughs, and I punch her in the arm. Our neighbour Caleb has been our best friend since we were in diapers. We've always been the three musketeers and hang out as much as possible. We yell a goodbye to our mom and climb out of Spark's window, landing with cat like agility on the front lawn. I'm always excited to see Caleb but also reluctant, he's developed a crush on me in the past few years, and since I don't return his feelings that puts us in an awkward position. With a sigh, I follow Spark to Caleb's backyard, we carefully dodge rocks and roots and jump the fence with ease, showing that we do it frequently.

"Caleb! Get out here you lazy lump!" Spark yells, cupping her hands around her mouth so her voice projects. All we get is a mumble in response, and a few minutes later, Caleb is out the door, wearing his famous pale blue jeans and white T-shirt, we smile at him and are rewarded with a big goofy grin.

"Well then look what we have here," he says, and laughs. "Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb."

Spark and I both support a look of mock disgust and then start acting like the two characters from the famous novel Alice in Wonderland. Caleb starts laughing and soon we're all laughing, the kind of laugh that makes your stomach cramp and your cheeks hurt. The kind of laugh that's pure, I never thought that'd be one of the last times I ever laughed like that.