String of Fate

Chapter Fifty Eight

I was surprised that Poppy had agreed to switch houses for the weekend when I'd asked. I mean, after all she was missing her sixteenth birthday with her family. Then again, so was I. I just didn't want to be there for the sweet sixteen party that my dad was organising with all his rich buddies and their somehow still single sons aged between sixteen and twenty-one. Very convenient that they were all able to come to my birthday party.

I felt really bad for Poppy, though. She probably had no idea what she had agreed to. At least she had Alistair to help her. He would obviously help her deal with it. He was a great friend to the two of us. Even though Poppy and I looked extremely alike, even our parents couldn't tell us apart, Alistair could. I never knew how he did that but he was always right.

He had probably already told Poppy that he knew it was her and he would hopefully help her rather than make the driver go to her house rather than mine. Then, when I changed the song over, I checked the time, and she would probably already be at my house, and would have been for about half an hour. I was still on the bus back to her house, and probably wouldn't get there for ages.

I didn't know how Poppy could even handle this bus ride home alone on as daily basis, though. She was stronger than I thought. It was barely a nice ride when I was with her but to do it alone was awful. I had never needed to do it alone and I was extremely glad of that. I was lucky to be able to sit and listen to my music, though.

I was still half an hour away when my phone rang. I hadn't been expecting a phone call so I was a bit surprised, but I checked the caller ID and it said it was Poppy. It was weird that she was calling me already. Still, I answered it. "Hey, Poppy, are you having fun? I'm not even home yet!"

The other end of the line was quiet and I wondered if Poppy had rung me by accident. I couldn't hear anything. I checked that I had, in fact, answered it, and then put it back to my ear. Still, there was no sound. "Pop! Are you there? What's wrong?"

"We're twins." Poppy blurted out, her voice actually making me jump a little since the other end of the line had been so quiet. When I registered what she had said, it was my turn to be surprised. "Meredith. Are you okay? Are you still there?"

I was surprised, but I was alright I think. I'd always thought that there was a chance that we could have been related – we looked exactly alike and she'd been adopted by a same sex couple as a baby. I knew that before my dad's business took off, they were really poor, but I didn't think that they would give up a child. I almost forgot that Poppy wanted an answer. "Yes. I'm just a little surprised. I mean, I knew that there was a chance, we look so similar, but I didn't think that they would tell me just before my birthday, well, just before our birthday. I'll tell your dad's that we've been invited to my ball and that I'm actually Meredith. They won't mind because they're really nice. Has anyone figured out yet?"

"Alistair knew that I was Poppy when he first saw me. He didn't tell anyone, though. Do you think they'd mind if you guys just turn up tomorrow?" She asked. Of course, Alistair would have seen. I couldn't help but think that I wanted the string to appear between the two of them since they got on so well as well. I realised that I couldn't just turn up tomorrow with Poppy's family, so I started making a plan in my head.

"You'll have to suggest it at dinner. Say you think it would be nice to invite us because we're technically one big family so should celebrate our birthday together for the first time." I told her, making up the plan as I went along. This would have to work. I didn't even know why her and her brother hadn't been invited in the first place. "It could help if you could try and guilt the two of them into letting us come, because they have kept this a secret for almost sixteen years, so, it's the least they could do."

"Okay. I'll do that then. I'll see you tomorrow." Poppy replied. "I'll let you know how it goes."

"Bye, Pop." I answered, hanging up and looking out the window. If I remembered correctly, I would be getting off the bus at the next stop. That was good timing because I didn't want to miss the stop and have to find my way from the next stop to Poppy's.