Since Birth

Chapter Fifty

I couldn't have brought in the New Years any other shameless way.
My father was unhappy with what he had seen but instead of falling victim to his anger, I had stayed in my bedroom with Trevor and the door now locked. That had given me such a boost of confidence and fierceness. Adrenaline had raced through my veins and we stayed together night just holding one another until and after midnight. It was glorious for me. I felt brand new and unstoppable.
Yet, the next morning once Trevor had left, my father ripped me a new one. He just couldn't believe that I had closed the door instead of immediately coming to talk to him. He was disappointed of course and upset that I would even bother to do that under his roof. For an hour he had lectured me and pinned me with statistics and birth rates. Told me how bright of a future I had and how I couldn't jeopardize it on some boy. He was furious and not as harsh as he'd ever been with Aimee. I felt awful about myself and not long after he began to bring me back up and told me how much he loved me and cared about me. He just brought me down and brought me back up with thirty minutes of complements and reassurance. He said that I was grounded of course and said I should keep my distance from "that boy" for a while. He gave me no chance to explain myself nor would I think he'd understand.
So, I had stayed home for the duration of the break and honestly couldn't wait to see someone other than my sister and dad at school.
Me and Aimee were stilling giving each other the silent treatment and so I drove to school by myself that morning. My mind felt cleared and ready that morning so I was prepared to put on my best face and smile at everyone who passed me. I felt like that night I had really come to know myself and I wanted that feeling to carry on with me.
"Guess I made it on your fathers list of boys he doesn't want seeing his daughter." Trevor came up behind me putting his arm around my waist. "How'd he take it?"
I rolled my eyes and stopped walking to face him with a shrug. In the best imitation I could, I began to impersonate my fathers lecture. "You are too young to muck up your life Emelie Meyer!!" I threw my fist in the air shaking them angrily as my father had. Trevor laughed and nudged me in the shoulder.
"How long are you grounded for?" His lazy eyes fell down my face as he bit his lip gently.
"Until I'm eighteen." I bit my lip now too looking up to him shyly.
"No birthday invite for me then I'm sure." He chuckled closing in the space between us. "Which is soon right?" Ah yes, me and Aimee's eighteenth birthday was soon, February 14th 2019. It wasn't exactly soon but it was closer than I remembered.
I nodded giving a little eye roll. "Yes that special day is approaching." He grabbed my waist and kissed me sweetly looking into my eyes.
"I'm glad I can finally see you without parental guidance." He laughed shaking his head. "Your dad has a talk with my mom too." He widened his eyes and raised his eyebrows at me. "She gave me a stern talk about having sex with the mayors daughter in his home. She didn't say I couldn't do it at our house-" He blushed as did I and he immediately retracted by saying, "Not that we are." He scratched his head and sighed. "Sorry, are we ever going to talk about that?" He looked back up to me slowly and I nodded quickly.
"Couldn't you feel it?" I asked and he cut his eyes at me, trying to read me and remember that night.
"What did you feel?" He asked and the bell rang making me giggle. "Oh come on I got goosebumps now!" He laughed nudging me and I walked off smiling ear to ear to my first class.

It seemed like a normal day, like any normal school day. I mean, people were tired from the long vacation but functioning. One thing I found off was that Riley was not in any classes today. Not that we talked anymore, but it was something I noticed and kept noticing the further I went on with my day. I didn't let it bother me.
Lunch time rolled around and I actually went to the cafeteria to eat for once and was baffled at how many unfamiliar faces I had seen.
"Hey, Em!" I was called over by Trevor who was sitting next to his group of friends. He stood up to greet me with a messy kiss on the cheek which had gotten low laughs from the guys. I snorted and sat down beside him realizing how messy teenage boys were. And how hungry. The table was filled with food. Far too much food but the guys were just digging in. It was almost territorial like, if someone touched another guys plate he'd just sorta growl back like an animal. It was interesting no doubt.
"Aimee talked to me today." Trevor said frowning and taking a bite out of his burger. "Still not talking to her?"
I had an apple on my tray so instead of responding, I picked it up and took two big bites out of it so that my mouth was full. He looked over to me and snorted shaking his head.
"So when did you get with the twin sister?" One of his friends snickered and I looked right up at him as he shot me a wink. I didn't recognize him so i frowned a little as Trevor rolled his eyes beside me.
"Now you know that's none of your business." Trevor said warningly and his friends laughed like it was some inside joke I had no idea about.
"Well, I'm going to head to the library." I said getting up and immediately getting all eyes on me as I did.
"Hey, babe no." Trevor reached out to me and I sort of snorted shaking my head.
"Babe?" I laughed and rolled my eyes. He's never called me that. He looked back to his friends and I left the cafeteria shaking my head at him. I headed to the library with my half eaten apple and untouched food in hand.
I had turned past the front office to get to the library and that's when I saw her. She had this bite look on her face and she sort of sneered at me as she walked past.
"Watch yourself Meyer." She said under her breath as she passed me and I turned around to look at Riley frowning.
"Are we ever going to get past this?" It just came out of my mouth and she spun around as if I had the audacity to speak to her.
"Oh you're lucky I don't hate you." She spat at me shaking her head. "Just know it's her I'm after." She straighter herself and pushed the hair from her face sort of remorseful. "I just hope you don't get hurt in the crossfire Em."
"What?" I walked towards her now frowning and trying to understand what she meant and she throw her hands up to stop me.
"I'm past being talked down to." She shook her head avoiding my gaze. "Everything is set in stone now." She nodded to herself looking almost crazy like to the wall. "Everything." She muttered and then she turned to run away before I could even stop her. Was she the one that was after Aimee? Did she leave that menacing note?
I turned back towards he library confused and really unsure what to do. I wanted Aimee to pay, but I don't think I wanted it how Riley was going to dish it. She had been personally affected by these escapades just as I had but I had never realized truly how angry she was. Our friendship broke off after that fight and we lost contact with each other. Should I have believed her before? When she told me that Aimee wasn't kidnapped?
I was having doubts and my head was spinning from over thinking that encounter. I just felt like I had to warn my sister about this.
"Em! Emelie!" Trevor had actually come after me. I pushed my hair from my face and walked forwards just as he spotted me. "I'm sorry I don't really know what I did wrong."
"Nothing." I frowned and looked up to him as he had his arm extended to me. I walked forward and he brought it around my backside. "I'm just in my own head." I nodded and we were soon whistled at pulling us apart.
"No loitering in the halls." I know I shouldn't have done it but I had spun around to see Mr. Holland and my lunch hit the floor.
"Shit." I shook my head getting down to clean it up quickly and Mr.Holland came to help me with a laugh.
"Sorry Emelie, I didn't mean to startle you." He touched my arm and I think I began to go into a panic about this. My hands were shaking liked crazy as I tried to pick up the fallen food. I felt Trevor behind me like huffing as if he was pissed off and when he said, "I can help her teach, you've done enough already." I knew it was only going downhill from there.
"Oh it's no problem at all, I'm just getting ready for my lunch myself." I looked up meeting his eyes and he smiled gently at me saying, "Yours looks good."
"I said I got it handled." Trevor stepped between us and Mr.Holland looked up to him and in that moment I think he knew that I had told him. Trevor was glaring at him as he stood up straight. I looked up to both of them and they had this standoff sort of where Trevor almost got in his face but kept his cool. He had this menacing behavior about him and it made my blood run cold how long he had stared him down before either of them said anything.
I had all the food in the tray and I stood up beside both of them sighing.
"Thanks Mr.Holland." I said shaking my head and he looked to me and nodded.
"Of course, again, I didn't mean to startle you two." He smiled at me and then walked off with nothing further.
I looked up to Trevor and he scoffed shaking his head. "Are you kidding me? That's professional behavior?" He was even more pissed off once Mr.Holland walked away. He was in disbelief about the whole thing all over again. "The nerve of that prick." He threw his hands up in the hair and brought them down on his face groaning. "He touched you em!"
"Trevor," I walked over to him and he shrugged me off shaking his head.
"Im pissed off about this and I just need to walk it off." He looked to me still fuming but trying to stop himself by biting his lip. "If you called everything off, that's harassment and he's such an arrogant prick!" He balled up his fist tightly and I dropped my shoulders realizing there was nothing more I could do to fix this.
"See you later Trev." I said shaking my head at myself. Like this day could get any better. I slumped to the nearest trash can and dumped my uneaten lunch before heading to my next class. I was hoping he'd just let it go.
Come gym class, my day just got better and better. Somehow I always regret wanting to have a good day.
Aimee had come up beside me the beginning of class and we ran together around the track with just small talk. But I decided that I had to bring up the encounter I had with Riley.
"I think Riley is the one that left the gift for you." I said with a sigh and she had stopped running to look at me.
"Are you kidding me? I've never done nothing wrong to that girl!" She looked over my face baffled. "We've been friends forever and now what? She gets jealous?" She scoffed and I rolled my eyes shaking my head at her.
"You shot her brother." I reminded her baffled at the fact that she though she had done nothing wrong. "You had him criminally investigated for your disappearance and prosecuted for statutory rape among other things!" I did lower my voice but I couldn't help the outrage over this.
"And you're saying I'm not a victim of abuse and stalking? Everything that was done was because I was terrified em! Everything I do is to protect you!" She was raising her voice now and everyone was watching us as we had finally began to hash things out.
"I don't need your protection Aimee, I'm just as wise and old as you!" I tried to keep my voice low but I just had this all building for quite some time now.
"But you're naive, easily broken down and hurt. You're fragile and oblivious to the dangers around you! Mom believe it or not, she's dangerous! Riley was never a good friend to you! Trevor is- he has his weak moments but he's the only person besides myself that would do anything for you Emelie! Why can't you be the same?"
"Because I've had your back since you were born! You've done nothing but try and destroy me and tear me down!" I began to tear up now realizing that she had no clue what she was doing. She thought and will always think that what she did and how she did it was right.
"You think that's what I've done?" She walked towards me looking into my eyes hurt. "Just stay out of it okay? I can handle it myself." She rolled her eyes and ran forward shaking her head at me. I wiped my eyes quickly and looked up to see coach staring in our direction. He gave me a reassuring nod and so I finished running around the track.

After school I had drove home pulling in just as Aimee had, both of us driving our new vehicles.
When I got out of the car she looked to me and I walked to her shaking my head and feeling a bit remorseful. I wanted to be there for my sister, I really did. I missed the bond we used to have before any of this had happened. I felt like I didn't understand her as good as I used to and her kids had caused so many barriers already.
"I'd just like to know the whole truth." I said to her grabbing at my fingers during our standoff.
She came forward nodding sadly and falling solemn at the space between us. "I miss my sister." She admitted looking to me regrettably. "And I will tell you everything, I want you to know the truth before it's too late."
She stopped right in front of me and I nodded giving a small smile glad that we could both just get over this without our usual brawl. We were both growing, both realizing the sanctity of our relationship. We needed each other just as my father had said, despite the hiccups. She was still my family.
"I just want you to be honest with me, that's all I ask." I looked over her face feeling better about our spot right now. "Just-" both of our phones had went off at the same time stopping me before I could finish. It was text after text like we were in a group chat of some sort. We both looked down to our phones and I saw on my screen message after message, some only emojis, others were single words and question marks.
Confused, I unlocked my phone seeing the group chat open on my screen with heart eye emojis at the very bottom. I began to scroll up to see what it had been about just as Aimee had let out a sharp gasp. Her phone fell to the floor and I frowned startled by her reaction to what she had seen. I scrolled faster, my eyes darting over the screen until I made it to the first message sent in it. It was a photo of Aimee in her old bedroom posing provocatively in front of her mirror. She was missing her top. It was a photo of her, naked.