"I Love You" (Book Three In The "I Promise" Series)

Home Life

Rose Wilson waited patiently outside her father's office for him to be done with his meeting. She was excited to tell him about her first day at an actual school! Rose had been homeschooled until this year because her father thought it would be best for her, seeing her condition of albinoism and all. In addition to basic academics, Rose also had training in martial arts and various forms of combat, was fluent in about ten languages, and knew many different types of dancing, as well as having a beautifully tuned singing voice.

"Your father will see you now." the almost-robotic secretary, Sasha, told Rose as a light on her desk began flashing.

Rose gathered her bag of school things and entered her father's office. No matter how many times she had been there before, the view from the giant window behind his desk was always breathtaking.

His office at Wilson Inc. was atop one of the tallest skyscrapers in Jump City. The window looked over nearly all of the city, giving one the impression of being on top of the world.

"How was your day at school, my dear Rose?" Her father asked, without even turning his gaze from the city as he addressed his daughter.

"It was quite....interesting. People were very enraptured by my hair, as you predicted, and there was also this girl...." Rose trailed off.

"Oh really? A girl, you say?" her father asked, turning at last towards his daughter, "What was her name?"

Rose thought hard a moment, "Her brother introduced me to her, saying her name was Rachel. I think their last name was...Logan?"

Rose's father grinned ever so slightly, his one eye crinkling in pleasure.

At last, Terra Logan, I have found you again. Slade thought to himself.

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"Hey kids! How was school?" Mom asked the moment the door slams closed behind me. The thing is, it's just me. I ran all the way home again by myself, just to get away from the horrors of school.

I shook my head in reply to her question, "It was fine." I scampered up the stairs to get out of my itchy uniform as soon as possible.

I checked my phone once I'd changed into a T-shirt and my favorite comfy jeans. A text from Katie lit up the screen as I started blasting Disney songs.

Yeah, I'm fifteen years old and I absolutely love Disney. Got a problem with that? Good.

Hey r u still freaked out about ur look-alike? Katie's text asked.

Uh, duh! I replied. Yes, of course I am! What girl wouldn't be freaked out about the fact that someone who looks almost exactly like her just "happened" to show up at her school!?!??? Was I cloned at birth and my parents forgot to mention that tiny detail?

My endless theories for the occurrence of my look-alike were interrupted by the door opening downstairs.

"Mom! Dad! You will NOT believe what happened at school today!" Leo exclaimed energetically.

Oh crap, don't tell then guys, pleasepleaseplease don't tell them! I'll give you all my Halloween candy and allowance for a year!!!! I run downstairs in panic as Dad and Mom joined my brothers in the front hall.

"Well, what happened?" Dad asked, locking both boys under his arms in a headlock.

"Don't. You. Dare." I growled through clenched teeth. My parents looked up the stairs as if they just now realized I was there.

"Rach? What's wrong?" Mom asked. She put a hand over mine on the banister and the other on the small of he  back for support. I winced when she did. The baby's gonna be here soon. At least, I hope so. I don't remember Leo and Michael bothering Mom this much, and I hope she can just get it over with soon.

"What? Did you guys and Ryan put whoopie cushion noises on the principal's morning broadcast again?" Dad asked asked Leo and Michael nonchalantly, still holding the two of them in a headlock, as if that sort of thing happened everyday (which it does, actually)

"No!" I said suddenly, and everyone looked at me suspiciously, "I mean, they didn't do anything, none of us did..." My voice trailed off as I silently begged my brothers to understand that I did NOT want to talk about my so-called doppelganger.

Leo fails at sibling communication though, "There's this weird girl at school that looks almost just like Rachel, except she has white hair," he said, faster than Karen does when she's nervous.

Mom's jaw dropped, and she would have fainted if I hadn't called the earth beneath her feet to catch her. Dad just stared back and forth between me and Leo as if he couldn't believe what he'd heard.

"Leo, Michael, Rach, go to your rooms please. Gar, we need to talk. Now." Mom said, struggling to stand up.

"But, why...?" Michael asked curiously.

"Kids, don't argued with your mother," Dad said sternly, helping mom into the living room, where they closed the door behind them.

"You guys are gonna eavesdrop, aren't you?" I asked over my shoulder with a wry grin as I went back upstairs.

"Doi!" Michael told me as they creeped towards the door. I couldn't help it, I followed them.

"Gar, she can't be her! It can't! She went missing fifteen years ago!" Mom yelling desperately at Dad was the fist thing I heard once I put my ear to the door.

"She looks just like Rachel! What other explanation can there be?" Dad argued in return.

"Alright, suppose this girl is Rachel's twin. How do we break this to the kids?"

Twin? I. Have. A. Twin? Leo and Michael and Leo both give me the same look that's a mix of surprise and horror.

"We tell them. Simple."

"Okay, but how do we know for sure it's her?"

"...I don't know."