The next morning, Peter was eating breakfast with his mother. They were both dressed in jeans, but Peter was still wearing a bathrobe. His mother, Starla, noticed that he was picking at his food, and attempted to get him to make conversation with her.
"How was Charlotte's surprise?"
"Hm? Oh. Fine."
"Are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine."
"Okay." Starla stood up and began to clear the pancakes off of the table. She knew her son would eventually break down and tell her. He always did.
"Fine, I'll tell you!"
"That didn't take very long," she thought to herself. She sat down again to listen to her son, who continued on his rant.
"Why can't I find love?"
"What do you mean Peter?"
"Here I am, a smart and available young man with an exceptional taste in fashion, and no one seems to care!"
Starla sighed and put her hand on her son's arm. "Peter, you might be available, but Sometimes, all you have to do is wait."
Peter stood up and began to walk away. "Thanks mom, but I'm tired of waiting. I think I'm just gonna set up a Tinder account."
Starla went back to clearing off the table. "Of course you are."
At the Smith house, the kitchen was buzzing with activity. Mary had spent the previous night crying to Charlotte over her ruined friendship with Freddie, while Charlotte attempted to conceal her giddiness. Liz had texted the girls early that morning, letting them know that she had broken up with Devon after she discovered that he was cheating on her with her cousin. The twins weren't allowed to sympathize with Liz, as she wanted to forget about Devon and move on quickly. Charlotte worked as a math tutor, and had rushed off to work early in the morning while Mary helped her father prepare a casserole for their neighbor who had just had a baby. Charlotte and Mary's mother, Abigail, was a drug addict, however, she worked for the governor, and expected her husband and children to hide her addiction.
While Mary's father was silently preparing the dish, Mary looked over at him. His dark hair was the same shade as hers, which was their special bond. Today he was wearing a Metallica shirt and army green shorts, which was a dramatic contrast to Mary's denim jumpsuit. She admired her father, and appreciated that their features shared similarities. However, she couldn't help but envy her sister. Charlotte had her mother's looks and bleach blonde hair. Today she had left the house in an orange-colored blouse, and a grey skirt that went just past her knees. Mary's father could tell she was distracted, and began to talk to her as the two worked on the casserole.
"What's wrong kiddo?"
"Oh. Um...nothing"
"It's hardly ever nothing."
"I don't know. It's just, the Freddie thing really threw me last night, and I feel like Charlotte is...distracted. I... really missed her, and she didn't even text me when she landed. And..now she's hanging with Danielle. Which is fine... I get it, they've gotten close, but... Don't twins always come first?"
Mary's father smiled and hugged his daughter. "Mary, I wouldn't worry about it. She's YOUR twin. If it really bothers you, you should talk to her about it and see what she says."
Mary hugged her father back even harder. "You're right. It's not fair not to talk to her about how I feel. If I'm upset, she should know."
"I think you shouldn't make judgments before you talk to your sister"
"I think you're right. Thanks dad."
At Danielle's house, there was trouble. There was always trouble, but this morning was especially terrible. After her mom had started dating Brad, Danielle felt like she hadn't had a moment alone with her mother. Being an only child was incredibly isolating, especially when she felt ignored by the one person she looked up to. Her mother, Ruby, hadn't gotten home from bartending until 3 am, which meant that she was alone with Brad, who made her uncomfortable. She had watched him beat up her mom, and knew that she was next. The only person she could talk to was Charlotte, but Charlotte worked in the mornings. Ruby had gotten up, and was writing a shopping list when Danielle walked into the living room.
"Nice to see you, baby."
Danielle sat down next to her mother and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Like her daughter, Ruby highlighted her hair with bright streaks of color, only her hair was cut into a bob, and was dyed jet black. She was dressed in yoga pants and a tight sweatshirt. Having Danielle at 16 meant that she didn't get to attend college until her daughter did, and she was excited to begin classes in the fall at the local junior college. When Danielle and Brad weren't home and she wasn't working at the bar, Ruby spent her time at the library, studying psychology.
Ruby noticed that she had let her mind wander, and drew her attention back to her child. She made eye contact with Danielle, and noticed that her daughter had years in her eyes. "Dani?"
"Mom..."
A terrible thought crept into Ruby's mind. "Dani, are you pregnant?"
Danielle brushed a tear away. "No mom, of course not. I'm not that stupid. Tony and I broke up like a year and a half ago, and you know I never let him put it in me without protection. It's just... I've...dated since him. And I didn't tell you, because no one meant anything to me. It was all just sex. Until..."
Ruby was confused. "Until what Honey?"
Danielle put her face in her hands and mumbled something quietly. Ruby pulled her daughter into a hug, and whispered in her ear. "it's okay lovebug, you can tell me."
Danielle looked at her mother and took a deep breath. "It's Charlotte, Mom. I'm in love with Charlotte. I think baby animals are dumb, and I hate happy musicals. But Charlotte just gets me. She's different. And we're in love.
Ruby looked at her daughter. "Well, I can't say I'm surprised. It's always been obvious that you have romantic feelings for women and men. And It's okay love. Charlotte better treat you well"
Danielle smiled and stood up. "Thanks, mom." With that, she kissed her mother on the cheek, and left the house.
Ruby watched her daughter go with admiration for her honesty, and then picked up her purse and left for the library.
