1. Twin Shadow

KNOCK, KNOCK
“Who is it? If it is dad go away. I’m not changing my mind.” I said.
“It’s not dad. It’s me Kris… and Luke and Eddy.” he said.
“All right I guess you three can come in.” I replied. The door opened and all three walked in. I gave my brother a hug. “Why did you three come up here? I thought you were hanging out today.”
“Well we came to help my baby sister move.”
“Kris you are only ten minutes older than I am. Anyway I was expecting you, but not them.”
Then Eddy said “Did you hear that ‘them’. Well maybe we should leave. Catch’ya later Kris.”
“Eddy wait.” I said. He was already on his way down stairs. I went out to stop him. Kris and Luke stayed behind. “Eddy will you please listen to me? Eddy stop.”
“Why AJ, I know you don’t want us around. Especially me.” he replied.
“Eddy why do you think I don’t want Luke around he’s awesome.”
“Fine you don’t want me around.” He started to walk away.
“Eddy I was joking, of course I want you around, but only if you don’t try to get me to stay… Eddy what would make you believe me?”
“Maybe if you give me a kiss?”
“Eddy seriously!”
“Come on AJ why won’t you stay here?” As he said this, he put his arms around me.
I quickly pushed his arms away from me and answered “Eddy I want to live with my mom.”
“But then we can’t hang out.”
“Eddy how often do we hang out now?”
“Not very much.”
“So we could hang out the same amount of time while I’m living there, as we do with me living here. Eddy please don’t be mad at me... please. Come on Eddy please.”
He started to smile. “Fine, but I realized you’re right and we need to hang out more.”
“When Eddy?” I asked.
“How about on Friday nights. We can decide on Wednesday or Thursday and Fridays we do it.”
“Ok, but what if other friends of mine want to hang out on Fridays?”
“Well then we will reschedule for Saturday, but we will hang out at least once a week, deal.” He held out his hand and I took it.
“Deal, now will you come back up to my room.”
“Ooh what are we going to do up there?” He asked.
I let go of his hand and smacked him on the arm. “Eddy you are sick in the head. I meant for you to help me move.”
“Sure you did.”
“Whatever Eddy… I think every thing will fit in the back of your truck.”
“Ok, lead the way.”
When we got back up to my room Luke and Kris were sitting on my bed talking. “I know you were listening, so don’t even act like you weren’t.”
Then Kris said “Sorry but you two argue like an old married couple.” Eddy looked a little mad at that last comment.
I said “Kris that is none of your business and if you ever say anything like that again that will be the last time you ever speak to or see me again. Got it!”
“Ok AJ, chill, I didn’t mean to offend either of you. I was just commenting on how every time you say something he takes offensively, he walks off and you go after him. I mean if you have a crush on him will you go out with him already.”
“Let’s just get my stuff moved, NOW!” Eddy looked at me like he knew exactly what I’ve been hiding from him. Like it explained everything. Then he went to help Luke take my dresser down stairs to the truck. Kris was starting to leave my room. I grabbed his shirt and pulled him back in my room. “Kris why did you say that in front of him?”
“I didn’t think you really liked him that way.” he answered.
“Well I do like him that way and now he knows that, because I didn’t say anything when you said that.”
“I’m really sorry about that, really Alex I’m sorry.”
“Whatever lets just get everything else out of here cause I told mom that I would be there around two and its twelve-thirty right now.”
When Luke and Eddy came back up Kris and I were taking down pieces if my bed frame. Luke and Eddy brought my mattress and box spring down just as I was putting the last piece of my bed frame into the truck. I was barely able to keep my balance in the back of the truck. Then the wind blew really hard and I fell backwards. Next thing I knew Eddy was holding me.
“Thanks Eddy.”
“No problem, but maybe one of us should be the one climbing in the back of my truck. Ok?”
“Probably a good idea.” Then he set me down. Kris and I went to get the last of my stuff from my room.
We finally had the truck packed by one O’clock.
“Hey sis can we eat before we take you up to Twin Shadow?” Kris asked.
“Yeah go ahead.”
Then Eddy asked “Aren’t you eating?”
“No she’s not. She and mom are going to eat in Port Angles tonight.” Kris answered.
“Kris you know you can come too.”
“I know, but I’m eating dinner here with dad.”
They finished eating by one thirty. Kris was going to drive his car and of course Eddy was going to drive his truck. Eddy wanted a least one of us to ride with him. Luke decided he was riding with my brother. So that left me riding with Eddy.
He hadn’t said anything about Kris’s last comment, but I had a feeling he would now.
Kris and Luke left about ten minutes before Eddy and me.
“Are you sure you want to move?” Eddy asked.
“Eddy I already told you not to say stuff like that.” I was sitting as far way from him as possible.
Then he asked “Why are you sitting that far away from me?”
“What, I’m not sitting that far away.”
“Yes you are.” Then he grabbed my arm and pulled me closer to him. Now we were sitting so close you could only see about half an inch of the seat in between us. Then he put his arm around me.
“What are you doing Eddy?”
“What! We use to sit like this all the time.”
“Yeah when we were ten. Now we’re seventeen.”
“And it bugs you because you still have a crush on me, I understand. It’s ok.”
“No I don’t.”
“Yes you do.”
“No I don’t Eddy. So let go of me.”
“Admit you still have a crush on me and then I let you go.” That made me mad. I crossed my arms and looked of in another direction. Then he pulled the truck over. Luckily today it decided not to rain. “Alex are you mad at me.”
“No.” I said sarcastically
“AJ I just want to know the truth. I’m sorry. Are will you still hang out with me?”
“I don’t know, Eddy.”
“You don’t know about what? You being mad at me or hanging out with me.”
“Can we just go; I’m going to be late…”
“Please talk to me.”
“I’ll answer your question later tonight.”
“How?”
“There’s a tree outside my bedroom window, climb up and I’ll let you in my room.”
“What time?”
“After your parents go to bed, sneak out. Then call me on my cell phone. My light might not be on, but I’ll be awake. Ok?”
“Ok, but…”



“What Eddy? But what?”
“Well, I’ll miss seeing you at your house, when I go to hang out with your brother.”
“Why do you do that?” I said.
“Do what?”
“That, you know I can’t be mad at you when you do that.”
“I’m sorry.”
I turned to look at him and he looked sad, like he really would miss me. I wrapped my arms around him to hug him. “I’m sorry too.”
“Sorry for what?”
“Making you sad, but I’m not going to change my mind. All my stuff is packed and I promised my mom.” I kissed him on the cheek and let go of him. “Now can we go, before I’m late?”
“Sure I guess so.” He put both hands on the stirring wheel.
“Eddy what are you doing?”
“I’m driving AJ.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Then what did you mean?” I took his right arm and set it around my shoulders.
“Like when we were kids, right?” He started to smile again. I knew he would.
Right before he turned down the street to my mom’s house me took his arm from around me, and put his hand back on the stirring wheel. He knew as well as I did, that if Kris saw that he would be so mad. Mostly at Eddy, but still a little at me. As soon as the truck stopped I opened the door to get out, but Eddy grabbed my arm.
“What now?”
“Do you promise you’ll talk to me tonight?”
“Yes Eddy I promise.” He let go of my arm and I got out. Kris and Luke walked out of the house.
Kris said “What took you two so long. Making out on the side of the road or what.”
“Kris so what if we were it’s none of your business, so shut up.” Then I hit him in the arm.
“AJ that hurt.”
“Too bad, I don’t care.”
Eddy and Luke started to unload the truck.
“Hey AJ.”
“What Eddy?”
“Which room is yours so we can get your bed and dresser upstairs?”
“Come on I’ll show you real quick. Then you can bring those up.” Eddy jumped off the bed of the truck and followed me upstairs to my room. We turned left and stopped in front of the last door on the left.
“This is your room?” Eddy asked.
“Yeah, come in for a second.” I answered. “I will have this window open, ok.” I pointed to the window.
“Fine, but we better get back down stairs before Kris makes another comment.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right.”
As soon as we got back down stairs, Eddy immediately started to help Luke with my dresser. Kris and I started to take the bed frame up the stairs. Luke and Eddy were coming back down.
“AJ let me take that.”
“Eddy I’m fine, ok. I don’t need any help caring this.” Eddy didn’t say anything else. He looked up at Kris, who was glaring at him, and walked away.