Page 5 of My Twin Sister's Ex

My parents had tried to give me an allowance, but I wouldn’t accept it from them. I insisted on making my own money. Jacki didn’t mind breaking all their rules and then taking their money. Somehow, she was an expert at never getting caught. It wasn’t like I was going to tell on her. I didn’t know half of what she did, but I stayed quiet about the stuff I did know. I was no tattletale. I assumed Jacki would figure stuff out on her own. It wasn’t my job to worry about what she was doing.

I was terrible at sneaking around. The small handful of times I’d tried, I’d gotten caught immediately. Jacki told me I was way too obvious, but I hated the disappointment I saw in my parents’ eyes more than I wanted whatever I was sneaking around about. It was never worth it.

But it was worth it for Jackilyn. She thrived on the idea of getting away with things. Like when she dated Bennett. My dad almost had a heart attack when he found out that she was dating him. That was the entire reason she wanted to date him. She knew how much it would bother him.

I never understood Jackilyn’s need to see other people’s discomfort. But it fueled her. If she didn’t have a victim to torture, she got bored with life.

She wasn’t always like that. It started when we were in sixth grade. We were both in the same friends’ group. Halfway through the year, it split down the middle. Three of the girls acted like they were too good to hang out with us, leaving Jackilyn and me behind. Jackilyn was devastated. The other girls started wearing heavy makeup and short skirts while Jacki and I weren’t allowed to dress like that. But then Jacki started taking her allowance to the mall to buy an entirely new wardrobe. The next thing I knew, she was dressing exactly like the newly formed Mean Girls group, and somehow, she’d become their leader. She would go to school in her old Mom-approved outfits and then would immediately change into her new clothes. She’d learned that the only way to get her old friends back was to act meaner than all three of them combined.

I had no desire to follow in Jacki’s footsteps. I made friends with the girls in the middle school drama club and accepted the idea that Jacki would choose her own path in life. I still loved my sister, but it was sad to see her mistreating so many people. I wished there were something I could do to help her.

I went up the stairs to my room. Jackilyn and I had our rooms on the other side of the house from our parents. Jackilyn loved that because it made it easier for her to sneak out. I didn’t have a reason to sneak out, so it didn’t make a difference to me where my room was.

I sat at my desk and unzipped my backpack. I pulled out my homework and opened my laptop. Before I got started on my homework, I pulled up the website to Duke University. I wanted to get into their musical theater program more than anything. But it wouldn’t be easy to get in. I’d been working hard to keep my grades up. My best friend, Reese, and I had plans to go there together and be roommates. We were both juniors, so we had another year before we’d have to worry about leaving home. By this time next year, I’d already know where I’d be going to school in the fall.

I hated not knowing. But I did know that if I wanted to go to Duke, I needed to win the Drama Competition. I’d need the award to help beef up my theater resume for when I applied next fall.

An idea formed in my head, and I pulled my phone out to send Reese a text.

Me:Do you think Mr. Brownley would let us be partners for the Drama Competition?

Reese:I don’t know, but that’s a brilliant idea!

Reese wanted to get into Duke’s musical theater program as much as I did. I knew she would work as hard as I would to try to win the Drama Competition. She was amazing about memorizing her lines. The same couldn’t be said of everyone in the class.

Jackilyn’s ex-boyfriend Bennett, for example. He was the worst! The guy never memorized his lines. I had no idea why he’d wanted to even take drama. He seemed to have zero interest in the class.

Me:We should talk to him next time we have class.

Reese:It might be too late by then. He said he was assigning partners next time.

Me:That’s true. But I bet he wouldn’t mind switching things around for us.

Reese:Yeah, right. He’s not the type to rearrange parts after he’s cast roles.

Me:I’ll send him an email then.

Reese:Good idea.

I pulled up my email on my laptop and typed up a message to Mr. Brownley, requesting that he put Reese and me together for the Drama Competition. I explained how important it was for me to get into the college of my choice. He would be sure to listen to that reasoning and act accordingly, right?

I sent the email and then focused on getting my homework done. I had to hurry if I was going to get it done before I went to work at six.

Jackilyn came into my room and draped herself over my bed. I glanced over my shoulder at her. “What are you doing in here?”

“I’m bored.”

“Maybe you should try doing your homework,” I suggested.

She scoffed at me and rolled onto her back, staring at my ceiling. “Do you think Bennett still wants me?”

“I thought you were dating Kellen now.”

“I am, but I can’t help but wonder.”

“Maybe you should try to be happy with the guy you have.” Not that I liked Kellen. He was a huge jerk. It was only a matter of time before Jackilyn would figure that out for herself.

“It just bugs me that Bennett didn’t seem that upset when we broke up.”

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