02 - Siblings

There was nothing but noise later that morning. 7am, Thursday morning. Chaos. Both the Danver parents were in the kitchen watching their kids run around making sure they had everything. They frowned when their eldest daughter came down the stairs, hair a mess, sleep in her eyes. They were not happy about being woken up before they had too, and they were going to make sure Willa knew that.

“Sorry bout last night mum, dad” Willa helped herself to a cup of coffee, avoiding eye contact with her parents.

“Did you have to slam the door last night/ What were you even doing up at that hour? You have work today!” Heather Danvers stared at her daughter, partly in confusion, partly in annoyance.

“I went to see what Theo was doing… and I slammed the door cause his stupid a*****e friend is a freaking dickwad” Willa glared at the front door as if it would register as the friend.

Right on cue, the front door swung open letting Theo and his friend into the chaos.

“Since when do you judge people so harshly?” Adam Danvers asked his daughter as he straightened his tie in the mirror. Willa glared at the friend and opened her mouth to reply.

“Since he told her she has small tits” Theo chuckled nabbing the coffee from his sister’s hands, plonking himself down at the breakfast bar.

“That was my coffee… and no, it’s because he was being a d****e” Willa hastily grabbed another cup before she ran out of time.

“And while I might be known as the d****e to you, I am Jakob to everyone else. Nice to meet you young one” Jakob winked at Willa, fully intending to wind her up.

“Avery, Simon, you two ready for school? Willa will drop you off today, and pick you up” Heather grinned at Willa, knowing she wouldn’t refuse.

“Don’t you also go to school young one?” Jakob stole the warm cup of coffee from Theo’s hands, taking a large sip.

“Memory of a goldfish much? Theo told you I am older than you, and if you aren’t in school, which I assume you aren’t, then there would not be a reason for me to be in school” Willa made sure to keep her distance from Theo, who had his eye on her fresh cup of coffee.

Willa ignored Jakob’s response as she darted upstairs to grab the shower. If she was going to talk to her superior’s today, she wanted to look, and smell good.

When she looked in the mirror it all came rushing back. The news. The difference in her life between today and last week. The pain that she was going to suffer, the pain that her parents would one day feel. Not only because she has kept the secret from her, but also because the news in itself was something that would take the wind out of anyone’s lungs.

She couldn’t get the words of the doctor out of her mind, the tone of his voice as her told her the results, the look on his face. It was the kind of look that no-one wants to see when they are getting the results from a medical test. And although it prepared her for the news she was about to hear, it didn’t make it any easier.

Willa tried as hard as she could to rid herself of the memory for the time being. If she went into the room with her family, thinking of the problem, they would all immediately know something was wrong. And so she tried to hide what would eventually come to light. She ran on autopilot, through getting ready, through getting changed into something suitable for work, not snapping out until she felt someone’s arms around her shoulders.

“What’s the deal with you Willa? Last night you were super sensitive and then this morning you are avoiding the family - you okay? Or you just really don’t like Jake?” Theo spun her around to look her in the eye. The only way he could tell if she was lying, was if she looked away, and then twisted her nose soon after.

“I… It’s nothing Theo. Don’t worry your ugly little face about it” Willa’s eyes darted to the door and was about to twist her nose, before catching herself. Theo noticed.

Willa grabbed her hat before ushering her brother out of the room she shared with her little sister. She smiled innocently at her brother, trying to convince him all was okay in regards to her mind condition. Theo stored his thoughts in the back of his mind, giving his sister the benefit of the doubt for once in his life. He had other things he felt like concentrating on today.

“Nice hat young one” Jakob grabbed the hat from Willa’s head and twirled it in the air casually. His actions got him the response he was expecting, a glare and an arm outstretched in an effort to get back her black hat. He held the hat just out of Willa’s reach, grinning as she kept trying to jump and snatch it from his grasp.

Theo snuck up behind his friend, kicking the back of Jakob’s knee causing Jakob to stumble. Willa plucked her hat from Jakob’s hand and walked out of his reach. Keys in hand, twins on her heel, Willa left the house moments after her parents. She knew the twins wouldn’t be paying any attention to her facial features, so she didn’t have to be on the top of her game like she did around Theo.

Avery would have her nose stuck in her phone, conversing with her boyfriend. Simon would have his nose in a book, or complaining about the fact that he had to go to school. Neither of them were super close to Willa, the three year age gap meant that they didn’t really do anything together. It had always been like that. Simon and Avery, Willa and Theo. Sure, they still loved each other, stood up for each other, but they weren’t close as close could be.

“Avery… are you going to tell her about what happened at school? She could help?” Simon spoke softly to his twin, thinking that Willa wouldn’t hear him.

“Shut it Simon” Avery glared at her twin, glancing nervously towards her sister hoping that she hadn’t heard the small exchange in the back of the car. Avery shrunk down in her seat trying to avoid her sister’s curious eye, biting down on her lip praying for the school to arrive quicker than normal.

“What’s he talking about Avery?” Willa turned off the main road, taking the longer route to school in order to figure out what Avery was so keen to keep secret.

“He didn’t mean anything Willa. Butt out” Avery clenched her teeth glaring at Simon furiously.

“You’re glaring at Simon. You’re snappy. Something happened. Don’t make me stop the car and trick the truth out of you Avery” Willa slowed the car down a fraction, causing Avery to sigh.

No matter how much someone tried to hide something, Willa managed to find the truth out anyway. A wordsmith is what people would call her, able to twist words and sentences into weapons and tricks, until one was so confused that they told the truth without knowing.

“Just tell her dude” Simon stared at his sister, whilst motioning towards the older sister who was driving. Avery twisted her mouth unsure, not sure if she wanted her sister to come and rectify the situation for her, or if she was going to wait for the situation to pass.

“No thanks. Let me deal with this on my own for once Willa, you don’t have to try and make everything perfect. Just leave it be” Avery grumbled hiding behind her hair. Avery, deep down, was jealous of her older sister. Willa seemed to always have everything under control, her life, everyone else’s life, nothing was out of place. And that made Avery feel like a sore thumb.

Willa left her sister alone as asked, she didn’t have the energy to try and fight the truth out of her stubborn little sister. She watched as Simon walked Avery into the school, almost as if he was shielding her from the students in their year. Odd. Just as Willa was about to leave the school car park, a student caught her eye.

It was more who was with the student that caught her eye. Jakob. Standing at the gate with a girl the same age as Avery and Simon. The girl walked up to Avery and started talking to her, not talking, shouting. The girl started shouting at Avery, accusing her of ridiculous things.

“You stupid b***h. Telling people I slept with that gross senior kid, who do you think you are? Someone cool? Just because your sister was someone at this school does not mean you will be too. Get a grip and go somewhere that people don’t have to see you!” Willa stared at the girl in shock.

Was this what Simon was talking about. Undoubtedly it was. Willa slammed the door of her car, walking over to the group of girls pissed off. Jakob spotted her, and started heading in the same direction.

“Excuse me. Who the hell do you think you are?” The girl that was yelling at Avery stared at Willa in confusion. She didn’t recognise her, clearly she had only heard of Willa Danvers, and not seen her in first person before.

“Clear off weirdo” The girl stared at Willa like she was the muck on the bottom of her shoe.

“Let me introduce you two. Claire, this is Willa Danvers. Willa, this is my sister Claire” Jakob’s introductions stripped the colour from Claire’s face.

“I… Uh…”

“Save it. You’re a pathetic bully. And right now I am no better - but I am standing up for my sister so just hear me out. Clearly you are listening to rumours, if you had bothered to find out the facts you would know that my sister doesn’t give a shite about who is sleeping with who. That means, she didn’t spread nor start some rumour. Next time you want to attack my sister like that, use your goddamn brain and think you stupid girl” Jakob grabbed Willa by the arm and started to pull her away from the huddle of girls staring at Willa in awe and shame.

“Don’t touch me a*****e” Willa glared at Jakob before glaring once again at Claire and the girls huddled around her.

Willa jogged back to her car, leaving the girls to sort out the pathetic drama that could have been avoided. She was running late for her once in a lifetime appointment. And if the news from the doctor didn’t break Willa, this going wrong would be the icing on top of the cake.