Chapter One

Chapter 1

Long ago in a galaxy far, far away… no I’m just playing with you. Hi, I’m Vira and I’m fourteen years old. I’m a radical nerd with a dorky track star as a brother. I think prey mantises are gross. My GPA is 3.8. My favorite shows are the Legend of Korra, Young Justice and the Big Bang Theory (yes I know they are American shows, I’m more comfortable speaking and listening to English). I have this rare condition where I get these weird pains in my chest. It only happens when I overwork my body. It’s funny because I’m a dancer. You probably don’t care about any of that at all, but get used to it because I’m rather scatter brained and especially right now so it’s better if I let my brother takes this… until I roll out of bed and wake up fully. Oh and just so you know even though we’re speaking Russian to our friends (and other people) Alek and I speak only English to each other, well except for the occasional times when we speak Latin, but that’s very rare.

☱

 “No coward soul is mine;

No trembler in the world’s storm-troubled sphere;

I see Heaven’s glories shine;

And Faith shines equal arming me from Fear”

“Emily Bronte?” I ask.

“Who else?” laughs Vira. She has a sweet ringing laugh. Though, she doesn’t have a Russian accent like me. It’s strange, but whatever. “Good point,” I chuckle.

“Did you finish your presentation for History?” she asks me.

“Yeah, it’s all ready.”

“Ok then, I’ll be expecting a great presentation on WWII from you.”

“And I’ll be expecting an even better one on the Holocaust from you.”

“I’ll have everyone in tears by the end,” she says dramatically.

“I’m sure you will,” I say sarcastically.

“Oh, shut up.” She smiles and pushes me. I laugh and look down at the uneven sidewalk. I notice Vira’s not wearing her favorite black combat boots. “No boots today?”

“We have to dress up for presentations; hence the white blouse, pin skirt and ballet flats and your nice white shirt, dressy black pants, and nice shoes. Anya is going to be all over you!” She laughs deviously.

“Stop that! It’s not funny.”

“Sure it is. Having one of your best friends having a crush on your big bro is quite entertaining!” She pokes me about thirty times in the arm until I’m sure she made a present bruise right then and there. “Hey, where’s your tie?”

“In my backpack.”

“Why?”

“I couldn’t tie it,” I say embarrassed. She laughs and stops walking and turns to face me. I can see her golden locket strung around her neck. The locket has a carving of a dove on the front and on the inside is an empty little hook. But her locket isn’t the only thing I can see. On the side of her face is a long, red, stitched up cut running from the corner of her mouth and stretches back parallel the line of her jaw. She looks like the Joker, a much prettier Joker, but still. Her cut ripples as she smiles at me and holds her hand out. I reach into my backpack and pull out my tie. She expertly ties it and smiles at me. Once again her smile is distorted from the cut. I just hope it doesn’t leave a scar. “You look dashing,” she says and giggles.

I laugh. “You’re the best, Vira.”

“I know.”

☱

I’m up! School was tedious as usual. Only Alek, Tasha, and Anya make it at least a bit tolerable. Our presentations went fine as they always do and then it was finally lunch. It’s my first day back after a whole week of staying home because of the Accident, so of course being the best brother ever, Alek walks protectively next to me with one of his faithful friends, Gideon beside him. I can feel the eyes follow me as I walk down the hallway. I usually love being the center of attention, but right now these eyes seem to burn holes in my skin.

I spot Anya and Tasha waiting for us by their lockers. I wave and Anya sees us and waves back with a big smile on her face. “Hey, Vira, what’s shakin’?” she says and shimmies her shoulders. I can’t help but laugh at her, “You sound ridiculous!” I shimmy my shoulders to mimic her. Anya and I giggle together. Tasha pecks Gideon on the lips and he slips his hand into hers. She loops her arm into Anya’s and Anya loops hers into mine and we start to walk away. I realize Alek isn’t next to me and I look back to see him looking at a pretty girl with brown hair. I giggle, grab his wrist and drag him with us.

“Veni una Aleksandr. Pellentesque at tortor non parumper.” That translated means, Come along Aleksandr. You can stop staring at girls for a few moments. He blushes and looks down at his shoes while falling into step with us. Oh, I just adore my brother! I think to myself. Anya brushes her short blonde hair off her face so it doesn’t get in her lip gloss. “What did you just say to him?” she asks.

“Oh, I told him if he doesn’t walk any faster he’ll have to wait at the back of the lunch line.”

“Oh, ok,” she looks past me at Alek who’s talking to another one of his track teammates. “He looks really nice today,” she whispers to me with a rueful smile.

“I know I picked out his outfit,” I giggle. Alek stops next to me and I turn and look up at him in confusion. He’s looking forward with a murderous look on his face. I follow his gaze and see my horrible ex-boyfriend Sacha with his arm in a cast. I think about running up to Sacha and punching him in the bad arm but I force myself to calm down. I grip Alek’s arm so he doesn’t do anything rash and feel every muscle tensed. He puts his hand on mine for reassurance, but he doesn’t relax and neither do I. Sacha doesn’t notice us until he flips his blonde hair out of his face and his cocky smile fades. We lock eyes. He stands there dumbfounded as he takes in my face. He sighs and walks over to me. My pulse raises every step he takes closer to me. “Can we talk alone,” he asks when he reaches me.

“Absolutely not,” I blurt. “Whatever you want to say you can say it in front of my friends and my brother.” He wavers, but decides to go on anyway. “Vivi, are you ok? You know it was just an accident, right?”

“No it wasn’t and you’re an idiot and you know exactly why,” I sneer.

“Vivi I-”

“Don’t give me anymore excuses. I don’t want to hear them.”

“Listen to me, will you?”

“What makes you think I’ll listen to you? I mean did you listen to me? You do see what you did to me right?” I gesture to my face. “Look what happened to my elbow,” he complains.

“That was no one’s fault but your own!”

“Vivi, please.”

He completely ignores me like usual. “Please what?” I spit.

“Please forgive me. Please believe me. Please come back Vivi,” he pleads.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I huff angrily. “Go back to you? Not even in your wildest dreams, Sacha. Now shove off.” I love being harsh to him now.

“Vivi, baby come on, you know you’ll come back to me. They always do.” I step forward and stand on my tippy-toes so I’m tall enough to almost get in his face. “I am not your baby,” I stab my index finger into his chest, “and I will never go back to you, understand?” I turn away and walk into the cafeteria, but I remember something else and turn back to him at the doors.

“Oh, and Sacha, don’t ever call me Vivi again. You sound stupid saying it.” With that I give him a nasty look as my friends guide me to the lunch line. Tasha wraps her arm around me, “I’m sorry that that cretin actually had the nerve to talk to you.”

“Yeah, me too,” and without really thinking about it I take hold of the golden locket around my neck.

☱

My sister is amazing. Ok well she was a bit harsh and rash but Sacha deserved it. I wish I had even a little bit of her boldness, but I don’t. I brush my dark hair out of my eyes and look into the bathroom mirror. We may look alike but we’re two completely different people. I remember that I’ve left Vira sitting in my room waiting for me to get into my work attire. I bet she’s sitting on my bed reading Twilight again even though she’s not a big fan of Bella. “She’s so dependant it makes me sick!”

“Are you ready to go yet?” she calls into the bathroom.

“Yeah, I’m coming,” I call back. I walkout and see that I’m right; she’s holding Twilight up carelessly in one of her hands. She’s dressed in her leotard and tights with a pair of knit legwarmers over her knees above the top of her high boots and a long vintage (hand-me-down) fur coat lying on my bed ready for her to wear out. Lots of people wear them here in the winter. She puts down her book and looks at my name tag with her glowing gold eyes and giggles. She nods towards the door. “Let’s go, Luka.”

“Shut up.”

“When are you getting a new name tag that actually has your name on it? I mean you’ve been working there for over a year.” She stuffs Twilight back into her stash of books on my bookshelf.

“Who knows, but your birthday is in about a week and you still haven’t told me what you wanted.”

“I don’t want anything, I told you that,” she huffs.

“But, it’s your 16th birthday and I didn’t get anything for you on your 15th.” She brushes my now-too-long hair away from my face in a very motherly gesture that I’ve always appreciated. “Well, it wouldn’t hurt to get tickets to Florence + the Machine or maybe even Adele.” She smiles evilly.

“Who are they?”

“They’re English,” she huffs and her devious smile melts into a disappointed frown.

“Oh right. Well, you know I can’t do that.”

“I know,” she smiles again. “I was only messing around. I seriously don’t want anything except maybe for the best brother ever. Oh, but wait,” she holds her finger up knowingly, “I already have that.”