Twinsequences
Willow
Written By: Jennifer Foor
Copyright © 2013 & 2015 Jennifer Foor
2nd Edition
All Rights Reserved
Cover Art By : Wicked By Design – Robin Harper
This book is a written act of fiction. Any places, characters, or similarities are purely coincidence. If certain places or characters are referenced it is for entertainment purposes only. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. This book is not allowed to be offered for sale, discounted, or free on any sites other than Kobo, IBook’s, Amazon and Barnes and Noble. This book may only be distributed by Jennifer Foor, the owner and Author of this series.
Chapter 1
Just walk away.
“Can I have an iced mocha latte with skim milk and whipped cream?” Yeah, the whipped cream cancelled out the skim milk, but at least I attempted to be good. Besides, it had been my breakfast for the past four years of college.
“That’ll be three dollars and thirteen cents. Please pull around.”
I loved routines, my life, and the future I was going to have.
I couldn’t believe I’d finally graduated and was now able to start my life. After I’d found a job, it was my plan to go back to school and get my bachelor’s degree. I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t ambitious. It was in my blood, with my parents both being doctors.
They’d wanted me to follow in their footsteps, but I still wasn’t sure it was the right career path for me. The hardest part was the fact that I hadn’t been home in years. It wasn’t because of my parents and it wasn’t even because of my sister, well, not directly because of her. She couldn’t have known what was going on inside of my head.
No, there was someone else I couldn’t face; someone I’d be forced to be around if I went home to visit.
Stoshua Wheeler.
I guess to better understand my reasoning; I’ll have to go back to my senior year of high school, the year when everything happened. It was then that I decided I needed to be as far away from my twin sister, and this town, as I could get.
Growing up, and being just minutes apart, was awesome. We talked alike, dressed alike, and shared everything. Each memory I was able to recall as a little girl, my sister was with me. We were inseparable and the best of friends. Imagine having someone that is the mirror image of you. We shared the same friends and even interests.
Then high school happened.
It was the first day of our senior year. My sister, being captain of the cheerleading squad, changed her outfit at least six times. She couldn’t decide on putting her hair up or leaving it down.
While she had a nervous breakdown, I straightened mine and put on the outfit I’d picked out the night before. I’d already looked up my syllabus and known my schedule since I volunteered at the school during the summer.
The one thing I hated about high school was having to share a car. Sure, it was a BMW, and all our friends envied us, but my sister had the crazy social life. I was usually stuck bumming a ride with one of my friends.
As usual, I ended up being the first student to arrive in class. Most people wouldn’t enjoy AP Chemistry first thing in the morning. I felt it to be invigorating.
The class filled with familiar faces. Being enrolled in such high-level courses as I was, it was likely to always get stuck with the same classmates. It was good to have friends I shared interests with, even though my studies were more important than any kind of socializing.
I’d been on a mission ever since middle school. My focus was to have the best grade point average possible.
I was prepared for the new school year. Nothing could distract me.
Well, that’s what I thought.
Five minutes after the bell rang, the most handsome specimen of man walked into my life. His hair was wavy, and he was so tan. Even before I saw his blue eyes, I think I knew they were going to make me melt.
The teacher took his schedule and gazed out at us. The only empty seat was next to me. I usually preferred working alone, so I could focus.
“What kind of name is Stoshua?”
“Joshua was already taken,” he replied sarcastically.
I couldn’t help but laugh.
A couple students turned around and gave me dirty looks.
When I peered up at the front of the classroom again, the new guy was staring right at me. I didn’t know what to do, so I brought my eyes down to my hands and refused to look at him again. My cheeks were rapidly growing hot and my heart was pounding out of my chest.
I wasn’t used to feeling embarrassed, but this guy was gorgeous. To make matters worse, the teacher had him sit right next to me and assigned him as my lab partner. It was the first day I didn’t want to be in chemistry and also the first time I’d had a panic attack.
As the months went by, my obsession with the new guy turned into an infatuation. The more I tried to stay focused on school, the more I fantasized about Stoshua. We got to know each other and became close friends. I was too shy to admit I was interested in him. I’d never dated, and I didn’t know how to be in a relationship.
He became my second best friend. On the weekends, we’d watch eighties movies and hang out, studying or going places together. We talked about everything and had each other on speed dial. With my sister being extremely involved in herself, Stosh was my only confidant. Sure, I could never admit how I felt about him, but it didn’t matter. All I wanted to do was be with him, every second of every day. I fantasized about changing my last name to Wheeler. I designed my wedding gown in my head and named our first born son.
Don’t act like you’ve never done it before. We all fantasize about being swept away by our own version of Prince Charming. For me, he was my kryptonite. I lived and breathed to be near him, all in hopes of one day becoming Mrs. Stoshua Wheeler.
At the end of the school year, a few weeks before prom, I had this feeling like he was going to ask me. Since we shared even more classes that semester, we were together all the time. He’d come over to study and stay for dinner, or I’d do the same at his house.
Even though I didn’t know for sure, I believed he liked me as much as I liked him.
I’ll never forget practicing over and over what my conversation with Stosh was going to be. At first, I wrote him notes. After going through almost an entire notebook of paper, I decided it was better if I just came out and said what I was feeling.
Gaining the courage to put myself out there was nerve racking. Once any other logical option was exhausted, I knew I had to go for it. My sister became aware I was up to something immediately. This particular year had been harder for me. As focused as I was on school, I felt like she was leaving me out of things. She hung around with her friends more than she spent time with me. Most nights, she snuck in the house after curfew and smelled of booze. Her defiance was associated with her popularity and the type of people she hung out with. In some ways I was jealous. Ivy was always having fun where I was constantly focused on being the best person I could be. Responsibility was important to me, but not my sister.
With prom being close, it also meant finals were even closer. I’d studied for weeks and was sure to ace all my exams. Ivy came to me one day in tears.
“Will, you have to help me. I’m in big trouble.”
Only two people called me Will.
Ivy and Stosh.
“What’s wrong now? Did you break a nail or something? Did you lose your favorite mini-skirt? Is your period due?
”
She raised her eyebrow, like I was out of line. “I’m being serious!” She pushed me and sat next to me in my bed. “If I fail my exam, I won’t graduate.”
“What are you talking about?”
She rolled her eyes and stood up to admire herself in the mirror. “It’s Biology. You know I hate that class. The teacher is pissed at me because he’d never have someone like me. He has it out for me, I swear.”
I shook my head. My sister could never admit something was her fault. “So, you want me to help you study?”
She gave me a dirty look. “Are you kidding me right now? Um, hell to the no. I want you to take the exam for me.”
“You’re crazy! I’m not doing that! Besides, I would miss my own final to help you.” She must be insane if she thought I would be willing to trade places with her and let her take my test. My sister was beautiful and very popular, but she sucked at anything that had to do with academics.
“I’m going to hook that day. The makeup exam will be the following day and you’ll be all done. Please Will? I don’t want to fail my senior year. I’m begging you.”
I walked over to my window. Did she even know what she was asking me to do? How could I possibly do something illegal? How could I chance losing everything I’d worked for?
I’ll tell you how…
I did it for my twin sister; the one who shared the egg that created us. She was my partner, no matter what the sacrifice. I’d do anything to make her happy. In fact, I couldn’t feel content unless I knew she did too.
That was my biggest mistake.
I was already disappointed in myself, but it was something I felt obligated to do, no matter what the risk was. “Fine. You owe me big for this one.”
“Anything! You just name it.” She wrapped her arms around me. “What would I do without you, sis?”
“Apparently, flunk Biology.”
She snickered as she started to walk out of the room. “Now that you’ve helped me solve my itsy bitsy problem, I can concentrate on getting myself all sexified up for this party tonight. Everyone is going to be there. I’m so excited.”
Everyone wasn’t going to be there. I’d be catching up on biology, in my room, alone.
I only studied for a few hours before I got bored and my mind went back to Stoshua. I was running out of time to tell him how I felt. It was going to happen.
There was a big end-of-year assembly for the seniors. We were both on the cleanup committee and would have to stay after school. When we were alone, I was going to tell him everything. He would finally find out just how crazy in love with him I was. Since I was sure he felt the same way, I was excited and optimistic.
The assembly was focused on superlatives, which my sister won a lot of. She was most beautiful, most daring, and most popular. Everyone cheered when she went up to collect her little awards.
I spotted Stosh in the crowd and caught him looking back at me three times. It gave me even more courage.
After the assembly was over, I weeded through the crowd to find him. I should have known when I saw him standing in front of my sister, something was wrong. It just didn’t dawn on me it would go the way it went.
They both saw me heading their way. My smile turned upside down and my heart was beating a thousand times too fast. “What’s up?”
They looked to one another and then back at me. “Stoshua just asked me to prom. We are going to be the hottest couple there. I just know it.” She put her arm into his and waited for me to reply.
Of all the people on the entire planet, nobody could have hurt me like my sister did at that very moment. I was literally crushed into a million pieces. “I didn’t know you guys were friends.”
They both looked at each other and shrugged. After all this time, I’d thought he was interested in me, when the whole time he’d only been into my sister. She’d probably told him to be nice to me.
I felt like such a fool.
“That’s great.” I could feel the burning in my throat. I was choking back my own pain to try to be happy for my sister. It was impossible to look at Stosh. I wanted to die!
The next week was worse. Ivy drug me all over town, looking for the perfect dress. She said she needed to be the hottest girl there.
When she found her version of a perfect dress, which consisted of it just ending at her ass and showing entirely too much cleavage, she became even more annoying. “You know, you should come to prom. We could get matching dresses, like we did when we were kids.”
“No thanks. Prom isn’t my kind of scene. I’m just going to catch a movie. You know, the statistics show how drunk driving is heightened during events such as dances. Drug use is even worse. I prefer being home by ten and knowing I will wake up in one piece.”
She rolled her eyes at me. “Whatever!” While admiring herself in the mirror, “I seriously wonder what planet you came from sometimes. I mean, do you even hear yourself?”
If she wasn’t my sister, I knew we’d never be friends. We had nothing in common except our looks. “I can’t help who I am. When I’m out of college and I have a good job, I’ll have plenty of time to go out and have fun. I just don’t want to make a mistake that could cost me the future I’m working hard for. You can’t hate me for being responsible.”
“You really need to live a little. Your vagina is going to shrivel up like an old lady if you don’t use it!”
I rolled my eyes. “My vagina is fine, thank you very much.”
“Don’t say I didn’t warn ya.” She continued admiring herself in the mirror.
“Just because I’m saving myself, doesn’t mean I’m a prude. I’m happy with my life. One day I can look back and be happy with my decisions. I don’t want regrets, Ivy.” She was going to have them. Everything my sister did made me wonder what the hell she was thinking.
Since dress shopping had been a nightmare, I avoided my sister until the big day. I’d had my moments, and it was a blessing we didn’t share a room. I’d cried myself to sleep every night and being in school wasn’t easier. I had to maintain my friendship with Stosh like nothing had happened. He was into my sister, which meant he had never been into me. It was like a slap in the face to have to put on a smile every single day and pretend our friendship hadn’t been tainted.
When he started asking me questions about my sister, I wanted to scream.
Then they became more than just prom dates. I saw him walking her to class, and she kissed him right in front of me. I wanted to cringe. The two people I loved the most were into each other. I was the odd person out. Nothing was going to be the same.
As upset as I was about their situation, I did switch places with my sister and take her exam. For some reason, I didn’t think about having to pretend to be her around Stosh. He found me walking down the hall and grabbed my hand. I’d pictured it for so long and wondered what it would be like to have his large hand holding mine.
He kept looking at me and smiling, but didn’t say anything. A few people passed us in the hall and he spoke to them, but not to me. When we arrived at my sister’s class, I knew we had to say something. “Thanks for walking with me.”
“It was my pleasure.” He played with my bangs, causing me to blush. I was ridiculously hot for him but, I couldn’t tell him.
I bit down on my lip. “Willow isn’t here today.”
“Really? Where is she?”
“She’s not feeling well.” It wasn’t totally a lie. I felt like I was going to puke.
“Good thing she finished her exams. I just thought we could hang out in the library. Oh well, I guess I’ll just take a nap.”
I thought he was just going to walk away. I mean, he started to, but all of a sudden he turned around and pulled me into his arms. Butterflies filled my stomach as he closed his eyes and pressed his warm lips on mine. I would have been able to manage with just a peck, but it escalated quickly. His tongue intruded its way into my mouth and found mine. I just couldn’t help myself. I’d dreamed of kissing this
fabulous guy for a very long time. I had to feel what it was like once.
I’d never seen him kiss my sister this intensely. He grabbed the back of the hair on my head and kissed me again and again. I hadn’t even noticed the bell had rung until the teacher cleared his voice. “Do you plan on taking your final exam, Ivy?”
Stoshua pulled away, but not before placing a small kiss on my forehead. “It was worth it,” he whispered before walking away.
I walked into the classroom with my heart beating out of my chest. From just one kiss, I’d fallen more in love with him. My sister was never going to forgive me and I didn’t even mind.
Well, I didn’t care about anything Ivy related until I got home and heard her talking about him. She was excited and trying on her dress for the twentieth time. “I can’t wait until tomorrow. We’re going to have such a good time. He’s going to have a night he will never forget.”
I was so jealous I couldn’t help myself. “We kissed today. He thought I was you.”
Her eyes got huge, and she walked over to me. “That’s impossible. I talked to him right before he walked into school and told him I wasn’t going to be there.”
I was speechless. Stosh knew he was kissing me. Maybe I was wrong about his feelings. Maybe I really had a chance. “But, he…”
“He was probably just playing the part. He kisses me every day before class. Wow, he is an awesome boyfriend, don’t you think?”
She was oblivious to what I was thinking.
I didn’t care what Ivy thought had happened. I’d felt the connection between us. It was real, I could have sworn it.
While I retreated to my room to relive the most magical moment of my life, I got a text from Stosh, saying he missed me at school. It made no sense. Ivy swore he knew it was me the whole time.
Choosing to ignore him, I tried to stay in my room when he came to pick up my sister in the limousine. I didn’t even want to peek out the window to see them together. It just hurt too much.
Twinsequences Willow Page 1
