Amazing, Because It Is.

Some people are so afraid to die that they never begin to live. - Henry Van Dyke.

“If you’re looking for a whole slew of venereal diseases and more popularity than Barbie,” (The Mayhem Twins apparently did not get along with Morgan, Jen, and Lauren, I noted) “then you might as well sit here and talk fall fashions with the skank triplets,” Dallas shrugged nonchalantly, like this ultimatum wasn’t about to decide the remainder of my high school career.

As I tended to do nowadays when faced with any particularly weighing decision, I consulted my index of Jeremy-isms. WWJD? (What would Jeremy Do?)

“Sis, I’m not saying anything would stop me from doing one of those girls, but for god’s sake, you don’t want to hang with them! Where is your self worth?”

Great, now I was hearing his phantom voice along with the incessantly chirping, “Pick neither! Go over there and sit with my old group of friends! They won’t get you killed or pregnant – I swear!” babble that Alex was spouting.

So I decided to listen to my big brother, of course. Didn’t I owe him at least that? I supposed I did.

“Sorry,” I shrugged nonchalantly, gathering my scant belongings and protesting minimally when Sanchez took hold of my hand and began dragging me from the lunch room.

“Uh, where are we going?” I inquired later as we traversed the parking lot, still hand in hand. The nervous lilt to my voice was surprising, since I was finding it particularly difficult lately to convey feeling through my vocal chords. However, I had never been much of a trouble-maker, so this was new.

“They don’t call us the Mayhem Twins for nothing, honey,” Dallas laughed musically, her steps light and graceful. She was practically skipping.

“And there’s not much mayhem to get into at Dulaney,” Sanchez rolled her eyes exaggeratedly, aiming the remote on her ring of keys at a black Chevy Nova, automatically unlocking the doors.

I had never seen two human beings who weren’t blood-related able to talk in such synchronization; unrehearsed. I was quick to pick up on why they were called the Mayhem Twins.

And even quicker to realize that I had flown directly into a much more tangled web than I could’ve ever perceived by just looking at the pair.

Their influence on other people (the male species especially), their blatant disregard for laws and rules, their determination to do everything against the book – it was nothing I had expected.

And everything I needed. Their antics would pull me out of this pit of despair I’d fallen into – I was sure of it.

“See the girl with the mousy brown hair and gray eyes? Four o’clock?” Sanchez questioned, with no interest whatsoever paid to the fact that the girl she described was nowhere near four o’clock, whatever that meant.

I shrugged, nodding, still acclimating to the fact that the girl could so obviously hear Sanchez talking about her, but wouldn’t – or couldn’t – say anything about it. People revered the Mayhem Twins, and it was almost like being an accessory to royalty. Alex wholeheartedly protested against my “friendship” with them, if that’s what it even was, and he did so often, but I was far too intrigued to ditch them for his skater/indie friends who always gave me dirty looks anyway.

“Not much of a looker, right?” Dallas asked, taking up where Sanchez had left off. That I had gotten used to. It happened so often, it was beginning to seem natural. “Well, Collin, Morgan’s boyfriend,” she clarified, as if I didn’t know, “got her pregnant last year at the winter formal.”

“It was priceless,” Sanchez cackled, her throaty, rough voice somewhat disturbing, what with the wicked way she was laughing. “Morgan tried to keep it quiet, but everyone knew.”

“Actually, she probably would’ve succeeded…had it not been for us meddling kids and our dog,” Dallas shrugged, making an allusion to Scooby Doo, a show Jeremy had made me sit through countless Saturday mornings when we were younger. I barely ever protested, though as far as dogs went, I preferred the Blue’s Clues variety. I gave up anything to spend time with my older brother. Still would.

By her statement, I inferred that the twins had done something to spread the news.

I didn’t even know the half of it.