Toxic
One
Rian rounded the corner of his street, mind filled with all sorts of unanswered questions. He was on his way to the Gaskarth’s house, not caring that he hadn’t bothered to call to let Alex know he was on his way. The bomb his parents just dropped on him left him with no words, all he could think to do was put his shoes on and scramble out the door.
It was hot out today, the mid-August heat causing a small amount of perspiration to break out across his forehead. After the 15-minute walk across the neighbourhood he reached his destination, knocking impatiently on the front door.
“Rian honey!” Alex’s mom greeted him, opening the door so he could step into the air-conditioned house,
“Alex is upstairs in his room.”
After thanking her, Rian slipped his shoes off and ran up the stairs two at a time until he reached the familiar bedroom at the end of the hallway. Not bothering to knock, he swung the door open, startling his best friend Alex who was playing the PlayStation from where he was slouched over on his bed.
“Yo” he nodded at Rian, continuing his video game once he realized who it was. It was pretty normal for each of the 4 boys to arrive at one another's house unannounced.
Walking over to Alex's bed, Rian face planted, burying his head in the sheets and lying like that for a good five minutes before Alex finally paused his game to address his friend's behaviour.
“What are you doing?” he asked, knowing there was something out of the ordinary.
“I didn’t know where else to go man” Rian replied, lifting his head to meet Alex's gaze.
“What are you talking about?” he prodded with a concerned tone, “Are you alright?”
“I don't even know where to begin” Rian said, rolling over onto his back to stare at the ceiling.
"Spit it out Rian." Alex said, completely confused.
"My parents just politely informed me that I have a twin sister."
“You what? How is that even possible?” Alex replied in shock.
“I told you about how my mom is actually my step mom right? My dad always told me that my biological mother left us when I was a baby, and I always considered Kathi my real mom. She adopted me when I was a baby anyway so I never really even gave much of a thought to where my biological mother was. Her name is Danielle apparently.”
“Continue” Alex responded, scratching the back of his head.
“My dad said Danielle and him just had a fling, but she wound up pregnant with twins. They never planned on being together so they decided to each take one of us and move on with their own lives. My dad met Kathi, mom, shortly after and the rest is history. She raised me with my dad and they never spoke again.”
“Holly fuck” Alex replied, “Why on earth did they decide to tell you this now?”
“Danielle died a few days ago in a car accident and my twin sister has nowhere to go but with us.” Rian finally managed to get out, “She never remarried, so her next legal guardian is my dad.”
Alex just stared back at Rian with his mouth hanging wide open.
Rian let out a long sigh, “Her name is Violet.”
After a few moments Alex reached out to put a hand on Rian's shoulder, “It’s going to be alright man. When is she coming?”
“Tonight” he replied, a rush of anxiety washing over him.
--
In attempt to distract Rian from the evening ahead, him and Alex played video games for a couple of hours. It sort of worked, but he found himself continuously losing focus, still trying to wrap his mind around what he had learned earlier in the day.
When it turned 5:30 he figured he should head home and face whatever was to come. When he walked up the driveway to the house he grew up in, he could hear his father's voice in the kitchen and he had a feeling Violet had already arrived. Pulling the side door open hastily, Rian was greeted by a pair of brown eyes that matched the ones he saw every time he looked in the mirror.
It was hot out today, the mid-August heat causing a small amount of perspiration to break out across his forehead. After the 15-minute walk across the neighbourhood he reached his destination, knocking impatiently on the front door.
“Rian honey!” Alex’s mom greeted him, opening the door so he could step into the air-conditioned house,
“Alex is upstairs in his room.”
After thanking her, Rian slipped his shoes off and ran up the stairs two at a time until he reached the familiar bedroom at the end of the hallway. Not bothering to knock, he swung the door open, startling his best friend Alex who was playing the PlayStation from where he was slouched over on his bed.
“Yo” he nodded at Rian, continuing his video game once he realized who it was. It was pretty normal for each of the 4 boys to arrive at one another's house unannounced.
Walking over to Alex's bed, Rian face planted, burying his head in the sheets and lying like that for a good five minutes before Alex finally paused his game to address his friend's behaviour.
“What are you doing?” he asked, knowing there was something out of the ordinary.
“I didn’t know where else to go man” Rian replied, lifting his head to meet Alex's gaze.
“What are you talking about?” he prodded with a concerned tone, “Are you alright?”
“I don't even know where to begin” Rian said, rolling over onto his back to stare at the ceiling.
"Spit it out Rian." Alex said, completely confused.
"My parents just politely informed me that I have a twin sister."
“You what? How is that even possible?” Alex replied in shock.
“I told you about how my mom is actually my step mom right? My dad always told me that my biological mother left us when I was a baby, and I always considered Kathi my real mom. She adopted me when I was a baby anyway so I never really even gave much of a thought to where my biological mother was. Her name is Danielle apparently.”
“Continue” Alex responded, scratching the back of his head.
“My dad said Danielle and him just had a fling, but she wound up pregnant with twins. They never planned on being together so they decided to each take one of us and move on with their own lives. My dad met Kathi, mom, shortly after and the rest is history. She raised me with my dad and they never spoke again.”
“Holly fuck” Alex replied, “Why on earth did they decide to tell you this now?”
“Danielle died a few days ago in a car accident and my twin sister has nowhere to go but with us.” Rian finally managed to get out, “She never remarried, so her next legal guardian is my dad.”
Alex just stared back at Rian with his mouth hanging wide open.
Rian let out a long sigh, “Her name is Violet.”
After a few moments Alex reached out to put a hand on Rian's shoulder, “It’s going to be alright man. When is she coming?”
“Tonight” he replied, a rush of anxiety washing over him.
--
In attempt to distract Rian from the evening ahead, him and Alex played video games for a couple of hours. It sort of worked, but he found himself continuously losing focus, still trying to wrap his mind around what he had learned earlier in the day.
When it turned 5:30 he figured he should head home and face whatever was to come. When he walked up the driveway to the house he grew up in, he could hear his father's voice in the kitchen and he had a feeling Violet had already arrived. Pulling the side door open hastily, Rian was greeted by a pair of brown eyes that matched the ones he saw every time he looked in the mirror.