The title is NOT meant to be an insult. I want to make that clear right now. My sister is a good person and I think the world of her. Identical twins, adopted at infancy by a well off couple, I always considered us lucky that we weren't accidentally split up in the process. No expense was spared in raising us and our parents raised us as if we were their own.
Karma and I have always been complete opposites. I only have to glance at are concisely split bedroom to be reminded just how far the divide in our personalities goes. I like everything rainbow and my part of the room refects that. Pink walls with painted rainbows with nestled clouds. My bed is often covered in various Strawberry Shortcake spreads that my parents aquired throughout my childhood. Baskets of adorable stuffed animals flank the corners.
Then there's Karma's side of the room. Black and orange stripes painted down the walls, plastic Jack 'o lanterns everywhere, and a bookshelf that reached the ceiling.
I was staring at Karma's side of the room when I realized that if we didn't hurry up we'd be late for the school. Already in my uniform, a smart maroon blazer and a pair of khaki pants I strode over to my twin's side of the room. We're identical, but Karma's dyed dark green hair was a stark contrast to my rainbow ombre hair, making us look almost completely different. I gently shook her awake, and she bolted upright instantly. Out of instinct I recoiled, Karma blinked and slowly seemed to process what was happening. As that happened her expression began to sour slightly but I ignored it.
"Come on we got to get ready for school. We can't afford to be late again."
"I'm feeding Trouble first," she grumbled as she slowly rose to her feet and stalked off to the glass enclosure she kept at her desk. I didn't argue.
Trouble, Karma's pet lizard waited patiently on his branch, soaking up the heat from the lamp we positioned over the cage so he wouldn't get too cold. His teeth parted slightly revealing tiny razor sharp fangs. His tiny, bat-like wings spread almost of their own accord. It was plain for anyone to see that he was starving. We had found him outside, and my twin took an instant liking to him. We still didn't know what type of lizard he was. Try as we might, we just couldn't find a known species that fit his description even after constant consultation with several experts we were left utterly stumped, though that never seemed to be something my sister seemed to mind.
Grabbing a container off to the side, my twin returned to the enclosure and after removing its top she carefully opened the jar of food and dumped it inside. I grimaced and looked away. I knew it wasn't Karma or Trouble's fault but full disclosure- the cycle of life is gross.
I took the opportunity to exit into the hallway, my insides churning.
"Is she running late again?" Zack, our older brother asked defeatedly. Or parents were on a business trip so as the oldest it was his job to make sure we were out of the house on time. At seventeen, Zack handled the task with patience and grace, but I couldn't help but tell that the pressure was getting to him. Not only did he have to get himself to class, he had to get my sister there as well.
"Overslept. She's feeding Trouble now," I explained sheepishly. He rubbed his face in exasperation.
"Go back in there have her change please," He ordered calmly. "Then get breakfast -quickly."
I nodded and turned on my heels and reentered the bedroom. Karma was still in her pajamas, watching the lizard gobble down insects. "Alright you feed him, now let's get you ready for school." She didn't turn around but hummed in acknowledgment. Seeing that Karma wasn't going to move I went over to her closet and flung it open. Everything was black and orange and green save for the marroon and khakiuniforms stuffed hurriedly in the corner. Grabbing one, I returned to Karma's side, thrusting the clothing in her direction. She frowned slightly- she had always hated our prep school's uniforms-but took the hanger and ran off to the bathroom. After a moment she was back the distaste evident but contained. Her hair was still slightly disheveled and I considered briefly insisting that I brush it but I knew Karma had always despised that and we definitely didn't have the time.
"I'm really glad today's the last day of school. I really need to talk to mom and dad about homeschooling." She tugged gingerly of the blazer's tight sleeves.
"Yeah," I agreed, thinking about all the time I could spend learning about things that weren't on the curriculum on the side if I didn't have such a rigid schedule. "I might do that too, but for now we should go."
We grabbed a quick breakfast from the bagel shop that was near the school. I got my usual: a blueberry bagel with strawberry cream cheese and a mocha frappe. Karma, ever the dare-devil got a jalapeño bagel with jalapeño cream and a hot, black coffee to top it all off. sipped my drink gingerly. Karma took a big bite of the spicy bread. "How do you do that without dying?" I asked for probably the millionth time throughout our lives. My twin shrugged. "I like the heat." She said simply and then sipped her coffee. As usual I let the topic go after that. We finished our breakfast quickly, as food wasn't allowed during class. Like always, we threw the remains in a nearby by garbage can.
The prep school came up sooner than I think both of us would have liked. The church-like building loomed in the distance and like always Karma hesitated. It was normal for her, the stern presence of our teachers had always unsettled her and with her playful unruliness, she was often a target for their ire. I gave her a gentle nudge in a way that I was supportive. Stiffening, Karma strode ahead to the oak doors like someone who'd rather be anywhere else but was determined to get the ordeal over with. Ready to complete my exams, I followed.
We were lucky to have all the same classes that semester and so we walked into Ms. Walker's classroom just before the last bell rang. "Cutting it a bit close girls," Walker warned sternly. I looked away and muttered an apology but Karma was a different story. She gave the older woman a hard glare as if daring her to say anything else and I cringed. The teacher looked taken aback but said nothing else as we both took our seats.
To prevent the possibility of cheating, our teachers always made sure to seat us on opposite sides of the room during exams. Neither of us would cheat but I understood why they would not want to take a chance. Karma of course resented this deeply, but there was little she could do without receiving disciplinary action.
The first half of the first exam went quietly, and I was pretty certain it was going to be a pretty uneventful day until a blaring alarm startled me, making me jump. I dropped my pencil in surprise, my eyes instantly darting over to my twin, who looked just as bewildered as I was. Rising immediately my classmates and I filled out of the classroom, Ms. Walker urging us out the door. I was able to catch up with my sister in the hall, the hairs on the back of my neck standing up at the smell of smoke. Lights and alarms blared painfully, an assault on the senses. I saw Karma clamp her hands over her ears as we made our exit. It was all so overwhelming but I forced myself to keep my cool. We went out the nearest side door, just like our fire drills in the past. Standing in the parking lot, we saw other students from other classes file out of the building, the years of emergency prep the school put us through coming in handy. My heart sinking, I could already smell the smoke growing stronger. Karma grasped my hand instinctively and I squeezed it back, grateful for the support.
Fire engines came quickly, sirens screaming. The police followed. It was just when the last patrol car put their vehicle in park when I heard the breaking of glass in the distance. I turned my head in alarm just in time to see a figure emerging from the side of the building. I could tell right away that it was definitely not human. It was on all fours, and about the size of a small car. Partially covered by some bushes, I paled as I saw it disappear into the brush.
"Did you see that?"