Virgin Fates.

(ANNETTE)

She was leaning into the mirror, applying a final coat of blush. She stepped back and sighed at her appearance. She was barely recognizable through her layers of foundation and eye shadow. She sighed loudly as a soft knocked sounded at her door.

“Are you ready yet, honey?” Annette’s mother’s silky voice drifted through the crack of the door. She proceeded in when Annette beckoned her inside. “Oh hon.. you aren’t even dressed yet,” her mother’s blue-ish gray eyes squinted in disapproval as she put her diamond earring through her right earlobe. She walked past Annette who was now scrolling through her laptop at her desk.

“I don’t want to go downstairs. I’m tired of it all,” Annette sighed.

“Annette Marie,” Mrs. Landon turned to her daughter, tiredly. “This is the most important dinner this month.”

“Even more then last weekend’s? And the weekend before that?” Annette exhaled, rolling her eyes.

“Come on hon, just put on your dress and come downstairs. Everyone’s already here. Even the governor came out tonight,” Mrs. Landon’s tired, pulling a long golden gown out of her daughter’s closet and smoothing it out on her plush bed.

“I’m not coming down,” Annette assured.

“Fine… I won’t force you. You’re too old to drag down the banister. I just hope you come to your senses,” Mrs. Landon quietly shut the door behind her. Annette thanked the skies when she was left to herself, but it didn’t last long. Another knock, this one louder than the last.

“Go away dad, I don’t want to…” but Annette was cut off by the door opening and instead of seeing a middle aged man with graying whiskers, she saw a pair of familiar brown eyes.

“Dad? Are we role playing?” Liam laughed.

“Shut up,” Annette threw a pillow at him jokingly. He dodged it though, and continued in. “I’m bored of these dinners.”

“I know you are,” Liam breathed, sitting on the floor next to his best friend. Their parents were copartners to some oil business that really was set off within their years.

“Aren’t you?” Annette wondered, looking into his eyes for the first time. Liam appeared to be thinking thoughtfully at her question. His eyebrows remained crunched in the middle and he was obviously chewing the inside of his cheek, a nervous habit.

“I wish for your sake I could say I was tired of them, but that would be a lie,” Liam chewed his words carefully. “I kind of like feeling more mature and… I don’t know… at these getherings I always feel important. I don’t know maybe that sounds dumb.”

“It doesn’t sound dumb,” Annette reassured. “Just,” she breathed in before she continued, “don’t you ever wish that we could have a normal life? Like, go to school and then come home just to sneak out again? And maybe have a stash of secret stuff in our room that every time we leave the house, we’re worried about our parents finding, but in the end we wouldn’t care because the rush of it all would feel so damn good? Or maybe even finding ourselves in some stranger’s house without the smallest recollection of the night previous? Even maybe witnessing a drug deal!” Annette was standing up now, pacing her floor with a handsome smile of hope. “Something, anything, more exciting than another dinner party with dumb champagne glasses and tight expensive dresses that don’t allow you to take a proper breath,” she shot a disgusted look at the golden gown, “No instead I want to buy denim! I want to wear denim! I want a flower crown even! I just want a life opposite this…”

A silence.

“Whoa…” Liam breathed in for Annette’s sake. “Let’s just get through tonight.” Liam stood and approached the door. Annette huffed and picked up the dress. Knowing she didn’t truly have a chose. “Tomorrow starts our adventure. Our change of pace. I’ll join you in these… dreams.”

And with that Liam winked, Annette beaming holding onto his promise.


***

(EMBER)

“You can’t tag along Raven…” Ember said, walking back to her room from the bathroom.

“Why not?” Raven spat back, following her sister like a shadow.

“Because you’re… you just can’t,” Ember tried shutting her door, but her twin caught it.

“Because I’m your twin?” Raven said, quietly, almost in an ashamed tone.

“Yeah, I guess,” Ember avoided her sister’s eyes.

Raven and Ember were fraternal twins and as of the past weekend: roommates. Raven had been living with her father in Texas but had recently moved back in with her mom and twin, in Philadelphia. Raven was with her dad since middle school and now they were to be entering their eleventh year of school together.

“You… have you not told your friends about me?” Raven wondered, a smile creeping onto her lips.

Ember’s eyes darted away from Raven’s. Raven laughed richly.

“That’s kind of funny,” Raven managed through her laugh. “You have a twin and they don’t even know.” But she stopped laughing when Ember’s cheeks reached a deep crimson.

“Look, you wouldn’t like them,” Ember ignored Raven. “They’re… like me,” Ember tried.

“What does that mean? I like you. I’ll like them,” Raven pushed through the door and sat on Ember’s bed as Ember slid into her black combat boots.

“Probably not. Did you ever drink in Texas? Smoke? Party at all?” Ember looked at her younger half that had been missing from her life for so long.

“Actually, I did… that’s the reason Dad sent me here. He just didn’t tell you and mom that, afraid you wouldn’t take me because of it,” Raven shrugged.

“Wait… are you serious?” this caught Ember’s attention. It was the last thing she expected to her come spilling from her own sister’s lips. She had shown up in a wholesome sweater with long wavy hair. She looked so wholesome.

“Yeah. What sent dad over the edge were the condoms he found in my drawer. Some were just wrappers,” Raven added a nervous laugh and Ember’s jaw dropped.

“You aren’t a vir…” Ember began.

“No, no I am. Complete virgin,” Raven held a hand up as if to be swearing on it. “The wrappers were left from my friends. Not me.”

“Oh, I was gonna say. I would be mighty surprised if you had lost it before me,” Ember sat next to her sister now.

“Yeah, no I still am. Why? Would it be that surprising for me to have lost it before you?”

“I guess not, I don’t know… you don’t have the look of…” Ember began.

“Look of…?”

“Forget it,” Ember waved it away.

“So, am I cool enough to come out with you and your friends?” Raven asked, her blue eyes big and pleading.

“Maybe too cool now,” Ember joked. “Go get ready. Louis’ on his way.”


***

(NIALL)


“It’s a little late to go out, don’t you think? Tomorrow’s your first day of school,” Niall’s older brother Greg advised.

“I didn’t notice,” Niall mocked. “Besides it’s only eleven,” he added, sounding rather bored. His hand rested on the door to the garage that now held his old beaten up Volvo.

“Exactly. It’s eleven. Most kids your age have curfews at this time,” Greg descended the stairs accusingly.

“Well good thing I’m not like most kids,” Niall chuckled coldly, not bothering to turn and face his mothering brother.

“Mom wouldn’t want you going out at this time,” Greg’s voice was softer this time, but his eyes looked just as firm.

“Yeah well, funny thing is mom’s not here,” and with that Niall pressed through the door and drove away as quickly as he could.

After his mom had died his brother was left to care for him. But Greg was only a couple years older and in no place to parent. The two of them used to be friends, but now they were struggling with who had more power.

“Thought you weren’t gonna show,” Louis leaned down and peered into Niall’s car from the driver’s side. He had just pulled into the driveway of Louis’ small ranch house. It was in shambles and sirens always seemed to be heard from there.

“When have I ever not showed?” Niall said, staring forward. Louis lifted a shoulder. “Get in, would you?” Niall spat. Louis drummed his thumbs on the car before sprinting to the passenger seat.

“We have to swing by and get Ember. I promised we’d bring her,” Louis added as Niall began to drive. They drove by a few houses on the deserted unkempt street, passing an old playground that hosted a few pre teen hoodlums that were now setting a pile of leaves ablaze.

“Pull over here,” Louis quickly said. Niall obeyed and swerved to the playground, parking on the curb, startling the kids. “Cute little trick,” Louis laughed sinisterly as some of the kids were patting the leaves out, afraid he was an adult here to reprimand them.

But once Louis got closer to the kids, the fear in their eyes grew. The kids all stared, wide-eyed and nervous. Louis had a reputation. Everywhere. And in these kids’ eyes, Louis was worse than parents or in some cases he was even worse then the cops.

“Wanna see something cool?” Louis egged on. Niall was now standing in between the car door of the driver’s seat and the seat itself, ready to make a quick getaway. Louis was pulling out his lighter and approaching a tree that stood at the edge of the swing set, thick and full of life. Louis began to climb the tree with ease, lighter still in hand. He looked part monkey as he flung each hand to the next branch higher. Swinging himself onto the thickest branch he perched himself down.

The kids’ eyes all remained intently on him, awaiting his next move, licking their lips with anticipation.

“The leaves…” Louis was pulling a cigarette now and pointing at their burnt out pile back on the ground. “Cute trick,” he lit the cigarette. “But I have a better one,” Louis took a drag. He waited an extra minute before his next move and then suddenly he flicked it into the bush of the tree. Within a second he was back on the ground and running to Niall’s car. The tree didn’t immediately go up, but everyone could smell the flames beginning.

Louis flung himself inside the already moving Volvo. He slammed the door shut and the car skidded off, leaving smoke in the rearview mirror and Louis to laugh maniacally.

Notes

HAY GUYS.

So this story is going to be similar to Oblivion, my previous story if you aren't familiar with it. I'm changing it though to improve the plot! I'm really excited and hope you all are too!

xxx