18?

There once lived two twins, a boy and a girl by the names of Tom and Kate Smith. Deprived of their parents, they grew up in The Heavenly Heirs Children’s Refuge, an orphanage attached to the local Abbey. Their predicament never was of any consequence to them, however, because, for as long as they could remember, they had loved playing together and were the very best of friends. From the time they were confined to the toys in the nursery, through the time they spent playing tag on the playground, through the time they spent in the throes of hormones and homework in high school, they looked to each other for support. They had gotten through everything from nightmares to bullies to peer pressure by means of their long talks, caring words, and unjudging attitude.

And as they graduated high school and approached 18, they planned on keeping in touch, even when they could no longer stay together at the orphanage. It approached quickly, yet they pretended it was not coming at all. Finally, on the day before their birthday, Kate could not keep quiet any more.

“I can’t get it off my mind,” she told Tom.

“I’ve got an idea to fix that,” Tom said. “We play a game of hide-and-seek.”

Kate’s heavy silence begged for a good explanation.

“Hear me out on this one, Kate. We’re nearly 18. We know how to hail a cab. We make the entire city our boundaries! Only places that we have been together, and you must wait outside the main doors. It’ll be fun.”

The explanation was enough to get Kate to nod her head. “Only places we’ve been together. And I have to wait outside the front doors.”

“I’ll let you go first, and I’ll give you a thirty minute head start.”

Kate agreed and ran out of the orphanage.

Thirty minutes later, true to his word, Tom was out in the cabs, visiting all the different places he and Kate had been together. He searched the most obvious places first: the high school, the library, the mall, the park, even back at the abbey, thinking she might have given him the slip. No luck. Tom continued his search: the ice cream stand, the museum, the bowling alley, the mini golf course. Still, no luck. Tom got out of the cab on main street and confined himself to walking past all the shops, trying to think back on the most obscure places they might have been. He was about to give up and call her when he saw her walking toward him on the sidewalk.

“Kate where have you—” Tom’s words were suffocated by the look on Kate’s face. It was unlike any he had ever seen on her. His eyes went wide.

Kate did not stop until she had wrapped him in her arms and connected her lips with his. He felt the softness of her lips, the warmth of the curves of her body nestled up against his. A moment of shock, followed by repulsion. Tom pushed her away.

“Kate, what the—”

Kate cut him off with a finger to his lips. She was still giving him that look.

“Sister!”

Kate shook her head, grabbed his hand, and turned back the way she came. “Walk with me.”

Tom pulled out of her grasp. “Wha—what’s wrong with you? What was that? Where have you been?”

“I have something to share with you.”

“I want an explanation now!”

Kate stopped, turned, and looked him straight in the eye. “I am not your sister.”

“What are you talking about? We’re twins.”

“And the abbey was wrong about our birthdays as well. Happy 18th birthday, Tom.”

“Have you gone crazy?”

“I went to hide at the library. I was standing outside when Sister Sasha walked by.”

“The one who left a year ago?”

“The one who was released a year ago. I didn’t realize it until later though. I hadn’t seen her in so long that I had to address her. She smiled at me and wished me a happy birthday. I told her she must have forgotten. My birthday was the 14th of August, not the 13th. She paused a moment, then told me to follow her. I asked her where. ‘The courthouse,’ she told me. I told her I couldn’t, that I was waiting for you. She told me that what she was to show me concerned you too, that she was surprised the orphanage still hadn’t told us.

“My curiosity was perked, and I followed her to the courthouse where she was still able to access my records. Right there, in the records, it stated that you were born on the thirteenth of August to Jim and Peggy Smith, and that I was born on the thirteenth of August to Ronald and Darla Smith. ‘There now, you see?’ Sasha said. ‘The orphanage has been lying to you. They can’t even get your birthday right. So much for love and family.’ I would have asked more questions, but she fled the scene on the arrival of a clerk.”

Tom was shaking his head. “It can’t be true. She was lying to you.”

“You’re not thinking clearly, Tom. I’ll show you myself. Look, I made a copy of them.”

Tom crumpled and threw the papers in a nearby wastebasket. Kate pulled herself close to Tom again, kissed him again before he had sense enough to pull away. His eyes grew wide again, yet now his mouth was shut in silence.

“Marry me, Tom,” she said.

Tom shook his head until his brain hurt.

“Don’t you find me attractive?”

Tom did not answer.

“Marry me. Doesn’t it just seem right, knowing what we now know?”

Tom ran. He ran until his lungs hurt. He ran from her sounding words, her calls for him to come back. He ran until he heard a familiar voice call out to him from a nearby field. “Tom?” The voice laughed, sending shivers down his spine. “Thomas Smith, no way. Why are you running, Tommy?”

The voice belonged to Rufus Drake, the kid who had instilled fear in him all growing up. Not only had he been bigger, a trait to which he had continually reminded Tom, but he had also been a tattle tale. He had instilled the fear of the mother superior in Tom and had used it to his constant advantage. Tom could still taste the bitterness now. “I was just, you know, running.”

“Man, you’re not the scrawny little thing I used to know. Why don’t you come play some rugby with us? You know, a real man’s game.”

“I don’t know the first thing about rugby. I’d better get back to the orphanage.”

“Don’t tell me you haven’t left that place yet. Just remember, tackle the guy with the ball on the other team. The rest can be explained as we go.”

Tom walked over with Rufus. “Hey everybody,” Rufus called out. “This is Tommy. He used to be a dweeb back when I knew him, but I’ll bet he can lay out any one of ya now.” Rufus slapped him on the back. Tom gave out the best laugh he could.

The game resumed, now with Tom doing exactly what he was told. He followed directions well and lived up to the reputation his old enemy placed on him. Time after time, he rammed the players. Time after time, they pulled themselves up, rubbing their backsides and eyeing Tom with respect. The success filled Tom with a reverie that made him forget about all the drama of earlier that day.

“You know what, Tommy,” Rufus said after the game, “you’re not bad. Here’s my Gatorade, you deserve it more than me.” Tom thanked him and guzzled the liquid. “I’ll tell you what Tommy, we could use you on our club team. What d’you say?”

These last words had hardly registered, though, for Tom had gotten distracted by a gathering at the other end of the field. They were all staring at them. “Who are they?”

Rufus chuckled and gave Tom a punch that hurt more than intended. “Tommy, you rogue. That’s the Marion Dance Team, our number one fans. You seem to have caught their eye. C’mon, we’ll worry about the contracts later.”

They approached the girls who were looking especially attractive in their dance outfits. “How was practice today, ladies?” Rufus asked.

“Not as good as watching your fine bodies,” one of them said. Her eyes seemed to catch Tom in hypnosis. “Especially this one here.”

“I, uh, really didn’t know what I was doing out there,” Tom said.

“I betcha you’d make up for it in other ways, though.”

Tom moved forward towards her but she smiled and moved away. “I suppose I’ll be seeing you again in the future,” she said. Her hips sustained a little more sway than necessary as she walked away.

“Wait,” Tom said, “what’s your name?”

“You’ll know before long,” she said.

“How about your number?”

The girl turned back to give that same coy look before leaving the field completely. Rufus put a hand on Tom’s shoulder. “Ah, Miranda. She’s melted many a guy’s heart.” His hand rattled Tom. “I’d put money that if anyone could catch her, though, it’d be you. Nothing like chasing after your meat, eh buddy?”

Everything suddenly seemed to catch up with Tom, as if he had been running so hard that it had lost track of him. He was feeling it now, though. Suddenly, everything, from Rufus to rugby to Miranda, seemed wrong, more wrong than his previous situation had been. Suddenly, what once had been dark seemed to be getting light. “Listen, Rufus, I better be going now.”

“You’ll be back though?”

“No, I don’t think so.”

“We need you.”

“I’ve got to go.”

“Don’t be a baby, dweeb.” Rufus grabbed Tom with both hands now, but Tom threw them off and pushed Rufus back. He then resumed his running.

“She’ll be back at the Abbey by now for sure,” Tom thought, and directed himself back home. He was still on the wrong side of town though. “I’d be foolish to try to run the whole way,” he said. Up past the intersection, he spotted a cab shedding an elderly passenger and her mountain of shopping bags.

Tom stopped at the intersection and waited for the cross traffic to subside. It was there on the corner that he spotted a twenty dollar bill. Wrinkling his eyebrows, he reached down for it, then looked around for the possible owner.

“Hey!” he heard a voice call out. Tom looked toward the source. It came from a low-rider filled with thugs that had stopped in the middle of the road. “Homie. You find that on the street? Come here.”

Tom recognized the insignia on the driver’s bicep. He was a member of the Road Hogs, the most notorious gang in the city, known by many to rob houses in broad daylight, to jump full grown men in the middle of town. When they spoke, everyone obeyed. Tom was no different.

“Yeah, uh, did you want it?”

The driver ignored the question. “Syksies, you know what we got here?”

“No mon,” a voice from the back answered.

“A bag a luck, that’s what. Gonzie, jump in the back. Make way for our homie here.”

“Come on, man.”

The driver pulled out his nine millimeter. “You got a problem, Gonzie?”

The thug grumbled and opened the door.

“Jump in, homie. Name’s Lonny. Attitude boy back there’s Gonzie, and the quiet one’s Syksies.”

Tom did not dare disobey. He got in and buckled his seatbelt.

“Check it out, Lon,” Gonzie said. “Homie thinks you’re going to crash.”

The three of them laughed. Tom denied the fact. “I’ll bet you’re actually a good driver.”

“I like this guy, you know?” Lonny said.

Tom was not convinced that was true, but wasn’t about to say it. “So what do you want from me? I got somewhere I need to be.”

“Yeah, that’s with us, homie. You’re gonna make us a lot of green with that luck of yours.”

The car pulled into a back alley and parked. The thugs directed Tom to get out and follow them down a dingy stairwell to a rotting door. “Welcome to your new career,” Lonny said. Tom looked around. The place was filled with cigarette smoke and gaming tables. “Just use that bill you found to start off. You a blackjack man or a poker man?”

Tom chose the poker. He knew better than to trust this luck these guys thought he had. His skills came through for them too. All those rainy days during elementary school paid off in a lot of quick cash, cash that when he bankrupted the table, was gently scooted over to Lonny.

“You’re not gonna give me at least a portion?”

“You ain’t old enough to gamble. You ain’t even old enough to sign your own name.”

“I’m eighteen today.”

“It’s for your security, homie. Tonight was your introduction fee. You see, you proved yourself to us. We’re offering you an exciting career in short term investing. You’ll be paid a salary of course. But there’s legal issues with you, so we got to do it under my name.”

“With me? Since when did you care about legal issues?”

“Take it or leave it, homie,” Gonzie said, “but there’s only one good decision.”

Their looks were flushed. Tom knew they were used to having things their own way. Yet the opportunity did not fit into his plans. Not now. All Tom could think of was Kate and how he had left her suspended. She felt so distant to him right now. He had no idea how long ago he had left her, but he did not like the feeling. There was only one remedy. Tom grabbed a wad of cash and bolted for the door.

The thugs chased after him, but Tom’s legs were warm from the day’s running already. He crashed out of the door and into the night.

“Get the car!”

The roar of the engine soon could be heard approaching him from behind. Tom ducked into an alley and made for the other end. The tires screeched in pursuit. “There’s no way I’ll get out of this,” Tom thought, but just as he said that, he heard the yelp of a siren.

The thugs disappeared in a heartbeat, and, to Tom’s surprise, the siren did not chase after them, but remained beside him, glaring in his eyes. The passenger window descended.

“Son, we can do this one of two ways. First way, you don’t do anything stupid and get in the car; we take you in. Second way, you bolt, we catch you, cuff you, you can’t sleep for the bruises we give you.”

“But I didn’t do anything wrong.”

The cop furrowed his eyebrows. “You have the right to remain silent.”

Tom punched the frame and got inside the car. “We can’t have none of that now, son, especially when we saved you from those thugs.”

“So you’re not arresting me?” Tom asked.

The cops looked at each other and laughed as if Tom had told the funniest joke they had heard in a long time.

“Us arrest you? Where’d you get an idea like that?”

“Well, I just thought . . . never mind. So will you be able to take me back to the abbey? I have someone waiting there for me. She’ll be worried sick by now.”

“Your mommy can wait. I think you owe us a little something first.”

“She’s not—”

“Whatever. My name’s Officer Bob, by the way. The one driving is Officer Joe.”

“So what do you want from me?”

“No more questions. That right to remain silent? It’s become an obligation.”

They arrived at the police station. Officer Bob opened the door and directed Tom inside. They wandered through the halls until they reached an interrogation room, only it was not what Tom would have ever expected. Instead of a lone table sat amps, guitars, keyboards, microphones, and a drum set. Two other officers sat up against the wall smoking joints. “Hey guys, you know what I got here?”

“Hey that’s that kid that won the city talent show.”

“Yeah, he can really wail.”

“Step up to the mike, son,” Officer Bob directed. “You’re the newest member of our band. You want a smoke to lighten up that tense mind of yours?”

“Uh,” for the third time that day, Tom felt cornered. “It messes up my vocal cords.”

The officers shrugged then handed him the lyrics. “We’ll play it through for you once so you get the feel of it. Start belting it when you’re ready.”

Tom got through half a verse before he crumbled up the paper. “I’m not doing this,” he said. “I’m leaving.”

The officers, which were all in the skies by now, looked up in disappointment and confusion. “You need us though.”

“I only need one person.”

“What about protection? You’re so young and vulnerable.”

“I’m old enough.”

“But the Road Hogs, future speeding tickets—”

Tom said no more. He walked out of the police station and did not stop until he reached the abbey again. He walked in the doors just as the clock struck midnight.

There waiting for him was Kate and the mother superior. Tom wasted no time in approaching Kate and laying a kiss upon her lips.

“Tom, you’ve made it,” Kate said.

“I have. You won’t have to worry anymore.”

The next day, a wedding was held in the chapel. Of course there were fears for the future. Both were making their way out into the world, but they were doing it together, and neither Tom, nor Kate, would have it any other way.

Home

Short Stories