Totally Opposites

Chapter 11: Past

Alex's POV:

It's been days – weeks, I mean – since I last saw Wren, meaning we haven't been looking for Eloise very much. I don't blame her though. Her mother just died, she had messaged me a couple of weeks ago. We're gonna work on the project and it's gonna take some time.

But it's been too long.

I need to start looking for Eloise – my sister – right now. I can't bear knowing that she might be kidnapped or worse dead and we never paid any respects to her. So I'm gonna do what I do best.

Work alone.

Of course, Wren is gonna be helping me but she's got her own problems to deal with right now and I don't wanna put any pressure on her, so I'll start without her and we can join in the middle, I guess.

I still haven't told her why the police never really looked into Eloise's disappearance and I'm not sure I want to tell her.

I don't know why, but I feel that Eloise isn't dead. I feel like she's alive and healt- I shouldn't say healthy, she might be alive and kidnapped by a gang or something.

She might also be getting tortured by those gangs at this moment and I know I shouldn't be thinking that but I just can't help it. I would do anything – anything – to save her – no matter how long it takes or how I save her or if I get hurt in the process. That's how much I care.

Eloise and I were close. We weren't just twins, we were friends, the bestest of friends and she's gone missing. I can't live without her. Ever since she disappeared a long time ago I haven't been able to sleep, eat or do anything. My parents have tried everything to get me back to normal but I haven't been the same and I haven't improved.

I'm thinking about quitting therapy. Mom only got me in there to help cope with the loss of my sister. But it hasn't helped.

My therapist didn't exactly tell me to forget about her; she's just told me to think about Eloise...less. But I haven't. Every night I go to sleep, I think about her. I wake up I think about her. I eat I think about her. My dreams and nightmares are all of her. It feels like everything I do reminds me of her.

It's no fun losing your best friend. The one who told you they'd be there for you and proved it countless times.

My sister's disappearance has affected my parents too, but not like it affected me. To them, she was only their daughter, to me, she was my world, my best friend. So it affected me worse than it did them.

Right now, I'm in her room searching for clues about where she might be. My parents are currently out and they have forbidden me to go into Eloise's room. But only because they know that if I go in there I might have a mental breakdown again and to be honest I feel like I will too so I vowed never to go in there, but I have to break that vow and search her room for clues. And fast, they're almost back from shopping!

I search her entire room, under her bed, in between the mattress, her closet, and her vanity drawers. Everywhere I look, nothing. Defeated, I turn to leave her room when I accidentally trip over her garbage can and find a piece of paper that's broken.

I hear their car in the driveway and know they're back, I pick up the small piece of paper and tuck it into my back then make my way to my room.

I also found her diary. I know she's my best friend and there's no way she's keeping anything from me so there's nothing new I'm gonna find out but it's worth a shot, right?

But then again, not all best friends share everything so she might be keeping some secrets from me. Who knows?

My parents unlock the door and get in.

"Alex dear, could you come help us?"

My Mom and she wasn't saying it as a question. It was a statement. This means I have to go help her even though I don't really want to.

Sighing, I get up from my bed and go downstairs to go help my parents with the groceries. I take the bags from Mom as she goes back to the car to get more. We continue like this for a little bit until Dad brings in a big heavy box.

I raise my brows. "What's that?" I ask. "And why'd you get it?"

"This, my Alex, is a vanity for you," Dad answers.

"A vanity for me?"

Yes, I realize now that you are a growing girl and you need your privacy so you can put all your things in there."

"Dad," I answer. "I have nothing to hide and you don't have to do this."

"I know Alex. But I never had privacy growing up and I know what that feels like and I don't want you to know we don't trust you, because we do. Whatever you do from now on, we will not be looking at it without your permission."

I bite my lip. "Is there a catch?" There's always a catch, watch me be right.

"Yes, actually as long as you do your chores and homework on time, we won't be taking your phone away along with your other stuff."

Told you there was a catch. "Dad, when have you ever known me to not hand in my work or not do my chores?"

He raises his brows so high up his hair covers it. "Really?"

"Dad, that was a long time ago, I'm better now." Of course, he had to bring it up. He always does. He brings it up every chance he can.

It's like he doesn't know how badly my mental health affected me. He only cares about the reputation of his family. And because my mental health skyrocketed a long time ago it has affected my school work so much. I wasn't able to hand it in on time and if I did I'd probably have gotten a bad mark on it.

So he never told anyone about it. Anytime my relatives would bring up my studies he'd always say "Oh she's doing so good she might get a scholarship to Harvard or Oxford." then laugh it off as if it didn't offend me.

Which it did by the way!

I can't believe that he would act that kind of way towards his own daughters. That's right, daughters, plural, 'cause he'd've done the same thing to Eloise as well. I can guarantee you that at least. And he has kind of.

When we were young Eloise had this small baby stuffed animal that she used to hang out with all the time. Would never leave the house without it. One day she lost it on a walk to the park and she cried the whole time it was gone. Do you know what Dad did? He told her that stuffed animals were useless and she cried a lot harder at his words.

Well, guess what I found out a couple of months before she went missing. The animal was in our attic the whole time. Dad took it from her and kept it hidden in the attic. I'm not sure if she ever found out though. But then again if she had, she probably would've confronted Dad about it. 

That's the kind of person she is. Always confronts people, even if they didn't do anything wrong.