Ava and Addie

Chapter 2

A/N Ava and Addie 7 - Alfonso 11. This needs some serious editing. I'm just so tired. I'll do it soon

I woke up in the morning to the sound of singing, 'happy birthday' - Today was our birthday, not mine, but ours. Our first birthday away from Dallas. Mom and dad was standing between our beds, Ava was jumping in hers, too excited to sit still. Alfonso peered from the doorway with two boxes in hand. Both wrapped in pink paper.

Ava and I had made separate wish lists. Ava wanted Chloe the talking baby, a dollhouse and a jewellery box for her many necklaces, bracelets and earrings. While I wished for The bear who sat in the window of Walters toy store in downtown.

I wanted nothing else but him. He was everything from ordinary. He was not the biggest or the prettiest bear, but I thought he looked lonely and I wanted to take care of him. On his ear was a nametag that I often had seen and one of the first words I learned how to spell - 'Tommy'. A few days ago Tommy had disappeared from the window so I knew someone had bought him for me. I had smiled ever since I saw he wasn't there anymore.

A big present on the floor caught my attention. Ava jumped out of bed in her nightgown and tore the wrapping paper off to show a full furnitured dollhous. "It is for the both of you" daddy said and looked back at me as if asking 'aren't you excited'.

I got out of bed and looked at the dollhouse. It wasn't so bad, I liked it. But not as much as Ava, she hugged mommy and daddy telling them how happy she was now. I hugged them too and gave them a polite thank you, and tried to seem really excited about it even though I still hoped Tommy would be hiding somewhere for me.

Alfonso stepped forward and gave us each a present "happy birthday Ava and Addie" he smiled at us and seemed suddenly nervous as Ava tore the paper away. Chloe was inside.

Ava jumped into his arms and hugged him close, he let out a grin and held her close "I am glad you like it princess" he told her and then she grabbed Chloe and started to tear the box apart to get to the doll.

"You like your doll?" Alfonso said as he made a turn towards me, I hadn't touched the present yet, but he already told me what was in it. He looked at the present and then up at me and gave me an apologizing look. I was slightly disappointed but smiled at him trying to hide it and sat down and opened the paper and there she was, Chloe.

It hurt. Tommy wasn't mine. He was gone.

"Thanks" I said politely and got up to hug him, he hugged me back and seemed so happy.

We got down for breakfast and Alfonso's parents joined us Ava of course brought Chloe to the table. "Addie where is your doll, you should bring her too" said mommy smiling at me. "Sure mom, I go get her" I answered her and got up the stairs.

I grabbed the doll and ran down the stairs with her hanging from my hand, Ava was busy 'feeding' Chloe and showing her to the others. I just sat quietly and put her over my lap under the table.

I didn't want to be upset on my birthday even though Tommy wasn't mine, so I smiled it away and tried my best to hide my disappointment. 

We had a nice day, we just stayed at home and was spoiled rotten.

*

After our 7th birthday Ava and I started living separate lives, she liked to be with Alfonso, I didn't. My parents often made me, but I did what I could to do something else. I got signed up for swimming class. I liked swimming, I liked to be in the water, and I really liked the feeling of being free.

4 girls, 9 boys. Ricco was one of those boys. He was a year older than me, but he didn't act like he was better than me. He wasn't like Alfonso, he didn't order me around and he let me be me and he didn't make me feel small and stupid. To him I was Addie, not Ava or one of the twins.

Ricco and Alfonso were not friends, Alfonso and his group of friends didn't like Ricco one bit and when Ricco smiled my way and I was near Alfonso and his friends they would sent him hateful glares and Ricco would look away and walk away.

I liked Ricco, he was my friend. He was 'Mine'. Ava and I shared everything, but Ricco was mine. Ava stayed away from Ricco because Alfonso told her to and she adored Alfonso so much, he was her everything - while I just was there.

Alfonso gave me speech after speech about staying away from him, him being a danger and no good for me. Ava would tell me the same things. What words came out of Alfonso's mouth came out of hers too.

*

Ava and Addie 7 - Alfonso 11

Suddenly before our 8 birthday Ricco told me the worst thing possible, he was moving to Dallas. He was moving to where I was supposed to be.

When I got home that day Alfonso was in the house, but that wasn't a surprise, he was always here with Ava. "Where have you been?" Alfonso asked slightly angry as he stood up and walked my way. I couldn't be mad when all I felt was sorrow.

"Swim class" I told him quickly, he gave me a look that said that he did not believe me one bit. But I was. Monday and Wednesday I attended swimming class from 5-6.30. "It's 20 minutes past 7" he said like that changed everything. I shrugged on my shoulders "I went for a walk" I told him. "At 7 in the evening?" he crossed his arms over his chest.

This was how he was, he was like my dad just younger and this guy really have no say in my life even though he wish he had.

I didn't tell anyone about Ricco because I was afraid of Alfonso's reaction, he would taunt me and make fun of me and call me a cry baby for being upset about that - At least that is what I imagined would happen.

*

One day after school I followed Ricco home, this would be goodbye, tomorrow he would be on his way to Dallas.

As I stepped into his room I couldn't believe what I saw. Tommy sat on his bed surrounded by other teddy bears, but none of them caught my attention like Tommy did.

Ricco noticed and took Tommy in his arms and reached it out to me "Here" he said. I looked at him shocked and shook my head no "I can't take him, he is yours". Ricco shook his head no "I want you to have him so you will not forget me, early birthday present, take care of him okay?" he said.

I took Tommy from his hands and held him close as if my life depended on it. "I will" I promised him and then we said goodbye.

I hid him in my bag and snuck him up to my room and hid him under all my other teddies, knowing that Alfonso wouldn't like it if he found out.

*

When I was 7 and all my classmates started to read I discovered something - I couldn't. Nothing with me ever worked out well. I was the girl who was always picked on by the teachers. The girl that everyone whispered about because of the trouble I made. Never intended to make trouble, but it sort of just happened. I just always felt misplaced.

All the letters were flying in my head, they never settled for a second letting me read them. I was furious and so eager to just be normal. All the anger boiled in me, the jealousy of having the best reader in class as a twin. When I look in the mirror I see her, but I don't feel like her.

Mom always helped me study. Ava never needed help - when she asked it was only to show them how good she was. No mistakes, no misreading, no stammering, nothing!

She wasn't blind, my mom, she saw right through me and even persuaded me to take a test and the results only made it worse. I was dyslexic. Now there was a name for my being. It might just be a term used to describe difficulties reading, but to me it was a burn mark saying I was a freak.

Mom promised not to tell anyone, because I was so ashamed of my handicap. Ava knew I was bad in school but never why and not how bad. I never let her see anything I had done.