Preview: Inexplicable Incidents (Working Title)

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I went by one person's response because I'm too excited to wait for more 😂 hope you enjoy this sneak preview of Inexplicable Incidents. I'm not sure I'm going to keep this title, but that's what I'm calling it as of now. Here's the cover I designed:

Felix Ambarge died the day I was born: September 13, 2002

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Felix Ambarge died the day I was born: September 13, 2002. It also happened to be a Friday. Now, I'm not really superstitious, but there's something off about Friday the thirteenth as it is, even without having a birth and a death on the same day.

Yes, I know, millions of people are born and die everyday, but Felix and I are a different case. He was my twin brother. If he had lived, he'd be a Sorrento now too. We were adopted about a week before I was born; the family expected two perfect children, instead they only got one. It was devastating, to say the least. Sixteen years later, though, it feels like nobody remembers. Nobody except me.

"Happy birthday, Bobbie!" My best friend Lydia shouts as she comes towards me. Her loudness snaps me out of my thoughts and I try to smile over at her.

"I'm sure it will be this year." I say, though with little actual confidence. There's always something that goes wrong on this day. Last year the school went under lockdown because someone thought they saw a pervert in the girls' change room. The year before that I had a hellish case of pneumonia and missed the whole first month of ninth grade. You can imagine the rest if you'd like, it never fails that something goes awry.

"Oh come on, can't you remember any good birthdays?" Lydia rolls her eyes at my melodramatics and closes my locker for me.

I try, for her sake, and shake my head in defeat. "In kindergarten I got the chicken pox; jk and sk. In first grade there was a weird ringing in my ears all day. In second grade someone threw a pencil and it landed right in the corner of my eyes. In third grade—"

"Jesus! Okay, I get it. Death and despair follow you wherever you go. Now, let's get going, or being late to first period will be the start of your bad luck today." She jokes. Sure, she thinks it's so funny. She wouldn't if she were me.

*****

So far today nothing bad has happened, but I can feel it coming. It's lunch time now and Lydia and I get in line for food. "I hope today's special isn't meatloaf." She sighs, shuffling forward with the flow of the line.

"If it is, that's just my luck." I reply absently. I'm focusing more on the fact that everyone is staring at me. I check myself over; nothing less than normal. "Lyd, why is everyone looking at me?" She turns her head and let's out a chuckle.

"They're not, look behind you." She whispers, moving forward again. When I do as she says I almost have a heart attack. There's a boy with a slanted nose, bright blue eyes and a shag of blonde hair that's unkempt across his forehead standing no more than two inches away from my face.

"Can I help you?" I ask stepping back and bumping into Lydia. I hear her giggle, but she doesn't acknowledge me.

"Roberta, right?" He grins, sticking out his hand. "I'm Felix." No. This has got to be some sort of sick joke. I feel all the colour drain from my face. I feel Lydia grab my arm and the last thing I see before I black out is the look of concern on the boy's face.

What is going on? This is by far the worst of the bad things that have happened on my birthday over the years. This kid is obviously not my brother, my brother died, but I've never met anyone else with the name Felix. I guess it's not really that uncommon . . . Maybe I'm overreacting. He doesn't even look like me. His hair is blonde, mine is brown; his eyes are blue, mine are green. Even his nose is different. Felix, hid name is Felix. Well, just because he introduced himself to me doesn't mean I have to befriend him.

When I come to, I'm in the nurse's office. "Good morning, sleeping beauty." Lydia smiles at me as I sit up.

"How long was I out?" I ask, feeling my pockets for my phone. I find it and take it out, checking the time.

"About twenty minutes." I snap my head to see Felix standing in the corner of the room. "How are you feeling?"

"Considering you're the reason I fainted, maybe you should go." I narrow my eyes at him. He looks hurt, but nods and makes his way out of the room.

"Hey, what's your deal with him, Bobbie? He was just trying to be nice." I raise my eyebrows at her in shock. Seriously? She doesn't get it?

"His name is Felix." She looks at me blankly, so I continue. "My brother's name was Felix." Realization hits her and she frowns.

"Felix isn't an uncommon name, B."

"I know, but something about this is making me feel uneasy." I insist, getting out of the bed. "Like, where the hell did he come from? He just showed up on the worst day of the year, he's got to be the bad thing that's happening this year."

"I wish you wouldn't think like that," Lydia sighs, walking towards the door. "I should get to class, but your mom signed you out for the rest of the day. Go home and clear your head. I'm sure Felix is just a coincidence." Nothing in my life is a coincidence, she of all people should know that by now. But I'll humour her, mostly because I don't want to run into him again.

Apparently fate isn't on my side, however, because when I open the door Felix is leaning against the wall. When he sees me he quickly rights himself and strides towards me. "Look, I know I freaked you out, I'm sorry. I get it, I'm some weird kid who knows your name and—"

"Dude, can you just leave me alone?" I scoff, trying to walk away, but he follows me to my locker silently. As I'm making my way to the main entrance a stop and turn to him. "Seriously, what's your deal?"

"Isn't it your birthday today? No one should be alone on their birthday." He shrugs, glancing out the door. I follow his gaze to see that it's sunny outside. Weird, it's usually not a nice day on my birthday.

"How did you know it was my birthday? Are you stalking me?" I snap my head back in his direction and he laughs.

"No, I overheard a few people wish you a happy birthday. I'm sorry, is that weird?" I guess that's a valid excuse, but there's still something off about this kid. I can't shake the feeling that something bad is going to happen.

"The only reason they remember my birthday is because of my supremely bad luck." I take this moment to continue walking. I'll admit defeat; I haven't gotten rid of him yet so I probably won't be able to.

"Oh?" He raises an eyebrow curiously, falling in step beside me. "You tend to have bad luck?"

"In general yes, but especially on my birthday." I reply, looking down at the sidewalk as it blurs beneath my feet. Felix (as much as if pains me to say, it is his name) is not the person I want to have this conversation with. Hell, I don't want to have this conversation with anyone, let alone him.

"Well, Roberta, I think you'll find that this year will change that."

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