Shadow-Dancer: We're Not So Different [ALTERNATE UNIVERSE VERSION]

Chapter 1: Rotten Fruit=Rotten Day

*September 21, 2016*

Becca's POV
"Okay, everyone! That was a great first rehearsal!" our director Mr. Manuel announced to the onslaught of middle schoolers in the auditorium. Black Soot Middle School was doing a production of Beauty and the Beast Jr. in two months, and we were hoping that for the first time in forever we would be on schedule.

"I want all of you to go home, practice, and get a good night's sleep. Goodnight everyone!" he continued. Everyone in the auditorium went to grab their stuff and went outside to be picked up.

"Yo, Burr! Are you taking me home?" my best friend, Alice, asked. She insisted on calling me Burr (like Aaron Burr, from Hamilton) because of my fascination with him. We're complete Hamilton trash. Our moms were as good as friends as we were, so we carpooled practically everywhere.

"No, I don't think so," I said. "There's your mom right there." I pointed to a blue minivan with a license plate which read "AW3SM0M". Alice ran over and left. Everyone left one by one. My mom (who normally takes me home) wasn't there yet, but I was used to it. She got off work at the same time as rehearsal ended. I heard my stomach rumble.

"Boy, I'm hungry," I thought.

"You have an apple in our lunch box," a voice in my head reminded me. It was Obsidian (I call her Ob for short). She was a spirit that had lived inside me for as long as I can remember. She could be a little infuriating at times, but in a big sister sort of way.

"Oh... thanks," I said. I could sense Ob rolling her eyes.

"Don't mention it, Becca," she replied, smiling. I couldn't see her smile, but I knew she was because I could feel it. "I promised myself that I would look after you, and I intend to keep that promise."

I swear, Ob was one of the nicest people you could meet. She still is. If you were to ask her for help, she would gladly oblige.

Ob: Awww! Thanks, Becca! 😊

Becca: Hey! Who's narrating here? 😂

Ob: I know, I know, but your compliment touched me. 🙂

Becca: Well, we're like sisters, and we've always been pretty close. 🙂

Ob: Good point.

I took out the apple... and it was rotten to the core. Literally right down to it's core. I winced in disgust and tossed it in the trash can nearby.

"Uh-oh. That can't be good," Ob said. There was this weird thing where bad things would happen to us if we found rotten fruit. I don't know why. Don't ask.

Just as she said this, a black car rolled into the parking lot. A man in a suit walked out, and I could tell he was here for me.

"Are you Becca Robertson?" he asked when he reached me.

"Yes..." I responded warily. I never trusted men in black suits.

"I'm terribly sorry to tell you this, but your parents have perished in a fire that destroyed your entire home," he told me with a despondent look on his face. I froze. I tried to speak, and couldn't. Even Ob was speechless.  My parents were the only family I had. Not just metaphorically, literally the only family living left.

"My name is Mr. Stoe," the man continued, "I am in charge of finding you a guardian. Luckily for you, I just got off the phone with a distant cousin of yours in Ireland. He said that he would gladly take you in."

"I...I have another relative," I miraculously got out, "in... in Ireland?"

"Yes. I will take you there personally tomorrow morning," Mr. Stoe said.

"What is.. what is his name?" I asked. The answer I got back was never the answer I would have dreamed of.

"Seán McLoughlin."

Author: Hey, readers! So, this is a new idea that I've had for a while. The idea was to create an alternative version of the Shadow-Dancer universe in which certain things that aren't named in the original version are named.

Becca: Such as me! As you saw in this chapter, I finally got my own name. And yes, Ob and I are self-aware.

Ob: Another thing that was introduced in this chapter was real-time conversations between Becca and I that will be featured in every chapter of the alternate versions of "Shadow-Dancer: We're Not So Different" and "Shadow-Dancer: New Friends, New Chances to Help", since both books were written in past tense.

Author: I will still be updating the original series along with this one, but I'll probably take a break from the original so I can let this version of the Shadow-Dancer universe catch up. The new version of this book will also feature a more complete soundtrack, meaning that I will put a song in every single chapter. Another thing you saw is that this version of this book will fix all grammatical errors that the original version had. I will keep the songs that the original story's author, Nightingale20021129 had in those specific chapters.

Becca: And don't forget to absolutely mash that star!

Ob: And while you're at it, recommend this story to as many of your friends as you can.

Author: The song for this chapter is "Undone" by Desmeon feat. Steklo.

Lyrics:

I'm gonna throw my memories away
Now I feel undone
And I am cursed by everyday
Till my time is gone

I've never felt this way before
And now I know this, so for sure
I won't forget your last betray
I'll never forget this day

I'll never forget this day
Never forget this day
Never forget this day

I'm gonna throw my memories away
Now I feel undone
And I am cursed by everyday
Till my time is gone

I've never felt this way before
And now I know this, so for sure
I won't forget your last betray
I'll never forget this day

I'll never forget this day
I'Il never forget this day
Never forget this day

I'm gonna throw my memories away
Now I feel undone
And I am cursed by everyday
Till my time is gone

I've never felt this way before
And now I know this, so for sure
I won't forget your last betray
l'll never forget this day