Chapter One

                                    

                                          

    "Gabby...Gabby...GABRIELLA!" My sister's shrill voice awakens me. "Get out of bed before I do something drastic."
    It's too early. Don't make me get up yet. 
    "Gabby..." Elena threatens softly. She starts tugging at my covers, making me let out a groan. 
    I throw the covers off myself before I sit up. I glare at my twin sister as she smiles innocently in return.
    "Are you happy now?" I sigh, swinging my legs over the side of my bed. 
    "Very," comes her smug response. I roll my eyes as she walks out the door. 
    It takes a few moments, but the smell of coffee from downstairs motivates me to do what I need to do. After I get dressed, being sure to include my black leather jacket, I brush my curly hair and smile as it bounces back up. I love my hair. Unlike mine, Elena's is straight. Ew.
    Another school year, another first day of school. Except this time is different. This time, my siblings and I don't have parents to make breakfast or send us off. Ever since they died four months ago, things have been different. 
    Stop, I chide, you don't need to think about this. Not now. Today's the day for normalcy. I'll go to school, do my work, talk to my friends, and repeat the same cycle over and over. 
    Normal. 
    Normal's hard when you can feel your twin's deepest emotions. It seems to be the only twin power we have, but I'm glad for it. If I could feel everything my sister felt, I don't think I'd be sane. 
    Overcoming both of our grief was difficult enough. 
    More time passes as I get ready, cutting it close to when it's time for us to leave. I walk downstairs only to hear my aunt Jenna argue with herself about what to feed us. Ever since the accident, she's been our guardian.
    "Toast," Jenna reassures herself, "Toast is good."
    "It's all about the coffee," Elena and I say simultaneously. I nearly jolt at the sound of her voice from behind me. 
    "Oh god," Jenna groans. "I'm late for a meeting. Who is going to take you to school?" She runs her hand through her strawberry blonde hair. 
    "Bonnie is taking us," Elena reassures, almost making me groan at the thought. "Don't worry. Now go." Elena laughs in amusement afterward. I've always had mixed feelings about Bonnie. She's been a friend-ish since we were all children. She's a solid person, but she's not one of my close friends. 
    I don't notice my brother Jeremy standing in the kitchen doorway until he announces, "I've got to go. See you later." He runs out of the house and makes his way to school before we could even say good morning.
    Jeremy's way of grieving is different from Elena's and mine's. He decided to get into smoking. He's kinda a stoner now, which would be pretty awesome if it wasn't because of grief. 
    Bonnie's car pulls into view. She waves at us through her window, beckoning for us to enter her SUV. 
    "Bye, Jenna!" I call out as Elena and I start walking out of our house and towards Bonnie's car. 
    "Bye Guys! Be good! Especially you, Gabby!" Jenna calls out to us.
    "I promise to not burn down the school," I remark, making both Elena and Jenna roll their eyes. 
    Elena hops in the front seat, so I guess I get the back. Honestly? It's perfect. Sitting in the front seat makes it easier to notice what's happening. If I'm going to get in another wreck, I'd rather not see it coming. Bonnie shifts gears and drives off.