Chapter 2
Two
I race upstairs, toward the roaring cheers. Parker and Lewis’s eyes are glued to the flatscreen hung on the wall, but Tyler and Kai’s eyes have found me. I place his gift on the ground, jittering to wish him a happy birthday.
Kai gets up from the three-seater couch in the second-floor living room and bounds my way. Behind the living area are Kai and Milo’s bedrooms, separated by a bathroom. Kai’s door is open, funneling the sounds of a metal band playing from his stereo.
“Hi Jamie,” Kai says, giving me a one-arm hug.
“Hi, happy birthday,” I say, patting his back. “I hear you guys can’t finish a mission without me.”
“Oh, get real,” Parker bites defensively, controller in hand. “We’re doing just fine, missy.”
Kai crooks an arm around my neck and guides me to the couch. “We’ve totally needed you. Ty, move it so Jamie can sit down.”
Tyler slides across and I watch Parker and Lewis on the edge of their armchairs, failing hard at the game.
Kai beckons Parker. “Hand it over.”
Parker releases the controller. “Excuse me, I’ve gotten us this far. I doubt you can ace the rest.”
Kai signals Lewis to give his controller to me. “She will when we team up.”
“Good luck, bro,” Lewis says, seemingly happy to give up the controller.
Kai taps his controller against mine. “We got this, James.”
I move my character along the rock formations above the molten lava river. Kai pushes his character ahead, just as in life, he has to lead. Not that I mind. Kai’s viewpoint gives me the advantage of seeing what’s ahead before my character gets there.
Our characters race across a rope bridge as axes swing from above. Next is a series of landings we have to jump across while avoiding booby-traps. I watch Kai’s character and memorize the traps and pitfalls. When his character plummets to his death, I jump the first few landings while he respawns.
As I jump higher than Kai managed, Lewis gasps and throws a pointed hand towards the screen. “There it is!” he cheers. “The emerald danger is at the top. You guys gotta get it.”
“Dang it,” Parker blurts. “You guys are gonna finish the mission.”
Kai smirks. “Why’d you ever doubt me?”
“Well, you seemed useless without Jamie by your side,” Parker jokes.
“It’s his birthday,” I pipe up. “Don’t call him useless.”
“Thanks, James,” Kai says, leaning forward and lifting his controller as if it’ll help his character gain more air. “Come on, little Kai, you can do it!”
Tyler laughs at the screen. “It always weirds me out when you call your character that.”
Nevertheless, little Kai leaves little Jamie in his dust and collects the emerald danger.
Kai launches off the couch, lifting his arms in the air as he cheers. The guys jump up, cheering with Kai. I cup a hand around my mouth, muffling my laugh. My goodness. Have they been trying to achieve this all day?
Kai turns from the screen and bows in front of me. “Thank you for your service.”
I clap and stand with the boys. “Cake now?”
Parker jogs to the staircase. “Heck yes. Sugar is a must.”
As the boys head downstairs, I signal for Kai to hang back. “They can’t start without you, and I want you to open your gift.”
“Aww, Jamesy, is this from you?” Kai asks in a cutesy tone as I lift the gift from the carpet.
“Happy birthday, King Kai.”
“Thanks,” he says, taking the foot tall, wrapped gift. He gives it a slight shake. “It’s such an odd shape.”
I giggle. “Come on, open it already.”
Kai grins and perches on the arm of the couch. He rips the paper from the taped seams, revealing parts of the gift.
I clasp my hands together and squeak. “I hope you like it.”
The last of the gift paper falls to the carpet and Kai’s mouth falls open. He stares at the open-boxed drone covered in hard plastic and takes two goes to get a word to come out.
“Jamie, this is insane.” He looks up at me with worry. “Is it okay that you got me this?”
“What do you mean? Of course, it is. I know how devastated you were when your last one crashed. I saved up to buy you the latest model.”
“But…” he pauses after the word, gritting his teeth. “It’s a lot of money.”
I smile. “Okay, when I say I saved up, Maddy did help out. She’s downstairs, so you can thank her too.”
“I don’t think you’re getting what I’m saying. It’s fine for my parents or grandparents to buy something like this for me, but you and Maddy…”
I stare into his eyes, knowing the word “poor” is rolling around inside his head.
“We wouldn’t have gotten it for you if it was a problem.” I squeeze his shoulder. “Just say thanks, Jamie.”
Kai exhales, tension easing out of him. A goofball grin lights up his face as he says, “Thanks, Jamie. We gotta head to the skatepark and test this out.”
“My thoughts exactly.”
“Cake first.”
“Malakai,“ his mother shouts from below the stairs.
Kai rolls his eyes. “Good lord, she must be pissed if she’s using my full name.”
“Will you hurry up?” she continues to shout.
“We’re coming,” Kai calls out, tucking the drone under his arm as he dashes downstairs.
I follow and watch Kai veer toward Aunt Maddy and give her a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
Mrs. Nelson corrals everyone into the dining room to gather around the table.
Mr. Nelson finishes lighting the sixteenth candle on the heavily frosted cake and waves his hands like an orchestra conductor as we sing “Happy Birthday” to the twins.
After the twins—mostly Kai—blow out the candles, Mrs. Nelson encourages them to bunch up for a photo. It’s the annual tradition, even though it’s obvious both boys would rather not celebrate together.
“Mom,” Milo grizzles, flinching as his mother smooths his hair with her hand.
“Okay, okay,” Mrs. Nelson says, moving around the table and readying the camera on her phone. “Say cheese.”
Kai slings an arm around Milo and smirks at the camera lens. “Cheese.”
Milo’s smile is much more subdued, and he doesn’t say a word.
Despite being identical, it’s easy to tell the boys apart when standing close together.
Kai has short, cropped hair, whereas Milo’s has grown out to a longer length, making his hair appear fuller.
They’re both tall with slim builds, however, Kai stands an inch taller and has some muscle definition.
Then there are the glasses Milo wears, yet Kai has perfect vision.
However, Kai has a scar below his left eye.
How he got the scar is still a mystery. Kai refuses to tell anyone the story because he swears we won’t be able to handle it.
People at school randomly get them mixed up, but I just don’t get how it’s possible. Not only do their physical differences make them stand out as individuals, but their personalities couldn’t be more opposite. As Kai puts it, “Milo’s commitment to the man makes him the enemy.”
After some small-talk and too much chocolate layer cake, standing around indoors gets too much for us.
“Okay, let’s get going,” Kai says with a thunderous clap.
“Are my blades still in your garage?” I ask.
Kai points toward the garage, nodding. “Yep. Let’s go.”
As the boys and I move out of the kitchen, Aunt Maddy calls out to me, “Wear your pads. I don’t want to deal with any broken bones right now.”
I huff, calling back. “Fine.”
“Have fun guys,” Mrs. Nelson says, clearing the plates from the table.
I turn and wave as Milo leaves the dining room in the direction of the staircase. His cat races upstairs, taking full advantage of the guys leaving. Milo gives a small smile and then I turn back to follow the guys out.
The boys ride skateboards, but I find rollerblading way more fun. I love bending low, widening my stance, getting as much speed as possible, and feeling the air whip around me. In my opinion, it makes taking the turns, jumps, and rails at the skatepark much more daring.
With my knees and elbows padded up, and head protected by a helmet, I’m ready to tackle the open road.
Well, the neighborhood streets toward the skatepark, that is.
Two months ago, I wrecked it on the way to the skatepark.
I hadn’t even made it to any ramps or rails.
I tumbled against the asphalt, gained some scrapes and bruises, a sprained wrist, and swollen ankle.
Now, if I fall, I can aim for a padded area.
I didn’t break anything last time, but I don’t want to risk it.
We live in the mountains, meaning it can be icy on the roads.
Plus, it’s the middle of the soccer season.
I want nothing jeopardizing my place on the team.
It doesn’t help when Kai brags about his string of broken bones.
First, he dislocated his shoulder at five-years-old, and lastly, he broke his collarbone before his fifteenth birthday.
His history makes Aunt Maddy nervous, and I don’t need her stressing about me.
“Hey, what’s up with you?” Kai asks, latching onto my elbow. “Why do you seem so down?”
“No, it’s nothing,” I say, trying to keep my tone light. “I’m good. It’s your birthday. I don’t want to get into it.”
“Jamie,” Kai says in a supportive tone. “You’re my best bud. If something’s wrong with you, it’s wrong with me too.”
I grit my teeth, staring into his eyes. “Are you sure?”
“Tell me,” he insists. “What’s happened?”
I swipe a hand over my face and avert my eyes when I spit it out. “The school sent Aunt Maddy a letter. My grades are too low and they’re threatening to take away my scholarship.”
Kai’s mouth drops open. “What? They can’t do that.”
I frown, nodding. “They can. My grade average is a condition of my scholarship.”
Kai’s shoulders broaden and his expression grows serious. “But the school sets the grades. They’re forcing you to fail.”
I chew a fingernail, digging my toes into the sole of my blades. “You think?”
“You have to follow their rules and what they make you learn,” Kai says, his eyes darting like they always do when he’s unearthing a conspiracy. “They want to kick you out because you won’t follow their rules. Since when do we all need to be robots?”