Vesper // Paul Lahote

Chapter 1: Twins

Drip! Drip! Drop!

Soap and emulsified oil dripped from the truck, and I poured the bucket of sudsy water over the sherbet colored hood.

Drip! Drip! Drop!

The water swirled across the garage floor and it began to pool towards the center of the room. The drain gurgled with the sudden flood and after it swirled and swirled, it finally went down and was carried outside.

Jacob stood back up and he wiped his head with wrench in hand. "There," he sighed, "that should do it."

"About time," I grumbled, wringing the rag and tossing it onto the table. It made a loud squelching sound as it landed on duct taped tool box.

My friend rolled his eyes and he grabbed a clean rag from the shelf. "Well," he wiped the sweat from his brow and frowned when he saw the grease," maybe if you would have helped like you said you were going to."

"I did help! Who changed the station for you when your hands were covered in motor oil?" I pointed to the busted up radio with the crooked antenna and continued. "And who feed you when you were stuck under that truck when the break lines snapped? If it wasn't for me, you would have perished from starvation."

"I wouldn't have perished." Jacob scoffed.

"Yes, you would have."

"No, I wouldn't have."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes," I sang.

Jacob made his way over to me and he threw me over his shoulder. "No," he sang back.

"Yes!" I yelled, grabbing and pulling my hair up so it wouldn't get covered in water and blue car wash foam.

"Am I interrupting somethin?" Billy asked, peering in through the door. The older man wore a large smile and the wrinkles around his eyes crinkled.

Jacob spun around and he shrugged. "Nah, just the Harpy being annoying as always."

"Look who's talking!" I huffed, ramming a finger into Jacob's back. The teenager shrieked and he dropped me. I landed roughly on my ass and yelped. While Jacob rubbed his sore back and muttered swears, Billy wheeled him self into the garage. He held out a hand for me and I pouted. "Billy, you're such a gentleman," I stood up and pointed at his son. "What happened to him?"

"I ask myself that question everyday." Billy replied, eyeing his son with mirth.

"Hey!" Jacob shouted.

After drying my ass off with a rag, I climbed into the truck and waited for Jacob to return. While he helped his father, I began playing around with the radio. Static grated my ears and I turned the knob. There had to be at least one station.

The driver's door opened and Jacob hoisted himself up. He put the truck and gear and we followed behind his father. Mist clung to the windshield and I could hear the faint thumping of the wipers.

After what felt like an eternity, static free music finally filled the cab. Electric guitars and the slamming of cymbals erupted from the speaker, and I sighed. Metallica was better than nothing.

"So," Jacob said, glancing at me from corner of his eye, "are you excited to be living with Bella again?"

I leaned back in my seat and nodded. "I am excited, but nervous, too."

"Talk to me, Harpy. What's on your mind?"

Jacob's nickname caused me to chuckle. Ever since we were children, he had called me that dreaded name. And all because I had yelled at him when he and Bella had fallen out of a tree and landed themselves in the hospital. That was the first and only time I had ever made him cry.