In the depths of a tranquil slumber, 16-year-old Silvia Arias was stirred by the faint whisper of a memory from the past. It was a memory of simpler times—a time when she and her identical twin brother, Silus, were inseparable, and bound by the unbreakable ties of youth. The park they frequented held no magical allure—it was merely a familiar sanctuary nestled near their family home. Yet, among the countless recollections that resided within its embrace, one stood out, cherished like a rare gem. It was a memory that bore the essence of sibling love—the moment Silus bestowed upon his first and only gift to Silvia.
They had been but twelve years old then, settled on a patch of sun-dappled grass, their young hands playing with sticks and dirt. In an unexpected moment, Silus had seized Silvia’s wrist, compelling her to unfurl her delicate fingers. As her palm opened, a silvery chrysanthemum keyring gently descended into her hand.
“For you, Silvia,” Silus whispered, his voice laced with sibling affection.
Silvia’s eyes sparkled with enchantment as she examined the dazzling keyring. “What’s this? It’s so pretty.”
“It’s a chrysanthemum. It’s meant to symbolise happiness.”
Silvia’s heart swelled with unstoppable joy, for she felt the symbolism complemented her happy-go-lucky spirit. “I love it. Thanks, Silus.”
In an impulsive burst of elation, she leapt on her brother and, together, they tumbled back onto the soft grass. The mirthful sound of laughter filled the air, Silvia’s spirit lifted by the pure happiness that flowed from receiving a meaningful gift from her beloved sibling. They lay side by side on the plush green carpet of nature and gazed at the cloudless azure sky. Silvia had held her precious keyring aloft, allowing it to catch the radiant rays of the sun. The silvery metal had shimmered and danced as if touched by magic.
Silvia awakened from her reverie, her blissful recollections interrupted by the stark reality of her bedroom ceiling coated with a thin layer of dust. As the fragments of her joyful memories faded like a wisp of smoke, she submerged herself in contemplation. Long waves of her brunette hair cascaded over her face, but she paid them no heed.
“Things are different now,” she murmured, her voice carrying a wistful tone. “That happiness I once felt is now beyond my reach.”
Dazed by the old memories of Silus, she blinked her honey-coloured eyes repeatedly, as if trying to dispel the clouds of nostalgia that clung to her. Still snug in her cosy bed, Silvia peered at a framed photograph on her wooden desk—a treasured snapshot capturing her parents, Silus, and herself, from four years past. This bittersweet reminder of happier times evoked a whirlwind of conflicting emotions within her.
A sudden commotion echoed from the living room, compelling her to leave the comfort of her bed. Tucking her dishevelled bed hair behind her ears and stepping outside her bedroom, Silvia staggered at the unusual early return of her father, Rod, from work. His jittery behaviour emanated a tonne of stress, immediately seizing Silvia’s attention.
“Dad,” she called out. “Aren’t you supposed to be at work?”
He sighed heavily, adjusting his slightly crooked glasses while appraising her haggard appearance. “I’m sorry, sweetie. Your fever hasn’t gone down, has it? I must’ve disturbed your sleep.”
“No, I’m feeling much better now, and I was already awake.”
Rod nervously bit the peeling skin off his chapped lips and restlessly twiddled his fingers. The lines on his face deepened with stress.
“Is something wrong, Dad?” Silvia pressed, her worry growing by the second.
He remained reticent, unwilling to share the distressing news until he heaved another sigh. “I received a call from your brother’s school. They say he hasn’t attended for the past week. Silus…he’s disappeared.”
Silvia was immediately appalled, struggling to find her voice. “You can’t be serious.”
Rod’s feet seemed rooted to the ground, his heart heavy with the devastation of his own son’s disappearance. “I’ve contacted the police, but his phone is switched off, and we can’t trace his whereabouts. Why does he insist on bringing more trouble into our lives?!”
Silvia clenched her fists to restrain her outrage, resenting Silus for unleashing such chaos upon them.
Rod’s voice grew louder. “Does he comprehend the difficulty I went through to enrol him in Winterwood High after he was expelled three times from other schools?!”
“What’s going to happen to Silus now?”
“The principal warned me that if he doesn’t return to school within this week, he’ll be expelled. They’re well aware of his previous school records.”
Silvia observed her father’s wrinkles and the heavy bags beneath his eyes. Her heart ached for him, knowing that his work already burdened him. She chastised herself for her inability to ease his troubles.
Rod sluggishly made his way to the front door. “I have to return to work now. Please, Silvia, don’t let this stress you. I need you to rest.”
“That’s something I should be saying to you, Dad,” she thought bitterly.
As Rod bid her farewell and departed, Silvia remained standing in the centre of the soulless living room. The only sound breaking the uncomfortable silence was the constant ticking of the wall clock, and the emptiness seemed to seep into her very soul.
Silvia retreated to the sanctuary of her bed, her forearm shielding her eyes to prevent any unnecessary tears from escaping. The oppressive silence engulfed her, and she felt herself slipping further away from reality.
“Everything began spiralling downwards since then,” she whispered into the stillness. “Nothing’s been the same.”
A sudden ring of the doorbell roused Silvia from her despondent reverie. Summoning the remnants of her dwindling energy, she made her way to the door and discovered her best friend, Camila Ruiz, waiting on her doorstep. Camila,
They settled into the lounge, where Silvia divulged every detail of Silus’ unknown whereabouts.
Camila furrowed her brow further. “That idiot never seems to learn, does he?”
Silvia sprawled atop a pile of cushions on the sofa. “I want to help my dad, but I’m at a loss for what to do.”
“You’re as alike as two peas in a pod,” Camila quipped, her tone tinged with sarcasm. “Why don’t you just dress up as him?”
A spark of motivation ignited within Silvia, and she bolted upright, staring at Camila with wide, earnest eyes. “That’s not a bad idea…”
Camila immediately regretted her comment as she saw Silvia’s grin widen. A chilling foreboding shudder washed over her—perhaps she had uttered something she shouldn’t had.
As Silvia and Camila anxiously awaited Rod’s return, Camila persisted in her efforts to dissuade Silvia from undertaking her outlandish plan.
“Snap out of it, Silvy. Do you honestly believe your dad will get along with this crazy idea of yours?” she insisted.
Keys jingled at the front door, and Rod trudged in, but the girls discerned the gloom in his eyes. He surveyed the house, hoping to find Silus, but his fruitless search only deepened his anguish. “Silus still hasn’t returned…”
Guilt gnawed at Silvia, even though she had committed no wrongdoing. Seeing her own father in such a state of disarray pained her deeply. She steeled herself to offer a solution. “Hey, Dad, I might have a way to fix this.”
A glimmer of hope flickered in Rod’s eyes, suggesting that he held high expectations for a potential solution. “What is it?”
“I know how much you struggle to take care of us, but Silus never noticed. I just…I want us to be happy again, like how we were when Mum was still with us.”
Rod was taken aback by the unanticipated mention of his deceased wife, Shara.
“I’m willing to do anything to help you, Dad,” Silvia gulped, her nerves pushed to their limits. “Even if that means living as Silus.”
Dead silence pervaded the entire house. Camila, uncertain of the outcome, stepped aside, assuming she had no right to interject in this tense discussion.
Rod was visibly shaken by Silvia’s ludicrous idea. His lips trembled as he struggled to speak. “What kind of nonsense are you spewing?”
Silvia remained resolute in her determination, avoiding eye contact with her father yet still adamant in her persuasion. “I’ll inform my school that I’ll be studying overseas. They just need your confirmation, Dad. After that, I’ll disguise myself as Silus and attend his school until he returns.”
Rod lost his composure and raised his voice. “You’re not throwing away your life for that reckless brother of yours!”
Silvia locked eyes with him, her expression deadly serious. “You know there’s always a future open for me, but for Silus? No. If he doesn’t get his act together now, who knows if things will ever turn around for him? Please, Dad, let me do this so I can change his fate.”
Tears welled up in Rod’s eyes. “But you worked so hard to get into Rosecrest College.”
Silvia forced a reassuring smile. “It’s alright, Dad.”
He let out a resigned sigh. “If only there were quicker solutions, I wouldn’t have to agree with you. If you can handle this tremendous responsibility, then please, save your foolish brother, Silvia.”
Camila, who had been silently observing the entire situation, was in disbelief. “I can’t believe this is happening.”
Silvia grinned cheekily at her best friend. “Sorry, Mila, but I’m going to have to drag you into this.”
Camila facepalmed herself in exasperation. “Oh god, what is it now?”
The next late afternoon, after a quick trip to the local mall, the girls returned to Silvia’s bedroom to prepare for their audacious plan. Silvia retrieved a male-styled wig from the shopping bag—a carefully chosen replica of Silus’ medium-length ebony hairstyle.
With shared trepidation, they cautiously ventured into Silus’ bedroom in search of his school uniform. However, they were immediately greeted by a revolting sight and an even fouler odour. The room lay in utter disarray, the floor obscured beneath a mound of soiled clothes and scattered tissues. Pinching their noses in disgust, they hastily ransacked through the chaos of his wardrobe.
Despite her reservations, Camila managed to locate his school uniform buried in the bottom drawer. They quickly snatched it and darted out of his room, gasping for fresh air as they desperately escaped the noxious atmosphere. Camila hesitantly handed the uniform to Silvia, her anxiety about the plan’s success mounting increasingly.
Returning to her bedroom, Silvia embarked on the transformation into Silus’ uniform. As she gazed at herself in the full-length mirror, she readied herself to don the recently acquired wig. Adjusting the wig’s fringe with the tip of her finger, she scrutinised her reflection, almost convinced that the person staring back at her didn’t belong to her. Her above-average height for a woman worked to her advantage, making her cross-dressing disguise more believable. She twirled to face Camila, who was instantly astonished by how uncannily similar her impersonation was to Silus.
“No wonder you two are twins,” Camila affirmed.
A knock on the door interrupted their moment, and Rod entered, his face lighting up upon seeing Silvia dressed as Silus. “Silus? You’ve come back!”
“Sorry, Dad, it’s just me, Silvia.”
Rather than disappointment, Rod was impressed by her disguise. “Honestly, I didn’t think you could pull it off, but now I’m certain you can.”
Silvia managed a soft smile, but under her determination, a tinge of sadness lingered that neither Camila nor Rod sensed.
After Camila had departed for home, Silvia found herself alone in her room, still cloaked in her Silus disguise. She cast a contemplative gaze upon her reflection in the mirror, her fingers gently brushing the cool surface.
“I suppose it’s time for me to set aside my own life for now…all because of Silus,” she muttered wistfully.
She attempted not to dwell on the sacrifices she was making, constantly reminding herself that this was all in the name of her father’s well-being.
The morning sunshine flooded Silvia’s bedroom, enveloping her surroundings in a warm, golden embrace. Silvia, already up and early, prepared herself for her inaugural day at Winterwood High School. She donned her faux spectacles and meticulously adjusted her wig. As she tightened the necktie around her collar, a wave of realisation washed over her—she was now assuming the role of Silus. Silus’ inherently sloppy character would certainly not allow a tie to choke him. Loosening the tie slightly, her hands tremored from the increasing nervousness.
Rod entered the room to check on her, but Silvia could tell that he was on edge too.
“Dad, I’ll be fine. Just have faith in me,” she reassured him.
He nodded, allowing her to proceed on her way to school.
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