Free Pinprick by Matthew Cash Page A

Jack they’ll fill you in on the more technical details, but as for now the operation was a success and you’ve two healthy nieces called Angela and Jennifer! Oh Shane, they’re beautiful!”
    Shane had listened breathed a sigh of relief that everyone was okay.
    “That’s brilliant mum, brilliant!”
    “Isn’t it just? Will you phone your sister soon? Today? When are you coming home?” His mum actually stopped to wait for him to answer.
    “Well I’ve got a lot on this week with exams and…” he began, but he obviously took too long to answer because his mum interrupted.
    “I’ve got to go, I’ve got to go, your father’s back. Phone your sister. Got to go. Love you. Bye.” She hung up before he had a chance to say anything else.
     
     
    July 2006
     
    Shane had been in the house for an hour with Catherine before anyone else showed up. He sat at the kitchen table nursing a mug of black coffee as Catherine whizzed around in a fashion reminiscent of their mother.
    A blur of pots and pans clanging and a tattoo of chopped vegetables cut out most of the awkward silence. Shane’s head jolted up with a nervous start when the back door opened.
    It was Angela and Jennifer. He flashed his best smile and stood to greet them.
    My God they’ve grown he thought with a mixture of surprise and guilt. They were twice as tall as the last time he saw them. He was startled at how much more they resembled Catherine, it was like seeing a before and after image of his sister when she was younger.
    One of the girls wore a floral dress, like the kind of plain clothes that Catherine started wearing after meeting Jack, while the other wore more modern, slightly alternative clothing as his sister did before Jack, when she still had her own personality.
    “Girls!” He moved towards them open armed, “it’s so good to see you both.” He leaned forward to kiss the cheek of the girl in the dress and knew he had to get this right.
    “Angela!” He stepped back to look at her and hopefully gain verification that he’d guessed the right twin.
    “Hello Uncle Shane,” Angela nodded once and blushed.
    A weight had been lifted off his shoulders and he performed the same ritual again albeit with a bit more confidence.
    “Jennifer!”
    “It’s just Jen,” Jennifer boldly stated and gave such a genuinely happy smile it almost shocked him. What she did next certainly did. She threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly.
    “It’s great to see you again Uncle Shane!” she tiptoed and kissed his cheek. As the girls went to the sink to wash their hands, Catherine frowned at her daughter’s overly affectionate greeting. She hardly knew him and here she was hugging him like a long lost friend. Shane shrugged and smiled awkwardly as he sat back down to his coffee.
     
    *
     
    It had been months since Jennifer had a chance to go back up to the attic. Having your twin shadowing you all the time meant it was hard to get any alone time. She wondered if other twins longed for solitude like she did or whether she was a freak or even just selfish.
    Strange things were happening to her body and brain and, even though she was sure Angela was experiencing the same feelings, she didn’t want to experience them with her. There were things she couldn’t share with anyone. All of her friends were also Angela’s friends.
    For instance, she couldn’t confess her undying love for Fat Matt Willis at school. Everyone took the piss out of him because he was about five stone overweight. Even though he had the size and bulk to kick most people’s heads in, he never spoke up for himself. He rarely said much, especially to girls, but was content to keep to his handful of close male friends.
    Matt had the sweetest smile and the kindest eyes. She took Art with him and since none of their friends chose the subject they sat on the loners table together. At first he had been hellishly shy, especially at the start of their lessons; shy to talk to someone he