literature

J+J Series 003: Meet The Class

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[J+J Series, No. 003: Early Years 01:Meet the Class]
[August, 5 years]
    The first day of school was intimidating for both Janet and Jules, for two children who had never so much as been left at a daycare, despite their cavalier approach to the classroom.  This was, after all, the first time they were left somewhere strange, alone among strangers, all dressed surreal in their little school uniforms.
    The more outgoing of the two, it has been Jules who would speak for them when they were in the company of others, or even some with their mother.  The telepathic link they had with each other facilitated this nicely.  It was easy and natural for the twins to pass information between themselves, then, if necessary, and Jules took the role of spokesperson.
    Initially, there was much commotion with arriving children, instructions on where to go and where to put things, announcements and book keeping, but eventually, the dust settled and so did the class. As per design, after all the kids were made to introduce themselves, everyone was more comfortable.  The strangers were not so strange.
    When it was Janet's turn to introduce herself (alphabetically before Jules) she was resistant. "Please, ma'am, with all respect, I must insist that we differ to my sister's introduction of ourselves."
    Janet had been planning a much more blunt and frank comment, but Jules was adamant that would not be a good idea and so Janet went over the top the other direction.  Mrs. Staffson relented without much fuss.
    The twins, whose desks were adjacent, stood while Jules, supplying the required information (name, where they were from, what their parents (or parent) did for a living, siblings (if any) and maybe a little something about themselves) said, "This is my twin sister Janet and I am Jules. We have lived here all our lives." There was an ironic emphasis on 'all.' "Mum is a writer and... we have no other siblings - just each other... and we are quite unremarkable."
    Janet wanted only the minimal about of information given.  Not that Jules was all that talkative, nor that she was very keen on pointless rambling, but she is typically more conversational than her antisocial twin.
    Mrs. Staffson would ask some of the class a question or two if she thought the answer may be of interest to the class as a whole.  "Janet, what kind of writer is your mother?"
    Janet turned to her sister with an unspoken plea: "You tell her."
        Jules: "She asked you.  You'd better answer."
        Janet: "I don't know what she wants to hear."
        Jules: "Sure you do.  You're just being a big chicken."
        Janet, with a roll of her eyes: "Am not."
    "Um... a book writer?"
    There was some general laughter.
        Janet: "See?"
    Jules put her hands on her hip, faced the class and stomped her foot ever so slightly.  "Yes.  She writes books; as opposed to being a columnmnmnist," stumbling on the word, "or a journalist, or a playwright - some other kind of writer who does not write books."
    "You are absolutely correct, Jules, Janet... there are many kinds of writers that do not write books.  That was a good answer. What kind of books, Janet?" Mrs. Staffson defended.  The twins relaxed, but only a little.
        Janet: "Quick, so I don't look stupid... again."
        Jules: "Fy-Nance.  Something about money."
    "Money books.  Like, how to in-nest, or something about egg nests, but for money."
    "That is interesting.  That makes her a non-fiction author.  Thank you, you two may take your seats."  They did, eagerly. "Tommy, you are up."
    Tommy was nice enough.  Mother was in retail sales, father worked at a bank and mother's husband was a professional on-line auction seller.  They lived by the coast until last year.  He likes cartoons and video games, but it seems pretty much like everyone does.  This last bit kind of confused Jules and Janet who were more accustomed to entertaining themselves than watching television and were unfamiliar with video games.

    The last thing that the class did before each introduced themselves was to try and write their name, and if they can read, the name of their favourite book. About 18 of 20 could in fact get their name onto paper.  Only about eight in 20 could really be called writing.  This was fine, Mrs Staffson proclaimed.  If everyone already knew how to read and write, there would hardly be any need for school, she had explained.  One girl, a writer whose favourite book was a classic about a fox's footwear and fish of different colours, thrust her hand high into the air.  Tommy glared at her until she put it down.  It seemed there was already some history between them.

    The grouping in which the twins' desks were arranged put them with two others who could already write their names.  While the rest of the class worked on these fundamentals, these and other students like them were permitted time in the reading corner so long as they could keep their voices and other noises to a minimum, which they did with minimal reminding.
    "I have cousins that are twins," a girl said.  Jules was trying to remember her name, but Janet was not paying much attention.  Instead, she was trying to find a book that may interest her.  Neither were having much luck.
    "What's you name again?" Jules asked.
    "Sally," Sally said.  "They are twins, but they don't dress alike."
    "Oh."
    "Does your mom make you dress the same?"
    "What? We're all dressed the same.  It's the uniform."
    Sally wrinkled her face at the apparent flaw in her question.  "But at home.  Do you dress the same when you are not wearing your school clothes?"
    Jules slowly shook her head, having never really thought about it much.  For all that they looked similar without any touch-ups, and all of the little enhancements that took the term 'identical twin' to new levels, they had never felt the urge to dress alike.  Lisa never purposefully dressed them alike.  The notion was nothing either had thought about.  Jules absentmindedly brushed the scar on her brow.
    "Well," Sally continued, "That is probably the best because I can't tell you two apart at all, except that she's the quiet one."
    Tommy was practising writing his name. "Is your dad a writer too?"
    "We don't have a dad."
    "I know what you mean," Tommy sympathised. "I haven't seen my dad in, like, about a year."
        Jules heard a mental grunt from Janet.
    "Sorry, but you have a dad," Jules explained.
        Janet: "Two."
    "Two," Jules amended.
    Sally apparently knows everything that it to be known. "You have to have a dad.  Everyone has a mother and a father or they wouldn't have been born.  Just because you don't know who..."
    "Oh, we _knew_ him," Janet interjected.  She and Jules exchanged a locked-eye stare, but even silently between themselves, there was nothing that needed to be said; the warning was clear enough.  This was a difficult subject for them both, but more so for Janet and Jules feared the potential reaction.
    Jules turned back to Sally, "He's dead.  No, he wasn't a writer."  Janet once again turned her head to the book shelf.
    Sally and Tommy's expressions were like those of people who were presented information that was completely outside of their experience.
    Jules looked toward their teacher to see if they were being too loud.  "He was a photojournalist."
    Tommy asked, "What does a pho... what does one of those do?"
    "It's like a news photographer," Jules was a little unsure herself.
    "Oh.  What station did he work for?" Sally asked.
    Jules was a little confused by the question, but Janet supplied the answers.
    "Um, no... He worked for different magazines and newspapers and stuff.  Kinda like a reporter, I guess, but with pictures."  Jules hoped she was getting it right.
    
    Tommy wanted to change the subject, "So, why do you two do that - just stare at each other?"
    Janet rolled her eyes and huffed a little to herself while Jules just shook her head.
    "Sally," Jules started, "Your cousins... the twins..."
        Janet: "Jules..."
    "...Are they, like normal?"
        Janet: "Stop it."
    Now it was Sally's turn to look confused.
    Jules tries to clarify, "You know..."
        Janet: "It's not going to work like that."
    "...are they know for being strange?"
    Sally still looked a little confused, "Are they strange or normal?"
        Janet: "If they are like us, which I doubt..."
    Jules is trying her best to ignore her twin. "Sure, like, do they..."
        Janet: ", AND she knows, which I doubt, she's not going to some out and say it."
    "Do unexpected things?"
    Sally wrinkled her brow in utter bewilderment. "I-"
    "Okay, now students, lets all come back to our desks," Mrs Staffson said in a slightly raised voice to get the attention of the smaller group without identifying them in any way that would make them feel different from the rest of the class.
This is continuing a sort of short story series. Some may be very short.

Start with 001, if you have not.

Read 001 and 002? Okay, now we are backing up to get a little more back story.

If you like it, let me know. If not, you can let me know too,

Disclaimer:
I am not a WRITER, but all characters presented here are "mine" by my design unless otherwise indicated. I do this for a fun, creative outlet for only my satisfaction. I welcome comments, good or bad. If there is a grammar correction, please let me know; I am dreadful at proofing my own writing. (Although, I may take some artist's liberties with language in the interest of effect.)
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Macadamiannutjob's avatar
You're really good at character interactions. It comes off so natural and isn't forced,
The dialogue in this peice was fun to read and I like that I'm getting into the heads of Janet and Jules and why they act the way they do.