Dawn and Dee-Dee

Hello. My name is Dawn Petersman. I am in 12^thgrade, or a senior, as most would say. I have a sister, whose name is Dee-Dee. She’s pretty nice. We both excel in everything we do, more me than her. It wasn’t always that way, though. Me and Dee-Dee were close then, and are close now and will remain that way. But for four years, we were split apart over a single thing, a single problem. A single boy.

His name was David.

I know what you’re thinking; who wants to read about a struggle for a boy? Well, there’s a lot more to this story than just a boy. This is also a story about a performance, about a betrayal, about two sisters, about redemption, and, ultimately, about forgiveness.

The most important thing, however, is that this story is about two sisters, seperation, and reunion.

I remember the days before David. I remember how much time she used to spend with me, and how much time I spent with her. Everyone called us ‘The Three D’s’, as in me, Dawn, and her, Dee-Dee. We did everything together. Movies, homework, you name it. It was a Yellow Brick Road-type world.

6^thgrade was where the tables turned. It wasn’t that way initially. Until that fateful day, April 4, when David first walked into class, we were inseparable. But all days must come, and when they do come….

I looked back at Dee-Dee (we’re twins, and we always end up in the same class). She was transfixed on David, just as I was. I didn’t see why she shouldn’t be: he was gorgeous! I began to get a weird feeling, almost like a problem was going to occur, and that this was the beginning. Surely enough, things went downhill very soon.

All day I couldn’t focus on my class work. My mind was divided in two sides: one was thinking about David, and the other was worrying about the future of me and my long-time companion together. That afternoon, after all at school was done, I managed to talk to Dee-Dee. All she wanted to talk about was how handsome David was.

“Don’t you think so? I mean, he’s hot!” Dee-Dee wouldn’t stop going on and on about him.

“I may not be a psychic, but I know what you’re thinking,” I responded.

“What? No wait- let me guess! Is it related to David?” she questioned.”

“Yes. I saw how you reacted to him in Math, so I’m thinking we both have the same idea,” I offered.

“What, a crush?”

“Exactly, Dee. We both have a crush on him. And to be honest, two sisters crushing on the same boy will NEVER work out.”

“Ok, since were BOTH in love with him-“Dee-Dee began.

I wanted to be the one to draw the conclusion, so I stopped her before she went any further.

“I think we should draw diplomacy.” I interrupted.

Dee-Dee seemed willing to do so. I think she didn’t want us both to be going after the same boy. We were still close, and she did not want to ruin that. Some time passed while we negotiated a deal.

“Ok, so, neither of us pursue him as a boyfriend,” Dee began.

“And we stay on good terms,” I finished.

We shook hands. The rest of the day seemed usual, and I went to bed a happy girl. I figured Dee would stick to her end of the bargain. No way would I break a promise with my own sister. If only I knew what would happen....

The next day came and went, and so did the next day, and the next day, and the next day. In fact, the whole of April was like that. I and Dee remained on good terms. Even though it was obvious to both of us that David had burrowed his way into our minds, we had made the deal, and Dee was initially loyal to the deal. However, day after day, as we continued a headlong rush into May, I saw the lust in her eyes grow more and more. I may have had a crush on him, but at least I was able to control it, something that, for some reason, she could not do. Dee already seemed liked she wouldn’t make it, and she hadn’teven talked to him, or knew anything about him, except his name and the way he looked. She was shunned by her friends. Everyone joked about how someone should send her to an asylum, that she was crazy. I just kept going, trying to keep my best friend from falling into the abyss and turning her whole life into David, but no matter how hard I pulled, she just kept going further in. I knew I would eventually run out of strength and lose the fight. And soon, Dee-Dee would be pulled into it, by the very man who started all of this.

Although David came to this school on April 4, it was on May 15 that this problem really escalated. We had had the deal for almost 6 weeks. Dee was still loyal, but I knew she was on the very edge of a breakdown. She had thrown all her friends out the window in her desperate attempt to control herself. I knew she was losing the fight to not pursue David. What didn’thelp was that it was always apparent that David like Dee. He was always looking at her, and giggling when he looked away. He looked childish, but I kept that kind of info to myself. On May 12, I had the first heart-to-heart talk with Dee since we made the bet about 5 weeks ago. Dee wouldn’t stop blubbering about how David had actually called her, that they were good friends. I reminded her of the deal.

“You do remember that deal, right.” I reminded her.

She suddenly calmed down.

“Of course I do. I’m shocked that you would question that,” She replied, seeming slightly annoyed.

“It’s just that you’ve complete isolated yourself from your friends, even me.”

“It’s just a weird phase, Dawn, everything will be all right.”

It was almost like I had just traveled back to when we made the bet, like I was talking to the normal Dee-Dee.

I was in virtual shock at how she was handling the situation. She had gone from a blubbering wreck to the sister I know and love. I didn’t really know how to respond.

I managed to spit out these words, “I guess I’m just being paranoid. Be seeing you.”

“Be seeing you, Dawn.”

As I closed the door, I began to hear the blubbering wreck I had walked into just a minute ago. “Whatever she’s doing, it’s just an act,” I told myself. “I will find out what’s going on.”

On May 15, Dee wasn’t at the house all day. When I asked my Mom, she always said that she was at someone’s house. Now I was getting concerned. Dee would ALWAYS tell me whenever she left the house, if I wasn’tgoing with her. Finally, I put two and two together and I figured it out. I knew what was going on now. She had finally fallen into the abyss of romance.

Dee had broken the promise. There was no doubt about that. She was pursuing David, and not being at the house so that I couldn’t ask her what was going on. She only came home from David’s for dinner and to go to bed. My parents didn’t care. They just said she was growing up, and that it was about time that she had gotten a boyfriend.

I was alone. I was now absolutely alone, and nobody to come by and offer a single chance. And I stayed alone, but I soon found something to comfort me. For now, anyway.

“Do you ever get tired of practicing?!”

“Not really,” I replied.

“Why did you take up piano anyway?”

“Personal reasons, I don’t want to talk about it.”

The keys struck, one after one, not missing a beat. With every song I did, I got better and better. It was now 7^thgrade and Dee-Dee had moved on. She spent practically her whole time devoted to David. I tried to shun my former best friend out of my life, but I couldn’t. Music helps me forget about my troubles, at least for a while. I had found a new best friend: Catharine. She’s able to fill the shadow of Dee-Dee, at least for now. She’s a nice girl, someone who will listen, someone who will accept you for who you are. Just like Dee used to.

I was struggling at that point, still going through the stages of grief, and I seemed to be stuck at stage one: disbelief. I managed to limp through my class work, but I didn’t know how much long it would be until I broke down, like Dee did. It was very difficult, but somehow, I kept going.

I kept going through 7^th grade and all through 8^th grade as well. It was difficult, but with Catharine, I was still capable of getting through what I had to. Eventually, I did find the rope I was seeking, and turned things around, but not ‘till 9^th grade. It was called, the Variety Show

The Variety Show, or the talent show, as everyone calls it, is a special thing for students who expressed a talent in something. The middle school had it in my three years there, but I didn’t know what talent I had to do it. Of course, now I’m taking piano……

My parents were perfectly willing to let me enter. They said I had to try something new, and that I was following the right path. I didn’t know what that path was, not since that little incident in 6^th grade ( you all know it by now), so I would have done anything to get back on the right path that they spoke of. Now I had to pick a piece and practice my heart out. I eventually found the perfect piece, Linus and Lucy. Soon enough, tryouts came. How did I do? Let’s just say this; I came, I saw, I was victorious! I was in, and on top of the world! Now just to get to the top of the solar system…..

The real thing, the actual show, occurred a month later. As I entered, I didn’t really know what to expect.

”No going back now, Dawn. You’re on your own,” I thought, as I pushed open the door.

I entered.

The room was a mess of people. They crowded everything from the seats to the stage, but mostly the stage. All the noise of yells and chatting gave me a headache. I found somewhere to sit, finally, to clear my thoughts. Until I saw a girl tower over me.

“Look, this is my seat. Please get up so I can sit there.”

Her voice exploded like a sonic boom, the decibels rattling my ear drums, seeming to shake the air around us. Before I could comprehend her words, they boomed again.

“I do not want to fight. Please stand up.”

Do you think I was giving up what I knew as the only open seat in the auditorium?

“No,” I screamed back. The voice boomed back, as if a call-and-response.

“This is the last warning I’m giving you. Stand up! I’m in no mood to fight.”

“No,” I screamed again.

I didn’t see what was coming next. She picked me up, held me in the air for a second, and then put me down. She sat down, where I used to be.

“I warned you.”

I backed down, and began looking for another place to sit. Again, the room was crowded, so I had a very hard time finding a seat. Finally, I found a wide area which, with the exception of a single girl, was open. I sat down, but before i could relax, the girl chimed in.

"You might want to leave."

Who did she think she was talking to?

"And why exactly would I do that?"

"People are sitting there."

"What people?"

"Her posse."

Her? What was she talking about? Who was she babbling about, and why didn't I know this, her?

"Who is this, her, that you speak of?"

"Oh come on, you have to know who she is."

"Well, i dont."

"I'm shocked. But never the less, I'll tell you. Her name is-"

She suddenly stopped.

"Well, her and her posse are here, who dont you ask them?"

I refocused in front of me, and immediately noticed a ton of girl standing right in front of me.

"NOW will you get up?"

"Oh, definately."

I stood immediately. Before I could walk away, they stopped me. A brunette seperated herself from the crowd, and began to approach me.

“And who do I have the dishonor of addressing?”

“Dawn.”

“You’re telling me you don’t have a last name?”

The other girls laughed. I tried to be confident, but I couldn’t muster the dignity. I quickly responded.

“No, the name is Dawn Petersman.”

“Sorry I asked.”

Once again, the other girls laughed. I felt embarrassed, but managed to not get my cheeks turned red. She turned away, and began to walk, but then stopped. She turned around.

“What will you be contributing to this year’s show?”

“Piano.”

“No, I mean the title.”

“Linus and Lucy.”

“No one calls it that anymore. We just call it the Peanuts Theme.”

“Whatever. Can I leave now?"

She turned around. As my nerves reached a peak, I watched, as she began to whisper something I couldn't understand to one of the girls

"If you insist."

"Uh, what's going on here, I just want to find a seat."

The brunette walked away from the girl and took me aside.

"Listen, because you're new here, and that I've never seen you before, I'll let you off with a warning. First off, my name's Veronica."

"But you don't look like a Veronica."

"I know, but i can't just rip up my birth certificate and write another."

"True."

"As I was saying, because you're new, I'll let you off with a warning. People do not, and especially do not want to, mess with the most popular girl in school. Not only would it be bad for them, but actually..."

She sighed, and was silent for a second, trying to find the right words. After a minute, she spoke again.

"It might be bad for myself. I've encountered things that can be strong enough to ruin me."

"And I assume-"

"Yes, Dawn, I found a way out. But it wasn't easy. It's never easy at my point."

I had grown frustrated. All i wanted was a seat, and I was only wasting time listening to this baboon known as Veronica drone on about how great she was and how she side-steped every solution. Suddenly, a burst of anger rushed through me like the breeze in the Plains. I yelled. n

"Can I JUST leave?! Look, I never meant to get involved in this, I JUST wanted to find a seat!"

Veronica stepped back, surprised. I calmed down, and just stared at her.

I'm sorry, Dawn. I got carried away. It's just that i've always been a talkative person, and.... well, you know."

I thought she was gonna say more. I just stood there for a while, until she chimed in.

"Uh, you can leave now."

"Oh, um, sorry"

I left, but kept watching as she went back toward her posse. Everyone began to ask questions.

"What took you so long?"

"Are you hurt?"

"What did she say to you?"

I kept looking, and without luck, but finally, I found someone who was so kind as to give up her seat for me. I sat, thinking about who I was up against, and still not understanding Veronica's perplexion. Soon enough, the show began. As the lights dimmed, I felt as if I had just swallowed a butterfly, and it was still alive, flying into my stomach.

There were piano acts, like me, singing acts, a magic show or two, but mostly dancing acts. As the curtains flew open time after time, I just kept watching, waiting for my turn to take the stage. Just before my turn, it was Veronica turn, except she was with her posse. Like most of the people, they danced, and I was in virtual awe. They were masters! It seemed as if they had practiced non-stop for three months before the show. As the music rolled and rolled, I just kept watching.

Finally, after a practical eternity of dancing, their act ended, to huge applause, and it was my turn. The theatre buzzed with voices as I walked behind the curtain. The piano was already there, it was ready. Quite imaginably, I was scared. Not because I was performing in front of an audience, but that my social status was in the balance. “If you blow it,” I told myself, “You are doomed.”I just closed my eyes, and waiting for my intro to be done. Likewise, it was, soon enough, and the curtains rose. I took a deep breath. And I began.

There I was, playing my heart out. I took a few glances into the crowd, and notice the same group who had come before me, just staring. Most of them had smirks on their faces, almost as if they knew I was looking at them, but Queen Veronica I, her look was more… dumbfounding. It seemed like she had expected a cheap wood-cut chair, but that I had given her a golden room. I just kept playing, and playing, and playing, and eventually, it was over. I stopped playing, and looked into the crowd, with pleading eyes. They were silent.

Then, just as surprising as their silence beforehand, the theatre roared with applause. I had gone from a pleading state to a state of rapture in just a millisecond. As I bowed, and walked off the stage, I thought I saw Dee in the crowd, her eyes as big as grapefruits.

Catharine was the first to greet me backstage.

“Three syllables, Dawn: A-maz-ing! That was amazing!”

“So nice to know my best friend cares.” I didn’t really know what to say. I just wanted to get to my seat. Might have sounded corny, but I didn’t really care back there.

“Not just your best friend, Did you hear that applause back there?!”

“Exactly!”

I quickly got back to my seat. It was not easy, though. A crowd of people were trying to compliment me, and they were acting as roadblocks to my seat. Eventually, I did make it, and I could think for a moment. Even the girl group, despite their shock, brought up a compliment to my amazement.

My life changed overnight. I went from being the girl nobody knew to being the “it” girl, the won everyone wanted to meet and socialize with.

Despite the fact that I had gotten over my problems, there is one more part to this story: to save my sister.

Me and my friends were always together. By 10^thgrade, I had become the queen of the school. We did everything together, like me and Dee used to so long ago. One day, I was getting ready to go see a movie withmy friends. I decided to take my sister, who happened to be in the house, with me. I thought about how long ago the whole David problem had been, and thought she would let bygones be bygones, and accept my invite. That is, I didn’t know what had happened a week ago.

As I opened the door, I was attacked by a river of tears. Dee-Dee lay on her bed, crying her eyes out

“What happened to you?” I asked.

“Oh, it’s you. What do YOU want?” she responded.

I could tell something was DEFINITELY wrong with her.

“Come on, Dee, I’m your sister, I know when something has happened”

“No! Nothing has happened! Go away!”

“Of course something happened. Talking will make you feel better.”

“I won’t tell you! You have no idea what happened!”

“Ok then, but when I die, I still will have never known what happened to you, why you’re-“

Dee interrupted.

“Okay! I’ll tell you! I’ll tell you everything!”

“Begin,” I said, and she did so.

“David and I were out last week, and as he drove me home, he- he-”

“He broke up with you, didn’t he?”

“Yes!”

“I thought so.”

“So, what do I do?”

Dee-Dee had been lost for so long now that she had no idea where to go. If anyone was going to save her, it would be me. I started searching her closet for good clothes. I was going to take her to the movies if I had to drag her there.

“What are you doing?” Dee wasn’t crying anymore, just confused.

“You have to move on, Dee. Find a different boyfriend. I’m taking you to the movies to start a social status again.”

“You can’t do that! I don’t have one anymore!”

I knew Dee-Dee had given up on the status a while ago, but I was undeterred by her emotion. She will get it back, I thought, and out of the closet, I threw out the best clothes I could find.

“Well, you’re going to get it back, even if I have to drag you through it.”

Dee was still dumbfounded.

“You’d do that for me, Dawn?”

“Of course I would, Dee. Sisters stay together.”

“I- I- YOU’RE THE BEST!” she screamed. Now that I had her out of the dumps, she was perfectly willing to go with me. A smile spread over her face, as she got ready.

Soon, she was ready, and we set out.

I had saved my sister. She knew it, and I knew it, but this time, none of the other girl knew it. I knew Dee would get her status back, and find someone else. I knew Dee would grow, like I had. It was only a measure of time before she had everything back.

This has been the story of me and Dee-Dee, and how we separated and came back together.

UPDATE: What about Veronica and the girl group? What happened to them?

Veronica fell apart after the Talent Show. Her posse abandoned her, and she was forgotten. Despite her efforts, she never did get back to the top. I dont know anything else about what happened to her.