Chapter Text
Chapter 1 - Harper
I love our COVID pod. It’s me, my twin brother Leo, and our friends Kyle, Charlie, June, and July.
We alternate who’s house we’re at every day, and we all get on our computers and pretend to focus on our online classes while not really learning anything. It’s like the middle of October, and COVID started almost half a year ago.
My friend group currently consists of those five people. Kyle and Charlie are the only ones with no twin. I think we’re all bonded by the fact that we each have at least one deadbeat parent.
Me and Leo turned sixteen on May 19. We’ve never met our mom, and our dad was bit by a spider and died when we were twelve (It gave both of us a fear of spiders, but Leo’s is worse, because he already had chronic anxiety.), and now we live with Lane, our foster mother. She’s amazing.
June and July are fifteen and will turn sixteen on March 3 next year. Their mom’s out of the picture and they live with their dad, Felix, their stepmom, Emily, and Emily’s son, Riley. They also live with Felix and Riley’s six adopted kids named Alex, Elizabeth, Mike, Maggie, Melody and Andy. Alex is eleven, Elizabeth is nineteen and in college, Mike is seventeen, Maggie is eight, little Melody is two, and Andy is June and July’s age, fifteen.
Their house is packed.
“Ah, Ms.Werner. Right on time.” Mr.Heiny raises an eyebrow at me through the screen. “Another minute, and you would’ve been late.”
I slump onto my top bunk, waving at June and July through my camera as though they aren’t sitting on the bunk below me.
Usually siblings aren’t allowed to be in the same classes, especially twins, but I’m pretty sure they blackmailed the principal.
“Hey Harper, did you hear-” June starts.
“That Miss.Thorn got COVID?” July finishes.
I nod.
They do that all the time. Finish each other’s sentences. They also do the exact same thing at the exact same time sometimes. It’s creepy, but cool. No one would be able to tell them apart if June’s hair wasn’t shorter, especially since they always wear the same thing. Green shorts over blue leggings, a red long sleeve shirt, and purple high top converse.
They’re twins, like me and Leo.
I can always tell what Leo’s thinking, and same him for me, but we try not to creep people out. That’s June and July’s job.
“Ahem.” Mr.Heiny begins. “Now, as you all know, in 1963 . . . ” he starts rambling on about something or another, and I tune him out. I already know all this.
I pull out my phone and find a text from Leo on our group chat with the others. It’s called The Only Ones Who Will Survive COVID And Be There For The Apocalypse.
Leo named it.
Leo The Turtle: hey, wut r u doing?
Harper: You know, if you don’t want to fail your math test, you should probably stop texting me during your math class.
Superkyle: She’s not wrong.
CharlieOfTheElves: We’re all gonna fail anyways tho because they’re gonna test on stuff we were supposed to be taught this year and we’re not gonna know it because we aren’t being taught anything cuz of COVID
Leo The Turtle: exactly. it’s barely a class. it’s more of a “ms.tehia calls attendance and then lets us do our own thing and ignores us in favor of calling the ‘friend’ she cheats on her husband with.”
Harper: Fair. You might still want to pay attention a little though.
Leo The Turtle: never 😘
Julynothemonth: Harper’s not gonna fail. She’s a smart cookie.
Harper: How dare you assume such things about me? For all you know, I could be a brownie!
JuneWithAWhy: Are you?
Superkyle: No she’s obviously a brookie you guys. Duh. Harper defies barriers.
Leo The Turtle: no I think she’s a cheese danish.
CharlieOfTheElves: Why is Harper a pastry?
JuneWithAWhy: Because she’s smart.
Julynothemonth: Obviously Char. Keep up.
CharlieOfTheElves: But how could I keep up with such a deep and multifaceted conversation?
Superkyle: Oh shut up.
CharlieOfTheElves: Madam I will not!
Harper: What gender barriers are we breaking here?
Leo The Turtle: im not sure but i think kyle would look hot as a girl.
Harper: Of course you do, he's your boyfriend.
Leo The Turtle: yea so i can think he’s a hot girl if i want to.
CharlieOfTheElves: What is this conversation?
Leo The Turtle: A great one.