Angela Pleasant -> Part One

Pleasant(ly) Ever After 

(Angela Pleasant)
[Part One] 

 (WARNINGS: Mentions of child neglect and loneliness. Contains Swearing.
I'm not an expert on putting warnings so apologies if I miss any!)
See below for Author's Notes.

Angela always wanted to perfect.

To have the perfect grades, appearance, manner and family-life.

For a very long time Angela had heard that she was better than her twin sister Lilith in any and all ways.

She couldn't place a time when she decided this must be true because it was all she remembered being told, mostly by her mother. 

As a little girl it made no sense to Angela as she and her twin used to be mistaken for each other quite often.

If she’d been old enough to think it, she’d have asked “But why? She is my twin; we are two halves of a whole and we should have each other's backs.”

Sometimes when Angela dropped her guard, she would secretly reminisce on the times when it was simpler to her and her twin.

The times when they’d play with each other when their parents weren’t at home to mind them.

Often it was her grandparents, Coral and Herb who reminded them that they should be friends, because what was the point of being divided in one household?

This was back in the days when Mary Sue wasn’t so career-oriented...

 …and her father was devoted to his aspiring football star career.

These memories could’ve been swept aside in the passage of time, especially as their parents laid more and more praise at Angela’s door and kicking Lilith’s shut as they passed it.

But these memories were as stubborn as she was, and refused to leave her mind. 

Deep down Angela knew being perfect wasn’t realistic. It was hard-work to even get close.

Her stubborn pride would never admit these traitorous words aloud, for fear of being deemed a disgrace and all her hard work at trying to be perfect would be transferred to Lilith, stealing all her glory and effort.
The idea was intolerable.

Angela was the slightly older twin, which must’ve been why she was preferred from such a young age.

Her grandmother Coral had confided in Angela that Mary Sue had suffered from post-natal depression.
She'd suffered from insecurities all her life as well, no doubt plaguing her since her own biological parents had put her up for adoption.

“Your mother won’t admit it” Coral had said as they sat in her home one Saturday afternoon. “But that experience hurt her more than she cares to admit.”

“But she was so young, how could she remember?” Angela had asked.

Coral looked at her knowingly “We all have memories from a long distant past that remain lodged in our minds. For example, have you forgotten all those times when you liked your sister?”

Angela had had to bite hard on her tongue to not snap at her grandmother, feeling the colour rise in her face. 

Coral was no fool and Angela had felt silly asking the question in hindsight.

Of course, she did, no matter how hard she tried to forget them.

They were there when she and Lilith fought, when she heard Lilith crying in her room, when she saw Lilith sneaking out when she was grounded. 

She could remember a time when her mother was at home more, and her father was happier.

Yet throughout all of this, they'd mostly ignored their youngest daughter.

And Angela felt guilty that praise was thrown at her, and they had no patience or time for Lilith, long before they could blame her for being just a rebellious teenager.

It was after their father's serious injury that cost him his potential in superstar football that forced the girls further apart.

They began to dress differently and slowly went from ignoring one another to full blown fights at each other's necks.

Nowadays, Angela was secretly glad that Dirk Dreamer was there for her sister.

No matter how hard Angela tried to reconcile her current view of her sister to when they were little toddlers, she couldn’t find the actual reason why she decided to not like her twin.

Was it purely their mother's irrational insecurities that caused a divide between the twins?

Was it honestly all over nothing? 

Angela had spent years trying to conquer her stubbornness that she clearly must’ve inherited from her mother. Although Lilith could also be equally stubborn when she chose to be. 

Sighing, she finished typing up her Simlish essay and went downstairs, deciding that she might cook for the family, a chore that she was unofficially assigned but enjoyed.

She reached the bottom of the stairs and saw Lilith outside with a notebook on her lap, clearly writing something. 

The notebook was different to their school ones so she knew at once it wasn’t homework.

Her curious side wanted to go outside and demand to know what Lilith was writing. But her perfectionist daughter side wanted to cook tea as their parents were due home shortly.

Just as she was wrestling with this dilemma, the phone rang in front of her.

She answered it “Pleasant residence, Angela speaking.” 

“Hi babe” came a husky voice that made Angela smile softly.

 “Hi Dustin” she said shyly “How are things?”

Dustin laughed dryly “Mum’s just asked me how you were and if you wanted to come round for tea, give you a break from cooking for your folks.”

Angela’s eyes watered at the kindness Mrs Broke often gave her. It was as if Brandi Broke cared for her as a normal mother would, with unconditional love.

Angela wanted to accept but she knew her mother wouldn’t be happy if they found she’d gone without asking. 

Mary Sue never said anything, but Angela sensed that the Brokes’ economic situation disgusted her.

“I would love to-” she started but Dustin interrupted. 

“Great! Mum’s cooked a lasagna as she knows it our favourite meal. She even made it vegetarian for you. She's just taken it out of the oven so pop over whenever you're ready.”

He hung up and Angela frowned as she replaced the phone in its cradle, conflicted within herself.

 Angela sighed heavily.

“Go.”

Angela startled and whirled round to face her sister who’d just come in the back door, so deep in her thoughts she hadn’t heard her.

“What?” Angela said.

Lilith rolled her eyes “Get gone to Dustin’s now, Mum and Dad will be home soon. I’ll order some Chinese takeaway for them; you know Mum prefers it despite how much she tries to hide it.”

Angela was staggered, what was her sister doing?

Being kind to her?
Doing her a favour?

“What’s the catch?” Angela asked, recovering and squaring her shoulders. 

Lilith calmly looked at her “No catch Ange, I know you want to go, so go.”

“You’ll tell on me” Angela argued.

“I’ll tell her you went out if she asks” Lilith admitted. “But I won’t say where or when you left. She knows you have your phone on you. If she persists, I’ll say you went to Gran and Grandad’s.”

Lilith was happy to lie for her benefit?
What was going on?! 

Where had this reasonable Lilith appeared from?

“Why are you being nice to me?” Angela demanded.

Lilith stared at her long and hard for a moment before she answered, her eyes cold.
“Why is everyone in this house so determined to hate me?
Is it really just because Mum said so and you and Dad followed her lead for so many years?”

Angela froze as her twin glared at her, although Angela felt it wasn’t purely aimed at her.

She knew that Lilith felt it was their mother’s influence that directed the mood of their house.

Lilith clearly expected no answer to her question as Angela processed what was happening, thinking on Lilith’s words, so bitter yet absolute.

“Why is everyone in this house so determined to hate me? Is it really just because Mum said so and you and Dad followed her lead for so many years?”

“You’ll be late if you leave it any longer staring at me” Lilith commented. “Go now, Angela!”

And for once in her life, Angela followed her sister’s command and walked out of the front door.

End of Chapter Eight

Author's Notes:

Thank you everyone for reading!
By all means leave a comment and I will reply to them.

• If it's not the text/font playing up, it's the photos aligning! Sorry guys!
• At least I got this chapter up less than a week after the previous one! Lucky you! :D 

Hope you're all safe and happy!

Lots of love, Jess x :)