ON WISCONSIN! We’ll have a booth at #MTGMadison to BADGER you for some moolah! 😇 (at Madison, Wisconsin) https://www.instagram.com/weirdcards_org/p/BumbjsWnni_/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=15bk3hboxf7ik
NOTES/WARNINGS: After their parents have been home for two weeks straight, the twins finally find out what’s going on and why their parents are there.
Mason really had no idea how to feel about their dinner conversation. Things had seemed... normal, in a way, for the past few weeks. It was strange that their parents were home and they weren't really talking. At times you could hear them bicker here and there, which wasn't new to Mason, but after the news that came at dinner, Mason felt sick to his stomach. The male twin tried to just survive the bad news, but eventually he just excused himself and left to go upstairs to his room where he sat down quietly on his bed and stared at his hands. Why had everything terrible and bad happen to them this summer? It didn't make sense, and quite honestly, pissed the McCarthy twin off more than ever.
Madison wasn't about to just let this happen. She would never forgive their parents for this -- for dropping this bomb on them, for making them wait so long to hear it, for the control that they still managed to exert over the twins' lives. Hadn't they done enough, just by leaving in the first place? Why did they have to try and get the upper hand now? Madison shoved her chair against the table after leaving wordlessly, fuming as she made her way up the stairs after Mason. She didn't need to ask where he was, and she didn't bother knocking on his door; just went inside and sat down beside him. "They don't know anything."
Mason hated how bothered he was by this whole situation. It didn't make sense to him anymore. "I don't get this, Madison. It doesn't make sense. They leave us alone for literally months at a time. We turn eighteen this year! I don't get why they--" Mason took in a deep breath and a frustrated noise escaped his lips and his hands ran through his curly brunet locks. Mason flopped into his sister's lap and took in a deep breath. "Why couldn't they just leave us out of this? I don't get it, Madison. I really don't." It wasn't like their parents cared enough about them to go to events- like Nationals, or see Godspell. No of course not. "And they think they can just-- they can just tear us apart? They don't know anything about their own children!"
"They don't," Madison agreed, her words clipped even though she wanted to freak out just like Mason was doing. But -- like always -- she had to stay strong for him. Had to be the sensible one even when she felt like punching the wall. "Maybe we can convince them that they're making a mistake. Not about them -- I honestly don't care what they do with each other -- but about us. At least let us live in the same house." Being separated for camp had been bad enough; how could they be expected to actually LIVE apart, theoretically permanently?
The whole idea was crazy and Mason hated even thinking too hard on it. Their parents divorcing? It was crazy. They toured their entire life away. Everything was always Diana and Raymond McCarthy. Why was this suddenly the part they wanted to be separate people about? He knew that no matter what, he wasn't going to leave McKinley- though from what he was hearing from his mom, they weren't moving too far away. He had no idea about how far away Madison was moving. Taking in a deep breath, Mason closed his eyes and tried to clear his head for a few minutes. "They can't keep us forever apart. If anything, I-- We can get child services called on one of them and then we'll be forced to be reunited, right?" An ugly plan, definitely, but it wasn't like the McCarthy siblings hadn't had some ugly plans to screw up people before. Mason would never forget tripping that one girl down stairs in order for Madison to get the center flyer spot in a routine. It had worked. No matter what, the twins got what they wanted.
A slow grin spread across Madison's face and she nodded eagerly. It was a last resort, especially since it would only be for a couple of months, but she knew Mason didn't want to wait until December to be reunited, either. And even then, the repercussions weren't even a concern -- their parents had done enough harm on their own; the twins were due for a little payback for nearly eighteen years' worth of domestic instability. "And it's not like we won't see each other during the day. Whether it's at school or not."
Mason realized his sister was right. There was nothing that said the twins had to stay away from each other, right? The divorce was already settled and finalized. They were still going to school together. Just after Wednesday things were going to be bumpy until school started back up. "This sucks," Mason muttered to his sister before looking around the room. "I say we give each other our favorite thing to take with us so when you're not around me, I can hug your thing, and you can hug mine when you need me. Sound good?" Mason asked his sister before nudging her with his head, leaning against her lovingly. "We still have our twin event this weekend, too. We can't miss that."
"Exactly!" Madison said, determined to make the best of this. They had options, even if things sucked, and sucked a lot. "We're gonna go to that, and they don't need to be a part of it. It's not like they would have wanted to come anyway." She shrugged and shoved at Mason leaning on her, then leaned right on his shoulder instead. "And there's Skype, and texting, and it's not like you're gonna be on the other side of the world. We're gonna get through this." It wasn't just Mason she was trying to convince, either; she needed to hear it for herself, too. And maybe then she'd believe it.
This whole concept was hard for Mason to wrap his head around. He didn't understand why he and his sister had to actually be apart of each other. It hurt, in reality, that they wouldn't be able to see each other every day. When Madison mentioned Skype and texting, he nodded silently, trying to figure out where he was. When they were also told that they weren't actually McCarthys, Mason had pretty much lost it and it had been his tipping point. His whole mind needed to be refocused in on what was going on. Mason curled his arms around his twin and kissed her on the side of the head. "We have our cars. We can meet up all the time, I'm sure. There can't be a rule against us seeing each other."
"No, that would be stupid," Madison agreed, halfway between playful and sullen, butting her head against Mason's shoulder as he hugged her close. "It's not gonna be the same, though," she mumbled into his chest. Mason was perfectly capable of taking care of himself; he didn't /need/ Madison to survive anymore, but they were important to each other. They were twins. At least that much was still true, even if they had no idea where they actually came from, now. "But maybe once they leave again one of us can just move back in?"
Mason took in a deep breath as Madison proposed the idea of moving back in once they leave. "If they leave," Mason muttered solemnly. "And they're selling the house! That's crazy," he said glancing around his room. "I'm going to miss this house. We should like.. carve our names into it somewhere, or like 'Twinning'." Mason nudged Madison with his shoulder and closed his eyes. "I think that'll be a good idea, though. When one of them leaves, we can hit each other up ASAP. It'll be a lot of fun," Mason commented, trying to lighten up the mood. "We'll work through this. We're McCarthys- sorta- nothing's going to knock us down."
"Not something little like this," Madison agreed. It wasn't little -- not either part of it -- but if they could minimize it in their minds, maybe it wouldn't be too huge. Or scary. "Besides, none of this is our fault. None of this is against us. It's just a stupid circumstance that has nothing to do with the way that we live our lives. Except for the next four months. And after that, we can do whatever we want. We can get our /own/ apartment together."
Mason nodded in agreement with his sister and then laid back against his bed, pulling Madison on top of him to sort of use her as his own teddy bear. "This is so screwed up," he said quietly, not even trying to think of all the things he had to pack before Wednesday. It was going to be way too crazy. But they could handle this. "Oh! We should totes get an apartment together. Do you know how fun that would be? You me, and then Jane can visit sometimes too! It'll be filled with all sort of decorations. We could go to Ikea together! Oh my god," Mason smiled and laughed at the idea of an Ikea adventure with him and his twin sister. "This'll be great. Let's just stay positive, yeah?"
"Yeah," Madison said. Even if it was just a dream right now, it was the kind of dream that they could hold onto while they were packing up all their worldly possessions. "Can we just ... stay here like this for a while? Before we have to start packing?"
Stroking his sister's arms slowly, he nodded to himself. "Yeah, babe. I'm not going to be leaving at all right now. I just think we can stay like this for a few." He closed his eyes and tried to just focus on his sister and her presence in his arms. [I'm glad you're not going to leave me no matter what] he commented to his sister through their inner psychic voice. [I'll never leave you.]
[I'd never leave you,] Madison assured her brother. Like either of them actually would. Even if their parents weren't really their parents, the fact they were twins didn't change. And that meant they'd always have each other, no matter what.
