Three Months Later

Beatrice and Lisha were both out doing some business, so Lizzy got to work. She walked down the hall and right into Beatrice and Lisha’s room. She closed the door and listened out. She didn’t hear anything.

She walked over to the back of the room and opened the door to a room that she was too afraid to go in before. She walked into Beatrice’s closet, turning the lights on when walking in. The closet wasn’t just a walk-in; it was basically its own room in the house.

Lizzy poked through Beatrice’s closet and gasped. It was filled with clothes of all kinds from so many decades. Since she had time and Beatrice was away, Lizzy wanted to try some on. Unfortunately, most of them didn’t fit. A few of the older ones did though.

When she looked in the mirror, she covered her mouth and wanted to cry at how much she loved it. She had on a button down shirt with rolled up sleeves and comfortable brown pants. On her feet were a pair of black platforms.

“How does it look, Sausage?” she asked. Sausage slithered down her arm and crawled up the sleeve. After ample time crawling around inside, she poked her head out of the collar of the shirt and happily flicked her tongue.

“What’re you doing in my room wearing my clothes?” Beatrice asked, walking in and setting her stuff down by her dresser.

“Mom!” Lizzy jumped. “I didn’t hear you come home…”

“Well, you can help yourself to those clothes actually.” Beatrice said with disgust.

“I… I can?” Lizzy asked hopefully.

“Yeah, I don’t need them anymore. Those are from when I was young and fat.” she spat.

“What does that mean?” Lizzy asked, turning red and holding the sides of her arms.

“It means I’m young and thin now.” Beatrice sassed. “What’re you doing going through my closet anyway? Nothing from the last few decades in there is going to fit you.”

“I was looking for something for pictures with Violet.” she said. “Something pretty and probably a nice shade of black for me.”

“I might have something.” Beatrice said with a sly smile. She disappeared and went to the very back of her closet and took out a box, which she brought to Lizzy. “This should do the trick.”

Beatrice got out a black hoop-shirt dress set, like an old one from another time entirely. She took everything out and began to put it on Lizzy, who only went along with it because she was curious. Curiosity turned to discomfort though.

“Mom, I don’t know about this.” Lizzy said with worry.

“Hun, trust me,” Beatrice said confidently. “I’ve got decades of fashion with me.”

“It’s not your knowledge I’m doubting.” she coughed out. Beatrice was still behind her, tying her corset. “It’s the- Urk! It’s the size.”

“You know, this is the same dress I wore at your age.” she recounted

“Really?” Lizzy asked.

“Ha! No, this is what I wore when I died.” Lizzy waited for the joke but it never came.

“Mom… this isn’t…” She was mortified.

“Dress to kill, but also dress so you’re the best looking one at your funeral.”

“Ugh! That’s disgusting!” Lizzy yelped.

“Do you want to look pretty or not?” Beatrice asked harshly.

“Not in your death dress.” Lizzy said, exasperated. “What’s next? You’re going to tell me you died in these shoes too?”

“But they look so good hun, I don’t know why it matters.”

“Oh my god mom…” Lizzy groaned, holding her head.

“Don’t be such a baby. I died and made this outfit look killer. Let’s hope that you can pull it off while still alive.”

“I think I’m fine without these actually, mom.” she said quickly. Beatrice leered her down, disappointed and a bit offended. “But um… I’ll keep the shoes.” Beatrice’s face lightened just a little as they put the dress back.

“Hey mom, can I wear one of your old band t-shirts?”

“Which one?” she asked apprehensively.

Lizzy walked into school with the utmost confidence. She had on a pair of ripped black jeans and a Metallica shirt. For the first time, she had Beatrice put on her makeup, which was mostly dark makeup. Her platforms drew attention from a lot of kids she passed, and she had on a pair of triangle earrings that Beatrice often wore.

“Hey, Vio!” Lizzy said, making Violet gasp when she turned around. She was wearing her typical emo style clothing. “I’m ready to take that picture with you.”

“Liz, you really didn’t have to…” Violet said.

“We can’t do a twins school photo if we don’t dress alike.” Lizzy said with a wink. 

“You care about this picture way too much.” she giggled.

“I was raised by a model.” Lizzy smiled slyly. “Now come on!”

Lizzy grabbed Violet’s arm and pulled her into the gym, where pairs of people were waiting in line. After a while, the two of them came to the front.

“Strike a pose, you two.” the photographer said, getting the camera ready. The two of them did their own little dramatic poses, making each other giggle. In a flash of light, the photo was over. “Alright, individual pictures now,” he said.

“You go ahead and take yours.” Lizzy insisted. “I’m going to go change for mine.”

“Sure.” Violet said. “Meet you at lunch?”

“Yeah, I’ll see you there.”

Violet patiently waited in the lunchroom for Lizzy and eventually started eating her food when she got bored. She noticed that volunteer janitor just standing around and only occasionally sweeping. She was mostly glancing back and forth between the doors like she was waiting for someone.

“Vio, something wrong?” asked a voice beside her. Violet jumped when she saw Lizzy there. How did she sneak up on her? She was back in the clothes that she had taken pictures with Violet in. “You look like you’re watching a killer.”

“It’s just the janitor over there…” Violet pointed out. “I think she’s looking for someone.”

“Probably looking for me.” she remarked, taking a bite out of an apple. “She always is.”

“Why?”

“She thinks we’re friends.”

“Are you?”

“Well…” Lizzy thought for a few seconds. “I guess so. I still don’t like her looking for me all the time though.”

“My dad said that’s how the government works.” Violet said, chewing on a sandwich. “They start looking for you and then they don’t stop, even after they found you.”

“Interesting thing for him to know.” Lizzy commented.

“He was probably just joking.” she laughed. “Hey, are you still good to come to my house tonight for my birthday?”

“Of course! What friend would I be to not?”

“One that bails on my birthday I guess.” she smiled.

“Well, don’t worry, I don’t have a life, so I’ve got no reason to miss it.” Lizzy reassured.

“Glad being friends with other no-lifes has benefits.” laughed Violet.

“I hope my moms don’t want to tag along.” Lizzy groaned. “Who else is going to be there?”

“Let’s see… You, me, my dads, some aunts and an uncle and my cousins… and I think that’s it. Unless Grandpa David wants to come too. I don’t know though.”

“So just family?”

“And you.”

“Well, I’ll be there… I just might be there with my moms.” she laughed lightly.

“Well your mean mom looks like she’d hit it off with my Aunt Bella. And your other mom… I’m sure she’d love whatever cake flavor we pick out.”

“Make it cream cheese and she’ll flock to it.”

“Ha! Noted.”

“Anything else I should know?”

“Don’t… don’t bring up the topic of food around my Aunt Diane.” Violet said uncomfortably.

“Why?” Lizzy asked curiously.

“Well… she’s got some eating problems. I don’t know everything, but I heard she used to starve herself almost to death. She’s fallen back into it multiple times, so like, better safe than sorry I think.”

“I get ya. I’ll keep my mouth shut. And I’ll have to tell my moms that too.”

“Thanks, Liz.” Violet smiled. “I’ll see you tonight.”