LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY parrishes)

Ingrid tapped her nails on the counter top, shifting her weight from hip to hip. She was wearing some over-the-top creation she'd picked up at a hot fashion spot earlier in the week.

Rachel observed her sister with mild interest. It seemed that everything about Ingrid was exaggerated lately. It was sad really, this competing for attention. Rachel was born first by fourteen minutes and somehow by doing so had garnered fourteen more minutes of attention. That was fourteen minutes Ingrid could never get back.

They had never competed, at least not out right. Even in dancing they had chosen different specialties and excelled at about the same rate. It was never as if one twin was any better at getting what she wanted, or had more successes. It never seemed to be an issue.

But over the summer, more and more, Ingrid had started to do things a bit out of character. She was too gregarious, too loud. Everything was about drawing attention away from anyone else in the room (Rachel included). Ingrid didn't really think about it that way. She didn't really think about it at all. Her behavior had just become gradually more excessive until she was as much an exaggeration of herself as she could be.

"Are we really doing this?" Rachel asked her, slumping onto one of the stools lined up along the marble counter.

"I already bought the tickets. You don't have to come along if you don't want to." It was a nonchalant as she could manage to be. For some reason she wanted her sister with her. They had always traveled together; it would be weird without her.

Rachel sighed, leaning closer to the counter. "But daddy strictly forbade us from going."

"Oh fuck daddy." She meant it too. She was sick of living here and pretending to be a good sister. She wanted her own life, away from Burnham City and the Parrish name. "I used my own money to buy my way out of this fucking town. It's not like he's going to come down to the docks and check the goddamn boat. As if he could be bothered to even drive down to Manhattan."

She had a point and Rachel was starting to come round to it. As much fun as it was sneaking around with Erick behind Renee's back (and right under her nose too!) it was getting pretty old. Both girls had a touch of wanderlust and it was kicking in, especially since summer had become hot. The beaches were calling and neither sister could stand the idea of heading to the Pleasantview Community Pool. "What time do we have to be there?"

"Departure is at 2," Ingrid replied, daring to hope that her sister had finally settled on the decision to come with her.

"I should probably get packing then."

Ingrid smiled faintly. Her bags had been packed since the day she bought her ticket. Even if Rachel had decided not to come with her, Ingrid was getting out of here.