Misspent Youth...

From the street I stared at the Christmas tree lights shining through the window. The trees surrounding the house were covered with a light dusting of snow, and glistened in the moonlight. I walked barefoot through the snow toward the warmth that came from the inside of the house. One of the perks of being dead was not feeling that damned ice-cold-to-the-bone chill that came along with snow. The downside was also not being able to feel the warmth of the sun on my face. The warmth I felt coming from the house was the same warmth I felt within: love for my family.

I stood at the window, watching them interact with each other. My twin sisters had come home for the holidays. After all I'd seen and done in my lifetime, the one thing that always surprised me was their ability to stay in the same house together for an extended period of time. One would think that twin sisters are inseparable. Not mine. I've never known any two people who were more different than these two. They were identical in appearance, but completely opposite in every other aspect of life. It was as though one was charmed and the other - doomed. Everything Ashlee touched turned to gold. Everywhere Amber went, chaos followed.

When we were kids, I was closer to Amber than I was Ashleigh. I felt Amber needed me to hang onto. I liked Ashlee better, but Amber needed me. Desperately, might I add. That girl was attracted to trouble like bees flocked to honey. The two of us were always into mischief. We spent plenty of days high as two kites. Of course, most everyone in the 70's was as high as a kite. Everyone, except Ashlee of course. While the rest of teenage America was dancing the night away at the local disco, Ashlee had her nose in a book. I've never seen anyone read as fast as that girl. She could put away a book as quickly as Amber could smoke a joint. I wanted to be like Ashlee, she had the world at her feet. Unfortunately, I wasn't as smart or dedicated to school as she was.

Now, twenty years later I'm dead; staring in the window like a peeping Tom. And the ramifications of two opposite lives were apparent. Ashlee graduated from college, obviously. And Amber hated her for it. I never understood why Amber was so jealous. Amber made her choices. She said college was a waste of time, and went for the cash to support her two habits: drugs and shopping. Amber wasn't a drug addict, not even close. She liked her weed though. The good stuff, not the cheep shit. The shopping was the real addiction.

One thing Amber had that Ashlee didn't was the ability to drive men wild. Like I said, opposites. Amber got a job at the Pussycat club in Scottsdale. That girl made a thousand a week. It was insane! She went through money like Ashlee went through pencils. Then the unthinkable happened: her twenties ended, and her boobs started to sag. It was tragic. Almost as tragic as the day I died.

To be continued...

© 2007, Yvonne Michelle

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P.S. Thanks, for the writing prompt!