I'm Not a Soup Can

Chapter 1: Prologue

"Get your own sandwich!" I snap, tossing a dirty, crumpled napkin at my twin brother. "I seriously doubt eating that one will kill you."

" But Keira," Nicholas moans, "Mom packed me cheddar and jack for my sandwich. Again. I asked her for salami. Can't you sacrifice for me?"

Nicholas and his follower/best friend Hayden are settled down at our lonely table, trying to mooch off of my lunch. It's horribly teenage boy-esque of them, so I can't say I'm surprised, but I actually enjoy eating my lunch and don't want to share.

Still, I open my lunch and sheepishly realize that Nicholas is in the right. Mom put the wrong sandwich in my bag.

"Oh. Well, she gave me the salami," I tell Nicholas, pulling out my own sandwich, "so I'm guessing that she mixed up the bags."

"I can't believe you still let your mom pack your lunches. Or that you even bring lunches," Hayden snickers. I glare at him.

"It's better than starving to death," I say, pointedly looking at the empty table in front of him. "Go buy something to eat, Hayden. I'm not sharing my lunch again."

Hayden just rolls his eyes and flips his dark brown hair out of his eyes, mumbling something about PMS. Apparently being a girl and bitching him out means that I'm on my period?

So, Hayden...sensible? Not in the slightest.

"Keira, give me the goddamn sandwich!" I suddenly hear, and I snap my head up to see Nicholas looking at me desperately. A growl rumbles through my ears. I stare at my twin in disbelief.

"Was that your stomach?" I giggle. I can't help it. Giggling makes me feel too girly for my own good, but I have to let loose at some point. Besides, there's no one I feel more secure around than these boys.

"Yes, 'cause I'm frickin' hungry! Give me the damn lunch!" Nicholas groans.

"You know, you could eat that one," I say, gesturing to the lunch that was meant to be mine. "It's just cheese."

"Exactly. It's cheese."

"And obviously, eating dairy is going to kill you," I say sarcastically, flipping my light brown hair away from my face and attempting to pull it into a ponytail. Nicholas runs a hand through his identically colored hair impatiently.

"I can't eat dairy. I'm an athlete. It'll make me fat." he snaps. "Besides, do you want a fat brother? I doubt it."

"And when you break your bones from not having enough calcium, don't come crying to me asking for a cheese sandwich!" I declare, switching the brown paper bags with our lunches. He smiles at me gratefully.

"You rock, Keira."

I roll my eyes. "Glad to know my brother uses me for food.

"Hey, can I come over after school?" Hayden asks, looking hopefully at Nicholas and then at me. His dark blue eyes linger on me, and I almost drop my sandwich when the force of his gaze hits me.

I'll never understand how boys find their friends. How one day, two dorky boys with tube socks will be playing in the sandbox in preschool, and the next they're the heartthrobs of the high school in their senior year. They stay friends forever, and it's always the ones with the inseparable bond who wind up becoming...completely irresistible.

You know, for girls who aren't related to them. I mean, it freaks me out to see girls flirting with my brother. Whenever we go out in public, I have to give myself a mental pep talk so that I can deal with every trashy girl who throws herself at him.

Now, Hayden...that's a different story. He's hot, obviously. As a girl, especially a girl who's so close to him, I can't deny it. And there's no point in denying it. Sure, there are times when I wish I could denying knowing him just because he's embarrassing, but most of the time I'm pretty damn glad I know someone like him.

Not like anyone knows how I feel about him. I've had this pathetic crush on Hayden since freshman year. There's nothing wrong with liking my brother's best friend, but unfortunately, neither boy will let me date.

Not like I care. I've never had even a passing interest in any of the boys at school.

Except Hayden.

Only my best friend Christy knows that I have a silly crush on Hayden. Christy has always liked him and Nicholas, but I never actually care enough to do anything about it. So sure, she was a bit envious when I told her that I liked Hayden, because I'm pretty tough competition for her, but she never does anything to try and get me away from Hayden.

I doubt I have a chance with him, anyway. He can have anyone he wants, and I doubt that he wants Nicholas Brooks' twin sister.

I'm always labeled as "Nick's sister", and that's how everyone sees me. That's why it never seems worth it, to try and be someone that Hayden could be with. I'm just the other half of his best friend.

I shake my head to clear it, and Hayden mistakes the motion for a refusal of his request to come over after school.

"I can't come over?" Hayden says, pouting adorably. I look at him and then at Nicholas, who's so busy chewing on his sandwich that he hasn't answered. Oh.

I flushed and say sheepishly, "Sorry, I spaced out. Yeah, you can come over. You own the place anyway."

"What can I say, I love your family more than I love mine," Hayden says with a grin.

It's stuff like this that gets me on the hit list of every girl at school. Jealousy is a petty thing that I get mixed up in way too often when I'm with Hayden and Nicholas. So the two hottest guys at school walk me home every day. Big deal.

Excluding the fact that one of these guys is my brother...well, at least being friends with Hayden gives me a lot of time to daydream about being with him.

I'm so hopeless.

A/N: Okay, here's the rewritten prologue. It's not too different, but I did change some stuff around- for example, Jack, the little brother with cancer? He's out. Sorry.

View and review! Let me know how it was.

-Ryette