Closed Broken Reflection

[Theodore Westwick]

Set after this thread and this thread

Theodore wasn't happy with how his plan had gone. He hadn't expected Diana to react quite this... dramatically. He had convinced himself she didn't really like Edmund anyway, but he had clearly been wrong. Something this dramatic was bound to get to his brother quickly, so Theodore hurried through the corridors so he could get there first. He could only hope messing with his insect collection had kept Edmund busy for long enough, and that he hadn't left the common room. Theodore's plan was simple, he was going to tell his brother that Diana had mistaken him for Edmund and broken up with him. He would just have to make it so that Edmund wouldn't actually go and ask her about it. Even as he thought this over in his head, he knew this phase of the plan wasn't very good. Lying to someone he barely knew was one thing, but he felt like Edmund would see through him. He simply would have to be very convincing. That was what he told himself, but even so, he felt dread fill him as he moved up to the seventh corridor. He was making his way through, when he noticed a familiar figure on the other end of the corridor heading in his direction. Theodore stopped dead in his tracks, staring at his twin. There was no doubt about it. Somehow, Edmund knew.

 

[Edmund Westwick]

As he made his way from the common room out into the school, Edmund's distress and fear crystallised into fury. Nobody else had ever betrayed him like this - nobody else could. Loyalty between them was the thing the Westwick twins had always been able to lean on above all else. No matter what was going on, they could always trust one another, always. Without even questioning it. They supported each other, two halves of the same whole. But that was all gone now. There was nothing and noone Edmund could rely on. He didn't even know where Theodore was, but as Edmund stormed through the corridors, his anger and hurt only grew.

And then he saw him. Edmund's own face reflected back at him, a sight that had once brought him nothing but comfort and reassurance, and now sent stabs of anger and hurt through him. Edmund had no idea what his own face looked like, but he could see from Theodore's expression that everything he had feared was correct. Theodore could see how angry he was. He knew that Edmund knew. "How DARE you?!" Theodore yelled as he approached, fury and pain coursing through him. "How could you BETRAY me like that?!"

 

[Theodore Westwick]

Theodore considered turning and running for a moment, but he simply stood rooted to the spot as Edmund approached. His eyes were wide as his brother started to shout at him. He had never heard Edmund raise his voice at him before, and he hated it. He took a small step back, staring at his brother until he found his own voice. "You betrayed me first." He said, his voice a lot quieter than his brother's, but to his surprise it didn't shake. "I only did this to save us."

 

[Edmund Westwick]

For the first time in Edmund's life, it was difficult to even look at his reflection, the rage inside him burning and bubbling as he stepped closer, not letting Theodore back away. "How?!" He snapped, shaking so much he was sure it must be visible, his voice peaking in his strain. "How did you think HURTING someone who makes me happy would SAVE anything? Hurting ME? I never betrayed you, all I wanted was to make other friends! You've ruined EVERYTHING!" Edmund had already been furious, but something about hearing Theodore confirm what he had done broke his heart all over again. How could he ever trust anyone again if the person born to be by his side could treat him like this?

 

[Theodore Westwick]

Theodore couldn't do this, not here and not now. A part of him wanted to run away and hide, but another part was just as angry as Edmund was. He stared at his brother as he shouted at him, feeling the angry part take over as he listened to his brother. "You HURT me first!" He shouted back, surprised by the sound of his own voice. "You abandoned me! You left me alone! You made me feel bad for wanting to spend time with you! You avoided me! Don't try to deny it. Isn't that betrayal?" He shook his head, also taking a step closer. "That girl didn't even think for one moment it wasn't you saying those things. What sort of girlfriend, or even friend, can't tell they aren't talking to you!? She would have known if she truly cared about you!"

 

[Edmund Westwick]

As furious as he was, Edmund hated hearing pain in Theodore's voice. He had known his brother wasn't happy about Diana, but this was far more intense than he had realised. None of that excused what Theodore had done though, and none of it would un-hurt Diana. "All I wanted was some space!" He yelled back, embarrassed to feel himself tearing up again. "I never abandoned you! I've always been right there!" Although he had pulled away, certainly, Edmund had never left Theodore entirely alone. He had tried to be sure of that. Theodore's next comment hit hard though. It was true. Edmund had always felt like Diana saw him for who he was, the only person who saw Edmund, rather than just an interchangeable twin. But when it mattered most, she hadn't seen the difference. It stung to realise, and Edmund struggled to shake the thought and focus on Theodore. "This isn't about her right now! This is about what you did!"

 

[Theodore Westwick]

Theodore grit his teeth, shaking his head violently. "You didn't ASK for space. You just LEFT!" He shouted back, taking a step closer to his brother. Tears were stinging in his eyes, and he didn't care. "You abandoned me, even if you don't want to admit it! You made me feel like you only stayed by my side out of ... of some sense of obligation, not because you wanted to." The words were bitter, and they were true. It hurt to acknowledge this part of the divide between them, how it had become incredibly obvious that he needed Edmund more than Edmund needed him. He could still read his brother well enough to see that his words hit home, and felt the urge to inflict as much pain as he possibly could. "This has been about her from the start. You threw me away for her, and for what? She only wanted a boyfriend, it didn't matter who! She didn't even see you, she didn't question who I was for one moment. Was it really worth it?" He sneered. "You're a fool if you think she really liked you."

 

[Edmund Westwick]

Edmund had to fight not to wince at Theodore's words. He had a point. Edmund had never one approached his brother about his need for more space. Edmund knew, however, that if he had said anything to Theodore, things would have likely managed to turn out even worse. "You wouldn't have listened!" Edmund snapped back. "If I had told you I wanted an afternoon to myself you would have taken it as an attack, or.... followed me around, or something! There's nothing I could have said that you would have understood, you overreact to everything!" It was harsh, and something that up until today, Edmund wouldn't have thought was entirely true about his brother, but after this, there was no other conclusion to draw. If betraying everything they stood for as brothers was how he reacted to Edmund having a girlfriend, he would have dealt with Edmund wanting time just to himself even more poorly. Somewhat feebly shoving Theodore back, Edmund glared at Theodore. "Shut up!" He snapped, rage burning through him. "You don't know her, you don't know anything about her! She's not like that!" It hurt desperately, because Edmund knew that Theodore had a point. "She likes me for who I am, that's more than I can say for anyone else! You just want me around because you know nobody else will put up with you!" He stepped back, wiping away the tears threatening to break from his eyes. "And now you don't have a brother anymore. I hope you're happy." Edmund spat and took another step back. He couldn't bear this hateful, horrible conversation anymore.

 

[Theodore Westwick]

Theodore lost his composure completely. "YOU DON'T KNOW THAT!" He shouted, not caring that his voice cracked. "You can't say it would have been worse if you didn't try it! That's not fair!" He felt a tear slide down his cheek, and he didn't bother to wipe it away. "You can't say that, because you never tried!" He said again, a sob threatening to escape. He was glad his words about his girlfriend seemed to be hurting Edmund, because everything Edmund was saying to him was cutting Theodore to the bone. He didn't want to be the only one wounded by words. "I knew her well enough to DUMP her, didn't I?" He shouted back. "She didn't like you enough to fight for you even a little bit. All she did was stare at me, then she ran off crying. If she really liked you, she would have done more!" Theodore laughed when Edmund said he just wanted him around because nobody else would put up with him. "Well, at least we have that in common. Nobody will put up with you either. I bet your girlfriend will never take you back." He sneered. But the sneer dropped from his face like a flash of lightning when Edmund said he didn't have a brother anymore. Somehow, those words cut deeper than anything else the boy had said, because he knew he meant it. That was the trouble of knowing someone so well, being able to see when they were completely and utterly serious even when they were saying something horrible. Theodore wavered for a moment, more tears running unchecked down his cheeks. Then he turned and bolted, needing to get away. He didn't know where he was going to go, but he knew that Edmund was lost to him now. He also knew that it was largely his own fault, but still felt like Edmund had been unfair to him. If his brother had been open and given him a chance, he wouldn't have felt the need to act like this. He was sure of it.

 

[Edmund Westwick]

Edmund felt as though he were breaking into a thousand pieces. Even after everything he had done to Edmund, something about Theodore yelling at him was the last straw in this painful conversation. The twins had barely so much as disagreed before, and nothing like this had ever happened between them. Nothing even close. The tears that had been threatening to break from his eyes finally burst their bonds, just in time for him to watch Theodore, similarly crying, turn and run. Edmund's knees almost gave way under him but he found his strength, turning away himself and sprinting in the opposite direction, the sight of Theodore's face, the mirror of his own, streaked with tears he had caused still burning in his mind. He had made Theodore cry. Even with everything horrible Theodore had done to him, causing pain to his once other half still hurt Edmund as though he had done the same to himself. He had to stop thinking like that though. Theodore had betrayed everything they had held sacred, and Edmund had to be true to his word now. He didn't have a brother anymore.