Shadowing Practice: My Best Friend Found Out I'm A Girl - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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Growing up, my twin brother Mikhail and I were raised by our single dad.
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302 sentences
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Growing up, my twin brother Mikhail and I were raised by our single dad.
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And boy, were we living the high life.
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We lived in a mansion straight out of a fairy tale with every luxury imaginable.
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We always had the coolest toys, the best clothes, super fancy meals, and the most awesome birthday parties ever.
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And you know what made it all possible?
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My dad's super cool job at Lewis Industries.
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He had a high position there and worked his butt off to give us the best life ever.
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Everything was perfect, until one day in high school, Dad hit us with some shocking news.
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We were completely broke.
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Turns out Dad's boss, Mr.
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Lewis, fired him unjustly and even seized whatever Dad owned.
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Dad, we'll get through this, right?
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I don't know, honey.
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I don't know.
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That man destroyed me.
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He took every last cent I had.
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Mr.
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Lewis is a fraud, and he blamed me and fired me.
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This is so unfair, and I'm so sorry I can't give you the life you deserve anymore.
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Seeing Dad's tears made my heart shatter.
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And then suddenly, I felt rage surge through my veins.
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I wanted revenge.
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I vowed to make Mr.
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Lewis pay for causing us so much pain.
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And also, take back what he stole from us.
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That night, we moved into a small apartment.
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And things were never the same again.
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Hey, guys.
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I'm Armani.
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Before I continue with my crazy story, please like and subscribe to MSA.
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The next day, news of Dad's misfortune spread far and wide.
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and everyone now looked at us with pity.
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Aren't you that millionaire's daughter?
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Oh, poor you, going through so much.
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Here, the bread and eggs are on us.
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You don't need to pay, sweetheart.
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I totally hated how everyone was pitying us and Mikhail felt the same way.
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He was determined to start some business to help dad with the bills.
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Then something mind-blowing happened.
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He got offered a scholarship to the swankiest school ever where he'd applied before dad got fired.
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But now, Mikhail was unsure about it.
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You're not sure?
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Mikhail, studying at this school could open up doors for you in the future.
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For all of us.
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Yeah, but Dad needs me right now.
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We have our business planned out and I'm just taking a year off from studies.
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Besides, I found out that Mr.
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Lewis' son Peter is also in that school.
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I don't want to be there.
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Seriously?
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The son of that cheater who drained us dry?
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This could actually be the perfect opportunity to get revenge.
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Come on, Armani.
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Revenge is never the solution.
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Karma will handle Mr.
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Lewis.
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We need to focus on getting our life back on track.
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Was he serious?
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There was no way I was gonna pass up this chance to make Mr.
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Lewis pay.
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I came up with an idea.
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Join the school in McHale's place.
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At first, he was totally against it, but I lied about how much I wanted to study in a great school, and this was the only opportunity I'd have since dad had no money.
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Aren't you forgetting one tiny detail?
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It's an all-boys school.
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No sweat, McHale.
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I'll just pretend to be a dude.
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Teach me the way of the bros, please.
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And then mission dudification began.
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First up, Mikhail taught me bro vocabulary.
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Every sentence should have dude or bro or man.
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Then he taught me the bro walk, which was kind of funny to be honest.
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Then came the fist bumps.
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And at last, the dude dress code.
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After a week of training and a wig, I transformed into Mikhail from Armani.
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And I was so ready for this school and meeting this Peter.
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On my first day of school, I thought it would be a piece of cake.
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I mean, all I would have to do was walk and talk like a boy.
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But soon, my throat was hurting from making my voice deep.
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My waist was hurting from sucking in my breath and doing that stupid dude walk.
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And then I had to pee.
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I rushed to the restroom, but to my horror, it was a dirty urinal toilet staring back at me.
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Yuck!
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Boys are gross.
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I was searching the school for a better bathroom when suddenly I heard some yelling.
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I followed the voices to see what was happening, and I spotted a guy on the bleachers getting picked on by some meanies.
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Hey, man, I don't want any trouble.
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Look, I've got a Snickers bar.
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How about we all share it and share our feelings?
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We could start with you, Josh.
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You can talk about your anger issues.
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This is a safe space.
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Are you for real, you dumb loser?
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Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.
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You want to test that theory?
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You're a good-for-nothing idiot with a bad haircut, and the only girl who will ever love you is your granny.
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Oh, God, ouch.
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That hurts so bad.
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You might as well just have punched me in the stomach.
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I can do that.
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Stop that, dude.
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Leave him alone, man.
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Or else what, newbie?
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I'm gonna show the principal this video of you bullying a student.
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Yep, I got it all here, bro.
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Josh glared at me, then pushed Peter away and gestured to the other guys, and they all left.
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Uh, thank you for standing up to Josh, but I had it under control.
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Yeah, I could see that.
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Man, I'm Peter.
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Peter Lewis?
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What's your name?
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Wait, as in Mr.
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Lewis's son Peter Lewis?
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Our Mikhail, bro.
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Our McHale bro.
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What an interesting name.
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No, just McHale.
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I gotta go pee.
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I have to find a clean bathroom.
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Say no more and follow me.
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Peter led me to the teacher's bathroom, which was as clean as a whistle.
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Throughout the day, Peter and I ended up hanging out together.
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And as we got talking during recess, I realized Peter was a sweet and simple guy.
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The day seemed to be going well, until we had swimming class.
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All right, boys, time to change to your swim trunks so we can dive right in.
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What the fudge?
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I had to come up with a good excuse to skip the lesson, and my mind was racing as the teacher caught sight of me.
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Hey, you.
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Yes, you.
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Come on, get changed.
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Uh, I'm allergic to water.
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Um, I was diagnosed with aquagenic urticaria.
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Yeah, it's been pretty hard for me.
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Fortunately, everyone bought the lie.
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Well, everyone except Josh, who sneaked up behind me after swim class.
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Aquagenic urticaria?
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Really?
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I'll do my research, and we'll know if you're really allergic to water, or you're just a weirdo who likes to be the center of attention everywhere.
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You've got the rest of your life to be as dull as you wish.
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Why not take today off and do something better with your life?
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Everyone roared with laughter as Josh fumed and stormed off angrily.
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Hey, would you like to hang out over the weekend at my place?
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My dad's away on a business trip and I have no close friends.
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Well, now you have me, bro.
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Peter shared his number and address with me.
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This was perfect.
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I knew from dad that Mr.
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Lewis had a home office and if I could sneak in, maybe I could find some evidence and prove Mr.
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Lewis was the fraud Dad said he was.
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The next morning, I showed up at Peter's mansion and was blown away.
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It was ginormous.
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It even had two Olympic-sized pools and seven freaking jacuzzis.
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Peter gave me a tour of his massive house, showed me every single room except two.
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Why aren't we going into those two rooms?
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One's Dad's office and the other, it's just private.
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Come on, let me show you the kitchen.
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Of course, his uneasiness only made me more intrigued.
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Later as we were having snacks, I excused myself to the bathroom and snuck into one of the two rooms, hoping it was the office.
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But just as I entered and turned on the lights, someone grabbed my shoulder.
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Mikhail, the bathroom's the other way?
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Why are you here?
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Uh, I just got lost.
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I was terrible at lying, but Peter believed me instantly.
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Oh, no problem.
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Well, since you're here already, I want to show you something that I've never shown anyone.
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Also, because I've never had a friend over before.
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He then pulled out a mysterious box from under the dusty bed.
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Things haven't been the same since Mom left us.
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She was my favorite person and my best friend.
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Dad thought putting all her stuff in this room would make us forget, but it's the opposite.
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It's been really tough, Mikhail.
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Seeing Peter vulnerable made my heart go out to him.
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Now you have me.
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I'll always be here for you.
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Thanks, bro.
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When I got home, I kept thinking about my revenge plan.
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No matter what, I didn't want to hurt Peter.
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He was really growing on me, but I had to stand up for my dad too.
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It wasn't Peter's fault his dad was a jerk, and I hoped once he learned about his Dad's dirty deeds, he'd hate him too.
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In the following days, Peter and I really bonded, and I couldn't help but notice how naive he was.
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OMG, OMG, Bella Porch messaged me.
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Dude, she's asking me to send her $5,000 because she's stranded on some island.
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We have to help her.
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She's my favorite TikTok star.
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What?
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I mean, bro, seriously?
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Look closely.
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It's a fake account, man.
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Oh, you're right.
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I'm such a dummy.
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For a second, I was on cloud nine that Bella messaged me.
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You know, I adore her.
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She's so cute and...
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As Peter went on and on about Bella Porch, I found myself feeling weirdly jealous.
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It was then I realized I kinda had a crush on Peter.
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One time, as Peter was on the ground playing football, I couldn't help thinking that he looked kinda, well, hot.
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Suddenly, an annoying voice interrupted me.
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Why are you looking at him like you're in love with him?
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Haven't you learned to mind your own business?
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Oh, McHale, I did some digging.
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And boy, was I shocked.
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It all adds up now.
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And then he showed me some pictures of me.
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That's my sister Armani, you dumbhead.
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We're twins.
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See this picture?
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Now get a life, bro, and delete my sister's pictures from your phone before I break your face.
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Phew, that was close.
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But then during recess, Josh joined us and placed a whole box of Snickers in front of Peter.
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Hey, bro, I wanted to talk to you.
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I've been in therapy, and I've realized you were right.
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I needed to deal with my anger issues, and I really need to apologize for the way I've behaved with you.
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I'm trying to change, and I'm really sorry.
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Yeah, right, but Peter totally fell for it.
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Aw, thanks, Josh.
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That means a lot, and I only wish you well.
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Forgiven and forgotten.
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Oh, by the way, I'm throwing a party this weekend to showcase some of my new artwork.
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You guys should come.
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A party was the perfect opportunity to break into Mr.
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Lewis's office because Peter would be busy.
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I just had to keep an eye out for this Josh.
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And once I had the evidence, I'd come out with the whole truth to Peter.
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So when nobody was watching at the party, I sneaked into the office, desperate to find something incriminating.
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But moments later, the door swung open and Peter entered.
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Got lost again?
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Yeah.
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Your place is like a maze, man.
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I know, right?
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Come on, let me show you out.
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Just as I was walking out with Peter, someone from behind grabbed my wig and pulled it hard.
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I turned around to see it was Josh, and my long hair had come undone.
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See, I told you so.
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Now do I get the thousand dollars?
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What?
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Yeah, I told him you're a girl, and I did some more digging on you.
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You and your brother are the kids of that millionaire who's poor now, the one who used to work for Peter's dad.
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I didn't believe Josh, but it looks like I'm always an idiot.
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Serves me right for trusting anyone, and I don't know why you deceived me, and I don't even want to find out.
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Maybe you also came to do what your dad did.
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Peter, you don't know everything.
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Let me explain.
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All I know is that you pretended to be my friend, and you lied to me.
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Please just leave.
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Peter.
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Guards, escort him, her out of here.
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With my head hung low, I made my way back home.
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And the next morning, I was horrified to find my face all over social media.
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Apparently, Josh had uploaded a clip from the party, and everyone had something negative to say about me.
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When Mikhail learned what I'd done, he was also unhappy.
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He had told me not to seek revenge, but I'd ignored his advice.
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Naturally, through all of this, I, or I guess Mikhail, was also kicked out of school.
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I just shut myself up in my room, and Dad came to talk to me one night.
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I just broke down and ended up telling him about my crazy plan and how far I'd gone.
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Oh, honey, I feel so terrible about this, and I should have told you sooner.
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The thing is, I made an awful mistake at Mr.
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Lewis's company.
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I allowed my greed to get the better of me, so I stole some money.
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I know it was wrong, and I'm really ashamed of myself.
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I got caught, and naturally Mr.
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Lewis fired me.
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I lied about him.
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He isn't a fraud.
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He's actually a kind man who could have sent me to jail, but he spared me, and he didn't take my money from me.
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I just never saved anything.
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I didn't have the courage to tell you kids the truth and I'm so sorry.
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Seriously, dad?
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Like, how could you?
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OMG, you're the one who's a fraud.
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I can't, I can't do this right now.
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Mikhail was equally stunned to learn the truth about dad.
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We both stopped talking to him for weeks, but one day, as Mikhail and I were watching MSA, dad came to us in tears.
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I know I'm asking a lot here, But I can't bear the silent treatment.
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You're both my world, and I'll do whatever it takes to make it up to you.
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I'm really sorry for what I brought on this family.
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Dad, you realized your mistake.
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That's what matters the most.
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We'll get through this together, all three of us.
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After finally knowing the truth, I felt even worse for deceiving Peter.
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I tried calling him to apologize, but he never picked up.
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So I wrote everything out in a letter to mail it to him.
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Hey, Peter, I'm writing this letter to say sorry for all the messed up things I did.
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I can't begin to explain how much it sucks to realize that I hurt you.
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I thought my family was miserable because of your dad, and I was blinded by my anger and need for revenge.
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But I was wrong about everything, and I ended up losing a friend.
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Take care of yourself, Peter.
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You deserve happiness and good things in life.
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I'll always carry the regret of what I've done, and I hope that someday, somehow, you'll forgive me.
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I'm really sorry, Armani.
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A few weeks later, Mikhail dropped the best news ever.
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He and dad were finally ready to start the business in a new town.
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I was excited about the fresh start, but I couldn't ignore the sadness I felt at the idea of being so far from Peter.
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A night before our flight, I was up in my room when I heard voices downstairs, and I rushed down to see Peter in our living room.
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Wow, you both are really twins.
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Anyway, Armani, I'm still mad at you, but that letter you sent really made me think.
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Admitting your mistakes takes a lot of courage, and you showed that you have it, and I want to move past this.
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I know you're leaving tomorrow, but that doesn't mean we can't still be friends.
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I don't deserve a friend like you, Peter, and I'm sorry for hurting you.
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Can you really forgive me?
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Maybe, if you take me out for some ice cream.
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I'd love that.
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Let's go.

Why practice speaking with this video?

This gripping story unfolds a relatable scenario, perfect for English learners aiming to enhance their speaking skills. Engaging with the narrator's emotional journey can help learners practice speaking in various emotional contexts, such as expressing empathy, determination, and frustration. Practicing with this video allows for an exploration of personal narratives, helping learners articulate their own feelings and experiences.

Moreover, shadowing the speaker's tone and pace can significantly improve your English pronunciation and fluency. By mimicking the natural intonation and rhythm of the narrator, you gain a better understanding of everyday conversational English. This not only boosts vocabulary but also allows you to learn how to convey emotions effectively in English.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

Several key structures in the transcript serve as excellent learning points for English learners:

  • Past Simple Tense: "Dad hit us with some shocking news." This structure is crucial when describing events that have already happened. Practice forming sentences in the past tense to discuss your own experiences.
  • Conditional Sentences: "If he took every last cent I had..." Using conditionals helps express hypothetical situations. This structure is vital for learners needing to articulate plans or potential outcomes.
  • Reported Speech: "He said that we would get through this." This is commonly used in conversations and storytelling. Practice converting direct speech into reported speech to improve your narrative skills.

Common Pronunciation Traps

While engaging with this video, learners may encounter several pronunciation challenges:

  • “Unjustly”: Focus on the ‘un-‘ prefix and ensure the ‘j’ sound is pronounced softly.
  • “Vowed”: The ‘ow’ in this word sounds like ‘ow’ in ‘how,’ which can be tricky for non-native speakers.
  • “Scholarship”: Make sure to pronounce the ‘ar’ clearly. It’s common to slur this word into something almost unrecognizable.

By paying attention to these pronunciation traps while shadowing the narrator, you can achieve greater clarity in your speech. Remember, practicing shadow speech can dramatically improve your English pronunciation and overall speaking abilities. Embrace the power of storytelling as you work to refine your skills, making learning both enjoyable and effective.

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

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