Brielle Harrison
Topaz flopped on Brielle’s bed and pulled a black-and-white-striped blanket over her. “What was up with Scarlet and Violet’s parents? Yikes.”
Brielle scooted over, giving her sister room and picked at a fleck of deep purple, almost-black paint starting to peel from the wall. “I didn’t mean to upset them.”
“What did you say? That you thought Atlas was dead or something?”
“Of course not!” Brielle shoved Topaz. “Don’t be such a brat.”
“I’m not being a brat.” Topaz shoved her back. “Mrs. James slapped him and started yelling like a psycho. What else am I supposed to think?”
“I don’t know. Maybe that she’s over-the-top upset because her kid is missing!”
Topaz frowned and adjusted a crooked rock band poster. “I guess. Not that I’d be surprised if you did say you thought Atlas was dead.”
“You really are a brat. Go away. And stop messing with my stuff. I like that poster crooked.”
Topaz stuck out her tongue. “Fine, I’ll stop.” They were quiet for a few minutes before she spoke again. “Do you think they’ll be found? Atlas and Emmett?”
“Are you worried?”
Topaz shrugged. “Well, yeah.”
Brielle sighed. “I’m no psychic, but I’m sure they’ll be back. I wouldn’t be surprised if this is all a big stunt to get people to watch their video. They did say it would for sure go viral.”
“Maybe.” Topaz looked deep in thought for a moment, then played with Brielle’s hair. “You’re so lucky. I wish my hair was this thick.”
“We have the same exact hair, remember?”
“But yours is thicker.” Topaz pouted.
Brielle tugged on her sister’s locks. “Not possible. Identical twins, separated by two and a half years.”
“Still, your hair is thicker and prettier.”
“How many times do I have to explain this to you? In the Petri dish, we were one egg that split. Mom didn’t want to risk a multiple birth, so she had each of us implanted separately.”
“I know all that. And technically, we’re the same age. Stop treating me like your little sister.”
“You are my little sis. Birth certificate proves that.”
Topaz rolled onto her back. “Technically, we’re the same age. I could actually be older than you if my part of the egg split first.”
“That doesn’t even make any sense.”
“Sure it does.” Topaz burst into a fit of laughter.
Brielle’s phone dinged, indicating she had a text. It was from Scarlet next door.
Scarlet: Can we come over plz?
Brielle: Sure. Back door unlocked.
Scarlet: Thx. The parental units are screaming.
Brielle: Come to my room.
Scarlet: CU
Topaz sat up and played with Brielle’s pillow. “What’s going on?”
“The twins are coming over. Their parents are still fighting.”
“Bummer.” Topaz’s face lit up. “But maybe they can give us the inside scoop.”
“Ugh. You’re so nosy.”
She smirked. “I learned from the best.”
“Like I said, a brat.”
Topaz wrinkled her nose. “You keep saying that word like it’s supposed to mean something.”
“Would you stop?”
“What’s the fun in that?”
The door opened, and in walked Scarlet and Violet—same face, same age but easily identifiable because they dressed so differently. Scarlet, the studious one, had her blonde hair in soft curls falling over a school sweatshirt and Violet wore her hair stick straight with a low-cut shirt and tiny shorts.
“That was fast.” Brielle checked her phone. The last text had only been two minutes earlier.
“We were ready to leave.” Violet plopped on the bed.
“They wouldn’t stop yelling.” Scarlet also sat.
“And they were getting louder by the minute,” Violet added. “You’d think it was World War Four or something.”
“You mean Three,” Scarlet added.
“Whatever.”
“What’s going on here?” Violet asked.
“Nothing.” Brielle sighed. “Dad’s asleep already. Surprise, surprise. Topaz and I were trying to figure out what happened to Emmett and Atlas.”
“I can’t believe they haven’t come back!” Violet’s eyes widened. “They haven’t texted anyone.”
Scarlet looked at her. “Not even you, Bri?”
Brielle shook her head. “You can check my phone. Nothing. I’ve tried calling and texting them both.”
Violet pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. “Do you think they’re okay?”
“They have to be,” Brielle said.
“What could’ve happened?” Topaz asked.
“I hate to think about it.” Scarlet shuddered. “I read too many thriller novels. You don’t want to know the ideas running through my head. None of them are good.”
“You definitely read too much,” Violet told her sister. “I told you it wasn’t healthy. Don’t give me any of your ideas.”
Brielle leaned forward. “I have an idea.”
Everyone stared at her.
“What?” Violet demanded.
Brielle took a long, dramatic breath. “You didn’t hear this from me.”
“Of course not.” Scarlet’s eyes widened.
“Tell us.” Topaz’s eyes pleaded with her.
Brielle nodded. “I think Layne is acting weird.”
Violet stiffened.
“Layne?” Scarlet asked. “You mean Emmett’s girlfriend?”
“Ex,” Violet corrected.
“They broke up?” Brielle stared at her. “Are you sure?”
“You’d better believe it.” Violet’s perfect eyebrows drew together. “I was there. He dumped her butt yesterday after school. If she’s pretending they’re still together, she’s the liar of the century.”
Brielle covered her mouth then pulled her hands away. “I had no idea.”
“Yeah, well, she wasn’t happy about it. And with him being gone, she probably thinks she can get away with pretending it never happened. But it did, believe me.”
“How do you know so much?” Topaz asked. “Did Atlas tell you?”
“Atlas didn’t even know.”
“How do you know he didn’t?” Scarlet asked.
“I just know.” Pink colored Violet’s cheeks.
“Wait just a minute.” Brielle’s mind raced. “Why are you blushing? What aren’t you telling us?”
“Nothing,” Violet said quickly.
Brielle, Scarlet, and Topaz exchanged curious glances.
“What’s going on?” Scarlet asked. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“Us,” Brielle corrected. “What aren’t you telling us?”
Violet looked each girl in the eye. “You didn’t hear this from me.”
They all nodded in agreement.
“Emmett and I have been seeing each other.”
Gasps sounded around the bed.
Brielle’s mind raced, and all the pieces fell into place. It all made sense now—why Layne had been acting so weird back at school. She looked at Violet. “How long?”
“Long enough for him to know he wanted to ditch Layne. He said she’s whiny and that I’m much better girlfriend material.”
Scarlet shoved her twin. “I can’t believe you’d hook up with our brother’s best friend!”
“Why not? He’s hot.”
“It’s not cool. What if you guys break up? That’s going to be super awkward for everyone.”
Violet scowled. “We’re not going to break up. What we have is special.”
“Emmett hasn’t contacted you?” Topaz asked.
“No.” Violet’s face fell. “Neither of them has.”
“Does anyone else know about you two?” Brielle asked.
Violet shook her head. “We were going to give it a couple of days before making it public, you know.”
“That’s cool.” Brielle nodded, thinking. “You don’t think Layne had anything to do with them being missing?”
Everyone looked at her in surprise.
“Do you?” Scarlet asked.
“Think about it,” Brielle said. “Emmett breaks up with Layne, then he disappears without a trace. It’s a pretty big coincidence, don’t you think?”
Everyone spoke at once.
Brielle put her hand up and spoke once it was quiet. “Layne and I were called to the office today to answer questions for the cops. She was acting totally weird. I couldn’t figure out why, but now it makes sense. She must know something.”
Violet leaned forward. “Maybe she did something.”
“Do you think so?” Brielle asked. “It would be hard for her to do something to both of the guys.”
“She had help!” Topaz nodded. “Who’s her best friend?”
“Does she even have one?” Violet asked. “She’s such a loser.”
“You’re only saying that because you’re seeing Emmett.” Brielle gave her a knowing look.
Violet glared at her.
“That has to be it,” Scarlet said. “She had to know they were going to make that video, right?”
Violet nodded. “She wanted to go with them. Begged like the stupid loser she is.”
“How do you know all this?” Brielle asked. “He told you?”
“Yep. Plus, I was there when he broke up with her, remember?”
“Tell us everything,” Scarlet said. “Maybe there’s a clue in their breakup.”
Violet sighed dramatically. “Honestly, I doubt she could pull it off. She really doesn’t have the intelligence.”
“She doesn’t have to be smart,” Topaz said. “Just jealous enough to do something stupid.”
“Well, she is stupid,” Violet said. “Emmett and I were talking after drama club—okay, we were doing more than talking.” She grinned widely. “Then Layne showed up and caught us. Threw a huge hissy fit. I mean, totally over the top. That’s when Emmett broke up with her. She blamed me, but he told her it was because of how possessive she was. Then she tried to tell him he couldn’t break up with her. It was all pretty funny. She finally stormed off, and Emmett told me I’d make a much better girlfriend.”
“What do you think she did?” Brielle asked. “Did she follow them to the haunted house?”
“It’s a mental hospital,” Scarlet corrected.
“Whatever.” Brielle turned to Violet. “Do you think Layne went to the mental hospital?”
“That’s where she should be,” Violet muttered. “I have no idea what that chick did or didn’t do. Wouldn’t surprise me if she did go there. But seriously, I doubt she has the brainpower to pull off any kind of revenge. Especially against the two of them.”
“Wasn’t she in karate?” Topaz asked. “She might be able to hurt them.”
“Except that would still require working brain cells.” Violet tapped the side of her head. “You’re giving that girl way too much credit.”
“Unless she had help,” Brielle reminded them. “If she dragged one of her friends into it.”
Violet shrugged. “But even then, you’re still talking about a total of like six brain cells. And that’s assuming someone with six brain cells would help Layne.”
A thought struck Brielle. “Unless we’re thinking about this from the wrong angle.”
“What do you mean?” Scarlet arched a brow.
“I know this sounds out there, but what if it was a ghost?”
“Ghosts aren’t real.” Scarlet shook her head.
“What if they are?” Brielle asked. “Can you prove they aren’t?”
“You can’t prove they are.”
“Just sayin’ maybe they’re real. What if they pissed one off? Wasn’t last night the anniversary of some killings or something? That’s what Atlas was saying, I think. Wish I’d been paying more attention now.”
Two phones sounded. Violet and Scarlet both pulled out their phones and grimaced.
“Mom and Dad figured out we left,” Violet said.
Scarlet texted a message. “We have to get back home. They’re totally freaking out. Not that I can blame them. Atlas is already missing.”
“But with the way they were screaming at each other, can they blame us for coming over here?” Violet asked.
Everyone exchanged hugs, then the twins left.
Topaz flung herself on her back. “Can you believe it? Violet and Emmett?”
Brielle pulled her hair back into a loose ponytail. “I think they’d actually make a cute couple. I just never thought of them together because of Atlas, you know?”
“Exactly.” Topaz yawned. “Guess I’d better get to bed. Dad’s not going to let us stay home tomorrow.”
Brielle shook her head. “Not a chance.”
“Hopefully the teachers will understand us not doing homework.”
“Don’t count on it. ’Night.”
Topaz yawned again and headed for the door. “Goodnight.”
Brielle got ready for bed, her mind racing. She knew Layne had been hiding something earlier, but she’d had no idea Emmett had dumped her. That really made her look like a suspect—a bitter ex-girlfriend. Or was Violet right, that Layne couldn’t possibly pull something like that off?