Secrets

Chapter 4 - Two Problems

If Mia thought her bizarre encounters with the twins were over, she was in for a rude awakening.

Some things in life refuse to fade quietly into the background, and she learned that the next morning when she walked into class.

Sitting at her desk—her desk—were Matt and Alex.

The twins were casually chatting, completely unbothered by the stares and murmurs from the rest of the class. Their identical features seemed even more striking in the harsh fluorescent light, and their presence demanded attention without them even trying.

Mia stopped in her tracks, her heart sinking. So it wasn't a dream.

Everything that had happened—being saved by Matt, meeting Alex, and their cryptic departure—was painfully real.

Just what I needed in my last year of High School.

As if on cue, Matt caught her eye and smirked, throwing in a playful wink. Beside him, Alex glanced at his brother before giving Mia a lazy wave, his lips quirking into a half-smile.

Mia froze, torn between indignation and disbelief. Any normal high school student would've marched up to them and demanded their seat back. But apparently, Mia wasn't feeling particularly normal today.

Instead, she did the complete opposite. Without a word, she walked to an empty seat at the very front of the room and sat down.

The whispers around her grew louder, and Mia could feel the weight of countless eyes on her, but none felt as heavy as the two pairs of green ones burning into the back of her head. Her cheeks flushed as she stared straight ahead, her thoughts racing.

What the hell am I supposed to do now?!

The rest of the morning passed in a blur. Classes came and went, and Mia found herself counting down the minutes until lunch. By the time the bell rang, she bolted from her seat and practically sprinted to the cafeteria.

She spotted Eliza immediately and latched onto her like a lifeline. Without giving her friend a chance to question anything, Mia launched into a rapid-fire monologue about whatever topic came to mind. Eliza laughed, though her surprise was evident.

It wasn't until they had settled into their seats, food in front of them, that Mia finally brought it up.

"Hey, Eli," she said, her tone casual as she poked at her food. "Where were you yesterday? What happened?"

Eliza, mid-bite, froze. Her fork stopped halfway to her mouth, and her eyes went wide for a split second before she quickly composed herself.

"Oh, yesterday? Remember that thing I told you I had to take care of after school?" Eliza said, setting her fork down carefully.

Mia nodded slowly.

"Well, turns out I didn't finish it properly, so I had to rush back and fix it," Eliza explained, her tone light but her gaze flickering around the room.

Mia leaned forward, her curiosity piqued.

"But you didn't call or text to say you were leaving, which is strange for you."

"I did, though!" Eliza said quickly, a nervous laugh escaping her lips. "You must've missed it."

"No, you didn't," Mia said, her voice steady. "I checked my phone, Eli. I even tried calling you, but it went straight to voicemail. You didn't call me back either."

Eliza's laugh was more forced this time, her eyes darting everywhere but at Mia.

"There must've been something wrong with my connection. You know I'd never leave you hanging unless it was an emergency."