Once Upon A Twin?

9

Henry and I were at the convenience store today. We were reading a comic when a girl walked up. She looked around our age and she asked, "What are you guys reading?"

"The Hulk versus Wolverine," Henry answered. "I'm Ava. I think I've seen you around school. You two are in Ms. Blanchard's class, right?" Ava asked.

Cool, she has the same first name as me. We nodded our heads. Another boy walked up. He also looked around our age.

"Almost ready, Ava?" The boy asked. "This is my brother, Nicholas," Ava said. "Hi. Come on - lets go," Nicholas told her.

"You want to come hang out?" Ava asked us. "Sure!" I exclaimed. We got up and started to leave when the owner, Mr. Clark, stopped us.

He turned to me and Henry. "Where the hell do you think you're going? Open up your bag," he said as he pointed towards Henry's bag.

"What?" Henry asked. "Don't think I didn't see you two rob me. Open your bag," Mr. Clark demanded.

"We didn't take anything," I said as I got in front of Henry defensively. Mr. Clark pushed past me and grabbed Henry's bag. He opened it and started going through it.

He pulled out a fistful of candy. "And a liar, too," Mr. Clark said. I turned to Ava and Nicholas. "That's why you were talking to us," I said. "So your brother could put that stuff in there," Henry continued.

"Henry, Ava... I'm shocked. And you two- just who do you think you are?" Mr. Clark asked. Nobody said anything. "I'm calling your parents and your two's mom," Mr. Clark said. He called mom and called the kids parents.

Mom finally arrived and Mr. Clark told her what happened. "Well, I'm sorry Madam Mayor, but your kids were shoplifting," Mr. Clark finished.

Mom turned to us. "Were you?" Mom asked. We shook our heads. "Look for yourself," Mr. Clark said as he showed our mom the candy.

"My kids don't eat candy. And they know better than to steal. It was obviously those two. We're going," Mom said as we started to walk out. Then Emma walked in.

"Henry, Ava. What happened?" Emma asked us. "Miss Swan, must I remind you that genetics mean nothing. You're not their mother and it's all taken care of," Mom told her.

"I'm here because I'm the Sheriff," Emma said. "Oh, that's right. Go on - do your job. Take care of those miscreants," Mom said. We started to leave again. I looked back one last time.

Ava looked at me and I saw fear run through her eyes. I was pulled out and Mom drove us home. On our way home, Mom got a call.

"Hello," Mom said. "No parents? Well thanks for letting me know Sheriff," Mom said and then hung up. She could only be talking about those kids.

Brother. Sister. No parents. Mhmm. When we got home I ran up to our room. I grabbed the book out of Henry's backpack and flipped to the story I was looking for.

"Hansel and Gretel," I said. "What?" Henry asked. "That's who the kids are. Brother and sister that have no parents," I answered. Henry looked through the story and nodded. "You're right, we have to tell Emma," Henry said.

I agreed and when Mom left to go to City Hall, we made our way over to the police station. We walked in and saw Emma in her office. I opened the door and walked in.

"Any luck?" I asked Emma. She looked up from the piles of papers that she was looking through. "No," she told us. Henry put the book down on the desk and flipped to the story.

"We know who they are," Henry said. "They're brother and sister, lost, no parents - Hansel and Gretel," I explained. "Anything in there about the dad?" Emma asked.