The Popularity Project

Chapter Twenty Six - The Good Twin

Perry's POV

"That's insane," I laugh. "There is no possible way she could've fooled everyone, her family."

"Perry, her family didn't care. It was only her aunt, Penelope and brother Oliver. They either knew or didn't care, which sounds more ignorant than it is. See, despite the way Vivian partied and drank, she was still the good twin. Rosalie got into some dark shit before Vivian died. No one knew except her boyfriend, my brother."

Tessa speaks quickly, trying to convince me. This is still the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. I will have to ask Vivian... Rosalie to confirm or deny Tessa's accusations. I hope, for everyone's sake, that she denies everything.

"It doesn't add up," I point out. The police must've been able to identify which twin died. Even so, if they couldn't identify, why would she change identities. What was so bad that Rosalie would pretend to be her dead sister?

"Rosalie started rebelling against Penelope," Tessa explains. "She joined a cult that was very, very strict and violent. She had absolutely no escape, except for death. When the cult heard she had died, they cut all ties with the memory of her and moved on. It's genius, actually."

Tessa sits in a hospital bed, she hasn't gotten around to explaining how she got here. I'm not so sure I want to ear the answer, though. Vivian and I have bonded over this Damien problem. If Tessa is wrong, am I willing to sacrifice our friendship for a lie. Am I willing to ignore Tessa's warning only to be betrayed?

"What happened to you?" I finally ask. She doesn't have any signs of physical harm.

Tessa uncovers her legs to show me a long cut that has been stitched up. I cringe at the broken skin, I hate looking at cuts. "This guy attacked me, out of nowhere. I was riding my bike and he pulled a knife. Then he literally slashed my leg, the way you would slash a tire. It was terrifying."

"How much damage?" I wrap my arms around her. She shakes violently, cuddling into me.

"Not much, only the surface." She sighs.

"Do you believe me?" Tessa pulls away to look at my face. "About Vivian not being Vivian."

"Not really.." I purse my lips. "Who would? Its kind of crazy, Tessa."

"Vivian is the crazy one. Perry this is absolutely serious," Tessa gives me a an accentuated serious face.

"Do you have any proof?"

"I can get you some," she nods her head in determination. "You can't believe anything she says."

"How do you know all this stuff about her?" I raise my eyebrows. I'm not stupid, the facts don't add up right.

"Rosalie's boyfriend, Chris Johnson, was my half brother," Tessa informs me. "The police think he killed himself, but I know he didn't."

"You think he was murdered?" I raise my eyebrows.

"Precisely," Tessa nods her head. "And I know who the murderer is."

"Who?"

"Rosalie, or the Vivian you know."

Ryder's POV

"Charlotte.."

"I wouldn't lie about this. I have never lied to you, Ryder. Why would I start now?" She insists.

"This is unrealistic," I point out. "How would you even know the truth? You have barely even spoken to Vivian."

"My friend, Tessa, her half brother was Rosalie's boyfriend. I suspect that Rosalie killed Vivian after realizing she was in a dangerous position in the cult. Everything was fine, until Rosalie's boyfriend discovered that his girlfriend was in fact still alive. Then, to cover her tracks, Rosalie killed Chris Johnson, making the death look like a suicide. Genius, if you ask me.