Hello Stranger

Chapter 23

I sat in the booth of our favorite diner twirling the straw in my root beer float. This was the booth we sat in every time we came. The booth held a lot of memories from me and my friends, yet somehow all the memories felt foreign to me. Why did it feel like everything was changing? Nothing should be changing.

"Andy," Asher says pulling me from my thoughts. "What's on your mind? Talk to me. It's why we're here."

I sigh, "I don't know. Everything just feels like it's falling apart and every time I try to put it back together, it starts to fall apart somewhere else."

"I know the feeling," He chuckles lightly. "Well, let's start from the beginning."

I met the pair of brown eyes identical to mine, "But where's the beginning?"

Asher sat back to think for a moment. "I guess when everything started changing."

"The football game?" I questioned.

"The bonfire," He corrected.

"What do you mean? Why did everything change then?" I ask.

"Joey's behavior. He was acting weird," Asher states. He noticed that? I thought I was the only one who did. How come he never said anything?

I twirled the straw in my cup again, "What do you mean? I didn't notice anything."

Asher raises an eyebrow at me. "Andy you're my twin. We raised ourselves. You're me and I'm you. I know you noticed it. And based on how weird you and him were both acting the next morning, I know you know something."

Of course. I should've known he noticed it. I can't keep anything from him. "I'll answer as soon as you tell me why you were so tired that night. And don't say practice and work this time because I know you were lying."

Asher thought about it for a moment debating on whether or not he should answer. He sighed, "Okay. It was from work. But not my job at the country club. I've been running errands and stuff for some people. Just picking up groceries, being their driver, that kind of things."

"How would that make you that tired though?" I push.

"I do it overnight. I don't have time to do it other than at night. It pays well, it's worth not sleeping sometimes," Asher shrugs as if it was nothing.

"Why do you even need the money?" I ask my brother. I hated he was doing this to himself.

"Andrea, I can't answer anymore questions about right now. But I promise I'll give you the answers you want soon," Asher replies. I gave him a slight nod. Should I trust that he will? "Now, what happened with Joey?"

"Him and Lizzie broke up," I say slow as he waits for more. "Because he has feelings for someone else." His eyes got wide and I assumed he caught onto the rest.

"He broke up with her because of you?!" He exclaims. Maybe he didn't know. Maybe I shouldn't tell him.

"He'll tell you when he's ready," I reply. It wasn't my place to tell him anyways. That's something Joey and Asher have to talk about.

"That's ridiculous! When did this happen?" Asher was in shock. Ellie made it seem like it was clear as day how Joey felt about me but I guess she was wrong. Or me and Asher are just that clueless.

"I had a nightmare that morning," I say changing the subject. You could see his focus shift to me. He was worried. He always worried. "It was like the other ones. I was strapped to a table with that weird echo voice telling me to get up. But I was stuck. The man came to suffocate me. except he had a voice this time. And I swear I've heard it before."