Twins of Trouble

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"Easy on the blush, I don't wanna look like a circus clown May." Evie snapped, swatting May's hand away from her face. Through the mirror Evie watched as May rolled her eyes and flicked a strand of honey-coloured hair over her shoulders. Petite and curvy, with voluminous waves and dark eyes, May was beautiful. But not as beautiful as Evie.

"Then you do it. I don't know why you asked me to do your makeup anyway; yours is always on fleek." May turned around and faced Evie's substantial closet, swinging the doors wide open. "Imma try these on." She gestured to a pleated mini skirt and tight sweatshirt.

"Mmhmm." Evie faced the mirror again and picked up her favourite lipstick. Man-eater by Dior. She gently coated her lips with the cherry red paint. Evie was stunning. No one could argue otherwise, not the plastic surgeon after he revealed the new nose to perfect her, or the judges of all the pageants she'd won, or even the girls who hated her. Tall and thin, with tanned skin and dead-straight raven hair, kept shoulder-length to perfectly frame her high cheekbones, long lashes and full lips. She'd even been told multiple times that she looked like Megan Fox's body double. If it weren't for hair slightly too straight and eyes more green than blue.

"Why do we have to go anyway? I thought Dylan was at an away game?" Came the muffled whine from within the closet. Evie sighed and turned around on the swivel chair, just in time to see May emerge from the closet. She'd discarded the skirt and sweater – too peppy anyway – and opted instead for a tight acid-washed denim shirt paired with a low cut sparkly tank top and strappy wedge heels.

May frowned at herself in the floor length mirror, turning left and right. "If my ass was any bigger then this totally wouldn't fit. And it's like brand new Evie."

"Maybe if you stopped wearing my clothes, which aren't designed for curves, then you'll stop spilling out of them." Evie hit back, but smiled playfully, to which May barked out a laugh. "But you look smoking girl. And you know it."

"I need clothes, to remind all the boys of what they're missing out on. You could just walk in naked and get the same response." Even as she said this, May grinned wickedly, the glint in her eyes revealing how proud she was of her looks. Evie wouldn't judge, couldn't, because she was the same.

"Funny." Evie drawled, drawing the word out. She got up and stepped into her walk-in closet that looked like a runway warehouse for designers. May sat down by the mirror and started on her hair. Evie gingerly stepped out of her robe, still clad in panties and a bra, and leafed through her clothes.

"No, no, no, maybe, no, definitely no... ah." Finally spotting a little red dress, a lighter shade than her lippy, skin tight and leaving little to the imagination. She smiled to herself and pulled it on, getting May to zip her up.

"Ooh. Someone's getting all dressed up." May hinted playfully, wiggling her eyebrows. "Is it for Dylan?" Evie frowned.

"Dylan is at an away game tonight, at Kleppers Senior," Evie said, referring to a high school in the next town over, Kleppers Vally. Dylan Fresh, Mount Georgia's star soccer player and notorious flirt. Well, former flirt.

"So we're going to the Joses' brother's party because...?" May asked, confusion evident. The Joses, more commonly known as the 'twins of trouble' who threw wild parties for every occasion in their parents holiday house. Including the annual start of school year bash. Evie sighed, looking for her purse. "Have you seen my Kate Spade clutch? The black one with the pearl strap?"

"It's in the coat room, you left it there last week after Stella's 17th at the yacht club," May said before crossing her arms over her chest.

Evie sighed again and dragged a hand through her hair. "Fine. I want to go have a fun night with my girls. Why do I need to wait for Dylan before I can go out?" The words came out in a rush, like she was confessing her crimes.

May paused and then laughed. She walked over and grabbed Evie by the shoulders.

"Girlfriend! You should have just led with that. You know I'm all for a party." May grinned and practically leapt out of the room. I know. Evie thought to herself, shooting one last look in the mirror before following her out.

They were halfway down the marble stairs when she heard her mother call out from behind.

"Evelyn, honey. Where are you girls going?" Evie and May turned around slowly.

"Hi Mrs ElClaire," May said politely. Never mind the fact that May and Evie had known each other since they were seven, or that May's older brother Sam worked for Evie's father. No, always Mrs ElClaire, never Gloria.

Gloria, in a glowing white party dress that seemed to highlight more than hide her wrinkled skin, stood regally on the balcony overlooking the entrance hall. One hand checked on her permed up-do, the other held a cosmopolitan; she looked straight out of a 70s cover shoot. And that's what she looks like when there's no guests.

"Out," Evie said, one hand nervously playing with her necklace. She watched as her mother looked them over, pausing on the exposed skin and glitter-smeared shoulders. To Evie's relief she said nothing, just pursed her lips in a way that Evie knew she'd pay for this later.

"I hope Dylan will be there? What a clever, handsome young man. You must invite the Fresh family over for dinner again, they are such a delight." She went to clap her hands together but remembered the cocktail. Instead she sipped her cosmo delicately. Evie's stomach soured, but she was careful not to let it show.

"Of course mother, and yes, I will," Evie said sweetly, hooking her arm through May's and swivelling them around.

A second later they were out the door, purses and coats in hand, barreling for Evie's BMW. May shook her head as she got into the passenger seat.

"Your mother... heaven help you." They both laughed, and as Evie ignited the engine, May blared the music. Narrow escape.

The Joses lived only a couple streets down, but if Evie and May left on foot, her mother would know something was up. She could even hear her voice, as she'd said many times before, "A respectable young lady would only travel in a vehicle, she would never walk to anything."

So a couple minutes later they turned into the Joses' driveway, circular around an enormous fountain set with swaying palm trees. Evie parked by the door, remembering to leave a wide gap in front of her to avoid being parked in. As they got out, you could hear the faint thump of music, and people trickled in through the front doors.

"Hello my party people!" May called out as they entered in, greeted in response by raised arms of red cups and a chorus of drunk cries. Evie followed after her, game face ready and set in a smile. Immediately people were all over them, talking gossip and fashion and rumours. Stella and Isabell were soon at her side, the latter handing her a red plastic cup filled with...

"Vodka and orange juice?" Evie raised an eyebrow. Her Spanish friend laughed at the look of disgust and grabbed the cup, chugging it down herself. In between gulps she said: "Still a stuck up bitch then huh."

Evie pushed her friend lightly, causing Isabell to fall into a handsome basketball player behind her. Isabell turned around in his arms and pushed him away, eyes lit up and mouth curling into a smirk. He grinned back and she blew a kiss his way.

"In his dreams." She said, turning back to her girls, but they all knew full well that in half an hour both would have suddenly disappeared. And would reappear half an hour after that, one after the other, hair dishevelled and breathing heavily.

"I'll take a vodka soda. Who do I need to see to get a decent drink around here?" Evie asked, surveying the crowd of drunken and rowdy teenagers. Most of them she knew, at least by face. These get-togethers usually consisted of only Mount Georgia students, with a couple stragglers or gate crashers on occasion.

"The twins of trouble are in the servants kitchen a couple halls down. They're probably your best bet," Stella commented, the bottle of beer in her hands strikingly at odds with her barbie-doll persona. A tote bag stuffed with clothes hung over one arm, testament to her nazi-strict parents.

Evie motioned to the tote. "Where do they think you are?"

"Band rehearsal." She shrugged, flicking a thick strand of weave over her shoulder. Evie knew the one thing Stella wanted – other than freedom from parental suffocation – was cornrows. But her parents insisted on Barbie Doll standards of beauty, like an Ethiopian super model, forcing Stella to hide the beer-drinking street-fighting badass underneath.

Evie laughed. Parents stricter than mine. She saw that the first pageant she and Stella were in, when they met and became instant friends. Both nine years old, decked out in designer gowns and escorted by their nannies, covered from head to toe for modesty.

Evie moved through the crowd, pleased when people saw her coming and moved out of her way, girls smiling at her like forgotten friends and boys openly checking her out. Ice bitch. She heard someone mutter, and she lifted her chin higher. You got that right.

"Evie! So good to see you girl." She stepped into the kitchen, less crowded than the other rooms. Justin and Jacob Jose, identical twins with red devil curls, sat on the island counter top, a keg at their backs.

"Joses." She nodded and couldn't help smiling. The Joses were family friends, as were most of the wealthy families in the small town. She kept her mouth shut about them, and they about her.

"Vodka soda please." She was about to drift over to them, when a girl sauntered in through another door. Tall and skinny, with a gelled up faux mohawk, brown at the roots and blonde at the tips. Clad in a white button up shirt, the front tucked into tight leather pants and heavy combat boots. She was pretty, in a dangerous, unorthodox sort of way.

Evie wasn't sure what stopped her. Maybe it was the hair. Maybe it was the confidence radiating off her. Or maybe it was the fact that she didn't even glance at Evie. Just headed right over to the twins, gave them one of those bro-hugs, grabbed a red cup and swaggered out.

Evie watched the door, her eyes snapping away when she heard someone clear their throat.

"Hot right?" Justin said, and Evie grimaced in disgust. She was about to defend herself when Jacob responded with a whistle, and she realised they weren't talking to her. As if remembering she was still here, both pairs of eyes turned to Evie.

"Here's your vodka soda." Jacob held the cup out. Evie stepped forward and grabbed it. Only one drink. You gotta remain sober. She thanked him and turned around, heading back into the crowd.

————————————————————-

It was late by the time Evie got home. She drove down the long driveway and stopped in front of the six car garage, aware that the house was dark. Isabelle went home with the soccer star, Stella left a couple hours ago and May was still the life of the party.

Evie hopped out of her car and looked up at the towering mansion. Three stories of marble, stone and concrete, it looked like a small castle. Evie jangled her keys and climbed the steps to the oak front door. Before she could push the key inside the door opened.

Her mother, clad in a lacy nightgown with hair in rollers, glared at her from within.

"Get inside now," Gloria hissed, practically pulling Evie through the door. Heaven forbid a neighbour spotted Gloria's precious daughter arriving home at such an ungodly hour.

"That's what I was going to do..." Evie muttered but stopped when she saw the look on Glorias face. Now's not the time to be a smart ass. She reminded herself.

"Where in hell have you been Evelyn? It's a quarter past midnight for Pete's sake." Evie winced at her name. She hated it when people called her Evelyn, like some old hag from the 19th century.

"I'm sorry mother. We were having pizza with Dylan's team mates and lost track of time. Spent the last hour driving people home, being responsible like we were raised to be." The lies rolled off her tongue like oil, yet she didn't feel one flicker of remorse. Gloria watched her closely, and Evie resisted the urge to squirm or break eye contact.

A long minute passed before Gloria looked away. Spell broken.

"Well at least you were with Dylan. He is such a good young man, going to go to college with a soccer scholarship no doubt. Next time I want you home by ten and I want him to walk you in like a gentleman." Evie opened her mouth to respond but no response was necessary. Gloria had turned around and swept out of the hall, up the grand twin staircase and into her bedroom wing. The door closed with a soft thud.

Evie locked the front door and headed up the stairs. She dropped her purse on the floor by the door and quickly stripped out of her dress. Throwing on a hoodie and shorts, Evie threw herself onto her plush double bed and stared up at the ceiling.

Her phone buzzed, but she'd left it by the door. Sighing, she dragged herself up and pulled her phone out of her purse before collapsing back on the bed. Six texts and two missed calls.

She unlocked her phone and scrolled through. The calls were both from May, probably petitioning for Evie to come back and join the party. Four texts from the group convo between the girls, and two from Dylan.

Evie opened them up. The first one was from earlier that evening.

Hey baby. Missing your... face xx

She rolled her eyes but couldn't help chuckling. That's the side of guys like Dylan that parents don't see but daughters certainly do. She opened up the next one, from just now.

Baaaabes why aren't you responding to me? Didn't you get my pic of how much I miss you? Gonna show me how much you miss me? D xx

She froze, reading the message again and again. Weird. Message must have gotten lost in cyber space.

Evie switched off her phone, promising herself she'd respond in the morning and climbed under the covers, letting herself be lulled to sleep.

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