text: Brianna  Jones Born to Lie I dedicate this to my twin sister Emilee Jones. Luv ya sissy 
   
   
   My sister's a screamer 
     
   Everyone could have a twin, and not even know about it. The reasons for that are endless. It could be that they were seperated at birth. Or one twin died, leaving the other one alone. For Amber Claws, the reason was not either of those. She had a twin. She knew about her twin. But her twin didn't know about  her . It was a mystery she'd tried to solve ever since running across a picture of someone who looked exactly like her, relaxing on the beach. Amber had never been to the beach, so she knew something was up. At the time she was thirteen, someone who's just gotten a facebook account despite what her foster mother had told her about the internet. Amber remembered finding a picture of her under the name Gemini Tamsyn. Only, the more she looked, the more she realized that the girl was not her. It was only someone who looked very identical to her. So she did what any other person would do. She researched. 
   Now, Amber sat at the foot of her bed, scrolling down Gemini's page. She was known as 'Gemma' by her friends. Amber smiled, realizing her twin was certainly a party girl. Already, in this one week, she's been to three parties, all of which her parents knew nothing about. She couldn't believe how different they both were, yet looked completely the same. Which was why she had to set her plan to action. There was a chance it would end in disaster, but from everything she knew...It was criminal to just sit on the couch and forget about it. 
   "Amber." The door to her room opened and Amber wheeled around to face her foster brother, Preston. He held a phone in his hands and a ketchup bottle in the other. Half a hotdog dangled from his lips and he stepped inside Amber's room. 
   "What do you want?" Amber shut the labtop and slid it under her pillow, fully aware that Preston had already seen it. Still, she wished for the best and hoped that he knew how to keep his mouth shut. 
   "Some guy's on the phone for you. Says his name is...Ivan?" Amber's eyes went wide and she grabbed the phone away from Preston. But before she could get away, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer. She struggled to move out of his grasp but it was impossible. Preston was far more stronger than she was. 
   ""Let go !" 
   "And why would I do that?" Amber was about to say something back, when the sound of someone's voice on the phone caught her attention. It really was Ivan, and Amber knew by now, he'd be getting impatient. She didn't need her last hope of freedom to hang up on her. 
   "Hi Ivan." She said, elbowing Preston in the chest, and running to the far corner of the room. 
   "Amber?" Ivan began. "What's up, I've been here for ten minutes already. Where are you?" 
   "Uhh." Amber looked away from Preston's looks and dragged her duffel bag from under the bed. Preston seemed interested by this, and he began walking towards her. 
   "I'm just packing up. Give me another five minutes or so."  Ivan groaned just as Preston snatched the bag away from Amber. He unzipped it and dropped the items onto her bed. Amber's clothes scattered all over the bed, along with her toothbrush, and some cash she'd "borrowed" from her foster mother, Janice. Preston rasied his eyebrows and picked up the money. 
   "Ivan, I'm gonna have to call you later." 
   Am-" Amber turned off the phone and took back the duffel bag from Preston. 
   "So this is where her money went, huh? Wait 'till she hears about it, you little thief." With the cash still in his hands, Preston walked out the door, and Amber closed it behind him. With or without money, she was still not going to stay in the house. Quickly, she picked up everything that had fallen out of the bag, and stuffed them back inside. She could hear Preston's voice from across the hall, along with Janice's. She needed to leave before her whole plan went down the drain. 
   "Amber!" Amber swung her bag over her shoulder and opened the window. It wasn't a long jump, but she decided the tree was the best way down. Biting her lips, she reached out one hand and wrapped it around a tree branch. It was the same tree that tapped at her window every night, causing her to lose sleep. She never knew it would be a big part in her plan. 
   Wrapping the other arm around the branch, she then jumped, and pulled herself up, so that she could sit on the branch. From her spot, she could see the door to her room open and her foster mother barging in. She had an angry expression on her face, and Amber realized that it wouldn't end well if she got caught. she leaned back, and slowly turned her body around, so that her stomach made contact with the tree bark. It wasn't easy especially with the bag hanging from her shoulders. Still, she continued to crawl towards the trunk of the tree. She then finally threw her bag on the floor, and jumped down, herself. 
   Her plan was going okay so far, but with her foster brother yelling out her name, it would soon end in disaster. She started running, towards the lake where she and Ivan had planned to meet. Behind her, she could hear footsteps, and they were getting awfully close. Turning a corner, she hid behind a tree and held her breath. The sound of heavy breathing got closer and closer, frightening Amber. She just realized how much she didn't want to go back to the house. 
   Her foster mother was a total bitch. Preston was a disgusting pervert, and her younger foster sister, Amanda, really knew how to make a person hate her life. But in all, if she had to choose anybody in that house, it'd be Amanda. Apart from always sticking with Preston's side, and making Amber's life a living hell, Amanda had been sort of nice to have around. She was just acting how any other younger sister would act. Like a total brat. 
   The footsteps and the creepy breathing disapeared. Amber slowly walked out from behind the tree and looked around. It was dark, but light enough for her to see that there was no one around. She breathed out a sigh of relief and began walking down the trail, towards the lake. The cool wind ruffled her hair, and she shivered, hating herself for not wearing something that could cover. All she had on was a pink tank top, and faded jeans. If Preston hadn't messed everything up, then she would have had more time to prepare. Then again, she was the one who wasted ten minutes, staring at her twin sister's facebook page. For the first time in her life, Amber couldn't figure out who the creepier one was. Her or Preston. 
   " 'Bout time you got here." Amber gasped and turned around as a hand was placed over her mouth. She stared into Ivan's dark blue eyes and calmed down, stopping herself from letting out a blood thirsty scream. He moved his hand away, and Amber smiled, wrapping her arms around him. He hugged her back, not minding the duffel bag that continued to hit his thigh. 
   "What took you so long! And why are you wearing  that ?" Amber rolled her eyes, and started walking towards Ivan's car. 
   "I can sum it up in one word. Preston." Ivan nodded his head, and climbed inside the driver's seat of the car. He waited until Amber threw her duffel bag in the back seat before starting the ignition. 
   "The foster brother from hell, huh?" He asked. He focused his eyes on Amber and she looked away. Things have been extremely awkward between them ever since they broke up last week. It's a wonder she's sitting in his car, only two inches away from him.  With shaggy brown hair, sea blue eyes, and such amazing cheekbones, Ivan was certainly a looker. Three days after the big break-up, Amber had wondered what the hell was wrong with her, since it was her idea for them to split. Now she sat across from him, and mentally tortured herself for her stupid idea. Maybe he'd take her back if she asked. Ivan was nice enough. And he didn't hate her..She groaned and leaned back in the seat. 
   "What's up?" Ivan said, turning his head from the road to look at her. 
   "I-It's...Do you have my flashdrive?" Ivan turned a corner and focused his eyes back on the road. 
   "Yeah." He said, digging around in his his pocket. "What do you need it for anyway?" 
   "I can't tell you right now." Ivan handed her the dark red flashdrive. 
   "Amber, you're making me drive you to  Monterey . The least you coan do is tell me what's going on." Amber closed her eyes, and turned her head towards Ivan. Whether or not they were dating, he'd always been a good friend. Anyone else would've said no after being left out in the dark. The truth was..She didn't even know that much about the whole mystery herself. All she knows is that she has a twin, and that she was kidnapped. 
   A year after finding out about Gemma, Amber had seen an article about how a child had been kidnapped from a hospitol. She checked the date of the kidnapping, and it matched with the day she and Gemma were born. December fifteenth. The parents of the kidnapped child were called William and Jane Tamsyn. Those were the names of Gemma's parents. 
   "You didn't look at the flashdrive, did you?"  
   "No. I would never break one of your rules. God knows whether little demon Amber would come out and attack me." Amber scoffed and hit him on the arm, playfully. 
   Ivan laughed and shook his head. Amber laughed too, after awhile. She was seriously thinking about telling Ivan the truth.  Maybe later she would, but now, she was just too not in the mood to trust people. After everything she found out about her life, and her sister...It was kind of hard to trust  herself. 
    Ivan turned a corner once agin. It would be a long ride to where they were headed. Right now, they were still in Fresno. Gemma lived in Monterey. To Amber, it didn't seem like the type of place a spoiled rich girl would live. Gemma sounded like a Los Angelas type, or even Santa Barbara. Still, Monterey sounded a lot better than Fresno. And hours later, when they pulled up to Gemma's house, Amber realized why they ditched LA for Monterey. 
   The house was...Far too amazing for words. Bright lights shone from the inside. Flowers of every color decorated it's floors. It was a two-story, or maybe a three. Amber couldn't tell from where she was sitting. What she  could  tell, was that Gemma was certainly the luckier twin. It made her angry to even think about it. Why was she the one kidnapped. How come the hospitol she was born in was careless enough to let someone pick up a baby and just walk out? There were just way too many questions and not enough answers. Which is the whole reason she's on this trip. To get some answers. 
   "Well." She began. "My friend lives here. I'm gonna be living with her." 
   "I never knew you had a rich friend." 
   "There's a lot of things you don't know about me, Ivan." Ivan stared at her for awhile until he finally looked away. They muttered awkward goodbyes and Amber grabbed her bag, then stepped out of the car. It wasn't until she took one step that she realized she had no idea what to do. That, and her butt was really stiff. 
   She didn't know if she should just go up and knock on the door, or throw windows at Gemma's window. She didn't even know which window was Gemma's. There were so many. She ran a hand through her hair and decided to just wait until Gemma came outside. She was supposed to be headed to a party, so it wouldn't be long. She threw the duffel bag on the ground and was about to sit, when the silent noise of a door closing caused her to turn. 
   Amber has imagined plenty of times what it would be like to meet her sister. They would both stare at each other for awhile, then they'd start running in slow motion and embrace in a hug. Amber had apparently been watching too many movies, because what happened, was  not  that. The staring part happened. It was just the embracing part she'd gotten wrong. 
   Amber didn't have time to cover her ears before Gemma let out a scream. She was proud of her sister. No one would even think of kidnapping a girl that screamed loud enough to damage someone's ear drums. Though Amber wasn't kidnapping anyone, she ran towards her sister and placed a hand over her mouth, dragging her behind a tree. 
   "Please shut-up." She whispered." I don't wanna hurt you. I just wanna talk." Gemma stopped screaming, but she didn't stop struggling. Amber still took that as a sign of calming down. She let go of Gemma, and stared directly at her big brown eyes. They were Gemma's eyes, but they looked so much like hers. Every part of Gemma looked like her. The hair, the lips, the eye lashed. The only thing that was diffrent were their clothes. Gemma looked hot in a dark red, strapless dress, and Amber looked....Well, Amber looked like Amber. 
   "Why the hell do you look like me?" Gemma asked. Her voice was almost identical to Ambers, only a bit deeper. Like the sexy kind of deep. 
   "My name's Amber, and I-I'm your sister. Twin sister." It wasn't after she said it that she realized how crazy it sounded.  I'm your twin sister.  This plan had sounded so much better in her head. 
   "Look." Gemma began. She narrowed her eyes at Amber and pointed a finger at her. "I don't know what kind of sick freak you are, but you need to leave. I  will  call the police, and I  will  scream again." 
   "Gemma, please. I know this must sound crazy but think about it. We look way too alike, and we have the same birthday. December fifteenth." 
   "Ho-How do you my name? Or my birthday ?...I don't even have a sister, how is it that I have a twin?" Amber relaxed a little, glad that Gemma was atleast talking and not screaming. But she needed proof to get Gemma to believe her. The whole thing  was  hard to believe and Amber admitted she sounded like a loony toon. 
   "I promise I'm not lying.Just-please meet me at Figg's Cafe tomorow.Please ."  Gemma stayed silent, thinking things over. It was almost midnight and she needed to be at a party. The amount of hate she'd get if she didn't go would be too much for her to handle. The sound of her mother's voice broke the silence and interrupted her thinking. 
   "Gemma! Are you out here, I heard you scream." Amber stared wide eyed at Gemma, who stared right back. Gemma noticed then how much Amber really did look like her.  They could totally switch places and no one would realize a thing. 
   "My mom can't see me in this dress." She whispered. 
   "Your mom can't see  us  together." The two stayed silent, hoping they wouldn't be seen. But Jane Tamsyn saw her daughter hiding behind a tree. She started walking towards her, wondering when she got that pink tank top. It was as if her daughter had a whole other life. She grabbed Gemma's hand and pulled her out, not bothering to look at who else might have been behind the tree. 
   Amber looked up at Jane. The woman who was holding her hand right now was her mother. Her mother! She wanted to wrap her arms around her, but thought it would be too immature. Maybe Jane would hug her first. After sixteen years of thinking her daughter was kidnapped, this had to be a happy moment for her. 
   "Gemma, what the hell are you doing out here?" Amber's eyes went wide and her jaw dropped. Her mother didn't realize she wasn't Gemma. Her mother still thought Amber was lost. 
   "Gem, are you allright ?" Amber stood speechless, hoping the real Gemma would walk out and save her. But her twin sister was too worried about getting grounded. She stood motionless behing the tree, holding her breath, and closing her eyes. If her own mother couldn't tell that Amber wasn't her, then maybe they really were twins. She closed her eyes tighter and remembered the time she'd had a dream about her mom holding two babies in her arms, both wrapped in pink blankets. Maybe that hadn't been a dream. Maybe it had been a sign. 
   Gemma turned her head around and saw her mom dragging her supposable twin sister in the house. The poor girl looked scared and gave Gemma pleading looks. Gemma just mouthed the word,  pretend , and turned her back away. She could go to the party and her mom wouldn't know a thing. It was the perfect plan. 
   Her 'twin' wouldn't mind being Gemma for a while. Maybe having a clone wouldn't be so bad. Gemma flipped her hair and shrugged her shoulders. She'd be back soon enough to switch places with Amber. 
   
   
   
   Wild Child 
   Amber walked inside the big mansion like house, feeling hatred for her sister. She met Gemma for only ten minutes, and still, she wasn't feeling a twin connection. She knew the whole 'Don't judge a book by it's cover' quote, and usually she obeyed it. But after talking with Gemma, that quote was dead to her. 
   "Okay, Gem..I'm making hot chocolate, you want some?" Amber walked around the room like a zombie, who was following orders. She nodded at her mother, and went back to looking at the picture's on the walls. They were all of the same four people. Gemma, her mother, her father, and and some boy. Amber guessed the boy to be her brother. She had a brother. Amber wondered if maybe her brother was at the party too. 
   "Why are you so quiet? And what was with that scream?" Jane asked. Amber searched for a quick answer and her memory went to Gemma's facebook post from this morning. 
   Party tonight at Sasha's. Losers not invited.  Amber tried to remember what else was in that status. A girl had commented on it. Her name was.... 
   "I thought I saw Krissa." she smiled, being thankful for her strong memory. 
   "You saw Krissa, and you screamed?" Jane stopped pouring hot water inside a cup, and stared at her daughter. Technically, Amber  was  her daughter. 
   "Mom, do you really care about what happened? I just thought I saw Krissa, okay?" Amber menatally appluaded for calling Jane mom, and for totally nailing the Gemma attitude. Hopefully, it was something Gemma would say. By the calm expression of Jane's face, Amber knew she was passing as her sister. Who at the time, was probably having a blast at the party. 
   "I just worried about you. If I hear my daughter scream, I'm not just gonna roll my eyes and ignore it." Jane handed a cup of steaming coca to Amber, and pushed a strand of her hair behind an ear. Amber smiled, thinking how awesome it felt. To finally have someone treat her like a daughter. She knew it wouldn't last long, though. 
   Before she disapeared, Gemma had mouthed the word,  pretend  to her. So even though the girl had left her, she probably had a plan. A plan that would get both girls back to the places they belonged. 
   "Mom-Uh, I think I'll drink this up in my room." Jane nodded and sat on the couch, watching Amber disapear up the steps. 
   "Seriously." She whispered. "When did she get that shirt?" 
   Amber heard it and realized gemma had to come back soon, or something really bad would happen. Holding the cup firmly between her hands, she ran up the stairs and was greeted by rows of doors. Their were are about three on each side of the hall, but to Amber, it looked liked three hundred. She didn't even know which room was supposed to be hers. What if she accidently stumbled inside her brother's room? 
   That would be too embarassing. 
   Finally, she found a door at the end of the hallway. It had to be Gemma's because of all the pink glitter over it. It must have been decorated when Gemma was younger. Amber reached out a hand and slowly opened the door. She gasped and almost dropped her hot cocoa. 
   Back at her old house, her room was simple. A bed. A desk and a closet. Gemma's room? It was the complete opposite. The walls were covered with pictures of celebrities and photos of friends. Apart from the pictures, it was painted a bright pink. Even the ceiling was pink. The bed was..large, a queen size maybe. Amber stood across from the closet door, too scared to open it. When she did, she gasped some more. 
   Gemma's closet was a walk in. As in, you could literally have a party in their. A party of maybe five, but still..A party. Every inch of space was filled with clothes. Dresses, skirts, pants, and the shoes. Boots, heels, sandals. Things Amber hadn't even seen in magazines were in the closet. It truly was like the girl had her own mini mall. 
   She walked out of the closet, her jealousy for Gemma growing more and more. Amber Set the cocoa down on Gemma's vanity mirror which was  covered with jewelry. She sat down on the bed, getting lost in the softness of it all. It smelled sweet. Everything about this house was amazing. Even the people. 
   Amber closed her eyes, still thinking Gemma could be back any minute. Ten minutes later her sister still hadn't arrived. She thought about calling her but she didn't have a phone 'nor did she know Gemma's phone number. Without even realizing it, Amber fell fast asleep. 
     
   A shrieking sound filled Amber's ears and she struggled to keep her eyes open. She was greeted by a large wonderland, something you'd find in a Katy Perry video. She rubbed her eyes and stretched, thinking she was still half asleep. When she saw the glittery  Gemma,  written across the wall, she quickly sat up. She wasn't supposed to be here. She was supposed to be at Ivan's cabin. 
   The sound filled her ears again and she pulled a pillow over her head, and fell back. 
   "Gemma." A male voice. Something young, adventurous, totally hot. Amber removed the pillow from her head, and peeked at the boy standing at her doorway. 
   "Wake up- Mom says to wake you for school."  Mom ? Amber continued to stare at the boy until it hit her. He was her brother. Her seventeen year old brother called Nick. Nick didn't look like a regular brother. For one thing, he didn't look at all pervy. 
   Amber had read about him on Gemma's facebook page. From the way her sister had described Nick, she imagined him as a troll faced-nose-picking-butt scratching asshole. 
   Nick walked into her room, looking tired and bored. He shook Amber's shoulders and pressed a button that turned off her alarm. 
   "I'm up." Amber said. She threw the pillow on the other side of the bed, and completely sat up. She watched Nick leave the room before she stood up. Staring at herself in the vanity mirror, she could see that her hair was a mess. Her shirt was completely wrinkled. And their were lines under her eyes. But she still passed for Gemma. Gemma, who was god knows where by now. The only thing causing Amber to quickly dress up was the fact that she remembered telling Gemma to meet her at a cafe. Ofcourse it had been   before  the two switched places. So who knows if Gemma would be there. 
   She finally slipped a  guess  t-shirt over her head and headed down the stairs. The kitchen looked the same as it had last night. Amber walked up to the marble counter and stared at her mom who did the dishes. Her highlighted brown hair was piled high in a bun to match her professional buisness suit. Amber stared thinking how Janice would never dress like that. 
   "What's up?" Jane asked. She dried her hands with a towel and handed a plate of pancakes to Amber. 
   "N-nothing. I'm just so happy to see you." Jane raised an eyebrow at her daughter. She took out the orange juice from the fridge, stil keeping her eyes focues on Amber's. 
   "Happy to see me? What happened to  you  last night?"   A lot of things,  Amber thought. Jane laughed and poured the juice in a glass. 
   "Oh I see." She said. "You're trying to kiss up so I'll let you go to Hayli's sleepover next week. Sorry, but it's not going to happen. That girl is bad news." 
   Amber took a bite from her pancakes which turned out to have chocolate chips in them and thought about Hayli. she knew nothing about the girl except that she was one of  Gemma's friends on facebook. She also remembered a status Gemma had posted about Hayli, calling the blond a 'wild card'. That's probably the reason Jane didn't want Gemma hanging out with her. 
   "Oops." She said. "You caught me." Just then, Nick came running down the steps, his backpack slung over one shoulder, and his hair a ruffled mess. One look at him caused Jane to sigh and roll her eyes. 
   "Seriously Nick, atleast comb your hair." 
   "Sorry, mom. Not today." He picked up the glass of orange juice and drank it all in one large gulp. He was about to head out the door when Jane got a hold of a strap on his backpack and held him in place. 
   "You better not be heading to Mike's, because you. Are. Grounded. Yeah, remember that?" 
   "Mom, really? I thought we let that one go." Jane's eyes went wide with surprise and she scoffed, letting go of Nick's backpack to cross her arms over her chest. 
   "Let it go? You expect me to ignore the fact that my son went  streaking  with some college girls, and then later get a call from the  police , Nick. The police, saying that you were found naked in your car, obviously drunk." 
   Amber sat at the counter still, her mouth now gaping open. Hayli apparently wasn't the only wild card in this crazy place. She decided she didn't want to stay to hear the rest of the argument, so she hopped off her chair and placed the empty plate and glass in the sink. 
   "I think I'm just going to head over to school now." 
   "Don't forget your bag this time." Amber turned to the stairs to see her father step down the last one. He was a muscular man with light brown hair and the same blue eyes as Nick. In his hand, was a black leather briefcase, telling Amber he was headed to work. Just like he did everyday. Whether or not Gemma was home, apparently. He didn't notice that it wasn't the real Gemma standing in his kitchen, either. 
   "Thanks, dad. For reminding me." Amber walked to the stairs leading to her her room, not even knowing what her bag looked like or where it was, when her dad cleared his throat. 
   "Gemma, it's on the couch. Where it's always been." 
   Amber turned her head towards the peach colored couches and spotted the large black Gucci on the one to the far right. She knew it had to be her bag because it was the only other bag on the couches. She slowly walked towards it and lifted it up with the tips of her fingers. 
   "....Will, he was  streaking . I think it should be at least a month of grounding." 
   "He's a teenager, Janey. They do stupid things." 
   Amber started for the door, still staring curiously at the bag, waiting for it to explode any minute and she'd wake up from this dream. Her foster mother had told her that if something was too good to be true, it probably was. 
   "Bye mom. Bye dad." She whispered. It was probably the last time she'd see them for a while. The two broke apart from fighting and stared at Amber. 
   "We'll discuss this later. Right now, I gotta go to work. And these little nuggets gotta get to school." Will kissed his wife on the forehead and ruffled Nick's hair. When he got to Amber, she stood stiffly as he bent down and whispered into her ear. 
   "By the way." He said. "I know about the party last night."  Amber seemed to be surprised by this, seeing as how the usual reaction from a parent would be far worse, even if she hadn't been the one at the party. Instead, Will just winked at her and kissed her lightly on the forehead, before disapearing out the door. 
   Nick trudged past Amber, purposelly bumping into her shoulder. She angrily followed him out the door and they both watched their father drive away. 
   "What was that about?" She asked, staring into his sea blue eyes. "I did nothing to you." For a second, she forgot she was supposed to be Gemma, and she thought about placing a hand over her mouth. 
   "Nothing?" He walked closer to her. "You heard mom yelling at me in there for something I didn't even do." 
   "Are you saying  I  did something?" 
   "Yes, Gemma! Yes. Don't play dumb, we both know you were the one who went streaking with your stupid little friends, and you pretended to be the cop that supposably found me drunk and naked in my car." 
   Amber stood motionless and stared up at her brother's angry face. She never knew Gemma could be capable of such things. Meanwhile, Nick was being an awesome older brother, taking the blame for his little sister. If she was Nick, she would have told the truth about who the real streaker was. 
   "I'm sorry." Amber said, trying hard to get her Gemma act down to perfection. "I have no idea what you're talking about." 
   She felt sick saying it. But after she switches places with Gemma again, and she gets her life back, she'd consider telling Nick about the twins deal, then she'd apologize. For now, though, she was going to be the opposite of herself. 
   Nick rolled his eyes at her, then proceeded walking towards his car. It was a light blue one that drove away so quickly, Amber didn't have time to tell which typer of car it was. There was one more car in the driveway. A silver Kia that Amber knew just had to be Gemma's. If Gemma even had a car. Still, she searched inside the purse, hoping that she'd be able to drive her dream car. 
   After finding the keys at the bottom of the Gucci, underneath a pack of spearmint gum, Amber eagerly climbed inside the car and started the engine. For the first time since trading places with Gemma, she felt happy. Not the fake happy she was doing, but genuine happiness. And all because of a car that smelled too much like perfume and cigarette smoke. 
   She turned up the radio and set the Gucci down on the passenger seat. She even felt like Gemma sitting inside the car. If Gemma felt like sunshine and rainbows, that is. 
   The ride to Figg's cafe was a short one. Amber had taught herself to memorize some places in Monterey. Three of which had been Gemma's house, Figg's Cafe, and Ivan's lakehouse. He used to go there with his family when he was younger. Now that he was emancipated, the cabin was his. But he didn't live in it. He preferred staying in Fresno with Amber. 
   Amber smiled at the thought of  Ivan choosing her over a cabin as she parked in front of  Figg's. She decided to leave the bag in the car, and she stepped outside. She walked inside the small cafe, feeling somewhat lost. There were about six tables in all, and three booths in the corner. Five chairs lined up in front of the counter, where a waitress was boredly reading a newspaper behind it. 
   The place was quiet, and really empty. Only one of the tables was filled. A little girl with blond hair and her mom. Amber looked away from them and walked over to a booth, farthest from the door. She slid inside and stared down at the table, waiting for Gemma to arrive. 
   The waitress walked over to her table, holding a notepad in her plae hands. 
   "Would you like anything, Ms?" She asked. Amber shook her head, and watched the waitress walk away from her table. 
   Ten minutes passed and still no Gemma. Fifteen and the little girl and her mom both got up to leave. At twenty minutes, Amber was about to get up and leave, when the bell to the door rang, and a tall skinny woman walked in. She was pretty, with long, thick, dark brown hair and big brown eyes. She wore dark blue boot cut jeans and a light pink, ruffled top. White rimmed sunglasses were perched on the crown of  her head, making her look younger than she actually was. 
   "Gemma?" The woman gasped. She made her way towards Amber, removing her sunglasses and swinging them back and forth as she walked in front of Gemma. A look of concern washed across Kerry Rivers face, staring down at her daughter's best friend. 
   "Gemma? What are you doing here?" Amber didn't know what to do. She didn't know this woman, or why she was talking to her. Plus the strange look on her face made Amber worry more. She needed an excuse. And fast. 
   "I was hoping to buy a quick breakfast. I just love this place, you know?" 
   Kerry raised one eyebrow, and placed the glasses back on her head. "Krissa told me you hated this place." 
   Krissa . Amber realized this must have been Krissa's mom. It made alot of sense. The two looked almost as alike as she and Gemma did. 
   "I-Uh...I lied. You know how it is with fitting in these days. If they found out that I really like it here... I will never hear the end of it." 
   Kerry nodded and pointed her chin towards the door. 
   "Well, Kris is waiting out in the car. Do me a favor and drive her to school? It'll save her from embarresment, and me from death." 
   Amber faked a smiled and headed for the door. She took one look behind her and saw that Krissa's mom was till staring. She waved, then opened the door. She was going to have to be Gemma for a lot longer. 
   
   
   
   Kidnap me once, shame on you. Kidnap me twice, I hope I get to live with a rich family this time 
     
   Amber walked out of the cafe, taking a deep breath. She looked around the parking  lot in search of Krissa or even Gemma. Amber didn't find Gemma, but she spotted Krissa sitting alone in a shiny black hybrid, talking rapidly on the phone. Amber took another deep breath and walked towards the car, still roaming around for Gemma. Her twin was no where to be found by the time she reached Krissa, who had her eyes shut tight, and was still talking on the phone. Amber was considering leaving and going on search for Gemma, when Krissa opened her eyes and smiled up at her. 
   "Hey, doll. I'm surprised to see you still alive." 
   Krissa whispered something into her phone, turned it off, and opened the car door to step out. "Are you here to save me from the hell hole?" 
   Amber laughed. "Actually, your mom said I needed to save  her  from death." Krissa crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at her. 
   "My mom ?.....By the way, what the hell are you doing at this place-You can literally see  slime  on their allready nasty walls." Krissa shut the car door and looked over Amber's shoulder at the cafe. The walls weren't as dirty as she said, but they weren't as clean as the other buildings in Monterey. It was so small, it shouldn't even be considered a building. I 
   "Uh, I prefer coming here than going to school extra early like all the rejects." 
   "I get  that ." Krissa said. "But can't you go somewhere better? this place is just a disaster waiting to happen." 
   "Yes." amber said, trying to hide back a smile. "I'll make sure never to come here again." 
   They walked towards Amber/ Gemma's car and got in, Amber taking in the smell of perfume and smoke. Amber coughed, wondering how anyone could ever stand the smell. 
   "Ugh." Krissa said, picking up the Gucci bag. "I can  not  believe you still have this, I thought I told you to get rid of it." 
   Amber shrugged and started the car. "I kinda like it." She could not believe how strange these people were. Back in Fresno, she could barely afford the cheapest bag, and here, not even the most expensive things were good enough. Gemma or any of her friends would probably never survive a day back in Lincoln, Amber's school in Fresno. She sighed and pulled out of the cafe's parking lot. It wasn't until she arrived at the stop light, that she realized she hd no idea where Gemma's school was. She needed to do a lot more research if she was to pass off as Gemma. 
   "Could you drive? My head is still hammering after last night." 
   "I was wonderng when you'd ask." Amber smiled and pulled over at a gas station, before getting out and switching places with Krissa. She relaxed and settled into the passenger seat, keeping her eyes peeled for any sign of Gemma. 
   "So?" Krissa asked, speeding down the street. "Where the hell did you leave off to last night? Susan said she saw you get into some random guy's car without telling anyone you left." 
   Amber didn't know what to say. She wasn't the one at the party last night. Gemma was. Plus, who had her twin been with last night. Was she in trouble? Maybe that was the reason she hadn't been at the cafe. Then again, if Gemma  had  been there, then Krissa's mom would've seen and Amber's whole plan would be ruined. Not that it was going so smoothly at this point. 
   "Gemma?" Krissa put a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Oh-my-god, is it a boyfriend? Gemma!! How did you get a boy toy and not tell me?" 
   "I didn't get a boy toy. I don't even remember half of what happened last night." 
   Krissa laughed and turned a corner, causing the school to come into full view. It was a large cream colored school with clean, glass doors. There was not a single gang sign anywhere on the walls, and Amber could see neat classrooms through the window. Around them, kids were driving into parking spaces, all with cars as cool as the Kia. She watched as people stepped out of their cars-students and teachers- wearing elegant or sexy clothes, sometimes elegant  and  sexy. 
   Amber really couldn't believe her eyes. The school was filled with different clone versions of Gemma and Krissa. Blond ones with shorts so short, they passed as belts. Girly ones who screeched when a nerdy looking boy glanced their way. Or incredibly good looking boys, wrapping their arms around the waists of equally good looking girls. Amber sqeezed the bag tighter, twisting her arms, wondering if she'd wake up and find out it was all a dream. Luckily, she was still in the silver Kia and not at her old foster home, sleeping in her pint sized room. 
   She was too busy day-dreaming and almost didn't notice a boy leaning his head into the window, and pressing his lips to hers. Amber would have slapped him if she hadn't remebered that she was playing Gemma. Maybe this was her boyfriend. Then again, if it  was  Gemma's boyfriend, then Krissa would have been a lot more surprised finding out about Gemma's 'boy toy'. So Amber raised her hand and was about to make contact with the boy's cheek, when his hand reached down and wrapped around her wrist, stopping her mid-air. 
   "I thought we'd gotten past that part." 
    Amber's eyes widened at the god that stared down at her. His curly blond hair was blocking the sun from entering Amber's eyes, so she could see his face perfectly. And his face really was perfect. Especially those icy blue eyes that were coming closer to Amber. She got ready for another kiss, and ended up disapointed. 
   "Stop this love fest before I throw up." Krissa tossed the keys to Amber, and got out of the car, leaving her alone with a boy she'd never met. The door was opened for her, and she stepped out, suddenly wishing for a Gemma manuel. 
   "Where were you yesterday?" The boy asked, lacing his fingers through Amber's, while they both walked through the parking lot. He focused his blue eyes on her eyes, and waited for a reply. 
   Amber didn't know what to say, thinking that it was a trick question. Obviously, this guy had sen Gemma at the party. So why was he now asking where she had been yesterday. She decided to go with her first answer and say that she had been at the party. 
   "The party." She said. "Where else?" She stared up at his face that had gone from sweet to terrifying. His eyes were narrowed and his jaw repeatedly clenched and unclenched. It scared Amber more than being kidnapped. She didn't exactly know the feeling of being kidnapped, since she had been a baby the day it happened to her. But it fit the situation so she went with it 
   "Obviously you were at the party. What I  meant  was why did you leave me there all alone? You embarressed me, Gemma. Especially after people saw you getting into some stranger's car." 
   "I'm sorr-" A text from the boy's phone saved Amber. She didn't even know this guy's name and she was being chewed out by him. Did Gemma have to go through this every day? If so, Amber felt really sorry for her. But other than the angry boyfriend, there was no reason for Gemma to be pitied. She had the world's best life. And Amber hadn't even seen everything yet. 
   "I've gotta go. But I'm still talking to you, later." Amber watched the boy walk away, and she felt a strange urge to stick her tongue out. But she resisted the urge, and walked on. She spotted Krissa by the lockers and quickly walked up to her. She was going to have to stick to the girl like glue if she was going to be Gemma. 
   "You finally ditched Connor. I should give you a round of applause." Krissa joked. She opened her locker and shoved in all her books, still keeping her eyes on Amber. 
   "Is he my boyfriend?" Amber asked. 
   "You tell me." Krissa said. "You two have been on again, off agin for what-three years now?" She put one hand on her hip and used the other to slip her bag over her shoulder.  When Amber didn't say anything, she sighed and turned around, knowing her friend would folow. 
   "It's not that I don't like you two together. I just don't want you to get hurt again."  Again?  Exactly how many times did Gemma date that guy? And did Krissa mean that literally or not. Because Connor looked like the type of guy who wouldn't be afraid to slap a girl. The whole thing was kind of strange. Almost as strange as her life. Amber hoped she'd atleast get to see Gemma tomorrow, so that they could get both of their lives back on track. she needed to figure this mystery out before things got out of hand. And by out of hand, she meant Preston finding out where she was. 
   Amber knew her foster family would never tell the police about her disapearance. They would just search for her themselves and punished her severly after she was found. She knows, because it's happened before. The one time she slept over at Evan's house. It had barely been two days before Preston knocked down the door, and dragged Amber home. Which was why she had to hurry up with this investigation. She didn't know how long it would before they found her again. And she didn't want to think about it. Instead, she thought about Gemma's 'wild friend', Hayli. 
   "Where's Hayli?" She asked. 
   "She stayed over at Susan's after the party. You would've known if you had bothered to stay." 
   Amber smiled and appologized for something she didn't do. Krissa smiled back and told Amber she'd see her in an hour after first period. 
   Amber nodded and watched Krissa walk away. Minutes later, she was in the bathroom, staring at herself in the mirror. Her brown hair fell in waves down her shoulder. She had those big brown eyes and shaped lips that Gemma had. But for some reason, she couldn't see herself as her twin. She blinked and opened her eyes again, but was disapointed to see Amber. 
   Everyone so far had fallen for the trick. Even she had yesterday. But after finding out about Gemma's personality, and the cruel thing she did to her brother.... She realized the two were more different than a cartoon character and a porn star. 
   She set down the Gucci bag and heard the bell ring for a good five seconds. She didn't even know what classes she was supposed to take. What if she walked into the wrong one? Amber sighed and made the decision to stay in the bathroom and skip school for the day. Or maybe she'd just run out the door. From everything that Gemma's making her go through, her sister deseerved to get in a little trouble. And ditching school was probably just an ant in New York for Gemma. It was something so small, it didn't even matter. 
   Amber ran a hand through her hair, and jumped at the sound coming from her bag. Or Gemma's bag. 
   
   Pick up the phone, loser. You got a text message. Pick up the phone, loser. You got a text message. 
   
   Amber searched through the bag, not knowing Gemma's phone had been in there all along. She slowly reached in, and pulled out the bedazzled Iphone from the bag. Pink rhinestones decorated the entire thing, and the single spot that didn't have jewels, spelled out Gemma's name in pink glitter. Amber turned the phone around to see that she had six missed messages, and a few missed calls. 
   She clicked on the 'open' to read the newest message. 
   
   You're not fooling anyone. Convince me or else. See you soon...Amber. 
   
   Amber quickly shut off the phone, and threw it into the bag. She placed her hands over her mouth and took a couple steps back from it. How did anyone find out? She should have known. She should have known she didn't look enough like Gemma to make it work. Now, someone knew. And the creepy picture of the Joker attached to the message, made Amber think they were not planning on playing nice. 
   She quickly picked up the purse from the counter, and ran out the doors of the bathroom. She looked around the empty hallways for a way out. A way out of the school. A way out of being related to a spoiled rich brat. The more she thought about it...The more Amber thought that maybe Gemma was the one who sent the text message. But, how could she have done anything if she didn't even have her phone. 
   Amber started to worry about her sister. She was probably in some real trouble. Bursting out the glass doors of the school, Amber ran away from it, towards the silver Kia that was calling out to her. She had the keys in her hand and was almost towards the car, when a hand was placed over her mouth, and she was dragged behind the school, away from the cars, away from anyone who could save her. 
   
   
   Publication Date: April 6th 2013 https://www.bookrix.com/-luv.to.read