Lilith made another lunge at Angela, but something held her back. Randy and Joanna were restraining her, and she saw Kelly and Jill do the same with Angela.

    “Stop it, Lilith!” she heard Joanna cry. “It's not worth it!” Angela was still struggling to get free, but Lilith sighed and quit resisting. Joanna was right. Angela definitely wasn't worth the trouble.

    “That's enough!” said a woman who charged out of Spritzkies with domineering voice. “This is a family establishment, and I will not have you two using it as a venue for your personal battlefield. Take your fight somewhere else!”

    “Oh, I already called the cops,” said one of the people in the huge crowd that had gathered around them. Lilith swallowed hard. The cops, seriously? Lilith had had just about enough encounters with the police recently, and she was sure they had better things to do as well. But they showed up anyway and dispersed the crowd before turning to Lilith and her sister. At least they didn't know her by name this time.

 

Bella

 

It was no surprise when less than 30 minutes later the entire town knew that a couple of twins had gotten into a fight at Spritzkies. It also wasn't surprising that the rumors reached Bella before the police did.

 

Jessica: Did you hear? One of Bryan's co-workers was at Spritzkies for lunch and said that there was a fight between a couple of twins.

Lauren: OMG. Are you serious?

Bella: That's where Randy and his friends went.

Lauren: Randy's smart. He probably stayed out of it.

Bella: He's not the one I'm worried about.

Lauren: Did Lilith head over there too?

Bella: Yes, but she just left. She couldn't be there already unless she took a taxi.

Jessica: Just got more info from Bryan. He said apparently one of the twins was yelling something about not breaking the other's boyfriend out of jail.

 

    “Oh, no,” Bella said under her breath. She stared at Jessica's latest text in shock.

    “What is it?” Mortimer asked, looking up from his laptop. Bella showed him her phone.

    “Our house is about to become a war zone,” she said.

    “I knew this would happen,” Mortimer told her.

    “Honey...” She traced her hand up and down his back, but it didn't calm him.

    “Well, what are we going to do?”

    “The only thing we can do.”

    Sure enough, five minutes later, the police were at the front door with the two girls in tow.

    “Hello Mrs. Goth,” said the officer as Bella opened the door.

    “Hello Officer.”

    “I believe that these two are in your care while they're here?”

    “Yes, that's correct.”

    “And I suppose I don't need to tell you what happened.”

    “No, you don't,” Bella told her as she ushered Angela and Lilith into the house. “Don't worry Officer. We'll let their parents know exactly what they've been up to.” And with that the officer left, leaving Bella alone with the twins in the entry way.

    She lead them to the living room. “Sit down,” she said. The girls did what they were told.

    “Well,” Bella started, “what do you two have to say for yourselves?” The girls took one look at each other.

    “She started it!” they both said at the same time.

    “I don't care who started it!” Bella said. “You both should have stopped it. You're 16. You should know better.”

    “She should know better than to come to me begging for help for something stupid!” Lilith argued.

    “I'm not begging you, I'm asking!” Angela retorted. “And it's not stupid, It's important!”

    “What gives you the right to just show up and...”

    “You won't even listen to me! I'm trying to tell you...”

    The arguing voices escalated until Bella could no longer tell who was saying what.

    “That's it!” she said sternly. “Nobody is leaving this room until either this has been resolved, or you two can at least pretend to get along!”

    “But I have to go potty!” came Anne's voice. Bella turned around to find Anne behind her and Amanda peaking through the archway. The last thing she needed right now was those two getting involved.

    “Anne, you can go,” Bella told her, and Anne took off running. Mortimer appeared and led Amanda away from the doorway and Bella turned back to the twins. “You will talk, one at a time. Whoever isn't speaking, will be listening to what the other has to say. Lilith, you go first.” Lilith's eyes shown bright with victory, but they narrowed when she glanced at Angela.

    “How dare you!” she said. “How dare you just show up and expect me to drop everything for you! You don't even like me!”

    “Do you think I want to come to you for help?” Angela replied. “I came because you're the only option I have left.”

    “I find that a little hard to believe,” Lilith said.

    “Lilith, your sister was talking,” Bella warned her.

    “Oh so she gets to interrupt me, but I can't call out any of her...”

    “Lilith, you've said what you needed to say, but I believe Angela has more she wants to tell you.” A hurt look grew in Lilith's eyes, like she had been betrayed by someone she was just beginning to trust. This wasn't working. Bella had to quickly remedy the situation. She walked over to the side of the room and picked up one of Alice's squishy balls. “Whoever has this gets to talk,” Bella said. She approached Lilith and gave her the ball. “If you can say something without insulting your sister, you can go ahead.”

    “You know why Mom shipped me out here. I'm supposed to be staying out of trouble. How is that supposed to happen if you show up asking me to break Dustin out of jail?” Angela took the ball.

    “He's not in jail,” she said. “They can't legally hold him for more than 24 hours, I checked.” Lilith snatched the ball back.

    “Then if you don't want me to break him out, why did you come here looking for me? Did he even get arrested?”

    “Yes, he did,” Angela said, not bothering to take the talking ball. “He called me from the police station.” Her eyes were on her lap, her face somber. It was obvious that Angela cared for Dustin, and Bella hoped Lilith could see that her sister was going through a crisis.

    “Why was he arrested?” Bella asked. She took the ball from Lilith and gave it to Angela.

    “He was doing his job,” Angela replied. “He was trying to support his family.” She looked at Lilith. “I came to you because I know a way I can help him. I did some research and found a program that was made to help young people in this exact situation. He'll have to do some community service, but they will help him find a better job. And if he does well, they'll drop the charges against him.”

    “You've got it all figured out don't you?” Lilith said.

    “There's one problem,” Angela replied. “To get in, he needs someone to vouch for him, someone who isn't a family member. But I can't unless Mom or Dad comes with me, and you know there's a better chance of them making up than that happening. I just wanted to get some tips on how to sneak around. I thought my sister would at least be able to give me that. I know you're not going to pretend to be my mother or anything.”

    “And how is that supposed to work when I look exactly like you?” Lilith said.

    “I just said I wasn't going to do that.”

    “And I don't care. The answer's still no.”

    “Why not?”

    “Because I don't want anything to do with you!”

    “What if it was Dirk?”

    “Dirk wouldn't get arrested,” Lilith snapped.

    “Weren't you both in the back of a police car a couple of months ago?”

    “That's it!” Lilith made a lunge for Angela, and Bella got between them just in time.

    “Stop it! Right now!” she said. “You're sisters. You're supposed to be helping each other out, not fighting like this. Angela, that wasn't nice bringing your sister's boyfriend into this. And Lilith, you need to keep your hands to yourself. That's something I have to remind Amanda and Anne. I shouldn't have to be giving this lecture to 16 year olds.” Bella sighed and held her head in her hands. Maybe she was approaching this the wrong way. Nothing would get resolved until she addressed the root of the problem.

 

Cassandra

 

    Cassandra had left work early to go check up on things at the house. She had heard the rumors about a fight at Spritzkies. She wasn't into gossip much, but even she couldn't ignore this one, not when Randy and his friends hung out there often. Rumors in this town tended to be true more often than not, or at least she could easily tell which ones were. It seemed people loved to gossip here, whereas back home no one bothered her with that nonsense. But if there was a fight, and Randy had been there, she hoped he would have enough sense to stay out of it.

    She could feel the tension as soon as she walked through the door. Everything was on edge. That wasn't a good sign. Randy couldn't have gotten into the fight, could he? She had heard it was between a pair of twins, but it easily could have escalated to involve others as well. As she approached the living room, she could hear her mother giving a stern lecture, but when she got to the doorway, she didn't see Randy. Instead she saw the Pleasant twins - both of them.

    “Don't tell me,” Cassandra said under her breath. She got looks from all three women in the room. Nothing else needed to be said. Cassandra immediately took off to the kitchen and slipped into the dining room. She turned on her phone to find a dozen missed calls from Mary-Sue. Sighing, Cassandra hit dial.

    “I'm so glad you called,” came Mary-Sue's voice. “Angela. Is she there? She left a note saying she was going to find Lilith...”

    “The good news is that she's here and she's safe,” Cassandra told her friend.

    “What's the bad news?”

    “They got into a fight at the local smoothie place.”

    “A fight?”

    “I don't know any more than that,” Cassandra said. “There have been rumors going around today about twins fighting each other, but I didn't think it could be your girls until I saw them both here. My mother is with them right now.” Silence came from the other end. “You should probably come over and get things straightened out.”

    “I can't Cassandra,” Mary-Sue explained. “I've almost got another internship lined up. It would look really bad if I just bailed out on work.”

    “What's more important to you, Mary-Sue? Your career, or your daughters? My parents and I are now stuck cleaning up your mess. You'd better get your butt down here and fast.”

    “It's just that I've failed as a wife and I've failed as a mother. I don't want to fail at my career too.”

    “I think they'll understand if you take a personal day or two.”

    “I don't even know what I'd say to the girls,” Mary-Sue said remorsefully. “Not after everything Daniel and I have put them through. Especially Lilith. I've been looking at our photos and videos and I hadn't realized how much we had neglected her. I don't think I can even say anything that will even start to heal her wounds.”

    “It's not too late,” Cassandra explained. “Alexander was six when my mother was taken. It was like they were total strangers when we were reunited. They have a good relationship now.”

    “That's different, Cassandra.”

    “Yes, it is. But it's the only example I've got.”

    “We just... we just weren't ready for twins.”

    “And you've had 16 years to get used to that. Your failure has put them to the point where they're starting fights in public places. You owe it to them to try and work this out. Your daughters need you now more than ever. You have to at least try.”

    “The truth is Cassandra, I don't know if I can.” And then Mary-Sue hung up, leaving Cassandra to remind herself why she had never spoken up in the first place.

 

Lilith

 

Lilith closed her eyes as Cassandra slipped out of sight. So much for staying out of trouble. Angela. Stupid Angela. She was always a pain in the butt and the one week she couldn't bother Lilith, she'd found way ruin that too. Lilith was sick of it. She was trying to send Angela a message when she slapped her in the face, but it hadn't solved anything and the satisfaction she felt from it had quickly disappeared. The realization set in that she hadn't even listened to her sister. She hadn't wanted to. That thought made her stomach turn. Why was she feeling guilty? After being the “perfect” child for so long Angela deserved to have someone put her in her place. So maybe Lilith shouldn't have hit her but that seemed like the best idea at the time.

    “Why do you two have to constantly fight each other?” Bella asked.

    “Yeah, what happened to us, Lilith?” Angela said. “We used to get along.”

    “Oh, so it's my fault?” Lilith retaliated. “You hate me too.”

    “Because you're always picking on me for no reason.”

    “No reason? Are you serious right now?” Angela nodded. Oh, she was going to get it.

    “You get everything!” Lilith snapped. “Everything! Whether you deserve it or not. Mom and Dad love you. Nothing I ever do pleases them.”

    “Lilith...”

    “They always gave you all the attention. I had to potty train myself!”

    “Will you quit saying that, Lilith?” Angela said calmly. “You know it's not true.”

    “Yes it is! You got candy every time you went! I sat on the toilet and I got nothing! Every birthday we ever had was all about you. No one cared about me! Not even my own friends that you stole! You throw parties that everyone loves! Mine always end up terrible. People weren't talking about how great my party was, they were talking about how Dad was locking lips with Kaylynn and how Mom lost it right there! Not to mention anytime you screw up Mom and Dad always forgive you right away, but there's nothing I can do that will make them proud of me!”

    “You don't do anything for them to be proud of, Lilith.”

    “No, I was never good enough because I wasn't you! It's always Angela this, and Angela that. It's like I don't even exist! And any time they do talk to me it's either to yell at me or wonder why I'm not like you!”

    “Lilith, none of this...”

    “Don't act all innocent! You're just as bad as them. You're always picking on me and you always find a way to ruin everything! Even my week away from you! I HATE YOU!”

    Lilith got off the couch and headed for the doorway, but stopped when she remembered what Bella had said. “By the way Angela,” she turned around to face her sister, “that dress looks lovely on you.”

    “Thank you,” Angela replied.

    Certain she had met the requirements for leaving the room, Lilith tore up two flights of stairs, passed the couch she had been sleeping on and into the girls' bedroom, locking herself in. Determined to get as far away from Angela as possible, she climbed up to the top bunk and released her tears on the pillow. She was so stupid. Her thoughts immediately went to Dirk. She needed to hear his voice. She pulled out her phone and sent him a call, hoping he would pick up.

    “Lilith, are you okay? What happened?”

    “I'm so stupid, Dirk.”

    “No, you're not.” Just hearing his voice was enough to make her feel better. Hearing him comfort her made her feel warm inside.

    “Yes, I am.”

    “What happened?”

    “Angela. Angela showed up here. You heard about Dustin, right? She needed my help to help him, for some reason. I told her no and she still showed up. So we got in a fight. I kinda hit her in the face.”

    “Lilith...”

    “Dirk, I don't even deserve to be talking to you right now.”

    “That's not true Lilith. We all make mistakes. You don't have to put yourself down because of it.”

    “I just feel horrible, Dirk. I don't want to, but I do.”

    “I wish I could kiss you right now. I want to hold you in my arms and tell you everything will be all right.”

    “Just keep talking to me.”

    “Do you know what you want to do about it?”

    “No. I don't.”

    “Maybe you should apologize to her. It would make you feel better.”

    “Dirk, who's side are you on?”

    “I'm on yours. I've always been on yours.”

    “I know. I can feel it.”

    “I've screwed up too, okay? I've also made bad decisions when I was mad. But as soon as I realized what I had done, I apologized and I felt better about things. If you really regret hitting Angela, then telling her you're sorry is the right thing to do.”

    “I don't even know if she'll accept it.”

    “I think she will.”

    “What makes you so sure?”

    “Lilith, I don't know the first thing about having a sister, but I do know that even though siblings fight, they're also supposed to be there for each other. I can't even begin to describe how much I wanted that when I was younger.”

    “And I know better than anyone that it's not a guarantee.”

    “To be honest I think you're just jealous of her. If you take the opportunity to apologize, I'm sure she won't reject it.”

    “How come you've never told me this before?”

    “Because you weren't ready to hear it.”

    “And you think I'm ready now?”

    “I think you need to hear it now.”

    “Oh Dirk, what did I ever do to deserve you?”

    “Everything, Lilith. You helped me out during some very hard times. I treasured your friendship the most out of any one I've ever had. You're beautiful, smart, and you're not afraid to speak your mind. And there are even more things I like about you. But do you really want such a bad relationship with your sister?”

    “I don't know, Dirk. I don't know. Let's talk about something else.”

 

Bella

 

Bella sighed as Lilith stormed up the stairs. As she suspected, the root of the problem between the twins was something much bigger than what had happened at the smoothie place, and Bella knew it was going to take a lot more than just talking it out to solve it.

    “I should go talk to her,” Angela said, getting up from the sofa.

    “Don't,” Bella warned her. “You're the last person she wants to see right now.”

    “Is it okay if I get something to eat?” Angela asked. “Or is now a bad time?”

    “Go ask Mortimer. He'll be able to get you something.”

    Angela got off the couch and Cassandra came into the room at that moment shaking her head.

    “I just talked to Mary-Sue,” she said.

    “Is she coming?” Bella asked her.

    “I don't know,” Cassandra replied. “She didn't give me a definite answer.”

    Bella sighed. “I guess we're on our own then.”

    “I'm sorry Mom. If I had known this would have happened, I would have told Mary-Sue to send Lilith somewhere else.”

    “It's okay,” Bella told her daughter. “There was no way we could have anticipated this.”

    “I just feel horrible, Mom.”

    “It's not your fault, Cassandra. If anything, I think Lilith coming here was a good idea. This whole fight makes it clear that she needed some time away, and now she can get some advice from an adult she has a chance of listening to.”

    “You sure we shouldn't put them both on a plane back home?”

    “Don't, Cassandra,” Mortimer said as he stepped into the room. “We agreed to a week and we're going to stick to it. Plus, it would look really bad if we sent Lilith back with only part of her science class covered.” Bella laughed softly and smiled as Cassandra headed through the archway. It was rare that Mortimer used any kind of humor to lighten the situation, if anything he would just get into a bad mood, but seeing him make the effort made Bella's heart swell with love.

    “That's not it, is it?” Bella said.

    “Well, I would like to finish,” Mortimer told her, “but no, that's not the reason. It's what you said when we were deciding whether or not to to let Lilith come here in the first place – the example we're setting for the girls. We made a commitment, and we're going to honor that, no matter how difficult it is.”

    “Cassandra's already talked to Mary-Sue.”

    “And?”

    “Apparently, she never said if she was coming or not.”

    Mortimer sighed. “Well if she does, we'll let her handle it.”

    “And if she doesn't?”

    “Then we keep Lilith for the rest of the week and send Angela on the plane back home.”

    “We should probably send someone with her.”

    “Well Cassandra can't go, and you and I can't go by ourselves.”

    “We could send her with Alexander,” Bella suggested. “He's old enough to stay in the house by himself for a few days. He could see his old friends.”

    “But then we'd have one less person to watch the girls,” Mortimer countered. “I don't think Randy's ready to do that for that long even with Lauren staying the night.”

    “Cassandra could take a couple of vacation days.”

    “But I don't think we should make her do that.”

    “And we can't go together. Lilith needs us here.”

    “Then what are we going to do? We can't keep those two under our roof for the rest of the week.”

    “We can at least get through the night, right? If we keep Angela downstairs, there shouldn't be much of a problem.”

    “Then give it twenty-four hours,” Mortimer said. “If Mary-Sue doesn't come, we'll take it from there.”

 

    It was easy to keep the twins at opposite ends of the house since Lilith had locked herself in the girls' room and didn't come out for the rest of the day. Still, once dinner was over, Bella took a leftover slice of pizza upstairs. She used her master key to unlock the door and found Lilith crying into a pillow on the top bunk.

    “Lilith?” she said. Lilith lifted her head and glanced over to where Bella was standing. Her dark makeup ran down her face and probably had been smeared on the pillow as well.

    “How... how did you get in here?” Lilith asked.

    “I own this house,” Bella replied, “and I have a key that will unlock any door.”

    “Oh.”

    “I brought you some pizza.”

    “I thought I wouldn't get to eat if I didn't come downstairs.”

    “Tonight we're making an exception. I don't want you to go hungry.”

    Lilith climbed down the latter and sat next to Bella on a pile of pillows by the wall. She took a bite of pizza without rubbing off what was left of her black lipstick and ate in silence. Her red hair was slightly tangled, but even so it looked beautiful on her. She wore it similar to the way Angela did her hair, which surprised Bella a little. At least the twins had something in common.

    “I'm sorry,” Lilith said after a bit, her pizza almost gone. “I got makeup on that pillow.”

    “It's okay,” Bella told her. “We can wash the pillow case.” Lilith put her plate down. “Are you feeling okay?”

    “I don't know. What I think I should be feeling and what I am feeling are two different things.”

    “What are you feeling?”

    “Like I shouldn't have hit Angela.”

    “Then maybe you should apologize to your sister.”

    “That's exactly what Dirk said.”

    “He sounds like a smart guy,” Bella told her, relieved that Lilith had heard it from someone she trusts. “You know, your sister's going through a hard time right now. Maybe you should give her a break.”

    “And I'm not? You know what Dad...”

    “Yes, I know what he did,” Bella said. “We had something similar happen in our family several months ago. Yes, it was painful, but we all came together to overcome it. That's what families do. But Angela is dealing with something on top of all of that. If something happened between you and Dirk, who would you turn to?”

    “That's not going to happen.”

    “Every couple gets into an argument now and then. A good relationship isn't determined by whether you fight or not. It's how you work together to get through them that counts. Sometimes that means taking a step back and talking to someone else for a bit. Who would that be for you?”

    Lilith was silent for a minute. Finally she said “I don't really have anyone. If I had to talk to someone, I guess it would be you.”

    “I can tell you there is one person who you should be able to count on. I'm sure she would help you if you needed her.”

    “You're not seriously suggesting I turn to Angela, are you?” Lilith said rolling her eyes.

    “She is your sister, Lilith. If anyone can help you, it's her. She turned to you, remember?”

    “And I hit her in the face.”

    “Which is why you should tell her you're sorry.”

    “But I don't know if I am.”

    “And I think, deep down, you know that's not true. Think about it, okay?” Lilith nodded. “We missed you at dinner,” Bella said to change the subject.

    “Save it,” Lilith mumbled. “I already know your husband didn't even want me here.”

    “Who told you that?”

    “Amanda.” Bella shook her head. Not only did she have no clue where Amanda would've even heard that statement, but she also wasn't sure when Amanda would have told that to Lilith.

    “You have to take what she says with a grain of salt,” Bella told her. “I'm sure she didn't hear the whole story.”

    “But it's true, isn't it?”

    “He wasn't sure about it, but it wasn't you he didn't want here,” Bella explained, “it was the attitude and the behavior he didn't want around the girls. You've already got Amanda wanting to try black lipstick. He was afraid that they would get even worse ideas.“

    “They stole my phone to look through it,” Lilith said. “I don't think you need to worry about what ideas I give them.” Bella laughed.

    “I'll be sure to let Mortimer know that.”

    “Sometimes it just feels like hardly anybody wants me around,” Lilith said after a few seconds.

    “What makes you say that?”

    “I've only told this to Dirk, but I did overhear my parents say the didn't want me a couple of years ago. I was coming down the stairs when I heard Mom say 'this is why we only planed on having one child' and right away I knew that wasn't me. My own parents don't really want me.”

    “Lilith, that's not true.”

    “Then why did Angela always have it easier?”

    “Because your parents aren't perfect. They make mistakes like everyone else. I'm sure they love you.”

    “It never seems that way.”

    “Lilith, if your mother didn't care about you, she wouldn't have sent you here.”

    “No, she just wanted me gone.”

    “She sent you here because she thought it would be good for you, Lilith, not because she doesn't love you.”

    “I find that a little hard to believe.”

    “Well, there is one person who does want you, and I bet he is counting down the days until he can see you.” Lilith smiled, her cheeks turning a slight pink. “Now what do you say we give the girls back their room?”

    “What about Angela?”

    “We told her to stay on the first floor. She won't bother you.”

    Lilith got up, heading back to the bed to get her phone, and then followed Bella through the door.

 

    “That poor girl,” Bella said as she entered the master bedroom. Mortimer relaxed on the bed, putting down his science magazine. The girls, having gotten their room back, were tucked in bed, and Cassandra had helped Angela set up the sofa bed in the family room. All was quiet for now, and Bella hoped it would stay that way.

    She took off her dress, replaced it with her nightgown and climbed into bed next to Mortimer.

    “What happened?” he asked.

    “She's feeling unwanted,” Bella replied. “Maybe feeling unloved as well.” Mortimer put his arm around her and she rested her head against him. “She told me about how she overheard her parents mention that they only planned for one child. I knew it was bad, but I didn't know it was this bad.”

    “What bothers me is that Mary-Sue might not even take her responsibility to the girls seriously.”

    “Cassandra didn't tell me everything, but I got the impression Mary-Sue wasn't sure about it herself. She might be so ashamed that she can't even face the fact that she failed.”

    “I failed my children too, Bella,” Mortimer replied, “and as ashamed as I was, I still did everything in my power to make it up to them.”

    “Honey, you haven't failed,” Bella told him, lifting her head.

    “Yes, Bella, I did.”

    “Are you ever going to quit beating yourself up over that?”

    “I've tried, sweetheart,” Mortimer said, “I really have. And I've gotten nowhere. And that's why I'm upset that Mary-Sue isn't on the first flight over here. Does she really think it's okay to just let you do her job for her?”

    “Things would have been worse if I didn't,” Bella told him. “Look, I know you didn't want to get involved in any of this, but...”

    “Well, to be fair, I never imagined a fight breaking out.”

    “Me neither. But now that it has and Lilith has confided in me... My heart just breaks for her.”

    “I take it she's already talked to Dirk?” Mortimer asked after giving Bella a kiss on the forehead.

    “Yes, and he told her she should apologize. I told her the same thing.”

    “Even if she does, this isn't a problem we can solve for her ourselves.”

    “But we can point her in the right direction,” Bella advised, “and at this point, we owe it to her.”