Way to go Zena! You handled old crabby like a pro. I'll follow your lead anywhere!

Lacey stepped out from behind Zena and spoke.

"I'm here Mr. Greyson. Zena is new here, and I'd like to introduce her please." She hoped he would drop his snarky attitude if she shook the routine. She caught Zena's sideways wink as she led them around the desks to the front of the room.

Mr. Greyson snapped his jaw shut and waved for her to continue.

"I'm sure you're all as surprised as I am to find out I have a twin sister, or a least it looks that way," Lacey began.

Zena grabbed her hand and continued, squeezing her fingers firmly as she spoke.

"I'm Zena Henderson. You all know Lacey Pemberton. I moved into the old Pettigrew mansion three days ago. I'm into drama, and I used to be a cheerleader. And now I'm a detective because both of us want to know how this happened."

I agree, you hit exactly the one thing I've got to figure out too.

Zena continued, "Lacey found me down by the girl's locker room and made sure I got here in time. So, thank you. Now let's get through the rest of homeroom before I have to figure out where I'm going today."

Zena bowed, and a smattering of clapping filled the surprised silence.

"I'm sure Mr. Greyson has announcements for us, so we'll take a seat," Lacey said and walked up the middle aisle between desks, where there were two seats left open.

"Welcome Zena, I hope you adjust to our school well," Mr. Greyson had recovered from his shock. The stress he put on the word adjust told Lacey he wasn't pleased with his loss of classroom control. She hoped she wasn't in his English class. She hadn't bothered to look that far into her schedule for the semester.

She took the seat behind Zena, and in front of Terry and Percy. Scanning the room, she felt the eyes of twenty eight other students digging into her as she listened to Greyson drone through announcements about locker assignments, textbooks, and the various rooms where extra curricular clubs would meet during the lunch hour.

The news that textbooks would be available online for a nominal fee covering all of them was met with a quiet round of applause. So much easier than dragging books with her. The last comment from the teacher was about masks. Damn Covid.

"Masks are no longer required, but we ask you to respect those who wish to continue wearing them."

The glare their teacher fixed on them made it clear he wasn't happy with the lack of them in his classroom. Although she couldn't see his sneer behind his face covering, she could hear it in his voice. She had to check with her parents about what the state's position was on masks. She knew town council had agreed to go by what the state instructed. Lacey knew Greyson could be a stick in the mud. He was always strict about his class and she knew homeroom wouldn't be the place to talk about anything. Not at all like last year.

When the bell rang, Zena turned her back on the disagreeable teacher.

"Do we have any of the same classes?" She had her schedule in her hands. "And if I give you my email, can you send me those pics from the locker room?" She handed Lacey a piece of paper.

"I'll send them as soon as I get to my next class."

"Thanks. I'm so pissed at Dad. I need proof. He'll never believe me. So, what about classes together?" Zena asked again.

"We'll compare at lunch. You've got drama. Do you remember the stairs we came up? Go back down and go through the double doors in the lobby across from the office. That's the theater. I have math. Then history. I'll meet you in the theater, so we can hit the cafeteria to grab a salad or some sandwiches before you go to the drama club meeting. I assume you want to join?"

"Yeah, will they be mad at me for barging into their group?"

"I can't say. Find Sally. She's head of the cheerleading dance squad. See if she notices you're not me." Lacey already liked the idea of fooling a few people.

"I'll bet she already knows about me. Did you see everyone texting? And I heard a few cameras go off."

"Probably the whole town knows by now. It's crazy how fast news spreads around this place. Everyone likes to think they know everything about everybody," Lacey grumbled.

"Is it really that bad?"

She nodded. Zena's eyebrow shot up. "Yup, really."

"Damn. Well, let's go. I have double drama, so I'm set till I see you again." Zena stood up and pulled her laptop out of her pack. "I'm going to have it out with Dad. I have to have a phone. How am I supposed to make friends if I can't even text anyone?" She clicked into note pad. "Do you have a Facebook account?"

"No but I have What's App, so we can talk there even if you're stuck on that." She pointed to Zena's Mac Book. "But we've only got ten minutes between classes, so we've got to run. I have math and history." Lacey said.

"So, do I, I mean I've got What's App but only on my phone though," Zena typed a quick reminder of the announcements and saved her note to herself.

"You can install it on your computer, and it will work over the Wi-Fi."

"Haven't got time now, do we? But you can show me at lunch." Zena closed her laptop and put it back in her pack. "The double doors across from the office, right?"

Lacey nodded and followed her out pointing to the stairs. "Down those."

"I have to tell you what went down with the principal and guidance," Zena called over her shoulder as she pushed the door into the stairwell open.

"At lunch," Lacey called after her.

She walked down the emptying hall toward 231, where advanced business math and bookkeeping awaited her. She wanted to be able to do the books for her parent's office. Although she loved hearing the stories about her parent's work, and she respected it, she wasn't interested in doing it herself. Running the office was more her speed, or even getting an accounting degree.

But that was for after her competitive gymnastics career was over. The first inter school meet was at the end of September. She couldn't wait to head out with the team. Slipping into the classroom she took a seat at the front and set up her laptop. Before she was finished booting up, three girls she didn't want to remember took the desks around her.

"Who's the look alike, Lacey?" The black haired Goth girl sneered her question.

Lacey rolled her eyes. "Gossip travels at light speed."

Why now? What did they want? I've got a twin I didn't know about. And Mom and Dad might not be my real parents, or maybe one of them is or both and they got rid of Zena. How am I supposed to concentrate on anything?

"Finding out you have a twin you didn't know about must be disturbing, she's prettier than you too."

Lacey was glad she was in her class, not in drama. It looked like senior year was going to be the same old, same old. Maybe Zena wouldn't have to deal with her.

"That's right Anya, she's prettier than me. Identical, but prettier." Lacey agreed.

The other two girls snickered at the subtle insult, waiting to see what their leader would say. More kids were finding seats, and Terry walked up to the front, to stare down Anya. His dark eyes, and darker skin made him look ferocious when he needed it.

Anya tried to keep her eyes on his, but the teacher came in as the bell rang.

"Anya, take a seat." Miss Aikin pointed to the last one in the back two rows over.

Lacey sighed, mouthed thank you to Terry.

Saved by the bell. I hope she doesn't try anything stupid. I should have warned Zena.