Ombre dress that ends just above the knees, simple sandals, braided hair –this is how I finish up getting ready for the Spring Carnival. The dress is spaghetti strapped and starts as a dark grey but fades to white. It's not one of those tight dresses that someone like Della would wear. In case you're wondering, yes, the grey matches my eyes. There are fake diamond sequins on the bottom, and to cancel out the mild fanciness, I slide on some simple black sandals...also, I can't walk in heels, so... 

I wear a shimmery, silver, hippy headband and my braid hangs over my right side."Nice, but not too nice," I admire. "Now time to take it all off."

Stupidly, the dance is at the end of the carnival, so we're all sweaty and messed up by the time it comes, but I think that's what makes it all the more fun. After I change into shorts and a tank top, I carefully pack my dress and jewellery into a bag. In the corner of my eye, I see Fred's hand outstretched my way. Stop..., he pleads. I blink him away and take a deep breath. 

The doorbell rings. "Reyna!" my mom calls...Makai's mom.

I haven't been able to look at her or Dad the same since I listened to that CD. My mom is a cheater and my dad threw Makai out of the house. What a duo.

"I got it!" I yell back. That must be Enzo. I'll be the first to admit that I've never been a big dater. The last boyfriend I had was in freshman year, and that lasted an entire two weeks. Now, I'm kind of getting involved with Enzo and he's a whole four or five years older than me. Is this even okay? How much experience does he have? 

Even though I said I'd get it, one of my lying parents answers the door.

I check my phone. "5:30 on the dot...nice." 

Slinging my duffel over my shoulder, I walk into the living room as if I didn't kill a man and my parents haven't hidden from me that one of my best friends is actually my half-twin brother. 

Enzo stands in the doorway, making small talk with my mom. I remember Aerostanding by the door, thinking about how tall he was. Now, I do believe that Enzo is a shade taller. He's dressed in a loose yellow T-shirt that compliments his skin tone, cargo shorts, and flip flops. I smile before I even have the chance to speak. 

"Reyna," he perks up, grinning. Though it's discrete, I see him look me over before leaning calmly on my front door frame.

"Oh, Reyna, you're not even dressed up and you look beautiful," Mom admires. 

 Oh, Mom, you're not even next to Dad for me to remember you cheated on him. "Thanks," I grunt. "See you later."

"Thanks," I grunt. "See you later."

I grab Enzo's hand and basically tear him away from the doorframe. "It was nice meeting you, Mrs Copulas," he manages before roughly shutting the door. "You okay?" he asks me as I step into his black car and sit down. 

"It's complicated," I tell him. "I just...I don't really like my mom." 

"Why not?" he asks, starting up his Camaro and turning on the radio. 

 "I'd rather not talk about it," I admit. 

Enzo frowns but he lets the matter go. Cheekily, he smiles. "So...I hope you don't mind, but I kind of agreed with my brother to a sort of double-date." 

I cringe, unaware that Aero was going to the Spring Carnival. He didn't even ask me if I was going, let alone if he wanted to go with me. I mean, I already had a date, but...I still thought he would've asked. I'm glad I'm going with this King sibling, though. I have a feeling we'll have a lot more fun together than Aero and I would've had. "For the whole carnival?" I don't feel like watching Aero watch me disapprovingly for five and a half hours.

"God, no," Enzo retorts, cringing his face. "Sure, I want to fix things, but both of us can only take so much." Understandingly, I nod. Enzo delivers a half-shrug. "And I'd hate for him to get jealous."

I'm too plagued with thoughts to have any response. Instead, I think of 4512. I heldMakai in my arms – my brother. And then, my brother got taken away again. I let him slip between my fingers and ended up killing some kid. To fill the silence, Enzo plays some music on the radio. Still, all I can think of is the static of the radio and the CD the night I took him to the hospital. All I've been is a pawn in the killer's games, and no matter what Ido, I can't escape their game board.