by Belle Payton
“Got it. It’s excellent,” Emily agreed. “Now buy it. Come on!”
Alex quickly paid, and they raced to the bookstore. A line snaked around the signing area. They stood behind an old woman with white hair and hot-pink sneakers.
Alex craned her neck to see Madame Sibyl. She was young and fashionable. Her ebony hair was piled in a messy topknot, and she wore scarlet lipstick, but she looked smaller in person than on TV.
“This is going to take a while,” Alex said. “I’m hungry. How about I run to the food court and get us some snacks?”
“Oh, no! You have to wait with me. You can’t miss meeting her,” Emily said. “Besides, the line’s moving fast.”
Alex groaned. “I may wither without food,” she half joked.
“Hello, girls,” a bookstore employee greeted them. He was dressed in all black except for green cowboy boots. His name tag read HANK. “I’m selling Madame Sibyl’s book, so you’re all ready to go when it’s your turn to get her autograph.”
“Oh, yes!” Emily cried, pulling money from her wallet.
“How about you?” Hank held a thick book out to Alex.
“No, thanks,” she said.
“Why not, Alex?” Emily asked.
“She’s not my thing. I’ll read yours,” Alex promised.
“No one’s touching my book after Madame Sibyl touches it!” Emily warned.
Suddenly Alex understood why Lindsey said Emily was obsessed.
“I’ll just say hi to her then.” Alex waved Hank away.
“I wonder what she’ll tell me.” Emily stared at the book’s glossy cover. The Power was written in bold silver letters. “I hope she sees good things in my future.”
“A boyfriend? Fame? Fortune?” Alex asked.
“All of it and more!” Emily giggled.
“Watch out, world, here comes Emily!” Alex teased. “Soon you’ll be on the cover of every magazine from Hollywood to New York.”
“Wait, I almost forgot. I have news,” Emily said. “There’s going to be a new girl in school on Monday. And she’s from New York City!”
“How do you know that?” Alex asked.
“Mrs. Schiller told Mrs. Navarro, and Mrs. Navarro told my mom,” Emily explained.
“Of course!” Alex laughed. Moms were always warning their kids not to gossip, yet they seemed to gossip most of all. “So who is she?”
“Her name is Charlotte Huang. That’s all I really know. I bet she’ll be cool, since she’s from New York,” Emily said.
“Really? And what did you think I was going to be like when you heard I was moving here from Massachusetts?” Alex asked playfully.
“Oh, super cool,” Emily assured her. “Actually, we thought it was cool that your dad was coming back to Texas to coach football.”
Alex nodded. Her dad had grown up in Texas.
“Ohhh!” Emily suddenly squealed. “We’re next.”
Alex stood next to Emily as they approached the table. Madame Sibyl wore tight white jeans, a sparkly silver tank top, and strappy silver heels. Alex thought she looked totally cute—but a little overdressed for a Saturday afternoon book signing in a mall.
“Girls, girls, how wonderful of you to come. I love my young fans,” Madame Sibyl said, reaching for Emily’s book.
Her throaty voice sounded the same as it did on TV. Alex had never been this close to a TV star before.
“C-can you sign it to Emily? That’s me,” Emily said quietly. “I, uh, watch your show.”
Alex gazed at her friend in surprise. Was Emily nervous?
“She has watched all your shows a zillion times!” Alex blurted out.
“A true fan!” Sibyl smiled. “I will write that.”
Emily blushed and stared wide-eyed as Sibyl’s pen scrawled across the book’s title page.
“And what about you?” Sibyl turned her gaze to Alex. “Not a true fan?”
“Uh, no, I mean, I watch . . .” Alex fumbled.
“But you didn’t buy a book?”
Now it was Alex’s turn to blush. “Moral support. I came along for my friend.”
Madame Sibyl arched one thin eyebrow. “I would think a girl like you would be interested in my book.”
“Excuse me?” Alex said.
“You are a good friend. But you are an even better sister, no?” Madame Sibyl’s voice was so low, Alex had to lean forward.
“What?” A nervous giggle escaped Alex’s lips.
“You are strong, my dear, but together with your twin you are even stronger.” Sibyl’s dark eyes bored into Alex’s.
A familiar shiver made its way down Alex’s back. “How do you know I’m a twin?” she asked.
“I can sense we share the Power, but yours is twice as strong because there are two of you. The Power of Two.” She reached out and grabbed both of Alex’s hands. “Can’t you feel it?”
Alex pulled back and blinked rapidly. Beside her, Emily gasped.
“Sibyl?” Hank stepped in between them. “You’re scheduled for a break. There’s coffee in the manager’s office.” He turned to the rest of the line. “She’ll be back soon, y’all.”
Alex stared after Sibyl as she followed Hank to the back of the store.
Suddenly the air grew hot and suffocating. Alex’s lungs contracted and her hands shook. She needed to get out. Whirling around, she headed for the exit that led into the mall.
“Oh my God. Oh my God,” Emily repeated as she followed Alex.
“What was that all about?” Alex asked, stopping next to the indoor fountain. She took several deep, calming breaths. Nearby, a little boy tossed a penny in for luck.
“She connected with you,” Emily said in awe.
“I have no idea what that means,” Alex scoffed.
“She psychically sensed that you were a twin,” Emily said.
Alex shook her head. “Oh, please! We’re in Ashland. Everyone in this town knows I’m one of Coach Sackett’s twin daughters.”
Emily pointed to the bio written on the book’s back cover. “Sibyl isn’t from Texas. She’s from Louisiana.”
Alex gulped. She didn’t have an answer for that.
“She said you have powers.” Emily began bouncing on her toes with excitement. “Do you? Have you ever done anything psychic?”
“Of course not!” Alex laughed. “The woman is a fraud.”
But as she said it, she thought back to yesterday. Wishing for Ava in the storm. The Spelling Bee.
Her stomach tightened.
“That would be so cool if you had the Power like Madame Sibyl,” Emily said.
“I don’t,” Alex said. “I wish Ava were here. She would have totally laughed at Sibyl.”
At that moment, her phone dinged. Alex gazed at the incoming text.
“It’s from Ava,” she said quietly.
“What?” cried Emily. “What does it say?”
Alex could barely get the words out. “Ava’s text says, ‘I’m here.’ ”
Emily sucked in her breath. “Whoa! You just wished that! You and Ava do have the Power!”
Alex texted back.
Where are you???
Mom and I are waiting in the car by the door next to the art supply store. Hurry up. I’m hungry!!!!
Alex let out a loud laugh. She showed Emily the text. “The only power Ava and I share is the need to eat!”
CHAPTER
THREE
Ava stared at the yellow slip of paper instructing her to go to the principal’s office.
It was Monday morning. She had just walked into homeroom. What could she have possibly done? Her mind raced through the possibilities. She had turned in all her homework last week. She hadn’t been late to practice at all. She always threw away her trash at lunch.
“Ava?” Ms. Kerry tapped her shoulder. “Are you okay?”
Ava forced a smile. “I hope so. I guess I should go, huh?”
Her teacher nodded, and Ava headed to Ms. Farmen’s office. She had been there only twice:
on her first day of school, and when she was fighting the school board to let her play football.
Mrs. Gusman, the school secretary, was on the phone. She smiled broadly at Ava and pointed toward Ms. Farmen’s door.
If I were getting in trouble, Mrs. Gusman wouldn’t smile. Right? Ava reasoned.
Unless the secretary was evil.
But Ava didn’t think she was. Mrs. Gusman was known for handing out hard butterscotch candies to the kids.
Ava cautiously pushed open the principal’s door. An amazing-looking girl stood next to Ms. Farmen. She had caramel-colored skin, almond-shaped eyes, and brown hair that cascaded down her back. She wore skinny jeans, a sheer white shirt that revealed a red tank, and lots of silver jewelry.
“This is Ava Sackett,” Ms. Farmen said. “Ava, this is Charlotte Huang. Charlotte is new to our school.”
“Hey,” Ava said, still confused.
Charlotte gave a forced smile.
“Ava, I’ve chosen you to be Charlotte’s buddy today. I’d like you to help her find her classes and her locker. Introduce her around,” Ms. Farmen explained.
“Me?” Ava asked. She wondered if the principal had sent for the wrong twin by mistake. Alex was on the student council. She was the one teachers picked to do this kind of thing. “But I’m still new here too.”
“Exactly!” Ms. Farmen cried. “I thought you’d be perfect for this honor. You remember what it feels like, and all your teachers say you’ve been fitting in well and are easy to get along with. Here are passes to be late to first period. Give Charlotte the grand tour!”
Before Ava could respond, she and Charlotte were guided into the hall, and Ms. Farmen turned her attention to Kal Tippett, who was waiting by her door. From his angry pose and his defiant expression, Ava suspected Kal was in trouble.
And she’d been given an honor. Pretty cool!
“Why don’t I walk you around the school?” Ava suggested to Charlotte.
“Sure. Fine,” Charlotte said, not looking at Ava. She shuffled down the hallway, barely acknowledging the classrooms and teachers Ava pointed out.
Hmmm, I better channel my inner Alex, Ava thought. “So, where did you move from?” she asked Charlotte brightly.
“New York City,” Charlotte said defiantly. “This is my first time moving.”
“It was mine, too. Alex and I had always gone to the same school before we moved here this summer. We used to live just outside Boston,” Ava said, scanning Charlotte’s schedule. “Moving is a huge deal.”
“You’re from Boston? And who’s Alex?” Charlotte asked, looking up at Ava for the first time.
“She’s my twin. We’re identical, but that’s biological. We like different stuff and do different things.” Ava glanced at Charlotte’s outfit. “I think you’ll really like Alex.”
“I think I’ll like both of you,” Charlotte said, peering into the empty cafeteria. “We could be the three East Coast girls.”
“We could,” Ava agreed. There we go! she thought. I’m getting her to open up. “But I bet our little Boston suburb was a lot different from living in New York City.”
“This is all very different,” Charlotte muttered, looking away again.
“The school?”
“The whole Texas thing. It’s hard to take it all in,” Charlotte said.
“I hear you. When I first moved, it felt like we’d landed on a different planet. Texas is very . . . well”—Ava wasn’t sure how to describe it—“very Texas. But you get used to it.”
“I hope not!” Charlotte said. Then, apologetically, “My parents sprang the moving thing on me.” She was quiet for a moment. “So tell me about Ashland.”
“Well, what do you think about football?” Ava asked.
Charlotte shrugged. “I’m not really into sports, unless you count ballet. I like to dance.”
“That’s not going to fly here in Texas,” Ava said, laughing.
“For real?” Charlotte looked panicked. “I know nothing about football.”
“You’ll have to learn,” Ava said. “The Friday night high school games are a huge deal. It’s touchdowns instead of tutus for you now.” She grinned.
Charlotte frowned. “Friday night in my family is movie night. We see new movies on opening weekend. An air-conditioned movie theater sounds way sweeter than a hot stadium.”
“You’re right about the heat. Texas is crazy hot!” Ava said.
“It’s like living with a hair dryer constantly blasting on you,” Charlotte agreed, laughing. Then she got quiet again. “I’m going to miss snow. And the city. Walking to the French bakery on the corner. My doorman. My apartment.”
They wandered down several halls in uncomfortable silence.
“And what’s with all the barbecue places?” Charlotte asked suddenly. “Every restaurant in town is barbecue or burritos. I bet they put barbecue sauce in their sushi down here!”
“Now you’re getting the picture!” Ava laughed. It had taken her a while to get used to all these things too. Charlotte would be fine. “And don’t forget the cowboy boots and hats.”
“The only way I could see myself rocking a pair of cowboy boots is if they’re red,” Charlotte said. “And only in a sarcastic kind of way.”
Ava wasn’t sure what she meant. She’d never worn her clothes in any special kind of way.
“Oh, hey, do you have boots?” Charlotte asked. “I’m really sorry, I didn’t mean to put you down.”
“You didn’t. I haven’t bought boots yet,” Ava confessed. Although she had thought about it last week for the first time, now that it was getting a little cooler.
“I told you! We’re East Coast girls. We need to stick together,” Charlotte said. “I’m glad I met you.”
“Me too,” Ava said. Charlotte seemed really sweet, and Ava knew what it was like to be homesick. “Listen, I could teach you about football,” she offered. She explained that she played on the boys’ team.
“I’m going to pass,” Charlotte said. “I’m not going to need that knowledge. Ever.”
Ava wasn’t so sure about this—after all, most of the Ashland social scene revolved around football games, and Charlotte seemed like someone who’d want to be social. But she didn’t want to harass the new girl on her first day.
“We could go see movies together, though,” Charlotte said shyly.
“Sure!” said Ava. “And hey, do you want to sit with me at lunch?”
Charlotte’s eyes brightened. “Thank you. Girls without boots need to stick together.”
“That doesn’t quite work,” Ava admitted. “My friend Kylie, you’ll meet her at lunch, always wears boots—she lives on a ranch.”
“A ranch? Like with cows?” Charlotte asked.
“Not cows. In Texas they’re called cattle. Cows are the girls. Bulls are the boys,” Ava said, strangely impressed that she now knew that.
Charlotte sighed. “I don’t belong here.”
“Don’t say that. You’ll make tons of friends,” Ava promised. “Everyone will love you.”
“Madame Sibyl said that Alex has the Power!” Emily announced to the entire lunch table on Monday.
“What’s the Power?” Rosa Navarro asked before biting into her ham sandwich.
“Come on, Rosa. Haven’t you watched the TV show?” Lindsey asked. “The Power is a psychic thing. You know, knowing things before they happen. Reading people’s minds.”
“You can do that?” Rosa asked Alex.
“She and Ava can do it together. That’s what Madame Sibyl said,” Emily proclaimed proudly. She wrapped her arm around Alex’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze.
“Like how you guys said the same thing on the bus on Friday?” Corey asked.
All eyes turned to Alex. She was suddenly the center of attention. Lindsey had been the center of attention earlier when she’d described her Halloween party plans. Now everyone wanted to know about Alex’s psychic abilities.
“Ava and I often have the same thoughts and
say the same things. It’s like we can read each other’s minds,” Alex explained. She avoided saying anything about the Power. She didn’t believe what Madame Sibyl had said.
At least, she didn’t think she did.
“But isn’t mind reading a twin thing?” Annelise Mueller asked. Annelise was a cheerleader, along with Rosa, Lindsey, and Emily. Alex wasn’t—she’d had a disastrous tryout—but she worked with them on their fund-raising and publicity. “Lots of twins do that.”
“Well, sure—” Alex began.
“With Alex and Ava, it’s something much more intense,” Emily explained. “Tell us, Alex.”
Everyone leaned forward, looking at her. Smiling at her. This was her chance to be someone more than the new girl or the do-gooder class president or Coach Sackett’s daughter. To be someone exotic. Someone with the Power.
Alex tried to explain her and Ava’s connection. It wasn’t easy. She’d never put it into words before. It was just a feeling she’d always had. She thought Ava felt it too, but she’d never asked her.
“So how does the Power work?” Logan Medina asked. “What do you do first?”
“It’s not like a recipe you can follow,” Emily scoffed.
“I don’t know if it’s really a power,” Alex said hesitantly. “It just happens. We think the same things. And if we think something hard enough, it happens. Last week, I was thinking that I really wanted to see Ava, and then she showed up, even though I thought she was at football.”
“Can you do it now?” Annelise asked.
“Yes!” Emily cried. “Do it now, Alex. Show us the Power!”
“Here?” Alex bit her lip.
“Totally!” Emily said. She pointed to a table across the cafeteria, where Ava sat with Kylie McClaire and a pretty girl whom Alex didn’t recognize. “Use your mind to get Ava to come over here.”
“Go for it!” cried Xander Browning. He pounded the tabletop.
Soon all the boys were pounding and chanting. “Show us the Power!”
“Okay, okay,” Alex said shakily. She gazed at Ava, hoping to give her some kind of signal. But Ava’s back was toward Alex, and she seemed to be laughing at something Kylie had said.
