“Hey, guys!” Laurel said brightly, beaming at Gabby and Lili. “That would be awesome.”
“No problem!” Gabby’s eyes flickered, snakelike, to Emma, then back to Laurel. There was a hint of a smile on her lips, as though she were trying to hold in a laugh. “We al know how badly Sutton needs her car back.”
“Yeah, so she can stal it again,” Lili added under her breath.
An eerie shiver passed through me.
Lili steered Emma to their white SUV, which was parked in the lot. “C’mon. A little birdie told me the impound closes at six.”
“But . . .” Emma protested, planting her feet. “I don’t have to go today. . . .”
“Nonsense,” Lili said hurriedly. “We don’t mind. That’s what friends are for, right?”
“You guys are the best!” Laurel reached into her purse for her car keys. “Have fun reuniting with Floyd, Sutton!”
Emma glanced over her shoulder at Laurel, sure that helplessness and fear were written al over her face, but Laurel just waved obliviously. She flung the yel ow plastic Scare-O-Rama bag over her shoulder and skipped toward her Jetta.
Lili opened the backseat of the SUV with a flourish.
“Ladies first,” she said sweetly, pointing Emma to one of the black seats inside. Emma hesitated, wondering how far she could get if she took off in a sprint.
“What’s wrong, Sutton?” Gabby teased, noticing Emma’s reluctance. “You al freaked out from being inside the Hal oween store? Afraid another light was going to fal on your head?”
Emma swal owed hard, the words cutting her like knives. Her heart had never pounded so fast or so hard. But she told herself that the Twins couldn’t do anything to her today
—not when Laurel knew she was with them. Straightening her shoulders, Emma brushed her dark hair over her shoulder and cal ed upon her deepest Sutton reserves. “No, I’m freaked out by your wardrobe choices,” she snapped, eyeing Lili’s mismatched polka-dot blouse and plaid skirt.
“Did someone dress while under the influence this morning?”
Lili sniffed. “This month’s Vogue says mixing patterns is in.”
“I would’ve thought you’d know something that basic,”
Gabby scoffed.
“What’s with the attitude today, ladies?” Emma tried to sound exasperated. “Are you two stil not over that prank during your court party?”
“Please, Sutton.” Lili opened the front passenger door.
“We were over it before it even began.”
Gabby nudged Emma into the backseat, which smel ed overpoweringly of Skittles. The Twitter Twins climbed into the front, and Gabby started the engine. Her blue eyes met Emma’s in the rearview mirror. “To the impound, right?”
Emma nodded, and the Twins exchanged a look and shared a secret giggle that turned Emma’s stomach. Then Gabby steered the car out of the parking lot and made a left at the light. Lili tapped away on her iPhone. Emma could just make out the Twitter icon on the little screen. She leaned forward, dying for a peek. Was Lili writing under her secret Twitter name? Was she sending a secret missive to Gabby?
Lili cocked her head, noticing Emma. Emma snapped her head away, pretending she wasn’t looking. Lili covered the screen with her hand and smirked. Emma pul ed out her phone to check, but nothing new was posted.
Gabby merged onto the freeway, snaking around cars and nearly cutting off a fast-moving milk truck. “So, Sutton. Excited for tomorrow night?” She swiveled around and glanced at Emma, taking her eyes off the road.
“Gabby!” Emma screamed, gesturing toward the
highway with her phone. Was Gabby even al owed to be behind the wheel? Could people with epilepsy get driver’s licenses?
One corner of Gabby’s lips lifted into a smile. She stil didn’t turn around. “But, Sutton, I thought you liked to live on the edge!”
“Whoo, whoo!” Lili said in a high-pitched voice, her fingers flying over the iPhone’s keyboard.
More cars honked at the SUV. Sweat began to bead on the back of Emma’s neck. She placed a hand on Gabby’s shoulder as a pickup truck swerved out of her way. “Gabby, please!”
Final y, as Gabby was about to have a head-on col ision with an oncoming Jeep Cherokee, she calmly faced forward and wrenched the SUV back into the far lane like they’d never been in peril at al . “We’re real y excited for Homecoming, Sutton,” she said, picking up on the previous conversation as though nothing was amiss. “It’s a big night for us. You’re going to die when you see us!”
Emma flinched. “Excuse me?” She grabbed the door handle, wishing she could jump out of the car. Lili giggled. “Our costumes are amazing.”
“God, what did you think we meant?” Gabby asked, snickering. The girls exchanged another glance, as though they knew how much they were freaking Emma out. Just then, Gabby took the next exit and turned into a dingy lot. A sign on the chain-link fence read TUCSON PD
IMPOUND. As they pul ed in, a beefy man with a shaved head emerged from a smal , nut-colored building and motioned for Gabby to rol down the window.
As soon as the car slowed, Emma unlocked the
passenger door and jumped out.
“Sutton!” Gabby cal ed. “What the hel ?”
“I can take it from here!” Emma yel ed back, relieved to be standing next to the worker, who had ham-sized arm muscles and a menacing tattoo peeking out from under his col ar. “But thanks, guys! I real y appreciate the ride!”