“But, as you all know,” Chloe continued, her voice dripping with mock sweetness, “a birthday isn’t complete without a twin tradition.”
The crowd cheered again, though a few people looked confused.
“Maya, sweetie!” Chloe called out, pointing directly at me. Instantly, two hundred pairs of eyes shifted from the pool, staring through the shadows to find me sitting in my thick, absurd winter garment.
“You’ve been hiding in that depressing, heavy bathrobe all day,” Chloe mocked, her voice booming through the speakers. “It’s a hundred degrees out, Maya. You’re making our guests uncomfortable. We had a deal, remember? The twin pact. Take off the robe, come to the edge, and jump into the pool with me.”
I didn’t move. My heart hammered against my ribs like a trapped bird.
“Come on, Maya!” Chloe taunted, her voice turning cruel, utilizing the peer pressure of the crowd as a blunt-force weapon. “Or are you too much of a coward to let people see who you really are? Are you going to ruin our birthday because you need to be special?”
