The AC groaned like it hated its job, creaking up and down as it struggled to fight off the late-summer heat. I sat cross-legged on our cracked vinyl floor, sweat clinging to the back of my T-shirt, remote in hand, locked in an intense battle with the TV.
The remote was practically ancient.
Some of the buttons were missing ugh, others were taped in place. You had to hit it just right — like a secret code.
I gave it one more whack against my thigh. "Don't do this to me today."
Click.
The screen buzzed to life, and I actually exhaled like I'd just saved someone's life. Because in a way, I had.
There they were.
The Kaplans.
A black SUV pulled up in front of the glass entrance of the La Meridan Hotel in downtown Crestview. The camera panned wildly as flashing lights exploded all over the place. Reporters shouted questions. Security tried to hold them back. It was chaos — beautiful, glossy, expensive chaos.
I scooted closer, practically kneeling.
A banner rolled across the bottom of the screen:
KAPLAN FAMILY RETURNS TO CRESTVIEW AFTER ONE YEAR ABROAD.
My heart did this stupid little skip thing, and I immediately hated myself for it.
Then the door opened — and he stepped out.
Alexander Kaplan.
Sharp jawline. Expensive black suit. That stupid smirk like he knew the world belonged to him and he didn't have to say a damn word. And the sunglasses — God, the sunglasses. It was 6 p.m. and shady, and he still wore them like they were part of his skin.
I should've been disgusted.
Instead, I whispered under my breath, "He's even hotter than last year…"
Cameras followed as his parents stepped out behind him, waving like royalty. But I wasn't looking at them. I was scanning the screen, searching the edges, waiting—
Where is she?
Hailey Kaplan.
The invisible twin. The ghost sister. The rumor that never really went away. Some people swore she didn't exist. Others claimed she was "too private" for cameras. But I'd seen her. Once. Briefly. And ever since, I couldn't stop wondering about her.
If Alex was the face of the family… what did that make her?
"Come on," I whispered. "Just one glimpse."
"JADE!" my brother yelled from the kitchen. "Dinner's ready! You want me to spoon-feed you?"
I didn't respond. I was too busy squinting at the screen, hoping for a shadow, a shoulder, something.
Then came the heavy footsteps.
"Don't you dare—"
Click.
My dad, Dave Walker, stood over me, remote in hand.
"Dad, seriously?!" I snapped, spinning around.
"You've been glued to that thing all day," he said, turning and heading back toward the kitchen.
"They were just about to show—"
"I don't care what they were about to show. You live in this house, you eat with this family."
"You never let me finish anything."
"You never start anything that matters," he muttered without turning back.
That one hit deeper than I wanted to admit.
"But dad , you always taught us not to be rude no matter the circumstances" I said grumpily.
"Yh but not when you always indulge in irrelevant things "My dad said giving me a slight knock on my temple.
"Actually Imma call 911-" I started saying shuffling my feet as dad interrupted me
"No one is gonna listen to you"
I sighed deeply glaring at him for two full seconds
"Dinner now , let's go " Dad said and walked away obviously heading to the dinning room.
I pushed myself off the floor and dragged myself to the table like I was carrying the weight of the world. Byron, my brother, was already half-done with his plate like he hadn't eaten in days.
Dinner was mac and cheese, canned green beans, and a sad little square of something pretending to be meat with some whitish blocks that Byron always called fried eggs. I barely looked at it.
"How the fucking hell did I end up in this house," I muttered.
"Language," Byron said around a mouthful of food.
"Shut up, see this freaking ass old thing"I said venting all my anger on the knives cutting my cheese.
"Both of you. Enough," Dad snapped angrily.
" Guess someone can't stay a day without getting pissed off " Byron chipped in eyeing me.
We ate in silence for a few minutes, the only sound being forks on chipped plates.
Then Dad looked at me asking for what he hundred percent discouraged me from doing. "Scholarship results come in yet?"
I didn't look up. "Yeah."
"And?" He said stopping his fork mid air.
I forced myself to meet his eyes. "I got in, congratulations to me, well none of you really cares so..?"I said shrugging my shoulders
He froze. Byron dropped his fork.
"To Graceville high school," I said, trying to sound casual, like my entire heart wasn't thumping in my ears. "Full scholarship. Starting on Monday."
No one said anything.
My dad just nodded once and went back to his food saying "That's my girl "
"Wow," Byron muttered. "Guess miracles happen."
"Yh, I am the miracle, by the way you guys are supposed to be congratulating me " I said folding my hands and looking sternly at Dad.
"Congratulations baby girl, I am proud of you" Dad said dropping his eggs into my plates and ruffling my hair.
Actually I was so happy dad congratulated me and later I am going to remind him of the gift he promised me if I got in successfully.
"Yh congratulations" Byron said giving me a side glance.
I let the sarcasm roll off me. I had bigger things on my mind.
Like the fact that in four days, I'd be walking through the front doors of Graceville high school— where the elite sent their kids to become gods.
And maybe, if fate didn't completely hate me, I'd graduate and work with the Dragon Lords company