Free Her Evil Twin by Mimi McCoy

cut Anna to the core. But now it made her seethe with anger. “So what are you going to do? Spray paint ‘Loser’ on my lawn?”
    “What are you talking about?” Jessamyn snapped.
    “Does ‘Dorky Dory’ ring a bell?” Anna asked coolly. “Humiliating people in their very own homes. Is that what you and your friends do for fun these days?”
    Jessamyn glared at her. “I never did that! Who told you I did that?”
    Anna shook her head. “I knew you were a jerk, Jessamyn. I didn’t know you were a liar, too.”
    Jessamyn was about to reply when a tall boy Anna had never seen before tapped her on the shoulder. “Um, could you guys move this somewhere else?”
    Jessamyn spun on him. “Butt out!” she snapped.
    “I would,” said the boy, “but you’re blocking my locker.”
    Surprised, Anna stepped out of the way. She watched the boy open what she’d thought was Emma’s locker.
That’s weird,
she thought.
How did I get that wrong?
    Jessamyn shot Anna one last poisonous look, then stalked back to her friends, her hair swishing behind her. Anna’s knees were still shaking as she made her way back to her own locker, but she was smiling, too. She couldn’t believe she’d stood up to Jessamyn.
    It’s because of Emma,
Anna thought. Emma made her feel strong and brave, like she could do anything. Emma was the coolest person Anna knew, and she was … right there, standing in front of Anna’s locker!
    “Emma!” Anna rushed over to her. “I’ve been dying to talk to you. Something really weird happened yesterday. With Benny.”
    Emma smiled, almost as if she hadn’t heard her. “I’m so hungry!” she said, widening her eyes in exaggeration. “Let’s go out to lunch. My treat.”
    “Emma —”
    “Don’t worry. No dine and ditch. I’ve got money today.”
    Emma reached into her pocket and pulled out a wallet. It was made of pink leather, with a little lady-bug charm attached to the zipper.
    “Fine,” Anna said with a sigh. She didn’t care where they went, as long as they could talk.
    When the halls were clear, they headed out a side door and walked to the deli where they’d gotten lunch on the first day they met. On the way, Anna told Emma about Benny — first about their afternoon at Moxie, then about his accident and the strange things he’d said when she went to visit him.
    “I told you he was a twerp,” Emma said when she was done. “He’s just messing with you.”
    “Messing with me? How could he be
messing
with me? He really got hurt.”
    “So?” said Emma. “What makes you think that has anything to do with you? People get hurt all the time. Is that your fault?”
    “No. But he
said
it was my fault somehow. He said he saw me. Why would he say that?”
    “Oh, don’t be dense, Anna,” Emma snapped. “Isn’t it obvious? He said it so he wouldn’t have to hang out with you anymore.”
    Anna pulled up short and stared at her. “What?”
    “Come on,” Emma said, stopping too, “you didn’t really think a guy like Benny would go for you.”
    Anna felt as if she’d been punched in the stomach. She wasn’t sure which hurt more — that Emma would say such a thing, or that it might be true.
    “Think back,” Emma told her. “He was there with all his friends, right? They were probably laughing at you behind your back.”
    Anna thought about the afternoon at Moxie. She remembered how Benny’s friends had smirked when he left with Anna. At the time, she’d assumed they were just teasing him. But maybe there had been another reason.
    Emma slid an arm around her shoulders. “Forget about him, Anna,” she murmured. “He’s a jerk. They’re all jerks. You and I, we’re the only ones who can count on each other.”
    Anna felt tears pressing against the backs of her eyes, but she didn’t want to cry. She clenchedher jaw, telling herself,
Benny is just a jerk. He doesn’t matter. He’s nothing to me,
until the tears went away.
    At the deli, Emma bought lunch just as