Once again she had the feeling that she was separated from everyone around her by some invisible wall.
Dory shifted her backpack uncomfortably. “So, what did you want to talk to me about?”
Anna took a deep breath. “I wanted to tell you that I’m sorry for how I’ve acted lately.”
Dory’s expression softened a little. Encouraged, Anna went on. “I know I’ve been kind of a jerk, but some really weird stuff has been happening. Things that are … hard to explain.” She looked her friendin the eye, “Dory, listen, I didn’t write that thing on your lawn.”
At once, Dory’s face closed off. “Forget it. I don’t really want to hear it,” she said. She slammed her locker and turned to leave.
“Dory, wait!” Anna grabbed her wrist to stop her. “You have to believe me. I wouldn’t do something like that. Not to you or anyone else.”
“Don’t
lie,
Anna!” Dory said, twisting her arm out of Anna’s grip. “I
saw
you.”
“You saw someone who looked like me, but it wasn’t me,” Anna told her.
“Oh, so that’s your story now? You’re totally innocent, and it was actually your evil twin?” Dory’s voice crackled with sarcasm.
This was going all wrong! Anna could feel her chance slipping away. “Dory, do you remember Emma?”
“Your new best friend?” Dory said, putting her hands on her hips and arching one eyebrow. “I can’t say I ever met her. So, where is she now?”
“I meant, when we were little,” Anna tried one last time. “I had an imaginary friend I called Emma?”
Anna thought she saw a flicker in Dory’s eyes. Was it surprise? Fear?
“Dory, she’s back,” Anna whispered. “Emma’s back. And this time, somehow, she’s real.”
Dory stared at her, and there was no mistaking the look in her eyes now. It was frank alarm. “You’re crazy.”
“It
sounds
crazy,” Anna agreed desperately. “I know it does. But it’s true. She hurt you — and other people, too. Dory, I need your help….”
But Dory was backing away from her. “My friends are waiting for me. I have to go.” Before Anna could stop her, she turned on her heel and hurried out the door.
Anna closed her eyes and put her face in her hands. She felt like crying, but she was too exhausted for the tears to come. She’d been so foolish. She’d thought Dory could help. But no one could help her. She was in this alone.
“Have a nice chat?” said a voice close by.
Anna’s eyes flew open. Emma was standing in front of her, wearing a sneering smile.
“I don’t understand it,” she said to Anna. “I’m everything you’ve ever wanted in a friend. I’m cool. Daring. Exciting. But you
still
keep running back to Dory.”
Anna shrank back against the wall, glancing around for someone … anyone.
“No one is going to help you, Anna,” Emma said, as if she could read her mind. “No one cares about you — except me. Don’t you get it? I’m your only friend now.”
“Friend?” Anna burst out. “You’re not my friend. You’re ruining my life!”
“What
life?” Emma sneered. “You had no life before I came along.”
Anna knew Emma was right. She
was
what Anna had wanted — almost as if Anna had wished her into existence.
Emma’s eyes flashed. “We’ll have so much fun together,” she promised. Once again, her voice was crooning, hypnotic. “We’re just alike, you and me. We’re two sides of the same coin. We can have so much fun together. Just promise me you’ll always be my friend —”
“Stop!” Anna shouted, squeezing her eyes shut. With effort, she wrenched herself away from Emma’s magnetic pull. “I’m not like you, and you’re not my friend!”
“You’re wrong, Anna.” Emma’s voice hardened.“I’m your best friend. I should have finished this a long time ago. But you’ll see. Soon, I’ll be the only friend you’ve ever known.”
“Never!” Anna cried. Her voice echoed in the empty hallway.
Anna opened her eyes and saw that she was alone. Emma
Dory shifted her backpack uncomfortably. “So, what did you want to talk to me about?”
Anna took a deep breath. “I wanted to tell you that I’m sorry for how I’ve acted lately.”
Dory’s expression softened a little. Encouraged, Anna went on. “I know I’ve been kind of a jerk, but some really weird stuff has been happening. Things that are … hard to explain.” She looked her friendin the eye, “Dory, listen, I didn’t write that thing on your lawn.”
At once, Dory’s face closed off. “Forget it. I don’t really want to hear it,” she said. She slammed her locker and turned to leave.
“Dory, wait!” Anna grabbed her wrist to stop her. “You have to believe me. I wouldn’t do something like that. Not to you or anyone else.”
“Don’t
lie,
Anna!” Dory said, twisting her arm out of Anna’s grip. “I
saw
you.”
“You saw someone who looked like me, but it wasn’t me,” Anna told her.
“Oh, so that’s your story now? You’re totally innocent, and it was actually your evil twin?” Dory’s voice crackled with sarcasm.
This was going all wrong! Anna could feel her chance slipping away. “Dory, do you remember Emma?”
“Your new best friend?” Dory said, putting her hands on her hips and arching one eyebrow. “I can’t say I ever met her. So, where is she now?”
“I meant, when we were little,” Anna tried one last time. “I had an imaginary friend I called Emma?”
Anna thought she saw a flicker in Dory’s eyes. Was it surprise? Fear?
“Dory, she’s back,” Anna whispered. “Emma’s back. And this time, somehow, she’s real.”
Dory stared at her, and there was no mistaking the look in her eyes now. It was frank alarm. “You’re crazy.”
“It
sounds
crazy,” Anna agreed desperately. “I know it does. But it’s true. She hurt you — and other people, too. Dory, I need your help….”
But Dory was backing away from her. “My friends are waiting for me. I have to go.” Before Anna could stop her, she turned on her heel and hurried out the door.
Anna closed her eyes and put her face in her hands. She felt like crying, but she was too exhausted for the tears to come. She’d been so foolish. She’d thought Dory could help. But no one could help her. She was in this alone.
“Have a nice chat?” said a voice close by.
Anna’s eyes flew open. Emma was standing in front of her, wearing a sneering smile.
“I don’t understand it,” she said to Anna. “I’m everything you’ve ever wanted in a friend. I’m cool. Daring. Exciting. But you
still
keep running back to Dory.”
Anna shrank back against the wall, glancing around for someone … anyone.
“No one is going to help you, Anna,” Emma said, as if she could read her mind. “No one cares about you — except me. Don’t you get it? I’m your only friend now.”
“Friend?” Anna burst out. “You’re not my friend. You’re ruining my life!”
“What
life?” Emma sneered. “You had no life before I came along.”
Anna knew Emma was right. She
was
what Anna had wanted — almost as if Anna had wished her into existence.
Emma’s eyes flashed. “We’ll have so much fun together,” she promised. Once again, her voice was crooning, hypnotic. “We’re just alike, you and me. We’re two sides of the same coin. We can have so much fun together. Just promise me you’ll always be my friend —”
“Stop!” Anna shouted, squeezing her eyes shut. With effort, she wrenched herself away from Emma’s magnetic pull. “I’m not like you, and you’re not my friend!”
“You’re wrong, Anna.” Emma’s voice hardened.“I’m your best friend. I should have finished this a long time ago. But you’ll see. Soon, I’ll be the only friend you’ve ever known.”
“Never!” Anna cried. Her voice echoed in the empty hallway.
Anna opened her eyes and saw that she was alone. Emma
Similar Books
