assaulting him."
"Why would they? It was self-defense."
"Only if the cops took their word over his. And neither of them had a mark on them."
Good point. I could see their logic--who would believe a couple of weird girls over a clean-cut college athlete? " That's why they didn't tell me," I muttered, surprised at the strength of my relief. "They knew I'd want them to press charges anyway."
"Yeah, well don't tell them I told you, either." Jordan glanced around as if worried we'd been overheard. "I don't want Sar...um, someone to get mad at me."
Aha. I flashed him a knowing smile. "So that's why you're taking this so personally, hmm?"
"I would have anyway." His tone was defensive. "They're my friends."
"So does Sara know you want to be more than friends?"
His skinny shoulders slumped. "I thought she did, 'til she started dating Kevin."
"Well, don't give up." I patted him on the back. "I'm sure she's really confused right now. Just be there for her, all right?"
"That's what I was trying to do." He tipped his head back the direction we'd come to indicate the scene in the store.
"Oh, don't worry about Cara. She's protective as hell under the best of circumstances." Like when she stops me from committing murder in public. I suppose I owe her one for that. Damn it, I needed to get my butt back to the shop and apologize for snapping at her.
I sighed, looking up, and realized we'd completely bypassed the food court while we'd been talking. We were about to run aground at the department store that dominated the opposite end of the mall. "Um...."
Jordan noticed, too. "Oh, hell! I'm sorry. Let's go back."
"Nah, it's all right. You didn't really ask me out here to buy me a coffee, did you?"
"Well, no." He ducked his head a little. "But I said I would."
"It's cool, some other time. Listen, let me ask you something."
"Fire away."
I paused, not sure quite how to phrase my question. "How can you tell Sara and Cara apart?" I asked finally.
"It's easy, they're completely different. Don't tell me you still mix them up."
"No, it's not that. Just...what do you see about them that's so different?"
"Lots of things." He shrugged. "Their voices. Their expressions. They way they walk. Why do you ask?"
"I don't know." I chewed my lip as I thought about it. Identical bodies, different souls--it seemed meaningful somehow, but I couldn't quite grasp it. At last I shook my head. "Never mind. Guess I'm just feeling philosophical today."
He smiled wryly at me. "Well, if we're taking a rain check on the coffee, I'd better get going. I've got a job interview at the arcade in twenty minutes."
"Aw, you want to join our little retail family? How sweet." All the better to play the knight in shining armor, with his lady love working just downstairs. "Well, good luck. If you need a reference, feel free to drop my name."
"Thanks, Jade."
"It's Jandra, actually."
"Huh?"
"My real name. J-A-N-D-R-A."
"Hey, that's a cool name. Why don't you use it?"
What else could I say? "'Cause I'm soooo jaded, honey."
We parted company at the top of the escalator, with final promises to look out for the twins. I hurried the rest of the way back to Dissonance, glancing into the neighboring storefronts as I passed. No one seemed to stare after me any more or less than usual. Certainly nobody else asked if anything had been wrong last night.
Assholes. I couldn't fathom why it bothered me so much, though. I'd thought myself long since numb to the indifference of others.
Back at the shop, the twins stood united behind the register, watching me with guarded expressions as they slurped their iced lattes. I smiled at them. "Everything all right?"
"Yeah."
"Yikes. Knock off the talking-in-unison crap, you know it creeps me out." I swiped a finger through the whipped cream mountain on top of Cara's cup.
"Bitch," she accused mildly as I savored my stolen treat. "You've got your own."
"No I don't." I held up empty hands. "I managed to salvage the situation without
"Why would they? It was self-defense."
"Only if the cops took their word over his. And neither of them had a mark on them."
Good point. I could see their logic--who would believe a couple of weird girls over a clean-cut college athlete? " That's why they didn't tell me," I muttered, surprised at the strength of my relief. "They knew I'd want them to press charges anyway."
"Yeah, well don't tell them I told you, either." Jordan glanced around as if worried we'd been overheard. "I don't want Sar...um, someone to get mad at me."
Aha. I flashed him a knowing smile. "So that's why you're taking this so personally, hmm?"
"I would have anyway." His tone was defensive. "They're my friends."
"So does Sara know you want to be more than friends?"
His skinny shoulders slumped. "I thought she did, 'til she started dating Kevin."
"Well, don't give up." I patted him on the back. "I'm sure she's really confused right now. Just be there for her, all right?"
"That's what I was trying to do." He tipped his head back the direction we'd come to indicate the scene in the store.
"Oh, don't worry about Cara. She's protective as hell under the best of circumstances." Like when she stops me from committing murder in public. I suppose I owe her one for that. Damn it, I needed to get my butt back to the shop and apologize for snapping at her.
I sighed, looking up, and realized we'd completely bypassed the food court while we'd been talking. We were about to run aground at the department store that dominated the opposite end of the mall. "Um...."
Jordan noticed, too. "Oh, hell! I'm sorry. Let's go back."
"Nah, it's all right. You didn't really ask me out here to buy me a coffee, did you?"
"Well, no." He ducked his head a little. "But I said I would."
"It's cool, some other time. Listen, let me ask you something."
"Fire away."
I paused, not sure quite how to phrase my question. "How can you tell Sara and Cara apart?" I asked finally.
"It's easy, they're completely different. Don't tell me you still mix them up."
"No, it's not that. Just...what do you see about them that's so different?"
"Lots of things." He shrugged. "Their voices. Their expressions. They way they walk. Why do you ask?"
"I don't know." I chewed my lip as I thought about it. Identical bodies, different souls--it seemed meaningful somehow, but I couldn't quite grasp it. At last I shook my head. "Never mind. Guess I'm just feeling philosophical today."
He smiled wryly at me. "Well, if we're taking a rain check on the coffee, I'd better get going. I've got a job interview at the arcade in twenty minutes."
"Aw, you want to join our little retail family? How sweet." All the better to play the knight in shining armor, with his lady love working just downstairs. "Well, good luck. If you need a reference, feel free to drop my name."
"Thanks, Jade."
"It's Jandra, actually."
"Huh?"
"My real name. J-A-N-D-R-A."
"Hey, that's a cool name. Why don't you use it?"
What else could I say? "'Cause I'm soooo jaded, honey."
We parted company at the top of the escalator, with final promises to look out for the twins. I hurried the rest of the way back to Dissonance, glancing into the neighboring storefronts as I passed. No one seemed to stare after me any more or less than usual. Certainly nobody else asked if anything had been wrong last night.
Assholes. I couldn't fathom why it bothered me so much, though. I'd thought myself long since numb to the indifference of others.
Back at the shop, the twins stood united behind the register, watching me with guarded expressions as they slurped their iced lattes. I smiled at them. "Everything all right?"
"Yeah."
"Yikes. Knock off the talking-in-unison crap, you know it creeps me out." I swiped a finger through the whipped cream mountain on top of Cara's cup.
"Bitch," she accused mildly as I savored my stolen treat. "You've got your own."
"No I don't." I held up empty hands. "I managed to salvage the situation without
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