Followed by the scratching of pen on paper, Jason had worked his way down the list. Marking off names that were no longer suspects and ones that were never meant to be suspects. He narrowed down his sights and yelled, “No, no, I’m not even close. Half is still too many, dammit!”

As if called on cue, the door shuttered a clack, and Sophie stepped inside. Her hair soaked and feet laid fresh with mud, she snapped her head side to side. Flinging water onto the entrance, she took no heed of the slippery floor and walked on foregoing using a towel to dry it. Whilst scratching the right side of her head, she barged into the study.

“Jason, is dinner ready? I’m starving.”

Jason creased his brow and the sides of his lips drooped down. He looked at her and replied, “I’m sorry Sophie, I lost track of time and forgot to cook. I’ll go make it now.”

He rose from his chair, straightened out the collar of his white button-up shirt and felt his hair, “Hm, it’s fixed,” he said, confused at first. Nodding it off and with bloodshot eyes he headed for the kitchen. Phraze followed along, wrapping around Jason’s leg as he did so, near to tripping him, he responded with a laugh.

Sophie crossed her arms, cocked a brow, and if her eyes were a knife they could cut through a diamond, “What are you hanging around Jason for?” she asked.

“No reason, he and Sam are the only company I have while you’re gone,” I replied.

“Eh?” she raised her hand and made it into a fist, shaking it up and down. “Don’t be so cheeky, you think I would keep company with your kind.”

Putting a hand over my mouth, I let out a soft chuckle, “Of course, you don’t. So, tell me, how was school?”

She brought her eyes to the strap around her shoulder, making a curious look at it and sighing. “It was lame, as always.”

Ah, she looks worried. “What’s wrong Sophie?”

Placing her backpack on the side of Jason’s desk, she sat in his chair and thumbed his papers. “Being an outcast that was held back a grade is hard. And I thought about it, but even if those weren’t an issue. I’d still be in the shadow of my sister. Ellie, the oh-so-great vice president of the student council.”

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Her iron will has deflated again, could it be. That the girl I think is so strong is only putting on a show? No, she is certainly strong in her own way, the weight she carries isn’t light.

I went to the front of the desk and picked up a clear paperweight, shaped like a marble but flat on the bottom, “The same as this paperweight, you shouldn’t feel heavy. You are your own person, I agree, Sam agrees, Jason agrees, and even Ellie would agree. The shadow is not a place for you, rather even in the darkness, I would bet Ellie believes you are there to support her. You are her twin after all.”

“Is that true?” she asked.

“It is.” I replied, for such words to come out of me, Sophie you are great, that is the truth.

She stood up from the chair and stretched her arms out, yawning, “You know, you’re not so bad for a ghost. Different from Sam, at least. What should I call you?”

Her mood seems to have come back, so I smiled and replied, “Gray, you can call me Gray.”

She burst out laughing, holding her stomach and in between breathes and tears she said, “Gray, haha, that’s a fitting name.”

Smitten by her compliment I replied with zeal, “Thank you!”

And yet she laughed again. “That wasn’t a compliment! Your name is too simple, haven’t you noticed? Your body is gray.”

“wha-, of course I noticed. That shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

Wiping the tears, she said, “No, no it isn’t. Just funny is all.” Then she picked up her backpack and started for the door. “Have to go check on the food, Jason could be burning it.”

That’s a real possibility. “Alright, I’ve got other things to do too.”

“Why lie Gray? You know you don’t.”

That’s right, Sam was here, I forgot.

I turned to face it and said, “So, I can say it if I want to,” and I put the paperweight back on the desk. “Wait, were you here the entire time?” I asked.

“Sure was,” Sam replied, “that was a cheesy line you spouted out.”

“Whatever!” I yelled at it. Truth be told, it was embarrassing to say.

“Aha, it’s oka-,” Sam was stopped mid-sentence by the front door shutting. “Oh, looks like Ellie is here on time for once,” it said.

We headed to see her, although Sam was cautious to go near her, so we looked at her from a distance. Except for her face, everything else was the opposite of Sophie. Her hair was blonde and bobbed, while Sophie’s was long and dyed. She wore black rimmed glasses and her expression, though her eyes had black circles around them, carried no emotion. Putting her umbrella away, she headed for the kitchen.

“I expected her to be like Sophie,” I told Sam.

“Well, they are alike. In personality that is, though Sophie works to hide it more.”