The Girl Who Doesn't Speak

Chapter 9

"Do you want to hit the waves?" I ask Rhett as we walk out of the store at the end of the day, saying goodbye to our manager.

Rhett shakes his head. "Not today, bro. Kaylie and I are going out tonight."

"Oh." I try not to sound too disappointed, especially when he spends a lot more time with Kaylie now rather than with me. When he first started dating her four months ago it didn't bother me as much when we didn't always hung out. Tiffany would keep me company. She didn't have to. Most siblings would fight like cats and dogs, but being twins, we always had each other's backs. Sometimes she even invited me out with her friends so I was always out and doing something rather than moping around and waiting for Rhett to return home, telling me every detail that happened with him and Kaylie. But now that my sister wasn't here, I spent a lot of my nights alone. And even when Rhett did invited me out with him and Kaylie, I had a piece missing from me, something no one understood about the twin bond Tiffany and I had. "What about tomorrow afternoon?"

"Can't. Devon's band is performing at the club, remember?"

"Oh right. I forgot."

Rhett glances at me. "You have been forgetting about everything except for when you need to surf. I know Tiffany is on your mind, but you really need to move on, Riley. Tiffany would have wanted you to."

I only half listen to him when I spot the girl sitting on a round bench near the fountain where a couple of small kids were playing with the water. She watches Rhett and me carefully, and when our eyes meet, she quickly gets up from the bench and runs off towards the playground that's in the centre of the plaza.

"Are you listening to me, Riley?" He follows my gaze. "What are you staring at?"

"Nothing. I just saw the girl from the beach."

Rhett turns back to me, confused. "Really? I thought she would have been gone by now, especially when this is such a public place. Anyone could recognise her from the news. The police are after roaming this place and they would be sure to recognise her."

"Well, so far no one has recognised her. Maybe she was hanging around to do shopping."

"Yeah, maybe. Come on. Let's head home."

Rhett walks ahead of me. I glance over my shoulder once more to see if I could catch a glance of the girl with blue hair. She was nowhere in sight, so I quickly jog to catch up to Rhett before he yells at me for not staying close to his heels.

Kaylie was waiting for us outside our unit block. She runs towards Rhett, leaping into his arms and kissing him. For a moment the two of them seemed to have forgotten that I was standing there. I clear my throat and Rhett places Kaylie on her feet. She greets me.

I leave them alone and head inside the building, climbing the stairs to the top floor. Outside of my apartment I could smell roast lamb with rosemary and baked potatoes with some type of herb. I breathe in the sense, instantly becoming hungry.

I walk inside to see Mum standing at the stove.

She looks up at me from where she was mixing something in a bowl. She smiles. "Hey, sweetie. How was work?"

"It was good."

I leave the kitchen and head to my room, changing into my wetsuit. Grabbing my surfboard, I headed back towards the lounge room.

"See you later, Mum," I call out as I pass the kitchen. "I will be back soon."

I reach the front door, and just as I open the door, Mum calls out.

"Riley, I need to talk to you." She leaves the kitchen and walks over to me.

"Is there something wrong?"