Deception

20. Girl Overboard

Kirsten plopped on her bed and pulled open her laptop. Door closed she reopened her internet explorer tab and continued to researched. She finally grabbed the time after all the college and anonymous threats had got to a seize for just a while. She continued to reread the same articles but nothing had changed. The same words, the same picture of the victim and the same headline, "Teen of Springshaven commits murder". Kirsten bit on her bottom lip as she clicked on the file listed for family pictures. She scrolled through and saw nothing that she hadn't seen before.  She continued to click through until she got to the last photo. A family four stood in a house that Kirsten hadn't seen before. A younger version of her parents stood together as if they were freshly married and the love was still pure. In front of them stood two kids. The girl stood with her dark brown hair with a large smile and a floral printed dress. Kirsten squinted her eyes to focus on the face and her conclusion shocked her, it was Morgan. Beside her stood a boy, he had shaggy brown hair and he wore a white button down top and black pants. His expression was blank as if he didn't want the picture. 

Trevor? Kirsten thought to herself. She studied the background some more. The house was faded red and stood on some sort of hill. Large trees sat in the background creating a large shadow in the picture. The large windows allowed some passage way to see inside of the house. Nothing else presented much in the house.

"What you looking at?" A voice called, startling Kirsten. In the archway the door was now cracked and her mom Paige stood staring in her face. Her middle aged face looked worn down, she had little bags under her eyes from the lack of sleep. She had on a brown sweater dress with knee high boots. Her hair was pinned curl and she had light make up on. 

"Nothing mom." Kirsten closed her computer. 

"You sure?" Her mom asked. 

"Yeah," Kirsten sat awkwardly. "So what's up."

"I just got home," Her mom started. "Just wanted to check up on you."

"Oh where's dad?" Kirsten asked.

"Oh your dad?" Her mom hesitated. "He's at one of his last minute meetings." Her mom gave a not so believing chuckle. "You know how those goes."

"I guess." Kirsten mumbled. 

An awkward pause sat between the two. As much as she didn't want to admit, since the Mayor's Gala, her mother stood distant from Kirsten. The two lost their spark, and Kirsten didn't know to regain it. 

"Mom?!" A voice called out. "Kirsten?! Dad? I'm home." It was Morgan coming from her daily run and tennis game against some girls from upper state. 

"Well let me get dinner ready before your dad gets home." Her mother began to run out the door. 

Here's my chance. Kirsten thought to herself. Should I talk to her about what I've found? Or should i keep it to myself. Forget it, I'm going in.

"Mom," Samantha called out. 

Her mother turned, staring in her eyes. A look of a helpless person stood in her pupils. "Yes dear." The sound of footsteps climbed the stairs and Kirsten's heart began to rush. 

"Mom is there a Trev-"

"Hey mom." Morgan's head flashed by the door. "Kirsten."

Kirsten rolled her eyes. "Morgan, me and mom were having a conversation. Privately."

"Okay your point?" Morgan snarled. 

"My point is that you need to leave." Kirsten stood on her feet. 

"Or what?" Morgan dropped her gym bag. 

"Hey you two need to stop." Her mom interrupted. "You both are sisters and you better start acting like it."

"You know what," Kirsten started. "Since you said something, mom are you sure its just sisters?"

"Excuse me?" Paige looked at her with a strange face. 

"Kirsten what are you talking about?" Morgan scoffed.

"You know exactly what i mean." Kirsten said.

"No I don't." Their mom crossed her arms. "So how about you explain it to me." 

"I've been doing some digging and i found something." Kirsten mumbled.

"And what did you find exactly?" Her mother gave a stern look.

"That there might be another of us." Kirsten mumbled.

"What Kirsten?" Morgan scoffed. "Are you seriously trying to say mom had another kid before us?"

"Yeah..." Kirsten's voice trailed off. "But i got the proof-"

"I don't want to hear it Kirsten, I cant believe you would accuse me of something like that." Her mom scoffed.

"Mom but i ca-"

"Save it Kirsten, that really hurts." Her mom stormed out of the room. Morgan stared at her with her evil glare that sent chills down Kirsten's body.

"I can't believe you would actually accuse our mom of something like that." Morgan crossed her arms. "You really have the nerve."

"That wasn't my attenti-"

"That's low Kirsten." Morgan snarled. "Even for you." Morgan grabbed her gym bag before heading in her room, slamming her door.