“I can’t believe we went all that way just for the concert to be canceled.” Jen laughed, shaking her head and enjoying the feel the wind as it blew through her hair.

Taylor laughed too. “I know!”

The girls hadn’t been laughing when they’d gotten down there and found out that they had to turn right back around. But they were having fun and were pumped up on candy and soda, so it seemed extremely funny to them now.

Jen ran her fingers through her hair, popping her gum. “What do you think happened? I mean, why do you think they canceled the concert?”

Taylor shrugged. “I don’t know.” She pulled into Jen’s driveway, her laughter dying. “Stay.”

“What?”

“Stay, Jen, please? My mom’s not going to be home tonight…” Taylor looked at Jen with pleading eyes.

“Yeah…yeah, sure, Taylor. Let me just run in and tell my folks.” Jen got out of the car, wondering why Taylor wanted her to stay the night so badly. Being home with Morgan had never bothered her before. She walked up to the house. “Mom? Dad?”

“In the kitchen.”

Jen walked into the kitchen. “Hi.”

“What are you doing home, honey?”

“The concert was canceled for some reason. Can I stay over a Taylor’s? Her mom’s not going to be home tonight.”

“Oh, sure. Have fun.”

“Yep.” Jen ran back out to the car. “They said okay.” She buckled up. “Why do you want me to stay?”

“I don’t wanna be by myself.”

“By yourself? Isn’t Morgan going to be there?”

“Yeah.”

Jen was still puzzled, but let the subject drop.

“So you went all the way up there for nothing?”

“I guess that’d be the jest of it.”

All three girls were sitting in the middle of Morgan’s bed. Taylor and Jen had just finished telling her their tale, and now Morgan was dying with laughter.

“It’s not that funny!” Jen said, crossing her arms. But the laughter was infectious, and soon Taylor and Jen were laughing just as hard as Morgan.

“Okay, I guess it was pretty funny.” Jen wiped her eyes.

Taylor got up. “Anyone care for a game of Super Mario?”

“Dude, that game’s so old!” Morgan exclaimed.

“Think you can beat me?”

“With my eyes closed!”

“You’re on!”

Jen grinned and followed the twins out into the living room. She sat on the couch, watching as the two battled it out on the TV screen. Taylor was victorious.

“I knew it! I knew it! I won! Haha, you suck!” Taylor had jumped up and was dancing around the living room.

Morgan watched her. “Hey, I don’t suck! I just have a life!”

“Oh, that’s it!” Taylor grabbed a pillow off the couch and started swatting Morgan.

Morgan grabbed a pillow and dived behind the couch for cover. Taylor circled around, aiming for Morgan. She missed and hit Jen instead.

“Hey!” Jen grabbed a pillow. “Both of you are going down!”

The three teenagers playfully fought it out. Soon, they were all collapsed on the floor, gasping and laughing.

“Okay, guys, I think we need to go to bed.”

“Yeah.”

Jen replaced the pillow. “Last one there’s a rotten egg!” She raced down the hall, followed closely by Taylor and Morgan.

Jen laid in the dark. “Taylor? Morgan?” she whispered. There was no answer. Jen sighed. She hadn’t really expected one; they had been lying in the bedroom for almost an hour.

Jen wasn’t sure why she couldn’t sleep. All she knew was that lying there wasn’t going to help her sleep at all. She got up and cautiously made her out into the hallway, through the living room, and into the kitchen.

Jen yawned, peering into the refrigerator. The light bulb was out once again, leaving the kitchen blanketed it darkness. She stuck her hand in and cautiously fished around until her hand wrapped around a can. She drew out what she hopped was a can of Coke. She shut the door and leaned against the fridge, ready to open the can.

Jen froze, knowing that she heard something. It sounded like a car pulling into the driveway. Don’t be silly, she told herself. It was probably just someone driving by. She nodded to herself and opened the can, taking a sip. She sat down at the table, and listened carefully. There was no mistaking the sound of a car door slamming shut.

She sat, frozen, listening for any unfamiliar noises. She could hear a key turning in the door. The door opened, and shut softly. The muffled footsteps headed down the hall.

Shaking with fear, Jen got up. She went to the phone and dialed a number. The phone rang three times before anyone picked up. “Hello,” she said quietly. “May I speak to Ms. Chase?”

“Just a moment.”

Don’t let her be there, don’t let her be there, Jen prayed.

“Hello?”

Jen’s heart stopped.

“Hello?”

“Ms. Chase? This is Jennifer.”

“Jen! It’s good to hear your voice! Why are you calling so late?”

“I’m at your house. Someone’s here.” Jen tried to keep her voice steady. “They have a key. I don’t know who it is.”

“Okay, sweetie, it’s okay. Are Taylor and Morgan okay?”

“I don’t know; I’m in the kitchen.”

Ms. Chase cried out. “It will be okay. Don’t move, not even to go to Morgan or Taylor, do you understand me? Stay in the kitchen. I’ll be right there.”

Jen hung up the phone, trying to breath normally as silent tears ran down her cheeks. She heard sobbing.

Stay, please. My mom’s not going to be home tonight…

Her legs threatening to give way at any second, Jen made her way into the living room. She swallowed hard, and started down the hallway. The sobbing grew louder. Jen paused outside the twins’ bedroom door. Slowly, she pushed it open and flipped on the light.