TWs: None

CWs: None

AN: Sorry not sorry about the cliffhanger. ;)

Jaime was surprised at how fast time could fly. It was already Saturday—where had all the time gone?

She'd enjoyed her time with the Everlies. Charlie Anne turned out to be a gamer. Specifically, a horror gamer. This had stunned Jaime since her friend had never mentioned video games the entire week of camp last year. Karynn explained that this was a recent development. Even she was surprised when Charlie Anne started to play this fairly new horror game called Five Nights at Freddy's. The girls had played it a couple of times during the week. Jaime had gotten jump-scared every time.

She'd also learned more about Hurricane's messed-up history. Back in the '80s, five kids had gone missing at Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria, a local Chuck E. Cheese-style pizza place. They were never found. Locals suspected their kids were dead. Shortly after the Missing Children's Incident, as it grew to be called, tales of paranormal activity sprouted. Guards started to witness apparitions of children long after closing hours. Then, the animatronics grew hostile. Guards were stuffed in suits. Jaime shuddered at that. In her eerily relaxed manner, Charlie Anne then revealed that the kids' ghosts possessed the animatronics. At least, that was what the town believed. She had a hunch that her friend also believed those stories. If they even were stories. Something about Charlie Anne's tone had convinced her that maybe those urban legends weren't as farfetched as they sounded.

Before that day, Jaime had never been scared of urban legends. That night, though, she insisted they sleep with the lights on. Too much truth for her liking.

Thankfully, Charlie Anne got the hint and quit telling ghost stories. The girls discussed less disturbing topics, such as singing (Charlie Anne and Karynn had gorgeous singing voices) and fantasy books. Gaming no longer involved horror, much to her relief. Instead, Jamie got slaughtered in Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros. Despite being an avid arcade gamer, she could never get the hang of a Nintendo Switch controller.

Saturday, though, was special. The girls had been invited to a pool party and sleepover hosted by the Everlies' cousin, Belle Higgins. Secretly, Jaime hoped that Belle was saner than her cousin.

At breakfast that morning, she decided to interrogate Charlie Anne about Belle.

"So, Charlie Anne, what's your cousin like?" she began. "Is she a crazy conspiracy theorist/lore keeper like you?"

Charlie Anne laughed. "Belle's not as crazy. She knows the urban legends, sure, but not like the back of her hand. She also can't—oh, wait, you don't know about that, do you? Best for it to stay hidden for now. Anyhow, she also isn't a conspiracy theorist. She's called me a psychopath a few times. Lovingly, of course."

"Hold up. What are you referring to when you say that something's best hidden?" Jaime's brow wrinkled.

"Oh, uh, nothing important!" She could've sworn a shadow passed over the younger girl's gray eyes.

"Alright...I guess. So, Belle's the saner cousin?"

"Yeppers! You're gonna love her."

The conversation ceased when Ms. Ava brought a plate full of steaming chocolate pancakes to the table.

"Fresh off the griddle," she said. "You'd better eat up. You girls are having lunch at Belle's party, and that's not until five hours from now."

"Is Rynn coming? I know Belle invited her," Charlie Anne asked.

"She'll be staying for the pool party and lunch, but after that, you girls are on your own. You're fine with that, right, dear?"

"Of course, Mama! Jaime and I can behave. Isn't that right, Jaime?"

"Yup! We'll be total angels. We may eat too much sugar in between s'mores and birthday cake, but other than that, we'll be fine."

Ava face-palmed before laughing at her remark. "Let's hope Aunt Becky keeps you from getting diabetes. I'd hate to have two diabetic girls because they overindulged in sugar."

"Mooom!" Charlie Anne rolled her eyes. "You're feeding us chocolate pancakes.
Which are extra-sugary. Your point is invalid."

"Sheesh, forget semantics. These look amazing, so let's eat them before they get cold and gross." Jaime grabbed a pancake and plopped it onto her plate. "You don't happen to have chocolate syrup, whipped cream, or powdered sugar, do you? All three wouldn't be bad, either."

Charlie Anne bolted to the kitchen and retrieved all three items, plus maple syrup. After that, she set them down on the table.

"There you go. Can't believe I forgot the most important things for pancakes! How could I?"

"All is forgiven, my dear Charlie Anne. Is Rynn going to partake in this feast?"

"Alas, she is not. Rynn's lactose intolerant, so chocolate's out of the question for her. She's in the kitchen making eggs right now."

"Oh, oof. Anyway, let's dig in."

Jaime dusted powdered sugar on the pancakes before topping them with a perfect whipped cream swirl and chocolate syrup. Just then, Karynn emerged from the kitchen with a bowl of chocolate chips.

"Got these for you. I know you're both chocoholics, Jaime and Charlie Anne. I'll join you real quick."

"Thanks, Rynn! You're the best sister ever!" Charlie Anne hopped up and hugged her sister tightly.

Both girls sprinkled their pancakes with chocolate chips. By the time they'd finished topping them, they looked more sugary than a store-bought cupcake.

Jaime took a bite of her pancake and squealed happily. "Oh my word, these are so good! I need the recipe."

"I'll give it to you when you get back home from Belle's," Rynn jumped in, having returned with a plate of scrambled eggs. "I don't want it to get lost."

The topic soon switched to the latest Broadway news. All three were avid musical theater fans.

"I hear they're going to have a Newsies revival," Karynn mentioned. "Casting hasn't been announced yet, but it's going to be hard to top Jeremy Jordan as Jack or Kara Lindsay as Katherine."

Jaime perked up. "Really? It's been like twenty years since Newsies was last on Broadway, and over a decade since the West End production premiered. I hope we can go! I've only seen the pro-shot and a community theater production."

"Hey, at least you've seen it live! We were gonna go see a high school performance, but then I got sick." Charlie Anne sounded disappointed.

"You know what would be even cooler? If they announce a Tuck Everlasting revival, too. That show was given no justice." Jaime had joined the Tuck fandom through her love for Newsies.

"Tell me about it. I've only listened to the cast recording and seen stuff for it on Pinterest, but it seems like an amazing show. Definitely didn't deserve to close." Karynn nodded in agreement.

"Wait, Tuck's that show that people keep on combining with Newsies, right? The one where Crutchie's actually Jesse Tuck?" Charlie Anne clarified.

Jaime confirmed what she'd said. They then chatted more about theater before she checked her watch.

"Oh, we should really finish up breakfast. We have four hours now, and I haven't even changed. And what am I going to do over a swimsuit? I didn't pack one!"

Charlie Anne offered to lend Jaime hers since they were around the same size. Karynn also volunteered her hair styling services. After they'd cleaned up after breakfast, Charlie Anne and Jaime headed to their room.

"How's the detective work going, Charlie Anne?" Jaime requested to know. "I heard the Five Nights at Freddy's games were based on the real-life events here. Is that why you're playing them now?"

"Well, yes, that is one reason. The other is because my favorite YouTuber started doing theories on them, so I wanted to give the games a shot to see how much was reading between the lines." She smiled sheepishly. "FNAF being based on our town's history is an added bonus. And the detective work is going as well as you'd expect. I'm going to make a trip to the library next week to access some newspaper articles on the MCI. Maybe that might help me solve the cold case!"

"Woah, woah, woah, back the T. Rex up! You're trying to solve a decades-old cold case?! What are you, Sherlock Holmes?"

"I'd prefer Enola, actually. But yes, I'm trying to separate fact from fiction and solve the murders."

"Didn't they, like, arrest a suspect but didn't have enough evidence to convict him?" She remembered that much from the nightmare-inducing history lessons.

"Yeah, William Afton. Talk about a psycho who would better fit in a horror flick. Anyway, the common consensus is that he stuffed the bodies in the suits. Gross, I know, but quite effective. Law enforcement would never check there." The younger girl shuddered.

"I suppose that could lead to possession, then? I don't know all the rules of ghosts, and I'm not going to mess around with any occult jazz to find out."

Charlie Anne looked horrified. "I'd never do that! That goes against common sense and horror movie 101! To answer your question, yeah, it could. I'm not exactly certain, though."

"Gotcha. Who's your favorite YouTuber, anyway? I didn't even know you had one."

"MatPat from Game Theorists. He's a conspiracy theorist and grown-up theater kid who makes these super far-fetched theories about video games."

Finally, something I'm familiar with. I watch Game Theorists all the time!

"Oh, I watch him, too! He's cool. Anyway, I should get dressed and pack for tonight. We can talk later."

~~~

The time slipped by. Before the girls knew it, Karynn announced it was time to go. Charlie Anne and Jaime were sporting matching French braids, courtesy of Rynn's skill with hair.

Half an hour later, the trio pulled up in front of the Higgins home. A girl with curly red pigtails and a myriad of freckles ran out to greet them. She was about fifteen, with an infectious grin that reminded Jaime of Annie from Annie.

"Yay, you made it!" She tackle-hugged Charlie Anne and Karynn. "You've got to be Jaime. I'm Belle, Charlie Anne and Karynn's cousin! I'm so glad to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you, too, Belle. I love your name—it's super pretty."

"Thanks! It's short for Isabelle. Come in, come in! We're just waiting on one more girl, and then the party can officially begin."

Belle ushered them in. Her energy was contagious, and she instantly put Jaime at ease. About ten minutes after the girls had settled down in the living room, the doorbell rang.

"I'll go grab it." Belle rose from the couch.

"No, we're coming with you," Jaime decided. "I want to be part of the welcoming party!"

Belle flung open the door as the rest of the welcoming party arrived. Jaime's jaw dropped.

It can't be! This is impossible!

Standing in front of her was her old best friend from back home, Mel Bennet. She remembered when Mel had moved a few years ago. She just couldn't believe that, out of all places, she was at a stranger's birthday party. That Jaime just happened to be invited to.

"Mel?! Is that really you?! Oh my goodness, I haven't seen you in ages!" She enveloped her best friend in a hug.

"Jaime, I've missed you!" Mel returned the hug. "When Belle mentioned that she'd invited her cousin's friend from Phoenix, I never even dreamed she would be you."

"You know each other?" Belle was agape. "I guess it really is a small world after all."

"Oh, no. You just triggered Jaime and Charlie Anne," Karynn warned.

In unison, the two girls began to sing "It's A Small World." Mel joined in on the chorus.

"That was the most beautiful thing I've heard," Belle managed to say in between her laughter. "Anyway, now that we're all here, why don't we go get ready for some swimming? The weather is literally perfect for a pool party."

They all agreed. Once everyone was in their swimsuits, they headed out to the backyard pool. The weather was sunny, but not blazing.

For once, a summer without Phoenix's boiling temperatures. I certainly do not miss that.

Belle's green eyes held a mischievous glint. "Cannonball into the pool?"

"Oh, absolutely. What type of pool party is this without cannonballing?" Jaime agreed.

"A lame one, that's for sure," Charlie Anne said.

"I'm actually going to agree with my little sister. Cannonballing is so much fun," Karynn jutted in.

"Eh, why not?" Mel shrugged. "Let's do it together on the count of three."

Belle counted down, and then all four girls splashed into the pool.

Yup, this party is gonna be a ton of fun if that's how we kick it off. I hope Mel's staying overnight. We have so much to catch up on! Sure, we've texted, but it's not the same as face-to-face.

They swam a bit before Jaime decided to spice things up. She playfully splashed Belle.

We need a splash fight! It's not a true pool party without a splash fight.

"How dare you! Allow me to avenge myself for this horrid deed!" Belle splashed her back.

"Oh, you are so on! Rynn, Mel, Charlie Anne, join me!"

All five girls started splashing each other with water, giggling the entire time. Even Karynn, who usually tried her best to act mature, was as vicious in her attacks as the four younger girls.

After a few hours, Becky Higgins called the girls in for lunch. Belle's dad, Aaron, had grilled some hot dogs and hamburgers for them.

"Thanks so much, Aunt Becky and Uncle Aaron!" Charlie Anne said gratefully. "These look amazing."

"They taste amazing, too." Aaron winked. "Take it from the chef. Now, how about the birthday girl goes first? Burger or hot dog, Izzy-girl?"

"Daaad, Izzy was my nickname when I was, like, six! Don't embarrass me in front of my friends and cousins." Belle's tone was teasing, not actual annoyance. "I'll have a hot dog, please, Dad."

"Alright, one extra-special dog for the birthday girl coming right up." He stuck a hot dog in a bun and served it. "Ketchup and other condiments are inside. Same with toppings. Who's next?"

Once they all got their food, they headed inside. Charlie Anne had gotten a burger, Karynn a hot dog without the bun, and Jaime a burger. Mel had also gotten a burger.

"So, I guess we prefer burgers to hot dogs," Belle broke the silence to start a conversation.

"Burgers are the superior barbecue staple," Jaime stated. "Plus, you can actually top them, unlike hot dogs. With hot dogs, you can only put condiments. And you can't put cheese."

"Fair," Belle admitted. "But there's something called chili dogs. You don't hear about chili burgers. And hot dogs are ballpark staples."

"No, no, she has a point," Mel agreed. "However, I still prefer my burgers."

"And I'll hand that over to you," Karynn said. "I like both."

"How's the sleuthing, Charlie Anne? And have the headaches gotten better? Aunt Ava said that you've been having really bad headaches lately." The redhead changed the subject.

Charlie Anne sighed. "They're better now, yeah. I haven't had one since Jaime arrived, which is great. And sleuthing? Honestly, I'm having a hard time separating truth from exaggerated urban legends. Hurricane's past is that insane. I'm hoping the library's archives can help."

"She's gotten into horror now," Karynn added. "Not what I'd expect from someone with enough trauma from her life before she was adopted, but she's actually become desensitized to the scares."

Jaime finished her burger and did a double take. "Hang on, did you say trauma?"

"My parents died in a car wreck when I was ten," Charlie Anne explained. "I almost died. So yeah, I've got trauma. It's not bad enough to be diagnosed with PTSD, though."

"So, now that we're done with lunch, why don't we ask my mom to defrost the ice cream cake while we play some games?" Belle suggested. "Stuff's getting too touchy, I think."

Everyone agreed. Karynn proposed that they change out of their swimsuits into normal clothes, which led to a mass migration of girls grabbing towels and pool bags. Once everyone had changed, they returned outside to play some icebreaker games.

"Let's start off easy!" Belle clapped her hands for silence. "How 'bout two truths and a lie?"

The girls decided that sounded like a wonderful idea.

Oooh, I am such a horrible liar. Jaime panicked slightly. I'll still do my best, though.

Charlie Anne raised her hand. "Uh, Miss Teacher, can we have five minutes to think?"

"Of course. Take as much time as you need."

~~~

The game was a hit. Everyone enjoyed themselves immensely and got to know each other well. After a few more party games, the girls enjoyed a home-baked trés leches cake with vanilla bean ice cream.

After cake and presents, it was time for Karynn to head home. After wishing Belle a happy birthday, she let the girls know she'd pick them up at ten the next morning.

"Well, now that she's gone, it's time for the real fun to begin," Belle announced. "Who's up for some Super Smash?"

"Oh, come on, we play Super Smash every time I'm over," Charlie Anne complained. "Can we play Just Dance? Please?" She drew out the please.

"That does sound more fun than getting my butt kicked yet another day in a row," Jaime agreed. The Everly girls were ridiculously competitive and ganged up on Jaime every time they played Super Smash Bros. "At least until dinner, which is gonna be soon, given the time."

Mel didn't state her personal preference, so Just Dance was pulled up on the TV screen.

"Hey, Belle, you're a dancer, so why don't you show your stuff?" Mel suggested.

"Oh, sure. My flex is being able to successfully execute the choreo for 'Rasputin', so I'll kick it off with that."

Jaime gulped. The choreography for "Rasputin" was insanely hard. She'd watched YouTube video after YouTube video of people trying to ace the Russian-style dance and failing miserably. Only a professional dancer could pull that off.

How on earth is a barely fifteen-year-old girl who claims to be good at dance going to get five stars on, oh, only the hardest Just Dance song in history?

Charlie Anne plopped herself onto the floor. "Belle, I know you spend like ninety-nine percent of your time in a dance studio and made it onto your high school's dance team, but please don't break a leg. Literally."

Belle laughed as she pulled up the map. "I dance ballet en pointe, and I'm super flexible. This? This is a decent level of challenge. I've done it a couple of times before."

She readied herself as "Rasputin" by Boney M. blared through the speakers. Jaime couldn't help but sing along as the catchy '70s tune played.

"How?!" Mel spluttered as Belle executed the complicated choreography flawlessly.

"Okay, you're actually a pretty good dancer. I take back my earlier statement." Charlie Anne looked impressed.

Jaime watched wordlessly. Even the crazy heel-toe dips didn't phase the redhead. As the song finished, Belle stared at the screen as her score was calculated.

"Yes!" She pumped her fist in the air as she received a perfect score. "Told you so!"

How isn't she exhausted? That thing was a full-on workout!

Thankfully, Mel expressed the same thoughts as Jaime.

Belle just grinned. "Try doing Snow in Nutcracker. 'Waltz of the Snowflakes' is insane."

Jaime opened her mouth to protest before realizing that her friend's cousin made a valid point. "Fair enough. I've seen Nutcracker vlogs before, and the dancers look dead inside after they're done. Shall we choose another dance?"

Everyone clamored for more The only request was that the next dance be easier. Belle willingly obliged and selected "Y.M.C.A."

Charlie Anne groaned. "Of all the songs you could've picked, you chose the most overplayed '70s song in existence?"

"It's easy," Mel pointed out. "Plus, who doesn't love screaming, 'Come stay at the Y.M.C.A.' at the top of their lungs?"

"Exactly!" Jaime raised her hand excitedly. "It's even more fun if you form a train and parade around the room while doing the hand motions and screaming."

The girls' laughter filled the room as they executed the simple choreography. One song led to another, which led to impromptu karaoke sessions, especially during "Zero To Hero."

Soon, it was dinnertime. Ms. Becky had prepared Belle's favorite food, baked spaghetti with homemade marinara sauce.

"The garlic bread will be out of the oven in just a moment," she told the girls as they sat at the table. "There's also Caesar salad if you'd like. Help yourselves, girls."

The girls all served themselves and returned to their seats, graciously thanking Belle's mom.

Mel broke the silence after a couple of minutes. "I have to admit, Belle, you're a pretty good dancer."

"More than pretty good—you're amazing!" Jaime added. "How long have you been dancing?"

"Since I was eight. Started in ballet before adding jazz, tap, and eventually contemporary. I'm now part of my high school's dance team, which has been super fun but stressful. It means I spend my entire afternoon in a dance studio. I have rehearsals for dance competitions with school, and then I have rehearsals at my studio. It gets really hectic during Nutcracker season. Anyway, thanks, you two!"

"My cousin here wants to pursue dance as a career, specifically ballet. Her dream is to become a principal dancer for the American Ballet Theatre." Charlie Anne smiled proudly.

Jaime looked at the redhead with admiration. "You've got big dreams, eh? ABT is the best and most prestigious ballet company in the States, so that's going to be tough. Best of luck, though. I'd start by trying to get into the corps and work up from there. Are you good at acting, by any chance?"

Belle paused a moment to think. "Yeah, I think so. Why?"

Jaime's eyes lit up. "You could always give Broadway a try! A lot of shows call for dance experience."

Like Newsies, which I don't think I could ever do. That would bring a more literal meaning to "break a leg."

"I'm lost," Mel admitted. "You lost me at ABT."

"I'm a ballet geek. Always have been. I could probably discuss that form of dance for hours on end. ABT is short for American Ballet Theatre in New York."

Belle gave Mel an understanding look. "Yeah, my non-dancer friends have to beg me to use 'normal English' instead of ballet jargon, so don't worry, Mel. I could give you some YouTube channel recommendations if you'd like to learn more about ballet, though. And Jaime, oooh, that sounds amazing, too. I'm not exactly a theater kid, but I love performing."

The conversation temporarily died as the girls resumed eating.

A few minutes later, Charlie Anne broke the silence. "So, Mel, do you like to read? You have a bookworm vibe, y'know."

"Yes, I do!" The blonde's face lit up. "Do you?"

"Why, I thought you would never ask! Of course I do. Belle's a major bookworm, and so's Rynn—that's my big sister, by the way. What are your favorite genres? Favorite book series? Favorite books?"

"Woah, Charlie Anne, chill out on the questions!" Jaime shot a glare at the younger girl.

"Sorry!" She blushed. "I just get super excited when I meet other bookworms."

"Don't worry about it," Mel assured her. "My favorite genre is fantasy or dystopia; my favorite book series is Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger; and my favorite books are The Forgotten Girl, Animal Farm, and Can You See Me?."

"You finally read KotLC?" Jaime butted in. "Please tell me you're Team Keefe. Please!"

"Oh, are you kidding me? Team Foster-Keefe is, like, one of my favorite ships! Plus, it's canon!"

"You've read the whole series?"

"You betcha."

"I've heard of those books. Are they any good?" Belle sounded intrigued.

"Oh, yeah, they're awesome!" Mel answered. "YOU NEED TO READ THEM ASAP!"

"Yeah!" Jaime agreed. "We're taking you to Barnes & Noble first thing tomorrow morning and buying you all the books. All twelve—although technically there are only ten books—special editions."

The girls returned to their dinner. Soon, they were done and headed to Belle's room to set up their sleeping bags. After that, they returned to the living room.

"Mario Kart, anyone?" Belle suggested. "It's not super late right now, so we can game for a couple more hours before getting ready for s'mores and bed. I'd suggest karaoke, but I think everyone's vocal chords are toast for the night."

Everyone responded positively. After everyone picked their racers, Belle selected the track. Jaime was Peach, Mel chose Toad, Charlie Anne picked Link, and Belle was Rosaline. The race was fierce, but Charlie Anne eventually came out on top. Belle followed in second. Jaime and Mel didn't fare as well. Jaime was in eighth, and Mel was in sixth.

The next race was about to begin when the redhead's phone rang. Belle checked the caller ID and gasped.

"Sorry, girls. Gotta take this call," she apologized. "Charlie Anne, could you pause the game, please?"

Charlie Anne promptly did so as her cousin answered the call. All three girls went dead silent. Jaime's heart pounded as she overheard snatches of the conversation. Belle seemed to be in disbelief over something.

"No...it can't be. Not Cassie," Belle was saying.

Who's Cassie, and why's Belle so freaked out?

Charlie Anne's hand flew to her mouth. "Oh my word. This isn't sounding good."

Belle hung up a few minutes later. "Girls, I've got an announcement. A close friend of mine, Cassie, somehow managed to get past the Pizzaplex's security and release a rogue AI. My friend Gregory's heading to what's left of the Pizzaplex right now, and he's asking me to come."