I snuck a glance at Phoebe, still marooned in the middle of the floor. In that moment, I almost felt sorry for her. Then again, it wasn’therbirthday going to wrack and ruin.
“Girls.” Dad spoke with a note of bewilderment. “Perhaps there’s a more appropriate venue—”
Addie threw down her fork. “I’m tired of being ignored.” Her voice was thick, as if she were on the verge of tears.
Van looked stricken. “I know we haven’t been spending as much time together lately,” she began, falling silent when her twin gave a bark of bitter laughter.
“You think I’m jealous because you’re spending all your time with her?”
From the way Van’s eyes met Phoebe’s, I could tell they’d developed this theory together. “Maybe?” Van ventured.
“I wanted that part,” Addie said quietly, her eyes fixed on her plate.
“You?”
Even without the air of incredulity, this would have been the wrong response. Addie threw up her hands. “Yes, me,” she snapped. “Why is that so shocking? You think I can’t do it.”
“No—I just—you never said anything.”
“I shouldn’t have to tell you. You’re supposed toknowme.”
“There are recorded examples of identical twins with—” Neill began, before our mother cut him off with a razor-edged glare.
“I thought you wanted to be Iago,” I ventured.
Addie gave a small shrug. “I figured Desdemona was more attainable. It’s a minor part. Nowhere near as challenging.”
It was as though the twins had switched personalities, and kind, patient Addie was now the caustic one. Or maybe that side of her had always existed, but she’d been content to let Van supply the edge for both of them.
“You are such a snob,” Van snapped, casting a worried look at Phoebe.
“At least I’m not a cliché,” her twin retorted.
“Excuse me?”
“The director dating the leading lady?” Addie scoffed. “Spare me.I think we should add a dance sequence. I wonder where that idea came from!”
Van set down her fork. “You know, Addie, maybe the reason I’ve been avoiding you is that you’re acting like such a shrew.”
“Me? You’re the one who goes on and on about how it’s so hard trying to balance the life of an artist with yourrelationship,like the rest of us couldn’t possibly understand.”
Van lifted her chin. “I really like Phoebe. She’s important to me.” To her credit, Phoebe blushed.
Arden’s fingers closed around my wrist. “Likelike?” she mouthed.
I nodded. Her raised eyebrows posed the next obvious question—what about Alex?To which I could only shrug. Even if we’d been able to speak freely, I wasn’t sure what to say.
Nor, it seemed, was anyone else. Aside from the sound of Neill chewing, the room was painfully quiet—until Yarb started retching from somewhere under the table. Feet jerked out of the way, though we were packed so tightly it was hard to move very far. The convulsive gagging went on and on, like a lawnmower trying to start.
Happy birthday to me,I thought glumly.
“Jasper,” Mom said.
“What do you want me to do, reason with him? Hey there, Yarb, maybe you could yack up that hairball later, when we’re not eating fondue?”
Arden, who had a sensitive gag reflex, clamped her lips together.
Jasper pushed his chair back far enough to peer beneath the table. “False alarm,” he announced, straightening. “Far as I can tell. But I’d keep your shoes on, just in case.”
