It read, "Nevermind. One of them might not be my friend for very much longer." I started freaking out.

I sent, "What?" Then I sent more messages at seeing she opened the conversation. "What happened?" and "Weren't you going to sleep?" and "Callie what happened?" and "Are you okay?" and such then I realised she never opened it again after my first what, and she probably was dealing with whatever happened alone and that terrified me. So, when mum suddenly opened my door and started talking, I screamed for a second before realising it was her.

"Woah," mum's eyes widened. "Just me, sweetie. Anyway, as I was saying, I've decided we're going to church today since we haven't been in a while." She left and I blinked. She says in a while but really we haven't gone for at least a year. Even when we went, we weren't very religious. Besides, I've grown out of all of the clothes I had that I could wear to church. Time to go searching my closet while awaiting Callie's response, then. 

***

I sat on my floor, my legs bent beneath me, in the middle of a mess of clothes. I had pulled out all of my clothes and the only things I've found that I can wear are a bright yellow mid-length skirt, a bright pink shirt, and a white button-up. Guess I'm going with the button-up and the only skirt I have. I change and tuck the shirt in, betting it'll look better that way. I find a pair of flats that barely fit me and are black and put them on. 

I walk out of my room, making sure to grab and check my phone and see no new messages, and see Oliver closing his door, having just left his own room. I snort when I see what he's wearing: a suit where the pants and sleeves are just short enough it shows skin when it shouldn't; bright blue socks; and his old black trainers he hasn't worn in a long time. He sticks his tongue out at me after I snort and I stick mine out back. 

"Twins, come one!" Mum shouts up the stairs and we both groan and go down to see her in a dress she, too, hasn't worn in a while. Seems like she decided just this morning that we were going and she couldn't run to the store.

"Is dad coming?" Oliver asks as we walk to the car.

"No," mum shakes her head as she unlocks the car. "He's working." Oliver and I made eye contact at that but shrugged. We got in the car and left, both Oliver and I on our phones. Neither of us even tried getting the passenger seat because mum has so many set rules for sitting up there that she'd ask.

***

Since it's such a long drive, I decided to look out the window for some of it because it was pretty. I was staring out the window when my phone buzzed in my lap and I looked down at it and saw it was a text from Oliver.

"Psst," it read. "Pssssssssssst."

"?" I replied. He just repeated himself and I looked at him confused. He looked at me from his phone and shrugged.

"What are you doing?" I text.

"I honestly don't know," he responds.

"Oh, good thing you're speaking honestly."

"Shhh. Mum picked up the phone." I started to pay attention again and heard that, indeed, mum picked up the phone and was talking to someone.

"Elijah, calm down, there's no reason to-" Mum stopped talking as if this Elijah guy cut her off. Who was he and why was his name familiar?

"Do you recognise the name Elijah?" I text Oliver.

"No, why? Do you?"

"I'm not sure yet."

"What?"

"I don't know." I looked at him and Oliver looked deep in thought until mum spoke again. "Elijah Robinson!" A pause. "No, you don't want to do that, she'll hate you more than she probably does already... I don't care if she's at the store right now and it's hard not to... Yes, I know you two are soulmates, Elijah."

I started trying to figure out why his name was familiar. And when she said, his last name, it didn't help at all.

"Elijah... Elijah! E-" she stopped as if he hung up on her. I looked at Oliver in confusion while mum threw her phone onto the passenger seat. I looked back at mum when she sighed.

"Mum?" I asked hesitantly. 

"Yes, sweetie?" She asked as if she wasn't just yelling down the phone at someone Oliver and I have never met.

"Who is this Elijah Robinson?" I gulped.

"Just someone your father and I know who lives in the states." My blood ran cold, and I remembered how I recognised his name. Callie's sister had started to say it once. Did my parents know Callie's father?

"Where in the states does he live?"

"Nowhere you know, I'm sure. Don't worry about it." She smiled at me in the rearview mirror.

"Mum, please." I tried to keep my voice from cracking. Mum sighed.

"He lives in Arizona. How come you're asking?"

"No reason." I took a deep breath. "No reason at all." Oliver looked at me concerned and my phone buzzed, probably a text from him.

I took another deep breath, trying to calm my anxiety and stop my thoughts. My parents know Callie's dad. Do they know her mum? What about her and her sister? Is he from England, then? Or are my parents from America? They sure know enough about it to be. Do they know everything Elijah's done to Callie's family? Done to Callie? Do they know he's abusive, was abusive before he left them? If he met them again would he be abusive still?

My thoughts froze as I took in the conversation I heard from mum. No, you don't want to do that, she'll hate you more than she already does... I don't care if she's at the store right now and it's hard not to... Yes, I know you two are soulmates, Elijah. Does this mean he's there? Near them, right now? I check the time and then do the math. Seven here, midnight there.

Mum talked about his soulmate, meaning they were talking about Callie's mum. She was at the store...Why is she at the store at midnight? I turn on my phone and open Skype, ignoring Oliver's text. I open my conversation with Callie and send, "Does your mum stay up late all the time?" I hoped she wouldn't question it too much. I don't want to worry her. Finally, I open Oliver's message. 

"Why are you asking about this Elijah guy?" And then I just received another text from him. "Are you okay? You look worried and like you're going to be sick."

I responded, "Yeah, I'm fine, don't worry about it."

"Mum?" I asked. Mum looked at me in question in the rearview mirror. "Why is this Elijah guy awake at midnight? And why is his soulmate at a store at midnight?" Oliver stiffened, no doubt not expecting me to ask that or know the time in Arizona. Mum almost swerved off the road in ser[rise at my questions.

"Honey-" Mum tried to speak in that 'it doesn't concern me' sweet way she does, but I wasn't having it. Not now.

"Mum."

"Fine." Mum sighed. "He doesn't sleep very often, and his soulmate, Dorothy, is a night owl. How did you know it's midnight there? Did you google it?"

"Sure..." I looked out my window.

"Okay... Well, we're almost there, anyway." I sighed and looked at my lap. I decided to defy my anxiety and ask.

"Mum?" She hummed. "Do they have kids? Do you know? Have you met them?"

"Yes, they actually do. Two daughters, I believe, though I've only met the oldest. Her name is Callie, and you guys are actually only a year apart in age. I'm not sure the name of the younger sister, and they could've had another child without my knowledge. We met their parents when we visited an American college for a uni trip. We all got along quickly and exchanged numbers and stayed in touch.

"We visited them again and we actually found out I was pregnant with you two while visiting. We all celebrated before we left and before telling anyone else. It was weird, though, now that I think about it. Even before we found out I was pregnant, Callie wouldn't leave me alone." She laughed, remembering. "She kept crawling on me when I was sitting and wanted me to hold her otherwise, and actually seemed to hate it when Elijah even tried. She liked putting her hand on my stomach and giggled, though neither of you was very developed. Maybe she'd your soulmate, Oliver, and she knew you were in there and was waiting and wanting you to come out," Mum laughed and looked over her shoulder at Oliver. "They were a very cute family, though we haven't visited since then."

At the story, Oliver became tense, probably realising Callie is my soulmate through the whole Arizona thing because I told him all about it except her name on that night and then the story. He was staring off into space as if he weren't completely here. I quickly got on my phone and sent, "Don't." He shook his head at his phone going off and looked at it and then me.

"Sorry, mum, I don't know what was up, but it definitely wasn't me Callie wanted. My soulmate is French." I blinked at that fact, and again when he smiled softly at me.

"Callie is a beautiful name," he mouthed at me. My mouth opened and I sharply inhaled. I just nodded in response. I was still getting used to having a girl soulmate myself. I was sitting in my bed last night, actually, thinking about it. It's weird that I always pictured my soulmate as a brunette boy but now I know it's the opposite; a beautiful girl with fire hair. I always thought it would be a boy and that I would have kids with him and have a happy life. I never fantasized about it, I just expected that it would turn out that way. And now, I can't even imagine being with a boy. It'd all be too fake, too false, too forced. I couldn't enjoy being with a boy, not when I've realised I have no interest in them and I only have an interest...

In girls.

I only care for girls.

I was thinking I might like both boys and girls, but now I'm realising I don't, I only like girls.

Did Callie think like this when she realised I was a girl and not a boy? Did she have a rough image of what she thought her soulmate looked like, only to have it shattered to pieces upon realising the cramps I was having and she was feeling made me a girl, or at least a female, and not something else? How long did it take her to realise? How many months went by and she just thought I was in pain for any other reason? How did she react when she fully comprehended what it meant? Do we have our periods at the same time? Is she just into girls, too, or does she also like boys?

"Hey," I jumped and looked to my right, seeing Oliver there holding the car door open for me. When did we stop? How long has he been standing there? I wasn't sure the answers, but I knew Oliver looked concerned for me. He knows I have anxiety, much worse than him.

"Sorry," I shook my head and got out of the car. Oliver shut the door behind me and put his hands in his pockets, walking alongside me.

"It's totally fine, don't worry about it. So, why were you asking mum all those questions when you can ask your soulmate?" He leaned his head close to me and spoke quietly so mum wouldn't hear. 

"Because," I whisper, "Callie has a bad past with Elijah, and the only reason I recognised his name is that her sister mentioned it in a fight between her and her mum while I was on the phone with Callie. It took a bit to get Callie to even mention him, and I doubt she'll tell me the whole story or that she even remembers mum and dad. Besides, as I said, it's midnight there and she's asleep, so I can't get immediate answers from her, but I can from mum."

"Ah, I see." We caught up to mum and walked inside.