My Twin is a Simp

Ten minutes ago, the Principal accused me of hooking up with the schools worst delinquent.

He slammed the photos on the desk. Blurry shots of me and a guy with neon-yellow hair, heads close together, whispering in a locked classroom. Disgusting public displays of affection, the Principal spat. And on school grounds!

I look at the boy next to me. Hes slouching. Hes wearing enough silver chains to anchor a boat. He looks like a radioactive highlighter gone rogue. The whole school is terrified of him.

But I just sigh and kick his shin under the table. "Tell him," I hiss.

The delinquent smirks, leaning back with the arrogance of a guy who owns the place. "Relax, teach," he drawls. "Shes not my girlfriend. Shes my twin sister."

My name is Merritt. I just transferred back to this town to fix my familys mess, bury my academic rivals, and survive senior year.

But falling for the one guy my brother hates?

That wasnt part of the plan.

Chapter 1

Knox and I are twins.

We were seven when our parents marriage blew up. It was nuclearscorched earth, total mess. Mom took me. Dad kept the heir.

Ten years later, Mom is a CEO. But thanks to some residency loophole, I was shipped back to my hometown for senior year.

Mom, suddenly struck by nostalgia for the son she hadnt seen in a decade, tracked him down. She pushed Knox's contact info to my phone. "Reconnect," she urged. "He's your brother."

I found out we were attending the same prep school. I sent a request. He didn't accept until the afternoon.

The moment he did, I typed out a text.

Hey big bro. Dinner tonight?

Ten years is a lifetime, but we were blood. We had to start somewhere.

We used to be inseparable. When Mom dragged me to the car that day, the three of us sobbed until we couldn't breathe. Knox had gripped my hand, swearing hed make money, swearing hed take care of me. He begged them not to split us up.

I wondered what he looked like now. We used to be mirrors of each other.

My phone pinged. A voice memo.

I tapped play.

A deep, raspy voicepure morning voicefiltered through the speaker. "Which sister is this?"

Excuse me?

How many sisters do you actually have?

I stared at the screen. Did Dad start a second family while I was gone?

Before I could type a reply, a location pin dropped. Then another voice note. "You want dinner? Come find me here."

I checked the map. Just off campus.

Hearing Knoxs voice was jarring.

He sounded like a stranger. A completely different person from the boy who cried when I left.

I followed the pin. It led away from the main thoroughfare, down a quieter street. I brushed past two guys in our school uniformblazers loose, ties undone.

They were laughing, loud and obnoxious.

"Knox is going to corner that loser Ezra. Nerd thinks hes special just because he aced a few tests. Did you hear he rejected Knoxs 'sister'? Looked at her like she was trash. Shelby was crying her eyes out. Knox went to get justice."

"Ezra doesn't even like Shelby? Is he blind? Or just stuck up?"

"Who knows? Academics only care about books. Shelby has terrible taste chasing a bookworm like that. Knox is right there! He treats her like a queen. Buys her everything. Calls her his 'little sis.' If I were a girl, Id pick Knox."

"Keep dreaming, man."

I tried not to roll my eyes.

Little sister?

Thats not a brother. Thats a simp with a label.

I kept walking, looking down to text Knox.

Almost there. Where are you?

"Ezra, I'm taking off. Get home safe."

The name snagged my attention. I looked up.

At the intersection, a bike peeled away. That left one guy.

Ezra.

He was walking alone, one strap of his backpack slung over his shoulder. Same uniform. Same direction.

He had that messy-on-purpose haira textured fringe that fell just right. Sharp jawline. His uniform was pristine, a stark contrast to the guys Id just passed.

He looked like he existed in a higher resolution than everyone else.

First glance, and my eyes were glued to him.

Oh.

So it wasn't just about the grades.

Shelby wasn't blind after all.

Chapter 2

I admit it. Im shallow.

The moment I saw his face, my loyalty shifted. The scales tipped, crashed, and broke.

A gorgeous boy was about to be ambushed by some nameless school bully. How could I just stand there?

I hesitated for a minute, then picked up my pace. "Ezra."

He stopped. Turned.

His eyes were unreadable, cool and detached. He clearly didnt know me, but he waited, patient.

"I heard some guys planning to jump you," I said, keeping my voice low. "Maybe take a different route?"

He looked at me for a few long seconds. Studying me. "Thanks," he said, his voice calm. "But I think you're too late."

What?

He looked past my shoulder. I followed his gaze.

Across the street, in front of an arcade, a group was waiting. Some in uniform, some not.

And front and center, wearing the same blazer as us was the bleached blond.

The hair was blinding. Yellow. Not gold, yellow. He had studs in his ears, silver chains choking his neck and wrists. He looked like he was trying way too hard to be a gangster.

My eyes locked on his face. I froze.

They say twins have a connection. A psychic link.

Whatever it was, I felt it. A cold bucket of water dumped over my head.

My world crumbled.

Ten years.

And my brother had turned into a walking, talking red flag.

The bleached blondKnoxsneered. "Ezra. You said high school was for studying, not dating. Who's the girl?"

He laughed, a sharp, mocking sound. "Guess the Golden Boy is just all talk."

Silence.

Clearly, Knox didnt recognize me.

But his sidekickBrycechimed in. "Knox, this guy just uses his grades and that face to play girls. This ones cute, sure. But shes got nothing on Shelby."

He smirked. "So the nerd breaks rules too, huh?"

Then Bryce squinted at me. "Hey, Knox doesn't she kinda look like you?"

Dead silence.

My face went blank. Inside, I was screaming.

Look like him?

I was disowning him. Right now. Unilaterally.

Ezra watched the group saunter over. He didnt flinch. His expression was flat, bored even. Compared to Knoxs posturing, Ezra looked cool. Effortlessly so.

He leaned in slightly, voice low. "Hey. This has nothing to do with you. Get out of here."

I didn't move.

Nothing to do with me?

Not exactly.

I wanted to see this play out.

Knoxmy brother, the boy born five minutes before mestopped right in front of us.

That face. The one that still looked like mine, twisted into a smirk so arrogant I wanted to slap it off him.

"Wow," Knox drawled. "Ezra, your girls got guts. Shes not running."

Before Ezra could speak, I crossed my arms. I stared Knox dead in the eye. "What do you want?"

Five minutes ago, I never would have guessed the 'Knox' everyone was terrified of was my Knox.

My delinquent brother didnt even blink. He didn't see me. He just looked past me to Ezra. "Hiding behind a girl, Ezra? Thats embarrassing. Even for you."

Ezra finally spoke. "Is there a point to this?"

"Not really," Knox said, examining his fingernails like a villain in a bad movie. "Just that yesterday you rejected my sister's confession. And today I catch you with some other girl. You have a girlfriend and you can't even admit it? What kind of man are you?"

He stepped closer, invading Ezra's space.

"Tell you what. Go apologize to Shelby. Tell her youre not good enough for her. Do that, and Ill let you go."

I stared at him.

My sister?

Seriously. How many sisters does this guy have?

Chapter 3

"No."

Ezras voice was crisp. Clear. No posturing, just ice.

Knox stepped forward, hands balling into fists. "You want to do this the hard way?"

Ezra didn't flinch. He simply raised a hand and pointed to a sleek black dome mounted on the telephone pole above them. "Knox, that camera went up last week. High definition. Unless you want your assault charge broadcasted in 4Kcombined with your truancy record and GPAId suggest you back off. One more strike and youre expelled."

What?

Dye jobs, piercings, fighting and he cuts class? His grades must be in the gutter.

What exactly has Dad been doing for the last ten years?

Moms voice echoed in my head. Reconnect. Bond.

Can I return him? Can I pretend Mom only had one child?

Knox glared at the camera lens like it had personally insulted him. His jaw ticked. "Ive hated you for years, Ezra. Since freshman year. Always reporting me for being two minutes late."

"Was I wrong?" Ezra asked.

Old grudges. Deep roots.

"Get lost," Knox spat, waving a hand dismissively. "Just go. Scram."

Bryce blinked, confused. "Knox? We're just letting him walk?"

"What do you want me to do?" Knox snapped, his voice cracking with frustration. "Put him in the hospital and go to jail? You want a criminal record, be my guest. Im not an idiot."

Bryce shut up.

Ezra adjusted his backpack and started to walk away. But he didn't get far.

"Ezra!" Knox hollered. "Call yourself a man? Walking away and leaving your girlfriend?"

Ezra paused. He turned back, his gaze landing on me.

He looked thoughtful for a split second. Then, polite as ever: "You coming?"

I shook my head.

Ezra nodded once and disappeared around the corner.

Knox turned on me, looking disgusted. "What is wrong with people? Why him? What do you see in that guy?"

I forced a smile. It felt brittle. Through gritted teeth, I said, "Knox. We have a dinner reservation."

Knox recoiled like Id slapped him. He took a giant step back. "Whoa. Watch your mouth. Who are you calling Brother?"

Great. He wants to disown me too. The feeling is mutual.

I swallowed the urge to scream. "Check your phone. You sent me the location pin."

Bryce let out a low whistle. "Damn, Knox! She came here for you? She's not Ezra's girl?"

"Shut up, Bryce," Knox snapped. He looked at me, eyes narrowing. "You're the one who added me today? What's your name?"

"Read the contact info," I said. My smile was now fully weaponized.

Knox actually looked down at his screen. He squinted. "Merritt Who's Merritt?"

Bryce was still talking, oblivious to the atmosphere shifting. "Score, man. She's hot. Honestly? Might be hotter than Shelby"

Knox looked up. His eyes locked onto mine.

I widened my smile. It didn't reach my eyes.

He looked back at the phone. Muttered the name again. "Merritt Merritt?"

The gears in his brain finally caught.

Shock slammed into his face. His eyes went wide.

His hand shot out, clamping physically over Bryces mouth to shut him up.

Chapter 4

Ten minutes later, we were sliding into a booth at a burger joint a few blocks from campus.

Knox sat opposite me, looking like hed been hit by a truck. He was still processing the fact that the sister he hadnt seen in a decade was suddenly here.

"So," he started, picking at a napkin. "You came here specifically to find me? You really didn't know Ezra?"

I nodded, grabbing a menu. "Never met him before today."

Knox let out a breath hed been holding. "Good. Thats good."

Ten years is a long time. Its a canyon. We were twins, but sitting there, we felt like strangers trying to speak the same language.

It wasn't until our food arrivedgreasy fries and milkshakesthat he spoke again.

"I didn't know you transferred back. Mom she didn't tell me."

"She's traveling for business. She'll be back soon," I said, dipping a fry in my shake. "I'm technically still zoned for this district, so I had to come back to finish senior year."

I looked at him. Really looked at him.

That hair. It was like a highlighter exploded on his head.

"Does the dress code actually allow that?" I gestured to the yellow disaster.

"Strictly forbidden," Knox said, taking a sip of his soda.

"But the rules don't apply to me. It's my head, Ill dye it if I want." He leaned back, draping an arm over the booth, pure arrogance. "If they want to expel me, let them try. That would actually be interesting."

"Why can't they expel you?"

Knox let out a sharp laugh. "Conrad. You know, our biological donor? He paid for the new library wing. Most people don't know we're related, but the Principal does. Unless I burn the school to the ground, Im untouchable."

"You and Dad aren't close?"

"He has his empire. He doesn't need a son," Knox said, his voice hardening. "You're lucky Mom took you."

Oh.

Since we were on the topic of our father

"By the way," I said, keeping my voice casual. "Did Conrad remarry? Do we have any other sisters running around?"

Knox froze. His expression cracked.

"Otherwise," I continued, smiling sweetly, "why were you so confused about which sister I was?"

The wannabe gangsters mask cracked. He looked away, embarrassed. "No," he muttered. "Just you."

Before I could dig deeper, Knox aggressively changed the subject. "What homeroom are you in?"

"Room 303." Mom knew the teacher there, pulled some strings.

"Okay. Good. Since you're back, if anyone gives you trouble, come find me in Room 108. Ive got your back."

Hearing a guy with neon yellow hair and cheap jewelry solemnly promise to protect me was a new experience.

But he was my brother.

Ill tolerate it.

The rest of the meal was just surface-level catch-up. I wanted to ask moreabout why he hated Dad so much, why he was acting outbut Knox had his walls up.

Id transferred about three weeks into the semester.

The paperwork had been a nightmare, stalling everything. My old school tried to keep me, but Moms work life was chaotic, and I was tired of moving. I needed to graduate from one place.

A few days after I officially started, we got hit with midterms.

Three days of testing. Brain-melting, soul-crushing testing.

When the results were finally posted, the silence in the classroom was shattered by a scream.

My new lab partner, Piper, stared at the list like it was a holy text. "Merritt! Are you a cyborg?"

She spun around, her voice hitting a frequency that made dogs bark three towns over. "You got a 100 in Calculus?"

The entire class stopped. Every head turned.

"Wait, what? Someone got a perfect score?"

Chapter 5

It wasnt until Mr. Morgan stood at the front of the room, smiling like a Cheshire cat and confirming my score, that the rest of the class accepted reality.

By the afternoon, the entire junior class knew about the "Transfer Student."

I stood in front of the freshly posted Honor Roll in the main hallway. My name sat right at the peak. Number one.

A thrill of satisfaction settled in my chest.

Behind me, the whispers buzzed.

"Who is Merritt? How did she score higher than Ezra? Never heard of her. Think she cheated?"

"No way. I heard she just transferred here. Like, three weeks ago."

"Damn. Thats savage."

I glanced at the name in the second slot. Ezra.

Two points behind me.

He was good. Id give him that.

From the back of the crowd, a familiar voice cut through the noise. "Why are we even looking? Its the same nerds every time."

"Come on, Knox. Let's just see where Shelby ranked."

I turned. Sure enough, the neon-yellow beacon was bobbing through the hallway.

Knox didn't bother shoving his way to the board, but Bryce, his loyal shadow, elbowed his way to the front.

Knox spotted me immediately. "You checking rankings too? Howd you do? Don't stress if you didn't make the list."

My brother. Always the supportive pessimist.

Before I could answer, Bryce shouted over the heads of the other students. "Knox! Shelby got 30th in the grade!"

Knox puffed up, turning to me with an expression of proud, misplaced pity. "Hey, I have this friend. Shelby. Shes really smart. Ill introduce you. Maybe she can tutor you?"

I blinked.

Tutor me?

But before I could laugh in his face, Bryce yelled again. "Holy sh*t! Knox! Ezra isn't first! The loser finally lost! Its some new person named Merritt?"

Knoxs face went through a complex journey. "Is that true? He finally choked"

He started to smirk, running a hand through his hair like an anime villain. Then, the gears jammed. He froze.

"Wait. Who is first?"

Bryce scratched his head, looking at the paper. "Merritt. Think it's a girl."

Knoxs head snapped toward me. His eyes bugged out. "You?"

I met his gaze, calm and collected. "Me."

The whispers amplified. Suddenly, the crowd parted.

Ezra.

He walked up to the board, scanned the list once, and turned to leave. His face was blank. Unbothered.

"Ezra." Knox barked the name.

Ezra stopped. He looked over, his gaze sweeping across the group before landingbrieflyon me. "What?"

I watched my brother unleash his petty side.

"Well, well. Dethroned. Guess theres always someone better, huh?"

He slapped a heavy hand on my shoulder, beaming like hed won the lottery himself.

"Take a good look at your competition. The new Number One."

Ezra looked at me. Everyone looked at me.

I felt like an exotic animal in a zoo exhibit.

I shrugged Knoxs hand off and walked away. Fast.

Knox scrambled after me, grabbing my arm. "Merritt! Relax! Why are you mad? Im just showing you off!"

"My sister is first in the grade! Thats insane! You don't know how arrogant Ezra is. Hes monopolized that spot for two years"

I stopped abruptly. Knox almost ran into me.

I turned around, fixing him with a smile that was all teeth. "So, we know my score. What about yours?"

I tilted my head, eyes wide and innocent. "I didn't see the name 'Knox' on the Honor Roll. It lists the top 100, doesn't it?"

Now it was my turn to show some sisterly concern.

Knoxs face froze.

Silence.

Chapter 6

I knew Knox wasnt exactly Valedictorian material. I didnt realize he was scraping the bottom of the Mariana Trench.

I stared at his transcript, then at his face. I stared at him.

We shared a birthday. We shared DNA.

It was biologically impossible for one fetus to absorb all the nutrients, right? Did I get all the brain cells in the womb?

He was six-two, broad-shouldered, and built like a tank. He clearly got the physical stats. I got the neurons.

I refused to accept this. My brother would not be a statistic.

I slammed the paper onto the table. "Thats it. Im tutoring you."

Knox recoiled like Id pulled a knife. "No way. Conrad tried to hire private tutors and I walked out on every single one. Youre my sister, not my warden. You can't boss me around."

"Im five minutes older," I shot back. "That makes me the boss."

"Five minutes doesn't count!"

I narrowed my eyes, deploying the guilt trip. "You were puffing your chest out when I got first place. You loved the glory. Did it ever occur to you that having a twin whos flunking out is humiliating for me?"

Knoxs mouth snapped shut.

Silence.

Checkmate.

Regardless of his grumbling, I drafted a study plan. It was militant.

I intercepted him at the school gates. Every time he tried to sneak off to cosplay as a gangster, I dragged him into a study room.

One afternoon, I was in the girls' bathroom. I was locked in a stall, waiting for my legs to wake up, when the door swung open.

Voices echoed off the tile.

"Shelby, seriously what is up with Knox and that transfer student? Theyre glued to each other. Is he obsessing over her now?"

A pause. Then a second voice, cool and dismissive. "Who knows? Who cares?"

"You should care," the friend pressed. "Knox treats you like a queen. He confessed, you friend-zoned him, he adopted you as his 'little sister,' and he still drops thousands on you. Those limited-edition lip kits? That designer bag? All Knox. If he finds a new obsession, the gravy train stops."

"I heard the transfer student beat Ezra for the top spot. Knox is spoiling her now, too."

The silence stretched, thick with tension.

When Shelby finally spoke, her voice was sharp. "She got lucky. One test doesn't mean anything. Ezra will crush her next time."

"Okay, but you really have zero feelings for Knox? Hes hot. And generous."

"Please," Shelby scoffed. "Knox? Comparing him to Ezra is a joke."

""

I sat on the toilet lid until my legs were completely numb, waiting for them to leave.

I knew the girl. Shelby. The object of my brothers unrequited, pathetic affection.

She liked Ezra. She rejected Knox.

But Knox, being the simp of the century, refused to fold. Instead, he settled for "Big Brother." He played the protector. He bought the gifts.

Any rational person could see it for what it was. It wasn't sibling energy. It was a transaction.

He paid the simp tax. She cashed the checks.

One was willing to give, the other was willing to take.

Too bad she wouldn't even defend his name when he wasn't in the room.

Chapter 7

Knox ditched. Again.

He skipped class. He skipped my tutoring session.

I texted him. Radio silence. My face hardened into a mask of pure annoyance.

Piper watched me, chewing on her lip. She looked like she wanted to say something but was afraid Id bite. Finally, she cracked.

"Merritt, seriously what is the deal with you and Knox?"

"Why?"

"I'm just saying don't waste your time," she said, her voice hushed. "Everyone knows hes obsessed with Shelby. I heard he cut class today to plan some huge birthday surprise for her."

Oh.

So it was Shelbys birthday.

Great.

"Merritt? Why are you smiling?" Piper leaned back, looking genuinely unsettled. "You look terrifying."

"Nothing," I said, my smile widening. "Just thinking."

During evening study hall, I took a problem set to Mr. Morgans office.

There was already someone there.

A very familiar someone.

Ezra nodded. "Got it. Thanks, Mr. Morgan."

As he turned to leave, I slid my paper onto the desk.

Mr. Morgan chuckled. "Same problem? You two are stuck on the exact same question."

He gestured between us. "Ezra, why don't you walk Merritt through it? See if youve really mastered the concept."

"Sure."

We found an empty table in the corner. I pulled up a chair.

Ezra started explaining. His voice was cool, cleara low frequency that hummed in the quiet room.

"Make sense?" he asked.

I nodded. Then, lowering my voice so the teachers wouldn't hear: "Ezra. Do you remember me?"

He looked at me. His eyes were dark, intelligent. "I remember. Merritt. We've met."

I wasn't sure if he meant the day Knox tried to jump him, or the day I snatched the number one spot. Probably both.

"Where do you usually study? Classroom? Home?" I asked, testing the waters.

"Why?"

"Just curious. Your Physics score was higher than mine," I said, keeping my tone light, professional. I was thinking maybe we could study together? Iron sharpens iron. You mind?

He hesitated. "Aren't you"

He stopped.

"Aren't I what?"

"Nothing," he said, looking away. "Suit yourself."

Suit yourself. That was a yes.

I slid a piece of scratch paper toward him. "Number?"

He looked at me for a long moment. Then, he picked up a pen and wrote down a string of digits. "Text me."

Knoxs academic enthusiasm had the shelf life of milk.

He started blowing off our sessions more and more. Video games. Fights. Shelby.

Every time he bailed, I went to find Ezra.

To the rest of the school, it looked like the Top Two were inseparable. We debated formulas between classes. We claimed an empty classroom after school.

And honestly? It worked. He was brilliant.

We were on the same wavelength.

Lunchtime. The cafeteria was a war zone, but we found a quiet corner.

Whenever I sat with him, people stared. Whispers followed us like a vapor trail.

"I heard the ribs are actually edible today," I said, transferring a piece from my tray to his. "Try it."

He looked up, that same hesitation in his eyes.

"What?" I teased. "I haven't touched it. No cooties."

"Nothing."

CLANG.

A metal tray slammed onto the table next to me.

I turned.

Knox was standing there, vibrating with rage.

"Merritt," he snarled. "Why the hell are you sitting with him?"

The cafeteria went silent. Every eye locked on us.

"Sit down," I said calmly. "You're scaring people."

Knox threw himself into the seat next to me. He glared at Ezra across the table, eyes burning.

He didn't say a word. He just waited. Demanding an explanation.

Chapter 8

"Well," I said, voice dripping with innocence. "Youve been so busy. Ezra and I are just helping each other out. That's not a problem, is it?"

Knox opened his mouth. Closed it.

Silence.

Ezra glanced at me, then at Knox. He looked bored. He went back to his food.

Suddenly, a second tray clattered onto the table.

I looked up. Eyebrow raised.

The girl stood there, eyes fixed on Ezra. Her voice was soft, almost breathless. "Ezra? Can I sit here?"

"Free country," Ezra muttered, not looking up.

Shelby sat directly across from Knox.

The schools golden girl. She looked at Ezra like he was the sun and she was a sunflower desperate for photosynthesis. Nervous. Hopeful.

Knox cleared his throat. Loudly.

"Merritt, this is Shelby. I told you about her."

His tone was sour. I couldn't tell if he was mad at me or jealous of Ezra.

I flashed a smile. "Hi, Shelby."

"Hi, Merritt."

Her gaze lingered on me. It wasn't friendly. It was calculating.

"I heard you've only been here a month," she said, her voice sweet as poison. "And you're already so close with my brother and everyone in our class."

My brother. She meant Knox. The guy sitting next to me.

seriously?

Is there a shortage of siblings in this town? Why is she claiming mine?

I laughed. "What can I say? I'm a people person."

Ezra, who had been aggressively eating his ribs to avoid conversation, suddenly stood up. "I'm done."

"Ezra?" Shelby started to rise, panic in her eyes. But then she glanced at Knox and me, hesitated, and sank back down.

Ezra was gone before she could say another word.

Knox ignored her distress. He shoved a small, sleek box across the table at me.

"Here," he grumbled. "You said you lost yours. I bought you new ones. And this is how you repay me? Hanging out with him?"

I picked up the box. Brand new noise-canceling headphones. Top tier.

I didn't feel guilty. Not even a little bit.

"Thanks, Brother," I said, emphasizing the word.

Across the table, Shelbys eyes welled up. Instant tears.

"Brother?" Her voice wobbled. "You said I was your only sister. Bryce told me you bought headphones I thought they were for me."

Knox froze. Panic mode engaged.

"Shelby, wait"

She stood up, a single tear tracking down her cheek. Perfect timing. "I guess I was wrong about you."

She turned and ran.

"Shelby! Don't be mad! I'll buy you another pair! Just wait!"

He looked at me, torn.

"Go," I said, waving a hand. "Your 'sister' is jealous. Go fix it."

""

He ran after her.

I finished my ribs in peace.

That evening, I found Ezra in our usual spotEmpty Classroom 304.

He was bent over a notebook, focused.

"Ezra," I chirped, sliding into the desk next to him. "Why didn't you text me back?"

He didn't look up. He kept writing.

I waited.

Finally, he lifted his head. His gaze was flat. Accusing. "You're using me."

I propped my chin on my hand, smiling. "Using is such a harsh word. We're collaborating. Iron sharpening iron, right?"

Ezra looked past me, toward the door. "Knox is here."

On cue, the door banged open.

My brotheryellow hair, bad attitude, and allmarched in, holding a stack of textbooks like they were toxic waste.

I suppressed a smirk.

Knox was simple. Predictable.

He saw Ezra as his mortal enemy. There was no way hed let his twin sister hang out with the enemy unsupervised.

If I was with Ezra, Knox would be there too.

My tutoring trap had snapped shut.

Chapter 9

"You said you were tutoring me." Knox didn't bother hiding the venom in his voice. "I'm here. He can leave."

"No."

"Why?" Knox glared between us, eyes narrowing.

"It's a free country," I said, leaning back in my chair. "He wants to study here, he stays. You don't own the room."

Knoxs jaw tightened. "Fine. Then we leave."

"No," I said, my voice sweet but firm. "I like studying with him."

Ezra didn't look up, but the corner of his mouth twitched.

Knox looked like he was about to explode. He shot me a look of pure betrayal, grabbed a chair, and slammed it down next to me.

He spent the next hour aggressively staring at Ezra, trying to telepathically banish him from existence.

Ezra, to his credit, ignored him completely.

While Knox struggled through basic algebra, I slid my chair over to Ezra.

"Number 12," I murmured. "The derivative."

"Hey!" Knox barked. "Distance! Why are you guys basically sitting on each other?"

Ezra looked up, cool as ice. "You want to explain the Chain Rule to her?"

Knox glanced at the paper. He blinked. "Wait that's Math? Why are there letters? It looks like English."

""

I looked at my brother with genuine pity. "Just do your worksheet."

My plan worked perfectly.

Knox was so paranoid that Ezra was going to steal his sister (or worse, date her) that he started showing up every single day. He sat there, seething, while I force-fed him knowledge.

His minions complained that he was MIA. He ignored them.

By late October, it was routine.

One afternoon, Ezra got pulled away by Mr. Morgan for some project. It was just Knox and me in the classroom.

Knox stretched, putting his feet up on a desk. "Ah. Finally. The air smells cleaner without him here."

The door slammed open.

"What is going on in here?"

A booming voice filled the room. Mr. Grimshaw.

"Two students alone? Door closed? What are you doing?"

I froze. Turned.

Mr. Grimshaws eyes landed on Knox. His face turned purple. "Knox! Again!"

I never thought Id see the day. Me and my twin brother. Busted for hooking up?

Ten minutes later, we were standing in the Principal's office.

Knox was used to this. He slouched, unbothered. He glanced at me, then at Grimshaw. "Sir, relax. We weren't hooking up. We were studying. She's my sister."

"Sister?" Grimshaw scoffed, pointing a shaking finger at me. "Since when do you have a sister? I know your game, Knox. You adopt every girl in the zip code as your 'little sister.' I have a report right here on my desk. Don't lie to me."

"Report?" Knox blinked.

Grimshaw slapped a manila envelope onto the desk. Photographs slid out.

Me. Knox.

In the photos, Knox had his arm around my shoulder. He was laughing. We looked close.

"Evidence," Grimshaw barked. "Undeniable proof. And you still deny it?"

""

Knox touched everyone like that. He was a tactile person. I was his twin. It meant nothing.

But here we were.

I looked at Knox. You idiot.

Grimshaw was still yelling. "This is inappropriate! Disgusting behavior on school grounds! Im calling your parents!"

Chapter 10