Double Date by Melody Carlson Page A

“Are you sure you want to get involved in something like—”
    â€œMy mind is made up—I’m going.” Emma looked longingly at Cassidy. “It’s just that, well, I don’t want to go alone.”
    Cassidy looked uneasy. “You want me to go with you?”
    Emma nodded eagerly. “Will you?”
    â€œDo you really believe that—that someone set Felicia up like that? That she’s not the one who did it to herself?”
    â€œI know I could be wrong,” Emma confessed, “but I’d rather go talk to her and be wrong than to ignore this hunch and be right.”
    â€œYeah . . . I can understand that.”
    â€œSo will you go with me to see her?”
    â€œWhen?”
    â€œHow about tomorrow morning? Not too early. Ten-ish?”
    Cassidy pressed her lips together and Emma could tell she was torn. “Okay,” she said finally. “I’ll go too.”
    â€œThank you!” Emma exclaimed gratefully. “I just have to get to the bottom of this. One way or another I want to know the truth, Cass.”
    â€œI know you do.” Cassidy sighed. “I guess I do too now.”

    By 10:00 the next morning, Emma was having second thoughts. Maybe this was crazy. Really, was she going to just go up and knock on Felicia’s door? And then what? What would she say? What would she do? What if Felicia didn’t want to talk? Or what if Felicia admitted she really had been the one behind all of it? Well, at least that would be the end of it, and then Emma could just put it all out of her mind.
    â€œReady to do this?” Cassidy asked as Emma got into her car.
    â€œAs ready as I’ll ever be.”
    â€œDo you know what you’re going to say?”
    â€œKind of.”
    â€œWell, I’ve been praying about this,” Cassidy said as she drove. “Asking God to help us.”
    â€œThanks.”
    Before long they were parked in front of Felicia’s house. It was similar to Emma’s house, except that it was in better condition. Like someone there cared. “I looked up their address online last night,” Emma told Cassidy. “I’m pretty sure the Ruez family still lives here.” She took in a deep breath. “Let’s do this.”
    A woman who looked like an older version of Felicia answered the door. She had on a dark blue jogging suit and white athletic shoes. “Hello?” She peered curiously at them. “Are you selling something?”
    â€œWe came to see Felicia,” Emma told her.
    The woman narrowed her dark eyes. “What for?”
    â€œWe’re worried about her,” Emma said.
    â€œWhy?” the woman demanded.
    â€œWe’re from Northwood,” Cassidy said quickly. “We want to make sure she’s doing okay.”
    The woman’s features softened slightly. “Felicia is not okay.”
    â€œCan we talk to her?” Emma asked.
    â€œWho is it, Mom?” a voice called from behind the door.
    â€œFriends. I think.” The woman scowled. “From your school.”
    The door swung open wide, and Felicia appeared with a dark look and her hands planted on her hips like she was ready for a fight. “Oh? Emma? And Cassidy?” She looked confused. “What are you doing here?”
    â€œWe want to talk with you,” Emma said.
    â€œAre these the ones who did this to you?” Felicia’s mother demanded. “The girls that put that nasty—”
    â€œNo!” Cassidy exclaimed. “No way.”
    â€œAbsolutely not,” Emma added.
    â€œCome on.” Felicia grabbed their hands and tugged. “Come to my room to talk.”
    Once they were sequestered in Felicia’s room, Emma jumped in. “I want to know the truth,” she said. “Did you really put that stuff on MyPlace? Or did someone else do it to hurt you?”
    â€œOf course someone else posted it!” Felicia said quickly.