Page 77 of Sincerely, Your Enemy

“Kelsea,I swear to God, if you don’t pick up your fucking phone in the next five minutes, I’m posting every ugly picture I have of you on social media. And you know I have a lot. Don’t push me,” TJ says through clenched teeth.

It’s been ten minutes since the girls snuck out Sierra’s window like two criminals. Scratch that—it’s been ten minutes since we becameawareof them sneaking out, which means they’ve probably been gone much longer.

I screwed that window shut weeks ago, but judging by the looks of things, Sierra was so determined she undid each screw one by one.

Ten minutes of ignored text messages, phone calls, and making all sorts of threats over their voicemail. Nothing’s worked, not that I expected otherwise.

TJ hangs up the phone. “You mark my words, that girl’s not seeing the light of day again until she’s thirty-five.”

“Let me try Sierra again.” I select my sister’s number and bring the phone to my ear.

It doesn’t even ring. Just goes straight to voicemail.

“She’s blocking my calls somehow.” Anxiety sinks its claws into me. “Fuck, what are we going to do?”

The next thing I know, I’ve turned into this anxious wreck, struggling to steady my breathing as I pace around my sister’s bedroom.

I’m such a shitty excuse for a parent. How could I let my guard down? I knew Sierra was a flight risk, but I figured she’d learned her lesson after being grounded for a month.

“Do you have any idea where they could’ve gone?” TJ asks.

“We’ve already tried all their friends. I…” I pant, my thoughts spinning out of control. “Maybe if…”

Air. I need air.

“Lacey?”

TJ’s voice echoes in my head.

“I’m sorry, I-I can’t.” I feel the need to apologize for being such a mess.

Why did I ever think I could take care of my siblings?

I take my palm to my chest to try and calm my erratic heartbeat.

“Lacey.”

My knees buckle for a second, and I immediately drop onto the edge of Sierra’s bed.

“Hey, look at me.” TJ falls to his knees in front of me, his hands curving around both of my knees as he whispers, “I know you’re scared, but I need you with me right now, okay? I need you to breathe.”

Okay, okay, I can do this. Just breathe. Breathing’s not that hard. I’ve been breathing for twenty years.

I’ve never been one to talk to some sort of higher power. After my dad died, I stopped asking the universe for favors ofany kind. Clearly, the universe doesn’t give a damn because if it did, my dad would still be here, but as I pour all of my energy into collecting myself, I decide to push my hatred of the universe aside for a moment.

Universe, help us.

No, you know what? Fuck you. You’re not the one I want to talk to. I clutch my shirt in the center of my chest and squeeze my eyes shut.

Dad, if you’re here, help us.

Help us find them.

“We need to think. There has to be a way we can track them. There has to—” TJ’s interrupted by a loud chime.

We immediately follow the sound to Sierra’s closed laptop, sitting on her desk.

A few seconds pass. Then, another chime cuts through the silence. Neither of us utters a word. We book it to her laptop and throw it open just in time to see a notification on her locked screen.

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