Teasing

Elena and I left Katherine's house, the crisp autumn air hitting us like a reminder to breathe. The whole vibe in there was way too intense. Katherine's smirk? Ugh, it was burned into my brain.

"So…that was weird," I said, breaking the silence as we got into Elena's car.

Elena didn't answer right away, just gripped the steering wheel like it had personally offended her. "Weird doesn't even begin to cover it."

We pulled out of the driveway, the leaves crunching under the tires. For a minute, neither of us said anything. The tension from the house still lingered, like it followed us out the door.

And then we saw him. Jeremy. Not just Jeremy, though. Jeremy and Anna. They were standing near the Grill, and—oh my God—they were totally making out. Like, full-on, hands-everywhere making out.

Elena slammed on the brakes. "Are you kidding me?"

I was already unbuckling my seatbelt. "Oh, we're doing this."

We hopped out of the car and crossed the street, practically running up to them. Jeremy and Anna didn't notice us at first, probably because they were too busy trying to swallow each other's faces. I cleared my throat, loud and dramatic, and they jumped apart like they'd been caught committing a crime.

"Oh, hey," Jeremy said, rubbing the back of his neck like that would make this less awkward. "What's up?"

"What's up?" Elena repeated, raising her eyebrows. "What's up is you, making out in public, like nobody can see you."

Anna looked completely unbothered. "Pretty sure no one cares."

"Oh, we care," I said, crossing my arms. "This is going in the sibling Hall of Fame, right next to the time Jeremy got caught sneaking vodka into a water bottle."

Jeremy groaned. "Can you not?"

"Nope," Elena and I said at the same time, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Alright, alright," Jeremy muttered. "What do you want?"

Elena's face got serious again. "We need to talk. It's about Katherine."

That got their attention. Jeremy's expression darkened, and Anna tilted her head like she was already piecing something together.

"What about her?" Anna asked.

Elena glanced around, making sure no one else was listening. "She's hiding something. Big surprise, right? But it's…different this time. She looks like us, Anna. Like, exactly."

Anna nodded slowly. "I've heard things about people like that."

"Like what?" I asked, leaning in.

"Doppelgängers," Anna said, her voice dropping like she was telling a ghost story. "It's rare, but it happens. People who are identical for a reason. Usually tied to something supernatural."

"Of course it's supernatural," I muttered. "Why can't anything in this town just be normal?"

Elena ignored me, focusing on Anna. "What kind of reason? Why would she come here?"

Anna shrugged. "I don't know. But I can ask around, see what I can find."

"Do it," Elena said, her jaw set like she was ready to take on the world. "Because something's off, and I'm not letting her ruin everything."

Jeremy sighed. "Great. More Katherine drama. Just what we needed."

"Oh, you're one to talk," I shot back. "You're literally the poster child for bad decisions."

He glared at me, but before he could come up with a comeback, Anna spoke again. "I'll let you know if I hear anything. But be careful, okay? If she's a doppelgänger, she's dangerous."

Elena nodded. "We know."

I didn't say anything, but I couldn't shake the feeling Katherine was more than just dangerous. She was something else entirely. And whatever it was, it wasn't good.