My name is Esau Bryant. I'm your average twelve-year-old kid living a boring life. Or at least I was until my twin brother and I found a strange phone in an abandoned mall. After that, my life got a lot scarier.
Don't believe me? You will! Before th...
"Welcome to Quiet Falls!" I said, recording with Dad's old camcorder the boring front yards and samey lawns we walked by that afternoon. "You'll love hating it."
My cheeks got all hot as I waited for the new girl to say something, but it was C.J., her cousin, who replied.
"Geez, Esau, you should work as a tour guide."
"People call me S now," I said.
C.J. stopped her kick scooter. "What people?"
"Y'know." I pressed the pause button. "People."
"What about Jacko?" C.J. asked.
Jack of All Trades, Master of None. Or 'Jacko' for short. I hated that nickname. Football, judo, guitar lessons—you name it, and I've sucked at it.
I glanced at the new girl out of the corner of my eye. "Just call me S, okay?"
"Fine." C.J. smiled. She was my only friend who didn't leave town during the summer vacation. She was the smartest fifth grader you'd find in the entire state. And although her nine cats (named after The Fellowship of The Ring characters) and love for conspiracy theories could have made her an easy target, nobody dared mess with her. "What's with the Handycam?"
No way I'd tell C.J. about my YouTube channel. I didn't want her on my case because I had yet another hobby. Besides, this time things would be different. I could already see the outcome in my mind's eye: my videos going viral, Dad bragging about me, Mom buying me a new phone, my friends dying of jealousy. And the best part, it would be all me, not something I shared with Jake.
"Stay tuned." I winked at her.
"All right, then, keep your secrets," C.J. said.
"What's his deal?" The new girl pointed back with her thumb.
Jake was walking a good thirty feet behind us, staring at the pavement, and wearing his big headphones. No wonder they gave him solos at school; who would want to play with that guy?
"That's Jake. Mom made me bring him."
"You related?"
"Brothers!"
"No kidding." The new girl smirked.
"Kara." C.J.'s tone was clear: Cut. It. Out.
"Whatever," Kara replied.
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When C.J. introduced me to her cousin ten minutes earlier, I made a mental note to remember her name. As I did that, I immediately forgot it. What was wrong with me?
None of us spoke as we left behind the auto repair shop or the small orange-brick inn. The silence was killing me.
"So, Kara, wanna be on my channel?" I said.
"That's your secret?!" C.J. gasped. "Don't tell me you're entering the PlayOffs Competition?"
