crashing down | all american¹

parents & their secrets

Evelyn was completely and utterly bored. Asher was hanging out with JJ, Liv had a family therapy session, Spencer was off searching for his father at his family cabin. Even her parents were off at Disneyland taking Alejandro away to give him some much-needed special attention since most of the time the twins were constantly creating drama for them. Leaving, Enrique and Evelyn all alone.

Her feet had hit the hardwood floor in search of her brother, desperate to talk to someone instead of staring at her tv. She found the door to their father's office cracked open and furrowed her eyebrows in confusion knowing that he never left it open.

Peeking her head into the office she saw her brother sitting in the obnoxiously large office chair behind his laptop. "What the hell are you doing, Ricky?"

"Believe it or not," Enrique said, pointing his finger in the air. "I am doing homework. I couldn't focus in my room and so I came here. It was unlocked."

She hummed in response sitting across from him. "Weird. Hey, did Liv ask you anything?"

"Oh, yeah, she asked me if I'd be her partner for her cotillion," he answered. "Something about me being a great dancer."

"Just don't be a perv and hit on her the whole time," his sister scolded.

"Me? Hit on her?" he gasped dramatically. "I would never. Who do you think I am?"

"A whore," she deadpanned.

"Got me there," he giggled, like a schoolgirl. "At least I'm not a homie hopper. I mean, Jordan to Asher. Who's next, JJ?"

"Hell no. I'd go after Darnell, then JJ," she joked.

"Don't let Asher hear you say that," he teased. "He really likes you. In fact, he won't shut up about you. I know you don't care about my opinion on who you date. But, I think I like Asher better than Jordan."

"You're my twin brother, Ricky. Even if I don't care about your opinion on something. You'll still tell me it," she said. "But, thank you."

"Facts," he snorted, before pushing the chair back and walking around the office. "Do you know what the code to dad's safe is?"

She shook her head. "No, why?"

"I'm just curious as to what's inside," he hummed.

"I think he keeps our passports and birth certificates in there. I wouldn't be surprised if he kept cash in there, too," she informed him. "Try our birthday or Ale's."

"Already tried. It's four letters and I already entered Jenn for mom and it got denied," he responded, punching random letters into the box.

"Try, Evie," she smirked.

"Damn you," Enrique grumbled, punching in the four letters and watching as the digital safe flashed green approving the pin. "Dude, dad really does love you more than me, Ale, and even mom!"

"I'm his only daughter," Evelyn scoffed, standing up from her chair to join her brother at the open safe. "When you have a daughter...probably sooner rather than later. You'll understand."

"I'm not Jordan. I know what condoms are," he scoffed as the two rummaged through the safe. "Does he not know what a bank is? Who needs this much cash?"

"Told you!" she grinned, gripping two pieces of paper. "Our birth certificates! Mom will never let me see these for some reason."

Enrique's smile had slowly vanished as he read over their birth certificates. "Are you reading this? What the hell does this mean?"

"I don't know," she sighed. "I mean...this can't be right. Can it?"

"So, dad's not our dad? Is that what this means?" he asked, pacing the floor of the office. "Where the hell are mom and dad?"

"They're at Disneyland with Ale. They said they'd be gone for a while," she said, gripping the thin paper in her hand. "Open your computer. Type in this name. Maybe...We'll find answers that way?"

"Okay," he mumbled, sitting back down. "Christian Mercado...I only see one person and unless mom had twins with an 85-year-old. Then it's not him."

"So, what do we do?" Evelyn asked. "Do we just wait until they get home?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "I want answers. And I want them now because there's no way we've gone 17 years with them lying to us about this."

Some time passed by, the twins sat in their father's office frustrated about their parents and what they possibly could be hiding. Eventually getting impatient they decided on moving out to the living room.

"What if Dad changed his name?" she suggested, as they moved out of the office and over to the living room. "I mean, famous people do that all the time. Dad might've done that...he is sorta famous."

"Done what, mija?" Joaquin asked, startling the two. "Were you guys in my office?"

She shook her head. "Noth—"

"What the hell is this?" Enrique asked, placing the paper in his hand.

Their father's once happy expression immediately vanished as he glanced down at the paper in his hand. "You two broke into my safe?"

The three who were engaging in heated stares turned their heads towards the front door as their mom walked through with Alejandro in her arms and mickey mouse ears on her head. "Hey, we bought you two some ears. Ale didn't want you guys to be left out."

"We don't care," Evelyn retorted.

Her mom raised an eyebrow up at her daughter's boldness. "Excuse me. What the hell did you say to me, Evelyn?"

"These two," Joaquin hissed, pointing at the twins. "Broke into my safe. They're asking questions, Jenny. Put Alejandro down and then we should talk."

Something flashed behind Jennifer's eyes at the thought of her twins knowing this secret. She quickly shook it off replacing it with a neutral expression. "There's nothing to talk about. You two shouldn't be in your father's office or snooping around in his safe. End of discussion."

"Your mother's right," Joaquin co-signed. "Go to your rooms. We're not talking about this."

"Hell no!" Enrique spat. "We're not children you can't just send us to our rooms. You guys are hiding things from us and we have the right to know."

"You two are 17. Living under my roof," Joaquin said. "So, until that changes. We tell you what the hell to do. Go to your rooms. Now!"

"You're not even our real dad!" Enrique argued. "Why should we listen to you?"

"Room. Now! I'm not playing with you, Enrique!" Joaquin yelled, turning red in the face.

"They're hidings things. I don't like it," Enrique whispered, walking his sister to her room.

"Ricky...I think it's bad," Evelyn sighed. "That look mom had in her eyes. I've never seen that before."

She walked towards her door pushing it open and settling back under her comforter. Evelyn knew something was off about the way her mother had reacted but, she couldn't figure it out.