Hollywood's Golden Runaway

(1 8)

It's Elsa who answers the door. She's almost unrecognisable from the 13 year-old, tomboyish, and brace-faced girl I left behind. She's grown up so much, into a confident looking and attractive 18 year-old. She wears a slouchy pair of gym shorts and her Matlin Falls High cheer t-shirt and her black hair is tied into a sleek ponytail. But her face when she takes in whose standing before her is classic.

"Hey Else-" I mumble and she's completely taken aback.

"What's taking you so long? Just give the poor boy the money for the pizza and get back in here, we have 13 more episodes to watch tonight! Isabella's in this episode!" A second voice rings from inside the house and Hazel flings herself round the corner to stand next to Elsa. Unless you've known them for months, you couldn't tell the two apart. Grandma always used to want to dress them in matching outfits for the novelty but our parents were above that apparently. The only major difference between them is when they smile, Elsa's dimple is on her left cheek while Hazel's is on her right.

Hazel halts to a stop and the pair look at each other with matching expressions of pure shock.

"Wha- Isabella Scott?" Hazel stammers.

"Hey, Hazel," I greet her, for the second time, I forgot that I'm not Salem to them anymore. I should have known that by showing up on their doorstep, it's not Salem who's at the door, but Bella.

"How do you know our names? How do you know where we live? What is going on right now?" Elsa rambles and I run a hand through my hair nervously. I feel all dishevelled from my panic earlier and subconsciously I want to look my best for my reunion with my little sisters.

"Um - can I come inside?" They nod, mouths hanging open and back up to make room for me. While my sisters are unrecognisable, my home hasn't changed in any way. Nothing has moved and nothing is out of place. Out of the corner of my eye I see Hazel and Elsa watch in wonder and confusion as I take in what feels like a museum.

I go through to the living room and sit in the same armchair I would always claim for myself when we lived here together. The TV shows one of Brenna and Tati's shows playing on mute. Hazel and Elsa sink onto the sofa next to me in sync. We sit in silence for almost five minutes as I try to work out what to say.

"I know this is probably going to sound insane, but I guess I'll just say it." They wait on the edges of their seats for my confession. I wish I could have a wig or something to do some dramatic reveal. "It's me, Salem."

More silence.

"Excuse me?" Hazel blurts.

"No disrespect, Miss Scott, but our sister has been gone for five years. So forgive us if a celebrity comes into our house in the middle of our reality marathon, claims to be her and we're sceptical." Elsa continues and I nod like a sage old lady, knowing that it was going to take more than just telling them for them to believe me. I look Elsa in the eye.

"You were 13, you burst into my room crying because you'd just got back from cheerleading and you said that you thought you'd cut your thigh from doing the splits and it was your first period." She's dumbfounded and I take no time to wait for her response before turning to Hazel,

"Hazel, your 13th birthday party, and you broke down in front of me because you kissed Jared Dorian and you knew Elsa had a crush on him but he got the two of you confused."

"Hazel! You knew I liked him!"

"Are you really going to go there right now? Salem's back and she's Isabella freaking Scott! Our sister is Isabella Scott!" Hazel yells back. They take a breath,

"Oh my god!" They scream together and they pile themselves on top of me, screaming and giggling. My heart swells and I find myself, obviously, crying in the moment. Our arms entangle with one another and it's like I can't get them in close enough. They pull away panting, and the look in their eyes is one I'll never forget. The fact that they finally realise this bombshell is true and their sister is sitting in front of them after disappearing so long ago.