A/N I've just realised how short these chapters look. I will say that they're all over 1,500 words each, promise! I hope you've all had a good couple of days, and that you like this chapter. Thanks to everyone who reviewed!

TODAY'S HEADLINE: DE SILVA RETURNS HOME

The teen sensation is snapped visiting his hometown

Chapter Four

Explanations

Jesse stands up when he spots me – he is nothing if not a gentleman, obviously. Hector, however, carries on eating his cereal like it's its no big deal that he's eating breakfast in a stranger's house.

"Susan-" Jesse begins, but I interrupt him with a loud scream.

"Anna!" I shriek, rooted to the spot. "Anna, get the hell down here right now!" There's a sound of coughing and spluttering upstairs – Anna could never hold her liquor – and she appears at the top of the stairs, pink-faced and obviously suffering from a hangover.

"What?" she demanded, sourly. "What do you what?" I can feel my patience wearing thin, and clench my fist.

"Anna," I hiss. "Come here. Now." She grumbles loudly, but hobbles down the stairs, clinging to the handrail and looking queasy. She frowns at the sound coming from the kitchen – Jesse is scolding Hector for his lack of etiquette – and burps gently before asking.

"You got visitors?" She giggles, and then answers her own question. "Of course not – Suze doesn't get visitors. Suze is a loner." I grab her by the only means possible – by her long mass of hair – and yank her down the stairs. She groans and holds her head sulkily. "God," she scoffs. "What the hell did you do that for?"

I don't answer her. "Did you bring someone home last night?" She rubs her forehead uneasily before shrugging. I wonder if she's still a little drunk. I notice she's still wearing her mini-skirt, though her fishnets are torn and holed. There's a dark smudge under each eye from where her make-up has run.

"I don't remember," she replies, grumpily. "Kelly and I were wasted, O.K? We got a cab home from L.A, because we couldn't find anywhere to stay-"

"L.A," I echo, tonelessly, trying to fit all the pieces together. "L.A. Oh my God, Anna, do you know who you brought home last night?" Hector in my kitchen, Anna going to an L.A party… it all added up. And I was furious.

I seize her wrist and pull her into the kitchen so that she can see what I mean. Jesse jumps up at the sight of us, and Anna takes his chair without a word of thanks. She reaches for a banana and starts peeling it calmly. "Anna," I say, impatiently. "This is Hector De Silva." Anna drops the banana skin in the trash can behind her, and nods her head to him slightly.

"Suze," she says, turning to me. "Do you know it's like, illegal to kidnap a movie-star?" Jesse starts laughing uncontrollably, and I shoot him a venomous glare. He shoves his fist into his mouth in order to contain it, but he doesn't seem to be succeeding.

"It wasn't me, you idiot!" I cry, angrily. "It's you who brought him home, after that stupid party you went to last night!" Hector holds up a hand to silence me.

"It was not a stupid party," he says, defensively. "It was the freakin' party of the year, baby!" I ignore his helpful (not) contribution and turn my attention back to my twin sister, shaking my head.

"I can not believe you slept with Hector De Silva." Anna drops her banana in surprise, and Hector chokes on seemingly nothing. Jesse's face is expressionless, as usual.

"Hello?" My sister is adamant. "I am not that much of a slut, O.K?" She plucks at her party outfit. "I was totally dressed when I woke up this morning. Nothing happened."

Hector seconds that. "Dude," he says to me, standing up. I take a little offence at the dude, seeing as I am clearly not one. "You can't be spreading that crap around. I mean – how old is she?"

"Eighteen," Anna answers, at the same time as I say "Sixteen." She shoots me an annoyed look and I scowl back at her. This is evidently too much for Hector, who sits back down again with a bemused expression.

"Dude," he says again. "So you're like, identical." My sister and I simultaneously challenge that, but Jesse holds up a hand, and we fall silent. Hector shakes his head. "Dude, I've never seen two people look the same before. Except in that film – you know. The Lindsay Lohan one." I decide not to point out that his cousin beside him is in fact very similar to him.

"My cousin," Jesse announces, amusedly. "Is not exactly the shiniest star in Hollywood." I snort, and Hector looks at us wildly.

"Jess," he says, grinding his teeth. "I'm the hottest teen star right now. I am too shiny." I roll my eyes, but Anna sits back down again, abandoning her banana. Her eyes are fixed on Hector.

"So, like, have you been in any romance films?" she purrs. Hector takes the banana from her side and takes a bite, chewing thoughtfully. He swallows and then shakes his head.

"Nah," he replies. "I'm not a dude for chick-flicks, y'know?" Anna purses her lips together, and Jesse raises an eyebrow at her suddenly seductive behaviour. I feel a twinge of jealousy in the pit of my stomach as Hector responds with interest to her actions.

"Well," Anna says, twisting a coil of dark hair around her finger. "I'm totally into acting." This is the first I've ever heard of it. "Maybe you and I should team up – we'd totally redefine the word 'chick-flick'." Hector grins, and takes another bite of his banana.

"Maybe I'll talk to my agent," he retorts, eyes locked on my sister. She pouts flirtatiously.

"Maybe," she continues, flipping her hair. She is leaning over the table, getting closer and closer to Hector. The two of them seem to be unaware that Jesse and I are still in the room. "I'll-"

Jesse clears his throat, and the two break apart slowly. "Maybe," Jesse says, with a twisted smile. "It's time to get you home, cousin." Hector finishes the rest of the banana and then stands up. He smiles at Anna, and reaches for her hand to kiss. Her eyes widen at the contact.

"I'll see you around, little lady," he says quietly, but loudly enough for me, and Anna, who turns a delicate pink, to hear. "Come on, cuz, let's go. Haven't seen mi tios in a while." My sister swoons at the Spanish, and I feel like slapping her.

Jesse claps Hector on the back, and then turns to say goodbye to me. "I'll see you in school, Susan," he declares, and then he winks. He walks Hector out of the room without another word, and I turn to deal with my twin.

"I am going to kill you-" I begin, but Anna interrupts as she throws up copiously all over my feet.

Great.

A few hours later, after I have forced some tomato juice down Anna's throat, we are watching TV in the lounge. Anna insists on watching Gossip Girl, and I'm bored out of my brains. I've never been one for teen dramas. She slips out of the room to get a drink of water, and I steal the remote to switch on the news.

"Hey!" Anna shouts after hearing her favourite TV show disturbed. She appears in the doorway, but doesn't argue. Instead, she becomes absorbed in the current news story.

"Teen movie-star Hector De Silva has been seen visiting his hometown of Carmel-by-the-Sea!" You can totally tell that the local news station is thrilled about this. I mean, once people leave Carmel, they don't generally come back. It's not all that exciting. We don't even have a Bagel Bob. "Rumours are circling that he is seeing a local girl romantically, but we have no confirmation of this yet from De Silva's family."

"Wow," says Anna, sipping her soda. "What a lame news story." The phone starts ringing, and I stretch across the couch to answer it, my eyes still glued to the screen.

"Hello?"

"Querida, do not answer the door." I frown confusedly.

"Jesse?" I ask, but he's already hung up. There comes an angry knocking at the door, and both Anna and I tense in fear. Anna sits timidly beside me on the sofa, clutching my hand.

"Where's Mom?" Anna whispers. It's gone midday, but this is the first time Anna has realised our mother isn't home. I rise off the couch, pulling my twin with me. She follows without protest. "Where are we going?"

"Mom didn't come home last night," I answer quietly, ears perked. There's a ruckus outside suddenly, and the door bangs again. "And we're going upstairs. We're going to pretend that we're not in."

"The Simon household!" A gruff, masculine voice roars outside the house. Anna squeaks, and pushes past me up the stairs. "I'm Paul Slater from Vedette Magazine. I want to talk to Anna!"

I rush up the stairs to find Anna waiting for me at the top. Upon hearing her name, Anna had dropped her soda can in shock. It lies still at her feet, seeping brown liquid onto the carpet. I stoop down slowly and pick the can up, setting it on the bookcase behind us. There's another loud knock at the door, and we both shriek.

"Anna! We don't mean any harm; we just want to talk to you about your boyfriend. Hector De Silva?" Anna gasps, and links her fingers with mine.

"Paparazzi," she whispers. "They've found out that Hector stayed here last night." I nod.

"And Jesse must have knew that they did," I continue. "He just warned us not to answer the door." We creep to the window and I lift the curtain to see a crowd of ten or possibly more journalists surrounding our front door, some accompanied by cameras, others just with notebooks or recorders. But they're all shouting my sister's name.

"Oh, Suze!" Anna cries, fearfully. "What have I done?"