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sleep.”
    â€œIt was nice meeting you all,” Afrika said for the third time. “Happy birthday, Trevor.”
    â€œBe sure to let Mimi know I’d love to hear from her,” Brenda reminded Afrika, her voice trailing off.
    â€œI will.” The girls headed to the car.
    â€œThey really do look like twins,” Brenda said under her breath as she peeked from behind the drapes in her oversized living room and watched the girls drive away.

6
    A sia and Afrika rode most of the way to campus in silence. Exiting the freeway and stopping at the red light, Asia turned to face Afrika. “Nikki, tonight was freaky.”
    â€œYeah, it was,” Afrika said, not bothering to turn in Asia’s direction and keeping her voice low. Suddenly, she turned and looked at Asia. To see her was like looking at herself. “So what do you think all of this means?”
    â€œI don’t think it means anything more than are parents are old friends. The real question is why did your mom leave without telling anyone or saying goodbye?”
    Afrika pondered the question for a moment. The light turned green and Asia drove forward.
    â€œI don’t know why my mother chose to leave without telling anyone, but I’m sure she had a good reason. But let’s give this up for tonight. My energy is sapped; I need a good night’s rest.”
    â€œI agree.”
    Afrika sat back in her seat and closed her eyes. Her mother’s warning had fallen on deaf ears, and now she was afraid that she may have opened a door her mother might have wanted to stay shut, although she had no idea why. Afrika pulled out her cell phone and began to text.
Mommy, we need to talk, A.
    T HE FANS WERE OUT IN FULL FORCE TO WATCH N ORTH C AROLINA Central whip the Fayetteville State University Broncos. Rumor had proven true when Central pulled out of the Central Inter-collegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), but the Eagles still enjoyed a non-conference match with their former rival.
    The cheerleaders were in the ready position as the band continued to assemble in the bleachers, playing a jazzy number that had booties bouncing and swaying and heads and arms rocking from side to side. Excitement and camaraderie complemented the near seventy-five degree heat and brilliant sun that lit up the afternoon skies. Hotdogs and carbonated drinks kept everyone happy until kick-off.
    Afrika kicked her legs and threw her arms in the air. “Do it Eagles!!” she shouted along with the other cheerleaders. She waited for the next command and stood facing the crowd in the stands, waving her hands. Then she spotted him staring at her like she was some kind of science project that he was going to dissect.
    She turned away and then looked back and Victor was still staring at her. What was his sudden interest in her? Why was he so quiet last night, acting as if he’d never met her before? It gave her the chills.
    Afrika immersed herself in cheering on her team, although in the end, it was a letdown as the Fayetteville State Broncos trounced the Eagles 36-14.
    M IMI LOOKED AGAIN AT THE MESSAGE SHE HAD RECEIVED FROM Afrika. Her stomach was in knots. She didn’t know what to make of the cryptic message. What if she had learned something about her? Mimi shut her mind down and deleted the thoughts she conjured in her head.

7
    E arly Monday morning, Victor hurried to his office and closed the door. Without taking a breath, he turned on his computer and tapped impatiently on his desk until he was prompted to log in. He immediately hit the keyboard, typing in commands while waiting for a response. His brain waves accelerated like someone had pushed the ON button of a blender to high, but slowed only a little as soon as he was logged into the Banner system that gave access to student records and other aspects of the school’s internal system.
    Victor’s fingers raced across the keys and went into search mode. When prompted, he typed in