Clint threw himself around in the large hotel armchair trying to settle in a comfortable position. He would settle for a minute and then sigh or grunt and then throw his angular body into another position. He tried reading one of the many magazines that were scattered around his chair but he couldn't concentrate. He was troubled and he didn't know what to do. He looked at the back of his identical twin brother Bob, he stared hard at Bob's back for several minutes, deep in thought, but Bob's concentration was on the video game he was playing and he was totally unaware of his brothers' movements.
"Bob, do you ever feel as if you don't exist?"
"Huh?" Bob replied, still playing his game.
"I said, 'Do you ever feel as if you don't exist?'"
"What are you talking about? Oh shit, you've made me throw the game, you jerk. What are you going on about?" He spun round to face Clint and was taken aback by the solemn, sad expression on his twins face. "Hey, what's up Bro? It's not like you to be so down."
"I feel like I don't exist anymore," Clint said. Bob moved closer to him and sat on the floor at his brother's feet. "We've always been so close, almost as if we were Quads rather than an older brother and triplets. But there's something happening, Bob, something is tearing this family in two and no one will let us in. Its like we don't exist any more. I've got this horrible vision of The Moffatts exploding like a supernova and us not speaking to each other for years and years. Like the Everly Brothers did."
"I know what you mean," said Bob. "All the whispering and going out without asking us along is beginning to get me down, too. I asked Zac and Dave if they fancied taking in a movie with me and they made some lame excuse about going exploring. Talk about a brush off. And those brown envelopes. What's the deal with them?"
"You've seen them too?" Clint was surprised.
"Yeah, I've seen them shoved into pockets and backpacks and everyone playing dumb and pretending nothing's wrong. And the silences when we walk into a room."
"That's right," said Clint "And have you noticed they all go out when we go in?"
"Yes, I have", Bob replied. "I thought you'd had a row with Scott."
"No, I've barely said hello to him all the time we've been here. You know what I think? I think our big brother and Taylor Hanson are in love."
"What!! Are you serious? Scott a faggott? Never."
"Think about it, Bob, How moody and upset he's been. How after Taylor came to him how much he cheered up and when they came out of the bedroom how pink and flushed they were. They were doing more than writing lyrics, I'm telling you."
"Well, yeh, it makes sense when you put it like that, I suppose. But how about Dave and Zac? What's their part in all this?"
"That's the big mystery. If they told Dave, why didn't they tell us?"
"Perhaps Scott is afraid you'd blow your top, Clint, after all you're not the most tolerant and understanding of people are you?"
"Well, I suppose not. But he's my brother and I love him and it hurts like hell that he felt he couldn't tell me if he has a problem. But there is still something else, something sinister going on, I can feel it!"
"I know what you mean," Bob said quietly. "I've sensed it around both Scott and Dave. It hangs around them like an aura, especially Scott, Sometimes I can almost taste the fear around him. But what can we do? How can we find out what's going on if they won't speak to us?"
"We could search their rooms," Clint said hesitatingly.
"Oh no, never. That would be unforgivable. They really would hate us if they ever found out!" Bob was shocked at the suggestion.
There was a knock on the door that made both brothers jump. It broke the tension and they looked at each other and mouthed simultaneously "Who's that?"
"One way to find out." Clint leaped out of his chair and ran to the door. He looked through the peephole and was surprised to see Isaac Hanson standing there. He opened the door.
"Hi guys," said Ike brightly. "Have you seen my brothers anywhere?"
"Have you seen ours?" countered Bob from inside the room "Come in Ike. We need to talk."
"Hmmm, sounds intriguing," said Ike as he stepped into the room. "Okay, what's Zac done now?"
"We don't know," said Clint. "Look we really don't know you but I feel I can trust you and, anyway this involves you as much as us."
Ike's usual happy countenance dropped and he looked intently at the twins. "Go on," he said.
The twins looked at each other and Clint, as usual, took the lead. "Have you noticed anything strange going on around Scott, Taylor, Dave & Zac? I mean weird behaviour?"
"I know where you're coming from," said Ike. There's been a lot of whispering and disappearances. Not to mention the moods. I've sensed there's something wrong but I can't get near Taylor - we were never really close. And Zac, for the first time in his life, isn't saying anything. And that worries me above everything else."
"We've got a theory," said Bob.
"Go on" Ike perked up a bit at this.
"Scott and Taylor are in love and having an affair!" The twins said in perfect unison.
Ike's face dropped again as he said, "I know that. I've known Taylor is gay since he was five years old. Some people it just shines from them like a beacon. Mom and Dad know too. But Taylor doesn't know we know. Its funny though, when I first saw The Moffatts I always thought the gay one would have been you, Bob. I don't know why."
"Huh?" said Bob, taken aback. "Don't look at me like that, Clint. Ike's wrong this time!"
"Sorry, Bob," said Ike. "No offense intended."
"None taken," said Bob. "Quit looking at me like that Clint. You're giving me the creeps. I'm not gay. Okay."
"Okay," said Clint "But what about Dave and Zac? Where do they fit in?"
"They're just buddies," said Ike "Two young guys just out have fun, like kids do."
"Dave's the same age as us" said Clint.
"Yeah, but we've always treated him like a little brother," Bob interjected, "and Mom always babied him."
"Yeah, I guess," said Clint biting his lower lip thoughtfully. "You don't think they're following their brothers example, do you? And getting into something they can't control?"
"Nothing Zac did would ever surprise me," said Ike. "Of course I can't speak for your brother. Although something pretty alarming went on in our bathroom yesterday when Dave and Zac were there. It looked like a hurricane had hit it, Zac can make a mess to rival any junkyard but this was something else. I'm not suggesting anything but it looked to me as if two people had shared the shower."
"No, not Big D" said Bob.
"Why not?" said Clint "Well, he's our brother and he's so, so, so er-- butch," said Bob rather unconvincingly.
"Scott's our brother as well."
"Yeh, but not two out of four, that's way too big odds."
"Or three out of four," the ghost of a smile crept onto Clint's lips.
The penny dropped and Bob shouted at Clint "Watch My Lips. I Am Not Gay!" On the last four syllables he jabbed his smirking brother in the chest with a pointing finger. Clint roared with laughter at this and the other two joined in. But it was time to return to topic.
"What about the other stuff"? Bob asked and the laughter stopped as if switched off.
"Other stuff," said Ike looking up quickly.
"Don't you feel like there's something not quite right going on?"
"Brown envelopes" cut in Bob.
"Brown envelopes?" said Ike.
"Brown envelopes that are rapidly hidden when you walk in the room," continued Clint.
"Brown envelopes - like this?" Ike produced a folded envelope from his back pocket. It was addressed to Taylor Hanson.
The twin's faces went white and they gasped in unison and said as one, "Well, go on, what's in it for Christ's sake."
Ike snapped out of his shock at this dazzling display of sibling telepathy.
"Nothing" said Ike.
"Shit" the twins once again spoke as one "How did you get it?"
"I was tidying up for the sake of something to do and this fell out of Taylor's backpack. I'd seen him hiding them previously and it was too good a chance to miss. If they were here I was going to confront Taylor to find out the big secret."
"Hold on!" Cried Bob What's this in here? Ugh! I think it's red ink."
Clint snatched the envelope out of his brothers' hand, looked inside and said quietly.
"Guys, this is worse than we thought. This isn't ink. Its Blood!"