Ivy saw Olivia raise her hand to ask a question. “Do we have to type the assignment?” Even her voice sounded familiar.
Ivy was more certain than ever that there was something strange about the girl in the pink dress.
When the bell rang, Ivy waited for Brendan to leave before she got up. She and Sophia were headed to their lockers when Sophia nudged her arm and said, “Looks like the new bunny’s about to be roadkill.”
Down the hall, Olivia Abbott was standing by the bathrooms, surrounded by four boys in black heavy metal T-shirts.
Oh no, thought Ivy. It was the Beasts.
Before she knew what she was doing, Ivy was rushing toward the group.
“New meat,” she heard one of the boys say.
“Yeah, dude.” Another Beast chuckled. “Like, with ketchup. I wonder if she likes horror stories.” They all guffawed.
For the first time, Ivy saw Olivia without a smile on her face. Their eyes met over the boys’ shoulders. Olivia looked half confused, half scared.
Ivy clenched her teeth. As night was her witness, there was no way she was going to let this girl be eaten alive by the biggest Goth losers at Franklin. “Buzz off and die, Beasts!” she growled, shoving them aside and stepping in front of Olivia. “Go haunt a convenience store parking lot.”
“What’s your problem, Vega?”
“You’re my problem, you rat. Now put a stake in it.” Ivy unleashed her death squint. “I said buzz off!”
The Beasts laughed uncomfortably before slinking away down the hall.
“I am so happy you showed up,” Olivia blurted. “I don’t even know your name, and you’re already my favorite person!”
Ivy introduced herself. “And don’t worry about the Beasts,” she said. “They’re harmless. They act all grave, but they’re not nearly as scary as they smell.”
“You sure seem to know how to handle them,” Olivia remarked.
“Yeah, well, I’d better,” Ivy said. “I’m going to have to put up with them forever.”
Olivia laughed. “Anyway, thank you for the second time today, Ivy Vega. I’m really grateful.”
That strange feeling rushed back over Ivy with a force so powerful she nearly stumbled. All at once, she realized why the new girl looked so familiar. She looks a lot like me, Ivy thought. More than a lot—she looks almost exactly like me!
A wave of nausea hit her, and her knees trembled. She was either going to throw up or faint right in the middle of the hall. Brendan would see her splayed out on the linoleum floor, her face whiter than bone, her black-stockinged legs twisted like a doll’s.
Olivia was still talking, but the roar in Ivy’s head was too loud for her to hear.
“Later,” Ivy croaked. And, quick as a bat, she flew into the girls’ bathroom.
Chapter 2
Oh great, Olivia thought, I overdid it. Why did she always have to come on so strong when she met new people? Here was this girl, Ivy, clearly trying to be nice, and Olivia immediately started talking her ear off. The poor girl had looked like she was about to puke.
Still, Olivia couldn’t help wondering why Ivy Vega had gone out of her way to help her. After all, Ivy was ultra Goth. For someone like her to be friendly to someone like Olivia twice in one morning was unusual to say the least.
Whatever. Olivia had gym next, and she needed to find the locker room and change as fast as she could. The principal had said that Ms. Barnett, her PE teacher, was also the cheerleading coach, and Olivia wanted to make a stellar first impression.
“You’re not wearing socks, Miss Abbott,” Ms. Barnett said sternly less than seven minutes later. Olivia had barely had a chance to introduce herself. “This is a physical education class, young lady. How can you receive a physical education if your feet are not properly attired?”
Olivia made sure she kept smiling, which wasn’t easy considering she was also trying to nod seriously. “I completely agree,” she said sincerely. “I’ve been cheerleading since I was eight, and I fully understand the dangers of painful blisters and unwanted foot fungus. I promise not to forget my socks again, ma’am.”
Ms. Barnett nodded with begrudging respect.
There isn’t a female gym teacher on earth who doesn’t love being called Ma’am, thought Olivia.
After Ms. Barnett had given her the details of the squad tryouts coming up in three weeks, she led Olivia across the gym to where three girls were taking turns doing handsprings. She gestured to one with a blond ponytail, who bounced right over.
“Charlotte Brown, this is Olivia Abbott. She’s also interested in trying out for the squad.”
“You’re the new girl!” Charlotte cried. “Welcome to Fraaaaaaaanklin”—she rolled her hands like a motor and threw her arms in the air—“GROVE!”
Olivia smiled. “Nice to meet you.”
“Come on,” said Charlotte. “I’m just about to teach Katie and Allison this unbelievably awesome cheer!”
For the first time all morning, Olivia let herself relax. She’d found the cheerleaders. Unlike the other students in gym class, all three girls wore matching short pink shorts and tight gray Franklin Devils T-shirts. Olivia just knew she’d be having sleepovers and talking about boys in the locker room with them before long.
Olivia watched Charlotte run through the routine. The girl clearly knew her stuff. She had good energy, sharp moves, nice tumbling. It was completely possible that Charlotte Brown was going to be her new best friend.
“That was great, Charlotte!” Olivia said. Except, she thought, “devil” doesn’t really rhyme with “bubble,” but, whatever. “We used to do a cheer a lot like that at my old school.”