‘Yes?’ she snapped into her cell phone. ‘What is it?’
‘Ivy . . .’ It was Brendan, and he didn’t sound happy either. ‘You need to get over here. Fast.’
‘Where are you?’ Ivy was already starting up from her computer desk and hunting for her boots in her messy bedroom. ‘What’s wrong?’
Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted the tip of one black boot peeking out from under her bed. She dived for it just as Brendan answered:
‘I’m in the Lincoln Vale skatepark.’
Ivy groaned. With her head still halfway under her bed, she asked, ‘Is Sophia there?’
‘For now.’ Brendan’s tone was grim. ‘But, pretty soon, she’ll be in the emergency room if she keeps falling off that skateboard.’
Ivy pulled herself up to sit on the cluttered floor by the bed, leaving the boot lying abandoned nearby. ‘I don’t know if it’s a good idea for me to show up there,’ she mumbled, drawing her knees up to her chest. ‘I don’t think Sophia wants to see me right now. We’re . . . we’re not exactly best friends at the moment.’
‘Stop talking nonsense.’ Brendan’s words rapped out, making Ivy gasp.
She’d never heard him sound so tough on her before!
He barely paused for breath before continuing. ‘One: yesterday was hardly World War 3. You had a fight – so what? You’ve been best friends for years!’
‘But she’s really mad at me,’ Ivy whispered.
‘And two,’ Brendan continued, ‘it doesn’t matter how mad either of you might be right now. You are too good a friend to let Sophia humiliate herself again!’
Ivy breathed in deeply. He’s right, she realised. Maybe Sophia would be mad that she’d come. Maybe they’d even have another fight. But they had been friends for too long to let one fight change everything.
‘OK,’ said Ivy, grabbing her boot from under the bed. She found its twin by the chest of drawers, already pointing at the door. ‘I’ll be there as fast as I can,’ she promised.
. . . Or, as fast as the bus will take me!
Half an hour later, she was crossing the park at top speed, aiming for Gingham Central – the skatepark. She came to a dead halt when she caught sight of Sophia.
What does she think she’s doing?
Looking more confident on her skateboard than Ivy had ever seen her before, Sophia zoomed straight off the edge of one of the skatepark’s concrete canyons. She looped through mid-air in a fast somersault that made Ivy’s heart lurch. A moment later, she landed – almost perfectly.
Wow. Ivy drew a deep breath, feeling relief shudder through her. OK, maybe Sophia won’t end up in the ER after all.
She started forwards . . . but Sophia hadn’t finished. She flashed a quick look at Finn from underneath her newly blonde fringe, then launched herself forwards again, flinging herself into the air off the top of the canyon. This time, her loop soared even higher. She gripped the sides of her skateboard to carry it with her as she flew . . .
But skateboards hadn’t been designed for vampire strength.
Beneath Sophia’s grip, the skateboard snapped with a crack that echoed through the park.
With a shriek, Ivy started running. But even her vampire speed would not have got her there in time.
As the two pieces fell apart, Sophia tumbled through the air and landed hard on her back in the grass nearby.
Ivy and Brendan were the first to reach her, as people ran from all over the park.
‘Sophia!’ Ivy bent over her friend, shaking with panic.
‘I’m OK,’ Sophia mumbled, her eyes flickering open. She gave Ivy a weak smile as she pulled herself up to a sitting position. ‘Seriously.’
‘Thank darkness.’ Ivy let out her breath. Then she lowered her voice to a hiss. ‘What were you thinking?’
Before Sophia could answer, though, Finn came running.
‘Are you OK? I’ve never seen a skateboard snap like that!’ He picked up the broken pieces, shaking his head while his followers gathered around him to stare at the evidence. ‘Talk about amateur workmanship!’
‘Oh . . . right!’ Sophia’s eyes widened as she gazed up at Finn. ‘And I’m fine. Absolutely fine!’
Over Sophia’s shoulder, Brendan met Ivy’s gaze. She sighed and gave him a discreet nod. We lucked out, she admitted to herself. All the skaters gathering round were blaming the skateboard. It hadn’t even occurred to them that Sophia might have been super-strong.
But didn’t Sophia even realise what a close call it had been? What she’d done hadn’t just put herself at risk – it had put every vampire at risk! She’d nearly exploded vampire secrets wide open . . . but she was so busy looking starry-eyed at Finn, she didn’t even seem to have noticed.
Gritting her teeth, Ivy grabbed Sophia’s arm. ‘Come on,’ she growled. ‘We need to get you home.’
‘No way. I’m fine!’ Sophia tried to yank her arm away, but she couldn’t help wincing.
‘You’re definitely bruised, and you need a rest.’ Brendan took Sophia’s other arm.
Pouting, Sophia stopped resisting. As Ivy and Brendan drew her away from the broken pieces of the skateboard, she whispered, ‘What are you doing? Couldn’t you see? Finn was talking to me! Isn’t that fantastic?’
‘Fantastic?’ Ivy had to drop Sophia’s arm before she could give in and shake her own best friend by the shoulders. ‘He was talking to you because you had hurt yourself !’