‘Good luck with that,’ Ivy grumbled. ‘I’ve been here a week already, and I’m not getting used to anything!’
‘Oh, come on.’ Olivia gave her twin a sympathetic smile. ‘There’s got to be something good about this school, right? I mean . . .’ she looked around the dimly lit hallway, searching for something positive to say ‘. . . at least the light isn’t bright enough to hurt your eyes.’
Ivy snorted. ‘I wish . . . oh, no!’
‘What is it?’ As her sister’s eyes widened with horror, Olivia twisted around . . . just in time to see half a dozen goths descend in a mass of black hair, flapping black trench coats and jangling silver jewellery.
They swept down around Ivy like a flock of blackbirds.
‘Oh, Ivy, where did you get that killer ensemble?’ The girl in front was almost shrieking with excitement, reaching out to stroke Ivy’s Pall Bearers T-shirt with one black-nailed hand.
Olivia watched Ivy squint – not in one of her patented death-stares this time, but in an obvious attempt to hide the fact that she was rolling her eyes as she scooted backwards.
‘These are the exact same clothes I was wearing last Friday,’ she said, sighing. ‘There’s nothing special about them.’
‘Ohhhh!’ breathed the girl who’d asked the question. She clapped one hand to her mouth, her eyes widening in obvious wonder. ‘That is so daring of you!’
The two girls behind Olivia started whispering frantically.
‘She’s so cool, she doesn’t even do laundry!’
‘I’m going to try that, too!’
More and more goths gravitated towards them, as if Ivy were a magnet pulling them in from throughout the school. Olivia had never seen anything like it. Her twin had no choice but to keep backing away to create room for the newcomers. Within a few minutes, she had somehow drifted from one side of the hall to the other, fending off fashion-related questions with every step.
‘But how do you get so pale?’ the closest girl asked imploringly. ‘I want to do it, too!’
‘Um . . .’ Ivy gave Olivia a look of obvious desperation, but they were separated by so many goths now, Olivia could only shrug sympathetically. ‘I don’t know,’ Ivy said. ‘Just luck?’
The girl pressed on, forcing Ivy further backwards. ‘But what brand of pale foundation do you use? You can tell me, Ivy! I’d never tell anyone else!’
‘I don’t really . . .’ Ivy began.
As she backed away, she walked straight into a sweet-faced bunny girl who was trying to edge past the group of goths. It would have been bad enough if Ivy was human – but with her vampire strength, she knocked the girl straight to the ground.
Oh, no! Olivia raced over to help. Ivy was already apologising as she leaned over the bunny girl.
‘I’m so sorry!’ Ivy said, for at least the third time. ‘I wasn’t looking where I was going. Are you OK?’
Olivia and Ivy took an arm each as they helped the girl to her feet. But the bunny shrugged them off.
‘No, no!’ she said to Ivy. ‘Please don’t apologise. It was my fault. I totally should have been watching where you were going! No one should get in your way. Ever!’
Hey. Suddenly frowning, Olivia let go of her arm. She didn’t have to be nasty about it. That kind of cruel sarcasm had been exactly what their old nemesis Charlotte Brown had specialised in, back at Franklin Grove Middle.
But as Olivia watched the other girl, the truth dawned on her. She wasn’t being sarcastic at all. She actually thought the collision was somehow her fault.
‘Please forgive me!’ she said earnestly, gathering up the last of her books. ‘I promise I won’t do it again.’
‘But . . .’ Ivy began.
It was too late. Still apologising, the girl had already hurried away.
Olivia met Ivy’s gaze and saw the desperate frustration simmering there. She started to step forwards but the goths had already moved back in. They swept between her and her twin like a tsunami. Olivia felt dizzy as she watched the wave carry Ivy down the hall. Even though she was standing still, it seemed like the world was spinning around her.
Ivy and Sophia were right. High school really is weird! Olivia was used to fangirls swooping down on Jackson and other movie stars. But on her own sister? Just for being cool ?
Olivia took a deep breath and rubbed her eyes, trying to steady herself. But when she opened her eyes again, she saw the weirdest sight yet. Ivy’s best friend Sophia was walking towards her down the hall, wearing one of her usual sleek black outfits . . . but her hair was . . . partially blonde!
It’s so different, Olivia thought, staring. But it’s fabulous!
Ivy had told her all about how Sophia had crushed on a skater-boy and gone pixie-blonde for a couple of days. The boy wasn’t anywhere in sight now, but Olivia absolutely loved Sophia’s new hair!
Sophia’s black roots were already growing back, and she had obviously taken the opportunity to dye the tips of her hair the same colour, leaving jagged streaks of blonde in chaotic patterns all over her head. It looked a little bit like lightning!
‘Hey, you!’ Sophia’s lips curved into a smile as she joined Olivia. ‘You’re back! How was London?’
‘It was all great,’ Olivia said weakly. She shook her head wonderingly even as she moved forwards for a welcome-back hug. ‘But you . . . what about you? You look amazing. I love your hair!’
‘Thanks. Me, too!’ Sophia hugged Olivia. When she pulled back, Olivia could see her scanning the crowd of goths surrounding Ivy. ‘I saw that little scene with the bunny girl, though. Is everyone here still sucking up to Ivy?’