‘Fashion victim alert,’ Ivy whispered. Olivia agreed. Apparently these girls had never heard the phrase, ‘too much of a good thing’.
She tugged Ivy into the shoe department and ducked behind a display of knee-high riding boots. ‘What now?’ asked Olivia.
Ivy blinked. ‘I thought you had a plan?’
Olivia bit the side of her thumb. ‘I do. I’m just . . . bracing myself.’
‘Well, consider yourself braced!’ Ivy’s eyes grew wide. ‘You have to go over there.’
‘OK, OK, I’m going!’ Olivia took a deep breath. She had once balanced one-legged on top of a cheerleading pyramid in front an entire football stadium. Compared to that, how hard can this be? She walked over to the girls. ‘Lucrezia, Melinda, Veronica, I’ve had enough of you muscling in on the school dance.’ Olivia tried to keep her voice from quaking. ‘It’s not right and it’s not fair.’ Channelling her sister, Olivia put her hands on her hips and waited.
The trio glanced around at one another and then Lucrezia burst into a fit of laughter. She doubled over, grabbing her stomach. Evidently, Olivia was quite the comedian.
Melinda stood over Olivia, at least four inches taller. ‘Who do you think you are, talking to us like that?’ Olivia was seriously regretting her choice of ballet flats. ‘You’re younger than us!’ This was enough to send Lucrezia and Veronica into hysterics.
Olivia’s face blazed. She was starting to back away, when she remembered how she’d managed to deal with Jessica Phelps when the actress had tried to humiliate her at the Hollywood awards. She thought about sending the girls her best killer death stare, but then something made her stop. Don’t stoop to their level.
‘I just want you to know that if you interfere with the committee again, you’ll leave me no choice but to formally ask for you to be banned from meetings. I’m sure none of us wants that. It wouldn’t look good on your school records.’ Olivia narrowed her eyes to let them know she meant business. ‘If I were you, I wouldn’t push your luck.’
She’d kept her voice pleasant, but there was no mistaking how serious Olivia was.
Veronica flipped her hair over her shoulder. ‘Fine. We’ll stay away . . . or whatever.’
Olivia arched an eyebrow, silently congratulating herself on her acting skills. ‘That’s better.’ Then, without waiting for a response, she pivoted on the spot and walked over to Ivy.
The two of them breezed out of the store. When they’d got round the corner, Olivia pulled out her phone and busied herself dialling Jenny’s number.
‘Hello, Jenny? No need to worry. You’ll be fine to go ahead without me for one meeting.’ Olivia grinned at her sister. ‘I guarantee it.’ She hung up and skipped next to Ivy.
‘You were impressive back there,’ Ivy told her. ‘Cold as ice. You should be a vampire!’
‘Yeah, go to vampire school or something!’ Olivia joked. Ivy slowed to a stop and watched her twin pull ahead.
You have no idea how close to the truth you are, Ivy thought. One of us really might be about to enrol at a vampire academy.
When Ivy and Olivia returned home, they found their father pacing in the hallway. Olivia had told him they were going to the mall. He didn’t need to be worried. She checked her watch. They weren’t late. Was something wrong?
‘Dad?’ Ivy tapped him on the shoulder. ‘We’re home.’
‘Great.’ He flashed a smile. ‘How does my hair look?’
What?
Olivia examined his dark, slicked-back hair. He always looked old-world dashing. ‘Like it always looks?’ she said, shrugging.
Mr Vega shook his head, as if trying to bring himself back to reality. ‘Right, of course. Girls, your grandparents are in the dining room. We’re about ready to eat.’
‘Aren’t you coming?’ Olivia asked, but her bio-dad had stopped paying attention because, at that instant, the doorbell rang. ‘I’ll get it.’ Olivia scurried over to the door. She didn’t know they were expecting guests.
On the other side of the threshold stood Lillian, looking a little more prim than usual. She wore a black pencil skirt and matching cardigan, with a deep purple silk scarf tied around her neck. ‘Wow,’ said Olivia, breathless. ‘You look fabulous!’ She welcomed Lillian inside. ‘What’s the occasion?’ Then she understood. The Lazars were here – her bio-dad’s parents – and Lillian had never met them. Olivia let out an excited squeal. Lillian was meeting the parents!
The Lazars appeared from the dining room to stand beside Charles. Olivia took Lillian’s purse, thinking that perhaps Lillian looked a bit shakier than usual as she entered the Vega household.
‘Hello, Countess Lazar.’ Lillian curtseyed. ‘Nice to meet you, Count Lazar.’ She gave a second curtsy. She was doing all the right things. Even Ivy looked pleased. But Lillian wasn’t done.
‘I have something for you.’ For the finishing touch, Lillian pulled out a beautiful gold frame from her purse. The Countess gasped and Olivia and Ivy hurried to see what Lillian had given their grandparents. Inside the frame was a picture of Ivy, Olivia, and their father, Charles, dressed up in their red-carpet best for the Bright Stars awards show.
‘It’s perfect!’ their grandmother exclaimed, reaching to give Lillian a hug.
Mr Vega kissed Lillian on the cheek and took her hand.
The Countess cupped her hand around her mouth as if telling Lillian a secret, but she didn’t lower her volume. ‘My son has always had excellent taste in companions.’