05 Take Two - My Sister the Vampire (14 page)

‘Olivia?’ she whispered as loud as she dared.

‘Ivy!’ came the reply.

Ivy shuffled in the direction of the voice and found Olivia hiding by the fryer.

‘You made it!’ Ivy gave Olivia a huge hug.

‘Just in time for the dance to the coconut gods,’ Olivia said.

‘Sorry about that,’ Ivy said. ‘But you’re here now, so let’s switch.’

Ivy slipped on the green sweater dress.

‘I love this Hawaiian print,’ Olivia said, admiring the sundress.

Ivy pushed Olivia towards the kitchen door. ‘I think you’re going to have to be in some photos before your audition starts again. See if
you can step in front of Charlotte!’

‘Thanks, sis. I owe you one.’

‘No, we owe
Charlotte
one for all this,’ Ivy replied. ‘Now go out there and get that part!’

Olivia couldn’t stop smiling. She was having so much fun reading through the lines with Jackson. They’d gotten through the coconut part and were at the scene where he was chasing her through the surf under the moonlight. Olivia could imagine how romantic that would look on screen.

‘Mia, I –’ Jackson said, holding her arm.

He drew her close. Olivia held her breath. All the cameras and crew and lights seemed to disappear. She could imagine being on a beach with Jackson. She looked up at him, his blue eyes sparkling. Their faces were so close Olivia was having trouble swallowing. She knew he
was supposed to say the rest of his line, so why didn’t he? Was he going to kiss her?

Olivia couldn’t deny it any more. Being near Jackson made her happier than tofu salads. Her heart raced.

‘Mia, I wish you didn’t have to leave.’

‘Me, too,’ Olivia whispered. She felt herself rising on to her tiptoes, ever so slightly, closing her eyes, then . . .

‘CUT!’ shouted Philippe and the spell was broken.

Olivia sank back on to her heels. She blinked in the glare of the lights and saw all the camera crew staring.

‘Good, good, yes.’ Philippe clapped. ‘Thank you all, ladies. We will think on this, watch these tapes and announce our decision tomorrow.’

Olivia sat down on one of the stools, feeling amazed by the moment she’d just had with
Jackson and wondering if she’d done enough to get the part.

‘It’s almost like you were a different person that second time,’ Jackson said, sitting down next to her and swivelling in semi-circles. ‘You were so good!’

All Olivia could do was smile.

Jackson paused. ‘Is now later?’

‘What?’ Olivia had no idea what he meant.

‘Does now count as later? Can I ask you again?’

Olivia realised this must be something that happened when she was switched with Ivy. ‘Sure, you can ask me now.’

‘Well, like I said, I’ve never met anyone like you.’

Olivia’s heart started to pound.
Is what I think is about to happen actually happening?

‘You are smart and beautiful and a really good actress.’

Olivia held her breath.
Oh my pompoms, it
is
happening!
she realised. Her mouth went dry.

‘Could we hang out off-set, away from all the craziness? Just you and me?’

Olivia gulped. Her movie-star crush was asking her out! Underneath all the Hollywood glamour, he was a normal guy. The kind of normal guy she would love as a boyfriend. It wasn’t like he was a vampire or anything.
If he wants to take me out, I’m going to let him
, she decided.

‘Yes,’ she said.

‘Yes?’ Jackson replied. ‘Yes!’ He got so excited that he spun all the way round in his chair.

‘Jackson!’ Amy stopped right in front of them, one hand on her hip. ‘
Inside Hollywood
wants to interview you on camera.’

‘Sorry to rush off. I’ll call you later,’ he said to Olivia and hurried away.

Olivia was stunned.

Camilla came up to her. ‘From the grin on
your face, something big just happened.’

Olivia nodded. ‘He asked me out!’ This was major. She had to tell Ivy. She had to tell everyone! No, she shouldn’t tell people. ‘I’m calm,’ she said aloud. ‘I’m not freaking out.’ But she guessed she was smiling like an idiot.

‘I would be freaking out,’ Camilla admitted.

‘OK, I am.’ Olivia needed a rest. Today had been such a crazy day that she needed to sit down and take it all in.

But first she had to get out of the teeny sundress. Brr.

Ivy had slipped out of the back door of the diner. She had to hide out behind a dumpster, while the hoards of cameramen snapped away at the six Mia wannabes and shouted questions at them: ‘What can you tell us about Jackson?’ and ‘Which one of you is best at cooking?’

Olivia was at the opposite end to Charlotte, but Ivy smirked when she saw another candidate toss her hair right in Charlotte’s face.

She didn’t want anyone to catch on that there were two Olivias running around the set, but she didn’t dare risk moving until the Mias had gone back inside and the paparazzi had dispersed.

She dodged behind a truck when two security guards walked past and then hid behind a stack of boxes when she saw a lighting technician. Ivy had to get out of Olivia’s bunny clothes as soon as vampirically possible.

‘Oof!’ As she stepped out from behind the boxes, she ran smack into the broad back of a guy dressed all in black. ‘Uh, sorry.’

He turned around and smiled. ‘I’m not. It’s the closest I’ve got to you in days.’

‘Brendan!’ she exclaimed.

He gathered her up in a hug. ‘You look so cute with a tan.’

‘Ha ha,’ she replied. ‘How did you get on set?’

‘It turns out Jerome is almost as fond of the Breakfast Bun as my girlfriend is.’

Ivy smiled. ‘Well, I’m desperate to change before our double act is discovered.’

He pointed across the parking lot to a dark trailer. ‘I bet that’s someplace no one will see you.’

‘That’s Jessica’s trailer.’ Ivy caught on quickly. ‘Genius! Just wait here and I’ll grab my clothes from the costume trailer. I won’t be able to change there because there’s bound to be some extras hanging around, looking for accessories to “borrow”.’ Ivy ran between trailers to the costume trailer and ducked her head in, grabbing her bag before anyone saw her. Then she raced back to Brendan, crouching low in order to avoid being spotted.

‘Good rescue!’ Brendan whispered.

They looked both ways. No one was coming, so they scurried across to Jessica’s trailer.

‘I’ll be your watch dog,’ Brendan said.

Ivy gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, yanked open the door and stepped inside. Jessica’s trailer was dark and, even though it was twice as big as every other trailer on the lot, it was crammed with stuff. Jessica had clearly just stormed off and left everything behind.

There were bunches of flowers, now wilting from lack of water, and a bowl full of chocolate candies with all the colours picked out except the red ones.

‘People actually demand that?’ Ivy muttered.

She switched back into her normal clothes and then rummaged through the drawers of Jessica’s vanity table to find some make-up remover. There were boxes of false eyelashes, bottles of hairspray
and fake tan, and even some wart cream.

‘Ew,’ Ivy said.

She found some removal cream and wiped off as much of the tan as she could, until she felt almost herself again.

Just as she was about to leave, she heard Brendan outside coughing loudly.

Oh no
, Ivy thought.
I’ve got nowhere to hide!

She could see out of a side window and there were people milling around outside the trailer opposite. She knew that was Jackson’s trailer; she could see him moving around inside, pausing by his dressing-table mirror.

Ivy watched as he leaned in close to the mirror.

What’s he doing?
Ivy wondered.

He was hunched over. His fingers were going to his eye. Ivy gasped as he popped out a contact lens with one finger. CONTACT LENS! Just like the one she put in every day to
protect her vampire eyes from the sun.

Garlic clause or no
, Ivy thought.
This is the evidence I’ve been waiting for! Jackson has to be a vampire.

Chapter Ten

I
vy couldn’t help feeling like she was tied to a stake while Olivia practically floated around her bedroom.

‘It was sweet,’ Olivia was saying. ‘He was so nervous.’

‘I know, but –’ Ivy started.

‘And the look on his face when I said yes!’ Olivia interrupted.

‘Yes, but –’ Ivy tried again.

‘And I couldn’t stop smiling after.’

‘Olivia!’ Ivy said.

‘What?’ Olivia froze in place, holding on to
one of the bed posts.

‘You know how you said you wanted a normal boyfriend?’ Ivy began.

Olivia sat cross-legged on her bed and grinned at Ivy. ‘I know, but he is normal. He’s funny. He’s cute. He can quote lines from Count Vira novels.’

Ivy sighed. ‘But what if there is something you don’t know about him?’

‘There’s tons I don’t know about him,’ Olivia said. ‘And I hope I get to find out!’

Ivy had to tell her. ‘I mean, what if he had a special relationship with his dentist?’

Olivia crinkled her nose. ‘Do you mean he doesn’t floss?’

‘No.’ She tried another track. ‘I mean he wears contact lenses.’

Olivia looked confused. ‘I don’t care if he’s near-sighted.’

There was no way to break it gently. ‘Jackson
isn’t near-sighted – I think he’s a vampire.’

Olivia’s jaw dropped open. ‘What?’

Ivy went and sat next to her sister. ‘The make-up artist has to order in tons of fake tan; Jackson has a no-garlic clause in his contract and I saw him taking out his contact lenses in his trailer. I’m sure of it. He’s a night-walking, coffin-sleeping, sun-averse vampire.’

Ivy thought her sister’s eyes looked a little watery.

It took a moment, but then Olivia seemed to gather herself. ‘I know you can’t tell who’s a vampire and who’s not, but I never would have thought . . . Well, I mean . . . Jackson? Really?’ She sighed. ‘That explains the burger.’

‘I’m sorry. I had to tell you,’ Ivy said.

Olivia nodded. ‘He was just too perfect, I guess.’ Olivia put her head on Ivy’s shoulder. ‘I think I could’ve gotten over the distance and the
chaos, but this . . .’ she trailed off and Ivy felt even worse. ‘Being with a vampire is just not how I see my life playing out.’ Olivia sniffled. ‘It just makes everything way too complicated.’

‘What are you going to do?’ Ivy asked gently.

‘I have to be honest with him. Tell him I know and call it off,’ Olivia said.

‘Are you
sure
you can’t have a vampire boyfriend?’ Ivy wondered if Olivia was making a choice she’d regret.

Olivia shook her head. ‘I’m just lucky you discovered it now, before we’d had a first real date. I’ve only just found out about all this vampire stuff. A vampire boyfriend is just too much to handle right now.’

Olivia wrapped her arms around herself. Ivy had to give her a big hug. ‘I’m really sorry,’ she whispered. Ivy’s first attempt at match-making had been a complete disaster.

‘Me, too,’ said Olivia. ‘I guess I’ll have to meet him somewhere we can talk without interruptions.’ Olivia crinkled her nose. ‘And I’ve got a good idea where that should be.’