14 Flipping Out - My Sister the Vampire (13 page)

As she marched through the hallway ten minutes later, Olivia did her best not to make eye-contact with
anyone
 
. Seriously, had the kids
from the bus
really
had to tell her embarrassing story to every single person they met today? She could hear whispers on every side, and she didn’t need to have vampire hearing to
know that they were talking about her.

I was trying to help this whole school with ‘Operation Famelia’!
she wanted to yell.
I was doing it for you guys!

Instead, she kept her head down and her gaze fixed on the ground . . . until a strong hand suddenly grabbed her arm. Even as Olivia yelped, she was dragged sideways across the hallway floor. A
moment later, a door slammed shut, closing her off from the crowded hallway. Shelves full of pens and paper rose around her.

‘What on earth?’ She whirled around.
Ivy!
‘What’s going on?’ Olivia asked her twin. ‘And why are we in a stationery cupboard?’

‘I should ask you that!’ Ivy stared at her. ‘Where have you been this morning? When I didn’t see you on the bus, I thought you must be sick today.’

‘Not . . . exactly.’ Olivia sighed. At least the rumour mill hadn’t reached Ivy yet. Maybe even the gossips were smart enough to know that the most popular girl in ninth grade
wouldn’t take well at all to people mocking her twin. ‘I got the bus from Lincoln Vale.’

‘Sorry?’ Ivy frowned. ‘But why –? No, never mind. I don’t need any more of a headache!’

Olivia looked more closely at her sister. Ivy’s skin was paler than usual, and her eyes looked shadowed. ‘Why are we in a
stationery cupboard
 
?’

Ivy shrugged, looking miserable. ‘I didn’t know where else to go. I don’t know
anything
at this crazy school! I walk into the hallways and just get overcome with the
urge to . . . well, hide!’ She slumped back against the shelves of paper, wrapping her arms around her chest defensively. ‘I couldn’t think of anywhere else we could talk without
being interrupted.’

Olivia shook her head, concern overwhelming her earlier embarrassment. ‘This has to stop,’ she said. ‘You can’t
hide in cupboards
every day for four years, can
you?’

‘Maybe not,’ Ivy muttered. ‘But I also can’t give fashion tips to every pale-faced, eyeliner-wearing ninth grader who thinks the Pall Bearers sold out . . . which they
did not!’ She straightened, her face darkening with obvious outrage. ‘There’s absolutely nothing wrong with keyboards, no matter what any of those goths want to say!’

‘Ohh-kay,’ Olivia said, and put her hands up. ‘
I
didn’t criticise your favourite band, though. Remember?’

‘I know.’ Ivy sagged again, the energy seeming to drain out of her. ‘The thing is, I don’t want to change just because of this popularity nonsense . . . but right now, I
don’t see how I can avoid it.’

Olivia reached out and took her sister’s hand in hers. ‘Maybe change is just inevitable,’ she said quietly. ‘I mean, look at us. We’re older now, and we’re in
a new school, with new people all around us. Well . . .’ she glanced over her shoulder ‘new
stationery
around us, at the moment. But you know what I mean! We’re going to
have to change whether we like it or not.’

Ivy squeezed her hand even as she scowled. ‘I wish I didn’t have to.’

‘Seriously?’ Olivia couldn’t help giggling as she imagined it. ‘Are you telling me you want to be fourteen for the rest of your life, Ivy Vega?’

‘Oh my darkness. No way!’ Ivy shuddered, dropping Olivia’s hand. ‘That would mean I’d be trapped in this school in a time-loop forever and ever. Do you know how
long
forever
is?’

‘I know it’s too long to spend in high school!’ Olivia agreed. Their gazes met, and they both started laughing at once. Olivia darted forwards and wrapped her twin up in a hug.
Ivy smelled of the incense she liked to burn, and she felt absolutely perfect to Olivia. ‘It is so, so good to be talking with you again!’

‘Even though it’s one of the most surreal, ridiculous conversations ever?’ Ivy’s arms closed around her tightly.

‘I only have these conversations with you,’ Olivia said honestly. ‘It’s one of the reasons I love them.’

‘Me, too. And we haven’t been talking at all this week, have we?’ Ivy sighed as she let go of the hug. ‘I’m so sorry about what happened in the cafeteria the other
day. It was just a situation that slipped completely out of my control. I didn’t know what to do to fix it . . . and then everything got so weird after that.’

‘Don’t worry.’ Olivia smiled reassuringly as she stepped back. ‘It’s all forgotten now. Honestly.’

‘Are you sure?’ Ivy’s eyes looked dark and lost. ‘Things have just gotten so tangled up –’

‘Then we’ll untangle them.’ Olivia gave a firm nod. ‘You’re right, all of this nonsense has come to a head. Luckily, I’m here to help.’

Maybe Olivia didn’t know how to handle Ivy’s level of popularity . . . but she knew someone else who would. And Ivy and Olivia weren’t the only ones who’d changed, this
past year.

Ivy’s eyes narrowed. ‘I know that look. Olivia Abbott, what are you planning?’

‘Don’t you worry,’ Olivia said, patting Ivy’s arm. Maybe she wouldn’t be able to get Finn and Amelia together after all – but she could at least help her own
sister. And it always felt better to have a plan of action!

‘I know exactly what to do,’ she announced. ‘All that Hollywood training of mine is finally going to come in handy.’

‘It is?’ Ivy looked even more nervous than before. ‘I’m not so sure . . .’

‘
I
am,’ said Olivia. ‘All we need is an empty house – that’ll be yours, tonight – and . . .’ she braced herself, preparing for a trademark Ivy
death-squint ‘. . . Charlotte Brown!’

‘What?!’ Ivy stared at her. ‘Are you serious? You want to ask
Charlotte Brown
for help with this? The girl who ruled Franklin Grove Middle with a sparkly pink fist?
She was our least favourite person there!’

‘I can hardly believe it, either,’ Olivia admitted, ‘but . . . Charlotte may be our only hope at this stage. Can you think of anyone
more
qualified to give advice
about popularity?’

‘Oh, ack.’ Ivy groaned. Her eyes darted furiously back and forth, as Olivia watched, holding her breath.

Finally, Ivy let out a heavy sigh. ‘Fine,’ she said. ‘I’ve run out of ideas of my own . . . so I can’t say no to any plan, no matter how much I hate it.’ She
set her jaw, looking as grim as if she were preparing to be marched to her own execution. ‘Let’s do it,’ she said. ‘Let’s bring in Charlotte.’

T
he doorbell to Ivy’s house rang that evening like a warning. She trudged towards it with heavy steps and found Charlotte Brown waiting for
her on the porch, looking as pop-star wannabe as ever. The neat suburban lawns of Undertaker Hill were quiet and plain behind her, making Charlotte look even more glitzy by contrast. Her blonde
hair was sprayed into perfect waves, and a bright pink leather purse, studded with rhinestones, hung over her arm.
All she’s missing is a tiny little dog to ride in the purse!
Ivy
thought.

‘Ivy Vega.’ Charlotte shook her head wonderingly as she looked Ivy up and down, from her black boots and combat trousers to her silver bat-wing top. ‘If someone had said a year
ago that you and I would be voluntarily
working together
on anything . . . would you have believed it?’

‘Not in a million years.’ Thinking of a thousand different snide comments Charlotte had tossed at her over the years, Ivy drew a deep breath – and then let it out in a
whoosh
, all her bad memories flooding out with it. ‘But you know what? Since you helped us take down that awful Jessica Phelps last spring, I have
no
trouble believing it
now. And that’s all that matters.’

‘Really?’ Charlotte’s lips quirked into a surprisingly shy-looking smile.

‘Really,’ Ivy agreed. Charlotte had helped save Olivia’s big movie role – and her relationship with Jackson – from the schemes of Hollywood’s most horrible
vamp actress. That had to count for a lot. She stepped forwards.
Yes, this is really happening!

Ivy was holding out her arms to Charlotte Brown, of all people . . . and Charlotte was doing the same in return. Franklin Grove Middle School’s sworn enemies were
hugging
 
!

‘Well.’ Charlotte stepped back, patting her hair back into place. ‘You’ve lucked out tonight. Not only am I working with you – I’ve brought
reinforcements!’

‘Huh?’ Ivy followed the direction of Charlotte’s pointing finger to look up the street. Then she grinned as she recognised the long blonde hair and hippie-styled clothing of
the girl hurrying towards them. ‘Holly!’

Holly Turner grinned back at Ivy as she reached the house. Her hair tumbled over her shoulders without a touch of hairspray, and embroidered flowers trailed all over her peasant blouse.
‘Hey, Ivy. How’s your new school going? Too bad you can’t go to Willowton High with us!’

‘Yeah, well . . .’ Ivy was still trying to figure out how to answer that when her eyes nearly popped out – because Holly and Charlotte were exchanging an actual hug in front of
her.
Whoa. That’s two hugs for Charlotte in two minutes – and she looks like she’s taking it for granted. Does enrolment at Willowton High come with a hug
requirement?

Ivy took a deep breath, absorbing the shock of it.
Maybe high school can be good for something after all!
Not only was Charlotte acting ten times nicer than she ever had before, but for
the first time ever, she seemed to have actual friends – even friends who were visibly different from her – rather than just ‘hangers-on’!

‘Come on in,’ Ivy said, as Holly and Charlotte moved apart. Still feeling dizzy with surprise, she stepped back and waved them down the hallway. ‘The others are all waiting in
the kitchen.’

Holly had been to Ivy’s house that summer, but this was the first time Ivy had ever invited Charlotte inside. She could feel the other girl looking at everything with curiosity, but there
were none of the snide comments she would have expected a year ago. When they stepped into the kitchen, though, and found Olivia, Brendan, Sophia and Camilla waiting there, eating chips,
Charlotte’s eyes widened.

‘Sophia! Your hair – it’s like lightning!’

Sophia smiled serenely, munching on another chip. ‘I know. Isn’t it great?’

‘Ah . . .’ Charlotte swallowed visibly. ‘Mm!’ she said, through clamped-shut lips. ‘Mmm!’ Her face flushed as pink as the purse over her arm.

Ivy hid a smirk as she stepped up to Brendan’s side. Charlotte looked as if she were about to burst with the effort of restraining herself from giving her
real
opinion . . . but
for once, Ivy’s ex-nemesis was actually holding her nasty comments in.
I was right: high school has definitely been good for her!

Olivia stepped smoothly into the breach before the moment could turn awkward. ‘So, the reason we’re all here . . .’ she swept her gaze across the others, drawing
everybody’s attention ‘. . . is that Ivy’s having a serious popularity problem.’

‘Sorry?’ Charlotte dropped the chip she’d just picked up. ‘Did you say
Ivy
’s having a popularity problem?’

‘You could say that again.’ Ivy groaned. ‘How do I get rid of it? Immediately?’

‘Well . . .’ Charlotte stared at her. ‘Well . . .’

I think I just exploded Charlotte’s head
, Ivy thought ruefully.
Guess she didn’t realise just how different our high school really is!

‘Sorry, cutie.’ Brendan looped his arm around Ivy’s shoulders, ignoring her mock-glare at the endearment. ‘You’re just too cool.’

‘Whatever!’ Ivy pretended to elbow him in the side.

‘Ahem.’ Olivia cleared her throat and gave them both a stern look, even as she patted Charlotte on the arm, obviously helping her through her shock. ‘The point is, Ivy needs to
get a handle on her popularity
without
being dishonest, or pretending to be someone she’s not.’ She turned to Charlotte. ‘That’s where you come in! Can you coach
Ivy on how to deal with popularity without losing her temper?’

‘Are you kidding?’ Gathering herself together, Charlotte waved a dismissive hand. ‘That will be
no
problem. Trust me, I’d mastered the art of Handling the
Hallway by fifth grade!’

‘Ohhh.’ Ivy let out a breath as something dawned on her. ‘I
get
it now!’

‘Sorry?’ Olivia turned to stare at her.

‘Nothing.’ Ivy leaned over to grab another chip, trying to hide her expression. ‘Sorry. I just meant, I’d really love the help.’

Privately, though, she was still reeling. She’d spent so many years loathing Charlotte for her ‘mean girl’ persona . . . but all that time, could Charlotte have been using it
to keep her life manageable at Franklin Grove Middle School?

Was that why she said all those awful things?

Ivy swallowed hard as she remembered some of her own mean behaviour this past week, as she’d coped with her sudden popularity. Not only had she said some pretty nasty things herself to try
to put people off, but there had been times when she had actually
meant
what she’d said.