‘Sure. It’s the best my dad could buy,’ Charlotte said, beaming. She shifted the camera into Olivia’s hands but, as soon as she got hold of it, Olivia heard a beeping noise. A red light on the side of the camera flashed and the screen flickered to blank. Olivia shook the camera, hoping it would come back to life like a zombie from the dead.
‘Hey, be careful!’ Charlotte protested. ‘Do you know how much this thing cost?’ She snatched the camera back. It must have been out of batteries. How utterly great. Olivia had lost her chance. Now she would have to find another way to delete the interview before anyone saw it.
Charlotte squinted at the blank camera screen.
‘This sucks,’ she said, fiddling with the battery compartment. ‘I was hoping to get some behind-the-scenes footage and I may not make any of the other committee meetings – I’ll be super-busy planning my outfit.’
‘That is a shame,’ Olivia said. She meant it, too. It seemed as if that camera was the only thing that could fend off the Mean Musketeers. In the meantime, she still had a committee meeting to manage . . .
‘How about a marshmallow tier-cake?’ one person suggested, raising a hand in the air.
‘What about a balloon arch for people to walk under as they arrive?’ a girl at the back of the hall called out.
‘I know a great DJ!’ one boy offered.
Olivia scribbled down the suggestions using her pink fuzzy-topped pen. Fabulous ideas were flying from all directions. This dance had the potential to be a knockout success!
The door wheezed open, and Olivia glanced up. It was the trio – Lucrezia, Melinda and Veronica. It was at times like these when Olivia would have really appreciated Jackson’s security entourage.
One of the girls leaned over Charlotte and asked, ‘Is that thing working?’
Charlotte raised her eyebrows, surprised to be addressed. ‘Um, no, sorry. The battery’s dead.’
The girls sent razor-sharp smiles in Olivia’s direction. ‘No problem,’ Veronica said in a loud voice. ‘No problem at all.’ They strutted down the room on their colourful espadrilles and chunky wedges. ‘Miss us?’ she asked.
Not really, Olivia wanted to say. What are they doing back?
‘We came up with a few ideas of our own. All we want to do is help.’ She looked around the room and it was like an ice storm passing over everyone’s heads. ‘Like here’s one: I think we should ban all goths and nerds from this dance. Everyone who’s with me say, “Aye!”’
‘Aye!’ Lucrezia and Melinda raised their hands before anyone had a chance to protest.
Talk about a hostile takeover, thought Olivia. She squared her shoulders and took a giant step forwards.
‘Ahem,’ Olivia cleared her throat.
Melinda whipped around. ‘Can it, you cheerleading cloudhead.’
Olivia’s mouth dropped open and there was a collective gasp from the room. She did not just say that! Olivia sank into a chair. She had completely lost her ability to speak.
‘Aren’t you going to do something?’ Charlotte mumbled from the seat beside her. ‘No way would I let someone speak to me like that.’ Olivia knew their behaviour had to be bad when even Charlotte was alarmed. For a moment, she wished Ivy was with her. Ivy would know what to do. She always knows what to do.
But what was Olivia going to do? The dance was in jeopardy before it had even begun, the secret of her twin’s vampire super-strength was in danger of being exposed and three mega-divas were muscling in on her action. And that wasn’t even taking into account the fact that her boyfriend was hundreds of miles away and unlikely to be giving her a hug any time soon.
She watched the three bullies flicking their ponytails over their shoulders as they smirked at each other. Olivia let out a big sigh.
How much can one girl take?
Chapter Five
Ivy could get used to having Horatio around. It wasn’t every day that you enjoyed a three-course lunch chock-full of meaty goodness in the Vega household. It was only noon and she was already stuffed! Too bad Olivia had been busy with her committee meeting and hadn’t been able to join them.
Ivy’s grandmother dabbed at the corners of her mouth with a black cloth napkin. ‘Well, darling. Have you put any more thought into Wallachia Academy?’ An emerald necklace glittered at the Countess’s neck, casting green prisms of light on the dining-room table.
No. In fact, Ivy had been trying her best to avoid the subject completely. ‘Not really,’ she confessed. The thought of leaving Franklin Grove behind was almost too much to bear. But, on the other hand, so was the thought of disappointing her grandparents.
The Countess folded her hand over the Count’s. ‘We really think it would be for the best.’
‘And that you would grow to love it. Did we mention it’s in a big Gothic castle? With flying buttresses and beautiful stone gargoyles and spindly towers,’ Ivy’s grandfather added. He had traded his crimson coat for a sleek black tuxedo jacket. ‘And you should see the kitchens!’ He winked at Ivy, and she knew he was thinking about all the pizza she could eat there.
‘Oh, yes! And the professors are top-notch. Nowhere in the world is there such a robust curriculum for young vampires.’ Ivy thought maybe her grandmother ought to do a second stint there if she was so excited about it.
‘All in a school?’ she asked, pushing the leftover meat around on her plate.
The Countess’s eyes sparkled. ‘That’s what we’ve been trying to tell you. Wallachia Academy is not just any old school. It is the best vampire academy in the world. It was founded by Vladimir Ivanov, the longest-living vampire of all time, and it has produced some of the finest vampire thespians, artists and Nobel laureates. Every generation of the Lazar family has attended – even your father did. Going there, you will learn all sorts of new vampire skills. Plus, you’ll learn to control your powers. What could be better?’