Melinda, on the other hand, looked disgusted. ‘She cannot come in looking like that.’ Melinda swished her hand over Camilla as if she were something Olivia should be able to clean up. ‘She’s not dressed for the theme.’
Olivia frowned. ‘You guys, have you learned nothing?’ She caught Jenny’s eye from across the dance floor and Jenny headed straight over, arriving in front of the group looking as self-assured as a real, live sheriff.
Jenny pushed her white cowboy hat down over her head. ‘Lucrezia, Melinda, Veronica, it is not your job to be refusing people entry. Your job is to attend to the refreshments.’ She pointed at the unmanned beverage table. ‘And you’ve abandoned it. Remember what we talked about?’
Olivia nodded at Jenny. She had provided first-rate backup, but this time Olivia could tell it wasn’t going to be enough.
‘Look,’ Olivia stepped up. ‘Tonight is all about letting people have fun. Relax a little. Maybe you can all join the line dance together,’ she suggested, knowing this might be asking too much too soon.
Veronica shrieked. ‘Relax! Weren’t you the one trying to dictate what theme we should have in the first place?’
‘Hey!’ Camilla stomped her space-inspired snow boots. ‘I will not have you girls compromise my artistic integrity. I am a fangirl,’ she shouted, through the thick plastic of her helmet, ‘and I’ll come wearing whatever I want!’
Lucrezia raised her eyebrows at Olivia, ignoring Camilla. ‘Veronica’s right. You’re the one who insisted on this theme. What a hypocrite.’
Olivia wanted to tear out her hair. She knew they had a point, but she’d learned her lesson since then and she didn’t want to be pulled off course again. She reached past the line of girls, lunging to try and help Camilla get in. ‘Follow me,’ she told Camilla.
But as she reached out, Lucrezia bumped shoulders with Olivia and the three of them got caught up, staggering in a big heap towards the balloon arch. Olivia felt the arch sway behind her and Camilla landed on top of Olivia with a sharp elbow to her stomach. ‘Ouch!’
Pop! Pop! Pop!
Olivia flinched as balloons burst in loud, crackling rounds. The archway sagged crookedly, making Olivia wish she could sink straight into the floor. We’re ruining the dance! Olivia sat up, straightening her knotted shirt, scared to see how many students were staring.
Jenny helped Olivia to her feet. ‘Are you OK?’
‘I am,’ said Olivia, patting down her ruffled skirt. ‘But I think my pride might have taken a few hits. Is everyone looking?’
Jenny pressed her lips together, looking shifty. ‘No, no, not too bad.’
Olivia’s heart plummeted. ‘Thought so.’ This made the second event today that Olivia was glad her boyfriend hadn’t been there to witness. With every ounce of confidence she could muster, Olivia walked back up to the Terrible Trio. ‘Girls . . .’ Olivia borrowed Ivy’s best death squint. ‘If you don’t start behaving, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.’
Melinda studied her flawless French manicure. ‘See, you guys?’ It would have been impossible for Melinda to look haughtier if she was part of the royal family. ‘There’s that rule book again – coming back into play when it suits Olivia best.’
Olivia’s shoulders sagged. She didn’t know what to do. She’d tried to reason with them. She’d tried to push back. Maybe they were right, maybe she was a dictator. Aunt Rebecca’s words echoed in her head: Stand your ground, Olivia!
Rebecca had fought to buy back the farm. Why? Because she knew it was important. Maybe I don’t need to borrow my moves from Ivy, but from my human family instead!
Olivia looked at the three girls, then at Camilla. Standing up for her friend had to be the right thing.
‘Haven’t you ever wanted to be a little different?’ Olivia asked the girls, looking them up and down for any clues that maybe they weren’t so uniformly pink through and through. Her gaze stopped at a piece of shiny jewellery. Hanging from Lucrezia’s neck was a saxophone charm strung along a thin silver chain. ‘Like perhaps wanting to play in a jazz band?’
Lucrezia’s frown softened.
The hem of Melinda’s skirt was uneven and Olivia realised she must have made it herself. ‘Or what about making one-of-a-kind fashion statements?’ Olivia suggested.
Melinda let her arms fall to her side, dropping the hard glare at the same time.
Finally, Olivia turned her attention to Veronica. She scanned every inch of her, but couldn’t spot one thing that was different. Veronica was polished from her toenails to her icy blue eyeshadow.
‘Oh, give it up,’ said Veronica. ‘You think we can’t see what game you’re playing?’
Lucrezia cradled the dangling saxophone charm. ‘Actually, V, I think Olivia has a point.’
‘You can’t be serious. Just because you have some stupid charm and Melinda likes to make her own outfits? Please.’
Melinda’s face got red, creating an unfortunate clash with her hot-pink get-up. ‘Don’t call her charm stupid and don’t laugh at my sewing.’
Veronica tossed her arms up. ‘You guys are completely missing the point! Don’t you see what Olivia’s trying to do?’
‘No, you’re missing the point, Veronica.’ Melinda fluttered her home-made skirt. ‘I’m proud to be a little different and I like this skirt!’
Olivia whispered to Camilla and Jenny, ‘Let’s go. They’ll never notice.’