Olivia’s eyes widened as she followed her sister and Sophia inside. It was her first time at the Lincoln Vale shopping mall, and now that she was here, she could see why Ivy had rated it a solid ‘not bad’ when Olivia had asked her about it before.
The wide main corridor was lined with goth-themed music stores, and Pall Bearers posters took pride of place in almost every window. It’s like this place was made for Ivy and . . .
Olivia froze when Maya began to turn away from the CD rack she was inspecting. Then she grabbed Ivy and Sophia’s hands, pulling them through the nearest doorway into an indie clothing shop just across from the music store.
‘Come on!’ she whispered, as the three girls huddled by the display window. Olivia could read the name Blue Skye’s in backwards lettering on the window. ‘This is perfect,’ she hissed. ‘We can pretend to inspect the clothing . . . while we really keep an eye on Maya.’
Trying to maintain their cover, Olivia picked up a pair of hemp gloves. She held them up against her hands, while Sophia fingered the fabric of a white cotton peasant-style blouse – but Ivy kept her gaze off the clothes, and on the back of Maya’s head.
Olivia sneezed at the overpowering aroma of incense as someone swept up behind them. ‘My dears! You’ve come to me just in time!’
‘Um . . . excuse me?’ Olivia blinked, turned around . . . and blinked even harder, as she took in the sight in front of her.
At least six feet tall and dressed in a floating blue kaftan, the shop owner swept out her arms in exuberant welcome, sending a dozen colourful bracelets and bangles jangling with the movement. Each of her hands was covered with an intricate, looping henna design. Her fizzy red dreadlocks were contained by a pink and black bandana – barely.
The shop owner smiled kindly as she looked from one girl to another. ‘If you’re looking to broaden your fashion palettes, you have absolutely come to the rightest place. Perhaps you were guided here!’ She held out one strong hennaed hand to shake each of their hands warmly. ‘I’m Blue Skye.’
Olivia smiled weakly as she pulled her hand free. Somehow I’m guessing she wasn’t born with that name!
‘Now, let me really look at you.’ Blue Skye pulled and nudged until she’d arranged all three girls in a row. As they craned their necks to try to keep Maya in sight, she worked her way down the row, sighing. ‘It’s obvious to me that each of you is stifling yourselves.’
Ivy was fidgeting with impatience, but Blue Skye didn’t seem to notice. Making a face, she looked the two vampires up and down, from Ivy’s long black skirt and bat-patterned top to Sophia’s elegant black wrap dress and black suit-coat.
‘I can sense just from looking at you girls that you walk with a great burden on your shoulders . . .’ Her voice deepened, sounding dramatic. ‘The burden of things that go unsaid!’
Olivia had to stifle a giggle. Blue Skye doesn’t know just how right she is!
‘But luckily, I’m here for you now.’ Beaming, Blue Skye clasped her hands before her. ‘Now, I’m not the type of pushy-pusher who would demand a person unleash themselves every day. Not everyone is comfortable putting themselves out there all the time, and I get that. That doesn’t mean you can’t communicate in other ways, though. That’s where style comes in. You dig?’
Olivia hoped she would never be stuck in a room with both Blue Skye and film studio boss Jacob Harker. That much mellowness in one room might be more than she could handle!
‘Now, I would be thrilled to show you girls my selection,’ Blue Skye continued. ‘And don’t worry, I won’t try to force you to buy anything, or lie to you about how something looks just because I want a sale. That’s not my way.’
‘Um . . . thank you?’ Olivia wanted to be polite, but it was hard to know what to say. Beside her, Sophia had turned to the closest rack of clothes . . . but Olivia was pretty sure that was only to hide her broad grin.
‘Oh, I have complete faith that once you really start to look around, the rightest threads will sing to you. They always do.’ Blue Skye’s smile somehow got wider.
‘Oh, I can’t take any more of this!’ Ivy erupted. She was standing on her toes now to keep a closer eye on the girl across the hall. ‘Is Maya ever going to move? Or is she going to stand there forever?’
Blue Skye blinked. ‘Are you girls expecting another friend to join us? Because I’d be happy to share my threads with her as well.’
‘Um . . .’ Olivia took a deep breath for courage. ‘Actually,’ she said, as gently as she could, ‘we really appreciate the offer, but we’re just browsing today.’
Blue Skye dropped her hands, her bracelets and bangles clattering loudly. Her smile disappeared as she advanced on Olivia. ‘Browsing is like copping out on life,’ she said, her face flushing red. ‘Do you not understand that? Are you not tired of walking a meandering path, not even in zigzags, but loose circles?’
Olivia’s mouth dropped open. She stared at Blue Skye in flabbergasted silence. Where is all her serenity now?
‘OK, we have to go.’ Without so much as a glance at Blue Skye, Ivy started for the door. ‘Maya’s walking away. Come on, guys!’
‘Have you not listened to a word I told you?’ Blue Skye shouted. ‘You’re following a false path!’
Ducking her head, Olivia scurried after her sister, catching the eye of a uniformed security guard standing nearby with a pained expression. ‘Sorry,’ he muttered to them as they passed. ‘She, uh . . . really doesn’t like browsers.’