Sophia snorted. ‘We guessed that!’
The shop owner’s shouts didn’t fade away until they’d reached the escalator.
Even as Olivia sagged with relief, she couldn’t stop herself from laughing. I’ll never think of incense the same way again!
Still smiling, she stepped off the escalator at the second-floor landing . . . and walked straight into her twin. Ivy had stopped dead.
‘I can’t believe it,’ Ivy said blankly. She turned her head back and forth, her gaze criss-crossing the shifting crowds of shoppers that filled the hall and the food court ahead. ‘I’ve lost track of Maya. How is that even possible? I’m a vam–mmmph!’ She broke off just in time, as Olivia and Sophia both leaped to stop her. ‘I mean, I’m a V and she’s a human,’ she finished irritably. ‘Maya should not be giving me the slip like this!’
‘Well, the mall is crowded,’ Sophia pointed out, nudging Ivy away from the top of the escalator. A group of girls with bright shopping bags flooded past them, laughing and talking as they headed for the packed food court. Sophia dropped her voice. ‘Maybe the other shoppers are just too big an obstacle?’
‘Maybe,’ Ivy whispered. ‘But . . .’ Her voice faded away. With a muffled groan, she spun around in a tight circle again and again, looking frantically in every direction as her eyes grew wider and her expression more tense.
Olivia felt her own chest tightening with anxiety. This is not Ivy, she thought. What’s going on?
Then, Ivy walked to a nearby bench and slumped on to it.
Olivia and Sophia sat down on either side of her. As she watched her sister shake her head and stare into space, Olivia felt a jolt of dread – she had seen Ivy upset and angry before, and she knew what to do in those situations. She had never seen her sister so confused, so . . . lost.
‘It’s going to be OK,’ she said. It was the only sentence that came to mind.
Ivy shrugged, seemingly too tired to argue. ‘I just hate it when things don’t make sense,’ she said. ‘This whole past year, there have been literally only two things in my life that have made any sense: my bonds with you two, and my relationship with Brendan. I just . . .’ She took a deep breath, as if she needed a moment to force out her next words. ‘. . . can’t shake the feeling one of those things is going to change.’
‘Are you kidding?’ Sophia squeezed Ivy’s shoulder. ‘You’re not losing Brendan.’
‘There must be a logical explanation for all of this,’ Olivia insisted. ‘We just need to keep our heads, that’s all. Brendan is just not the type to –’
‘Ivy?’ Two voices spoke over them at the same time, interrupting the moment of privacy.
All three girls jerked upright to find Franklin Grove High’s ‘It’ couple, ‘Famelia,’ standing just in front of them. Goth-Queen Amelia held hands with Skater King Finn. She had his skateboard tucked under her free arm.
Even in the midst of all her worries, Olivia couldn’t help smiling as she looked at them. After all, bringing these two together had been her greatest matchmaking triumph! And she could already see how much they’d changed.
Amelia might still be pale of face and goth of fashion, but the stark black of her old attire was broken up with lashings of fabulous purple now. At Amelia’s side, Finn smiled broadly, apparently in a permanent state of bliss. He obviously knew he was in exactly the right place, with exactly the right girl. Even Amelia, who used to wear a stony expression all day long, kept breaking out into sunny grins. Although she regularly corrected herself into a tight smirk, as if she were trying to keep up appearances.
Aw, Olivia thought fondly. She can’t really help herself!
Amelia’s smirk turned into a look of genuine concern, though, as she looked down at Ivy. ‘Something’s really wrong, isn’t it?’ she asked.
‘Oh . . .’ Taking a deep breath, Ivy shook her head, keeping her eyes lowered. ‘I’m just being silly, that’s all.’
‘You need cheering up.’ Finn scooped his skateboard out of Amelia’s arms and held it out. ‘Why don’t you give this a try?’
Ivy just stared at him, looking as stunned – and wary – as Olivia felt. Is he serious?
Finn wasn’t usually the type to be mean or sarcastic, but . . .
Oh, what was I thinking? Meeting Ivy’s eyes, Olivia stifled a giggle. Of course Finn was genuine in his offer!
The skater-boy grinned, obviously unoffended by her laughter. ‘Why not?’ he said. ‘It’ll get the endorphins flowing. My gym teacher says that’s a good thing.’
Despite her concern for Ivy, Olivia couldn’t help the big, goofy smile that spread across her face. Lincoln Vale isn’t so dangerous after all, is it? The people of this town might be a kooky bunch, but most of them were sweet.
‘Thanks, Finn,’ Ivy said, ‘but I’ll pass this time.’
‘If you say so.’ Shrugging, he tucked the skateboard under his arm.
‘We’re on our way to get food,’ Amelia said. ‘Want to join us?’
‘Another time?’ Ivy suggested. ‘We really need to get back to Franklin Grove.’
‘See you at school, then!’ Famelia chorused, and the couple headed off, hand in hand, in perfect harmony.
Ivy jumped to her feet. ‘We should go home,’ she said. ‘Right now.’
Without waiting for a reply, she turned around and walked back towards the escalators. The conversation was clearly over.