Ivy’s mouth went dry and her glance darted from the camera to Jackson to a frowning Philippe and then stuck on the floor. She felt her pulse pounding.
Jackson leaned over. ‘You’re gonna do great. Relax!’
Ivy’s face flushed. She instructed herself not to faint.
‘And . . . action!’ shouted Philippe.
Ivy stared at the camera and couldn’t move. Everyone was silent. Jackson whispered, ‘It’s your line.’
‘Oh. Um,’ Ivy said. ‘You can have the coconut. You got here first.’ It came out quiet and very high-pitched.
‘Louder,’ barked Philippe from behind the camera. ‘The mic can’t pick that up.’
Ivy lifted her head. She had to project, like Olivia made her to when they switched for cheerleader tryouts. ‘You got here first!’ she shouted, making Jackson wince and take a step back. The microphone man yanked his earphones away from his ears.
Oops.
‘Maybe somewhere in between,’ Jackson whispered.
They finally stumbled past the first few lines, until they came to the part that Ivy always got wrong – the grass skirt.
She looked past the camera to Camilla who was doing a little hula dance but Ivy’s mind went blank. She couldn’t think of anything other than the words ‘grass skirt’ and Camilla’s dancing wasn’t helping. Then she remembered the whole improvising idea.
Ivy starting doing a hula dance, too, waggling her hands and humming some Hawaiian-style music. She felt ridiculous but it was better than standing there like a mummy. She saw Camilla bury her face in her hands.
‘What are you doing?’ Jackson said, staying in character but clearly asking her why she was acting like a lunatic.
‘I’m doing a dance to the coconut gods.’
Jackson chuckled.
‘No, no, no!’ Philippe interrupted. ‘You must stay on script. We begin again, from before the silly dancing. Take two!’
‘I thought it was funny,’ Jackson replied.
Ivy still didn’t know what the next line was. Everything was moving in slow motion. Philippe was leaning forward. Charlotte was sneering and Jackson was smiling with encouragement. She had approximately ten seconds to figure out the next line.
Luckily, there was a shout from outside and several flashes. There were people and cameras pressed up against the diner windows, with security guards trying to pull them away.
‘What is this?!’ Philippe started flapping. ‘Who called the media?’
Jackson’s manager shushed him. ‘I called them! This is publicity that money can’t buy,’ Amy said. ‘It’s Inside Hollywood! Girls, follow me.’ She strode to the door. ‘I’m so glad you could make it,’ she called to the jostling crowd and the security guards backed off. ‘Gather round! I’m Amy Teller, Jackson’s representative, and will be happy to answer any questions before we do the photo op with Jackson and the girls.’
‘But we are already behind the schedule,’ Philippe spluttered.
‘Do you want to be the lead story on tonight’s entertainment news?’ Amy demanded, which shut Philippe up.
The crowd shouted out questions and Ivy breathed a sigh of relief. Her audition was forgotten for the moment. She slipped away to find Sophia and Camilla and go over her lines again.
They were sitting up at the diner’s bar watching the chaos outside.
‘Let me see the script!’ Ivy said.
Camilla handed it over and Ivy flipped it open.
Just then, she felt something hit her ear. She looked down at the counter and saw a peanut.
Then another one clonked her forehead.
‘Hey!’ she said, looking in the direction of the kitchen area, where the miniature missiles must have come from.
A third one arced through the serving window and landed on Camilla’s hand.
‘What’s going on?’ Ivy wondered aloud. Maybe it was another of Charlotte’s sabotage plans? If Olivia smelt of peanuts and salt, then Philippe would think she was a compulsive snacker and not choose her?
But then she saw a hand waving through the serving window, and a face popped up. Olivia!
Ivy’s heart leaped. Her cheerleader in shining armour! Now was her chance to stop this train wreck.
‘I’ll cover you while you jump over the counter,’ Camilla whispered. She hopped off her stool and started questioning Philippe about his previous movies. Everyone else was focused on the cameras outside.
Ivy pushed herself up on to the counter, swung her legs round and then dropped down to the ground. She crawled along, past the shelves of fountain glasses, empty fries baskets stacked neatly and rows of ketchup, salt and pepper shakers, and maple syrup. The door to the kitchen was a swinging one, so she pushed it open tentatively and slipped inside.
‘Olivia?’ she whispered as loud as she dared.
‘Ivy!’ came the reply.
Ivy shuffled in the direction of the voice and found Olivia hiding by the fryer.
‘You made it!’ Ivy gave Olivia a huge hug.
‘Just in time for the dance to the coconut gods,’ Olivia said.
‘Sorry about that,’ Ivy said. ‘But you’re here now, so let’s switch.’
Ivy slipped on the green sweater dress.
‘I love this Hawaiian print,’ Olivia said, admiring the sundress.
Ivy pushed Olivia towards the kitchen door. ‘I think you’re going to have to be in some photos before your audition starts again. See if you can step in front of Charlotte!’
‘Thanks, sis. I owe you one.’
‘No, we owe Charlotte one for all this,’ Ivy replied. ‘Now go out there and get that part!’