“For Olivia,” he said, holding out the tray, “some cranberry juice. The little umbrella was to keep the glasses from getting mixed up.”
Ivy’s heart cracked open like a coffin at dawn. Maybe he’s finally starting to accept Olivia now that she’s an honorary vamp, she thought.
A few minutes later, Ivy spied her father sitting alone in the corner, sipping his cocktail. She crept over to Olivia and gently tugged her away from Mr. and Mrs. Daniels.
“You should go talk to my dad,” Ivy said. “I think he’s finally started to see you for who you really are.”
Her sister approached him tentatively. “Thanks so much for the party, Mr. Vega,” Ivy heard her say.
Her father looked up, startled, as if Olivia had woken him from a dream. He stood up abruptly, nearly knocking Olivia’s glass from her hand, and a bit of cranberry juice sloshed over the edge of the glass and onto the floor.
“I’m so sorry,” he blurted. “I have to . . .” He shot a desperate look in Ivy’s direction but immediately looked away. “Please excuse me.” And with that, he rushed from the room.
Olivia shrugged at Ivy disappointedly before kneeling to wipe up the cranberry juice with her napkin.
Ivy sighed. Her father still couldn’t deal with Olivia, and he was probably still mad at Ivy for breaking into ASHH. But that was all dirt and worms compared to the way he’d been acting. Why can’t he understand that I deserve to find out about my real parents? she thought. Why can’t he make more of an effort with my blood sister?
Ivy walked into the kitchen, half looking for her father. Her dad wasn’t in there, but she did notice that he’d put a tray of tiny pastries filled with ground meat in the oven. She was opening the oven to check on them when Brendan’s parents came into the kitchen with Bethany.
“I’m gonna be the most popular girl at Franklin Grove Elementary once everyone finds out that I go to parties with Ivy and Olivia, the two coolest girls ever!” Bethany chattered. “They’ll probably want to do a piece on me in Vamp!” She sucked in her cheeks like she was posing for a fashion shoot. Meanwhile, Mrs. Daniels reached into her purse and pulled out a little white bottle.
“Time for your VitaVamp, sweetheart,” she said.
“Ew!” Bethany said.
“You can have it in your A neg,” her mother told her, splitting the capsule in two and letting the black powder drop into the glass, where it fizzed lightly before dissolving.
“It tastes worse than broccoli!” Bethany protested.
“Don’t you want to grow up to be a strong vampire?” Ivy tried.
“No,” Bethany answered. “I want to grow up to be a cheerleader like Olivia.”
They all laughed.
Mr. Daniels stroked his chin. “Ivy, do you think I might have one of those cocktail umbrellas?”
“Sure,” said Ivy, picking one out of the box on the counter and handing it over.
“That’s just like Olivia’s!” Bethany squealed. “Can I have one? Please can I have one?”
“You may if you’re willing to drink up your A neg,” said Mr. Daniels.
“Okay!” Bethany agreed.
Brendan’s dad dropped the umbrella in the glass, and his mom handed it over to Bethany, who sipped at it demurely. “Totally yummy!” she declared and skipped out of the kitchen.
Olivia was sitting on the black leather living room couch with Brendan, talking about their social studies teacher Ms. Starling’s strange obsession with the guillotine, when Bethany bounded over.
“Olivia, darling,” she said like a high society diva, “you look absolutely marvelous.” Olivia giggled.
“Bethany,” called Mrs. Daniels with a smile, “why don’t you tell Olivia about the latest fashion at your school?”
“Let me guess,” Olivia said. “Dressing up like opposite twins?”
“No way,” Bethany sang. “That’s soooo last week.” She gingerly put down her glass on the coffee table next to Olivia’s. “The latest is to dress half Goth”—Bethany held out one hand, on which all of her fingernails were painted black— “and half bunny!” She held out her other hand to reveal that the nails were all pink.
Olivia nodded, impressed. Then she had an idea. “You could even try alternating nails— black, pink, black, pink, black.”
“Oh, my gosh!” Bethany gasped. “You are a total genius! I’m going to do that, like, the moment I get home!”
“Oh, really?” Mrs. Daniels said skeptically.
“Please, Mom, can I?” Bethany pleaded.
Olivia suddenly realized she hadn’t seen her sister in a while. “Have either of you seen Ivy?” she asked.
“In the kitchen,” Mrs. Daniels answered. Olivia seized the opportunity to grab her flute of cranberry juice off the table and head off to check on her sister. As she walked, she sipped at her drink. In all honesty, it wasn’t very good cranberry juice—it tasted sort of like overcooked broccoli—but she was parched. She took a big gulp so she wouldn’t have to taste it.
Ivy was just finishing laying finger foods on a square black tray.
“Hey.” Olivia smiled, but as she said it the whole room seemed to go crooked. She put a hand on the counter to steady herself.
“Are you all right?” Ivy asked.
“I don’t know,” Olivia replied, “but there seems to be two of you.” And my legs feel like Jell-O, she thought.
Both of the Ivys she could see rushed over and helped Olivia into a chair. Olivia blinked hard.