Inside, Dylan Soyle was fiddling with the school video camera as Kyle Glass adjusted a big light and Ricky Slitherman maneuvered a fuzzy sound boom into position, huge headphones on his ears. Charlotte was sitting on a chair in the center of the room, illuminated by the spotlight. She was looking at herself in a pink plastic compact, putting on extra makeup and fluffing her hair. Ivy watched her cycle through a series of facial expressions: a fat smile, a sultry pout, a surprised open mouth. Then she blew herself a big kiss. Well, she’s sure doing her best to look juicy, Ivy thought.
“Where’s Garrick?” Olivia whispered. Ivy scanned the room and directed her sister’s gaze to a darkened corner near the back. Garrick’s hands were lifted in front of his face, like he was putting something in his mouth. “Please tell me that’s just bubble gum,” Olivia quavered.
“I’m afraid it’s the fangs,” Ivy whispered. They could see Garrick’s lips bulging slightly as he shot a ghoulish close-mouthed smile at the other Beasts.
Just then, Dylan Soyle burst into a coughing fit. Ivy couldn’t hear him through the door, but it was clear to her he was faking it. All at once, he recovered, and when he brought his hands away from his face, Ivy could see there was something in his mouth, too.
Kyle and Ricky had their own suspicious bulges behind their lips. Garrick wasn’t the only one with fangs—they all had them.
They’re actually gearing up to bite Charlotte! Ivy thought incredulously. She glanced at Olivia and saw that her sister had turned white as a sheet.
Garrick took his place behind the camera, and Charlotte put her compact and makeup away in her bag. A moment later, Dylan pressed a button on the camera, and Garrick pointed a crooked finger at his star. Right on cue, Charlotte plastered a smile on her face.
The other boys crept along the sides of the room as Garrick looked through the viewfinder and called something out to Charlotte. Ivy could just make out enough to know it was a question; the interview had begun.
Charlotte took a deep breath, batted her eyelashes, and started to speak directly to the camera.
Garrick nodded encouragingly as the other Beasts closed in behind her. Between Charlotte’s heavy makeup and exaggerated facial expressions—and the fact that Ivy couldn’t hear a word she was saying—she looked exactly like the victim in an old silent vampire movie.
“We have to stop them!” Olivia croaked. The Beasts were licking their chops hungrily while Charlotte prattled on at the camera, completely oblivious.
“Yes,” Ivy agreed.
Olivia was trying not to hyperventilate. “But there are four of them, and only two of us. Plus they’re all vampires!” She gulped for air. “I really, really want to make it to ninth grade—you know?”
Ivy squeezed her sister’s hand. “Olivia, I’ve been putting up with the Beasts my whole life. They’re complete wimps! You and I can definitely take them,” she said confidently. “On the count of three,” she went on, putting her hand on the doorknob, “we’re going in. One, two—”
“Wait!” Olivia grabbed her sister’s hand. “If anything happens ...I want your dark red top.”
Ivy cracked a smile. “Three!” She turned the knob and eased the door open, but an unexpected noise stopped them from going farther. They peeked in to see Dylan Soyle coughing up a lung again.
“Stop coughing, Dylan!” Garrick hissed. “You’re ruining the . . . er . . . the shot!”
But Dylan just kept coughing. Finally, Charlotte spun around in her chair, her lip curled in annoyance. “Why don’t you go get a drink or something?” she snapped.
That’s when Olivia noticed that Dylan’s mouth wasn’t puffed out anymore. He took out his fangs! she thought.
Suddenly, Dylan was heading for the door. Olivia and Ivy dove out of the way as he burst into the hallway. Looking like he was going to puke, he fled in the direction of the boys’ room.
From where she was crouched on the other side of the doorway, Ivy grinned at Olivia and mouthed the words “Cold feet!”
Now that the door was open, Olivia and Ivy could hear exactly what was going on inside.
“Go on, Charlotte,” Garrick said, motioning frantically from behind the camera. “Don’t stop!”
“So unprofessional,” Charlotte muttered under her breath and adjusted herself in her chair. “Like I was saying”—she switched her smile back on— “the life of a cheerleader is filled with ups and downs, tosses and turns. Just like a real cheer!”
Behind Charlotte’s back, Ricky and Kyle looked like they were having a silent finger-pointing contest. Olivia grinned at Ivy across the doorway. They can’t figure out who should go first! she thought gleefully.
Suddenly, Kyle cleared his throat loudly.
“What is it now?” Charlotte snapped.
“N-nothing,” Kyle stammered. “Uh, I’m just going to go see if Dylan’s okay.” And just like that, he rushed out of the room without a backward glance.
“You’ll never work in this town again!” Garrick shouted after him. Then he leered at Charlotte, clearly determined to salvage the situation. “Please, contin—”
“Garrick?” said Ricky bashfully from behind Charlotte’s chair. “I’m not really hungry either.”
Charlotte looked like she was on the verge of throwing the biggest fit in middle school history. “Hungry!” She leaped up from her chair. “I’m lighting up the silver screen, and all you boys can think about is food?”