Olivia’s eyes darted over Toby’s shoulder to where Sophia and Brendan were sitting. She wanted to scream. She wanted to wave her arms. She was overcome with panic. She didn’t think she could talk to Toby for another second. Ivy’s in real danger! she thought.
“I didn’t think it was right,” Toby said, “so I quit. I mean, Serena just crossed the—” A car horn beeped, and Toby sighed. “I gotta go,” he said sadly. “Thanks for listening, Olivia.”
As Toby walked off, Olivia raced over to Sophia and Brendan. “Serena’s trying to reveal Ivy on live TV!” she cried. “We have to save her! Come on, come on!” She dragged them to their feet and started sprinting up the school steps.
“Wait!” said Brendan. “Let’s go that way!” He pointed around the side of the school, and Olivia realized that it would be quicker. Brendan and Sophia were much faster than she was, even with Olivia running flat out. She followed them past classroom window after classroom window.
As they neared the outside of the Scribe office, Brendan and Sophia abruptly slowed, and Olivia almost ran into their backs. Together, the three of them closed in silently and crouched below an open window.
Olivia heard Serena Star’s voice saying, “How many hours do you sleep at night?”
Olivia peeped over the windowsill. Ivy and Serena were sitting opposite each other in leather chairs, surrounded by lights, a hulking camera panning back and forth between them. She saw Camilla in the corner, looking weirded out. As for Ivy, she was shifting around uncomfortably in her chair, and Olivia could tell she was totally freaked. Olivia had the urge to reach out and touch her shoulder, to comfort her. After all, Ivy’s chair was only a few feet away.
Olivia sunk below the windowsill and glanced at Sophia’s black tank top and dark pants. “I have an idea,” she whispered. Brendan and Sophia looked at her eagerly. “If Serena Star wants a vampire so bad,” Olivia said, “why don’t we give her one?”
Serena Star fixed Ivy with an intense gaze. “Have you ever gone sunbathing?” she asked, and leaned forward, ready to pounce.
Ivy squirmed in her chair, unsure what to say. “I—”
Suddenly there was a bloodcurdling scream in the hallway, and Serena bolted to her feet. “Something appears to be transpiring!” she announced. Martin the cameraman swung the camera around to follow her as she rushed across the room.
Serena flung open the door, and Ivy heard a panicked voice cry out, “A vampire! He’s trying to bite me!” from the corridor.
Serena pointed frantically at the camera. “We’re still live, right?” she shrieked. Martin nodded fearfully. Camilla stood behind him, looking puzzled.
Ivy craned her head trying to see. Is it Garrick? she wondered.
Serena stuck her head out the door, and then pulled it back in right away. “They’re coming!” she cried hysterically.
Suddenly a girl ran down the hall and paused outside the doorway.
It’s Sophia! Ivy realized with a jolt, but for some reason, her friend was wearing Olivia’s shirt.
Sophia spun around to look behind her, horror filling her eyes as if something awful was approaching. A deep, diabolical laugh rung out.
“No! Please nooooo!” Sophia shrieked.
Another figure appeared beside Sophia. A man wearing a black cape. Brendan! Ivy’s heart swelled. He grabbed Sophia, and she leant backward, exposing her neck dramatically. Brendan immediately bared his teeth and bent over to bite her.
“I knew it!” Serena whispered in amazement, but Ivy saw Camilla and Martin exchange doubtful glances.
After a moment, Sophia let out a bloodcurdling scream, struggled from the vampire’s grasp, and fled, with Brendan in hot pursuit.
Serena Star stepped out into the hall after them, madly gesturing for the camera to follow. Camilla and Martin began trying to awkwardly maneuver the apparatus through the doorway.
Suddenly, Ivy felt a tug on her sleeve. She turned to see Olivia bent down beside her, her face whitened, her eyes lined with thick black eyeliner. She was wearing black pants and a black tank top.
“Switch!” Olivia whispered, pointing to Ivy’s top and swiftly handing over her own. Glancing at the doorway, Ivy hurriedly peeled off her sweater. Olivia snatched it and pushed Ivy toward the window.
Ivy scrambled and dove for the ground. Above her, she heard Sophia say in a normal voice, “Ooh, that tickles!”
Then Brendan said, “Hi, Mom! Hi, Dad!”
Serena Star immediately interrupted, saying, “And now for a brief commercial break!”
Ivy laughed softly to herself as she heard Brendan and Sophia running off down the corridor, shouting “I’m a vampire!” in laughing voices.
Sophia and Brendan had played their parts perfectly. With Camilla and the cameraman struggling to get the giant camera unwedged from the doorway, Serena Star was trapped in the hall. Olivia arranged herself in Ivy’s interview chair and tried to catch her breath. Out in the hall, she could hear Serena Star’s annoyed voice now apologizing to America.
“When the vampire and his ‘victim’ collapsed in fits of giggles and then ran off together down the hallway, your eagle-eyed reporter quickly realized that this was nothing more than a fantastic charade—two disruptive students’ attempt to obstruct the Star of truth!” Serena declared dramatically. “However, nothing will divert me from the real story here. Let us return to Ivy Vega . . .”
The cameraman finally succeeded in pulling the camera free, and Serena Star stormed back to her chair looking furious.