“Maybe she came to watch you,” Ivy replied. “Anyway, she’d seen some poms lying in the hallway and ran to get them for me—I mean, you.”
“Well, I’d better go and thank her!” Olivia said.
Right at that moment, Camilla smiled and waved at her. Olivia waved back sheepishly.
“At least that puts an end to my cheerleading career. I’m never doing that again,” Ivy remarked gloomily.
“You sure?” Olivia teased, turning away from the window. “It’s not too late for you to try out. You could have your very own poms!”
“No, thank you,” Ivy said, sounding horrified.
“I just hope everything goes okay on Saturday.” Olivia sighed.
“You’re going to make the squad, Olivia,” Ivy responded confidently. “I know it. Even with me biting at practice. My bet’s on you for captain.”
“I don’t know about that,” Olivia said. “But I’ll give it my best—” Olivia broke off because she could not believe her eyes; Charlotte Brown was coming her way in a hideous pink tube top, Allison and Katie in tow!
“Hold on,” Olivia murmured into her phone.
Charlotte wheeled up with Katie and Allison on either side. “Too bad about Olivia’s poms today,” she taunted, as if Olivia weren’t standing right in front of her. “Katie, Allison, what is the second most important thing to remember in cheerleading?”
“Never touch another cheerleader’s poms!” Katie and Allison chorused.
Charlotte put her hand to her mouth in mock horror. “Oops!” She shrugged. “I guess some rules are made to be broken.” The three girls tittered idiotically and were gone.
Olivia narrowed her eyes as she gazed after them. “Ivy,” she said into her phone, “I think I know who took my poms.”
Chapter 12
After school on the day of the All Hallows’ Ball, Ivy sat on the stairs underneath the basement window of her room, in her black kimono, waiting for Olivia. She’d hardly slept at all the night before. When she’d been practicing cheering with her sister every day, she had successfully avoided thinking about the ball. But ever since her final performance as a cheerleader, dread had swallowed her whole.
She kept trying to keep the facts straight in her mind. The All Hallows’ Ball is tonight. It is at my house. Brendan Daniels is my date. I am head of decorations. Every single time, she would forget where she had begun and have to start over. Finally she gave up. She just couldn’t face reality; it was like trying to look at the sun. At least Olivia was sneaking over to do all the decorating.
Suddenly she heard a tap on the glass. Ivy pulled aside the curtain and opened the window.
“Hiya!” said Olivia, thrusting an enormous cardboard box into Ivy’s hands.
“What’s this?” Ivy asked.
“What do you think?” Olivia answered. “More decorations!”
Olivia climbed inside, dragged in another huge box, and pulled the window shut behind her. They dropped the boxes on the landing, and then Ivy led her sister down the stairs.
“You don’t look so good,” Olivia said.
“Thanks,” Ivy replied sarcastically. “Maybe I’ll call in sick.”
“You wouldn’t dare!” Olivia exclaimed.
“Why did I agree to this?” Ivy muttered. She tossed Olivia a can of Pale Beauty.
Olivia shook the can. “We should really start buying this stuff in bulk,” she said thoughtfully.
“As if,” Ivy answered glumly. While Olivia sprayed her arms, Ivy said, “My dad’s raring to go. This is like the most A-positive thing that’s ever happened to him.” She tried to sound as resentful as possible.
Olivia pulled on a black tank top. “I know,” she said obliviously. “I’m so excited.”
Ivy sighed heavily. I wish I didn’t have to go tonight, she thought.
Olivia looked up, almost like she could hear what Ivy was thinking. “Ivy, in a few hours you’re going to a dance with the boy you’ve always wanted. Can’t you see? It’s your night to shine!”
“I don’t want to shine,” Ivy sulked.
“Too late,” Olivia said. “You already do.”
Ivy shook her head. “But I didn’t do any of this.”
“And I didn’t go to cheerleading practice,” Olivia countered. “We’re a team, Ivy. We did this together. That doesn’t make it less good.” She grinned. “In fact, it makes it even better.”
Ivy nodded and tried to smile.
“The only thing you have to do tonight,” Olivia continued, “is have fun. I’ll take care of the rest.”
Ivy took a deep breath. She knew her sister was right. The All Hallows’ Ball is tonight. It is at my house. Brendan Daniels is my date. I am head of decorations.
Ivy blinked. “Want to see my dress?” she asked tentatively.
Olivia smiled. “Obviously!”
Olivia stretched and stretched, but she couldn’t quite reach the corner of the stone arch to tack up the last cobweb.
“Allow me,” Ivy’s father called from down below. He marched over to another ladder and slid it into place next to hers.
Olivia had been decorating the upstairs ballroom with Mr. Vega for the last few hours, but she still could not get over him. He looked like he’d walked right out of a classic black-and-white vampire film but the kind that’s more love story than monster movie. He resembled a pale Antonio Banderas, and his voice was impossibly smooth.