Ivy stood outside the gym door and peeked in through the window. Sure enough, there was Olivia, cheering her heart out at the center of the formation. Charlotte Brown cheered beside her, the peeved look in her eyes belying the fake smile on her face.
Olivia pushed through the door of the Meat & Greet Diner and rushed to the back of the restaurant, where she spotted everyone waiting for her in Ivy’s booth. Sitting across from Camilla and Sophia, Brendan had his arm draped around Ivy’s shoulder.
Olivia couldn’t contain herself a moment longer. “I made the squad!” she shouted before she’d even reached their table. Everyone in the diner spun around to look.
Oops , thought Olivia. Her friends burst out laughing.
“I made the squad!” she said again in an exaggerated whisper.
“Congratulations!” Ivy cheered. Camilla and Sophia clapped.
“Ivy said you were deadly at tryouts,” Brendan told her.
Sophia held up crossed fingers. “Can we call you captain?”
“Not this year,” Olivia admitted. “Charlotte’s captain. But that’s only fair, since she’s been on the squad the longest.”
“And she’s so great at telling people what to do,” Ivy added.
“Exactly.” Olivia grinned. “Anyway, it just means I’ll be able to spend more time with my friends!” Olivia looked around the table at Camilla, Sophia, Ivy, and Brendan. She felt really happy.
The waitress appeared. “Tofu burger with salad?” she asked.
“You bet,” Olivia replied, smiling. Then she announced to the table, “I’ll be right back. I’m going to go change.” After all, she was still wearing her cheerleader uniform, and she was dying to get Ivy alone. She winked at her sister meaningfully.
The moment Ivy followed her through the bathroom door, Olivia said, “How did it go last night!?”
They debriefed as Olivia took off her cheerleader outfit and put on her new favorite baby tee. When Ivy told her about the first dance with Brendan, it nearly took Olivia’s breath away.
“This is the best weekend of my life,” Ivy finished.
“I feel the same way!” Olivia agreed.
“I think our biological parents would be seriously proud of us,” Ivy said.
I just wish we knew them, Olivia thought with a pang.
“Let’s make a pact,” Ivy suggested.
“A vampire pact?” asked Olivia.
“No.” Ivy rolled her eyes. “A pact between us. A sisterhood pact.”
Olivia understood. Cheerleading, dating, the ball—it had all been fun, but there was something more important.
Ivy took her necklace off and pressed her emerald ring against the one on Olivia’s finger. “We pledge to be there for each other,” she said.
“Day or night,” Olivia put in solemnly.
“In darkness and light,” Ivy went on. “We pledge to stick—”
“Together,” Olivia finished for her. And then she reached out to hug her twin sister. And as Ivy hugged her back, she knew that they both had tears in their eyes.
[end]