‘Enough!’ Ivy cried. ‘We have an evil alert at twenty paces.’ She was looking down the street at three girls walking towards them.
It was Charlotte Brown and two hangers on. Her blonde hair was poking out from under her white fluffy hat. Olivia wasn’t Charlotte’s biggest fan, but they had to cheer together on the squad and so she wanted to avoid any major incident.
Unfortunately, Olivia thought, something always happens whenever Ivy and Charlotte are within a mile of each other.
Charlotte stopped and scowled at them until she caught sight of Olivia. She plastered on a big smile. ‘Olivia, darling!’
Olivia smiled at her, Katie and Allison, while Ivy and the rest of the group waited a few feet away. Charlotte turned her back on everyone else, making Olivia feel even more awkward.
‘We’re going to Mister Smoothie to compare Christmas presents,’ Charlotte said. ‘Come with us.’ Katie and Allison nodded like bobble heads in their matching lavender scarves.
‘Oh, we’ve just left there,’ Olivia explained.
‘They were at Mister Smoothie?’ Charlotte squinted at Olivia’s friends.
Ivy piped up. ‘We even got a Twist and Shout.’ Ivy began doing a silly version of the dance right there on the sidewalk. Brendan, Sophia and Camilla joined in while Olivia tried not to laugh.
‘Haven’t you moved yet?’ Charlotte snapped at Ivy. ‘I can’t wait to get some normal neighbours.’
Ivy opened her mouth, no doubt with a cutting come-back, but Brendan beat her to it.
‘Good news,’ Brendan replied smoothly. ‘Ivy’s not going to Europe.’
‘Did they refuse to let you in for crimes against fashion?’ Charlotte smirked. Katie and Allison giggled.
‘It turns out I’m needed here,’ Ivy retorted, ‘for a campaign against conformity.’
Charlotte blinked. Olivia could tell she didn’t really understand the insult. Which is a good thing, Olivia thought.
‘Whatever,’ Charlotte huffed.
Olivia jumped in. ‘Is that a new bag, Charlotte?’
Charlotte shifted the big, brown, expensive-looking bag on her shoulder. ‘It’s a Kevin Green. My daddy bought it for me in New York.’
‘It’s nice,’ said Olivia, not quite sure if the over-sized leather bag went with Charlotte’s shiny blue puffy jacket.
‘Did you say Kevin Greene?’ Brendan peered closer at the bag. Olivia couldn’t imagine Brendan having an interest in handbag designers.
‘Yes,’ said Charlotte, turning her nose up at having to reply to Brendan.
‘I think your logo is supposed to have an extra “e” on the end of Green.’ Brendan straightened up and put his arm around Ivy.
‘What!’ Charlotte spluttered and Katie and Allison gathered around for a closer look.
Katie’s horrified gasp was all Olivia needed to realise that Charlotte’s bag was a cheap knock off. Charlotte stomped away, her friends scurrying after her. ‘At least I won’t be mistaken for a zombie,’ she called back over her shoulder.
Ivy laughed and gave Brendan a huge hug. ‘That was killer.’
‘Impressive fashion knowledge, Brendan,’ Olivia said. ‘How did you know about the “e”?’
Brendan shrugged. ‘Little sisters have their uses. Bethany’s been educating me on a weekly basis about who is wearing what.’
Sophia waved her camera, her white smile lighting up her dark skin. ‘I got it! The very moment when Charlotte saw for herself.’
‘You devil,’ Ivy said, making Sophia show her on the camera’s little screen.
‘Come on, guys,’ said Brendan, ‘I’m hungry!’
‘Onward to the Meat & Greet!’ said Camilla in her captain-of-the-space-ship voice.
‘Onward!’ everyone responded.
As they walked, they talked about the presents they’d gotten from their family – no one else was lucky enough to get an elusive Kevin Greene, but Olivia loved the pink, sparkly earmuffs her parents had bought her that matched her old scarf and glove set. They were keeping her ears toasty warm in the cold.
‘What did you get Ivy, Brendan?’ Camilla asked.
Brendan and Ivy shared a look.
Ivy explained, ‘He gave me a season ticket to the movie theatre, a year-long subscription to Vamp! magazine and a bus pass.’
Olivia realised that everything Brendan had given Ivy were things that needed a permanent address in Franklin Grove. ‘How romantic!’
‘There isn’t anything romantic about a bus pass,’ Sophia declared.
‘Yes, there is,’ Ivy and Brendan said quietly to each other.
‘Cheese!’ Sophia complained. ‘This registers cheese factor 10!’
Ivy just smiled and Olivia wished for the second time that day that she’d be as lucky in love.
‘I’ve never heard of Vamp! magazine,’ Camilla said as they came to the end of the street. Camilla didn’t have any idea about the vampires in Franklin Grove, and it had to stay that way.
‘Oh, we’re almost there!’ Olivia chirped, changing the subject quickly.
‘And I can’t wait for a ketchup-smothered chunky burger,’ Brendan declared. ‘With fries.’
But as they turned the corner to the diner, Ivy suddenly threw her arms out. ‘What is that?’
Olivia couldn’t see anything unusual. The diner had the same piñatas and disco balls hanging from meat hooks in the windows, the same sandwich board outside boasting the best burgers in town. ‘Um . . . it’s the Meat & Greet?’
‘No,’ Ivy said, frowning her forehead into a V. ‘It’s not. Look!’ She pointed to the sign above the door.
Sophia and Brendan gasped. Then, Olivia realised that not only was the restaurant completely empty, the neon sign no longer read ‘Meat & Greet'. It was ‘Meet & Greet’ with two ‘e’s!
‘What is it with “e”s today?’ Brendan asked.
‘What does it mean?’ Ivy said, clearly worried.
This could mean trouble, Olivia thought. Had it become a regular diner? If it had, where would the vamps eat out now? Or had someone exposed their secret?
Camilla jumped up and down, her blonde curls bouncing. ‘I know! We’ve entered an alternate universe; the aliens who created it have obviously gotten some things wrong.’ Camilla was a huge sci-fi fan.
Olivia couldn’t decide which was worse: an alien invasion or the existence of vampires being exposed. She was one of the few humans who knew the big secret and had taken a vow never to break the Laws of the Night, the very first being: Don’t Tell Anyone About Vampires EVER!
Ivy started walking faster towards the diner, with everyone hurrying to keep up.
Ivy stopped at the diner’s door to read a sign explaining that the Meat & Greet – with the ‘a’ – would be closed for a week.
‘Phew,’ Ivy said. ‘I was about to stake somebody.’
Camilla was still suspicious. ‘But why is the sign different?’
A rumbling noise filled the air. The five friends listened, huddled on the step in front of the diner’s door. The cold wind picked up and whipped Olivia’s hair in front of her face. It was the noise of an engine, a great big engine – or maybe lots of engines.
A convoy of trucks trundled down the road towards them. ‘Harker Films’ was emblazoned on each one.
‘It’s not aliens,’ said Camilla, clearly disappointed.
‘No,’ Sophia replied, her eyes shining as the trucks turned into the diner’s parking lot. ‘It’s Hollywood!’ She rubbed her hands with glee.
‘The Meat & Greet must be a movie set. This completely sucks!’ Olivia said, using the vampire phrase for all things awesome.
‘But what about my burger?’ Brendan said.
Ivy gave him a sympathetic hug as the trucks formed a large rectangle around the parking lot. There was a clatter of metal against concrete as burly men in thick sweaters banged down ramps from the back of the trucks and hauled out trolleys of speakers, enormous lights and costume racks.
A pair of me
n started putting up a line of plastic building barriers along the sidewalk.
‘Franklin Grove?’ said one with a few holes in his sweater. ‘Whoever heard of this place?’
‘Not me,’ muttered his companion. ‘They don’t even have a coffee shop.’
‘I hope Hollywood isn’t going to be as snobby as Charlotte Brown,’ Ivy said.
Finally, a group of long trailers arrived. From the size of them and the gold stars on the doors, Olivia guessed they were the private dressing rooms for the actors. Passers-by were starting to take notice and come over to see what was happening.
‘I can’t wait to find out what movie it is,’ Sophia said.
‘And who’s starring in it,’ Olivia added. She loved following Hollywood gossip. The latest issue of Celeb Weekly was always on her bedside table.
As they spoke, a huge bald man in sunglasses with bulging arms approached them. He was wearing an ear piece and his jacket had the Harker Films logo with a nametag that read ‘Jerome'.
‘Welcome to Franklin Grove,’ Olivia said brightly.
This seemed to startle him and he lowered his sunglasses to get a good look at them. ‘Thank you,’ he said in a deep voice. ‘But I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to vacate the premises.’
‘Yes, sir,’ Camilla squeaked, looking like Goldilocks facing off with the biggest bear.
‘Before we go, would you please tell us what the movie is?’ Olivia asked.
‘Technically, I’m not allowed,’ Jerome said. ‘But since you’re so polite, I can let you in on a little secret: if you wait just behind that third barrier from the end, the star will be arriving in about five minutes.’
Olivia beamed. ‘Ooh, thanks!’
Jerome gave them a wink and then called out to one of the roadies, ‘Hey, you! What do you think you’re doing with those lights?’
‘Being nice always pays off,’ Olivia said to Ivy as they moved towards the barriers.
The five friends hurried to a spot at the front of the growing crowd. There were the Meat & Greet waitresses on their day off, hairdressers from the salon across the street and even ladies in curlers trying to see what was happening. Everyone was gossiping about who the movie’s lead might be.
Right on time, an SUV with tinted windows pulled up to the barricade as their new friend Jerome shifted one of the waist-high plastic barriers to let it in. Olivia felt the crowd surge forward, pressing her into one of the barriers.
Sophia snapped away with her camera and even Ivy was stretching her neck to catch a glimpse. The back door opened and out came a faded brown cowboy boot, followed by a well-worn pair of jeans and then a trademark flash of white teeth.
Olivia’s heart was shaking like a pompom. She felt her cheeks turn hot and she couldn’t move.
‘Olivia,’ asked Ivy, ‘are you OK?’
Olivia had to remind herself to breathe. ‘I don’t believe it,’ she said and grabbed her sister’s arm. ‘It’s him!’
Chapter Two
‘Jackson Caulfield!’ shrieked a young girl behind Ivy, almost bursting her eardrum.
Not bad, Ivy thought, for a bunny. His scruffy blond hair and blue eyes were definitely not Ivy’s thing, but she could see why millions of bunnies – including Olivia – would get excited. Jackson smiled and, as he waved at the crowd, his green army jacket flapped open to reveal a rock band T-shirt.
‘He’s even cuter in real life,’ Olivia whispered, not taking her eyes off him.
‘Jackson!’ the voice behind Ivy screeched again. ‘Can I have your autograph?’ The girl, wearing a pink and blue polka-dot jacket, leaned over Ivy’s shoulder and waved a slightly crumpled magazine with him on the cover.
Jackson strolled over, with Jerome and another security guard watching closely. ‘Sure you can,’ he said with a slight southern drawl.
The girl’s excited shriek increased in volume with every step that Jackson took towards them, and Ivy could see Olivia had squeezed over to let her come to the barrier.
‘What’s your name?’ Jackson asked, relaxed, as he signed an autograph for her. The girl just shrieked louder and started to cry.
Ivy nudged her sister. ‘Why don’t you say hello?’ she whispered.
‘I can’t!’ Olivia whispered back.
What’s going on? Ivy thought. Olivia never has trouble talking to people!
Ivy poked Olivia in the side, making her yelp.
Jackson looked right at her and smiled.
‘Hi, Jackson,’ Camilla said from just behind Olivia.
‘Hello,’ he said. ‘What’s your name?’
‘I’m Camilla,’ she said. ‘I loved you in The Right One.’
‘Thanks,’ he replied with an easy grin. ‘That was my favourite shoot so far.’
‘And I’m Sophia.’ Sophia held up her camera. ‘Can I take your picture?’
‘Sure,’ he said and smiled as he posed, producing a mixture of sighs and screams from the crowd behind while Sophia snapped away.
‘And who are you?’ he asked.
He’s singling out Olivia! Ivy thought with excitement.
‘Um, hi,’ Olivia said, staring down at her faux-fur-lined boots.
‘This is Olivia,’ Ivy prompted.
Jackson leaned forward a little, so that the whole crowd couldn’t hear. ‘It was really nice of you to let that girl come through,’ he said to Olivia.
Still, Olivia didn’t speak. The closest she could get to looking at him was staring at his cowboy boots. ‘That’s because Olivia is really nice,’ Ivy replied.
Why isn’t she saying anything? Ivy thought. If she doesn’t do it now, she’ll regret it for eternity! Maybe longer.
‘Yeehaw,’ Olivia blurted out.
Oh my darkness, she’s gone mad! Ivy thought. Olivia’s pink face told her that she didn’t know why in bat’s name she had said it either.
‘I mean, uh – I like your boots,’ Olivia muttered. Her pink cheeks turned bright red.
‘Thanks,’ he replied, with a chuckle.
Behind him, a power-suited red-headed woman climbed out of the SUV, yakking into a phone.
‘I’m in charge of his image,’ she was saying, ‘and there will be no clown outfit.’
She waved Jackson back to the car.
One of the hairdressers was leaning over the rail, trying to catch Jackson’s attention. ‘Hey, Jackson!’
But his eyes didn’t stray from Olivia. ‘That’s my manager. I’ve got to go to work. I’m glad you like my boots.’ He smiled. ‘I like your fuzzy earmuffs.’
Then Jackson waved goodbye to the crowd and disappeared between the trucks into the parking lot.
‘I love you, Jackson!’ the polka-dot girl called after him.
Ivy was still thinking about how much attention Jackson had paid to Olivia. ‘Well, that was interesting,’ she said.
‘He’s so nice!’ declared Sophia.
‘And really cute, too,’ Camilla added. ‘Isn’t he, Olivia?’
Olivia covered her face with her hands. ‘I just made the most enormous idiot of myself! “Yeehaw, I like your boots?” Is that the best I could come up with?’
Brendan chuckled. ‘You looked like a tomato with fuzzy pink earmuffs.’
‘She did not!’ Ivy said. ‘She was charming him with her beauty.’
‘So much for keeping my cool around celebrities,’ Olivia muttered.
‘But he’s not just any celebrity,’ Camilla said. ‘He’s Jackson Caulfield!’
‘That’s what makes it worse!’ Olivia groaned.
But Ivy didn’t think it was so embarrassing. Jackson hadn’t been able to keep his eyes off Olivia – that much was obvious. Ivy felt an idea brewing. Maybe Franklin Grove’s newest bunny was the right guy for her sister? She was so happy with Brendan. She’d love for Olivia to have the same with someone.
‘Can we please go get something to eat now?’ Brendan asked, interrupting her thoughts.
‘Anything to escape more humiliation,’ Olivia said.
‘How about back to Mister Smoothie?’ Camilla suggested.
‘I would rather dig my own grave,’ Ivy replied. ‘Anyway, I’ve got to get back home before Dad leaves.’
‘No burger?’ Brendan pouted, looking back at the Meat & Greet longingly.
‘Unless you’re happy with a movie-version that’s all cornstarch and glue, you won’t be getting a burger today.’ Ivy took Brendan’s hand as they started to walk away.
They wove their way through the crowd that was still pressing forward to catch a glimpse of Jackson.
‘Excuse me,’ Olivia said, squeezing past three little girls jumping up and down.
‘Sorry.’ Camilla bumped into a skinny pizza-delivery boy, still holding warm pizza boxes.
‘Careful!’ Sophia said as a woman with her Pekinese dog knocked her camera.
Ivy took control. In her loudest voice she said to Olivia, ‘What do you mean you don’t like Jackson Caulfield?’
The crowd gasped and parted – almost afraid to be infected by anti-Jackson sentiment.
‘You think he’s a bad actor?’ Ivy called out and their path got even wider. Olivia had her face in her hands. ‘Ivy!’ she whispered with gritted teeth.
‘We’re getting through, aren’t we?’ Ivy whispered.
‘Phew,’ Brendan said as they finally escaped.
When they turned the corner, they ran into Charlotte and her minions coming back with smoothies in their hands. All three cheerleaders had slightly blue-stained lips. Ivy realised that they must have all gone for the Beauty-Boosting Blueberry. Charlotte had turned her bag around, so no one could read the logo.
‘People were saying something was happening at the Meat & Greet.’ Charlotte prompted Olivia for information, but Ivy wasn’t about to let the chance go by.
‘Oh yes.’ Ivy forced a look of concern on to her face. ‘There must have been dozens of men there – and the smell was awful!’
Charlotte crinkled her nose. ‘Smell?’
Brendan caught on quickly. ‘A pipe could have burst or maybe something happened to the sewers?’
‘I’d avoid the whole area if I were you,’ Ivy said. Little Miss Superior will just have to wait to see the hottest actor in Hollywood, she thought. Charlotte would find out sooner or later.
05 Take Two - My Sister the Vampire Page 2