Without a word of prompting – or an I-hate-you face – Holly and Sophia started to clear a path for Charlotte to walk through.
‘Oh. My. Darkness!’ Ivy shook her head in disbelief. ‘How did you do that?’
Charlotte shrugged. ‘Just act like your time is very important, and the people around you will treat it that way! You don’t have to be mean, or treat people badly – you just have to be honest about who you are . . . not the person other people think you should be.’
Charlotte’s face softened. Looking rueful, she met Ivy’s eyes directly. ‘That is a lesson you helped me learn all through eighth grade.’
‘Oh.’ Ivy felt her own face soften. Wow. There’s one more thing I wouldn’t have believed a year ago! ‘OK.’ She blew out a breath. ‘Can I try it again?’
Camilla nodded. ‘Take your places, everybody,’ she barked. ‘We are back at the Hallway Gauntlet . . . take two!’
This time, Ivy felt a sense of purpose leading her as she stepped forwards. As Sophia and Ivy converged on her, she fought her instinctive panic, trying to remember Charlotte’s advice. Small, impatient frown . . . look at watch . . .
Charlotte’s voice rapped out. ‘Can we cut?’
‘Oh, fine. Cut!’ Camilla sighed heavily. ‘I’ll bet real directors don’t get told when to cut, though.’
Ivy didn’t have any time to laugh. Charlotte was already hurrying towards her, and this time she reached out to physically push Ivy’s posture into place. ‘Shoulders straight and head up, that’s all good, but don’t raise your chin too much – you’ll give yourself neck strain!’
‘Seriously?’ Ivy let out a half-laugh. ‘Don’t you think you might be getting a little too obsessive, now? I mean –’
‘Why do you think I had to miss summer camp that one year?’ Charlotte demanded.
‘Um . . .’ Ivy thought back. ‘Oh, that’s right, you did miss a year. Why –?’
‘Because I was stuck at home wearing a neck brace, that’s why!’
‘Oh.’ Ivy’s eyes widened. Wow. ‘OK,’ she said. ‘I’ll keep my chin down.’
Who knew that popularity could actually give a girl physical injuries? I thought all I had to worry about was emotional damage!
‘Try again,’ Charlotte ordered.
Ivy nodded, rolling back her shoulders like a boxer getting ready to jump back into the ring. I can do this, she told herself. For the first time ever, it felt like it might actually be true.
She kept her shoulders back, her chin lowered, her eyes on her watch, her attitude impatient but not mean . . .
‘And I’m through!’ As she swept past Holly and Sophia in exactly the way that Charlotte had, Ivy let out a shout of triumph. ‘I did it! Woot!’ She punched the air.
‘Ahem!’ Camilla cleared her throat. ‘You’ve made it past the first obstacle . . . You still have the annoying skater-boy and the timid cheerleader lying in wait!’
Uh-oh. Lowering her fist, Ivy looked around. She’s right. Brendan was poised halfway down the hall, miming turning the wheels on his invisible skateboard. Olivia huddled near the end, her shoulders drawn up, holding a stack of textbooks in her arms as her eyes darted nervously around her.
‘Oops.’ Ivy sighed. ‘OK. I’m ready.’ She started forwards, trying to put herself back into Charlotte-mode . . .
And Camilla bellowed, ‘Cut!’
‘Sorry?’ Ivy stared.
Camilla rolled her eyes under her beret. ‘What on earth do you think you’re doing, Vega? We need to run this scene through from the top !’
‘What?!’ Ivy’s mouth dropped open. She turned slowly around . . . and found Holly and Sophia bouncing in place, getting ready to pounce all over again.
‘Ohhhh, fine.’ She sighed. ‘I guess I can do it again. Probably.’
‘Good,’ Charlotte said. ‘Because I have a few more notes.’
‘Of course you do,’ Ivy mumbled. This is going to be a long evening.
But as she took her position at the doorway, facing the full Hallway Gauntlet, with her twin giving her a surreptitious ‘thumbs-up’ gesture near the end of it, Ivy felt a sudden charge of energy run through her body. Just look at all of them!
The whole Franklin Grove Middle School gang was back together, for the first time since high school had begun – and with special new members in Holly and Charlotte! This actually feels like old times. This is good!
Ivy looked round at her friends and her sister, all gathered to help her. Her eyes stung even as she prepared to run the gauntlet all over again. I know the old times can never really come back, she thought, blinking back the would-be tears, but it’s nice to remember them . . . at least for a little while.
Chapter Eleven
The next morning, it was time to put theory into practice. This is not a drill. Ivy took a deep breath as she stepped up to the main entrance of Franklin Grove High. The school bus had pulled away five minutes ago, and Brendan, Sophia and Olivia had all gone in ahead of her, giving her space to tackle the Hallway Gauntlet head-on.
She reached out for the door handle. Then she stopped. Oh, come on, she told herself. Don’t be a wimp! Remember how well it went last night?
They’d run through the scene over a dozen times at her house, and even Charlotte had been impressed by the end of it. When they’d finished the final take, Camilla had announced, ‘We have gold in the can!’
Ivy had barely understood a single word in that sentence, but at least it had sounded like a compliment. And even if it wasn’t . . .
Right. She reached out and pulled the door open. It’s show time!
Just as she’d practised, Ivy kept her gaze fixed on her locker up ahead, where Brendan, Olivia and Sophia were waiting. Before she could take two steps, though, two clingy goth-girls came racing towards her.
‘Wasn’t the homework boring, Ivy?’
‘What did you do last night? I bet it was cool.’
‘Of course it was cool. Ivy’s always cool!’
‘I wish I was like you, Ivy!’
Normally, Ivy would have panicked as they plucked at her sleeves and blocked her in every direction. This time, though, she had to restrain a burst of incredulous laughter. It was almost eerie how good Sophia and Holly’s impression of these girls had been.
I think I’ve had this conversation before, Ivy thought. Over a dozen times before, actually!
Holding back a smile, she forced her forehead to crease. She glanced at her watch.
Almost imperceptibly, the two girls began to shift back, automatically starting to make space for her to leave, even as they kept on talking.
‘Are you ready for the poetry reading in English?’
‘I can’t wait to hear what you chose!’
Ivy’s mind went blank. Then she bit back a groan. Oh, no! I was supposed to choose a poem to read today! She’d been so busy doing her hallway homework, she’d forgotten all about finishing her English homework.
She shrugged, trying to look impatient instead of horrified. ‘I’ll have something by the time class starts.’
‘Ooh.’ The two girls fluttered back, eyes wide. ‘You’re so cool. I could never wing it so close to show time.’
‘I’ve been agonising all week!’
‘Oh, well, I’m sure it’ll be fine.’ Carefully keeping her nose – but not her chin! – in the air, Ivy walked forwards with subtle determination. Just don’t laugh! she ordered herself.
It was hard not to laugh, though, as the two goths fell into a heated debate over their own poetry choices.
‘Do you think I should have gone for “Angry Soul” instead of “Wilting Roses”?’
‘All I know is, I’m going to kill with my choice: “Coffin of Confidence!”’
Looking at her watch, Ivy swept forwards . . . and just like in the rehearsal, the goth-girls cleared a path.
Ivy let out a silent cheer. I made it past Stage One! Now . . . She slid a glance forwards. Yup. It’s time for Stage Two: the dumb skater-boy. Game on
!
One of Finn’s friends took up most of the hallway ahead of her, sweeping out his arms and legs to show off his “killer” moves. ‘And then I went – whoosh! – up that wall and I turned a flip like this . . .’
He flipped in mid-air and nearly knocked over two bunnies. Remember your objective, Ivy lectured herself as she started towards him. Don’t scowl, don’t sigh, don’t huff, don’t . . . huh?
Penny Taylor had just jumped in front of her, dressed in a very long black coat.
Wait a minute, Ivy thought. This wasn’t part of the script. I haven’t rehearsed this!
Penny’s eyes looked huge with misery. Her gaze skittered over three goths who were leaning against the wall of lockers nearby, obviously listening in, and her shoulders hunched. She whispered, ‘Um . . . can I talk to you, Ivy? Please?’
Ivy gritted her teeth. So much for the plan! ‘Oh, fine,’ she muttered. ‘If you must.’
Penny flinched as if she’d been slapped and Ivy winced, suddenly realising what she’d done. Uh-oh. I wasn’t supposed to be mean today!
‘Of course you can talk to me,’ she said warmly. She wrapped one arm around Penny’s shoulders, feeling the tension vibrating through the other girl. ‘What’s wrong?’
‘It’s just . . .’ Penny slid her a nervous glance. ‘You know our English class? This morning?’
‘Yeah.’ Ivy had to restrain herself from rolling her eyes. Was there anyone at this school who wasn’t eager to remind her that she hadn’t done her homework?
‘Well . . .’ Penny bit her lip. ‘Did you have any particular Pall Bearers song in mind? To read?’
‘Uh . . .’ Ivy grimaced. ‘Look, to be totally honest –’
‘Oh, don’t worry!’ Penny’s words rushed out as her eyes flew wide. ‘I would never read the one you were planning on! No matter which one it is.’ She grasped Ivy’s arm with a feverish look in her eye. ‘You know, I really won’t read any of their lyrics if it’s going to offend you. I would never do that!’
Gently, Ivy tried to detach Penny’s fingers from her arm. ‘Look, the Pall Bearers aren’t really your thing, are they?’
‘Of course they are!’ Penny gave an anguished look at the watching goths. ‘I mean, every goth loves the Pall Bearers, right? So, I do, too! It’s just, I know you’re a really big fan – I don’t mind the keyboards either, by the way! – and I would never step on your toes. That’s why I wanted to check.’
Ivy sighed. ‘I’m not reading any of the Pall Bearers’ lyrics, Penny. The whole CD collection is yours, free and clear.’
‘Oh. Well. That’s a relief, I suppose.’ Penny’s shoulders slumped. She stepped out from underneath Ivy’s arms, looking more miserable than ever. ‘So, I will read Pall Bearers lyrics, then.’ She sighed. ‘See you there?’
‘Yup.’ Ivy watched Penny walk away, goth-perfect in her long black trench coat . . . and slumped. She couldn’t take this any longer. ‘Penny?’ she called out.
Penny froze, suddenly looking hopeful. ‘Did you change your mind? Do you want to use one of their songs after all?’
‘That’s not it,’ Ivy said. She glanced at all the other students watching them from around the hallway. ‘Could you just come back here for a second? Please?’
As Ivy waited for Penny, she heard her friends down the hall hissing at each other in sudden panic:
‘What is she doing?’
‘She’s going off-script!’
‘Improvising was NOT part of the plan!’
‘Chill, guys,’ Ivy whispered. She knew Olivia wouldn’t be able to hear her, but Brendan and Sophia both would, with their vampire hearing. ‘I know what I’m doing.’
At least, I hope so, she added silently.
Penny came to a halt in front of her, quivering with nerves. ‘Y-yes? Was there something you wanted, Ivy?’
‘Yes,’ Ivy said. She looked her in the eye. ‘I want to know: do you really want to read the Pall Bearers’ lyrics?’
Penny blinked rapidly. ‘I thought you said I could! You said –’
‘Don’t get me wrong,’ Ivy said. ‘The Pall Bearers suck – I mean, they rule – but you don’t have to read one of their songs just because that’s what you think you should do. You know that, right?’
Penny looked around at the watching goths. Ivy could almost see the wheels turning in her head.
‘But if I don’t . . .’
‘Look,’ Ivy said, dropping her voice to a whisper. ‘The whole idea of Mr Russell’s assignment is to read something you connect with, emotionally, on a personal level. We both know the Pall Bearers aren’t it for you, right?’
Penny’s eyes dropped. ‘Right,’ she whispered. ‘I mean, I don’t think they’re bad, I just . . .’
‘They’re just not your thing.’ Ivy nodded. ‘So if you go up and read those lyrics, you’re not going to get as “into” them as everyone expects, are you? That means people are going to have questions .’ She laid one hand on Penny’s stiff shoulder, feeling a wave of empathy. Ivy, of all people, knew exactly how hard it was to pretend to be a different kind of person. ‘Don’t you think it would be better to give them questions you can actually answer?’ she asked gently.
For a moment, Penny just looked down at her feet. Then her chin rose. She met Ivy’s gaze. ‘Do you remember that poetry book I was reading at the skatepark?’
Ivy frowned. ‘That was while you were pretending to be a goth, wasn’t it?’ she whispered. ‘I’m not sure that book is the best –’
‘No!’ Penny said. ‘There’s one poem in there I really loved. Genuinely. “Shadows in Sunshine.” That’s the one I’d pick if I really could.’
‘“Shadows . . .”? Ohhh, yeah.’ Ivy’s eyebrows rose. ‘I remember that one.’ And actually . . .
Yeah, it was moody – but it was pretty, too. And the more she thought about it, the more she could see: it really would have meaning for Penny, the goth who secretly loved pink.
‘That sounds like a great choice,’ she said truthfully.
‘You think so?’ Penny’s lips curved into a smile of delight. ‘Then I’m going to do it!’
‘Fantastic.’ Ivy gave her shoulder one last squeeze, then stepped away. As she made her way briskly down the hallway, she barely even remembered that she was running the dreaded Hallway Gauntlet. Warmth filled her chest, making her feel light as air.
She bypassed the annoying skater-boy without giving him a glance, even as his backflip landed him so close to her that he actually apologised, backing away with his hands held up defensively. Maybe he thinks I’m going to go after him the way I went after that idiot in the trench coat, Ivy thought, and rolled her eyes. Honestly, I’m not that scary!
When the bunny girl with six piled textbooks scurried past, Ivy gave her a half-smile. The bunny girl stopped in her tracks, staring. ‘Um . . . um . . .’ She licked her lips, looking panicked. ‘I . . .’
‘Yes?’ Ivy asked gently. She stopped to listen.
‘What are you doing?’ Sophia whispered. The sound carried down the hallway to Ivy’s sensitive hearing.
Ivy ignored her friend’s question. Instead, she waited patiently for the bunny girl to work up her courage.
Finally, the girl gave Ivy a shaky smile. ‘Hi,’ she said. ‘I’m Julia.’
‘Nice to meet you, I’m Ivy.’
The bunny girl beamed, looking almost relieved as she continued walking down the hall. ‘Wow,’ the girl whispered to herself, not realising that Ivy could hear her. ‘She’s not scary!’
Nope, Ivy thought. And maybe I don’t need to be, either.
As Ivy joined her friends by her locker a few minutes later, she was smiling as broadly as Julia. She’d successfully run the Hallway Gauntlet . . . and she knew she’d never be afraid of it again.
Chapter Twelve
Olivia couldn’t have been happier for her twin . . . but now that Ivy had finally learned how to manage the dreaded hallway, it was time for Olivia to focus on her other mission: Get Fam
elia together – for the whole school’s sake!
As she headed for her locker on the other side of school, leaving Ivy and her other vamp friends behind, Olivia could actually feel the difference in people’s reactions. While goths and bunnies both stared at Ivy and everyone around her, Olivia turned into the Invisible Girl the moment she stepped out of Ivy’s charmed circle. There should be a loudspeaker warning every time I walk away from Ivy, she thought ruefully, as she stepped back to make way for a noisy group of goths. Warning! Warning! You are now leaving the popularity zone!
The goths passed by her without a second look . . . and Olivia smiled, relaxing into her anonymity. Jackson was right. This could be a whole lot worse.
Honestly, it was going to be weird enough to alternate between weeks of normal high school and weeks of Hollywood filming across the next several months. But if she wanted to stay grounded through it all – and keep herself from becoming a nightmarish diva like Jessica Phelps – this was exactly what she needed to keep her steady. She had Hollywood ceremonies and film sets to make her feel special . . . and school to keep her normal and anonymous.
This feels right, she decided. Now all I have to do is get Operation Famelia moving again!
Olivia nibbled at her lower lip. She’d barely slept last night for wondering what she should do next to help Finn and Amelia get together. This morning, though, she was pretty sure she had the perfect plan.
All she needed was a box of chocolates and a yellow umbrella, and she’d . . .
Oh, no. Trouble ahead!
Just ahead of Olivia, Amelia was stepping backwards from her locker – and she was obviously completely unaware that another student had set a big, bulky bag just behind her. The Queen of Goth was about to take a nasty fall.
‘Look out!’ Olivia yelled.
But Amelia’s boot had already landed askew on the bulky bag. She started to fall, her arms pinwheeling . . .
. . . and from out of nowhere, Finn zoomed down the hall on his skateboard. Moving so swiftly it almost looked like he was flying, he sped towards Amelia and caught her in mid-air before she could hit the ground.
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