Lillian smiled at Mr Vega’s eagerness, while Ivy had to double check that her father hadn’t been taken over by aliens: pale skin, not green . . . check. Two eyes not five . . . check. Still a vampire, not an alien. But her dad was acting excited. Well, as excited as her super-composed father ever got.
‘Maybe you could all come and visit my home in Hollywood and we could talk about some ideas?’ Lillian asked.
Mr Vega bowed slightly. ‘I would be happy to, as long as you think my taste will complement yours.’
‘Well –’ Lillian leaned in closer, like she was about to share a secret. ‘Like you, I have special . . . culinary requirements of the red-meat variety.’
‘You mean, you’re . . .’ Ivy trailed off, not wanting to say anything that might break the First Law of the Night. No humans could ever find out about vampires’ existence and, since it was so hard to tell who was and who wasn’t, it was always tricky when you met someone you didn’t know but suspected might be.
‘I’m rather partial to Marshmallow Platelets,’ Lillian said with a grin.
Ivy grinned back. Cool, she thought.
‘I think there are some drinks on a table over by the refrigerated aisles,’ Mr Vega said, suddenly as enthusiastic as he had been when he was pretending to enjoy visiting Mister Smoothie a few weeks ago – but this time it felt genuine. ‘Can I get you a drink, Lillian?’
‘I’ll come with you,’ she replied and the two of them walked off, chatting about arrangements for a spontaneous trip.
‘Oh my darkness,’ said Sophia. ‘We’re going to Hollywood!’
Ivy grinned. She couldn’t wait. ‘This totally sucks.’
Chapter Two
The FoodMart was much emptier now.
Burly Man from before bustled past. ‘I’m chasing the rabbit down the hole,’ he said into his phone.
‘That is the lamest code-speak ever,’ Ivy said. But at least Jessica’s entourage had followed her downstairs so there was a little breathing room.
‘Let’s find Olivia, so we can tell her about going to Hollywood,’ Ivy said, leading Sophia through the refrigerated section.
‘Hey,’ said an unshaven older guy wearing a Harker Films T-shirt, looking straight at Ivy. He flashed a big grin as he walked past. ‘You were pretty good.’
Ivy stopped short. ‘Who was that?’ she asked Sophia. ‘And what did he mean?’
Sophia looked amused. ‘I don’t know, but I bet Brendan won’t like guys like him smiling at you like that.’
Then an older lady with greying hair, holding a clipboard, gave her a smile. ‘Sweetie, you were great! Congratulations.’
Ivy was completely baffled. She couldn’t let this go, so she turned and hurried after Clipboard Woman. ‘I’m sorry, but what do you mean?’
‘The movie, sweetie.’ She patted Ivy’s arm. ‘Most of the crew have already seen the full screening. I bet you loved dumping that jug of juice on Jackson’s head.’
‘Oh . . .’ Ivy said, realising that they had mistaken her for Olivia, who played a goth in the film. She decided it would be too complicated to explain. ‘Thanks! It was fun!’ she said brightly.
‘Maybe you and Olivia should be a double act?’ Sophia suggested as they walked down the soda aisle.
‘Not a chance,’ Ivy replied. ‘I’ll leave the star turns to her and stick to making things happen behind the scenes.’
‘Like me!’ Sophia said, holding up her digital camera. ‘I’d better go find the Phelps-inator in case she’s doing something particularly headline grabbing with the Platelet Porridge.’ Sophia gave Ivy a hug. ‘See you on the carpet!’
‘But I’m not –’ Ivy began but Sophia had already disappeared. ‘Going on the carpet.’
‘You’re not?’ said an unfamiliar voice behind her.
Ivy turned to see a man with shaggy black hair and a pale complexion. He wore scruffy jeans with a black blazer over a T-shirt from a band that had broken up at least twenty years ago. He must be one of the paparazzi in Jessica’s entourage, Ivy decided.
‘Nope,’ Ivy said, definitively.
‘But you’re all dressed up, man,’ he pointed out, sounding like a hippie from the sixties. Ivy guessed he couldn’t be part of Jessica’s flock of vampire sheep with that kind of slang. He probably wasn’t even a vampire, she decided, and didn’t have a clue about what went on downstairs. ‘Why don’t you want to?’
‘Honestly?’ Ivy asked, not sure why he would be asking.
‘Yeah.’ The shaggy-haired guy nodded.
‘I think it’s all a little bit dumb,’ she confessed. ‘All the stress, the running around and shouting. Has no one realised, this is only a movie?’
Shaggy Guy crossed his arms, grinning. ‘When you put it like that, man, it does sound kinda over the top.’
Ivy was just getting started. ‘Think about it,’ she challenged him. ‘If they would put all the money from this premiere into a fund for graduates to go to film school – or even for underprivileged kids to go and see this movie – it would be money better spent.’
Shaggy Guy laughed. ‘You’ve got your head screwed on, man. That’s not a bad idea.’ Then he walked off.
That was weird, Ivy thought, but it seems like this movie business makes everyone a little crazy.
Olivia felt like Cinderella, frantically searching for her pumpkin carriage before the clock struck midnight – except that instead of running from a palace, she was charging past shelves of pickles and ketchup.
‘Olivia!’
She turned and saw her prince, looking charming in a black tuxedo with silk lapels. His usually wild blonde hair was slicked back and his bright blue eyes were twinkling.
‘Jackson,’ she said, trying not to grin like an idiot. ‘I’ve been looking for you everywhere.’
‘Which is probably why you haven’t found me, because I’ve been looking for you ever since I heard your chauffeur dropped you off.’ He gathered her up in a big hug. ‘You look amazing,’ he whispered into her ear.
Olivia felt like she could float down the red carpet.
‘Are you nervous?’ he asked.
She thought about it for a moment. ‘It’s just walking,’ Olivia replied. ‘How hard can it be?’
Jackson chuckled. ‘Just walking?’ He pretended to be shocked. ‘Just walking! Look, Miss Up-and-Coming-Movie-Star, there is walking and there is Red Carpet Walking.’
Olivia giggled.
Jackson put one hand on his hip. ‘I will demonstrate.’
He half-strutted up the aisle, past the rows of salad dressings, with his shoulders back and his pearly whites on show. He stopped occasionally to pose and half-turn, as if imaginary cameras were flashing all around him. He walked back to her, really hamming it up.
‘That looks easy enough,’ Olivia said.
‘I still think you should have a practice run,’ Jackson advised.
Olivia smiled, tossed her hair and set off striding past the relishes. But when she stopped to do a half-turn like Jackson did, her skirt caught under her shoe and she staggered straight towards a neat stack of soup cans.
‘Eek!’ Olivia squealed.
Jackson grabbed her just before she knocked the pyramid of tins flying. A store assistant who was tidying up the mayonnaise at the end of the aisle shot her a dirty look.
‘Oh no,’ Olivia whispered. ‘Why didn’t I think to practise walking?’
Jackson put his arm around her. ‘I think I might have a solution to your problem. What if . . .’ he said with a twinkle in his eye, ‘you had someone to guide you? Someone by your side to give you confidence and help you with when to stop and pose?’
Olivia realised what he was doing. He was building up to telling her that he wanted to go public and that they could walk down the red carpet together. Her heart started thumping – not quite like when they had their first kiss, but close to it. She readied herself to pretend to be surprised. Don’t grin. Don’t look surprised too early.
She could see the an
ticipation on his face. He was just as excited about this as she was. ‘Olivia,’ he said, beaming. ‘I want to go public and walk down the red carpet with you!’
‘What?’ screeched a demanding voice. ‘You can’t do that!’
Now Olivia didn’t have to pretend to be surprised. Amy Teller was poking her head around the corner, and she’d clearly been listening to everything they had been saying.
She strode over, her five-inch-high heels clicking along the linoleum floor. Her red hair was pulled back in a severe ponytail and she was wearing an off-the-shoulder calf-length dress made from silver satin. She looked beautiful but fierce, and ready to take charge on the red carpet for her client. She had a phone in one hand and a takeaway cup of coffee from the Meat and Greet.
‘Jackson, Olivia.’ She sighed. ‘We have discussed this. We agreed that you would walk by yourself or with your mother or sister. And since none of your relations are here . . .’
Jackson shook his head. ‘No, Amy,’ he said softly. ‘You talked about this, and you agreed with yourself. I want to walk down the red carpet with my beautiful girlfriend.’
Olivia wanted to do a cheer. Jackson was standing up for her – and he thought she was beautiful!
‘I don’t want to have to pretend to be single any more. We’ve kept things quiet for long enough, but we are certain about how we feel.’ Jackson grabbed Olivia’s hand and she thought she might turn into jelly. ‘Now we want to celebrate being together – and this is the perfect way to do it. I want to be a normal teenage boy, with a normal teenage girlfriend.’
Olivia could see the store assistant hovering around the pickles, trying to listen to their conversation, but she didn’t care.
‘You are not normal.’ Amy pointed at him, her sleek silver phone flashing under the fluorescent lights of the supermarket and her coffee threatening to spill over the flimsy plastic lid. ‘You are a mega-star with millions of fans who think that you are available. If you go out there as a couple, it could end your career!’
Jackson squeezed Olivia’s hand. ‘If that happens, so be it.’
Olivia couldn’t believe that he would be willing to give up everything for her. ‘You shouldn’t –’
‘I want to,’ he cut her off.
‘Well, then.’ Amy turned to Olivia with a cool stare. ‘What about you? Are you ready to be universally hated by girls everywhere for stealing Jackson away?’
‘Uh –’ Olivia hadn’t thought about that.
‘There will be threads online called We Hate Olivia Abbott and groups scrutinising every little thing you wear.’ Amy was leaning closer and closer. ‘They won’t leave you alone until there’s a break up – and being in the spotlight is one of the quickest ways to make that happen. Are you sure you can handle this?’
Olivia gulped. I can handle the existence of vampires, but what about the wrath of an army of haters? Olivia remembered how crazy Jackson’s fans were at his book signing in February.
Jackson looked at her, his eyebrows creased. ‘I don’t want to put you through anything horrible,’ he said.
She paused for a moment, but knew she didn’t want to pretend any more. ‘And I don’t want to date in secret any more,’ Olivia replied. ‘Amy, I think you’re overreacting and I won’t be scared into staying silent because of a few unhappy people.’
Jackson’s face broke into a huge grin.
‘We’ll deal with it, if and when it happens,’ she finished.
Amy did not look happy. She stared at Olivia, but Olivia refused to back down. She stared right back. The sounds of the hubbub going on in the supermarket around them faded away.
Amy opened her mouth, about to speak, when the shrill of her phone made Olivia flinch. It made Amy jump too, her arm jerked up and the lid of the coffee cup slipped off.
Then several things happened at once.
The froth of the coffee sloshed towards Olivia.
She tried to step away and stumbled.
Jackson started to pull her backwards.
But it was too late. With scalding heat, the coffee splashed right down the delicately layered folds of Olivia’s dress.
‘Oh, my goodness,’ Amy gushed. ‘I’m so sorry!’
Olivia looked down at the brown mess that was spreading in a stain across the beautiful pink chiffon. Her gorgeous dress; the biggest night of her life! And now it was ruined. She tried to hold back her tears.
‘How could you do that?’ Jackson demanded, grabbing the paper napkin out of Amy’s hand and dabbing at Olivia’s ruined skirt.
‘It was an accident,’ Amy insisted, holding up her hands. ‘I didn’t mean to.’
Olivia knew it was the truth but it still stung that Amy had got her way.
‘There’s no way I can walk down the red carpet like this,’ Olivia said. ‘It’s over.’
Just then, a young man with a goatee and a clipboard rushed over. ‘We are go. We are go. Jessica has arrived. Jackson, you’re up now.’
‘We have to get moving,’ Amy said to Jackson and Olivia wished she could disappear.
‘Wait –’ protested Jackson. His blue eyes looked pained.
‘No, go,’ Olivia said. ‘You can’t miss your moment.’
‘I don’t want to go without you,’ he insisted.
‘You have to,’ she whispered.
‘Are you sure?’
Olivia didn’t trust herself to speak again, so she nodded.
She watched Jackson being escorted away down the aisle with a horrified, apologetic look on his face.
My fairy tale has shattered, she thought miserably.
Ivy stepped around a display bin of multi-coloured sponges.
Wham! Someone ran straight into her – a person-sized flamingo-coloured blur.
‘Hey,’ Ivy started. ‘Watch where you’re . . . Olivia?’
The pink blur was her twin sister. And she was crying.
Ivy grabbed her by both shoulders, forcing her to stop. ‘What happened?’
‘My dress!’ Olivia spread out her dress to reveal a big upside-down u-shaped brown stain.
‘Oh no!’ Ivy gasped. While pastels weren’t her thing, her sister’s outfit was amazing. Or had been amazing.
‘And Jackson’s been summoned to walk the carpet.’ Olivia sniffled. ‘Alone.’
Ivy didn’t say another word and just wrapped her arms around her sister in a hug.
‘Thanks,’ Olivia said, pulling back. ‘I’m going to see if I can wash it off or something, so that I don’t miss the whole premiere.’
‘Do you want me to come?’ Ivy offered, knowing how upset Olivia must be about missing her chance to go public with Jackson.
‘No, don’t worry,’ Olivia said. ‘You go find our dad and make sure he’s not lost in the pet food aisle, wondering what’s happening.’
Ivy nodded. ‘See you inside?’ Even though Ivy wasn’t going to do the grand entrance, she and Olivia had arranged to sit together in the cinema. Olivia wanted Ivy there for moral support.
As Olivia nodded and hurried away, Ivy started marching up and down the supermarket aisles, looking for her dad. Just in front of the rows of checkouts, she spotted Jackson and Amy, hovering by the door, with a crew member peering at his watch.
Jackson waved her over. ‘Have you seen your sister?’ He tried to step towards Ivy but Amy was blocking his path back into the store.
‘I saw her; she’s a little upset,’ Ivy admitted.
‘I should go . . .’ he started but Amy cut him off.
‘Jackson, she’ll be fine.’ Amy kept looking through the big glass doors. ‘We need to go any second now.’
Just then, the Shaggy Guy from the soda aisle strolled up with two young men in ties following him.
Amy’s face broke into a big smile and she nudged the guy in the blue tie out of the way to approach Shaggy Guy. ‘Helloooooo, Jacob. So lovely to see you!’ They air-kissed.
Why does Amy care about some paparazzi man who is chasing Jessica around? Ivy wondered.
‘Hey,’ she said, when he glanced her way.
Amy gasped and Jackson’s jaw dropped.
‘Hey?’ Amy said. ‘Mr Harker is the head of the studio. You don’t just “Hey” the person who made this movie!’
Whoops! Ivy thought. How can this guy be the head of a studio? He looks like he needs help getting dressed in the morning. Ivy tried to smile without looking too awkward. ‘Uh . . .’
‘Amy, don’t be so establishment,’ he scoffed, whipping out a smart phone and starting to type on it. The young man that Amy pushed out of the way rolled his eyes.
Uh oh, Ivy thought. An anti-establishment man of Hollywood? I’m not even sure if that’s possible. Everything was just getting weirder and weirder.
‘I’ve already met this young star, and I like her attitude.’ His shaggy hair flopped around as he nodded enthusiastically.
Ivy blinked. Star?
Amy’s eyes almost popped out of her head.
‘She could be huge, man,’ said Mr Harker.
‘What do you mean?’ Ivy spluttered.
Jackson gave her a nudge, smiling. ‘Ivy and Olivia, taking the world by storm.’
‘Who’s Olivia?’ Harker asked.
‘She’s the goth neighbour in the movie, and Ivy here is her twin,’ Jackson explained. ‘And Ivy was an extra in the diner scene.’
‘Hey, now I see,’ Harker said. ‘You guys are twins.’
Ivy nodded, biting her lip to stop from saying, Duh.
‘Dude, your sister was good,’ Harker went on. ‘Really good.’
‘Yes, she is,’ Jackson put in, and Amy shot him a warning look. Ivy guessed that Amy didn’t want Harker getting the hint that Olivia and Jackson were dating.
Harker turned to Ivy. ‘Are you ready?’
‘For what?’ Ivy had no idea what was coming next. This was turning out to be the strangest supermarket experience of her life.
‘For your walk down the red carpet, man?’ He leaned in close. ‘You and your sister are gonna be the next big actresses to hit Hollywood – and I’m going to be the one who discovered you.’
Mr Harker ushered Amy, Jackson and Ivy towards the door. ‘It’s a shame your sister isn’t here,’ he said. ‘But you and Jackson are coming out with me.’
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