as she felt her dad’s disapproving gaze lingering on her.
‘I’ll help.’ Olivia bounced to her feet. ‘I can’t sit still anyway!’
‘Thanks.’ As Ivy started gathering up plates, she gave her dad an apologetic look. ‘Sorry,’ she said in a low voice, aiming her words at both him and Olivia. ‘It’s been such a crazy time, I’m just a little absent-minded right now.’
Olivia’s adoptive parents might be wonderful people, but they were still bunnies – humans who weren’t in on the vampire secret – and they could never be allowed to find out. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn’t have forgotten to close the door of her bedroom.
Ivy had just started high school, though . . . and the circumstances were anything but ‘normal’.
Olivia’s energy seemed to dim a bit for the first time since she’d arrived. ‘Is high school really as tough as you said in our Lonely Echo chats?’
‘Just wait until tomorrow,’ Ivy told her, as Charles joined in with the others’ conversation. ‘You’ll see for yourself. And wait until the homework starts rolling in – you’ll need to learn how to write while wearing gloves!’
Olivia blinked, then shook her head. ‘OK, it can’t just be jet lag. That comment made no sense at all.’
‘Trust me.’ Ivy leaned close to whisper in her twin’s ear. ‘Even my RHP’ – Rapid Healing Process – ‘struggles to keep up with all the paper-cuts I’m getting from the mountains of essays.’
‘Ouch.’ Olivia sighed as she picked up the last of the plates. ‘Well, I’m still not dreading the new school . . . but I really wish I could take a day off to recover after all my travelling.’
‘What?!’ Charles and Mrs Abbott both broke off at once to turn on Olivia.
‘You cannot afford to miss any more schooling,’ they both declared.
Poor Olivia, Ivy thought. She had to force herself to hold back a smile at the look on her twin’s face. That’s the real downside of having four parents. Even more people to lecture you.
The voices woke Mr Abbott at last. He let out a grunt like a startled bear. ‘Uhh! Sorry. Sorry.’ Yawning, he stumbled to his feet. ‘I don’t quite seem to be able to fight this jet lag. It’s like a mysterious opponent that hides in shadows and cannot be overcome by force.’
‘We noticed,’ said Mrs Abbott. Sighing, she traded a meaningful look with Lillian.
‘Well, then, if no one minds . . .’ Mr Abbott stepped back from the breakfast bar, stretching out his arms in a warming-up pose. ‘I’ll just stand up and do some “forms”. That will definitely keep me awake.’
It’ll keep all of us awake, Ivy thought. She looked down, biting her lip to keep from laughing. Ouch! Her lip stung. It’s definitely time to get my fangs filed. She’d skipped an appointment at the vampire dentist so that she could be here this morning, but she hadn’t rescheduled yet. I can’t forget to do that! The First Law of the Night demanded that vampires kept their existence secret – so every vampire had to get their teeth regularly filed to keep them at a normal, human length.
But how could Ivy think about practicalities when there was a middle-aged man doing kung-fu mimes in her kitchen? Every sensible plan in her head fizzled away as she gaped at the sight before her. What on earth could that move be? she wondered. Man fumbling for a light switch? Man tearing down cobwebs, maybe?
Even Lillian, who was always perfectly poised in social situations, looked bemused.
Olivia broke the awkward silence. ‘Time for presents!’ She dived under the breakfast bar to grab her bag, hitting her head against the bottom of the counter.
‘Look out!’ Ivy reached down to help her twin up. Jet lag finally seemed to have hit Olivia, who was starting to weave slightly from side to side. ‘I’m sure it can wait just a little –’
‘Absolutely not!’ Olivia emerged with the sequinned purple bag, looking tousled but pleased with herself. ‘I don’t want to keep you guys in suspense any longer. A pay-off is only good if the audience still wants it, you know!’
‘I really will have to learn Camilla-ese now that you’re in the movie business, won’t I?’ Ivy gave a mock-sigh, shaking her head. ‘Can I buy a phrase book somewhere, at least?’
‘Oh, you’ll pick it up as we go,’ Olivia said breezily. Fumbling slightly, she put the bag on the table and opened it up to rummage through the chaos inside. ‘And for you, Ivy, from London . . . ta-da!’
Ivy blinked in disbelief. Is that a teddy bear?
It was. It was a small stuffed bear in a red raincoat and blue felt hat. Olivia beamed as she held it out. ‘To keep you company in your coff– . . . erm, bed!’
‘Uh, thanks.’ Eyebrows raised, Ivy accepted the bear. She must have been really Jackson-giddy when she bought these souvenirs. At least I should be grateful it isn’t pink!
Here we go. Olivia braced herself as she stood in the doorway to Franklin Grove High School. This is going to be great, she repeated in her head. I’ve been waiting for this all summer!
She looked down at her carefully chosen outfit. Her glittery pink short-sleeved shirt, with its shiny Union Jack in the centre, was her very favourite British souvenir, and it looked perfect with her paler pink capris. I’m all set!
Unfortunately, her stomach didn’t seem to be listening to her head. First it did a nervous front-flip. Then a backflip! Olivia swallowed hard. I’ve performed whole cheerleading routines with fewer flips and tumbles than my belly is doing right now!
Olivia took a deep breath and turned to look at her sister. As long as I’m with Ivy, it’ll all be fine.
But Ivy was groaning as she gazed into the dimly-lit front hallway of Franklin Grove High. ‘You see?’ she muttered to Olivia. ‘I told you this was Bizarro World.’
As Olivia followed her twin into the school, she was forced to agree. Her head whipped back and forth as she tried to take in everything she saw in the crowded hallway. And what an unexpected crowd it was . . .
Wow. The goths really were in charge here! Goth girls and boys lined the walls, leaning against the lockers with their arms crossed, wearing sunglasses despite the low light. Other goths slouched in groups down the centre of the hallway while the few bunnies leaped to the side to make way for them, nearly squeaking with panic as they approached. And then there were the skaters . . .
‘So, are you freaked out yet?’ said Ivy, giving Olivia a nudge.
‘Well . . .’ Olivia shrugged, settling her own nerves. ‘It can’t be more of a mix here than the kind I saw on the film set. The actors and the crew members all got along just fine, no matter how different they were. In fact . . .’ She
