‘Oh no, I’m melting . . .’ Ivy pretended to crumple to her knees.
Janie looked at Ivy like she really was melting.
Olivia intervened, taking a candy that was the same shade of pink as her lip gloss. ‘Thanks so much,’ she said to Janie and then whispered to Ivy, ‘Don’t be such a V-day humbug!’
Ivy thought conversation candy hearts were pure evil, but she took one to be polite.
‘Mine says, “Kiss me”.’ Olivia popped it in her mouth.
‘Well, this one says, “Sweetheart”,’ said Ivy, holding the offensive object like it was a clove of garlic.
‘Aren’t you going to eat it?’ Janie asked.
Ivy forced a smile and bit into the chewy, dry candy. She grinned wickedly at her sister. ‘I wonder where the expression “sweetheart” came from. Actual hearts? I’m sure mine would be more of a sour heart.’
‘Ew!’ Olivia crinkled her nose and Ivy chuckled.
Ivy’s vegetarian twin got squeamish at the mere suggestion of blood. Good thing she’s the bunny, and I’m the vampire, Ivy thought.
Ivy and Olivia were twins born to a vampire father and a human mother and had only met each other at the beginning of the school year. Olivia’s adoptive parents had moved to Franklin Grove and the sisters had been getting to know each other, and all about their biological family background, ever since.
Olivia nudged her sister. ‘Has Brendan given you any candy hearts for Valentine’s?’ she asked.
Ivy felt her face form a scowl. ‘He knows I can’t stand all this cheesy Valentine’s stuff.’
Olivia pretended to gasp. ‘No pressies?’
Ivy did like presents, but she wasn’t interested in teddy bears with ‘I WUV YOU’ written on their tummies. ‘I don’t need material possessions to reinforce the strength of our relationship,’ Ivy declared.
‘But Valentine’s presents are the best,’ Olivia replied. ‘It’s my ultimate favourite holiday. I can’t wait to see what . . . you know who . . . will get me.’
‘Jackson’s going to be my Valentine,’ Janie boasted. ‘I’ve saved this one just for him.’ She opened up her hand to show a candy heart that read ‘I HEART YOU’.
Despite the message’s assault on grammar, even Ivy thought it was sweet.
‘Jackson Caulfield is the dreamiest dream!’ declared Janie.
Olivia smiled. ‘He is pretty nice.’
The little girl squealed. ‘Ohmigosh, have you met him?’
Olivia started to explain. ‘Well, a few weeks ago when that film crew was in town . . .’
Ivy’s mind floated back to Brendan. She wondered if he was playing video games or practising tricks on his new dirt bike. Maybe she could call him to help her through the eternity of waiting in this line?
As Olivia chatted with Janie, Ivy rummaged in her big black messenger bag for her phone.
‘Ohmigosh, you’re in a movie with him!’ Janie gushed. ‘You’re like a film star!’
‘No, no,’ Olivia replied. ‘It was just a small part.’
Ivy finally found her phone sandwiched between her notebook and a vinyl record of The Killer Bees.
But as she started to dial his number, she caught sight of a black-clad figure with curly black hair striding across the lobby. Her pulse raced – it was Brendan.
What is he doing in the mall? By himself? Ivy thought. The third Dark Violet album wasn’t available until next week and he’d already bought the new sarcophagus racing game. They’d had a tournament yesterday which Ivy had won. What else could he possibly want to buy?
Still clutching her phone, she watched him stop and look in the window of Hannah’s Homewares. He went inside but came out a few moments later empty-handed, with a determined set to his jaw. He glanced at a stationery shop, festooned in red ribbons. Could he . . . Ivy started to think, be shopping for Valentine’s?