“Everyone stand still!” she commanded. Then Camilla jumped off the desk and pushed through the crowd. Grabbing Ivy’s hand, she dragged her back to stand next to Olivia.
The sisters exchanged nervous looks. “You said nobody was going to read the article!” Ivy whispered.
“Oops.” Olivia shrugged.
The room lit up with flashes from camera phones as people took pictures of the sisters side by side. “Ivy and Olivia can only answer one question at a time!” Camilla announced. “If you have a question, raise your hand.” Scores of hands shot into the air.
Camilla was about to choose one, when a familiar high-pitched voice screeched, “Get out of my way!” The crowd parted, and Charlotte Brown—neighbor, nemesis, and cheerleading captain—shoved her way to the front. She looked from Ivy to Olivia with narrowed eyes. As her sidekicks, Katie and Allison, appeared behind her, she nodded.
“This explains a lot,” Charlotte told her friends, as if Ivy and Olivia couldn’t hear her from five feet away.
Then Charlotte plastered an insincere look of sympathy on her face. “Don’t worry, Olivia,” she said loudly, “the cheerleading squad will stand by you no matter what.”
All at once, Ivy’s embarrassment gave way to annoyance. She trained her death squint on Charlotte Brown and was about to unleash an acid comeback when the bell rang.
Charlotte spun on her heel and headed for the door, her minions in tow. The rest of the crowd also started pouring out of the room.
Toby Decker, clearly delighted with the attention his story was receiving, patted Olivia and Ivy encouragingly on their backs as he squeezed past. “Maybe we shouldn’t have told anyone,” Ivy said under her breath to her sister.
Olivia nodded and then grinned. “But, since we did, maybe we should have worn matching outfits!”
As she made her way among the tables at lunch, people Olivia didn’t even know kept inviting her to sit with them. Luckily, she spotted Ivy’s pale hand waving at her from a table near the window, where she was hiding behind Brendan. Olivia hurried over.
“Craziness!” Olivia sang, setting down her tray across from her sister.
“Brendan has heard that somebody is selling pictures of us on eBay,” Ivy said wryly.
“Bidding’s already up to ten bucks,” Brendan announced.
Ivy’s best friend, Sophia, put her tray down next to Ivy’s, her camera hanging around her neck. “Ten bucks for what?” she asked.
“Somebody’s selling pictures of Ivy and me on eBay,” Olivia told her.
Sophia looked embarrassed.
Ivy stared at her in disbelief. “Please tell me you did not post pictures of us on eBay, Sophia.”
“Sorry.” Sophia gulped guiltily.
“Wow,” Olivia teased. “Sold out by your own best friend!”
“I was going to split the money with you!” Sophia offered desperately.
“Oh,” Ivy said, her face relaxing into a grin. “That’s okay, then!”
They all laughed, but a second later, Olivia realized she was the only one still chuckling. Her sister’s eyes were fixed over her shoulder.
“Hi, Vera,” Ivy said cautiously.
Olivia turned to find a Goth girl with a streak of white hair standing behind her. She knew Vera from the All Hallows’ Ball committee meetings, where Olivia had impersonated Ivy.
“Last time I checked,” Vera said, with a pointed glance at Olivia, “oil and water don’t mix.” Then she stuck her nose in the air and stalked off.
“What was that about?” Olivia asked when Vera was out of earshot.
Ivy lowered her voice. “Some vampires are a little . . . extreme in their views about mixing with bunnies—humans, I mean.”
“But why?” Olivia wanted to know. “Aren’t we supposed to be scared of you?”