“I’ll help,” offered Olivia.
“Thanks, but I think I’ve had enough of your help,” Ivy said, rubbing her temples. “Besides,” she added, “who says my dad will go for it?”
“Sophia,” Olivia answered matter-of-factly. “You never told me your dad’s an interior designer. Everybody seemed to think it was right up his alley.”
Ivy groaned in frustration. It was true: her dad would be utterly delighted. He was always trying to get her to be more involved in the community. “With a name like Ivy,” he was always saying, “you should be getting out and about more.”
“I’m really sorry, Ivy. I completely understand why you’re upset. I never should have signed you up for something like this. But Sophia says it’s cool to be involved with the ball,” Olivia said.
“It is,” Ivy admitted. “But I can’t do it, Olivia. I just can’t.”
“A few hours ago you said you couldn’t go on a date with Brendan Daniels,” argued Olivia, “and look how that turned out.”
Ivy was speechless. She was still trying to come up with a suitable comeback when she heard her dad pick up the phone.
“Pardon me, Ivy,” he said politely, “but it is time for dinner.”
“I’ll be up in a minute, Dad,” Ivy answered softly. Her father hung up, and Ivy sighed. She felt so tired. For a moment she said nothing. “Meet me at Meat & Greet tomorrow at noon,” she said finally to her sister, “and I’ll let you know what my dad said.”
“Great!” Olivia exclaimed on the other end of the phone. “So you’ll ask him?”
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Ivy finished.
Head aching, Ivy hung up and stood to go to dinner. She walked to the bottom of the stairs like a zombie. Then, suddenly, she imagined Brendan standing on the landing above her, wearing a dashing tuxedo and lounging against the banisters as he waited for her. He looked gorgeous, his dark curls framing his high cheekbones and strong jaw as he glanced around, clearly admiring the decorations. His gaze finally came to rest on Ivy, an adoring look in his eyes.
Ivy shook the thought from her mind, but she couldn’t shake the smile that had crept onto her face. She skipped up the stairs to talk to her dad.
“This place does quite a business,” Olivia’s father said as Olivia climbed out of the car in front of the Meat & Greet Diner.
Apparently, the Meat & Greet was even more popular for weekend brunch than it was for burgers after school. The line was out the door. Olivia waved good-bye to her dad and squeezed inside to see if her sister had already arrived.
Sure enough, Ivy was sitting at her usual table tucked in the back.
Olivia bounded over. “Hey!” she cried.
Ivy responded with a serious-sounding, “Hello, Olivia.”
Right away, Olivia’s heart sank. She sat down, ready to learn that they wouldn’t be having the All Hallows’ Ball at Ivy’s house after all. “Your dad said no, didn’t he?” she said with a sigh.
Ivy shook her head. “He said yes.”
“Yes?” Olivia cried.
“Yes,” Ivy confirmed, her face breaking into a smile.
“That’s awesome!” Olivia declared.
“And everything’s going to be fine,” Ivy added lightly.
Wait a minute, Olivia thought. This doesn’t sound like Ivy. She looked at her sister skeptically. “I thought you thought this was a terrible idea.”
“I do.” Ivy nodded. “But I’ve figured out how to fix it.”
“You’re going to burn me at the stake?” Olivia joked.
Ivy grinned. “Close,” she said. “Hereafter, you will pretend to be me for all ball planning meetings and decorating activities.”
Olivia blinked. “You mean you want to switch again?”