“Something better than posters.” The Beast leered at Olivia. “How about we round up a bunch of dead bunnies from the morgue and line the walls with them?”
The other Beasts burst into laughter.
Olivia’s stomach churned.
Melissa seethed. “You guys are disgusting!”
Raymond balled up his list and chucked it at the boy.
I have to get out of here! Olivia thought. She leaped up from her chair, blurted, “Sorry” to Sophia, and bolted out of the room.
She raced down the narrow hallway, its walls closing in around her. On the stairs, she tripped and skinned her knee, but she just scrambled to her feet and kept running.
She burst out through the doors of FoodMart and finally slowed to a stop. She leaned against the outside of the building, taking deep breaths of fresh air.
A few seconds later, Olivia heard someone coming up behind her. She spun around, ready to fight for her life, but it was just Sophia.
“What’s wrong with you?” Ivy’s friend asked. Olivia didn’t answer. She was breathing too hard.
Sophia shook her head and said, “You’ve been acting strange all afternoon. It’s one thing for Ivy Vega to be out of her element at social functions, but my best friend has never in her life fled from a room.” She stepped closer and peered into Olivia’s eyes.
Olivia looked away.
Sophia said, “What’s going on?”
“Nothing!” Olivia gulped.
“What is going on?” Sophia repeated more forcefully.
“Everything’s totally fine!” Olivia squealed hysterically.
Sophia narrowed her eyes.
I just said “totally,” thought Olivia.
“Did you just say ‘totally’?” demanded Sophia.
Olivia sank down on the curb. It was obvious that Sophia knew something weird was going on. She was going to have to confess. “I’m not Ivy,” she muttered in defeat.
“What?” said Sophia.
“I’m Olivia Abbott.”
Sophia grabbed Olivia’s arm. “What have you done with my best friend?” she demanded anxiously.
“Nothing!” Olivia snapped, twisting out of her grasp. “She’s at cheerleading practice,” she admitted.
Sophia was speechless for a moment. Then she sat down beside Olivia on the curb. “I’m listening,” she said.
It took a long time to tell the whole story: discovering they were twins, switching identities, Charlotte Brown, Ivy’s date with Brendan, the ball. In the middle of it all, Sophia was nice enough to go inside and buy Olivia some aspirin and a Diet Coke.
After getting over her initial shock that Ivy had a twin sister, Sophia seemed to take the news surprisingly well—except that Olivia left the most awkward part for last.
“And then yesterday,” Olivia said slowly, “Ivy told me what kind of person she is.”
“What do you mean?” Sophia asked innocently.
“What kind of people you all are.”