‘Actually, that was Jenny’s idea.’ Olivia had her hands on her hips as she surveyed the rest of the transformed dance hall.
Ivy shrugged. It was hard to be a gothic grump when everyone was having so much fun. Ivy had better be careful that she didn’t let a ‘Yeehaw!’ slip out accidentally. Even better was the fact that Olivia seemed delighted, despite the fact that Jackson was a no-show. Ivy felt the familiar stab of guilt. How delighted will Olivia be when she finds out I might be away for more than the summer? Ivy tried to bury the thought.
‘May I have the honour of this dance?’ Brendan offered his hand with a flourish.
Ivy bit her lip, glancing in the direction of her sister, who was trying out the hay bales with a group of girls from the committee.
‘Olivia’s fine! Come on!’ He took her hand and dragged Ivy out on to the dance floor. In perfect step with the music, Brendan twirled her and circled in an excellent version of a do-si-do.
‘Where did you pick up these moves?’ asked Ivy. Her dark hair was flying and she was spinning, spinning, spinning until she was dizzy. If Ivy wasn’t mistaken, she was actually having – gasp! – fun. That was the last thing she’d expected.
Brendan pulled Ivy closer, looking a bit sheepish as he stared down at her. ‘Er, I might have been practising the country dancing your Aunt Rebecca taught me.’
That had to be the sweetest thing Ivy had ever heard and it didn’t even make her nauseous. She gazed up at Brendan, with his intense dark eyes and cute shaggy hair. Would he still love her when she was so far away? He smiled, warm and familiar. Ivy smiled back and, somehow, she had a feeling that everything would be fine.
Chapter Eleven
Olivia had once landed a perfect round-off back handspring with a full twist at her school’s homecoming game, but pulling off this dance had been ten times harder . . . and better! She watched Ivy line dancing with Brendan and a mixed group of goths and bunnies. I knew that she’d have fun if she gave the dance a chance!
She only had one extra wish. Olivia squeezed her eyes shut, clicked the heels of her fabulous pink boots, and wished for Jackson to be with her. But when she opened her eyes again, she was still alone. Hey, a girl has to try.
A sudden scuffling sound caught Olivia’s attention and she whirled around to see three girls blocking the end of the balloon archway. She glanced at the punch bowl. It was abandoned. Oh no, she knew taming the Terrible Trio had been too easy!
Olivia rushed over to Lucrezia, Melinda and Veronica to see what was causing the fuss. ‘Can I help you guys with something?’
Lucrezia stepped back and Olivia was stunned to see Camilla – just back from Paris and dressed as a space-cowboy character. Probably from one of her favourite sci-fi books, thought Olivia. Camilla had donned a fishbowl helmet over her Stetson, and even Olivia had to smile at her friend’s eccentricity.
Melinda, on the other hand, looked disgusted. ‘She cannot come in looking like that.’ Melinda swished her hand over Camilla as if she were something Olivia should be able to clean up. ‘She’s not dressed for the theme.’
Olivia frowned. ‘You guys, have you learned nothing?’ She caught Jenny’s eye from across the dance floor and Jenny headed straight over, arriving in front of the group looking as self-assured as a real, live sheriff.
Jenny pushed her white cowboy hat down over her head. ‘Lucrezia, Melinda, Veronica, it is not your job to be refusing people entry. Your job is to attend to the refreshments.’ She pointed at the unmanned beverage table. ‘And you’ve abandoned it. Remember what we talked about?’
Olivia nodded at Jenny. She had provided first-rate backup, but this time Olivia could tell it wasn’t going to be enough.
‘Look,’ Olivia stepped up. ‘Tonight is all about letting people have fun. Relax a little. Maybe you can all join the line dance together,’ she suggested, knowing this might be asking too much too soon.
Veronica shrieked. ‘Relax! Weren’t you the one trying to dictate what theme we should have in the first place?’
‘Hey!’ Camilla stomped her space-inspired snow boots. ‘I will not have you girls compromise my artistic integrity. I am a fangirl,’ she shouted, through the thick plastic of her helmet, ‘and I’ll come wearing whatever I want!’
Lucrezia raised her eyebrows at Olivia, ignoring Camilla. ‘Veronica’s right. You’re the one who insisted on this theme. What a hypocrite.’
Olivia wanted to tear out her hair. She knew they had a point, but she’d learned her lesson since then and she didn’t want to be pulled off course again. She reached past the line of girls, lunging to try and help Camilla get in. ‘Follow me,’ she told Camilla.
But as she reached out, Lucrezia bumped shoulders with Olivia and the three of them got caught up, staggering in a big heap towards the balloon arch. Olivia felt the arch sway behind her and Camilla landed on top of Olivia with a sharp elbow to her stomach. ‘Ouch!’
Pop! Pop! Pop!
Olivia flinched as balloons burst in loud, crackling rounds. The archway sagged crookedly, making Olivia wish she could sink straight into the floor. We’re ruining the dance! Olivia sat up, straightening her knotted shirt, scared to see how many students were staring.
Jenny helped Olivia to her feet. ‘Are you OK?’
‘I am,’ said Olivia, patting down her ruffled skirt. ‘But I think my pride might have taken a few hits. Is everyone looking?’
Jenny pressed her lips together, looking shifty. ‘No, no, not too bad.’
Olivia’s heart plummeted. ‘Thought so.’ This made the second event today that Olivia was glad her boyfriend hadn’t been there to witness. With every ounce of confidence she could muster, Olivia walked back up to the Terrible Trio. ‘Girls . . .’ Olivia borrowed Ivy’s best death squint. ‘If you don’t start behaving, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.’