her decapitated carrots. ‘A way to show Harker that you are perfect for the movie, but I’m not. Then he might see sense and let me off the hook.’
Jackson came over, and planted a kiss on the top of Olivia’s head. ‘What are you two talking about?’
But before they could reply, Brendan shouted angrily. ‘Hey!’
He was looking over towards the fence beyond the main drive.
‘What was that?’ Ivy muttered.
‘Get out of here!’ Jackson shouted.
Mr Daniels and Ivy’s dad raced to the edge of the property, with Aunt Rebecca chasing after them. A man on a motorcycle with a blackhelmet, red streaked jacket and long-lens camera revved his engine loudly, making the ducks squawk and scatter. Then he peeled away in a cloud of dust.
‘Hey! Stop!’ shouted Rebecca, but of course he didn’t.
‘Oh no,’ whispered Ivy. Their peaceful family barbecue had been invaded. ‘Do you think he got a picture of us together?’ If he did, the whole movie thing could be ruined.
‘Or of me and Jackson,’ Olivia said, biting her lip.
‘This feels awful,’ Ivy said. ‘Like I’ve been robbed or something.’
As the adults came back, Jackson said, ‘Photographers. They’re worse than bloodsucking vampires.’
‘He must have followed our car here,’ Brendan guessed.
Bethany had her hands on her hips. ‘Meanie! He scared off the ducks.’
Brendan gave Bethany a hug. ‘Don’t worry. We’ll tempt them back with more bread.’
‘I’m really sorry,’ Jackson said.
‘If this keeps up, we’re going to have to do something about it,’ Mr Vega replied, frowning.
‘There are things you can do,’ Lillian replied. ‘They are only allowed to photograph public figures, and Jackson’s the only one here who falls into that category. If they print photos of private citizens, you can take legal action.’
Ivy sighed. Hollywood was taking over her life.
The next day, Olivia was perched on a beige sofa with bright lights shining down on her. Franklin Grove Middle School had allowed a TV company to set up a makeshift studio in a classroom over the weekend, in order to interview their student.
‘As a one-off favour,’ the head teacher had said.
The TV crew had totally transformed the room.
The desks had been moved to the back and a fake wall with wallpaper had been pushed in front of the white board. It looked just like a real living room.
‘I don’t think I have to remind you how important this interview could be,’ said Amy Teller, her mobile phone clutched in her hand like a lifeline. She was sitting in the opposite seat, where the host would be in less than ten minutes. ‘You cannot let on about Ivy, in any way.’
Olivia nodded. ‘I know.’
Harker had decided that Olivia would become the star of the initial marketing for
Eternal Sunset
. She’d been set up for an exclusive interview that would go out to the nation that evening. But Olivia had to keep Ivy’s identity a secret so that they could reveal the whole twin-thing foranother big headline grabber.
Lucky for Ivy, really
, Olivia thought. Her sister hated being in the limelight and an interview like this might just break her out in boils.
Lucky for me
, Olivia thought,
I love this kind of thing!
‘And not a word about Jackson,’ Amy reminded her.
‘I know,’ Olivia said through gritted teeth. She wished they weren’t still keeping their relationship a secret, but at the same time, she didn’t want anyone to think she only got her big role because of her connection to him.
‘Three minutes!’ called out a young woman wearing a headset. There were two people running around with clipboards, at least six cameras and lots of lighting equipment. One guy was testing the TV that was hanging right behind Olivia’s head.
Amy stood up. ‘I’ll be right over there.’ She pointed to desk chairs just beyond the fake wooden flooring. ‘If you get into a panic, just work some kind of code word into the conversation.’
‘Code word?’
Jackson came over, and planted a kiss on the top of Olivia’s head. ‘What are you two talking about?’
But before they could reply, Brendan shouted angrily. ‘Hey!’
He was looking over towards the fence beyond the main drive.
‘What was that?’ Ivy muttered.
‘Get out of here!’ Jackson shouted.
Mr Daniels and Ivy’s dad raced to the edge of the property, with Aunt Rebecca chasing after them. A man on a motorcycle with a blackhelmet, red streaked jacket and long-lens camera revved his engine loudly, making the ducks squawk and scatter. Then he peeled away in a cloud of dust.
‘Hey! Stop!’ shouted Rebecca, but of course he didn’t.
‘Oh no,’ whispered Ivy. Their peaceful family barbecue had been invaded. ‘Do you think he got a picture of us together?’ If he did, the whole movie thing could be ruined.
‘Or of me and Jackson,’ Olivia said, biting her lip.
‘This feels awful,’ Ivy said. ‘Like I’ve been robbed or something.’
As the adults came back, Jackson said, ‘Photographers. They’re worse than bloodsucking vampires.’
‘He must have followed our car here,’ Brendan guessed.
Bethany had her hands on her hips. ‘Meanie! He scared off the ducks.’
Brendan gave Bethany a hug. ‘Don’t worry. We’ll tempt them back with more bread.’
‘I’m really sorry,’ Jackson said.
‘If this keeps up, we’re going to have to do something about it,’ Mr Vega replied, frowning.
‘There are things you can do,’ Lillian replied. ‘They are only allowed to photograph public figures, and Jackson’s the only one here who falls into that category. If they print photos of private citizens, you can take legal action.’
Ivy sighed. Hollywood was taking over her life.
The next day, Olivia was perched on a beige sofa with bright lights shining down on her. Franklin Grove Middle School had allowed a TV company to set up a makeshift studio in a classroom over the weekend, in order to interview their student.
‘As a one-off favour,’ the head teacher had said.
The TV crew had totally transformed the room.
The desks had been moved to the back and a fake wall with wallpaper had been pushed in front of the white board. It looked just like a real living room.
‘I don’t think I have to remind you how important this interview could be,’ said Amy Teller, her mobile phone clutched in her hand like a lifeline. She was sitting in the opposite seat, where the host would be in less than ten minutes. ‘You cannot let on about Ivy, in any way.’
Olivia nodded. ‘I know.’
Harker had decided that Olivia would become the star of the initial marketing for
Eternal Sunset
. She’d been set up for an exclusive interview that would go out to the nation that evening. But Olivia had to keep Ivy’s identity a secret so that they could reveal the whole twin-thing foranother big headline grabber.
Lucky for Ivy, really
, Olivia thought. Her sister hated being in the limelight and an interview like this might just break her out in boils.
Lucky for me
, Olivia thought,
I love this kind of thing!
‘And not a word about Jackson,’ Amy reminded her.
‘I know,’ Olivia said through gritted teeth. She wished they weren’t still keeping their relationship a secret, but at the same time, she didn’t want anyone to think she only got her big role because of her connection to him.
‘Three minutes!’ called out a young woman wearing a headset. There were two people running around with clipboards, at least six cameras and lots of lighting equipment. One guy was testing the TV that was hanging right behind Olivia’s head.
Amy stood up. ‘I’ll be right over there.’ She pointed to desk chairs just beyond the fake wooden flooring. ‘If you get into a panic, just work some kind of code word into the conversation.’
‘Code word?’
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