herself dialling Jenny’s number.
‘Hello, Jenny? No need to worry. You’ll be fine to go ahead without me for one meeting.’ Olivia grinned at her sister. ‘I guarantee it.’ She hung up and skipped next to Ivy.
‘You were impressive back there,’ Ivy told her. ‘Cold as ice. You should be a vampire!’
‘Yeah, go to vampire school or something!’ Olivia joked. Ivy slowed to a stop and watched her twin pull ahead.
You have no idea how close to the truth you are
, Ivy thought.
One of us really
might
be about to enrol at a vampire academy
.
When Ivy and Olivia returned home, they found their father pacing in the hallway. Olivia had told him they were going to the mall. He didn’t need to be worried. She checked her watch. They weren’t late. Was something wrong?
‘Dad?’ Ivy tapped him on the shoulder. ‘We’re home.’
‘Great.’ He flashed a smile. ‘How does my hair look?’
What?
Olivia examined his dark, slicked-back hair. He always looked old-world dashing. ‘Like it always looks?’ she said, shrugging.
Mr Vega shook his head, as if trying to bring himself back to reality. ‘Right, of course. Girls, your grandparents are in the dining room. We’re about ready to eat.’
‘Aren’t you coming?’ Olivia asked, but her bio-dad had stopped paying attention because, at that instant, the doorbell rang. ‘I’ll get it.’ Olivia scurried over to the door. She didn’t know they were expecting guests.
On the other side of the threshold stood Lillian, looking a little more prim than usual. She wore a black pencil skirt and matching cardigan, with a deep purple silk scarf tied around her neck. ‘Wow,’ said Olivia, breathless. ‘You look fabulous!’ She welcomed Lillian inside. ‘What’s the occasion?’ Then she understood. The Lazars were here – her bio-dad’s parents – and Lillian had never met them. Olivia let out an excited squeal. Lillian was meeting the parents!
The Lazars appeared from the dining room to stand beside Charles. Olivia took Lillian’s purse, thinking that perhaps Lillian looked a bit shakier than usual as she entered the Vega household.
‘Hello, Countess Lazar.’ Lillian curtseyed. ‘Nice to meet you, Count Lazar.’ She gave a second curtsy. She was doing all the right things. Even Ivy looked pleased. But Lillian wasn’t done.
‘I have something for you.’ For the finishing touch, Lillian pulled out a beautiful gold frame from her purse. The Countess gasped and Olivia and Ivy hurried to see what Lillian had given their grandparents. Inside the frame was a picture of Ivy, Olivia, and their father, Charles, dressed up in their red-carpet best for the
Bright Stars
awards show.
‘It’s perfect!’ their grandmother exclaimed, reaching to give Lillian a hug.
Mr Vega kissed Lillian on the cheek and took her hand.
The Countess cupped her hand around her mouth as if telling Lillian a secret, but she didn’t lower her volume. ‘My son has always had excellent taste in companions.’
Olivia and Ivy shared a glance. That was great news for Lillian. But did it also mean their grandmother was beginning to accept that their dad had been right to marry their mother?
Olivia stretched out on top of the purple comforter in Ivy’s bedroom, resting her hand on her full belly. ‘Don’t get me wrong,’ she said. ‘I love having our grandparents here, but if Horatio keeps making his three-course feasts for every meal, I’m going to float away like a blimp!’
‘No kidding.’
The twins had left the grown-ups downstairs, flipping through an old photo album. They loved their father, but they didn’t need to see any more of his baby pictures. That was something only a girlfriend could enjoy.
Ivy took a seat on her closed coffin and fired up her laptop.
Olivia turned on her side, bending a pillow in half to prop up her head. ‘Ivy? I’m worried about Jackson.’
Ivy hardly glanced up.
‘It’s just that I keep trying to catch up with him, but
‘Hello, Jenny? No need to worry. You’ll be fine to go ahead without me for one meeting.’ Olivia grinned at her sister. ‘I guarantee it.’ She hung up and skipped next to Ivy.
‘You were impressive back there,’ Ivy told her. ‘Cold as ice. You should be a vampire!’
‘Yeah, go to vampire school or something!’ Olivia joked. Ivy slowed to a stop and watched her twin pull ahead.
You have no idea how close to the truth you are
, Ivy thought.
One of us really
might
be about to enrol at a vampire academy
.
When Ivy and Olivia returned home, they found their father pacing in the hallway. Olivia had told him they were going to the mall. He didn’t need to be worried. She checked her watch. They weren’t late. Was something wrong?
‘Dad?’ Ivy tapped him on the shoulder. ‘We’re home.’
‘Great.’ He flashed a smile. ‘How does my hair look?’
What?
Olivia examined his dark, slicked-back hair. He always looked old-world dashing. ‘Like it always looks?’ she said, shrugging.
Mr Vega shook his head, as if trying to bring himself back to reality. ‘Right, of course. Girls, your grandparents are in the dining room. We’re about ready to eat.’
‘Aren’t you coming?’ Olivia asked, but her bio-dad had stopped paying attention because, at that instant, the doorbell rang. ‘I’ll get it.’ Olivia scurried over to the door. She didn’t know they were expecting guests.
On the other side of the threshold stood Lillian, looking a little more prim than usual. She wore a black pencil skirt and matching cardigan, with a deep purple silk scarf tied around her neck. ‘Wow,’ said Olivia, breathless. ‘You look fabulous!’ She welcomed Lillian inside. ‘What’s the occasion?’ Then she understood. The Lazars were here – her bio-dad’s parents – and Lillian had never met them. Olivia let out an excited squeal. Lillian was meeting the parents!
The Lazars appeared from the dining room to stand beside Charles. Olivia took Lillian’s purse, thinking that perhaps Lillian looked a bit shakier than usual as she entered the Vega household.
‘Hello, Countess Lazar.’ Lillian curtseyed. ‘Nice to meet you, Count Lazar.’ She gave a second curtsy. She was doing all the right things. Even Ivy looked pleased. But Lillian wasn’t done.
‘I have something for you.’ For the finishing touch, Lillian pulled out a beautiful gold frame from her purse. The Countess gasped and Olivia and Ivy hurried to see what Lillian had given their grandparents. Inside the frame was a picture of Ivy, Olivia, and their father, Charles, dressed up in their red-carpet best for the
Bright Stars
awards show.
‘It’s perfect!’ their grandmother exclaimed, reaching to give Lillian a hug.
Mr Vega kissed Lillian on the cheek and took her hand.
The Countess cupped her hand around her mouth as if telling Lillian a secret, but she didn’t lower her volume. ‘My son has always had excellent taste in companions.’
Olivia and Ivy shared a glance. That was great news for Lillian. But did it also mean their grandmother was beginning to accept that their dad had been right to marry their mother?
Olivia stretched out on top of the purple comforter in Ivy’s bedroom, resting her hand on her full belly. ‘Don’t get me wrong,’ she said. ‘I love having our grandparents here, but if Horatio keeps making his three-course feasts for every meal, I’m going to float away like a blimp!’
‘No kidding.’
The twins had left the grown-ups downstairs, flipping through an old photo album. They loved their father, but they didn’t need to see any more of his baby pictures. That was something only a girlfriend could enjoy.
Ivy took a seat on her closed coffin and fired up her laptop.
Olivia turned on her side, bending a pillow in half to prop up her head. ‘Ivy? I’m worried about Jackson.’
Ivy hardly glanced up.
‘It’s just that I keep trying to catch up with him, but
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