Fashion Frightmare! (My Sister the Vampire) (5 page)

Questions flew at them from all sides, forcing her to constantly swing her head back and forth, trying to guess the right person to answer.

‘Tell us all about your relationship!’

‘Your fans want to know – are you two lovebirds back together for good this time?’

‘What did you eat for dinner tonight?’

‘Do you have any relationship advice?’

‘Tell us: are you excited about
Eternal Sunset
?’

Olivia wished she could be as good at this sort of thing as Jackson. He always had great answers – even to the silly questions! Still, she knew the basic rule of interviews:
keep to
the main topic!

‘Of course we’re excited about
Eternal Sunset
,’ she said, ‘but that won’t come out for another year, and tonight is all about the opening of Café
Creative! It’s a fantastic new achievement for Lillian Vega.’ Putting on her best ‘Hollywood’ smile, Olivia turned to beam directly into every hovering camera in turn.
‘She’s had a successful career in Hollywood, and is now devoting herself to nurturing young, local talent. Jackson and I both think that she’s super inspiring. Everyone from
Franklin Grove – and anyone else in driving distance – should totally come by and check out Café Creative!’

‘But, Jackson!
Jackson!
’ One reporter in a bright yellow jacket pushed his way forwards, elbowing everyone else aside roughly. He shoved his mic in Jackson’s face.
‘
Are
you going to take the role in the first
Wanderer
movie?’

‘Well, maybe,’ Jackson began, stepping back, ‘but tonight –’

‘And is it true that Jessica Phelps is begging for your help in repairing her tattered career?’ the reporter demanded, stepping even closer.

Jackson winced and raised one hand to hold the man off. ‘No, that isn’t true. Now, if you guys will all excuse us . . .’ Jackson nodded to Albert, who hovered by the door, and
the vampire caretaker swung it open just wide enough for the two of them.

A chorus of disappointment sounded from the crowd, but Jackson only smiled. ‘Tonight’s a big night for one of my favourite towns, and it’s a great honour to be asked to attend
the opening. I hope you guys all have fun!’ Taking Olivia’s hand, he led her into the museum, leaving the reporters shouting final, unanswered questions behind them.

‘Whew!’ Olivia let out a sigh of relief as Albert closed the door behind them. ‘I thought I might pass out!’

‘You’ll get used to it,’ Jackson said. He squeezed her hand as they walked together through the echoing museum hallways, leaving Albert behind and heading towards the sound of
laughter and conversation far ahead.

Olivia tipped her head against his shoulder, savouring this moment. It was so rare for them to be alone together, she felt like she could walk by his side forever, just enjoying the feel of his
strong fingers laced through hers and his shoulder warm against her cheek.

All too soon, though, they were walking through the doorway of Café Creative, which was bustling with preparations for the opening – it was just an hour away now. Lillian had lined
all four walls with fabulous paintings by young, local artists. A few special guests were milling around the room, drinking sparkling grape juice and admiring the artwork.

Olivia stood up on tiptoes to give Jackson a quick, sweet kiss. ‘I’ve got to head “backstage” to get ready for the fashion show. Wish me luck?’

‘Of course. But . . .’ For once, Jackson looked uncertain. ‘Do I say “break a leg” in this situation? I’m not sure that would be such a good idea for someone
who’s about to do a lot of
very important walking
!’

Olivia laughed as she stepped away from him. ‘Just a simple “good luck” should be fine.’

‘Well, you don’t need luck,’ Jackson told her, catching her hand for one last moment. ‘Because you are an
excellent
walker.’

‘Hmm.’ Olivia rolled her eyes at him as she pulled free . . . but she couldn’t help beaming as she walked away from him.

I have the best boyfriend!

She headed towards the smaller café area, already feeling curiosity start to bubble up inside her. It was almost time for her to finally see Amelia and Penny’s
“Altegular” design – whatever that meant – and she couldn’t wait!

Then she saw the group just behind the café counter, and she came to a dead halt.
Uh-oh.
It was her bio-dad, Charles, standing with Amelia and Penny – and from the
desperate expressions on the girls’ faces, it looked as if they were actually
pleading
with him about something!

Olivia’s kitten heels clicked purposefully against the tiled floor as she started forwards . . . and as she arrived, she realised she’d been just in time.
Uh-oh.
Her bio-dad
might be as neat as ever in a tailored black suit, but he was tapping his hand so nervously against the café counter, he might leave a dent in it at any moment with his vampire-strength!

‘Dad!’ She grabbed his hand, subtly pulling it away from danger.

‘Olivia.’ He gave her a brief, grateful look before he turned back to the others. ‘I’m really not sure about this . . .’ he began.

‘I
promise
,’ Amelia said. ‘No damage will come to the pashmina!’

‘The
what
?’ Olivia’s eyes widened. ‘Wait a minute. Are you guys thinking of incorporating Alex and Tessa’s wedding pashmina into the show?’

‘It will be fine,’ Penny said quickly. ‘Honestly. I know it sounds a little crazy, but –’

‘It sounds
fabulous
!’ Olivia gave a bounce of excitement, her chiffon dress fluttering around her. ‘Dad, you have to let them! They’ve worked so hard on their
outfits, and I just know they’ll be amazing – the kind of “amazing” that will have everyone talking about Café Creative. Lillian’s project will have the best
possible start . . .’

‘Well . . .’ Charles pursed his lips, seemingly torn between his eagerness to help his new wife, and his duty to a precious vampire artefact. ‘We must take the
greatest
care of the pashmina.’

‘And that’s exactly what we’d be doing by using it tonight!’ Olivia gave his hand an excited squeeze. ‘Don’t you remember what you said when you decided to
make use of the museum for Café Creative? That we would be
showcasing the art of tomorrow as well as yesterday.
Well, how amazing would it be to help the fashion of tomorrow pay
tribute to the fashion of yesterday
tonight
?’

. . .
And I really hope that last line made
some
sense,
she added ruefully to herself. Nerves fluttered in her chest as she searched her bio-dad’s face. In the corner of
her eye, she could see Amelia and Penny looking frozen with anticipation.

Finally, Charles’s lips curved into a real smile. ‘Very well.’ He nodded graciously to Amelia and Penny. ‘The pashmina is yours for tonight . . . But you
must
be
careful. Should any damage come to it,
you
will be the ones answering to Albert!’

Penny cringed, and even Amelia winced at the threat of the stern caretaker. But that didn’t stop her from giving a firm nod. ‘Don’t worry,’ she said. ‘This is going
to be great!’

Linking arms, the two girls hurried off to collect the pashmina from the display room, Amelia’s big black boots stomping in time with Penny’s delicate blue satin high heels.

Charles gave Olivia a fond smile.

Grinning back, she tugged him down so she could kiss his cheek. ‘Thanks, Dad. I’ll see you later – I have a fashion show to prepare for!’

‘And a twin sister to reassure, I expect,’ Charles added. ‘I’d hurry, if I were you.’

‘Good point!’ Olivia stepped away hastily, walking as quickly as her heels would let her all the rest of the way through the café.

Ivy hadn’t been happy about the fashion show from the beginning. Now that it was actually time for her to put on a designer outfit and strut onstage, she would definitely need some
sisterly support!

Olivia pushed open the door to the staff break room that was functioning as “backstage” for the night . . . and came to a dead halt.

The room was pitch black.
Am I in the right place?

A sudden faint glow lit up in the back of the room for a moment, followed by another glow in a different corner. Neither of them was bright enough for her to see who or what had made the
light.

‘Is anyone here?’ Olivia called softly.

‘Unfortunately.’ Ivy’s sigh echoed through the room. ‘Close the door! We’re in the middle of getting changed.’

‘Ohh-kaayyy . . .’ Hesitantly, Olivia stepped inside, closing the door behind her. Blindly, she reached out with both arms to check for obstacles in her way, apologising as she
bumped into other models. ‘Is there a reason nobody’s turned on the lights?’

‘They’re not working,’ Reiko called. Her voice sounded muffled, as if she was in the middle of pulling something over her head. ‘Ivy thinks a fuse must have blown. All
the other rooms seem to be OK. Someone’s gone to look for Albert, but . . .’

‘That could take forever.’ Olivia sighed. ‘He’s busy guarding the front door right now. He won’t be able to fix anything until the show’s already in
progress.’

‘That’s why we’ve all got started anyway. We’re over here,’ Ivy called. ‘Just follow my voice.’

It took a few moments of stumbling through darkness, bumping into models and tables along the way, but Olivia finally made her way to her twin sister, as two more faint glows swept through the
darkness nearby. This time, she was close enough to see that they came from tiny cell-phone screens: the only light the girls had to help them find their clothes.

Ivy grumbled as she yanked her own dress over her head. ‘If I step out into the light of the café and see I’ve put this thing on back-to-front, I swear I’ll stake
myself
 
!’

Olivia giggled. ‘Not before Amelia stakes you for ruining the effect of her dress!’

Reiko’s infectious laugh sounded nearby. ‘I love this! Everything in America is so . . .
dramatic
.’

There’s one way to think of it.
Smiling, Olivia pulled her own cell phone out of her small evening bag and aimed it at the rack where all the remaining dresses hung. It
didn’t help much, especially since the faint light only stayed on for a few seconds at a time, but luckily, she still remembered where her and Ivy’s dresses had been hung up last night
after the dress rehearsal.

It was hard to keep her smile, though, as she fought to change out of her chiffon gown and into the new one without tearing or wrinkling either dress –
or
dropping anything on to
the floor to be trodden on by one of the other models!

Unfortunately, she had to set down her cell phone and evening bag to pull her new dress over her head. As she finally managed to work one arm through a sleeve, she reached out blindly to find
the cell phone again – and toppled as she lost her balance in the darkness.

‘Got you!’ Ivy’s strong hand snapped out to catch her.

Thank goodness for vampire reflexes!
Olivia clutched at her sister’s arm for balance . . . then frowned. ‘Your sleeve is a little frilly tonight, isn’t it?’

Ivy grunted. ‘Amelia probably added the frills after last night’s dress rehearsal, to lighten up her goth look. You know they’ve been
obsessively
fiddling with their
designs over the last few days.’

‘You’re probably right.’ Olivia nodded as she straightened, letting go of Ivy. ‘She wouldn’t want to contrast
too
dramatically with Penny’s style,
would she?’

The far door opened, letting in light and noise from outside. Both designers stood silhouetted in the doorway. ‘Reiko?’ Penny called. ‘Are you in here?’

‘We’ve got the pashmina!’ Amelia announced. She cradled it in her arms as carefully as if she were handling a precious relic.

As the two designers closed the door and fumbled their way through the darkness towards Reiko, a sudden riot of noise sounded from outside.

‘Sounds like all the rest of the guests are finally being allowed into the café!’ Olivia said. Excitement bubbled up inside her like sparkling water. This might be modelling,
not acting, but still, this was her first live performance since Camilla’s play,
Romezog and Julietron.
It felt even better than the nervous energy she got before every first take on
a movie set!

In the distance, she heard the soundtrack of Camilla’s short film playing for the assembled guests.
Soon, I’ll get to watch the whole thing,
Olivia told herself.
But
right now
. . .

Ivy sounded like she might be sick. ‘I guess it’s showtime.’

‘Is everybody ready?’ Amelia’s voice barked through the darkness, sounding higher and shriller than usual. ‘Make sure you’re all lined up in the right
order!’

‘Ow!’ Olivia gave a pained squeak as she bumped directly into a table’s edge. ‘That might be easier said than done!’

Stumbling through the darkness, the girls whispered their names to each other in order to find their places in the straggling line. They put their hands on each other’s shoulders to keep
the line linked through the pitch-black room.

‘Reiko, make sure you’re at the very back,’ Penny called anxiously. ‘Remember, our “Altegular” collaboration has to be saved for the grand finale!’

Olivia groaned. ‘I can’t believe I’ve been in this room with your big secret for the past fifteen minutes, and I still haven’t even
seen
it!’

‘Very, very soon!’ Reiko carolled happily from the back of the line.

Just behind Olivia, her twin let out a very un-Ivy whimper.

‘Ladies and gentlemen . . .’ Lillian’s voice sounded through the door, amplified through a microphone. ‘Tonight we begin . . . with a fashion show!’

This is it!
Olivia couldn’t help giving a wiggle of excitement.

The runway music kicked in, blasting from speakers set around the stage, and Amelia pulled the “backstage” door open partway, just wide enough to let the models through without
letting the crowd outside get any glimpses of what would be coming next.