‘Come on in,’ Ivy said, as Holly and Charlotte moved apart. Still feeling dizzy with surprise, she stepped back and waved them down the hallway. ‘The others are all waiting in the kitchen.’
Holly had been to Ivy’s house that summer, but this was the first time Ivy had ever invited Charlotte inside. She could feel the other girl looking at everything with curiosity, but there were none of the snide comments she would have expected a year ago. When they stepped into the kitchen, though, and found Olivia, Brendan, Sophia and Camilla waiting there, eating chips, Charlotte’s eyes widened.
‘Sophia! Your hair – it’s like lightning!’
Sophia smiled serenely, munching on another chip. ‘I know. Isn’t it great?’
‘Ah . . .’ Charlotte swallowed visibly. ‘Mm!’ she said, through clamped-shut lips. ‘Mmm!’ Her face flushed as pink as the purse over her arm.
Ivy hid a smirk as she stepped up to Brendan’s side. Charlotte looked as if she were about to burst with the effort of restraining herself from giving her real opinion . . . but for once, Ivy’s ex-nemesis was actually holding her nasty comments in. I was right: high school has definitely been good for her!
Olivia stepped smoothly into the breach before the moment could turn awkward. ‘So, the reason we’re all here . . .’ she swept her gaze across the others, drawing everybody’s attention ‘. . . is that Ivy’s having a serious popularity problem.’
‘Sorry?’ Charlotte dropped the chip she’d just picked up. ‘Did you say Ivy’s having a popularity problem?’
‘You could say that again.’ Ivy groaned. ‘How do I get rid of it? Immediately?’
‘Well . . .’ Charlotte stared at her. ‘Well . . .’
I think I just exploded Charlotte’s head, Ivy thought ruefully. Guess she didn’t realise just how different our high school really is!
‘Sorry, cutie.’ Brendan looped his arm around Ivy’s shoulders, ignoring her mock-glare at the endearment. ‘You’re just too cool.’
‘Whatever!’ Ivy pretended to elbow him in the side.
‘Ahem.’ Olivia cleared her throat and gave them both a stern look, even as she patted Charlotte on the arm, obviously helping her through her shock. ‘The point is, Ivy needs to get a handle on her popularity without being dishonest, or pretending to be someone she’s not.’ She turned to Charlotte. ‘That’s where you come in! Can you coach Ivy on how to deal with popularity without losing her temper?’
‘Are you kidding?’ Gathering herself together, Charlotte waved a dismissive hand. ‘That will be no problem. Trust me, I’d mastered the art of Handling the Hallway by fifth grade!’
‘Ohhh.’ Ivy let out a breath as something dawned on her. ‘I get it now!’
‘Sorry?’ Olivia turned to stare at her.
‘Nothing.’ Ivy leaned over to grab another chip, trying to hide her expression. ‘Sorry. I just meant, I’d really love the help.’
Privately, though, she was still reeling. She’d spent so many years loathing Charlotte for her ‘mean girl’ persona . . . but all that time, could Charlotte have been using it to keep her life manageable at Franklin Grove Middle School?
Was that why she said all those awful things?
Ivy swallowed hard as she remembered some of her own mean behaviour this past week, as she’d coped with her sudden popularity. Not only had she said some pretty nasty things herself to try to put people off, but there had been times when she had actually meant what she’d said.
Ouch. Ivy took a deep breath as she realised just how similar she and Charlotte might be after all. But no one is un-saveable, she told herself. Not Charlotte . . . and not me, either.
‘Are you OK?’ Olivia whispered, steering Ivy to one side as the others fell into a noisy debate about which movie this situation was most like. She frowned as she looked into Ivy’s face. ‘You look a little . . .’
‘Unnerved?’ Ivy gave a sad half-smile. ‘I guess I am. I just never realised that if I were given half a chance . . . I might actually be even worse than Charlotte ever was.’
‘Are you kidding?’ Olivia gave her a quick, tight hug. ‘You are my twin, Ivy Vega. Do you think I’d ever let you go that far?’
Ivy couldn’t help laughing at that, even as she hugged Olivia back. ‘Good point,’ she said. ‘You may look all pink and fluffy on the outside, but you’re an unstoppable force on the inside. No one could stand against you for long.’
‘That’s right.’ Nodding decisively, Olivia clapped her hands, breaking off the others’ movie debate. ‘Everyone! Let’s have a dress rehearsal for the Hallway Gauntlet. Camilla? Will you direct? And Charlotte? For now, can you just stand back and watch how Ivy handles it? Then you can offer her advice on how to do it better.’
‘Got it!’ Camilla snapped to attention, her eyes sparkling under her latest velvet beret as she went into full-on Director Mode. Wiping off the crumbs from her hands, she jumped up from her seat. ‘Sophia and Holly, you’ll be the clingy goths. Brendan, you’re the annoying skater-boy!’
‘Liiiike, got it!’ Brendan drawled. ‘Totally, dude.’
Ivy rolled her eyes at him. It didn’t help with the sudden sick tension in her gut, though. Even the thought of those hallways filled her with dread.
Camilla was still busy handing out the last of her assignments. ‘Olivia, you’re the timid cheerleader who doesn’t want to upset the cool girl.’
Olivia fluttered her eyelashes. ‘How perfect!’ she cooed.
Ivy groaned.
Camilla ignored them both. ‘Everybody got it?’
‘Got it!’ they all chorused.
‘Got it,’ Ivy mumbled, a moment later than everybody else. Her shoulders sagged. Brendan gave her a sympathetic look before slouching off to take his place, carrying an imaginary skateboard by his side.
‘Now!’ Camilla pointed. ‘Ivy? You stand by the front door. Everybody else, take your places along the hallway!’ She mimed holding a clapperboard. Her voice switched to a movie narrator’s rich tones. ‘It’s a normal morning at Franklin Grove High. Ivy’s just about to step inside. Aaaand . . . take one!’
Her arm swung down. Obediently, Ivy stepped forwards . . . and was immediately swarmed.