Finn and Amelia didn’t seem to have any trouble with it, though. And the complete incomprehension on everyone else’s faces as Finn swung Amelia round in a spinning hug was actually pretty hilarious . . . especially as the closest students all had to scramble backwards to avoid being hit by Amelia’s flying feet!
The looks on Finn’s and Amelia’s faces, as he awkwardly set her down, were just adorable.
Olivia let out a happy sigh. Maybe it’ll take time, but everyone will come around in the end, she decided, looking at the gathering of shocked faces. And then we’ll see how strong the barriers between people at this school really are!
Finn only seemed to notice his observers as he set Amelia down. ‘Um, I’m so – pleased,’ he said hastily, and shot a look back at his staring skater friends. ‘I mean, because we’ll need your organisational skills.’
‘Oh, yeah?’ Amelia asked. She was grinning, too, for the first time since Olivia had met her. ‘You’ve noticed my skills?’
‘Absolutely,’ Finn said. ‘I’ve seen the way you keep your gang of friends together. You’re the best!’
Amelia didn’t say a word. But she was blushing with delight . . . and as her gaze caught Olivia’s, Olivia couldn’t help giving the Goth-Queen a fat wink.
Amelia’s blush deepened.
‘So, we’d better work out the details, right?’ Finn held out his hand to Amelia. ‘Maybe in the library?’
‘Sounds good to me,’ Amelia said. Holding her head high, she took Finn’s hand and they walked together through the whispering, staring crowd.
Mr Russell emerged from his classroom just long enough to snarl: ‘No skating in the corridors, remember!’
‘I remember.’ Finn raised his free hand in casual acknowledgement, rolling his eyes.
He isn’t even carrying his skateboard! Olivia thought indignantly. But the Skater King was clearly too ecstatic to worry about even the most annoying of teachers right now.
As the couple passed Olivia, Amelia pulled Finn to a stop. ‘You know,’ she said sheepishly to Olivia, ‘you’re not so bad, for someone who thinks that pink goes with everything!’
Olivia grinned happily up at the older girl. ‘It really does!’
Amelia’s lips twitched. Her free hand reached out as if to pat Olivia on the arm. Then she pulled back, as she obviously reconsidered. Instead, she gave Olivia a small smile and a nod, turned back to Finn, and continued down the hall.
‘So . . .’ Olivia started at the sound of Ivy’s voice. She was sidling up to her. ‘Your matchmaking worked, huh?’
‘It so worked!’ Olivia bounced on her toes with delight. ‘Did you see how happy they looked together? Of course, I can’t take all the credit, but maybe I could work on my skills. I just need to develop a lighter touch. Hmm . . .’
Her gaze moved around the corridor, moving from boy to girl. ‘Maybe, next time . . .’
‘No way!’ Ivy’s hand clamped around her arm. ‘That’s enough matchmaking for now. I want us both to have a quiet life for the rest of the semester! Just the two of us hanging out without any interruptions or drama or –’
‘A quiet life?’ Olivia let out a snort of disbelief as she turned to stare at her twin. ‘For a whole semester? Are you insane, Ivy Vega? That stuff never happens to us!’
‘Well . . .’ Ivy grinned, shaking her head. ‘You may have a point. We don’t seem to “do” quiet lives, do we?’
‘Absolutely not,’ Olivia agreed, smiling in satisfaction. ‘And that’s just right for us.’
Maybe they’d both had a few hiccups as they’d settled into their new school – but from now on, she was determined to make the most of it. Together.
She linked arms with her sister to walk together to their next class in perfect comfort. No groupies got in their way, no one tried to squeeze in between them or make any nasty comments about Olivia’s clothes . . . and when Olivia glanced back over her shoulder, her eyes widened with delight.
Behind them, students were beginning to mingle! Goth-girls were asking if they could borrow bunny girls’ magazines during lunch. Skaters were joking with goths. She could see at least four smiles that were less secretive than they would have been the day before, and also some upward nods of the head.
The blossoming romance between Finn and Amelia was already making a real difference to the school. ‘You know,’ Olivia said to her twin, ‘I have a feeling we’re both going to be really happy here, from now on . . .’
Ivy would have shared her sister’s satisfaction . . . if she hadn’t been so nervous about what was coming next.
As Mr Russell stalked into place in front of the class, she could see that he still hadn’t recovered from the disappointment of Finn’s triumph with Principal Carson. His face was still flushed, and his eyes glittered with frustration as he glared around the room.
‘Right!’ he said. ‘The moment has arrived. It’s time for you all to read out your poems.’
Ivy slumped in her seat, wishing that she could disappear. What am I going to do? I haven’t chosen anything yet!
It was great that for the first time ever, she was actually sitting next to her own twin in class. But that wouldn’t do her much good when she got a failing grade!
Her English teacher paced back and forth in front of the room with quick, impatient steps. ‘The reason I set you this assignment is because poetry has a way of revealing things about people . . .’
Ouch. Ivy turned to glance at Penny, who was sitting two desks behind her. Their gazes met . . . and then they both looked away quickly.
‘. . . and because high school English is very different from middle school English,’ Mr Russell declared, ‘a student’s feelings are just as important as his or her intelligence now. To truly engage with the texts you will read, you must feel them in your hearts!’ He spun around on one heel. ‘So! Who will reveal themselves first?’
Uh-oh. Ivy gulped. Talk about pressure!
A nervous hush fell over the class. All around the room, students ducked down, hiding their gazes.
It looks like nobody wants to read their poems now, Ivy thought. And no wonder! No matter what poems anyone had chosen, all everyone else in class would be thinking about was hidden meanings. What is Mr Russell thinking? This is almost mean.