‘Love you, too.’ But Ivy felt like a gravestone was on her shoulders. How was she going to find Camilla, learn lines and pink up in the next half an hour plus impress a highly strung director and teen-dream movie star?
It would take superpowers – ones she didn’t have!
I’ll just have to do my best and not let Olivia down, Ivy decided.
Ten minutes later, Camilla was barking out lines of perky, romantic dialogue while Ivy smeared off her dark eyeliner with make-up remover. Sophia was outside standing guard. They had decided to sneak into the make-up trailer first because she couldn’t go to get her Mia costume looking Goth-gorgeous or they would never believe she was Olivia.
‘I’m going to open it for you,’ said Camilla in a voice that made Ivy think of the giant from Jack and the Beanstalk.
Which didn’t help her remember her lines. ‘Um.’ Ivy kept getting confused about the exact wording. ‘Something something grass skirt?’ She wiped her face with a towel and started to rummage through the colours of spray tan in the box in front of her.
‘Ivy!’ Camilla whacked Ivy on the arm with the script. ‘It’s “Maybe if you were wearing a grass skirt”. Olivia had this nailed in the first five minutes.’
‘Sorry,’ Ivy said, choosing the Santa Monica that Spencer had used the day before. ‘I’m not cut out for this acting thing. But since Olivia clearly is, I’ve got to at least try for her.’
Camilla sighed. ‘OK. Here’s the plan: if you forget a line during the reading you’re just going to have to improv.’
‘What’s that?’ Ivy finished dabbing her face with fake tan and waved her hands in front of her cheeks to help it dry faster.
‘Improvise. Be spontaneous. In all the Gary Spellman movies, the actors become one with their alien characters and are so fluent in Fragmala, that they just make up the dialogue as they go along. It’s much more authentic that way.’
Camilla really knows her alien stuff, Ivy thought.
‘OK, improv. Got it.’ She opened Spencer’s eye-shadow box and gasped. There were eight trays of three rows each, with dozens of shades of every possible colour. How could she pick? She would just have to guess at what Mia would choose – or what Olivia as Mia would choose. She grabbed an eye brush and reached for the light purples.
The door banged open, making both girls jump.
Busted, Ivy thought.
‘No, no, no!’ said Spencer.
Sophia followed, mouthing, ‘Sorry!’
‘Please forgive me, Spencer,’ Ivy said, as the make-up artist stormed over. Camilla scooted around to the opposite side of the chair. ‘I’ve got a callback in fifteen minutes –’
‘And that is why you should not be doing this alone!’ Spencer plucked the eye brush from Ivy’s hand and tossed it across the room. ‘Not purple, darling. Not at all. You must leave the make-up to the professionals.’
Ivy smiled. He wasn’t going to throw them out – he was going to help. ‘You’re an angel,’ Ivy declared.
‘I heard one of my extras got in. I’m so glad it was you!’ Spencer clapped his hands really quickly. ‘Now, you,’ he said to Camilla. ‘Start from the top.’
Camilla started running through the scene, while Spencer worked his magic on Ivy’s face.
Ivy didn’t have any problems in the costume trailer convincing people she was Olivia, but she was seriously uncomfortable in the short floral sundress they’d given her to wear. Firstly, it was freezing outside, so sundress did not equal fun. Secondly, Hawaiian print was just about as humiliating as it could get. She had forced Sophia to promise not to take a single photo.
‘It’s for Olivia,’ Ivy muttered to herself through clenched teeth as she pushed open the door to the diner where they were doing the read-through. Sophia and Camilla were right behind her.
Ivy had always liked Camilla, but today she had learned what a good friend she really was. Camilla had come up with a set of hand-signal codes to help prompt Ivy if she forgot her lines.
I just have to remember what they mean, Ivy thought wryly.
Ivy took a deep breath, tossed her hair in an Olivia-like fashion and strode over to the other girls who were auditioning. Her heart sank when she saw a familiar, annoying figure absorbed in instructing the lighting man.
Not only was she going to have to act like Olivia in front of a camera, she was going to have to fool Charlotte Brown, too.
When Charlotte realised ‘Olivia’ wasn’t at the mall, her face clouded over for a moment. ‘Olivia!’ She hurried over. ‘Whew! I’m so glad you made it back in time.’
Philippe stormed in, with a look of grim determination. Jackson and his manager followed, smiling and chatting.
Jackson saw Ivy, started to smile and then faltered.
He knows, Ivy thought.
But he finished the smile, looking a little puzzled, and came over. ‘Hey, Olivia, you look great!’
‘Really?’ Ivy mumbled.
Charlotte interrupted. ‘Hi, Jackson.’ She grabbed his arm. ‘I’m so looking forward to working with you.’
He patted Charlotte’s hand like he would a grandmother’s. ‘Thank you.’ But he didn’t take his eyes off Ivy. ‘Could I talk to you in private for a minute, Olivia?’
Ivy was torn between the satisfaction of annoying Charlotte and the fear of getting caught. She shot a look over to Camilla and Sophia, who shrugged. There was nothing she could do to get out of it. She let Jackson lead her to a quiet corner of the diner.
Jackson sat down in one of the booths and ran his fingers through his hair. ‘Um, Olivia,’ he began. He was staring at her intently.
He knows, Ivy thought. I’m busted.
‘Jackson!’ Amy, his manager, called over, interrupting.
‘Later,’ Jackson called back firmly.
Ivy saw Amy’s mouth snap shut in surprise.
Maybe I can beg him to let me audition anyway, Ivy hoped. Maybe he’ll understand if I explain what happened?
‘I know it seems impossible and complicated,’ he said.
You’re telling me, Ivy thought.
‘But there’s something going on here.’
‘I know –’ she started, but he held up his hand.
‘Just let me say this, or I might never get it out.’ He crumpled up and smoothed out a napkin.