Ivy laughed and gave Brendan a huge hug. ‘That was killer.’
‘Impressive fashion knowledge, Brendan,’ Olivia said. ‘How did you know about the “e”?’
Brendan shrugged. ‘Little sisters have their uses. Bethany’s been educating me on a weekly basis about who is wearing what.’
Sophia waved her camera, her white smile lighting up her dark skin. ‘I got it! The very moment when Charlotte saw for herself.’
‘You devil,’ Ivy said, making Sophia show her on the camera’s little screen.
‘Come on, guys,’ said Brendan, ‘I’m hungry!’
‘Onward to the Meat & Greet!’ said Camilla in her captain-of-the-space-ship voice.
‘Onward!’ everyone responded.
As they walked, they talked about the presents they’d gotten from their family – no one else was lucky enough to get an elusive Kevin Greene, but Olivia loved the pink, sparkly earmuffs her parents had bought her that matched her old scarf and glove set. They were keeping her ears toasty warm in the cold.
‘What did you get Ivy, Brendan?’ Camilla asked.
Brendan and Ivy shared a look.
Ivy explained, ‘He gave me a season ticket to the movie theatre, a year-long subscription to Vamp! magazine and a bus pass.’
Olivia realised that everything Brendan had given Ivy were things that needed a permanent address in Franklin Grove. ‘How romantic!’
‘There isn’t anything romantic about a bus pass,’ Sophia declared.
‘Yes, there is,’ Ivy and Brendan said quietly to each other.
‘Cheese!’ Sophia complained. ‘This registers cheese factor 10!’
Ivy just smiled and Olivia wished for the second time that day that she’d be as lucky in love.
‘I’ve never heard of Vamp! magazine,’ Camilla said as they came to the end of the street. Camilla didn’t have any idea about the vampires in Franklin Grove, and it had to stay that way.
‘Oh, we’re almost there!’ Olivia chirped, changing the subject quickly.
‘And I can’t wait for a ketchup-smothered chunky burger,’ Brendan declared. ‘With fries.’
But as they turned the corner to the diner, Ivy suddenly threw her arms out. ‘What is that?’
Olivia couldn’t see anything unusual. The diner had the same piñatas and disco balls hanging from meat hooks in the windows, the same sandwich board outside boasting the best burgers in town. ‘Um . . . it’s the Meat & Greet?’
‘No,’ Ivy said, frowning her forehead into a V. ‘It’s not. Look!’ She pointed to the sign above the door.
Sophia and Brendan gasped. Then, Olivia realised that not only was the restaurant completely empty, the neon sign no longer read ‘Meat & Greet'. It was ‘Meet & Greet’ with two ‘e’s!
‘What is it with “e”s today?’ Brendan asked.
‘What does it mean?’ Ivy said, clearly worried.
This could mean trouble, Olivia thought. Had it become a regular diner? If it had, where would the vamps eat out now? Or had someone exposed their secret?
Camilla jumped up and down, her blonde curls bouncing. ‘I know! We’ve entered an alternate universe; the aliens who created it have obviously gotten some things wrong.’ Camilla was a huge sci-fi fan.
Olivia couldn’t decide which was worse: an alien invasion or the existence of vampires being exposed. She was one of the few humans who knew the big secret and had taken a vow never to break the Laws of the Night, the very first being: Don’t Tell Anyone About Vampires EVER!
Ivy started walking faster towards the diner, with everyone hurrying to keep up.
Ivy stopped at the diner’s door to read a sign explaining that the Meat & Greet – with the ‘a’ – would be closed for a week.
‘Phew,’ Ivy said. ‘I was about to stake somebody.’
Camilla was still suspicious. ‘But why is the sign different?’
A rumbling noise filled the air. The five friends listened, huddled on the step in front of the diner’s door. The cold wind picked up and whipped Olivia’s hair in front of her face. It was the noise of an engine, a great big engine – or maybe lots of engines.
A convoy of trucks trundled down the road towards them. ‘Harker Films’ was emblazoned on each one.
‘It’s not aliens,’ said Camilla, clearly disappointed.
‘No,’ Sophia replied, her eyes shining as the trucks turned into the diner’s parking lot. ‘It’s Hollywood!’ She rubbed her hands with glee.
‘The Meat & Greet must be a movie set. This completely sucks!’ Olivia said, using the vampire phrase for all things awesome.
‘But what about my burger?’ Brendan said.
Ivy gave him a sympathetic hug as the trucks formed a large rectangle around the parking lot. There was a clatter of metal against concrete as burly men in thick sweaters banged down ramps from the back of the trucks and hauled out trolleys of speakers, enormous lights and costume racks.
A pair of men started putting up a line of plastic building barriers along the sidewalk.
‘Franklin Grove?’ said one with a few holes in his sweater. ‘Whoever heard of this place?’
‘Not me,’ muttered his companion. ‘They don’t even have a coffee shop.’
‘I hope Hollywood isn’t going to be as snobby as Charlotte Brown,’ Ivy said.
Finally, a group of long trailers arrived. From the size of them and the gold stars on the doors, Olivia guessed they were the private dressing rooms for the actors. Passers-by were starting to take notice and come over to see what was happening.
‘I can’t wait to find out what movie it is,’ Sophia said.
‘And who’s starring in it,’ Olivia added. She loved following Hollywood gossip. The latest issue of Celeb Weekly was always on her bedside table.
As they spoke, a huge bald man in sunglasses with bulging arms approached them. He was wearing an ear piece and his jacket had the Harker Films logo with a nametag that read ‘Jerome'.
‘Welcome to Franklin Grove,’ Olivia said brightly.
This seemed to startle him and he lowered his sunglasses to get a good look at them. ‘Thank you,’ he said in a deep voice. ‘But I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to vacate the premises.’