Ivy’s eyes opened wide. “Are you serious?”
“You’re the best writer we have,” Toby told her.
“That would be deadly,” Ivy said appreciatively. “Thanks, Toby.”
“How cool is that?” Olivia remarked after Toby was gone. But Ivy didn’t seem to hear her; she was staring off into space.
“You okay?” Olivia nudged her sister.
“I was just thinking.” Ivy shrugged. “I’ve been so caught up in trying to get Dad to change his mind that it never occurred to me to do anything like this for him. He’s been in Franklin Grove for more than a decade. He should have a going away party, too.”
“That’s such a great idea,” Olivia exclaimed. “Reminding him of all the people he’ll miss could be just the thing to change his mind.”
“I doubt that,” Ivy admitted. “But it would make him feel good. And maybe that’s enough.”
Olivia nodded to herself. She had known Mr. Vega—her father—for such a short time, it would be nice to do something for him before he disappeared from her life.
“What are you two whispering about?” Brendan leaned over the bench between them.
“We want to throw our dad a going away party,” Ivy answered. “Do you think it’s too late?”
“Under normal circumstances, there wouldn’t be enough time,” Brendan admitted. He waved to Camilla and Sophia to join them. “But the good news,” he said as they trotted up, “is that you have Operation FANGED at your disposal!”
At 10 A.M. sharp, Sunday morning, Ivy convened the final meeting of Operation FANGED in Olivia’s family room. Camilla, Olivia, Sophia, and Brendan were all in attendance.
Ivy paced back and forth on the Abbotts’ blue shag carpet in front of the couch, where the others were all sitting in their sweats.
“We have exactly eight hours to plan and execute Dad’s going away party,” Ivy said. “Synchronize watches.”
Everyone looked at their wrists except Brendan.
“I forgot my watch,” he said with a wince, “but I can use my cell phone.”
Ivy frowned at him in mock seriousness. “You’d better shape up, Daniels, or you’ll be scraping cake plates at the end of the night!” She surveyed the group. “Now, to the first order of business: guests. At present time, we have none. We need invitations, and we need them fast. Any volunteers?”
Camilla’s hand shot into the air. “I can design something on Olivia’s parents’ computer,” she said, gesturing to the desk in the corner.
“Go!” Ivy commanded, and Camilla raced across the room.
Sophia raised her hand. Ivy pointed to her.
“Why are you acting like you’re in a bad action movie about a SWAT team?” Sophia asked. Olivia and Brendan both chuckled.
“Because I’m moving to Europe in three days and I can do whatever I want,” Ivy said with a straight face. She cracked a smile. “Also, I found these cargo pants while I was packing, and I think they look deadly.”
“They are pretty awesome,” Olivia agreed.
“Now,” Ivy continued, “who wants to deliver invitations and spread the word as quickly as possible?”
“Brendan and I can do it,” said Sophia. “We can run faster than, you know, most people.”
“I used to do track!” Camilla volunteered from where she was sitting at the computer.
But Ivy knew what Sophia meant—vampires were just superior to humans when it came to strength and speed. “Don’t you worry, Edmunson,” she told Camilla, “there will be more than enough tasks to go around. Besides, we have you only until sixteen hundred hours.” Camilla was hosting a big online forum for sci-fi geeks this evening, so she wasn’t going to be able to attend the party—which was probably for the best, since it was going to be Vamp Central.
“The next thing we need,” Ivy went on, “is a guest list. We want as many of my father’s friends and acquaintances as can possibly make it on such short notice. Abbott—pen and paper?”
“Check,” said Olivia, holding them up.
“Commence brainstorming!” Ivy declared.
Everyone started calling out names, and Olivia scribbled them down furiously. In fifteen minutes, they had a list of almost seventy-five people.
“Wow!” said Olivia, flexing her aching hand. “Your dad’s almost as popular as you, Ivy.”
Camilla rushed over with a sheet from the printer and handed it to Ivy. It was a jet-black square with white text and an icon of a white airplane on it.
“ ‘You are cordially invited,’ ” Ivy read aloud, “ ‘to bid a fond farewell to Charles Vega, before he departs Franklin Grove for exciting opportunities abroad.’ ” She flicked the paper with a black fingernail. “Excellent work, Edmunson! Let’s print one hundred copies and put them in the hands of our invitation runners ASAVP.”
“You mean ASAP?” said Camilla.
Oops, thought Ivy. She’d mistakenly used the acronym for “as soon as vampirically possible.”
“Yes,” she replied.
Sophia and Brendan put on their coats, and, the moment the invitations had finished printing, they rushed out the door to deliver them.
“What else can I do?” asked Camilla eagerly.
Olivia flipped through her notes. She looked up: “We need to get to FoodMart to pick up paper plates and cups.”
“Done,” said Camilla, pulling on her coat.
After Camilla left, Olivia tossed Ivy the phone and she dialed the number for the BloodMart.
“Catering manager, please,” Ivy requested. “Hi, Mr. Bobovitch, it’s Ivy Vega. I’m calling because we’re throwing a last-minute surprise going away party for my father tonight.” She ordered a bunch of finger foods to be delivered to her house that evening. “And I hope you can make it, too, Mr. Bobovitch,” she added. “My father has always said you’re the best caterer outside Transylvania. And pass the invitation along to anyone else you think might like to come.”
“Will do, Ivy,” Mr. Bobovitch answered. “Everyone was sad to hear that your father is leaving us. I know lots of folks will want to say good-bye.”
Ivy hung up and handed the phone back to her sister. “What’s next?”