For the next forty minutes, they had barely spoken. Instead, they shouted and laughed and banged their little round paddles on the table as the thin puck whizzed between them, cracking against the boards.
Ivy took four games out of seven. “You let me win!” she had said, grinning and bravely nudging Brendan’s arm as they walked out of the arcade.
“You think so?” he’d replied, spinning on his heels and grabbing her hand. “Then let’s make it best of eleven.”
Brendan had won that round, but only just. He’d promised Ivy they’d keep a running tally.
Now she was watching as he filled two huge cups at the drinks dispenser. When he comes back, she thought, remembering her sister’s advice, I’m going to ask him about himself.
Brendan approached carefully, his eyes on the two tall cups that were filled to the brim with red lemonade. Steam rose off the pizza and bathed his face. He set the food down in front of Ivy and looked at her.
“You know I’ve been scared to death,” he said.
“Of spilling something?” Ivy asked, pretending to be distracted by balancing the oregano atop the pepper atop the salt.
Across from her, Brendan shook his head. “I have so many questions I want to ask you,” he told her.
Ivy blinked at her tower and prepared to put the crushed red pepper flakes on top. “Like what?”
“I don’t know.” He shrugged. “Everything?”
Ivy couldn’t help recalling what Olivia had said about boys who ask questions. Boyfriend material! she thought, her heart pounding. She tried not to seem excited.
Brendan asked, “Do you have any brothers or sisters?”
Ivy’s hand jerked, and the chili peppers knocked into the oregano, and the entire tower of spices collapsed, crashing right into Ivy’s full cup of lemonade and sending it flying.
Brendan was already on his feet. “Don’t worry,” he said. “I’ll get some napkins.”
Pretty soon everybody at the planning committee meeting was talking about the theme Olivia had suggested for the ball. Meanwhile, the Beasts kept whispering and snickering to one another.
Finally Melissa turned to them and said, “Care to share?”
They all looked up. One of them said, “Uh, yeah. We got an idea.”
“Okay,” said Melissa.
“It’s a really excellent idea for a—what do you call it?—a decoration,” the same Beast went on. His friends chuckled.
“Totally excellent,” one of them muttered.
“Okay,” said Melissa impatiently.
“A blood fountain,” the first Beast announced.
“A what?” said Melissa.
“You know. A fountain of blood.” All the Beasts were totally cracking up now.
“As if,” said Melissa, rolling her eyes. “Talk about perpetuating stereotypes. Besides, fountains were last year’s party feature.”
Sophia whispered, “What losers!” in Olivia’s ear, and Olivia felt relieved that Ivy’s friends didn’t want to take her idea that far.
“All right,” Melissa continued efficiently. “It looks like we’ve got our theme. The next big question on the agenda is where should we hold the ball? Any ideas? And, no”—she glared at the Beasts—“the graveyard is not an option!”
Olivia felt a nudge under the table, and looked over to find Sophia looking at her intently.
“Anyone?” asked Melissa.
Sophia was now pursing her lips and glaring at Olivia, clearly trying to say something with her eyes, but Olivia had no idea what it was.
Sophia sighed and turned to face the table. “How about Ivy’s house?” she suggested. “You know, that mansion on top of Undertaker Hill? It has a massive ballroom on the third floor.You can see all Franklin Grove from up there.”
Olivia kicked Sophia under the table. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea!” she put in hurriedly. “I don’t think my parents ...I mean, parent ...I mean, dad . . .” She shook her head wildly. Everybody was looking at her. “Well, he won’t like it,” she finished lamely.
“Who are you kidding, Ivy?” said the girl with the shock of white in her hair. “Your father loves this kind of thing. My parents still talk about the Dead of Winter fund-raiser he planned a few years back.”
The girl with the studded collar nodded. “I’ll bet he’d even be willing to help out with decorations,” she added. “After all, he is one of the top interior designers.”
“He redid my aunt’s place last year,” put in the bald-headed boy. “It looks killer.”
Well, Olivia thought, at least that explains the inside of Ivy’s house. “But a ball for the whole school is a lot of people,” she pointed out.
“Don’t be so dramatic, Ivy,” the girl with the studded collar said. “It’s not the whole school. It’s just the kids in our community from middle and high school. A hundred people, tops.”
Olivia suddenly understood why she hadn’t seen any posters at school: this was an exclusive all-Goth affair. How intense! she thought excitedly. Maybe that’s why they’re being so secretive.
“Since you came up with the theme and it’s your house, Ivy, I think it’s only fair that you be head of decorations,” Melissa said.
“I still have to ask my dad,” Olivia muttered, while thinking, Head of decorations! How cool is that?
“All in favor, say aye,” Melissa commanded.
Everyone said, “Aye,” even the Beasts.
“Great!” shouted Olivia. Wait, her sister wouldn’t be so excited. She rolled her eyes. “I mean, great,” she said sarcastically.
Olivia was still walking on air when she and Sophia emerged from the FoodMart after the meeting. Halfway across the parking lot, Sophia spun around to face her.
“That wasn’t like you,” she said in a quiet, firm voice.
Olivia’s heart sank. Sophia’s seen through the switch! she thought.
“That idea,” Sophia went on slowly. “The way you spoke up. Really, the fact that you came at all.” Her lips curled into a smile. “Thank you so much, Ivy!” She started talking really fast. “It is such a seriously big deal to be on the planning committee for the All Hallows’ Ball at all, and my best friend”—she grabbed Olivia’s hand proudly—“my best friend, came up with the theme, is hosting it at her house, and is going to be head of decorations! And guess who she is going to appoint head of photography? This is deadly!” Sophia concluded, throwing her arms around Olivia in a huge hug.