“It is,” Ivy admitted. “But I can’t do it, Olivia. I just can’t.”
“A few hours ago you said you couldn’t go on a date with Brendan Daniels,” argued Olivia, “and look how that turned out.”
Ivy was speechless. She was still trying to come up with a suitable comeback when she heard her dad pick up the phone.
“Pardon me, Ivy,” he said politely, “but it is time for dinner.”
“I’ll be up in a minute, Dad,” Ivy answered softly. Her father hung up, and Ivy sighed. She felt so tired. For a moment she said nothing. “Meet me at Meat & Greet tomorrow at noon,” she said finally to her sister, “and I’ll let you know what my dad said.”
“Great!” Olivia exclaimed on the other end of the phone. “So you’ll ask him?”
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Ivy finished.
Head aching, Ivy hung up and stood to go to dinner. She walked to the bottom of the stairs like a zombie. Then, suddenly, she imagined Brendan standing on the landing above her, wearing a dashing tuxedo and lounging against the banisters as he waited for her. He looked gorgeous, his dark curls framing his high cheekbones and strong jaw as he glanced around, clearly admiring the decorations. His gaze finally came to rest on Ivy, an adoring look in his eyes.
Ivy shook the thought from her mind, but she couldn’t shake the smile that had crept onto her face. She skipped up the stairs to talk to her dad.
“This place does quite a business,” Olivia’s father said as Olivia climbed out of the car in front of the Meat & Greet Diner.
Apparently, the Meat & Greet was even more popular for weekend brunch than it was for burgers after school. The line was out the door. Olivia waved good-bye to her dad and squeezed inside to see if her sister had already arrived.
Sure enough, Ivy was sitting at her usual table tucked in the back.
Olivia bounded over. “Hey!” she cried.
Ivy responded with a serious-sounding, “Hello, Olivia.”
Right away, Olivia’s heart sank. She sat down, ready to learn that they wouldn’t be having the All Hallows’ Ball at Ivy’s house after all. “Your dad said no, didn’t he?” she said with a sigh.
Ivy shook her head. “He said yes.”
“Yes?” Olivia cried.
“Yes,” Ivy confirmed, her face breaking into a smile.
“That’s awesome!” Olivia declared.
“And everything’s going to be fine,” Ivy added lightly.
Wait a minute, Olivia thought. This doesn’t sound like Ivy. She looked at her sister skeptically. “I thought you thought this was a terrible idea.”
“I do.” Ivy nodded. “But I’ve figured out how to fix it.”
“You’re going to burn me at the stake?” Olivia joked.
Ivy grinned. “Close,” she said. “Hereafter, you will pretend to be me for all ball planning meetings and decorating activities.”
Olivia blinked. “You mean you want to switch again?”
Ivy nodded.
Suddenly the waitress appeared. Ivy ordered a burger, and Olivia asked for a Greek salad with extra tomatoes.
After the waitress was gone, Olivia said, “What happened to ‘you’ll never make it past my friends’?”
“I’m willing to take that risk,” said Ivy. “Apparently, my friends don’t know me very well anyway. Head of decorations?” She rolled her eyes.
Olivia thought for a moment. She had to admit, being Ivy at yesterday’s meeting had been great fun.
Ivy said, “There are only two more meetings, right?”
“Uh-huh, plus the actual decorating before the ball.” This could work, she thought.
“Then that’s the plan,” Ivy said decisively. She flashed that fake mean squint of hers. “You better make me look good.”
“For sure,” Olivia said distractedly. She was already thinking about how she needed to get started on ideas for the next meeting on Friday.
Friday! she thought with a jolt. “I can’t do it!” she blurted. “The meetings are on Fridays, and I have cheerleading practice on Fridays!”
“I know,” said Ivy, nodding calmly.
“Please, Ivy. I mean, I know I messed up, but if I don’t show at the practices I’ll never make the squad!”
“I know,” Ivy repeated.
“I really, really, really, really, really want to be a Devils cheerleader,” Olivia said. “You—”
“Olivia,” Ivy interrupted, “I’m going to go to your cheerleading practices for you.”
Olivia was shocked. “You’re kidding,” she said at last.
“I’m dead serious,” Ivy replied, and she looked it.
That’s a terrible idea! thought Olivia. She shook her head briskly. “Talking to a jock at lunch and fooling Charlotte is easy compared to cheering, Ivy. Girls train all year for tryouts. I mean, cheering is totally hard.”
“Who made the squad in sixth grade?” Ivy demanded.
The waitress set their food down on the table. “Besides,” Ivy went on, “it’s not as if it would be for the actual tryout. You’ll still get to make the squad all on your own.”
Olivia hesitated.
Ivy leaned forward, her burger in one hand. “Olivia, you got me into this mess,” she said in a low voice. “Now you have to get me out of it.”
“But—” Olivia began.
“The only butt,” interrupted Ivy, “is going to be yours, in the seat, at those meetings.” She took a big bite of her burger.
“But I thought you hated cheerleading,” Olivia persisted.
“I do,” admitted Ivy with her mouth full. “But I hate party planning more.”
Olivia thought about it while she started eating her salad. It was her fault that Ivy was on the planning committee, and she owed it to her sister to make things right. “I’ll do it,” she said at last, “but only if you’ll practice with me every day after school. We’re going to train together.”
“Absolutely,” said Ivy without hesitating.
“I mean it,” Olivia said seriously. “You’ve got to be squad material if you’re going to pretend to be me.”
“You bet,” Ivy agreed.