06 Love Bites - My Sister the Vampire (14 page)

Olivia gasped. ‘What?’

‘I want to go to a regular school, have regular classes.’ Jackson looked into her eyes. ‘I want to be near you.’

Olivia felt like she was floating somewhere near the ceiling. ‘You’re moving?’

‘And I’ve told Amy that I’ll be doing fewer events and more studying.’

Jackson beamed and Olivia beamed back.

‘Oh my goodness,’ Olivia said. She jumped up and did a little happy dance. ‘You are the BEST!’

‘I was hoping you’d say that,’ Jackson said.

Olivia closed her eyes. Things couldn’t have turned out more perfectly. Not only did Jackson
go all out for Valentine’s Day, he was moving his whole life just to be near her!

‘Why is your dress in the library?’ Jackson asked.

Olivia grabbed the box on the table and clutched it to her. ‘Because I thought Alex had given it to me and I couldn’t accept it. But now that I know it was you I am never letting it go!’

‘Good,’ Jackson said. ‘You’ll be the most beautiful girl at the ball tonight.’

Olivia nodded, but then it hit her. She had agreed to go with Prince Alex.

Eek!

‘Actually, Jackson, there’s something I need to . . .’

But Jackson grabbed her in another hug and she didn’t want to spoil the moment.

It can wait,
Olivia thought.

Tessa held the mirror up behind Ivy’s head so that she could see the spiked fan of hair that she’d styled to splay out from her bun.

‘It’s fantastic,’ Ivy said. ‘Thank you.’

‘It’s my pleasure,’ Tessa replied. ‘You look stunning. Do you want to see the whole thing together?’

Ivy stepped in front of the full-length mirror. The dress Georgia had loaned her was a strapless black silk bodice with a full skirt. The toes of the Victorian lace-up heeled boots poked out from under the hem. With her heavy black eyeliner, Ivy looked like a fashion goth.

‘The dress is gorgeous,’ Ivy said, pulling up the bodice. ‘But I just don’t look like me.’

She wished she could throw on one of her own skirts and feel
comfortable.
It’s what she’d wanted ever since she’d arrived in Transylvania.

Just then, the computer on her desk pinged
with a new email. Tessa helped her with the cumbersome skirt over to the chair.

The subject heading was BE MY VALENTINE and the email just had a link and the words, ‘Love, Brendan.’

‘Who’s Brendan?’ Tessa asked as Ivy clicked on the link.

‘He’s my boyfriend,’ Ivy replied, smiling in anticipation of what he’d sent her.

The link went straight to a video clip.

‘Hi, Ivy!’ said Brendan on-screen, pushing his hair out of his face. He leaned in closer. ‘Is it on?’ he asked himself and then sat back. ‘Yup, it’s on. OK. This is my Valentine’s video for you, because I wish you were here and I love you.’ He smiled and the image clicked over to a big picture of the Franklin Grove gang outside the Meat and Greet: Ivy, Brendan, Olivia, Sophia and Camilla. A song started. Ivy knew it right away: ‘Stalk You
Tonight’ by the Dark Violets.

Photos flashed on the screen: Ivy and Brendan playing air hockey, Ivy and Brendan’s sister Bethany playing with Bethany’s gothified Barbies, Ivy and Sophia having a black pen fight in which Sophia drew a big bunny on Ivy’s bicep.

Ivy hugged herself as the video went on, making her feel happy and homesick at the same time. At the end, there were three photos in a row: Brendan standing in his backyard making an ‘I’ by standing up with his arms above his head, making a heart with his arms over his head and then pointing at the screen with a huge grin.

‘I love you, too,’ Ivy whispered, stroking the necklace at her throat.

‘He seems like an awesome boyfriend,’ Tessa said, giving a deep sigh.

Ivy nodded.
The necklace was a nice Valentine’s Day present,
she thought.
But that was perfection.

‘Tell me about Jackson,’ Tessa said. ‘He must be a pretty amazing boyfriend, too, to fly all the way out here to surprise Olivia.’

Ivy nodded. ‘They are totally meant to be together, although Olivia was a little worried that he’d forgotten Valentine’s Day altogether. I’m glad he’s here to work everything out – and I’m glad the whole Alex and Olivia thing is out of the way. I mean, he’s a prince!’

Tessa winced. ‘Yes, I suppose a prince and a normal girl is a silly idea.’

The tone in her voice made Ivy’s spy senses perk up. Slowly, a pattern began to form in her head. She remembered Alex glaring after his mother was rude to Tessa over the tea, and how wistful he was talking about playing with Tessa on the fountain when he broke his arm.

Olivia had said:
someone else he wants to be with.
Ivy thought of all the times she’d seen Tessa
upset and all the tension between her and the Queen. When Alex skated away on the lake, it could have been because he couldn’t face her – because he was hurting.

‘It’s you!’ Ivy declared. ‘
You’re
the “someone else” Alex wants.’

Tears filled Tessa’s eyes. ‘It’s true. We’re in love. We grew up together and had always been really good friends. Then, last summer we went horseback riding together in the woods.’ Tessa smiled through her tears. ‘We stopped for a picnic in a field of daisies and he kissed me. It was the most romantic, wonderful moment of my life.’ She sniffled. ‘But his mother has forbidden us to be together.’

‘That’s awful,’ Ivy said, putting her arm around Tessa.

‘She’s dead against us because my family were servants.’ Tessa’s eyes flashed. ‘She’d rather make
her son miserable than allow a commoner like me into her family. It would almost be better if I were a human.’

Ivy sat down on her coffin with a thump. All the time she had thought Alex was being mean to Tessa, but he was really just in pain.

‘This isn’t fair,’ Ivy said. ‘His mother is trying to force you both into being someone that you’re not.’

‘I’d like to talk to her,’ Tessa said, ‘but she refuses to give me an audience. I just want her to see who I am . . . to see behind my uniform.’

An idea started to form in Ivy’s mind. One that might actually work.

‘I’ve a plan,’ Ivy declared, ‘and you are not allowed to say no.’

Outside the ballroom, Olivia was wringing her gloved hands together and pacing up and down – hard to do in a floor-length silk dress.

There was a buzz of noise from inside the ballroom, soft music and people chattering. Olivia wanted to know who was in there and what the room looked like. Ivy had said the decorations were killer.

More than that, she wanted to be
inside
so that she could avoid the whole walking-in-with-Alex issue. But, being part of the host’s family, her arrival had to be announced. She had strict
instructions from the Countess to wait by this third entrance door once most of the guests had arrived.

The trouble was that she still hadn’t told Jackson about being presented with Alex.

I should have said something!
Olivia scolded herself. But their moment in the library had been so delicate and so happy that she hadn’t wanted to mess it up.

She turned on the spot, ready to march across the hallway again and almost tripped on her hem, Ivy-style.

Get a grip!
Olivia told herself.

She heard footsteps and looked up to see Jackson striding towards her. She had never seen him looking so handsome. He was wearing a tailored tux with satin lapels and shiny shoes. He had a handkerchief in his pocket the exact colour of her dress.

Jackson bent at the hips and kissed her hand. ‘Mademoiselle,’ he said, seeming to enjoy the formality, ‘you look stunning.’

Olivia felt her heart leap. This was such a special moment, but she was going to have to tell him right away. Any minute, everyone else would arrive.

She took a breath. ‘Jackson, I don’t want you to think anything of this . . .’

‘You mean, of this wonderfully romantic Valentine’s Day ball?’ Jackson asked, grinning.

‘Um,’ Olivia said.
Being so sweet about this is only making it worse!
she thought. ‘It’s not necessarily romantic,’ she protested.

Jackson started to dance with her, smoothly. She could smell musky cologne and wanted to just melt into his arms.

‘I think it is,’ he whispered.

Olivia closed her eyes. She had to tell him.
‘Jackson, before you arrived, I agreed with Alex that I –’

‘You two are such a great couple,’ came a voice from behind Jackson. It was Prince Alex, looking very smart with his hair slicked back, and wearing a white tuxedo.

Jackson pulled away from her and turned to face him. ‘Thank you.’

Olivia felt the panic rising up. This was the moment – Jackson was going to be stunned and probably super mad. He’d made so much effort to make her Valentine’s Day special and she’d ruined it.

Alex gave Olivia a wink. ‘You’re going to be the envy of the ball, walking in together.’

Olivia’s knees went weak. ‘Really? Thank you,’ she said, hoping he knew she meant for being so understanding.

Prince Alex turned to Jackson. ‘I hear from
Ivy that you play a mean game of tennis?’

Jackson smiled. ‘I try.’

‘We’ll have to see how you do tomorrow, then,’ Alex said. ‘The courts at the palace are covered, so we can play year round.’

‘You’re on!’ Jackson said with a smile.

Olivia wondered what Alex was going to do about walking in with someone. ‘What about you . . .’ she began.

‘Don’t worry,’ Alex said. ‘Ivy sent word with Nadia that she’d rescue me.’

‘Your Highness,’ Olivia said with a curtsy. ‘You have been so nice, the whole trip. I’m very glad I got to meet you.’

‘That’s what friends are for,’ he replied.

The Countess clicked down the hallway towards them in a purple sparkling dress, incredible dangling diamond earrings and silver high heels. ‘Oh, good, you’re here! We’re just
about to be announced. Everyone’s waiting.’

The Count followed behind, looking dashing in a grey morning suit with a deep red cravat. His moustache looked bushier than Ivy had ever seen it.

‘Have you . . .’ the Countess asked quietly. ‘Is your father feeling better? And where’s Ivy?’

Olivia bit her lip and shook her head. ‘I haven’t seen him since this afternoon. Ivy, er, she says she’ll catch us up.’ Whatever Ivy’s plan was, she hoped the Countess wouldn’t ask any more questions.
I don’t know how long I can cover for her!

‘No matter,’ the Countess said. ‘You’ll escort me, won’t you, my husband?’

‘I would be delighted, my darling wife.’ They gave each other a quick kiss.

Olivia knew it would mean so much to her grandmother if her son would walk her into the ball, but at least she and the Count made such
a cute old couple. She took Jackson’s hand and hoped they would end up like that.

‘The tradition is that Her Majesty enters first,’ the Countess said, looking back down the hallway.

As if on cue, the Queen turned the corner with two attendants carrying her impressive train. Her dress was deep red satin with sparkling beads intricately woven into heart-shaped patterns. Olivia thought she looked like a pretty version of the Queen of Hearts.

Everyone curtsied and bowed.

‘Dear Caterina,’ said the Queen graciously. ‘I am so looking forward to this evening. Happy Valentine’s Day. Thank you for hosting and for all that you do for me as a friend.’

‘Happy Valentine’s Day,’ the Countess replied. ‘You are most welcome.’

The Queen gave Alex a quick kiss on the
cheek and stepped in front of the double doors just as they opened.

Olivia looked around for her sister, wondering why she hadn’t appeared yet.
Does this have something to do with Ivy ‘rescuing’ Alex?
she thought.

‘What a shame Ivy’s still not here,’ the Countess said, looking around.

‘Too late!’ whispered the Count.

‘Ladies and gentlemen,’ boomed Horatio to the crowd that filled the ballroom.

Olivia was amazed by the dresses and the decorations. Over a hundred faces were watching the door in anticipation.

‘May I present Her Majesty, Queen Stephanie of Transylvania!’ said Horatio.

Everyone inside curtsied and bowed as the Queen strode in. She made her way around the crowd, wishing them all a Happy Valentine’s Day.

‘Shall we?’ said the Count to the Countess.

‘Wait!’ a voice called from down the hallway and Olivia glanced back, almost clapping with delight when she saw her bio-dad hurrying down the hall, looking suave in his black tuxedo with a black shirt underneath.

‘Wait,’ Charles said again, his face flushed. ‘I would . . .’ He paused and smiled awkwardly. ‘I would like to escort you in, Mother. If you would have me.’

He held out the crook of his arm and Olivia saw tears of happiness in her grandmother’s eyes. ‘Of course, my son. Of course.’

‘I shouldn’t have been so churlish,’ he admitted. ‘You’ve been nothing but welcoming to my family since we’ve arrived and I think it’s time for . . . for some harmony.’

In the doorway, Horatio’s eyes glistened. Olivia felt a bit tearful herself and couldn’t stop smiling.

I’m so proud of you,
she thought, beaming at her father.