Fashion Frightmare!. Sienna Mercer
shrugged. ‘Just a one-line email. She said she was pretty jet-lagged, but that Tokyo looked dead cool from the inside of her taxi.’
‘Finally!’ A stressed-looking waitress hurried towards their table, already scooping out a notepad and pen from her apron. ‘I take it you’re ready to order now?’
Uh-oh. Ivy winced. It was the most crowded time of day at the Meat and Greet, and she’d already taken up a table for nearly twenty minutes without ordering anything. The waitress had to be ready to tear her own hair out.
Ivy gave a weak smile. ‘We’re, um, still waiting for one more person, actually.’
The waitress stared at her. ‘How much longer do you think they’ll be?’
Ivy shook her head helplessly. ‘She should have been here twenty minutes ago.’
The waitress’s face pinkened. She opened her mouth as if to say something – and since she had the same look on her face that their teacher Mr Russell got whenever he spotted a skateboard inside their school, Ivy was pretty sure whatever she said next would be scathing.
Olivia said hastily, ‘I’d love a diet soda, please.’
‘Hmmph!’ The waitress swung around and stalked away . . . without writing the order down on her notepad.
Olivia sighed. ‘I don’t think I’m going to get that.’
Ivy slumped in her seat. ‘I can’t believe how late Reiko is!’
Olivia gave her a sympathetic smile. ‘Maybe she has a good excuse?’
‘Maybe.’ Ivy shook her head. ‘I wonder what she’s going to be like, though. I’ve never met a Japanese vamp before – I’ve heard they’re really traditional and strict.’
‘Ooohhh.’ Olivia’s eyes glazed over. ‘Do you think she gets to wear kimonos?’
Ivy blinked at her sister. ‘Are you fantasising about her clothing, now?’
‘Why not?’ Olivia’s lips stretched into a dreamy smile. ‘Do you remember that black kimono you wore before the ball last year? It looked so good with your pale complexion.’
‘Did I also “look good” on the way home, when I tripped over it and fell flat on my face?’ Ivy snorted. ‘I have no idea how anyone manages to walk in those things for more than twenty minutes!’
‘Well, growing up wearing them probably helps,’ Olivia said. ‘It must teach grace and poise, balance and posture. Or, in other words . . .’ her gaze narrowed ‘. . . all the things you’re going to need on Wednesday, at the opening of Café Creative!’
‘Aaagh!’ Ivy groaned. Her dad and stepmom, Lillian, were opening the converted south wing of the museum with an event showcasing local creative talent. The showpiece was going to be a fashion show put on by Amelia Thompson and Penny Taylor, two students at Franklin Grove High. Somehow, Ivy had agreed to take part . . . as a model ! She shuddered. ‘What was I thinking? Me, parading up and down in fashions designed by girls from our school . . . what in the world could ever have made me agree to that?’
Olivia giggled. ‘You know the answer already. Lillian’s been working on this for weeks – and she has us both wrapped around her fingers.’
‘Um . . . huh ?’ Ivy pointed one accusing finger straight at her twin. ‘I remember the moment Lillian first asked us – you, Olivia Abbott, needed no convincing.’
‘Of course I didn’t. It’ll be fun!’ Olivia shrugged, smiling irrepressibly. ‘Can you imagine what the designs will be like? Penny’s half of the show is going to be all bright and bunny-tastic, while Amelia’s all about “classy goth”. They’re going to complement each other perfectly! Plus . . .’
She leaned over the brightly coloured table, dropping her voice to a low whisper. ‘Rumour has it they’ve also worked together on a hybrid of both their styles. A joint outfit to be their big finish and close the show. I can’t wait!’ Letting out a little squeal, Olivia bounced in her seat. ‘I can’t even imagine what such a dress will look like!’
Ivy scowled. ‘I suppose it’s good at least one of us is excited.’ It wasn’t often she wished that movie vampire rules were true but, right now, she’d give anything not to be able to show up in photographs. Then, no one would ever ask her to stroll up and down a catwalk!
Unfortunately, real vampires showed up perfectly well in photos – and in mirrors, too. The only thing that bunny screenwriters got correct was how much they hated garlic. And Ivy was considering eating some just to get out of this fashion show!
DING!
Ivy looked up sharply. Pain sparked down her neck, but this time she barely noticed. She was in too much shock.
The girl at the door had to be Reiko . . . and she was not what Ivy had been expecting at all !
Olivia turned around to follow Ivy’s gaze. ‘No kimono,’ she murmured.
‘Nope.’ Ivy’s eyes widened as she took in the other vamp’s bright yellow tank top and neon green athletic shorts. ‘And she does not look like she’s been raised in a strict community, does she?’
That’ll teach me to make assumptions, Ivy thought wryly. Not only was Reiko not wearing a kimono, she wasn’t even a goth like every single young American vamp Ivy knew.
Instead, she wore clothes that weren’t just bright – they were so luminous they could have lit up a pitch-black room! Her shorts even had a logo so big and sporty it made Ivy’s fangs itch. But most of all, Ivy couldn’t stop staring at Reiko’s massive orange backpack.
It had a tennis racquet sticking up out of it.
‘Am I dreaming?’ Olivia whispered. ‘Or am I actually looking at a vampire tennis player ?’
Ivy could only shake her head wordlessly. ‘I’ve never seen anything like it.’
And that wasn’t all. Above the backpack and the tennis racquet, Reiko’s long hair – which was a perfectly normal goth shade of purple – bounced in a high, bouncy, cheerleader-style ponytail!
That is so not a vamp look!
‘Hey!’ Reiko’s face lit up in a grin as she saw them. Giving an excited wave, she bounded over to the table in fast, athletic strides. ‘You must be Ivy, right? And Olivia! I recognise you both from Banp magazine!’
‘Did you say Ban magazine?’ Ivy asked, scooting over on the seat to make room for Reiko and her giant backpack full of sports equipment. Through the crack in the top of the backpack, she could see tennis balls and even a basketball jostling for space inside.
‘No, Banp !’ Still standing – and bouncing on her toes – Reiko yanked off the backpack and tossed it on to the table.
‘Oops!’ Olivia jerked out of the way just in time, before the handle of the tennis racquet could slam into her head. She sat back, eyes wide. ‘Bamp magazine?’
‘No, no, Banp . You know . . .’ Reiko slid into the booth beside Ivy, then leaned forwards to whisper, with an infectious grin: ‘Japanese for “vamp”!’
‘Aha!’ Ivy gave a sigh of relief. Banp must be the Japanese edition of VAMP magazine.
‘It’s so great to meet you two!’ Reiko said, bouncing in her seat. ‘And it is so nice of you to take care of me while I’m in Franklin Grove. This is a big adventure for me, you know?’
‘It’s no problem. Really.’ Ivy didn’t have to force a smile. Reiko may have been a little over-energetic, but she did seem like a nice person. ‘I’m sure the next two weeks will be killer.’
‘Absolutely.’