Page 5 (1/2)

After school, Olivia arnore both Charlotte Broas chattering on oblivi- ously beside her about how being on TV had coing on the bleachers with Kyle Glass and leering at all the cheerleaders as "research" for hisopen and in marched Serena Star, followed by Toby Decker and her cameraman Charlotte&039;s friend Katie shrieked and whispered, "But I&039; the worst hair day!"

"Hey, Serena!" Garrick Stephens sprang up fro the sa to look crusty "I on- dering when you&039;d be back for more of me!"

Serena turned to Toby and said, "Keep hih so that everyone could hear Toby looked doubtfully at Garrick and went to distract him while Serena went up to Charlotte

"I need to talk to you," Serena said

"Of course!" Charlotte winked at Olivia sly as Serena led her out of earshot

I have to hear what they&039;re saying! Olivia thought She started doing huge ju closer to where Charlotte and Serena were standing with every ju role in a fil?"

Charlotte flipped her hair and said, "Not really, it&039;s just--"

"It&039;s called `Cheers for Fears,&039;" Garrick inter- rupted, reappearing beside the to be a block- buster!"

Serena spun around to face Garrick and snapped, "Don&039;t you have a coffin to be in?"Then she looked over his shoulder at her new assistant "Toby, is there a problem?"

"No, Ms Star," Toby answered sheepishly "I mean, yes, Ms Star I mean, come on, Garrick" He put his hand on Garrick&039;s arm

Garrick shook hi story, and the next you&039;re out on the street" He glowered fully at Serena Star and then stalked away

Serena turned back to Charlotte and switched her smile back on "Have Garrick or his friends ever asked you to do anything strange?" she asked

"Like what?" said Charlotte

"Like sleep in a coffin? Or do anything with vahed, "Oh, that!" and Olivia&039;s ju serious Those guys are always playing Dracula It&039;s so lame They&039;re all, like, `I want to suck your blood&039; and `I should bite that guy&039;s neck&039;" Charlotte rolled her eyes "Idress up?"

Serena nodded "All this vaerous," she said "Have you heard of any vicious ani place in Franklin Grove?"

Charlotte frowned, looking faintly alarmed "No, I can&039;tI mean, I don&039;t rely and changed the subject, but Olivia&039;s sto obsessed with vam- pires, and the problem was that that fixation could lead her to stumble on the truth

Out of the corner of her eye, Olivia saw Garrick still lurking off to one side He was clearly eavesdropping, just like she was, and he did not seem happy with Charlotte&039;s description of the Beasts&039; behavior Olivia saw hiesture to Kyle Glass, and a y for Serena to finish talking to Charlotte, and Olivia suddenly reht

She did an extralarge ju jack so that her arm accidentally clipped Toby&039;s shoulder

"Oops, sorry!" said Toby, stepping backward apologetically

Olivia gasped "Oh, osh! Toby, I&039;m so sorry," she said "Are you okay?"

He pushed a blond lock of hair off his fore- head "Yes," he said, blushing slightly "No prob- lem"

"So," Olivia went on, "what have you been up to lately, Toby?"

"I&039; as special assistant to WowTV&039;s Serena Star on her big story about Franklin Grove," Toby told her

"Wow! Really?" Olivia said ide eyes

"Yes" Toby nodded proudly

"Any big leads?" Olivia inquired

Toby looked around to"Garrick Stephens asked s, and Serena thinks itfor! She&039;s absolutely deter she can about the obsession with va!" Olivia exclairin "Vampires?" Maybe if I can convince Toby that there&039;s nothing to the vaht, he&039;ll convince Serena Star

Toby nodded, looking slightly unco her eyes "Serena Starfor were- wolves--IIvy and Sophia&039;s auity on the olf front "You don&039;t think there&039;s anything to it, do you?"

"Honestly?" whispered Toby, with a backward glance toward Serena Star "I&039;ve known Garrick and those guys all e But lots of kids have issues My father says they&039;re just looking for attention" He shrugged "Nevertheless, I have to do what Serena Star says This job is a stepping-stone for est network anchor- man in television history"

Olivia believed he could, too--Toby was noth- ing if not driven Suddenly, she thought she heard Charlotte mention Ivy&039;s name From the look on Toby&039;s face, she knew he&039;d heard it, too They exchanged glances and edged closer to Serena&039;s conversation

"She is like the darkest Goth of all She&039;s been wearing nothing but black since before kinder- garten--I&039;ve even seen her wear black socks Isn&039;t that gross? I live next door to her house, and so behind these thick dark curtains Not that I would ever spy or anything" Charlotte giggled unco in Franklin Grove, I&039;d bet my poms that she&039;s behind it Even Garrick and the Beasts listen to her!"

"And you say this girl&039;s naa?" con- firmed Serena Olivia bit her lip

Charlotte shuddered "Just the sound of her naives anda she writes in the school paper"

Serena held up a pink fingernail "You mean, this is the same Ivy who&039;s on the school paper?"

Charlotte nodded disapprovingly "I ask you: What is happening to journalism in our schools today?"

Serena Star narrowed her eyes "I thought there was so odd about her" Abruptly, she turned to Toby "Toby, I want you to follow Ivy Vega&039;s every le place she goes, every single person she talks to, and every single thing she does"

Olivia looked on with dread as Toby said, "Right away, Ms Star" He turned and sain when I&039;, Olivia"

"You, too, Toby," Olivia quavered, as he hur- ried out of the gym

I have to warn Ivy that she&039;s under surveillance! thought Olivia in a panic Suddenly, Ms Barnett, the gy on in here? Ms Star, this is cheerleading practice, not journalisot so to do!"

It was nearly 4:30 PM Ivy had stayed after school to do homework in the library, but she hadn&039;t been able to concentrate because she couldn&039;t stop worrying about Serena Star

Now she was at her locker, packing up to go meet Sophia at the Meat & Greet As she slaht she saw so moment, but no one reappeared In fact, the hall- as al has made me seriously paranoid, she decided with a shake of her head In the library, she&039;d even convinced herself that soh the

Ivy turned and beganher way down the hall Nowas a that so up as people finished their clubs and sports practices

At the corner of the main hall, Ivy set her jaw and abruptly spun around Twenty feet behind her, a person in a blue shirt slipped behind a tall girl wearing a basketball jersey The girl obviously found this odd, because she stepped aside to revealToby Decker!

"Can I help you?" the tall girl de down at Toby, her hands on her hips Toby nervously caught Ivy&039;s eye and lunged to bury his face in a nearby water fountain

Suddenly Olivia appeared at Ivy&039;s side "I&039;ve been looking for you," she said

"Apparently you&039;re not the only one," replied Ivy "I think Toby Decker is following estured toward the water fountain, where Toby was peering at them as water filled his mouth

"That&039;s what I need to tell you," Olivia mur- mured in a low voice "Charlotte told Serena Star that you&039;re like queen of the Goths, and now Serena&039;s commanded Toby to follow your every estured for Ivy to start walking beside her She spoke out of the side of her mouth "Act natural Serena also thinks people here are obsessed with vampires"

Ivy&039;s heart skipped a beat, and she couldn&039;t help glancing over her shoulder, only to see Toby snapping a huge telephoto lens onto a ca to take pictures of us!" she gulped

"We shouldn&039;t be seen together like this," Olivia said