17 Spooktacular - My Sister the Vampire Read Online Free PDF Page B

Hope?’ the girl asked urgently.
    Oh, what a perfect Southern accent!
Olivia felt a pang of excitement as she heard the other girl’s drawl.
Maybe if I help her find this Hope girl, she’ll help me with my
accent for the movie!
    Olivia pushed the mannequin back into its chair with a grunt of effort. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said to the girl. ‘I don’t know anyone named Hope – but honestly, I
don’t know many people from Willowton. That must be where you go to school, right?’
    Before the girl could answer, the mannequin slipped back out of its chair, heading directly towards Olivia.
    Not again!
Gritting her teeth, Olivia fought it back into place, then looked back to the girl . . .
    Seriously?
Olivia stared at the now-empty chair.
Talk about rude! And besides . . .
She frowned as she looked around the crowd.
How did she even get away so quickly?
It’s like she vanished into thin air!
    Oh well.
She sighed and gave the mannequin a warning look as it started to slide again. ‘You might be the friendlier of my two neighbours at this table,’ she told him.
‘But I’d rather be ignored by that girl all night than pick you up again!’
    A loud clap of thunder suddenly echoed through Café Creative, cutting off the pounding dance music. The lights flickered, then disappeared, turning the room dark for one pulsating moment.
Gasps and screams sounded across the café.
    And then the lights flicked back on – just in time for a swarm of ghosts to come screaming through the air, swooping down low over all the party guests’ heads.
    ‘Ahhh!’ Olivia ducked reflexively, her heartbeat speeding up. She heard startled laughter all around, though, and it was enough to make her look twice at the ghost that had nearly
landed on her.
    It’s made of gauze,
she realised,
and . . . wait. I know those curtains!
She had seen them hanging in Camilla’s living room. Now that Olivia wasn’t so taken
aback, she could even make out the elaborate wires that had swung the ghosts from the ceiling.
    She started to relax . . . a moment too soon.
    Something long and rubbery landed on her shoulder.
    ‘Auggh!’ Olivia barely even noticed she was clutching at the zombie mannequin. She didn’t care. She just needed something safe to cling on to!
    Shrieks sounded throughout the room, all laughter replaced by panic.
    Why, why, why wouldn’t Camilla give me a heads-up on what to expect? Then I could have prepared myself!
Olivia leaned back in her chair as massive black spiders suddenly dropped
down on to the table in front of her, moving around with scuttles so horribly realistic that she found herself scooting even closer to the mannequin, until she was nearly sitting in its lap.
Being startled every five seconds is
not
fun!
    She wished
so much
that Ivy was here instead of halfway across the room doing the robot!
    A wave of nervous but excited chatter swept across the room as the party finally resumed, the dance music blasting back over the loudspeakers. Olivia focused on taking deep breaths, trying to
force her heartbeat to return to normal.
    It’s all over. It’s all o–
    ‘Aahh!’ Despite herself, she let out one last shriek as a hand landed on her arm.
    ‘Hey, it’s only me!’ Grinning, Ivy slid into the seat across from her. ‘But you’d better look out . . .’ She pointed to the mannequin that Olivia was
clutching. ‘The last thing you want is for the paparazzi to see this. Jackson’s fans will turn on you in an instant if they think you’re cheating on him with Zombie
Zach!’
    Olivia flushed with embarrassment as she realised just how tightly snuggled up she was to the disgusting mannequin. ‘Eww!’ she cried, and gave it a hard shove.
    Zombie Zach landed unceremoniously on the ground, his legs and arms sprawled crookedly against the floor.
    ‘Aw.’ Ivy clucked her tongue. ‘Come on, buddy. Just because you got dumped, you don’t have to look so sad! I’d dance with you.’
    ‘Like Josh was doing?’