Together, Camilla, Olivia and Jenny slinked into the assembly hall, leaving the Terrible Trio to fight it out amongst themselves.
‘That was close,’ said Camilla.
‘No kidding.’ Olivia laughed. ‘I guess there are lots of different ways to stand your ground.’
‘There are, but you were amazing! You deserve a medal or something!’ Olivia thought Jenny might bounce right out of her boots. ‘Or better yet – you should be on the diplomatic corps!’ After planning this event, Olivia was pretty sure the only thing she wanted to be on was a beach.
Olivia noticed the music had stopped. ‘Hey, who cut the sound?’ she asked, worried there might be a glitch.
The DJ picked up the microphone. ‘There is going to be a short break for speeches. Everyone –’ he waved – ‘gather round.’
Speeches? Olivia hadn’t included speeches on tonight’s agenda.
‘Did you know about this?’ she asked, turning to Jenny.
‘First I’ve heard of it.’
Oh no! Olivia wrung her hands. Surely nobody wanted her to speak . . . or did they?
Olivia let out a huge sigh of relief when she saw their head of year making her way to the stage. Ms Starling wore a bright red bandana around her neck and her hair was the slightest bit disheveled, as if she’d been taking a few square-dancing spins around the dance floor herself.
Ms Starling tapped the microphone to make sure it was working. ‘Firstly, I want to thank Olivia Abbott,’ she began, immediately making the temperature of Olivia’s face spike to a thousand degrees. ‘She has done a wonderful job pulling this event together, and on such short notice, too. The whole school is united.’ Ms Starling shot a significant glance at Lucrezia, Melinda and Veronica, who were busy sulking in the corner of the hall. ‘And thanks to Olivia, everyone who’s anyone in Franklin Grove is here. It’s truly wonderful.’ Ms Starling’s eyes twinkled and she clapped for Olivia.
Soon, the whole school was joining her in applause. Whoops and cheers filled the air and the next thing she knew, Olivia’s feet were lifted off the floor. Her body pitched and tottered, but then she was up, balancing on top of her classmates’ shoulders and parading around the room. This is so cool! Olivia blinked, taking a mental snapshot. Ivy stood to the side of the hall, watching her and laughing. This was the sort of moment that Olivia wanted to remember forever.
Perched up on her friends’ shoulders, the assembly hall looked magical. Glitter, hay and twinkling lights all came together to create the perfect effect. As the cheering parade circled around, Olivia saw a silhouette framed in the doorway. She cocked her head. He was the only one not joining in the festivities and yet she could clearly make out the outline of a Stetson. And there something in the way he stood – it seemed so familiar.
Olivia was momentarily blinded by the flickering on of a spotlight, which settled on the mysterious figure. Her hand flew to her mouth. It’s Jackson!
‘Oh my goodness!’ Olivia tapped the shoulder supporting her. ‘You’ve got to let me down!’ Olivia scrambled to the ground and sprinted over to Jackson, throwing her arms around his neck. ‘You’re here! You’re really here!’
‘Do you think I’d miss this?’ Jackson murmured into her hair. From behind his back, Jackson pulled out a pink rhinestone cowboy hat and placed it on top of Olivia’s head.
She felt the rim. ‘Jackson, it’s absolutely perfect! How did you know?’
Jackson jerked his head over to where Ivy was still looking on, smiling in Brendan’s arms.
‘Have I ever mentioned I love having a twin?’ Olivia asked, pushing up on her tippy-toes to plant a kiss on Jackson’s cheek.
‘It was tough to keep this all from you.’ Jackson straightened Olivia’s hat. ‘I was sure my wardrobe manager was going to give it away when I was on the phone to you while she was helping me choose your perfect Stetson.’
Olivia smacked her head. ‘So it really was your wardrobe manager!’
Jackson’s forehead wrinkled in the cutest way Olivia had ever seen. ‘Who else would it have been?’
Olivia blushed and looked away. ‘Um, I don’t know,’ she said quickly. ‘I didn’t recognise the voice, that’s all.’
Jackson shrugged off Olivia’s comment and laced his fingers through hers. He led Olivia out to the dance floor. The singer nodded to the other band members and they switched to a slow song. Jackson curled his arms around Olivia’s waist and she pressed her cheek into his sturdy chest. Now this was what Olivia called ‘perfect’.
She recognised the recording light glowing on Charlotte’s camera. She was filming the whole thing. Charlotte wiped a tear from beneath her perfectly applied mascara. Who knew – Charlotte had a sentimental streak!
‘Olivia.’ Jackson’s breath tickled her ear. ‘I can’t stay long. I managed to talk my way into one night off, but tomorrow it’s back to work.’
Olivia kept swaying with the melody, enjoying the smell of Jackson’s cologne and the fact that there was no telephone between her voice and his. ‘I understand. I can save sadness for another day. Tonight, I’m all about the happy.’
As the last slow notes of the song faded, Ivy and Brendan made their way over. Olivia hugged her sister. Without her, this surprise wouldn’t have happened.
‘Er . . .’ Brendan looked at Jackson. ‘I think this might be a sisters-only moment. Punch?’
Olivia nodded at Jackson and the boys went off in search of Lucrezia’s famous punch recipe.