15 Secrets and Spies - My Sister the Vampire by Sienna Mercer Page A

she thought wistfully back to Franklin Grove Middle School. Life had been so much simpler then. The people were nicer, the homework was easier, and she’d spent
a lot
less time wondering whether her boyfriend was a dishonest, lying –
    No!
Everything in her heart shouted the word.
That’s not Brendan!
    Something was definitely going on, though, and, like it or not, Ivy
needed
to know what it was before it drove her completely crazy.
    Behind her, the front door opened, making her jump.
    ‘Ivy?’ It was Brendan’s dad, Marc Daniels. ‘What’s wrong?’
    Oops. Way to look like an idiot, Ivy!
    Ivy tried to put on a smile – but it felt fake, even to her. ‘Nothing,’ she mumbled. ‘I was just passing and I thought I’d drop in on Brendan.’
    ‘Come on,’ Mr Daniels grinned. ‘You can’t have been “just passing”. You’ve walked up to the door and back twice now.’
    Ivy winced. It was no wonder vampire kids grew up to be terrible liars, when the grown-ups had super-hearing.
    But that was just one more reminder that Brendan actually
had
been lying to her. So he
must
have had
something
to hide . . .
    ‘Are you coming in?’ Mr Daniels raised his eyebrows.
    ‘Um . . . no.’ Ivy sighed. The conversation she had to have with her boyfriend was definitely not one he’d want his dad to overhear. ‘Would you mind calling up to
Brendan, and asking him to meet me out here?’
    Mr Daniels’ smile dropped. He stepped outside, closing the door behind him. ‘You’re not here to dump him, are you? I know Brendan can sometimes tell stupid jokes but,
seriously, he
will
grow out of it. All boys do, eventually.’
    Argh.
Ivy cringed.
Could this
be
any more awkward?
It was hard enough to work up the nerve to talk with
Brendan
about their relationship, never mind his
dad!
    ‘I’m not here to break up with him,’ she said, adding silently:
But he might be about to break up with
me.
    Anguish shot through her at the thought, but Mr Daniels visibly relaxed. ‘That’s a relief. We’re all very fond of you, Ivy.’ Opening the door wide, he stepped back
inside. ‘Brendan! You have a visitor!’
    Brendan clattered down the stairs a moment later . . . and froze as his gaze landed on Ivy, still standing outside.
    Aaand . . . that’s not the look of a boy who wants to see his girlfriend.
    It was another bad sign, but she couldn’t turn back now.
    ‘Hey.’ She tried to smile. ‘Do you feel like taking a walk?’
    ‘I don’t know . . .’ Brendan’s shoulders hunched. ‘I’ve got some homework I really need to do.’
    ‘Oh, come on, son.’ Mr Daniels gave him a hearty clap on the back. ‘Fresh fall air is
just
the thing to clear out the cobwebs.’
    Brendan blinked, looking doubly confused now. ‘OK,’ he mumbled. ‘I’ll just get my coat.’
    ‘No need. I’ll get it for you.’ Mr Daniels ducked into the hallway and returned with Brendan’s leather coat. In one motion, he thrust it into Brendan’s hands and
gently pushed him towards Ivy. ‘You kids go have fun!’
    Brendan’s head was lowered as he joined Ivy, and he didn’t meet her eyes. They both waited until the front door had closed behind them before they started walking. Instinctively, Ivy
reached out to hold Brendan’s hand . . . but her fingers only found his forearm. Both of his hands were buried in his pockets – completely un-holdable.
    This is officially the most tense I have ever seen him
, she realised, swallowing hard.
There really must be something worth worrying about.
    Trying to look casual, she said, ‘Is there anything you want to . . . talk over?’
    Brendan shot her a dark look. ‘What do you mean?’
    Ivy tried to keep her voice level. ‘It’s just seemed like you have something on your mind lately. If you ever wanted to talk about anything . . . well, you know I’m here for
you, right?’
    Brendan’s lips curved into a smile that looked somewhere between touched and confused. ‘Of course I do,’ he said. ‘You