'I'm sorry, Olive,' said Annabel. 'I was a beast.'

'Yes, you were,' agreed Olive, her usual surly expression taking over her face. 'And I know your mother made you apologise to me.'

'That's not true. Your father did,' said Annabel.

'Really?' Olive asked doubtfully. 'He actually thought you could do wrong, instead of me?'

'Your friend Bonnie spoke to me at half term,' explained Annabel.

'She's not my friend,' said Olive.

'I told her about how I kept blaming you for things and playing tricks on you,' said Annabel. 'I was rather pleased with it, as well. She looked rather disgusted with me.'

'And she told my father what you told her,' said Olive. 'I'm surprised he believed her. He always believed you over me. Bonnie probably reminded him of you, and that's why he believed her.'

'Me?' asked Annabel. 'Do I really look that babyish, or have such an irritating voice?'

'Don't talk about her like that,' snapped Olive, even though she had thought the same thing. 'She used to remind me of you, though she doesn't anymore. She's far nicer than you ever were.'

'You did very well in the school play.' Annabel changed the subject, actually looking guilty. 'I didn't know you were such a good actress.'

'Really?' asked Olive doubtfully. 'I didn't know. You scowled so fiercely in the audience, as if you hated the show.'

'Well, I hated seeing you perform,' admitted Annabel. 'I didn't like you being the center of attention for a change. But you did perform well. I didn't know you were interested in theatre.'

'I wasn't,' said Olive. 'Actually, I wasn't the first choice for the role. The girl who was supposed to perform got ill, and I had to take her place.'

Annabel laughed. 'They must've had to drag you to the stage.'

'They did,' said Olive. 'But I ended up enjoying myself. I liked the idea of you seeing me be in the spotlight, and feeling jealous of me. I guess you gave me the motivation.'

'I was jealous,' admitted Annabel. 'Your father was watching you with the expression he usually reserves for me.'

'He shouldn't. He's my father,' reminded Olive.

'Yes, I suppose you were right to be jealous,' said Annabel. 'It must've seemed like I was stealing your father.'

Olive scowled. 'He was always talking about how pretty and charming and pleasant you were, and how plain and dull I am. Of course he liked you more than me. I must be drab in comparison.'

'Oh, well... you are,' admitted Annabel, surveying Olive up and down. 'You aren't any beauty. But perhaps with a bit of a makeover, you can be almost as pretty as me.'

Olive stared at her in disbelief. 'You never let me touch your makeup or clothes. In fact, when you accidentally damaged them, you blamed me for it.'

Annabel looked embarrassed. 'Well, you didn't exactly make things easy either. I tried to be nice to you, but you always snapped at me and pushed me away. I didn't know why you disliked me so much. That's why I started playing tricks.'

It was Olive's turn to look embarrassed. 'Yes, I was a beast myself. I was jealous of you. My father kept going on about how beautiful and nice you were, and how I should be more like you. I didn't want anything to do with you.'

'How unkind of him,' said Annabel. 'He shouldn't like me more than you, simply because he's your father, though I wouldn't blame anyone else if they did. I am a more pleasant character.'

Olive expected herself to flare up, but instead felt a smile cross her face, somewhat amused by her stepsister's vain words. 'You may be more pretty, but I am far more intelligent, and that's more important.'

Annabel stared at her, shocked by her stepsister's teasing words. 'You're right, actually. My mother sometimes told me I should do better in school, like you. I wanted to ask you for help, but I was playing tricks then, and you wouldn't want anything to do with me.'

'I was glad when I was shipped off to boarding school,' admitted Olive. 'My first boarding school, I mean. Then I wouldn't have to deal with you. It was the one good thing about being sent there.'

Annabel blushed, but then looked indignant. 'Well, I felt the same way about you,' she retorted. 'I'm surprised my mother didn't send me to boarding school as well. I'm doing dreadfully in my studies right now. She says I spend too much time on my appearance.'

'And on blaming me for everything,' added Olive.

'Yes, that too,' admitted Annabel.

'You've never been good at maths, isn't that right?' said Olive. 'Well, that's my strongest subject. Maybe I could help you.'

'Oh, Olive, really?' asked Annabel, surprised.

'As long as you stop playing tricks on me,' Olive told her stepsister.

'Oh, I would've stopped anyway,' said Annabel. 'My mother and your father won't let me get away with it now. You don't have to blackmail me.'

Olive winced at the word "blackmail". Annabel said, 'Oh, Olive, that dreadful mistress was blackmailing you, wasn't she?'

'She said she'd tell everyone what a beast I was at my old boarding school if I didn't do what she said,' said Olive. 'It made the other girls hate me. Well, they did already. I wasn't the most friendly.'

'How horrid of her!' exclaimed Annabel. 'How could she use what you did before to torture you?'

'You did the same thing,' reminded Olive. Annabel winced. 'When I got expelled, you wouldn't stop bringing it up to gloat. How not even the school could stand me.'

'Oh, Olive, I was a beast,' said Annabel. 'I hope you can forgive me.'

'So was I, I suppose,' said Olive. 'I shouldn't have pushed you away when you tried to be friendly. And I wasn't very nice to the girls at Malory Towers, even before I stared doing Miss Tallant's dirty work for her. They reminded me of you. Some of them, anyway. That's why I was so beastly to them. But I was wrong. They're far kinder than you.'

Annabel winced. 'Olive, can I ask you something?'

'What?'

'When you got expelled from your old school... it was for pushing a girl in the swimming pool,' said Annabel. 'Did you do it on purpose?'

Olive looked at her in surprise. 'I'm surprised you asked,' she said coolly. 'Don't you know that I did it on purpose? You were too happy to believe I did.'

Annabel winced. 'But did you?'

'No,' said Olive. 'It was a complete accident. Even I wouldn't do that. But, due to my track record, of course everyone believed I did it.'

'Poor Olive,' said Annabel. 'I do feel dreadfully guilty now. I wish we could be sisters, but I think it's too late.'

'I wanted a sister,' admitted Olive. 'I loved my father, but I could always tell he wasn't too pleased with me. I thought if I had a sister, I'd have a friend who liked me. But my father liked you too much. Always talking about you like you were his real daughter, instead of me.'

'I don't believe it. I wanted a sister too,' said Annabel, surprised. 'But I've been a terrible sister.'

'I wasn't a great one either,' admitted Olive. 'I never gave you a chance.'

'Can you give me one now?' asked Annabel.

Olive stared into her stepsister's big, sincere eyes. 'Maybe I can.'

'I'd like a sister who helped me with my studies,' said Annabel.

'And I'd like one that made me a little more attractive,' said Olive.

'I thought you didn't care about things like that!'

'I don't,' admitted Olive. 'But after hearing my father go on about how dull and unfriendly I look, and seeing how pretty and dainty you are, perhaps I want to be.'

'Well, the first step is to try smiling, and take that sullen scowl off your face,' suggested Annabel.

That made Olive scowl more, before she smiled.

'I think I can do something with your hair," said Annabel. 'It's very pretty - not as much as mine, of course - but it needs a little flair. It's so dull and fine.'

'At least I don't wear it coiled up like I'm about to go to a ball,' retorted Olive.

Annabel tossed her golden curls over her shoulders. 'I can see the envy in your eyes. My hair is much nicer. Do you know how I make it so shiny and thick?'

'By spending hours in front of the mirror each morning,' guessed Olive. 'I wouldn't be surprised if you kissed your reflection.'

'You are a beast!' cried Annabel, though there was less malice in her tone. 'I shan't help you at all. You deserve to have awful hair.'

But Olive saw the glint in her eyes, and smiled genuinely. 'Alright, I'll let you mess with my hair, as long as you don't blame me for breaking your hairbrush.'

Annabel winced. 'Olive, I'm—'

But then she saw the glint in her sister's eyes. 'Maybe I should break your hairbrush. If you even have one. That'd explain the state of your hair.'

Laughing, the two sisters headed to Annabel's room.