Joy grabbed Julie's wrist and thrust it into the air. "We'll volunteer!" she chirped. Julie felt her blood run cold as Professor Lupo's gaze fell squarely on the two of them.
"What are you doing?!" Julie hissed under her breath. Joy only grinned at her with a wink.
The host smiled and removed his hat reverently. "My, my. A pair of lovely ladies seem most eager to help out with the show. Come on up, girls. Let's give these brave souls a hand, shall we?" The other half-dozen audience members clapped as Joy rose from her seat, tugging at Julie's arm until her sister followed suit. They heard a whistle from the small crowd as they walked hand in hand up the small stairs at the side of the stage.
"This isn't funny," Julie snapped quietly at her sister. "You want to be on stage with this creep and that angry wolf?"
"Oh come on, it's just a trick," Joy said, then leaned in her ear as they walked toward Professor Lupo. "Now we can get up close and see how he does it. Just roll with it and have some fun!" Julie smiled nervously and tried not to look at the caged wolf, which had thankfully calmed down some.
"You're in luck today, folks!" Lupo boasted to the audience. "Not one volunteer, but two, and twins at that! If I didn't know any better I'd say you two had been planted by management." The crowd chuckled politely. "What are your names, if you please?"
Joy took the lead. "Hi! I'm Joy, and this is my sister, Julie." Julie waved meekly to the audience with her free hand, trying not to make eye contact.
"Welcome to the show, Joy. Julie. And thank you for volunteering." He bowed to the girls and then placed his hat back on top of his head. "Now, the trick I have in mind will be a little more difficult to perform with two, but Professor Lupo does not back down from a challenge!" He swung his wand in an exaggerated arc over his head. "Julie and Joy, I see you're still holding hands, and you have the same taste in fashion. Am I right to assume you are very close? Sharing a sisterly bond, and all that?"
Joy smiled sheepishly at Julie before turning to Lupo. "Yeah. We do a lot together. Not that we don't disagree sometimes."
"I'll agree to that," Julie muttered a small form of protest at her sister's boldness. She wasn't joking, but the audience laughed anyway.
Lupo gave her a broad smile. "How charming. Let's see how close this sisterly bond really is, shall we, folks?" He twirled his wand.