Amy's True Love (Sweet Valley High Book 75)

by Francine Pascal

  AMY'S TRUE LOVE

  Written by

  Kate William

  Created by

  FRANCINE PASCAL

  Copyright © 2015, Francine Pascal

  The next ten minutes were filled with talk of the weekend. Once or twice Amy tried to make a comment, but no one really seemed to notice. What's going on here? she wondered. Usually, Amy was the center of attention. Now, nobody even noticed she was alive.

  It would be different if I had a boyfriend, she thought fiercely, sneaking an envious glance at Elizabeth and Todd. It's obvious I can't rely on my friends. Elizabeth and Todd were so happy together. Todd seemed to anticipate everything Elizabeth needed.

  That was what Amy wanted. Someone to cuddle up with at football games, someone to take long walks with on the beach. No more flirting and chasing and pursuing and getting herself in weird situations. She wanted something steady, something serious. Someone who would love her for who she was.

  Amy turned away. Just wait, she vowed. They won't treat me this way once I've gotten things off the ground with Tom McKay!

  CONTENTS

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  One

  "I don't understand it," Jessica Wakefield declared, picking up a "Mystery Sandwich" and dropping it on her tray. "Why do school lunches have to look like something from The Twilight Zone?"

  Her twin sister Elizabeth laughed and reached for a carton of yogurt and an apple. "I thought you were on a liquid diet this week," she said, pushing her tray up to the cash register and taking out her wallet.

  Jessica tossed back her silken blond hair. "I changed my mind. I decided it isn't healthy. Although," she added with a grimace, studying her sandwich, "who knows whether this is any better?"

  Elizabeth picked up her tray and surveyed the crowded cafeteria. Lunchtime at Sweet Valley High was always lively and today was no exception. "We may have to eat standing up," Elizabeth said ruefully.

  Jessica's eyes flicked expertly over the crowded tables. "It's all Amy Sutton's fault," she grumbled. "She was supposed to meet me twenty minutes ago, and she never showed up. If I hadn't had to wait for her, I could've gotten any seat I wanted."

  "I take it that means you weren't planning on eating lunch with your twin sister after all," Elizabeth said dryly. "I just happened to be the only available second choice!"

  "Oh, you know what I mean," Jessica said evasively. "But seriously, Liz, Amy's really flaking out lately," she continued as the girls steered their way to two empty seats. Jessica set her tray down. Her pretty face was flushed with irritation. "She's been really unreliable. And she's always late to everything. She's so inconsiderate!"

  Elizabeth hid a smile. Look who was complaining about someone being late! Elizabeth had spent far too many hours of her sixteen years waiting for her twin, who never wore a watch and ran on what Elizabeth jokingly called JST—Jessica Standard Time.

  "Maybe Amy got delayed by something important," Elizabeth said as she opened her carton of yogurt.

  Jessica rolled her eyes. "Yeah. She's probably hitting on some guy. And that's another thing. You know how boy-crazy Amy is, right? Well, even I have to admit that lately she's beginning to go a bit overboard. All she talks about anymore is guys. She's dying for a boyfriend, and every guy she sees becomes a likely target!" Jessica shook her head. "I mean, I still really like Amy, but she's driving me crazy."

  Elizabeth looked thoughtfully at her sister. For once it sounded as if she and Jessica were on the same wavelength. More often than not, the twins' thoughts were as divergent as east and west, belying their mirror-perfect resemblance to each other. Sometimes Elizabeth joked to Todd Wilkins, her long-time steady boyfriend, that they really were like mirror images—identical in one way and opposite in another!

  People who did not know the twins well often got them confused. Their older brother Steven, who was a freshman at the nearby state university, called his sisters the "clones." Both girls were a slender size six. Both had long blond hair, eyes the blue-green of the Pacific Ocean, and each showed a tiny dimple in her left cheek when she smiled. The girls even wore matching lavaliere necklaces, presents from their parents on their sixteenth birthday.

  But that was where their similarities ended. Elizabeth was hard-working, loyal, and responsible. She devoted a lot of her free time to writing for The Oracle, the school newspaper. And when she wanted to relax and have fun, she would spend time with her steady boyfriend, Todd Wilkins, or her best friend, Enid Rollins.

  Jessica loved excitement and change and being in the thick of things. She threw herself into every new relationship and situation with characteristic energy and abandon. Jessica just could not understand how her sister could sit and read a novel when there was so much else to do. She herself would much rather practice some cheers or hang out with her large group of friends than read or spend time with only one boy.

  Amy Sutton was one of Jessica's closest friends. Ironically, Amy had been one of Elizabeth's best friends ever since Sweet Valley Elementary School. But when Amy's family had moved away, the girls' friendship had naturally lapsed. Then, earlier in their junior year, Amy's family had moved back to Sweet Valley so Mrs. Sutton could take a job as a sportscaster on a local television station. Elizabeth was thrilled at the news. But the new Amy Sutton was nothing like the sixth-grader Elizabeth had known. The new Amy liked clothes, makeup, and boys! While Elizabeth had found the new Amy not at all her type, Jessica had taken up with her immediately. It amused Elizabeth now to hear Jessica claim Amy was suddenly boy-crazy.

  "She can't be any more boy-crazy than she's been all year," Elizabeth objected.

  "Oh, but she is," Jessica said vehemently. "Listen to this. She and I were at the Beach Disco on Saturday night, and there was this incredibly cute guy there, Dan somebody. I never got to find out his last name, because Amy was all over him. You should have heard her!" Jessica pursed her lips in imitation of her friend. " 'Dan! Why, that's my favorite name!' Ugh!" She shuddered at the memory.

  Elizabeth took a spoonful of yogurt. "Uh-oh. Sounds like somebody's stepping on your turf, Jess."

  Jessica ignored her sister's comment. "She's totally out of control. Standing me up for lunch is really too much." She shrugged. "Well, I guess that's why they say blood is thicker than water, Liz. When your friends abandon you, you can still count on your sister to have lunch with you."

  "Thanks, Jess," Elizabeth said, rolling her eyes. "You really know how to flatter me."

  "Look! There's Cara and Lila and Jean," Jessica said, getting up so fast she knocked over her milk carton. "Sorry, Liz, I've got to go talk to them." Her aquamarine eyes twinkled as she focused on Jean West. "I've been hearing rumors all morning long that Jeanie and Tom McKay are splitting up. You don't mind if I find out the truth for myself, do you?"

  "Go ahead," Elizabeth reassured her twin. "I've got to meet Todd soon anyway. He's waiting for me in the library." She pulled her hair back with one hand. "I can't believe Jean and Tom are splitting up. They seemed like a terrific couple."

  "Well, that's what Sandra Bacon told me. And she should know. She and Jean are like this," Jessica said, holding two of her fingers up close together.

  Elizabeth watched her twin sister bound off toward her friends. A glance at her watch told her that her lunch with Jessica had been even sho
rter than she had expected. Well, she had gotten ten minutes of Jessica's time with no interruptions! That was something of a record.

  Jean West was surrounded by sympathetic friends. Cara Walker sat on her left, Lila Fowler on her right, and Sandra Bacon across from her, next to Jessica.

  Jean was a member of the cheerleading squad along with Cara, Sandra, and Jessica. She was a striking girl, petite and quiet, with long dark hair and beautiful green eyes. But her eyes were filled with pain as she confided to her closest friends what had happened with Tom McKay.

  "It's over, you guys. Really over," she said mournfully. "I've known for a while the end was coming. We reached the point where we just couldn't kid ourselves anymore."

  "But I don't understand. I thought you two were the perfect couple," Cara said sadly.

  Jean shook her head. "I thought so, too," she admitted. "I keep thinking about how it all started as a dare, and then turned into something really special. Now it's all over."

  Jessica remembered when Jean had asked Tom out as part of her pledge for Pi Beta Alpha. After all, as president of the elite sorority, she had been involved in the whole incident. But it quickly became obvious that Jean really liked Tom and it seemed that Tom liked her as well.

  Jean put her elbows on the table and rested her head in her hands. "I don't know what happened. We used to spend all our free time together. But then Tom started spending more time playing tennis." Jean was almost oblivious to her friends who were hanging on her every word. "It's not that I was jealous of the time he spent practicing," she continued. "It was just that even when we were together, it was as if we were buddies, not boyfriend and girlfriend."

  Lila shook her head. As the only daughter of one of the wealthiest men in the entire state, Lila often presumed she knew the best way to do everything. "Sounds like the romance fizzled, Jean. Maybe you two just need, you know, a little more quality time." She looked at Jean knowingly. "A little more time up at Miller's Point, for instance."

  Jean blushed. Miller's Point was a popular parking spot overlooking the valley. "Let's put it this way, Lila. That side of things, well, you're right. The romance did fizzle. But I don't think an hour at Miller's Point is going to change anything. It's over, and I think the sooner I accept that, the better." Her green eyes were filled with sadness. "I love Tom, as a friend. And that's all we can be for now."

  The whole table was quiet as the girls looked sympathetically at Jean. "Poor thing," Sandra whispered, putting her hand over her friend's.

  "If there's anything any of us can do . . ." Car a added softly.

  "Seriously, Jean. We're your friends and we're here to help you," Lila said grandly.

  Jean wiped a tear from her eye. "The worst thing was that Tom was so relieved when I suggested breaking up! I half thought, half hoped, he'd say no. But he looked . . ." Jean's voice faltered a little, "so grateful. . . ." She choked back tears. "He was as upset as I was that our relationship wasn't working out. He said it had been bothering him, but that he had been too scared to bring it up himself."

  Sandra squeezed Jean's hand. "Don't hold back. Go ahead and cry," she urged.

  Jean pulled her hand away and wiped savagely at her eyes. "No, I'm fine." She took a deep breath. "Hey, move over a little, Li. Here comes Amy."

  Jessica turned. Sure enough, Amy was bouncing along, tray in hand, looking totally unconcerned. She had obviously completely forgotten her lunch date with Jessica.

  "Jean West," Amy said, setting her tray down on the table without a word of greeting for anyone else. "I am in a complete state of shock! I just ran into Maria Santelli, and she told me that you and Tom are history!"

  Lila gave Amy a warning look, which Amy did not heed.

  "I couldn't believe my ears!" Amy pulled up a chair and opened her carton of chocolate milk. "And she also said you were the one who did the breaking up. Are you out of your mind? Don't you realize Tom McKay's one of the cutest guys in the whole school!"

  Jean opened her mouth, shook her head, but could not say a word.

  "Amy, take it easy," Cara advised.

  "Well, if she's the one who broke up with him, why all the sad faces? This looks like a funeral party!" Amy cried, popping a french fry into her mouth.

  Cara cleared her throat. "Maybe we should change the subject," she said meaningfully. "Did I tell you guys what happened to me this morning in Spanish class? I—"

  Amy worked her way through the french fries with furious speed. Her gray eyes fixed thoughtfully on Jean. "I don't want to be tacky or anything, Jean," she interrupted, "but the truth is, I've always had a little bit of a crush on Tom. In fact, I've had my eye on him for weeks now. Now that you've broken up with him, you wouldn't mind if I tried to get to know him a little better, would you?"

  Jean turned pale. "I've got to go now," Jean said suddenly. She pushed back her chair and got to her feet.

  "I'll come with you," Sandra said quickly.

  "Wow!" Amy grabbed a few more fries as Jean fled and Sandra hurried after her. "Welcome to soap-opera city! She sure seems to be taking it hard. Why did she break up with him if she still cares so much?"

  Jessica couldn't control herself any longer. "Amy, can't you show even an ounce of compassion? Jean is incredibly sad about breaking up with Tom. Just because she's the one who ended it, doesn't mean she isn't still in love with him!"

  "It doesn't?" Amy asked, setting down her fries. "Why? What's their problem?"

  "I don't know. It isn't any of my business," Jessica answered. "It's between Jean and Tom. But I think as Jean's friends we owe her a little kindness, Amy. How can you just announce you want to date Tom before she's even gotten used to being without him?"

  Amy looked stung. "Sor-ry. I guess you can't consider the fact that I misjudged the situation a little? After all, it's easy to see how I could've gotten the wrong impression."

  "You're always misjudging," Jessica said angrily. Suddenly she remembered how upset she had been at the Beach Disco Saturday night. And she had just waited twenty minutes for Amy for lunch. Jessica did not like being treated so carelessly, and her own pique helped her leap to Jean's defense. "If you weren't thinking so much about yourself all the time, maybe you'd see how other people are feeling!"

  Amy looked pale, and the table fell quiet again. None of the girls were used to serious disagreements, and the silence soon became awkward.

  "Listen, I'm going to see how Jean's doing," Cara said. She picked up her lunch tray and hurried away.

  Jessica's mouth was set in a firm line. She was really irritated with Amy Sutton, and she wanted her friend to know it. Her callous behavior to Jean was the last straw! The cheerleaders owed one another a certain amount of loyalty and concern. Maybe it would not have been so bad for Amy to express interest in Tom in a few weeks. But to say something now, when Jean was so obviously suffering, was incredibly inconsiderate.

  In fact, Jessica was annoyed enough to find Lila later that afternoon to talk over Amy's behavior.

  "Yeah, I guess announcing her interest in Tom wasn't the most sensitive thing she could have done," Lila admitted. "But then Amy never has been Miss Tact."

  Jessica grimaced. "Amy's been acting really self-centered lately. Don't you think there's something we could do to make her calm down a little?"

  "Well, we could pay a little less attention to her," Lila suggested. "Maybe all she needs is a bit of the cold-shoulder treatment."

  "Maybe," Jessica said judiciously.

  It certainly seemed worth a try.

  Two

  Monday afternoon in sociology class, Amy stared at the essay on her desk. This was a disaster. She had expected a B, a C at the worst. Not a failing grade! With dismay she read Ms. Jacobi's comments written on the bottom of the page.

  "Amy—I've been concerned about your writing all semester, and this paper fully justifies my concern. The essay is poorly organized and shows very little thought. I'd like you to arrange a conference with me as soon as possible."

&
nbsp; Amy bit her lip and tears sprung to her eyes. She had been pulling a B – in sociology, not exactly a stellar grade, but OK. But this failing grade was going to devastate her average. And a terrible average was not going to thrill her parents, that was for sure.

  After class, Amy waited till most of the students had left before approaching Ms. Jacobi's desk. Ms. Jacobi was generally well liked by the students. She looked up at Amy with a welcoming expression.

  "You and I need to go over this paper in depth," Ms. Jacobi told her.

  Amy nodded. She wasn't looking forward to that one little bit.

  "But I will say a few things now. The biggest problem with this paper is that you seem to be writing on a topic you know nothing about," Ms. Jacobi continued. "You chose to write about social work. Tell me something. Have you ever done any social work?"

  "Me?" Amy was astonished.

  Ms. Jacobi laughed. "I thought not. Amy, I have an idea. There's a well-established clinic right here in Sweet Valley that has asked local schools to seek out student volunteers. The clinic needs people two days a week for a few hours after school to answer the hotlines, sit in on some group counseling, and work a little with troubled children. I think very highly of this clinic, and I have a feeling you might enjoy working there. I'd be willing to make a deal with you. Instead of rewriting this paper from book research, how would you like to sign up as a volunteer for the next few weeks, and then write about your experience? The clinic will train you, of course."

  Amy blinked. "Uh . . ." She wasn't sure what to say. Two afternoons a week! The work might conflict with cheerleading. Not to mention shopping and going to the beach. On the other hand, she always had been a little curious about social work. She had seen a fantastic made-for-TV movie once about a social worker and had wondered how someone could be that devoted to, and serious about, helping other people. But she had never thought about it again until now.

  It had not occurred to Amy that she should have written about something she had some experience in, or that if she chose to write about something new to her, she should have done some serious reading. But if Ms. Jacobi was willing to let her trade rewriting her paper from library research for a few afternoons a week at the clinic, why not take advantage of the offer? It sounded like an easy way to raise her grade. "OK," she said with a shrug and a smile.