“Good. Now tell me what this is all about.”
“It’s about Liz, what else? Haven’t you noticed a difference in her, Mr. Collins?”
Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, the teacher admitted, “Well, her attitude toward The Oracle is certainly different.”
“See!” She knew she had come to the right person.
“But unfortunately, Jessica, I don’t have any solutions. Elizabeth has changed, and not for the better, but she doesn’t seem to realize it.”
Jessica felt as if her last hope had vanished.
“What can we do?” she wailed.
“Right now, I don’t know. But at least I’m aware of the problem, and I’ll be keeping a close watch on Elizabeth. I know you will be, too. Jessica, be patient. You’re Elizabeth’s best chance.”
* * *
Jessica was mulling over her conversation with Mr. Collins when she spotted a long-faced Todd Wilkins sitting on the front steps of the Wakefield house. That could only mean more bad news about Elizabeth.
“What’s up, Todd?” she asked, dropping down next to him on the steps.
“Nothing good, Jess. I thought I’d try and talk to Liz, but she’s not home, so I decided to hang around and wait.” He heaved a big sigh. “Maybe the world will come to an end and put me out of my misery.”
Jessica rolled her eyes skyward. “And they say I exaggerate! Don’t look so down, Todd. Everything’s going to work out. It has to,” she said, in an effort to cheer him up.
“How, Jess?” he asked in despair.
“We’ve got to keep cool. I just came from talking to Mr. Collins, and—”
“You went to see Mr. Collins?”
“Yes. Why the look of surprise?”
“It just seems so ironic, that’s all. I know Liz has gone to him lots of times for advice. He must have been absolutely stunned to find you coming to him.”
“Stunned? What do you mean by that, Todd?”
“Well, I mean, he’s used to talking to his star reporter, not a…” Todd’s voice trailed off as he saw the anger on Jessica’s face.
“You’re implying that a mere cheerleader isn’t capable of an intelligent conversation! You’re picking on me, and I don’t need it, Todd! Everyone is on my case these days. You know, just about none of the girls at school will talk to me without complaining about Liz trying to steal their guys.”
She saw Todd wince at that and put her hand on his arm. “I’m sorry, Todd. I shouldn’t have said that.”
“Why not? It’s the truth.” He stood, running his fingers through his brown hair in frustration. “I’m probably the only guy in Sweet Valley who leaves Elizabeth cold.”
“I’m no better off than you are, Todd. Do you know how many guys come up to me asking me to put in a good word for them with Liz? It’s disgusting. They treat me like a buddy—me, Jessica Wakefield, a buddy!” Her outrage mingled with Todd’s despair as they both paced on the front steps.
“Did you talk to Mr. Collins about Liz and me?” Todd asked.
“No, I didn’t,” Jessica confessed guiltily. “I guess I was too busy talking about Liz and me.”
“It doesn’t matter. He may be a wonderful teacher, Jess, but I don’t see how he can help.”
“I don’t know. But he said—”
The end of Jessica’s sentence was drowned out by the roar of an approaching motorcycle.
Jessica and Todd turned and saw a bike with two riders coming at them fast. They stood there amazed as Elizabeth zoomed up the Wakefields’ driveway and screeched to a halt. She whipped off her helmet, allowing her long blond hair to fall in graceful waves around her face.
“How did I do, Max?” Elizabeth asked as she turned to grin at her passenger, Max Dellon, lead guitarist of Sweet Valley High’s favorite rock band, The Droids.
“You are definitely something else, Liz. Like wild, you know? You are the fastest girl biker I’ve ever seen! Hey, Jess, how about this sister of yours?”
Usually Jessica liked Max. He was a good guitarist and was the perfect image of a rock musician. But at that moment she was furious.
“Girl biker? Elizabeth Wakefield, I’m going to tell Mom and Dad, and they’ll send you away to a convent for the rest of your life!” Jessica raged.
“Liz, I’ve got to talk to you,” Todd insisted, taking hold of her arm.
Elizabeth jerked her arm free and stood looking at her sister and Todd.
“You two are not being a whole lot of fun.”
Jessica opened her mouth to protest, but her twin had already turned away.
“Don’t disappear, Max. I’ll be right out,” Elizabeth said.
Stunned and shaking, Jessica and Todd watched her dash into the house.
Ten
Panic was written all over Jessica’s beautiful face as she turned to Todd.
“Todd, you’ve got to stop her!” Jessica whispered. “You can’t let her go out with Max.”
“How am I supposed to stop her?” he whispered back. “Besides, Max is a nice person—a little off the wall sometimes, but basically a good guy. Unlike some of your sister’s recent dates.”
“I don’t mean just Max. I mean you can’t let her go out with anybody,” Jessica insisted.
“Jess, I don’t want her going out with other guys, you know that. But I don’t own her. I can’t tell her who to see.” Pain and frustration seemed to be the only emotions left in the world for Todd. It was clear to everyone, including him, that Elizabeth Wakefield was through with him. Then why do I keep hanging in there? he asked himself a dozen times a day. The answer was always the same—because he loved her. He loved the real Elizabeth, and somehow he had to help her become that person again.
“Todd. Todd, listen to me!” Todd suddenly realized Jessica was pulling on his arm.
“Jess, there’s nothing—”
The front door flew open, and Elizabeth, who had changed from jeans to shorts, dashed past Jessica and Todd toward the driveway.
“Elizabeth Wakefield, what do you think you’re doing?” Jessica yelled as Elizabeth got on the back of Max’s motorcycle. “You know what Mom and Dad said.”
“Max and I are just going to the beach for a couple of hours, Jess. Don’t get all worked up, for heaven’s sake. I’ll be back before Mom and Dad get home. ’Bye!”
With a loud vroom, the motorcycle screeched away and went zipping toward the freeway that led to the beach.
“Don’t just stand there, Todd, go after them!” Jessica cried frantically.
“I don’t have the right, Jess.”
“I don’t care about your rights, Todd Wilkins. All I’m concerned with is my head! Mom and Dad have grounded Liz indefinitely because of that term paper. I’m supposed to make sure she doesn’t go out of the house after school. If they find out she’s on a motorcycle, she’ll be in more trouble, and I’ll probably be grounded, too!” Jessica was on the verge of hysteria. Being a responsible person was getting the best of her.
“I’ll do what I can,” Todd said, running to his Datsun, which was parked in front of the house. He leaped in and tore away from the curb, heading for the freeway. Ten minutes later he caught up with Elizabeth and Max at a red light. Pulling in front of the motorcycle, Todd strode over to them.
“OK, end of the line,” he declared, grabbing Elizabeth’s wrist.
“Hey!” she said, trying to jerk free of his grasp.
“Get off that bike!” Todd commanded sternly.
“Let me alone, Todd Wilkins!”
“Hey, Wilkins, ease off,” Max said, glancing around.
“Shut up, Max,” Todd snapped.
Without further conversation, he forcibly lifted Elizabeth off the motorcycle, carried her over his shoulder to the Datsun, and put her inside, fastening the seat belt securely around her.
“Who do you think you are, pulling a stunt like this?” Elizabeth demanded, furiously.
“Somebody who cares,” he said, sliding into the driver’s seat.
&nb
sp; Todd drove along slowly, trying to look at her as she poured out a torrent of complaints.
“Stop this car right now and let me out! You are kidnapping me! How dare you keep interfering in my life! Haven’t I made it absolutely clear that I don’t want to be with you?”
Todd drove on. “You’ve made it clear, all right. I’m just trying to keep you from breaking your neck! I’ve learned not to ride motorcycles anymore, but it doesn’t seem like you have. Why, Liz?”
“It’s fun, that’s why! Besides, Max Dellon is a safe driver,” Elizabeth taunted.
Todd flinched at the words but kept driving. They reached the beach, not the swimming area but the dunes farther south. He parked on a bluff overlooking the ocean and turned off the engine.
“Elizabeth,” he said, “what’s happening?”
“I wish you and everyone else would stop asking me that question. Nothing has happened to me,” she argued. “I am me, Elizabeth Wakefield, and you’d better take me home right now or—or I’ll call the police and tell them you’ve kidnapped me,” she threatened.
“I’ll take you home in a few minutes. All I want to do is talk to you, Liz,” Todd pleaded.
“Well, I don’t want to talk to you.” She slumped down in the seat, a pout marring her lovely features.
“OK. I’ll talk, you listen.”
Todd sighed, trying to figure out what to say to the girl sitting next to him. He had always known what to say to Elizabeth in the past, but not now. He glanced at her set profile and knew she wasn’t going to make this easy for him.
“Liz, I just don’t understand what’s going on,” he began.
She turned her face away so he couldn’t even see her profile.
“It’s not like you to get behind in your schoolwork—or to cheat on a term paper! Jess told me you were grounded, yet you went out anyway. Don’t you care what your parents or any of your old friends think?”
Elizabeth maintained a hostile silence.
Her reaction was unnerving him, but Todd continued. “And that was a dirty trick you played on Susan Stewart and Ken Matthews with the phony item in your column.”
Still she didn’t answer. Todd had just about run out of arguments.
“How about what you’re doing to your sister? Jess cares about you, Liz. She doesn’t deserve the kind of treatment you’re handing out.”
This time Todd had struck a nerve. Elizabeth snapped her head around to face him with a triumphant smile. “That’s it! That’s what this is all about. You’re worried about Jess, aren’t you? And here I thought you didn’t even like her. Well, that’s fine with me. You two would make a lovely couple. Both of you are born worriers,” she said. “Take me home now.”
Muttering under his breath, Todd started the car and drove back to Sweet Valley. At the Wakefield house, Elizabeth got out of the car and hurried up the brick walk just as an anxious Jessica opened the door.
“Oh, Liz, I’m so glad you’re home!”
“I’m tired, Jess. I’m going up to my room to sleep.” Elizabeth walked into the house, seemingly unaware of the concerned look on her sister’s face.
“Don’t worry about Mom and Dad, Lizzie,” Jessica called after her. “I won’t tell them a thing, I promise.” Then she turned back to Todd. “Thanks.”
“Yeah.”
“Did you have any luck talking to her?” she asked hopefully, although she already knew the answer. His expression was even glummer than before.
“Sure I had luck,” he said. “All of it bad. I talked, she didn’t listen. I just don’t know what else to do, Jess.”
They stood there lost in thought, each trying to think of a way to help Elizabeth.
“I’ve got it,” Jessica said brightly. “We’ll talk to Mr. Collins again!”
“Do you think it’ll do any good?”
“Or maybe we could find that gorgeous hunk of a psychology professor who spoke at assembly last week.”
“Are you interested in advice or the gorgeous hunk?”
“With the way my life is going these days, if I got someone like him interested in me, Liz would just come along, smile, bat her eyelashes at him, and take him away from me.”
Todd looked at her in amazement. She jabbed him lightly in the ribs with her elbow. “That’s called laughing through the pain, Todd. I think it’s what you and I are supposed to do at a time like this.”
Todd grinned at this suddenly down-to-earth Jessica. “You know, Jess, you surprise me. Maybe you and I could become—”
“If you dare ask me to be your buddy, Todd Wilkins, I’ll slug you, I really will!”
* * *
Later that night, Alice and Ned Wakefield were in the kitchen planning the next day’s activities. Jessica had gone to bed early with a headache.
“There’s just no way I can change my morning appointment, Ned. Can you rearrange your schedule?”
“Can’t do it, Alice,” he said, shaking his head. “I have to be in Claremont by nine for that hearing in district court. That means leaving here no later than seven.”
“Well, someone has to drive Jean and Joan to that audition. Liz is grounded, so I guess it’s up to Jessica. What do you think?”
“There have been some big changes in Jessica lately,” Ned Wakefield said proudly. “I’m sure she can handle it.”
Eleven
“Jessica, it’s time. Can you hear me, Jessica?”
Jessica gave no sign of understanding the small, tentative voice.
“Jessica, your mother said we should wake you.”
In some distant corner of her mind, Jessica was aware of voices disturbing her sleep. She burrowed her head further under the pillow, hoping the voices would stop.
Jean and Joan Percy stood there looking down at the inert body on the bed.
“What should we do?” Jean whispered.
“Maybe we should shake her a little,” Joan suggested.
The girls stared at each other, wide-eyed. They had been in the Wakefield house long enough to know they should steer clear of Jessica when she first woke up.
Jessica, realizing that the source of the voices was still present, mumbled something unintelligible. Jean and Joan moved quickly away from the bed. If the sleeping monster was going to waken, they did not want to be within arm’s reach.
Almost as if she could feel two intense, dark gazes boring into her, Jessica stirred. She opened one eye, saw the twins, and quickly shut it. “It has to be a nightmare. I have to be dreaming,” Jessica muttered. “If they’re still there when I open my eye again, I’ll kill them,” she vowed.
“Jessica, your mother says it’s time to get up, honest,” Jean said.
“She’s right,” Joan said.
“You are both lying!” Jessica wasn’t muttering any longer. She was wide awake, sitting up and glaring at the girls. “My mother loves me. There is no way she would want me to get up in the middle of the night!”
“It’s seven o’clock, and if we don’t hurry, we’ll be late.”
“There is absolutely nothing in the world you can be late for at this unreal hour,” Jessica snapped. “Even the queen of England didn’t have to get up this early for her own coronation.”
She sat on her bed cross-legged, trying to rub the sleep out of her eyes.
“Your mother said you would drive us to the flute auditions,” Jean said quietly.
“What?”
“We have to be there at eight-thirty, and the school is kind of far away. Please, Jessica,” Joan implored, overcoming her fright. Fear took second place when playing the flute was involved.
“Well, that’s just too bad, because I’m not doing it,” Jessica said flatly. “I have my day all planned, and it definitely does not include driving you two to some dumb audition.”
When the twins remained standing and staring at her, Jessica gave up the thought of going back to sleep.
“Don’t look at me like that. I told you I have plans. Danny Stauffer invited me to go to the beach
this afternoon. I think he’s finally forgiven me for that disastrous time at the drive-in. You remember that night, don’t you? Now you expect me to blow another date with him to take you someplace? No way!”
“Your mother said—”
“My mother is going to change her mind,” Jessica interrupted. She got up and started for the door. “I’ll talk to her right now.”
Before she could get out of the room, Joan blurted, “Your mother left a few minutes ago. She had to drive your father someplace. She left this note for you.”
Jessica took the paper from her. She read it and knew her day was going to be ruined:
Dear Jess,
You were asleep last night when your father and I realized we both had appointments this morning. Joan and Jean have their auditions this morning, too. Could you please take them? Your dad and I really appreciate it.
Love you,
Mom
“This is her idea of love?” Jessica said, not expecting an answer from the Percy sisters.
Jessica heaved a disgusted sigh. She had no choice but to do what her mother asked her.
“OK, OK. Where is this place and how long does one of these stupid things take?” she snarled.
When the twins told her where the auditions were being held and that each one took only about five or ten minutes, Jessica’s spirits soared. She could do her chauffeuring routine and have plenty of time to meet Danny at the beach, she thought. It should be easy—if she didn’t pay too much attention to speed limits.
* * *
“That’s the place, Jessica! See the sign?” Jean shouted. “Look at all those cars.”
Jessica looked at the crowded grammar school parking lot and groaned. It had taken almost an hour to get there because of the heavy Saturday traffic. No one she knew ever got on the freeway so early in the morning.
“Look, you two, I’ll let you out in front. You go in and do your thing, then come on out to the lot. I’ll be looking for you.” She checked the time on the dashboard clock, wishing for once in her life that she had a wristwatch. Time had never seemed so important before. “It should take twenty, maybe thirty minutes, right?”
Four very frightened brown eyes looked at her.
“What is the matter?” she asked impatiently.
Dear Sister Page 7
