Two-Boy Weekend (Sweet Valley High Book 54)

by Francine Pascal

  TWO-BOY WEEKEND

  Written by

  Kate William

  Created by

  FRANCINE PASCAL

  Copyright © 2015, Francine Pascal

  TWO-BOY WEEKEND

  "Jessica, please don't hang up on me." Christopher's voice was strained and pleading.

  She swallowed, near tears. "Why don't you leave me alone?"

  "Because I love you, Jessica. Don't you realize that? Your boyfriend can't love you the way I do. And if he knows about us . . ."

  An alarm went off in Jessica's head. "What do you mean, if he knows? I haven't told him, and I'm not going to. Now just leave me alone!"

  Christopher laughed. It was a disturbing, menacing sound.

  "You wouldn't—" Jessica choked.

  She heard the dial tone. He had hung up on her.

  "This is crazy," Jessica whispered.

  In her head, the word "crazy" seemed to echo. What if Christopher was insane?

  Suddenly Jessica was afraid. She slammed the receiver down, then stared at the phone in horror.

  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

  One

  "That was such an amazing tennis match. I'll never be that good." Jessica Wakefield sighed and propped her right elbow up on the open window of the Fiat Spider she and her twin sister, Elizabeth, shared.

  Elizabeth, in the driver's seat, concentrated on the morning traffic as they headed for Sweet Valley High. Jessica shot her sister a look. "That's your cue, Liz."

  "Huh?" Smiling mischievously, Elizabeth turned innocent blue-green eyes on Jessica. "Oh. Was I supposed to say, 'What are you talking about, Jess? You're a great tennis player'?"

  Jessica smirked. "Something like that."

  "Sorry," Elizabeth replied with a giggle. "What are you talking about, Jess? You're a great tennis player."

  "Gee, thanks."

  Elizabeth giggled again and added, "You are a good player, but you have to admit, you're not exactly in Kristin Thompson's league."

  With a casual shrug, Jessica crossed her long legs in front of her and shifted in the convertible's bucket seat. "I could be, you know."

  "Right, Jess," Elizabeth said knowingly. "Sure."

  She couldn't resist smiling at her twin. Jessica always had enough confidence for two, Elizabeth reflected. And seeing their classmate Kristin win another regional junior tennis championship over the weekend had spurred her enthusiasm for tennis all over again.

  But except for cheerleading—she was co-captain of the squad—Jessica's enthusiasms were usually very brief. She flitted from one hobby to another, one new favorite occupation to the next, with breathtaking speed and nonchalance. That was her style. It used to be her style with boys, too, until lately. At one time Jessica had prided herself on dating a different boy every week, but some weeks earlier she had truly fallen in love for the first time. Since then, she and A. J. Morgan had been spending most of their free time together. In that respect, Jessica had been acting a lot more like her twin.

  Elizabeth, four minutes older than impetuous Jessica, was always steady and thoughtful, mature and responsible. She prided herself on having one steady boyfriend. Reading, playing the recorder, and writing were some of her favorite pastimes, although she was also very active in school activities and could always be counted on to organize or head a committee. She spent long hours working on The Oracle, the school newspaper. She also liked having heartfelt talks with her best friend, Enid Rollins, or her boyfriend, Jeffrey French. All things considered, her personality and Jessica's were completely different.

  On the outside, however, the two sisters were like carbon copies. Silky blond hair, blue-green eyes, perfect size-six figures, and classic American good looks made the Wakefield twins prime examples of the California girl. Each girl even had a dimple in her left cheek. If they were dressed alike, it took a sharp eye to notice that Elizabeth always wore a wristwatch and Jessica never did. For some people it was the only way to tell them apart!

  "Well, anyway, I've got so much other stuff to do, I can't be great at everything," Jessica concluded cheerfully. She shot Elizabeth a sunny smile. "There's only so much of me to go around."

  Elizabeth's eyes twinkled with amusement. "You're right, Jess—there's so much of you."

  Jessica wrinkled her nose and poked her twin in the ribs. "Haven't heard any complaints lately," she went on, obviously referring to her boyfriend. She switched the subject as her thoughts turned to A.J. "I sure hope A.J. wins that essay contest. He's supposed to find out today."

  "Keep your fingers crossed," Elizabeth said. "He's got some heavy competition." Normally, Elizabeth would have entered an essay contest, but she had been so busy with a Big Sister program that she and Enid had started that she had decided not to enter.

  Two weeks earlier, the annual essay competition held by Sweet Valley's Samaritans' Club had been announced. A group of professional men and women, the Samaritans sponsored community events and promoted civic improvements. Every year the club organized the Citizens' Day Ball. During the ball, held at the Sweet Valley Country Club, there was an awards ceremony for all the people who had in some way contributed to the community. The official king or queen of the ball was always the high-school student who won the essay contest.

  "A.J. will win," Jessica announced complacently. "He's such a good writer. I'm sure his essay will be the best."

  "What was it on?" Elizabeth asked as she signaled to turn into the Sweet Valley High drive. "I know they were all supposed to be about Sweet Valley in the year 2000, but that's pretty broad." She looked at her twin. Jessica was looking very sheepish. "You did read it, didn't you?"

  "Well, I was going to . . ."

  Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "You're lucky he puts up with you, you know that?" she teased, turning the car into the parking lot.

  "Luck has nothing to do with it," Jessica replied in a lofty tone. She gave her sister a wink and hopped out of the car. "As Ms. Dalton always says in French, I've got that certain je ne sais quoi."

  Elizabeth opened her door and swung her book bag over her arm. "Right, Jess. See you in chemistry."

  Jessica sent her a serene smile. "Au revoir, Liz."

  By the time Jessica got to her locker, she had already been waylaid by three of her friends, and was relieved to see A.J. still waiting for her, as usual.

  "Hi, there," he drawled in his Georgia accent. He and his family had moved to Sweet Valley from Atlanta recently when his father had been posted to the nearby army base.

  "Hi yourself." Jessica tipped her head back as he bent his head to kiss her hello. "What's up?"

  A.J. tossed his thick red hair out of his eyes. "Nothing much," he began hesitantly. "Actually, remember how I told you my grandparents in Dallas are having their fiftieth anniversary?"

  "Uh-huh." Jessica started to dial her locker combination. "So?"

  "Well, all the relatives got their act together, and we're having a big party for them—on Friday." He looked pained. "And we're going."

  Jessica raised her eyebrows. Having A.J. gone on Friday and Saturday night sounded utterly dismal. "To Dallas?"

  "Yes, ma'am. And we're leaving Wednesday—"

  "Wednesday?" Jessica's voice rose. "What are you doing, walking to Texas?"

  A.J. shifted his books from one hand to the other and shook his head. "
I knew you'd have an attack." He sighed. "My folks figure if we're going, we might as well have a good long visit with the family. So we're leaving late Wednesday afternoon and coming back Sunday night."

  Jessica let out a groan. "I can't believe you're doing this to me! What am I supposed to do all that time? Sit around writing love letters?"

  "That'd be nice," A.J. said with a smile. He pulled her to him and grinned down at her while she pouted. "Come on, Jess. It's just a few days."

  She tried to look severe, even though being in his arms still gave her goose bumps. "I guess I'll just have to miss that party Ken Matthews is having."

  "Why can't you go by yourself?" A.J. asked. "It's not like you have to lock yourself up in your room the whole time I'm gone."

  "Forget it. I can't go to that party without you—it wouldn't look right," Jessica insisted. She ignored the fact that before she'd met A.J. she had never let not having a date stop her from going anywhere. The prospect of spending a weekend without him made the entire week ahead seem like a marathon of depression. The problem with having a steady boyfriend, she reflected sourly, meant everyone expected them as a couple. Going anywhere by herself now seemed like settling for a consolation prize. Already she was beginning to feel neglected and abandoned.

  A.J. was looking at her with an understanding expression in his brown eyes, and Jessica felt herself blush. It was incredible how well he knew her, even after such a short time. He always seemed to know what she was thinking.

  "What are you staring at?" she demanded. She broke away and started rummaging in her locker.

  "Nothing. Look, I'm sorry, Jessica. But it's not like my grandparents are going to have a fiftieth anniversary every year."

  "I know," she grumbled.

  "So don't be mad."

  She sniffed. "I'm not mad."

  "Then don't be whatever you are," he said.

  Jessica whirled around and waved a fist in his face. "Boy, you're really asking for it," she warned. A laugh bubbled up inside her as he caught her again in his arms. It was hard to stay mad at A.J. for long, even though she was still more than a little ticked off about the upcoming weekend. She tossed her sunny gold hair back over her shoulders and gave him a stem look. "You'll just have to make it up to me later," she said, her voice low.

  A.J. chuckled. "It's a deal. Hey," he added casually as he pulled a folded sheet of paper out of his pocket. "I almost forgot."

  "What?" Jessica arched her eyebrows.

  "Well, I stopped in at the office when I got to school, and—" He held out the paper so she could see it.

  Jessica dropped her gaze to the creased sheet of paper and instantly took in the words. "You did it!" she shrieked, throwing her arms around him. "You won the essay contest! I knew you would!"

  Laughing, A.J. untangled her arms from around his neck.

  "You sneak!" Jessica cried, reading the announcement again. "I can't believe you waited so long to tell me. This means you'll be king of the Citizens' Day Ball, you know."

  Jessica knew it also meant that, as his date, she would be the queen. That was something she didn't take casually at all. It had been a long time since she had really felt like the center of attention, and she deserved a night in the spotlight, she thought.

  "Well," she said with a happy smile, "congratulations. I guess that makes up for you going away, huh?"

  A.J. grinned mischievously. "I thought it might."

  After dinner Elizabeth went up to her room to work on an article for The Oracle on the Big Sister program she and Enid Rollins had started. It had turned out to be even more successful than Elizabeth had expected, and she wanted to do a status report for the paper.

  "Liz, have you seen my blue hoop earrings? I can't find them anywhere!" Jessica's voice drifted in through the bathroom that connected their bedrooms.

  Elizabeth put down her pen for a moment and stretched her back. "Look in the bottom of the laundry hamper," she suggested with a grin. Jessica's room was always a disaster zone, and it took a miracle to find anything. "Or inside your sneakers, maybe?"

  "Ha-ha."

  "Just trying to help."

  Jessica appeared in the doorway, looking peeved. "Some help you are," she grumbled. Her face suddenly turned pensive.

  Elizabeth regarded her thoughtfully for a moment. "Is something bugging you?"

  Her twin shrugged. "No." She walked into the room and flopped onto Elizabeth's bed and lay staring up at the ceiling for a minute. "Nothing exciting ever happens to me," she finally announced in a mournful voice.

  There was nothing Elizabeth could say to that, because it was so totally untrue. Jessica created excitement wherever she went. But Elizabeth sensed there was something upsetting her sister, and she waited for Jessica to go on.

  "Liz, do you ever get tired of doing the same old stuff with Jeffrey all the time?"

  Startled, Elizabeth turned around completely in her chair to look at her twin. Something was definitely bothering Jessica. "No, why?"

  "I don't know." Jessica let out a long sigh. "Every day A.J. and I go to the Dairi Burger after school. We talk on the phone every night. It's like we don't have anything to talk about sometimes—'cause I know exactly what he did all day and he knows exactly what I did all day."

  A frown creased Elizabeth's forehead while she listened. "Maybe you need to have more time to yourself," she offered.

  "Maybe. I don't know." Jessica rolled over onto her stomach and balled her fists under her chin. "And now he's going off to Texas," she continued in a voice full of indignation. "For four whole days. Over the weekend."

  "Well, what's your point? First you're complaining because you guys spend too much time together, and now you're complaining because you get some time alone." Elizabeth shook her head. "Make up your mind, Jess."

  Jessica pouted. "There's no way I'm going to Ken's party by myself," she muttered. "It's so unfair."

  Elizabeth fiddled with her pen and glanced at Jessica. To her, it sounded as if Jessica was just feeling sorry for herself and was taking it out on A.J. With her temperamental twin, every little grievance got blown way out of proportion. Jessica was feeling gloomy about spending the weekend without a date, and it was bringing every other petty dissatisfaction out into the open. At times like this, Elizabeth knew, there was no remedy. Jessica would feel sorry for herself for as long as she wanted to, then snap out of it on her own.

  "This is going to be the most boring weekend of my entire life," Jessica mumbled into the bedspread.

  With an exaggerated sigh, Elizabeth pushed herself up from her chair and sat down next to her sister. "Jess, if you don't get up and get out of here, I'm going to tickle you till you beg for mercy."

  Jessica let out a squawk and wriggled off the bed. She sat on the floor, glaring at Elizabeth. "Great. I come in here for a little sisterly advice and sympathy, and what do I get? Threats."

  "Listen, until A.J. leaves, why not just enjoy your time with him," Elizabeth suggested patiently. "Then you'll have a few days to yourself, and when he gets back, you'll really be glad to see him again."

  "Maybe." Heaving another self-pitying sigh, Jessica stood up and plodded back to her room. "Maybe."

  Elizabeth rolled her eyes as she sat back down at her desk. Jessica could be counted on to make a big production out of every little incident life handed her. And she would probably never change.

  By Wednesday afternoon Jessica had sunk even deeper in gloom. She could barely manage a friendly conversation when A.J. drove her home after cheerleading practice.

  "We're leaving in half an hour." A.J. stopped his car in front of her house and stared out through the windshield.

  Jessica nodded.

  "And we'll be back Sunday at one," he reminded her.

  Jessica nodded again but didn't say anything.

  "Look, I wish you wouldn't act so upset about this—"

  "It's not an act," Jessica corrected. She jutted her chin stubbornly. "But don't worry about me. I can find somethi
ng to do."

  A.J. was silent for a moment. Then he sighed and put one arm around her shoulders. "Hey, I wish I weren't going, too. But it's only a few days. I'll miss you."

  "Yeah. Me, too," she agreed, turning and pressing her face against his chest. She could feel his heart beat against her cheek.

  "I'll call you as soon as I get back," he promised.

  "OK."

  "And we'll do something together on Sunday, all right?"

  She nodded. "All right."

  "So—I guess I have to leave now." A.J. pulled away and looked at her with a rueful expression in his eyes. "Bye."

  Jessica wrapped her arms around him and kissed him. "Bye," she echoed in a pitiful voice. She pushed her door open and stood on the sidewalk. "Have a good trip."

  "I will. You have a good weekend."

  She managed a weak smile, but inside, she knew it was going to be the worst, loneliest weekend of her life. As A.J. started the car and drove away, she turned and walked toward the house.

  Four days, she told herself morosely. What am I going to do?

  Two

  At lunchtime on Friday, Jessica flopped into a chair at a cafeteria table where her best friends were sitting, then snapped open a can of diet soda. Lila Fowler, Cara Walker, and Amy Sutton were deep in conversation, and none of them looked up as she joined them.

  Jessica slumped in her seat and glared at them, waiting to be noticed.

  "So then Mr. Rizzo told him he could shape up and shut up or get a detention," Amy continued without pausing. She tucked a lock of her sandy blond hair behind one ear. "And then you know what he said?"

  Cara and Lila leaned closer. "What?"

  Jessica clenched her teeth. "Hi, Jess!" Her voice was bitter and sarcastic. "Nice to see you. Glad you could join us for lunch."

  Her three friends looked at her with surprised expressions. "What's with you?" Lila demanded.

  "Well, excuse me for wishing my friends were friendly to me," Jessica said huffily. "I guess that's just too much to ask."

  Lila, Cara, and Amy exchanged meaningful looks. Since Wednesday they had been listening to Jessica whine and complain and feel sorry for herself, and their patience was wearing thin.