"Jess, you're being a real pain, you know that?" Cara said. "Just because your boyfriend is gone for a couple of days doesn't mean you've got a terminal disease. It's not like I throw a fit whenever I don't see Steve."
For months Cara had been dating Jessica's older brother, who was a freshman at the state university. Sometimes they didn't see each other for several weeks at a time.
"Yeah," Amy chimed in. "Lighten up, OK?"
"Maybe I just don't feel like lightening up, Amy." Jessica took a long drink of her soda, keeping her eyes lowered. Everyone seemed to be ganging up on her. No one cared that her boyfriend had been gone for two days and wouldn't be back for another two. There was no sympathy at all.
Lila breathed an audible sigh and jangled the gold bracelets on her arm. "So what are you doing this weekend?" she asked patiently.
"Nothing. I'm staying at home like an old hag."
A snort of laughter escaped from Cara, but she clamped one hand over her mouth. Her brown eyes danced with laughter. "Poor Jess," she crooned.
"You know . . ." Amy said to Lila in a speculative tone. She cast a quick, appraising glance at Jessica. "Before she started going out with A.J., she would've been cooking up some plan to snag some cute guy somewhere. And now look at her."
"Pathetic," Cara said dolefully.
"Pitiful," Amy agreed.
"Ah, the good old days." Lila sighed.
"Oh, give me a break," Jessica snapped. She folded her arms and sent a murderous look around the crowded cafeteria. She was in one of her foulest moods ever, and she didn't appreciate her friends having fun at her expense.
There was silence at the table for a minute. Finally Cara spoke up. "OK, Jess, here's the deal. We're going to the beach after school. Do you want to come, or do you want to go home and mope?"
Jessica shrugged and stared down at her soda. "I don't know."
"Come on," Lila coaxed. "Why don't you do something with us for a change? You're always with A.J. these days."
Nodding firmly, Amy said, "Right. We never see you by yourself anymore."
"Well . . ." Jessica thought she would let them insist a while longer before she agreed. She deserved a little extra attention at the moment.
Cara stood up and leaned across the table so her face was inches away from Jessica's. "Look, if you don't come, we'll do something so incredibly horrible and disgusting and embarrassing to you—"
"In front of everyone," Lila put in.
"And you'll never live it down," Amy finished.
Finally Jessica allowed herself a tiny smile. "Well, OK. I guess so. There's nothing else to do."
"Gee, thanks," Amy replied sarcastically. "That really makes us feel special."
Jessica rolled her eyes. "All right, all right. I really, really want to go to the beach with you guys after school. More than anything else in the whole universe. Nothing could keep me away."
"That's what I thought." Cara grinned at her and sat down again. "So we'll meet after school and hit the beach."
The worn oriental rug that Lila used as a beach blanket was littered with magazines, tanning oil bottles, and candy wrappers. Lila was busy painting Amy's toenails, and Jessica sat and stared at the ocean while Cara read a quiz from Cosmopolitan out loud.
"Question three: Your man buys a new suit that you think should be burned and the ashes scattered. Do you: a) tell him he looks great; b) offer to help him shop for clothes the next time he goes; or c) scream and put a paper bag over your head?"
Lila shrieked with laughter.
"Yeow! Lila, you just slopped nail polish all over my foot!" Amy wailed.
"Sorry," Lila said in an unconvincing way. She dabbed at the peachy smear with a cotton swab. "So what's your answer, Jess?"
"I don't feel like taking some stupid test, OK? They're for dorks. Besides, school is supposed to be over," Jessica replied testily.
"Well, sorry," Cara answered. She peeled the foil off a stick of gum and popped it into her mouth. "Question four," she read, snapping the magazine for attention. "Your man has family obligations that take him out of town for several days. Do you: a) tell him you understand; b) offer to go with him; or c)—"
"Scream and put a paper bag over your head," Amy broke in, giggling.
Jessica made a disgusted noise and stood up. "I'm going swimming," she announced.
When no one said anything, she marched down to the breaking surf and let the water whirl around her ankles for a moment. Out farther, at least a dozen surfers were riding the waves.
Her friends' laughter drifted to her, and Jessica felt a surge of loneliness and betrayal. They were acting as if nothing were different, she thought. They weren't making the least effort to cheer her up, and they were all going to Ken Matthews's party later and didn't even care if she went or not.
I could disappear off the face of the earth, and they'd never know the difference.
Feeling completely rejected, she dove into an oncoming wave and swam a few quick strokes out. She cut through another wave and felt her hair dragging out behind her.
They'd really be sorry if I drowned, she added silently. Then they'd wish they'd been nicer to me when they had the chance.
When she was far enough out to tread water, Jessica turned and looked at the beach, letting the swells bob her up and down. Her three friends were still doing what they always did at the beach—talking, sunning, checking out the guys. They weren't even looking her way to see if the undertow was carrying her off to Hawaii. She could be drowning for all they knew.
Cara looked up and saw her watching them and lifted one hand to wave. With a sigh, Jessica swam back in to shore.
"We're going to the Dairi Burger," Cara told her. "Are you coming?"
Jessica wrapped her big red beach towel around her and huddled on one corner of the rug. "No. I don't feel like it." She shivered, staring at her sand-covered toes and waiting for her friends to cajole her into going. But they didn't even try.
"OK," Lila said breezily. "If you don't, you don't. But we're going anyway."
As Jessica watched in offended silence, Lila, Cara, and Amy began packing up their beach gear. Lila rolled the rug toward Jessica. "Excuse me."
Jessica scooted off into the sand. She couldn't believe her friends would leave without her. Of course, they had come in two cars, hers and Lila's, so she wasn't really being abandoned. But she felt as though she had just been dumped out with the trash.
Finally they were ready. Cara slung her straw bag over one shoulder and smiled warmly.
Now she'll ask, Jessica told herself, relieved.
"See you later, Jess," Cara said. "Are you going to Ken's party tonight?"
Jessica gritted her teeth and turned to face the water again. "No."
"Good thing," Lila observed with a grimace. "The mood you're in, you'd spoil any party on earth."
Jessica gave her friend an evil look. "Thanks a lot, Lila."
"Don't mention it. Catch you later."
Amy gave a brief wave as they started off. "Bye, Jess."
When her friends had gone, Jessica sat slumped in the sand, feeling neglected and forgotten.
I'll just stay here by myself. A lot they care. I'll stay here till I'm so depressed I can't even drive home. I'll just sit here all night.
While a parade of dreary, disconsolate thoughts went through her mind, Jessica stared blankly at the Pacific. She was half aware of the setting sun, the emptying beach, and one lone surfer riding out the waves. The darkening sky seemed to match her mood. She was almost beginning to enjoy feeling like the most pitiful person in the world.
By the time her hair had completely dried, the light was fading. Jessica stirred herself, suddenly realizing she had been staring at the surfer for at least half an hour. Her rumbling stomach told her it was time to go home, so she started gathering her things.
As she stood up to shake the sand out of her towel, the surfer waded up onto the beach, his board under his arm.
"You're not leaving,
are you?" he called out.
She looked at the boy, startled, as he came up to her. Up close he was cute, with dark curly hair and piercing green eyes. A flush of pleasure crept up her cheeks. "Excuse me?"
"I like having an audience," he went on. The look he gave her was warm with admiration. He dug the end of his surfboard into the sand. "So what's a gorgeous girl like you doing alone on the beach?"
Jessica felt a smile turn up the corners of her mouth. She always liked flattery. "Maybe I just came to check out the quality of the surfing," she said, giving the boy a challenging look.
The slow, seductive smile that spread across his face completely charmed her. "So what's the verdict? Do I pass?"
"Mmm. I guess. B-minus," Jessica said archly. She turned away to pick up her beach bag.
"What do I have to do to get an A?"
With her back to him, Jessica allowed herself a smile of pure enjoyment. Almost more than anything else, she loved flirting with boys. Especially good-looking, charming boys with surfboards.
"I'll have to think about it," she replied in a thoughtful tone.
He sat down on the sand, looking as though he were prepared to sit there for hours to talk to her. ''Maybe if I took you to dinner you'd have a better idea," he suggested easily.
Jessica raised her eyebrows in astonishment. "Boy, you don't waste any time," she said.
He shrugged. "Why waste time? I knew ten minutes ago I wanted to ask you out. So why pretend?"
Fascinated, Jessica sat down and gave him a long, measuring look. As a cure for feeling neglected, what he was offering couldn't be beat. Having someone so obviously attracted to her was exhilarating after her lonely, self-pitying two days.
"Why pretend?" she echoed. "I guess you've got a point there."
He smiled again, and his vivid green eyes seemed to see right inside her. "I know I do. What's your name?"
"Jessica."
"I'm Christopher," he said, extending one hand. When she took it, his clasp was warm and electric. "So will you have dinner with me, Jessica?"
She lowered her gaze to their hands. Christopher wasn't letting go until she said yes, she realized. She liked that. And really, she told herself, there was no reason not to say yes. She definitely deserved a little fun. It was better than staying home and watching TV.
She raised her eyes to meet his gaze. "Sure," she whispered, looking deep into his mesmerizing eyes. She noticed how sea water trickled down his muscular arms and how the last rays of the sun glinted off the droplets on his chest. No doubt about it, Christopher was attractive. "Just say where, and I'll meet you there in an hour."
Three
Jessica ran up the stairs to her room taking the steps two at a time, slammed the door, and threw her beach bag into a corner. As she stripped off her shorts and her bathing suit, she heard her sister in the bathroom that connected their rooms. She hesitated a moment, not really wanting to run into Elizabeth. The fewer questions asked about her Friday night plans, the better.
When she heard the bathroom door to Elizabeth's room shut, Jessica dashed in to turn on the shower. But while she was rinsing the salt from her hair, Elizabeth came back in again.
"Hi, Jess. I just need to get my watch."
"No problem," Jessica shouted over the noise of the shower.
She waited for her twin to leave without starting up a conversation. Even though she knew having dinner with a new friend was perfectly innocent, Jessica didn't want to get into a discussion about it with Elizabeth. Her sister would no doubt bring up ethical issues and problems, like whether this dinner was an actual date and if Jessica was planning to let A.J. know about it.
Of course the answer to that was definitely no. Without a doubt, A.J. would take it all wrong, and as far as Jessica was concerned, there was no point in telling him. There wasn't anything to hide, but why bring it up and risk hurting anyone's feelings. Especially after it was over. As sensitive as A.J. was, he was bound to misconstrue the entire situation.
The door shut again behind Elizabeth. For a moment Jessica stood still, letting the water beat down on her. A picture of A.J. entered her mind, and she felt a nagging twinge of uneasiness. But then his face was replaced by Christopher's, and a wave of nervous anticipation swept over her.
I'm not doing anything wrong, she told herself firmly. There's no reason not to go have dinner with a guy. It doesn't mean anything. And I'm just excited about it because . . . because I like going out to dinner at nice restaurants.
Jessica chewed on her lower lip, trying to justify what she was doing. Her conscience wasn't completely satisfied. But her natural optimism quickly buoyed her, and she decided there was nothing to get worked up over.
She finished washing her hair and stepped out of the shower. It wasn't until she was dressed and concentrating on her makeup that Elizabeth came back in.
"Sorry to barge in on you again," Elizabeth said. "I keep forgetting stuff. Are you going out?" she asked, noticing Jessica in front of the mirror.
Jessica paused with her mascara brush halfway to her face. Her mind raced. "I met someone on the beach," she said in a casual tone. She brought the mascara brush up and did her lashes carefully. "We're just getting a bite to eat together. Nothing special."
"Oh, yeah? What's her name? Does she live in Sweet Valley?"
"Chris," Jessica said evenly. It was just like Elizabeth to assume it was a girl, Jessica reflected. So far so good. She hadn't even lied.
"I think Chris lives up in Pacific Shores," Jessica added. Pacific Shores was just up the coast a few miles, and was the first place that popped into her head. She hadn't asked where Christopher lived, and he hadn't mentioned it.
Elizabeth smiled and reached for a headband. As she slipped it on, she met Jessica's glance in the mirror. "I'm glad you're going out instead of moping around here," she said warmly. "Why don't you bring Chris to Ken's party if she wants to come?"
"Maybe. We'll see. Oh, and I have to take the Fiat." Jessica finished her lashes with one last, careful stroke, then turned to her sister with a wide, innocent smile. "Anyway, gotta go. See you later."
Minutes later she was in the convertible, driving up the coastal highway. It had been her suggestion to meet outside Sweet Valley—she didn't want to risk bumping into anyone she knew—but Christopher was the one who had picked the restaurant just north of town. With the radio playing and the tangy sea breeze rustling her hair, Jessica felt her spirits soar. She was going to have fun even without A.J. Lots of fun.
She was smiling with excitement when she finally pulled into the long curving drive of the Casa Sur. Behind her on the horizon there was still a thin line of orange below the huge dark blue sky. When she reached the top of the steep bluff, a parking attendant hurried out to meet her in front of the restaurant.
"I was afraid you wouldn't come." Christopher stepped out of the shadows by the door and walked toward her, a half-smile on his face.
Jessica felt her heart leap and was glad it was dark enough to make it hard to see. She didn't want him to realize how excited she was. "What made you think I might not show?" she asked nonchalantly, turning toward the door.
"I don't know. But I was hoping I was wrong."
"Well, you were. I'm here." Jessica stopped and looked at him. Now that they were inside, in the light, she could see his face clearly. He was just as cute as he had been on the beach, if not cuter. He was dressed casually in a white button-down shirt, open at the throat, faded jeans, and loafers.
"Let's see if they have any tables outside," he suggested, his eyes lingering on her. "I'm getting hungry."
For some reason his words sent a shiver up Jessica's spine. Everything he said sounded seductive and thrilling. Without speaking, she nodded and followed him inside. Soon they were seated at a table on the deck, surrounded by flaming citronella torches. Their eyes caught and reflected the jumping torchlight. A magical glow seemed to envelop them.
"I want to know everything about you," Christopher began,
once they had ordered dinner. His eyes gleamed in the shifting light as he leaned forward on his elbows. "Everything."
Jessica tipped her head to one side and took a sip of her water. A secretive smile curled her lips. "There isn't that much to tell you. I live in Sweet Valley, and I like the beach."
"I already knew that," Christopher said, grinning. "I want to know what makes you unique. Because I know you're one of a kind."
Thinking of Elizabeth, Jessica almost giggled. It was fun to meet someone who didn't already know she was half of a duo. And there was no reason he had to know she had an identical twin, anyway. She liked him thinking she was absolutely unique.
"OK—here's the Jessica Wakefield life story," she said in a teasing voice. She clasped her hands together like a child reciting a poem. "All-American family—one mother, one father, one brother, one sister, one dog. I'm a junior, I'm co-captain of the cheerleading squad, and I play tennis. I like to dance, go to movies, and eat. That about covers it, I'd say."
Christopher sat back, folded his arms, and regarded her thoughtfully. Then he grinned. "That's it, huh?"
Briefly the thought of A.J. flitted into her mind. One important detail she had left off her list was "one boyfriend." But since she would probably never see Christopher again, she didn't see any reason to tell him about A.J. It would just put an awkward barrier between them, and she wanted to enjoy the evening.
With a clear conscience she returned his smile. "That's it. Now, how about you? I told my sister you were from Pacific Shores, but I just made that up. So where do you live?"
"Oh, what difference does that make?" Christopher said with a laugh. "You know I bet you could do anything you wanted to," he continued after a pause. He gazed at her appreciatively. "I bet there isn't much you don't know how to do."
Jessica felt a ripple of excitement run through her. It was getting harder all the time to convince herself she was just having a simple insignificant dinner with Christopher—that it wasn't a date. The way he was looking at her meant he didn't think it was insignificant. And the undercurrent of secrecy that Jessica felt only made it all the more thrilling and intriguing. So far, the evening was like a fantasy.
Two-Boy Weekend (Sweet Valley High Book 54) Page 2
