Double Love

by Francine Pascal

  Yes, Elizabeth told herself, they’re perfect for each other. I wish them the very best. I really do, she insisted as she folded her head in her arms and sobbed.

  “Elizabeth! What is it?”

  She hadn’t heard Mr. Collins walk in, yet there he was, looking at her with concern, while tears slid down her face.

  As usual, he knew what to do. Without another word he held out a crisp white handkerchief.

  Elizabeth dabbed at her face, pulling herself together. She smiled weakly at the Oracle’s good-looking adviser, and thanked him for his handkerchief. “If you don’t need it back right away, I’ll launder it for you tonight,” she offered.

  Mr. Collins smiled. “I think I can manage without it,” he answered. Then he asked gently, “Need to talk?”

  She did need to talk to someone, and there weren’t many people she trusted and respected more than Mr. Collins. She told him about her feelings for Todd and how he seemed to be interested in Jessica. “I’m so down.”

  “I know how you must feel.” Roger Collins sighed sympathetically, pushing back a stray lock of his strawberry-blond hair. “But I’ve always found hard work to be the best painkiller. Come on, let us see your column. It’ll take your mind off other things.”

  Elizabeth handed him her “Eyes and Ears” column.

  “OK, here’s this week’s scoop,” she said. But before Mr. Collins had a chance to look at it, John Pfeifer, the sports editor of The Oracle, came in all worked up.

  “Hey, Mr. Collins,” he said, “I’m the biggest idiot in the world. I’ve got the sports pages all laid out, and I can’t find the picture of Todd Wilkins.”

  At the mention of his name, Elizabeth grabbed her things and dashed from the office. She didn’t run far enough, though, because all of a sudden there he was in the flesh in the corridor. And with Jessica!

  “No, really, Todd,” Jessica was saying, “don’t laugh. It’s not funny. Really. I really am one of the most unpopular girls in school. Everyone else has a date for the dance. Really, everyone. Every single girl I know. Everyone but me.”

  Elizabeth made an about-face and walked quickly the other way.

  But Todd had seen her. “Hey, Liz. What’s your rush?”

  She didn’t answer. She kept moving. She had to get away.

  “My sister.” Jessica sighed and took Todd’s arm. “Always in a hurry. Always rushing off to meet some guy.”

  “Where’s she off to today?” asked Todd. “I was going up to the Oracle office to apologize in person. Hey, Jess, you explained about the other day, didn’t you?”

  “Oh, Todd, Liz is always ten steps ahead of me. I never know if she hears a word I’m saying. I wonder who the lucky guy is today—probably her date for the frat dance.”

  “For the what?” said Todd.

  “The frat dance—you know, the one your fraternity is holding with my sorority. Are you going?”

  “Gee, I don’t know,” Todd said. “Are you?”

  “That’s what I was telling you. Don’t you remember? You thought it was so funny that Jessica Wakefield is really a poor, lonely, miserable thing.”

  “Yeah, now I remember,” Todd said. “But—are you sure Liz has a date for the dance?”

  If it had been anyone else, Jessica would have blown up by now. But Todd Wilkins was so cute. She controlled herself and tried again.

  “Todd, I told you. I can’t keep up with her, so—it looks like you and I are in the same boat. The only ones.”

  “Hmm,” Todd said, really getting her message for the first time. “So, you don’t have a date, and I don’t have a date.…”

  “Yes? And?” Jessica smiled coaxingly.

  But suddenly Todd looked over his shoulder as though he were searching for someone down the hall. “Uh, Jess, listen, don’t worry about the dance. I’m sure a million guys are dying to ask you. Don’t get uptight about it. I’m not. There’s still plenty of time. Anyway, I’ve got to go. See you around.”

  Todd was gone before Jessica could recover. I don’t believe that guy! she screamed to herself. If she had been home, she probably would have kicked a pillow across the room, maybe even cursed a little. But here in school she couldn’t exactly make a scene.

  Jessica felt a tiny twinge of panic. Why was Todd ignoring her? Had something happened to the Wakefield magic? Impossible! she told herself. She was still the most fantastic girl in school.

  So why didn’t Todd know it? Tears of angry frustration filled her eyes. She decided she would walk home from school. Whenever she was out walking, she never failed to attract a good deal of attention from passing cars.

  The more the better, she thought, swinging her hips a little as she set off.

  Five

  “Pardon me, Heaven—which way to Mars?”

  “What?” Jessica stared in astonishment at the boy leaning out the open window of the jacked-up Camaro.

  She recognized him as Rick Andover, the most outrageous guy at Sweet Valley High—until he dropped out six months ago. Jessica found it hard to believe he was only seventeen. He looked older than most guys their age. He had the ice-cool handsomeness of a junior Clint Eastwood, and a hint of danger lurked in his sultry dark eyes. One elbow was hooked casually over the door. Jessica stared in fascination at the eagle emblem tattooed against the densely packed muscles of his forearm. Her stomach executed a slow somersault. She’d never been this close to Rick before.

  “What are you staring at?” she finally asked, unnerved by the way his arrogant gaze raked over her.

  One corner of his mouth turned up in a slow, sexy smile. “You,” he answered. “I’m driving you home. That is, unless your mommy warned you never to take rides with strangers.”

  Jessica’s eyes narrowed. Mr. Big-Shot Andover didn’t know who he was talking to.

  “I do as I please,” she said, hesitating only a split second before she jumped into his car.

  “I’m in for a lot of trouble.” Rick grinned at her as they squealed away from the curb, shooting ahead of an elderly Pontiac, which had to slam on its brakes to keep from running into them.

  “Why is that?” Jessica asked, a thrill that was half fear, half excitement racing up her backbone.

  She’d heard a number of stories about Rick and the fast-lane life he led. He ran around with an older crowd and always had a lot of money in his pocket, even though it didn’t look as if he had a job. He spent most of his time either working on his Camaro or cruising around in it—usually with a gorgeous girl at his side. Jessica squirmed with pleasure at having been selected as Rick’s companion for that afternoon.

  “Because my mother told me never to ride with strange young girls, that’s why,” said Rick. “How do I know you won’t try to take advantage of my innocence?”

  Jessica giggled. She found Rick’s sense of humor wickedly fascinating—like everything else about him.

  “Don’t worry,” she replied, arching an eyebrow. “I’m fighting off the urge to attack you.”

  He shot her a look full of unmistakable meaning. “Just as long as you don’t fight too hard. I’m not used to taking no for an answer.”

  Neither was Jessica, for that matter. At that moment she was reminded of Todd’s indifference, which triggered a spurt of angry rebellion in her. She didn’t resist as Rick’s arm snaked around the back of the seat, his fingers squeezing her shoulder. She wished Todd could see her now. Maybe he would even be jealous.

  “I’ll pick you up at eight,” Rick told her as they were cruising down Calico Drive, doing fifty in a thirty-five zone.

  “What?”

  He grinned. “Tomorrow, at eight. We’ve got a date, Heaven.”

  “But you never even asked me,” she complained.

  “I told you—I’m used to getting, not asking. Are you saying no?” he challenged, as if the thought were unheard of.

  “No.” She frowned slightly, biting her lip. “It’s just that I’m not sure my parents—”

  “Mommy and Daddy woul
dn’t like the idea of their Little Red Riding Hood going out with the Big Bad Wolf?” he supplied, sneering. “What do you want?”

  He was looking at her in a way that made her skin tingle. His heavy-lidded eyes held a hypnotic hint of the excitement to come if she decided to go out with him. Jessica found it irresistible.

  “Did you say eight?”

  “Yeah.” He gave her shoulder a harder squeeze. “Don’t be late. We’ve got some serious boogeying to do. And, hey, forget about the folks, they don’t even have to know you’re out with me.”

  “Where should I meet you?” she asked.

  “Right here,” he answered, jerking to a noisy stop just around the corner from her house. “This is where you live, isn’t it?”

  She stared at him. “H-how did you know?”

  “You’re Jessica Wakefield, right? I make it a habit to know where all the foxiest chicks in Sweet Valley live.”

  Jessica felt herself grow warm all over. It was good to know she wasn’t invisible to every boy in town! Maybe Rick wasn’t Todd, but he wasn’t exactly a clown like Winston Egbert, either. In fact, Rick Andover might just turn out to be fun.…

  Before she could get out of the car, Rick pulled her close, giving her a light, teasing kiss on the mouth that promised more than it delivered. He smelled sexy, but in a strange way—like leather and gasoline.

  “Where are we going tomorrow?” she asked as she was climbing out.

  He winked suggestively. “That’s for me to know and you to find out.” He gunned the engine, drowning any protests she might have had. “Catch you later, Heaven.”

  The Camaro shot away from the curb, swerved in front of a bus, and ducked back into traffic just in time to miss a red Fiat coming up Calico Drive. Jessica shuddered. It was her mother!

  The Fiat pulled over, and Alice Wakefield waved at Jessica.

  “Jessica, hi! Come on, I’ll give you a lift.”

  Jessica climbed in, her pulse still racing from her encounter with Rick.

  “Did you see the boy driving that silver Camaro?” her mother fumed. “He almost ran into me!”

  “Uh, no, I didn’t see,” Jessica stammered.

  “It was that wild Rick Andover, I’m sure of it,” she said.

  Jessica bit her lip and said nothing.

  “That kid is headed straight for trouble!” Mrs. Wakefield pronounced with unusual vehemence, her expression darkening.

  Jessica was surprised to see her mother so uptight. She was usually pretty calm about things! Come to think of it, she’d been uncharacteristically tense for the past week or so. Could it have something to do with the fact that both she and Dad had been working so hard lately—and spending so little time with each other? But Dad had Marianna West to keep him company during those late nights at the office. Marianna West was beautiful, divorced, and, most of all, available.

  Jessica’s thoughts whirled in panicked confusion. Poor Mom! Did she suspect as well?

  * * *

  “You look pretty dressed up for someone who’s just going over to the library to do some studying,” remarked Elizabeth as she observed her sister’s elaborate preparations in front of the mirror. Come to think of it, Jessica had seemed strangely secretive throughout dinner, Elizabeth thought, as if she had something up her sleeve.

  Jessica finished applying her lipstick, then stood back to examine herself in the mirror. Finally she turned to Elizabeth and gave her a sly smile, her aquamarine eyes sparkling with mischief.

  “The truth is, I’m not going to the library,” she confessed in a low voice. “But if you tell Mom, I’ll boil you in oil.”

  “Where are you going, Jess?”

  “I have a date.” Jessica went back to admiring her reflection. “Do you think the red blouse would look better with this skirt, or my new yellow T-shirt?”

  “Jess, stop changing the subject!” Elizabeth practically screamed at her. “Who are you going out with?”

  Borrowing Rick’s phrase, she answered coyly, “That’s for me to know and you to find out.”

  Elizabeth frowned. She had a sick suspicion who Jessica was going out with, but it didn’t make sense. Why should she have to sneak to go out on a date with Todd? Knowing her sister, it was just one of the many detours Jessica took off the straight and narrow in order to spice up her life. She stared at Jessica, who was bubbling over with excitement, and her heart sank.

  She was certain Jessica was going out with Todd.

  Six

  “You’re late,” Rick said, gunning the engine impatiently as Jessica climbed in beside him. His dark eyes flickered over her. “But I can see it was worth the wait.”

  Jessica was glad she’d taken the trouble to curl her hair and put on her sexiest red blouse. She had even borrowed her sister’s brand-new black sandal heels to go with her black silk-jersey skirt. She felt very grown-up, wedged beside Rick, with his arm clamped about her shoulders.

  “Sorry, Rick,” she breathed. “I had trouble getting away.”

  “Forget it. The night is young, and we’ve just begun, Heaven.”

  He pressed her even closer, turning his face briefly to nuzzle her hair. She caught the faint smell of cigarettes and liquor on his breath.

  “Where are we going?” Jessica asked as Rick’s Camaro shot over the winding valley road leading to the coast highway. Before he could say anything, she answered her own question: “I know—that’s for you to know and me to find out, right?”

  “Right. Hey, you’re a fast learner. I can’t wait to see what else you’re good at.”

  Jessica shivered a little at his compliment. He talked the way he drove—fast and dangerously. For an instant she wondered if she would be able to keep him at bay, but she quickly dismissed the worry. She had yet to come up against a situation she couldn’t handle.

  Even so, nothing could squelch the nervous fluttering in her stomach as Rick’s car spun to a stop in a shower of gravel in front of a seedy-looking beachfront roadhouse. A red, blinking neon sign advertised that it was Kelly’s. Loud music spilled from the open doorway, punctuated by harsh bursts of laughter.

  None of Jessica’s friends had ever been inside Kelly’s. It had the most notorious reputation of any bar in the whole valley. A mixture of alarm and excitement raced through Jessica’s body. Boy, would she have something to talk about tomorrow!

  Rick must have noticed how nervous she looked, for he squeezed her shoulders in rough reassurance. “Take it easy, Heaven. You’ve just graduated into the real world. Think you can handle it?”

  “Are you kidding?” she tossed back. “I can handle anything.”

  Once inside, she wasn’t so sure. Kelly’s was definitely out of her league. So was Rick Andover, she was beginning to think.

  “That’s my girl,” he murmured against her ear, sliding his arm about her waist in a proprietary way as they passed through the bar area, heading for one of the dimly lit booths in back.

  Jessica had never been so acutely aware of both her age and her appearance before. Several of the men stared at her, and one let forth a low wolf whistle. Her face was burning from anger and embarrassment, and her eyes watered from the cigarette smoke that wreathed the cramped room. As they slid into the cracked vinyl booth, she leaned over to tell Rick how uncomfortable she felt, but her words were drowned in a sudden burst of twangy country-western music from the jukebox.

  Rick ordered a couple of boilermakers, something Jessica had never heard of before. She was relieved to see that it was only beer, until the waitress placed two shot glasses of whiskey beside their foaming mugs. She didn’t even look at Jessica, much less ask for her I.D., despite the sign hanging over the bar: MINORS WILL NOT BE SERVED UNDER PENALTY OF LAW. With a growing sense of unease, Jessica sipped her beer while Rick tipped back his glass of whiskey as though it were water.

  He laughed huskily. “Not exactly prom time, huh?” His hand found her knee under the table and gave it a squeeze.

  Jessica winced but forced a smile an
yway. “It’s … it’s fun,” she agreed, lying through her gritted teeth.

  “So are you.” Rick’s hand moved up an inch or two on her leg. “I knew the minute I laid eyes on you that you wouldn’t let me down, little Jessica.”

  Jessica shifted her position, trying to maneuver herself out of his reach, but Rick only squeezed tighter. She giggled nervously in an attempt to cover up her unease.

  “And I should have known you were the kind of guy who couldn’t keep his hands to himself,” she scolded lightly.

  Rick’s eyes narrowed. “All tease and no tickle, huh? Didn’t your mommy tell you not to put anything in the window that you don’t sell in the store?” His fingers groped higher, and she noticed he was beginning to slur his words. “Well, I’ve seen the merchandise, baby, and I’m sold.”

  This time there was no pretense in the way Jessica pulled away from Rick. Suddenly he didn’t seem so fascinating anymore. Just dangerous. His eyes looked flat and black, like a snake’s. His breath, as he leaned over to kiss her, reeked of alcohol.

  “Rick, don’t—” Jessica turned her head so that his lips found only her cheek, leaving a wet imprint, like the rings of moisture left on the table by their glasses.

  “Whatsa matter?” he drawled. “You wanna go somewhere quieter? Listen, I know a place down the—”

  “No!” Jessica cried in true alarm. “Rick, take me home. I—I told my parents I’d be back in an hour. I really can’t stay.”

  He shrugged. “So call and tell ’em you’ll be late. ‘Less you’re afraid of turning into a pumpkin.” Rick laughed loudly at his own joke.

  “Rick, please.” She wasn’t in the habit of begging, but she was getting desperate. A few more drinks and Rick would be in no condition to drive her home. Then she’d really be stuck.

  “Forget it, baby.” He gulped the last of his beer and finished off her untouched shot of whiskey. “I came here for a good time, and I’m not leaving.”

  “What about me?” she wailed, suddenly close to tears. “What am I supposed to do?”