"Oh, hello, Caroline," Jessica answered. "I thought I might like to try on a few things this afternoon."
"Please, help yourself!" Caroline smiled again. "In fact, we just got a whole new batch of cute sweaters that I know you'll like. Follow me. I just stacked them over here," she said helpfully.
Jessica followed Caroline through the crowded store to a tall, neat stack of sweaters. Then Jessica began pulling sweaters out from the bottoms of stacks and tossing the ones she didn't want in messy heaps on the counters. She did the same with the pants, until she had an armful of clothes to try on.
But all Caroline did was follow her and sweetly suggest other things Jessica might like to take into the dressing room.
"You know what, Jessica?" Caroline said. "I don't think you've ever tried on any of our shoes, have you?"
"No, as a matter of fact, I haven't," Jessica responded.
"Let me find you some flats that I think would look great with that plaid skirt you're trying on," Caroline offered. She disappeared for a minute and returned with three shoe boxes.
She handed them to Jessica, who by now was so weighted down with clothes that she could barely carry the shoes.
"Here, let me help you carry some of that," Caroline offered, taking half of the stuff Jessica was holding. "And let me find you an empty changing room."
Jessica looked around to see if the manager was watching. Maybe that was the reason Caroline was acting so strange. But the manager was busy with another customer at the opposite end of the store.
"Here's a changing room, Jess," Caroline said, opening the door and setting the heap of clothes on the small wooden bench inside.
Jessica followed her and added her own load of clothes to the pile.
"Take your time to work through that," Caroline said, smiling sweetly. "In the meantime, I'll go out and look around the store for more cute things in your size. OK?"
"Sure," Jessica replied, returning Caroline's overly sweet smile.
What in the world is she up to? Jessica wondered as she began to try things on. After taking off each item, she tossed it haphazardly onto the floor, making a large pile.
Just when Jessica had taken off a skirt and blouse and was standing there wearing next to nothing, Caroline opened the door to the changing room and began to pick up the clothes scattered everywhere.
"I'll take some things back for you so there's room in here for all the other stuff I've found." Caroline scooped up all the clothes and shoes in big armfuls. Jessica stood and watched.
"I'll be right back," Caroline said, closing the door behind her.
Suddenly something occurred to Jessica, and she looked around the room in panic. There wasn't a single stitch of clothing left anywhere.
"Hey, Caroline!" she called out. "You took my clothes away, too!"
But there was no response. Jessica stood in the empty changing room in her underwear, turning red with anger. Caroline's boss is going to hear about this, she thought. And then Caroline will really be in trouble!
Just then, she heard Caroline's voice ring out from somewhere in the store. "No, I won't put away that huge stack of clothes!" Caroline yelled.
"If you want to keep your job, you will," threatened another voice, which Jessica immediately recognized as that of Caroline's manager.
"As of this paycheck, I've earned all the money I need!" Caroline exclaimed. "So I don't need you or this lousy job for one more second. I've had just about enough of being pushed around by you and your rude customers! I quit!"
"You can't quit because you're fired!" the manager screamed.
Jessica opened the door of the changing room just a crack and saw Caroline marching toward her with her clothes in her arms.
"Hey, Caroline, give me my clothes back!" Jessica hissed.
"Oh, thanks for stopping by, Magenta," Caroline purred and gave Jessica a sly, triumphant smile. "Bye, now," she said with a little wave as she passed by the changing room and walked out into the Sweet Valley Mall, carrying all of Jessica's clothes.
The next day Jessica was sitting with Lila and Amy, eating lunch and trying to hide her face. She was so humiliated! It wasn't even noon yet, and the whole school seemed to know what had happened at the Unique Boutique the day before.
Winston Egbert walked up to Elizabeth, who was at the next table over with Enid.
"Now, Liz," Winston began in a loud voice so that Jessica could hear him, "I know you're the responsible, sensible twin, so please don't let Jessica go shopping by herself ever again!"
"Why do you say that, Winston?" Elizabeth asked, giving her twin a knowing glance.
"Because Jess could end up losing all her clothes again," Winston said, "and she might get arrested for indecent exposure this time."
Enid, Lila, Amy, and Elizabeth erupted into laughter, but Jessica scowled.
"C'mon, Jess," Elizabeth said with a smile. "You've got to admit, Caroline did a pretty good job on you."
"I don't have to admit anything," she said. Crossing her arms, she glared at her twin.
Everybody laughed again, and Jessica felt her face turn red.
"You know, Liz," Jessica said, "I don't know if I can face going to your biology presentation on Saturday. It'll be too humiliating."
"But, Jess—" Elizabeth began to protest.
"You're just looking for an excuse to get out of learning something," Enid broke in.
"Hey, I have some news that might interest you, Jess," Lila said. "There happens to be a big surfing competition on Moon Beach, right before Liz's presentation. I was thinking of going to that anyway. You can just sneak over to the Marine Biology Center for a few minutes."
"A surfing competition?" Jessica answered, suddenly becoming more interested. Think of all the cute guys who will be there. And none of them would have heard anything about her humiliation at the Unique Boutique. This was an opportunity she couldn't pass up.
"Well, maybe I will show up at your presentation, after all," Jessica said. "Even though I'm sure it won't be as interesting as the surfing competition."
"That's perfect," Elizabeth said. "Why don't you all go to the surfing competition, and then when it's over, you can just walk over to the Moon Beach Marine Biology Center."
"If we can find it," Amy said, winking at Lila.
"Hang ten?" Sean cried, looking at Elizabeth in disbelief. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to hang ten? You've got to have perfect board control."
"Don't you think I'm ready yet, Sean?" asked Elizabeth, waxing her board on the beach.
"Well . . ." Sean began, giving the matter some thought. "The fact is, you're already a pretty good surfer. And since this is our last official lesson . . ."
"Great!" Elizabeth cried, picking up her surfboard. "And even if I wipe out, it'll still be fun to try."
"OK, Liz," Sean began, shaking his head. "If you can hang ten on your first try, then I guarantee that you have the talent to win the competition on Saturday."
"I won't be able to do anything until you tell me what to do," Elizabeth said, impatient to get the lesson under way.
"OK, Liz," Sean began, "the hardest part about hanging ten is walking to the tip of the surfboard. You have to do it quickly and keep your weight on the back foot. Then you've got to curl all your toes over the end of the board: that's hanging ten. And, believe me, it's a whole lot harder than it sounds."
A few minutes later, after she was standing and sliding along a wave, Elizabeth took her first steps toward the end of the board. The whole time she kept expecting herself to go plunging into the surf and wipe out . . . but the next thing she knew, she was crouched down at the very front of her surfboard. And then she inched up a little bit more and felt her toes hang off the sides of the board! She rode the wave, hanging ten, for fifteen glorious seconds before the wave broke on top of her and she wiped out.
Elizabeth emerged from the water with a triumphant smile on her face.
Sean was standing in the sand, clapping and cheering, along with
Sammy and Dave, who had gathered around to watch.
"That was awesome!" Dave exclaimed.
Elizabeth smiled. "All the credit goes to my teacher," she said, nodding to Sean.
"No, no," Sean said, literally beaming with pride. "Elizabeth would have been a great surfer even without me."
"With talent like that," Sammy added, "this girl's a cinch to win the competition."
"Or at least she'll give the rest of the girls a run for their money," Dave said.
"Hey, Sean," Sammy said, "looks like your bet is a sure thing. What kind of surfboard are you going to make us buy for you?"
"Another Simmons?" Dave suggested teasingly.
"No, not an original Simmons," Sean said, laughing. "But I have offered Liz the use of my Simmons in the competition."
"Oooh, then she is a special girl," Sammy teased, nudging Sean with his elbow.
"Yeah, you must really like her," Dave added, "if you're going to lend her your prize board.
Abruptly Elizabeth picked up her rental board and headed toward the clubhouse. She didn't like being referred to as Sean's "special girl."
"Hey, Liz," Sean said, running to catch up with her. "You did a great job out there. I can't believe you actually were able to hang ten."
"It was fun," Elizabeth replied quietly.
"I want you to relax and get plenty of rest tomorrow, then I'll meet you here Saturday a half hour before the competition starts—for some last-minute coaching," Sean said.
Elizabeth could hardly believe her big moment was only two days away. Imagine the looks on their faces when I show them I can hang ten! she thought.
"OK, Sean, see you Saturday!" she said cheerfully. "I'll be ready for the waves."
"With that attitude, you'll definitely win!" Sean exclaimed.
Elizabeth crossed her fingers as she walked to her car. I sure hope so.
Eleven
By the time Elizabeth got to the clubhouse on Saturday, the beach was crowded with spectators. Tanned surfers were kneeling in the sand, carefully waxing their boards. There were bleachers set up in the sand, with long, colorful banners flying in the breeze. The day was perfect, with a clear sky and big—but not too big—waves.
Elizabeth was so excited that she could barely stand it. After the compliments she had been given at her last lesson, she was feeling too confident to be nervous. But she was excited that all of her friends would be here to watch her triumph. She imagined the looks on Todd's and Jessica's faces when her name was announced and she came walking out of the clubhouse with the surfboard under her arm.
Today she felt so strong that it would take a tidal wave to knock her off her board!
"Hey, Liz—over here!" Sean cried from the middle of the crowd. He walked toward Elizabeth, carrying his shining surfboard under his arm. "Well," he said, beaming as he handed Elizabeth the board, "here it is, my Simmons original."
"It's even more beautiful than I remembered," Elizabeth said.
"And here's the special wax I use," he said, handing her a small jar. "Now I have to help organize things here, so I'll be pretty busy. When you're out there, just remember everything I've taught you and you'll be fine. You can let the surfboard do the rest. Good luck, Liz!" He gave Elizabeth a little hug and a kiss on the cheek.
Elizabeth hugged him back and then set out to find a spot on the crowded beach to wax the surfboard. As soon as she found a place and was kneeling in the sand, she overheard a voice, one she recognized as Laurie MacNeil's.
"I really hope Sean notices me today," Laurie was saying to a friend. "I don't know why, but I feel like this is my last chance as far as he's concerned."
"I know how much you care about Sean," Laurie's friend replied. "I hope everything works out between you."
"I only hope I'm not fooling myself," Laurie continued, sighing. "Elizabeth Wakefield's a fabulous surfer. I don't think I've got much of a chance of standing out next to her."
"But you've been practicing every bit as hard as she has," her friend replied. "If not harder."
"But Sammy told me that Sean is lending Elizabeth his favorite surfboard for the competition," Laurie said sadly."I know how much that board means to him. When I heard that, I almost gave up on Sean altogether."
"Don't talk like that!" her friend replied. "Just get out there and think about Sean and have the best ride of your life."
Elizabeth couldn't believe how dumb she'd been. She should have figured it out when Laurie tried to imply that she and Sean were a couple. Laurie MacNeil was in love with Sean! And she had obviously learned to surf just to impress him—and to win him away from Elizabeth.
If only there was some way to get Sean and Laurie together, Elizabeth thought. Then, not only would they be happy, but I wouldn't have to worry anymore about hurting Sean's feelings or leading him on.
It was the perfect solution. The problem was, how could she get Sean and Laurie together?
Just then, a plan popped into Elizabeth's mind. Her face brightened, and she picked up Sean's Simmons surfboard and ran across the crowded beach.
"Liz!" Sean cried, spinning around and gazing at her in surprise. "You're up in a few minutes. What are you doing here?"
"I've been trying to find you for fifteen minutes," Elizabeth exclaimed, out of breath, "but this crowd is so big."
"What's the matter?" Sean asked. "And hurry up—or you'll miss your turn."
"Sean," Elizabeth began, I can't use your surfboard. I mean, I've never surfed on it before, and this is a big competition. I think I'd be much better off using my old purple surfboard. I'm used to it."
"But I promise you that the Simmons will feel a thousand times better than your old purple thing," Sean said. "You'll have the best ride of your life on it."
"You may be right, Sean," Elizabeth answered firmly, "but I really don't think I should use it."
"But I don't understand," Sean said, looking hurt. "You know how much this means to me."
"Yes, I know, Sean," Elizabeth continued. "And maybe that's part of the reason why I can't use it."
"But I don't understand," Sean repeated.
"Maybe you will in a little while, Sean," Elizabeth responded, taking Sean's hand and giving it a firm shake. "And thanks for everything. You've been a great teacher!"
As Elizabeth hurried along the bleachers, she looked up and caught sight of the Sweet Valley crowd, cheering and clapping for the surfers. She could see Jessica and Amy and Lila. Near them she could see Enid. Even Winston was there with a bunch of his friends. But where was Todd?
All the excitement she had felt earlier seemed to vanish into thin air. If Todd doesn't show up, she thought, then I have the terrible feeling it's over between us. And all for what? Just so I could prove to everyone I could take risks?
Just then she saw Todd sit down beside Enid, with two cups of soda in his hands. Elizabeth laughed out loud and let out a big sigh of relief as she raced toward the clubhouse for the beat-up purple board.
Suddenly the announcer's voice came booming over the loudspeaker: "AND OUR NEXT COMPETITIOR IS . . . ELIZABETH WAKEFIELD!"
"Elizabeth Wakefield?" Jessica nearly screamed.
"Did I just hear what I thought I heard?" Todd exclaimed.
Everybody from Sweet Valley was amazed.
"There must be some mistake," Todd said. "Liz doesn't know the first thing about surfing."
"I'm sure that Liz is up at the Marine Biology Center," Enid replied.
"This can't be my sister!" Jessica exclaimed. "Can you imagine Elizabeth surfing? No way!"
"There must be another Elizabeth Wakefield in Southern California," Lila said. "And besides, how could your sister rush from a surfing competition to her marine biology presentation?"
Just then, Elizabeth strode down the beach into the water, carrying a purple surfboard with a pink stripe down the middle. There was no doubting it now, Elizabeth was the next surfer. And a few moments later, after the shock wore off a little bit, the whole Sweet Valley section began
to cheer for their friend.
"Go, Liz! Go, Liz! Go, Liz!" they cried, with Todd's and Jessica's voices the loudest of them all.
Even as she paddled out into the surf, Elizabeth could hear the cheering.
She really wanted to show everyone what kind of surfer she had become. She even wanted to show them that she could hang ten. Then they would know for sure that she could be as adventurous as anyone.
On the other hand, Elizabeth knew exactly what she had to do to get Sean and Laurie together.
But then she heard her friends yelling, "Go, Liz! Go, Liz! Go, Liz!"
Think of how amazed everyone would be if I won the competition, she thought. Jessica wouldn't be able to make fun of me anymore. And think how proud Todd would be.
Elizabeth felt she could win the competition. Her last few lessons had been terrific, and she had amazed even herself by hanging ten. If I really wanted to, Elizabeth thought to herself as she paddled out, I could ride one of these waves forever!
Just then, she caught sight of the perfect wave, rolling toward her. With her heart racing in her chest, Elizabeth turned her board toward the shore and felt the swell lift it up. The ride was going perfectly. Everything felt just right.
She paddled a few times, and the board turned effortlessly to the left, dropped down, and began to slide along the wave. Elizabeth thrilled to the feel of the ocean and her control over its great power. She rose quickly to her feet and rode the wave expertly for a few seconds.
But she knew what she had to do.
As everyone watched, Elizabeth seemed to lose her balance. The wave began to crest over her, and she hopped back on one foot like a clumsy beginner.
"It looks like she's going to wipe out!" Jessica gasped.
The board flipped out from under Elizabeth, and she went sprawling into the surf, her arms and legs flailing behind her. She landed with a giant belly flop.
"Oh, no!" Jessica cried, giggling. "That was too funny! Liz a surfer."
"She should stick to writing," Lila said.
"And museums," added Amy.
Todd shook his head and laughed. "So this is Elizabeth's presentation," he said to Enid with a grin. "What a surprise! No wonder she wanted to keep it a secret."
The New Elizabeth (Sweet Valley High Book 63) Page 8
