Jessica Wakefield is head over heels in love with handsome A.J. Morgan. She knows he likes her, but Jessica's convinced he'd really fall in love with her if she were studious and reserved, like her twin, Elizabeth. So Jessica sets out to change her personality completely.
But her plans are threatened when she hears about a fashion contest she just knows she could win. How can she compete and still be the shy, sweet girl that A.J. thinks she is? When the contest turns into a battle to keep A.J. as well as a competition for a designer wardrobe, Jessica has to make some difficult decisions. Will the old Jessica reappear—and risk losing A.J.—or is the quiet, serious new Jessica here to stay?
One
Elizabeth Wakefield wrapped her arms around her knees and let out a blissful sigh. A few yards away from her, the gentle waves of the Pacific Ocean lapped at the sand, leaving a line of foam along the beach as they receded. It was a sunny Friday afternoon, and a big crowd from Sweet Valley High had gathered at their favorite spot on the beach.
She watched her boyfriend, Jeffrey French, surface from a wave and shake the water from his blond hair. Sending her a gleaming smile, he strode toward her through the knee-deep water.
"Boy, was I dumb," Elizabeth said to her best friend, Enid Rollins, who was sitting next to her on the beach blanket.
Enid looked up from her book and raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"
"You know—that slam book mess. I can't believe I took it so seriously when Jeffrey's name kept appearing with Olivia's. I really acted like a dope."
Enid rolled her green eyes and shook her head, and Elizabeth turned to Jeffrey just as he sat down at her other side.
While he toweled himself off, Elizabeth studied him from under her lashes. For the last few weeks, Sweet Valley High had been in the grip of slam book fever. Nearly every girl at school had the same marbleized-cover notebook. Each page was headed by a category, such as Class Clown, Biggest Flirt, or Biggest Jock. There was even a section for predictions called the Crystal Ball. When the books were passed around, girls entered their choices anonymously. At first Elizabeth thought it was just a lot of harmless fun.
But then people began writing Jeffrey's name under Couples of the Future—with Olivia Davidson's. The first few times she saw it, Elizabeth shrugged it off. Olivia was a pretty good friend of hers, and besides, Olivia had been dating Roger Patman steadily for several months. Soon things got out of control, especially when Elizabeth's name began to appear in the same Couples of the Future category with a new junior from Atlanta named A. J. Morgan. No matter who tried making excuses and explanations, tempers flared up, and feelings were hurt. Fortunately, though, Elizabeth and Jeffrey sorted out the groundless rumors' before disaster struck.
As though sensing her intense scrutiny, Jeffrey looked up and met her eyes, and Elizabeth felt a surge of emotion. They had worked out their problems and resolved their differences, and now she and Jeffrey were as much in love as ever.
"Hey, Most Popular," he teased, referring to one of the slam book categories in which Elizabeth's name had appeared frequently.
She grinned and stuck out her tongue. "Only tied for first place, don't forget."
"Well, I don't know if that really counts," Enid said. "I mean, two people who look exactly alike and talk alike and everything else— that's not really sharing first place. You're most popular as a unit."
Jeffrey laughed. "Hey, that's true," he agreed.
Suppressing a grin, Elizabeth shot a look over her shoulder at a nearby trio of girls. Sitting between her two best friends was Elizabeth's identical twin sister, Jessica. Only the people who knew them well could tell them apart at a glance. They had the same sun-streaked blond hair, the same twinkling blue-green eyes, and the same beautiful heart-shaped faces. Each of them had a perfect size-six figure: five feet six inches of California girl. Growing up in the perpetual sunshine of Sweet Valley had given them a healthy glow that anyone would envy. Right down to the dimples in their left cheeks, Elizabeth and Jessica were mirror images of each other.
But the similarity stopped there, as everyone who met them discovered after approximately seven seconds! The older twin by four minutes, Elizabeth was more mature and practical than her headstrong sister. She liked books and music, writing poetry, and sharing ideas and dreams with her closest friends, Jeffrey and Enid. One of her dreams was to be a professional writer, and she was practicing by writing articles and a weekly column for The Oracle, Sweet Valley High's school newspaper. She had a reputation for being dependable, honest, and fair-minded, and everyone at Sweet Valley liked and admired her for that.
Of course, nearly everyone at Sweet Valley liked and admired Jessica, too, but for completely different reasons. Her attitude toward life was positively regal. She liked to believe that everything revolved around her. She was willful and impetuous and constantly got herself into scrapes and predicaments by acting first, then thinking about the consequences later. Frequently her escapades caused her to teeter on the brink of disaster, but someone always bailed her out. More often than not it was her reliable twin who came to her rescue. Jessica breezed through life with a nonchalant confidence that most people couldn't help being impressed by.
So it was no surprise that the Wakefield twins had tied for Most Popular. Between them they represented every exciting and lovable quality a sixteen-year-old could have.
"Speaking of slam books, there's our future high school coach," Enid said with a giggle, arching her eyebrows significantly as she looked toward Ken Matthews.
The tall blond football star was organizing a game of volleyball. Ken's name had appeared in the Crystal Ball section of the slam books under Most Likely to Be a High School Coach, and everyone agreed it was one of the most perfect choices.
Elizabeth grinned. "Can't you just see him? Maybe we should get him a whistle."
"And then we have the Girl with the Most of Everything, and Most Likely to Appear on the Cover of Time," Enid went on in a singsong tone, pointing with her chin toward wealthy Lila Fowler and ambitious Amy Sutton, two of Jessica's good friends. "And don't forget—"
"Biggest Flirt," Elizabeth cut in with a laugh. She looked back affectionately at her twin. That was Jessica Wakefield all the way.
"So then he goes, 'You look so hot, Amy. We should get together sometime.' " Amy Sutton smiled archly as she rubbed suntan lotion on! her arms.
Jessica caught Lila Fowler's gaze and crossed her eyes. Instantly Lila sputtered with laughter and buried her face in a towel.
"What?" Amy demanded indignantly. Her gray eyes narrowed as she frowned at Jessica. "What did you say?"
"Nothing. I didn't say anything, did I, Li?" Angelic and innocent as a baby, Jessica shook her head and shrugged. "Honest. Go on. So then what did he say, Amy?"
Still suspicious, Amy continued her monologue about the "gorgeous hunk" she had met at the Beach Disco the night before. Jessica kept her interested smile plastered on her face, but secretly she was bored. There was really only one person whose life kept her constantly fascinated, and that was her own. Of course, Amy was a good friend, but sometimes she droned on much too long.
"So did he ask for your phone number or what?" Lila interrupted.
Shrugging nonchalantly, Amy shook, her head. "No, but I gave it to him anyway."
Jessica snorted, then opened her mouth to make one of her typically snide retorts. But as she raised her head, her eyes became fixed on the tall, redheaded boy striding across the beach in her direction. She snapped her mouth shut, feeling a blush color her cheeks. It was A. J. Morgan.
Before A.J. had appeared on the scene, Jessica's habit had always been to flit from one boy to another. A full-time commitment, like the one her twin had with Jeffrey, had never made any sense to her. After all, why be stuck with just one boy when she could go out with so many? She had had her share of serious crushes, too. But luckily they never lasted very long!
But when A. J. Morgan came to Sweet Valley High, Jessica knew she was in love from the first time she saw him. Really in love. This wasn't just an infatuation, physical attraction, or her usual crush. This was the real thing. And A.J. seemed to like Jessica, too. There was just one hitch, though: the Jessica he liked was one who acted more like Elizabeth than Jessica.
It was such a stupid, idiotic mix-up. Just being around A.J. had thrown Jessica into such an emotional tailspin that she had been quiet and reserved, rather than vivacious and outgoing.
And then, in addition to Jessica's personality switch, Elizabeth had suddenly changed into a j Jessica clone. Because of the rumors about Jeffrey and Olivia in the slam books, Elizabeth had decided to come on super-strong and seductive ; toward A.J.—whom she didn't know her sister liked—in order to make Jeffrey jealous. When that happened, A.J. was more than a little taken aback. He had even confessed that that kind of hurricane approach—Jessica's usual approach— was too overwhelming for him! So he came to the conclusion that Jessica, being the quieter, more easygoing twin, was the one he liked better! It was all totally backward.
Under any other circumstances Jessica would have straightened him out in two seconds. But the thought that he wouldn't care about her anymore if he knew what she was really like was enough to make her heart stop beating completely.
What am I going to do? she asked herself frantically. / don't want to lose him!
For the time being, all she could do was keep up the act. She had to keep playing it quiet and serious, sweet and sincere. She sent up a silent vote of thanks for having decided to wear a conservative blue tank suit to the beach instead of one of her sexy string bikinis. She scrambled to her feet as A.J. approached, then waited in tongue-tied silence for him to speak first.
"Hi, Jessica," he called out, his red hair falling into his eyes.
Her fingers itched to brush his hair away, but she didn't dare do anything so brash and personal. Instead, she gave him a sweet, demure smile and then dropped her eyes. "Hi, A.J.," she breathed. Her heart raced just having him near her.
From one corner of her eye, she saw Lila and Amy looking at her with undisguised skepticism. Giving a mental shrug, she moved away from her friends and smiled again at A.J. He followed her willingly.
"So, how's it going?" He sat down to empty sand from his worn boat shoes and nodded invitingly toward the space next to him.
Her heart fluttering, Jessica sank down beside him and stared out across the gently lapping waves. She couldn't think of a thing to say, something that had never happened to her before she met A.J.
"I thought you might be here," he began as he leaned back and propped himself up on one elbow. He grinned at her, and his warm brown eyes sparkled as he squinted against the glare.
"Oh, I-I'm always at the beach," Jessica stammered. "I just love being outside—and—and the fresh air and everything." That was the kind of Girl Scout attitude he was attracted to, she thought. And she prayed she could keep up her act convincingly.
"Yeah, me, too."
Her mind raced as she desperately tried to think of what her twin would talk about. She drew a deep breath. "Isn't it amazing how those same waves came all the way from Japan? Or is it China? Or—I mean, it makes you realize how close but—but how far away, I mean ..." She let her words trail off, unsure of exactly what she was trying to say. In agony she gave him a hopeful smile.
He looked thoughtful. "Yeah, I guess I know what you mean. I guess that means surfers are kind of like diplomats, right?" he teased.
Letting out a peal of polite laughter, Jessica shook her head. "I don't know about that."
A.J. breathed a contented sigh as he leaned his head back, eyes closed, to soak up the sunshine. It took all of Jessica's self-control not to turn on her full seductive power and simply pounce. But if she did, she was afraid he'd bolt like a racehorse. Instead, she quickly looked away and tucked her knees up to her chin. She swore she was going to make this relationship work, even if she had to turn her whole personality inside out to guarantee it.
Lila rolled over on her stomach and rested herchin on her fists. Jessica and A.J. were in her line of sight, and she knew her friend well enough to realize that something very peculiar was going on. Every movement Jessica made seemed out of character. She usually had no trouble showing off her perfect figure once she was at the beach. Now there she was, sitting all curled up in a tight little ball. It didn't make any sense, Lila thought. Jessica had told her that she was crazy about A.J.
"Have you noticed how bizarre Jessica has been acting lately?" Lila asked, her brown eyes narrowed suspiciously.
Amy flipped through a few more glossy pages of Ingenue before she answered. "Well, now that you mention it, I guess you're right. But only when he's around, it seems," she pointed out, nodding her head toward A.J. "Wow, look at this dress."
"Let me see." Impatiently Lila reached for the magazine, ran her eyes over the low-cut, clingy dress, and tossed it back. "Yeah, that's a Nadine original. They have it at Lisette's. I'm thinking of buying it. But listen, Amy, I'm serious."
Amy assumed an intent, listening expression. "OK, Lila. You're serious."
"I mean it," Lila insisted, scowling. She turned her eyes back to Jessica and A.J. and shook her head. "I think we should say something to her. She's acting like a completely different person."
"Hmmm ..." Amy's mocking look faded as she followed Lila's gaze. "Actually, that's probably a good idea. 'Cause if this is some weird way of getting A.J. I have a feeling it isn't going to work."
Two
"A.J.?"
"Mmm?"
He looked at her with a sleepy smile that made Jessica melt inside.
"I was thinking," she continued, digging her fingers into the sand and trying to sound earnest. "I know it's a really nice day, but maybe we could go to the library. I need to get my homework done, and that really has to come first. Do you want to go with me?"
A slightly surprised look came into A.J.'s gold-flecked eyes. But he shrugged good-naturedly and gave her a grin. "Sure. I guess so, Jessica. If that's what you want to do, that's OK with me."
"Oh, great," she breathed. A feeling of relief flooded through her. It had been a smart move after all, it seemed. He couldn't help being impressed by her dedication and sense of purpose. After pulling on her shorts and shirt, scooping up her things, and saying goodbye to her friends, she walked with A.J. toward his car, talking soberly the whole way.
"1 have a report to do for English, and I really want it to be good," she explained, an intent expression on her face. "I mean, I know a lot of kids our age think grades and stuff don't matter, or that it isn't cool to care, but I know how important they are."
She snuck a look up at his profile, trying to gauge his reaction. One of the most attractive things about A.J. was his vaguely mysterious air. Most of the time he was open and candid, but there were also rimes when it was impossible to tell what was going through his mind. At the moment she wasn't sure what he was thinking, so she decided just to keep going to play it safe.
"And I know you'll think this sounds weird, but nothing makes me feel better than showing my parents a good report card," she confessed modestly.
As he loped along beside her, A.J. looked at her with a smile of appreciation. "That's amazing, Jessica. Most people just think grades are one big drag."
"Not me," she insisted. Her voice was grave.
They reached his car, and he held the door open as he gave her a gallant little salute. "After you."
She smiled sweetly up into his eyes. "Thank you."
"To the library?" he prompted, a slightly doubtful look on his face.
"To the library," Jessica repeated with a firm nod.
Jessica leaned across the table and whispered throatily, "A.J.? Can I read you something?"
Looking up from his book, A.J. gave her a quick nod and leaned back in his chair. "Sure. What is it?"
"One of my favorite poems," she replied, meeting his eyes with a luminous smile.
It had been one of her favorites since she found it the night before. Poetry wasn't exactly something she dipped into on a regular basis, but serious, sincere people like Elizabeth loved poetry, so Jessica decided she had better like it, too. Besides, she knew A.J. really liked poetry. Just the week before, they had gone to a party to celebrate Sweet Valley High's new literary magazine, and A.J. had been very interested in it. Since it was Jessica's plan to show him how much they had in common, she had scoured Elizabeth's poetry books until she found what she considered the deepest, most soulful poems. They were guaranteed to tell A.J. what she was like on the inside.
While her heart flip-flopped with nervous anticipation, she pulled a slim volume of poetry from her book bag and opened it up to a marked! page. Then she cleared her throat and drew a deep breath. "This is a poem by Emily Dickinson," she said.
In a voice throbbing with emotional intensity, she read, "If I can stop one Heart from breaking/I shall not live in vain...' "
She read the entire poem with as much drama and intensity as she could muster, then raised her head from the book and sighed. "Isn't it: beautiful?" she asked.
A.J. nodded slowly and gave her a gentle smile. "It's really nice," he agreed. He leaned forward suddenly and rested his chin in one hand. "You know, I was thinking—"
"Wait, there's another one," she broke in, hastily flipping through the pages of One Hundred and One Famous Poems. "I know you'll like this one—it's so emotional. Can I just read it to you?"
Shrugging, A.J. sat back again. "Sure, Jessica. Go ahead."
"This one is by Walt Whitman, and it's called 'O Captain! My Captain!' "
She squared her shoulders, held the book in front of her the way singers did in a choir, and drew a deep breath. Giving it every heartfelt, earnest nuance she could muster, she began to read.
When she paused to draw a breath, she relished the rasping emotional catch she was sure she could hear in her voice.
"Wow, that is intense," A.J. commented, nodding his head appreciatively.
Jessica's face fell. "But that's just the first stanza! There's a whole bunch more—"
"Oh, well..." A.J. shifted in his chair. "Maybe I could read it myself sometime. I mean, not that you don't read it well," he assured her hastily. "But it's so hard to get all of a poem just hearing it, you know? At least it is for me," he added with a sheepish grin.
"Oh. I know what you mean. You're right."
Secretly Jessica was a little disappointed that she hadn't been able to read the entire poem, but at least A.J. sounded impressed with her poetic taste. This was obviously the sort of profound, intellectual thing that he responded to. She promised herself she would keep at it, no matter what. Jessica?
A.J. was gazing at her with a hopeful, little-boy look in his eyes. It took all her willpower not to lean across the table and kiss him. Instead, she whispered huskily, "Yes?"
"Would you mind if we left pretty soon? I mean, whenever you're ready, but I was hoping we could go to the Dairi Burger and get something to eat. I'm starved."
"Oh. OK. Sure, whatever you want."
"How about now?" he urged. Jessica met his warm, twinkling eyes and felt breathless. She still couldn't get over the effect he had on her. Smiling and nodding, she pushed back her chair. "Sure. Let's go."
As he drove, A.J. talked about what it was like being an "army brat," moving around the country every two or three years as his father was reassigned to different posts. Jessica tried to appear sympathetic, but all she could think about was how cute he looked when his hair fell into his eyes and how strong and sensitive his hands seemed as they gripped the steering wheel.
She came back to reality as they pulled into the Dairi Burger parking lot.
"I guess everybody hangs out here pretty much all the time, right?" he asked as they walked up to the front door.
Jessica hesitated before answering. She didn't want to sound frivolous, but she also didn't want to sound like a total dud. "Well, yeah, I guess so. When I have some spare time after all my work is finished, it's a good place to relax."
The truth was, she was there almost every day. The Dairi Burger was the perfect place to see and keep track of everything that was happening in Sweet Valley. And it was the perfect place to be seen, too. But she didn't want A.J. to get the impression she cared about those things.
They stepped inside the noisy burger joint. A huge gang of kids had pulled some tables together and were having a noisy feast. Lila and Amy were there, as were Winston Egbert, Ken Matthews, Bruce Patman, and at least a dozen other juniors and seniors from Sweet Valley High. Jessica was dying to be in the center of the group in her usual starring role, but she knew it wouldn't fit in with her new image. Smiling shyly, she glanced up into A.J.'s face.
"There's a booth free over there," she offered, pointing to the other side of the room.
He grinned. "OK, but how about if we sit with everybody else? We could—"
"Jessica! A.J.! Over here!" Winston's voice roared out across the room, and he stood up on his chair to wave his arms wildly over his head.
Laughing, A.J. shrugged his shoulders. "Looks like we're being drafted, anyway."
"OK," she replied, secretly relieved. "I don't mind." She followed behind as he wove through the crowded tables to the group. There was a chorus of hellos.
"Hey, Jess, where've you been lately, anyway? We're all dying of boredom without you," Winston moaned as she and A.J. found two seats. Winston leaned across the table and gave Jessica a melancholy look. "We miss you."
Stifling a sarcastic retort, Jessica managed a pleasant smile. "Gee, Win, you know I'm not a real party animal," she said sweetly. "I've been busy."
Winston instantly looked intrigued, and he threw a grin across his shoulder at the others. "What do you think, guys? Think this is really Jessica? Or is it Liz?"
Bruce Patman, the wealthiest boy at Sweet Valley High, leaned back in his chair and gave Jessica an appraising glance. He and Jessica had dated for a while, but now there was a cold war between them. "I don't know," Bruce said. "It's hard to tell lately."
"I don't know why you say that," Jessica said tensely. She snuck a quick glance at A.J. and smiled even wider. But the look she shot back at Bruce was pure venom.
Next to her, Lila spoke in a taunting, sarcastic voice pitched low so only Jessica could hear. "How was studying, Jess?" she teased. Her eyes sparkled with mischief, and she shot a knowing look in A.J.'s direction. "Get much work done?"
"Yes, I did," Jessica replied, gritting her teeth behind her smile.
Turning back to A.J., she asked in a soft, lilting tone, "Do you think you could get me a diet Coke?"
He shoved his chair back immediately and rose to his feet with a nod. "Sure. I'll be right back."
Jessica waited until he was safely out of earshot, then whirled around on her best friend. "You can be such a pain, Lila. Why don't you just back off?"
"Why, what do you mean, Jess?" Lila cooed, imitating Jessica's own gentle "Elizabeth" tone. She took a long sip of diet soda through her straw and grinned devilishly at Jessica as she studied her clothes. Taking in the light blue Bermuda shorts and the polo shirt Jessica had borrowed from Elizabeth, she said, "It is Jessica, isn't it?"
Fuming, Jessica turned in her chair, and her gaze landed on Winston. "Don't say a word," she commanded as he opened his mouth. She held up one hand and narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm warning you, Win—"
"Here you go."
A.J. handed her a tall paper cup brimming with soda, and Jessica shut her mouth with a snap. "Thanks."
Across the table Bruce and Winston were both looking at her with impish grins, and she studiously ignored them. While A.J. began a conversation with Maria Santelli, Winston's girlfriend, Jessica concentrated on her soda. She didn't dare look anyone in the face in case she was tempted to shoot out some typical Jessica remark. Inwardly she realized what a dumb situation it was, and she knew she was acting unnatural. Everyone else knew it, too.
And they're all trying to sabotage me, she thought.
The only person in the whole group who didn't know the real Jessica was sitting next to her. And every time she looked at him, glanced up at his profile as he talked with friendly ease to Maria, she felt a surge of conflicting emotions: panic, confusion, frustration, and head-over-heels love. She couldn't do anything to jeopardize the good opinion he had of her. He liked the quiet, concerned type, so she had to be the quiet, concerned type.
"You're looking pretty serious." A.J.'s voice broke gently into her reverie. He was smiling at her in a way that made her heart race.
She blushed. "Oh, I was thinking about— about nuclear war," she fibbed lamely. "You know—how terrible it would be if there were one and everything."
The smile vanished from his face. Nodding slowly, he picked up his soda, then took a long swallow. "You're right," he agreed softly, his eyes clouding over.
As Jessica turned to talk to Lila she felt a twinge of anxiety. Hadn't A.J. looked surprised, maybe even confused?
She hoped she hadn't said something wrong. Or stupid. She didn't want to do anything that would ruin her chances with A.J. He was too important to her.
After school on Monday, Elizabeth swung her book bag over her shoulder and headed for the newspaper office. There were some items for next week's "Eyes and Ears" column she wanted to get on paper while her thoughts were fresh. As she rounded a corner she narrowly missed a head-on collision with A.J.
"Ooops! Sorry about that," she said, laughing and stepping aside.
To her surprise A.J. blushed and shuffled his feet.
"Listen, I'm glad I found you. I wanted to tell you I'll be a few minutes late for the meeting. I have to go to the administration office and straighten out a problem with my transcript, but I'll be there as soon as I can," he said in a breathless rush.
Elizabeth stared at him in perplexed astonishment and shook her head. "What?"
"The Save the Whales meeting. I'm really sorry."
"What Save the Whales meeting? What are you talking about?"
He gave her a puzzled look and dug his hands into his pockets. "Didn't you say you wanted to go to that meeting today, Jessica?"
"Jess—?" Elizabeth laughed. "I'm Liz, A.J."
"Oh, sorry, Liz. Well, see you later. Bye."
Elizabeth shrugged. Apparently A.J. didn't know them well enough yet to tell them apart all the time, she reflected. Or maybe it was because Jessica was dressing so much like her lately. Jessica's hair was always back in a pony-tail now, and by coincidence, both of them had worn jeans and pastel T-shirts that day.
Elizabeth turned to head for the Oracle office, but stopped and stood frowning in the middle of the hallway. It had finally sunk in that Jessica had actually asked A.J. to go to a Save the Whales meeting. For Jessica to be concerned about environmental issues—any issues—was like a heavy metal band playing lullabies. They just didn't go together.
She craned her neck and looked back in the direction in which A.J. had disappeared. "What is Jessica doing?" she muttered, shaking her head in bewilderment.
Deep in thought, Elizabeth headed for the newspaper office again. Jessica was acting very peculiar lately, and A.J. was a major part of the formula. Elizabeth had no idea what was going on.
Three
The distant shouts and laughter from kids playing outside drifted in through the open kitchen window as Elizabeth rinsed off spinach leaves for a salad. Her twin was chattering on the kitchen telephone with Lila about some "hideous" social error someone had made at school. That was typical of Jessica, Elizabeth thought. What wasn't typical was the way she had been acting around A.J. She was a completely different person whenever she was with him. Elizabeth decided her twin was acting like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. It was almost spooky.
And what was even harder to understand was why Jessica thought her new personality was going to win A.J. over. Granted, A.J. had said he didn't like flirtatious girls, but that was no reason for Jessica to undergo an entire personality change. Elizabeth wanted to say something about it, but she had already tried once, and Jessica had been deeply offended. Her instincts told her it would definitely be a touchy subject to bring up again with her volatile twin.
After a screech of laughter, Jessica said goodbye to her friend and hung up the phone.
"Ugh, I can't believe it," she said, hopping down from her perch on the table. "It's really sickening the way they act," she concluded as she strolled over to join Elizabeth at the sink. "So, what's for dinner?"
Elizabeth shook the colander full of spinach and dumped it into a bowl. "Spinach salad and cold chicken," she replied. She started crumbling bacon into bite-size pieces and added, "Are you planning to set the table or what?"
"Of course I am. Calm down, Liz. I was just about to start," Jessica declared. Because their mother worked such long hours as an interior designer, the girls shared many of the household chores and took turns getting dinner ready and doing the dishes.
As she reached up into a cupboard for a stack of plates, Jessica commented, "You know, some of those people in the Save the Whales group take themselves so seriously—like Monica Bishop, for instance. Man, she thinks she's going to save the whole world, not just the whales."
Elizabeth frowned slightly while she sliced some mushrooms. That was just the opening she had been hoping for. "Well, that's because the people who belong to those environmental groups believe in them, Jess. Why, uh—did you go?"
"Because it's the kind of thing A.J. thinks I'm interested in, that's why. Let's eat outside tonight." Plates in hand, Jessica headed toward the patio door, which was off the dining room. As she came back inside, Prince Albert, the twin's golden Labrador retriever, followed her in. Jessica walked into the kitchen, clattered together forks and knives and grabbed a handful of paper napkins.
Elizabeth watched her silently for a moment. Then she let out a puzzled sigh. "Jess? I don't get it. Why does he think that, and why don't you just tell him it's not true?"
"Because, Liz." Dropping her eyes, Jessica leaned against the counter and shook her head. She suddenly looked worried. "Because A.J. is a pretty serious guy. He likes poetry and all that stuff. And he thinks I'm the sweet, thoughtful, sensitive type—you know, artistic, concerned about the environment."
"Well, you are sweet," Elizabeth pointed out in a gently cajoling tone. She popped a mushroom into her mouth and grinned. "But this whole shy and quiet routine you're doing—that's not the real you, Jess. Come on."
"A.J. wouldn't like the real me—I mean the old me," Jessica corrected herself as she turned away.
"What?" Perplexed, Elizabeth crossed the kitchen in three strides and took Jessica's arm. She jiggled her sister's elbow lightly. "Jessica! A.J. would be crazy not to like the real you, are you kidding? Why don't you give him a chance to find out what you're really like?"
But Jessica shook her head vehemently, sending her ponytail swishing back and forth. "I already told you. No way!"
Elizabeth was exasperated but also sympathetic to her sister's feelings. "Jess, why are you so sure he would only like you if you were soft and sweet and serious?"
Jessica raised her eyes to meet Elizabeth's for a moment, then turned away and began pleating a napkin into tiny folds. "I just know it, that's why. You remember how turned off he was when you were flirting with him to make Jeffrey jealous."
"That's true," Elizabeth agreed. "But, Jess, there are so many other great things about you. I know he'd like the real you if you gave him a chance."
Jessica shook her head emphatically. "Forget it, Liz! It's not a chance I feel like taking. And besides, I really have changed. I'm not like that anymore."
There was nothing Elizabeth could say in response to that. It was blatantly untrue; Jessica would always be Jessica, no matter what act she put on. Only two minutes earlier she had been gossiping with Lila just as always. Elizabeth stared at her sister's back, at a loss for words.
"Liz!" Instantly Jessica whirled around again, her blue-green eyes wide with panic. "You aren't going to do anything crazy like tell A.J. what I used to be like, are you?"
Elizabeth blinked in surprise. "Uh... no."
"Well, don't."
"I won't!"
"Promise? Promise you won't say anything at all to A.J., OK?"
The urgency in Jessica's voice went straight to Elizabeth's heart. She had never seen her twin so serious about a boy that she was willing to turn her whole life inside out. But the fact that Jessica was turning her life inside out worried her. It worried her a lot.
"Liz?"
Against her better judgment Elizabeth shrugged and nodded. "OK, Jess. If it's really that important to you, I won't say anything. I promise."
They stared at each other for a long moment. Already Elizabeth regretted her promise. Since she loved her sister so much—in spite of, or maybe because of her wild unpredictability and her outrageousness—she knew someone like A.J. would, too. But only if he had a chance. In reality, he had never even met Jessica Wake-held. And Elizabeth was aching to set things straight. Unfortunately, now her hands were tied.
Outside, a car door slammed, and then another, and Prince Albert let out a sharp, cheerful bark. He looked up from his bowl of dog food and turned expectantly toward the door with his tail wagging.
"Mom and Dad are home," Jessica said in a subdued voice. She sent Elizabeth another pointed glance and repeated, "Remember. You promised."
Repressing a sigh, Elizabeth nodded and went back to finish the salad. "I know. I won't say anything."
"So, how are my girls?" Ned Wakefield strolled into the Spanish-tiled kitchen and set his briefcase on the counter. "Something sure smells good."
Jessica greeted her father, then headed out to the picnic table again.
"Hi, Dad," Elizabeth said with a smile. She picked up a piece of bacon and handed it to him. "That's what you smell—for the spinach salad."
"Mmm. Is this cleared with your mom? She's trying to lower my cholesterol, you know." Dark-haired and handsome, Mr. Wakefield gave Elizabeth a twinkling grin and munched happily on the bacon. Prince Albert watched every mouthful disappear with pitiful longing in his brown eyes.
"It's approved in limited quantities," Elizabeth answered. "Where is Mom, anyway?"
"Here I am." Alice Wakefield backed into the kitchen with an armload of wallpaper books. She saw her husband furtively licking his fingers and gave him a mock scowl. "I saw that, Ned," she scolded as she set the books down on a chair and looked over at the plate of bacon. Inhaling deeply, she smiled at Elizabeth. "He doesn't get any more, sweetheart. Remember that."
"Yes, ma'am!" Elizabeth said, and then swatted at her father's hand as he reached for another slice. He chuckled silently and surrendered.
As her parents talked over what each of them had done at work, Elizabeth thought of how perfect they were together. Each of them did what was fulfilling and important to them. They treated each other as equals and never put on any kind of pretense.
Unlike Jessica and the way she's acting with A.J., she thought. Troubled, Elizabeth crumbled up the rest of the bacon and added it to the salad. If only Jessica would admit who she was and what she was like, Elizabeth was certain her twin could have a great relationship with A.J. Otherwise, it would never work.
After dinner Elizabeth went up to her room to practice her recorder. She had taken it up recently—after Jessica had started playing it to impress a music student and then abandoned it—and now she was really hooked. She had even invested in a better recorder than the one she originally borrowed from Jessica. Her friend Julie Porter, who was an advanced flute and piano player, had been coaching her. Now she used every chance she had to practice.
But as she repeatedly played a series of scales, her mind drifted back to Jessica's latest romantic intrigue. Her twin had done a lot of crazy things to get boys, but instinctively Elizabeth sensed that this one was much more serious than any of the others. And that meant Jessica was liable to get even more carried away than usual. At the moment, Elizabeth knew, her twin was in her room deeply absorbed in some mysterious, top-secret project. She suspected it was another plan for impressing A.J. Well, she wouldn't find out what it was unless Jessica decided to tell her. Shrugging, she focused on her music again and adjusted her fingers over the holes of the recorder.
"Liz? Can I talk to you for a second?" Jessica stuck her head through the bathroom door that connected their bedrooms. Her expression was tentative.
Elizabeth put her recorder down and smiled. "Sure, Jess. What's up?"
"Well..." Jessica walked into Elizabeth's bedroom. She held a sheet of paper in her hand. Taking a deep breath, she said, "I've been working on a poem, and I want to know what you think."
"A poem?." Elizabeth echoed in disbelief.
Her twin nodded eagerly. "Yeah, I'm going to start writing poetry every day from now on. A.J. loves poetry, remember?" With an enthusiastic grin, she held out a piece of paper. "I decided to do free verse 'cause I'm not very good at rhyming," she added modestly.
Something held Elizabeth back. On the one hand Jessica was really in love with A.J. But on the other hand she was taking things too far. Writing poetry wasn't Jessica's style, and it never would be. There was no sense pretending.
And knowing Jessica, Elizabeth doubted that she was about to read a masterpiece. Actually, she didn't know what she was about to read, but she forced herself to keep an open mind for her sister's sake. Smiling reluctantly, she took the poem and read it.
Time is a grinding wheel of merciless pain
We are trapped in our lives
until the hour of death.
But love breaks our chains and lets us fly
into the universe
Where everything is real and alive
Forever.
Elizabeth kept her expression rigidly neutral as she read Jessica's poem. Nodding thoughtfully, she read it again and tried to come up with something encouraging to say about it. Unfortunately, all she could think to suggest was instant incineration.
"Well? What do you think? I want your absolutely, totally honest opinion, Liz. Don't say it's good just because I wrote it." Jessica looked at her with an optimistic smile. "So?"
"It's—umm... your images are—uh—they're good images," she faltered, putting as much enthusiasm into her voice as possible. She carefully avoided meeting her sister's eyes.
"What about the part about the universe?" Jessica prodded. "You don't think that's too dramatic?"
"N-noo..."
"Well? What would you change? Go ahead, I don't mind. Be totally honest."
Elizabeth crossed to the table she used as a desk and sat down on the edge of the chair. She fiddled with a ballpoint pen for a few seconds to stall for time. "It starts out pretty—pretty sad," she began in a guarded tone. "But then it gets hopeful."
Jessica grinned exultantly. "I know. That's pretty good, huh? I worked on it for ages." Still smiling happily, Jessica bounced over to Elizabeth's side and gave her a quick hug. "Don't you think A.J. will be just blown away?"
Elizabeth's heart skipped a beat. "You're showing this to A.J.?" she echoed in a hollow voice.
Her sister nodded. "Uh-huh. I wrote it for him. It's really a love poem, you know. See, there's this stuff about love making us free."
"Right." Elizabeth swallowed hard and nodded.
"I wonder if I should make it longer," Jessica mused as she bent over the desk. "Think so?"
Inside, Elizabeth was in a turmoil. The critic in her thought the poem was terrible. But at the same time Jessica was so proud of herself for writing it, and so much in love with A.J. that she had labored over it for an hour. She just couldn't crush Jessica's excitement, but showing A.J. the poem could turn him off forever! Instead of sounding deep and intellectual, it sounded trite and depressing.
Beside her, Jessica let out a light, self-conscious laugh. "You know, it's really kind of amazing that I'm doing this. I mean, Jessica Wakefield writing love poems!"
"That's for sure."
"But I just know A.J.'s going to be impressed by how sensitive I am," Jessica went on dreamily. She propped her chin in her hands and gave Elizabeth a twinkling smile. "And, you know, I think I really am a pretty sensitive person, don't you?"
Elizabeth felt a surge of tenderness for her sister. She might be going about it the wrong way, but she certainly was sincere about winning A.J.'s admiration.
"Sure, Jess." Placing her hand on her twin's arm, she suggested tenderly, "Maybe I could help you write something a little bit lighter. You know, something sensitive, but with less emphasis on death and pain."
"You don't really like it, do you?"
"Sure I do," Elizabeth said hastily. "But maybe for the first poem you show him it could be more" —she cast around for the words that would convince Jessica—"sweet and—and beautiful," she urged.
A happy light came into Jessica's eyes. "Hey, maybe you're right. Something sweet and beautiful. Oooh!" She hugged Elizabeth again impulsively. "You're the greatest sister in the world, Liz. How about something about a rainbow? Or flowers?"
Smiling ruefully, Elizabeth pulled a notebook toward her and reached for a pen. If she had to write a love poem herself for Jessica, she would. But privately she wished Jessica would drop the whole idea and get back to being herself.
Four
"Where are my sneakers? Ohmigod! Liz?" In a breathless flurry Jessica stormed into Elizabeth's room through the bathroom, gripping a wet towel around her. She stared at her sister with wide, indignant eyes. "Have you seen my sneakers?"
Elizabeth, who was reading in bed in her nightgown, gave her a shrug. "Sorry. Haven't seen them."
"Ugh! A.J. will be here in approximately seven seconds, and I'm a total disaster!" Gritting her teeth, Jessica flounced back into the bathroom and flung open the medicine cabinet. She rattled through a huge assortment of makeup. Lip glosses and mascaras tumbled into the sink.
"Where is that eyeliner?" she muttered, clutching the towel still tighter around her body. Then she slammed the door shut. "Amy took it, I know it. I could kill her!"
As she yanked open a drawer by the sink and rummaged through the makeup that filled it to the top, her sister appeared in the bathroom doorway. "Why are you going to Secca Lake so early? The picnic doesn't start until twelve."
Jessica gave her a pained look. "A.J. and I are going hiking first, that's why. Have you seen that blue mascara I had?"
"Hiking? You're going hiking?"
"Yeah. What's wrong with that?" she asked indignantly. She met her twin's eyes and then looked away.
She had to admit, hiking wasn't exactly her favorite way to spend a Saturday morning. In fact, she preferred to stay in bed until peak tanning hours, as a rule, and then flop into a lounge chair by the pool. Minimum effort was usually her policy on the weekend. But hiking was the kind of healthy, outdoorsy thing that Elizabeth did, and Jessica was taking all her cues from her sister. That was what A.J. liked and expected. In fact, he had suggested the hike himself, so she had immediately agreed, even though the idea of trudging around Secca Lake didn't fill her with jubilation.
Elizabeth shrugged. "You've never really been interested in hiking before, that's all.
"Well, I am now."
Jessica hurried into her room and tossed the damp towel onto her bed. After quickly putting on her underwear and shorts, she ransacked her dresser for a short-sleeved, button-down khaki shirt her aunt had given her for Christmas. It wasn't really her style, but it fit the nice-girl image she was trying to project. She found it at the back of a drawer and hastily put it on.
"Hey, Liz? Have you seen the bird-watching guide?"
Following her into the room, Elizabeth gave Jessica an incredulous stare. "Bird-watching? Jessica! What is with you, anyway?"
Jessica eyed her sister narrowly. "You know," she muttered, dragging a brush through her hair. "And remember, you promised."
For a moment Elizabeth didn't say anything. But then she sighed. "Yeah, right, Jess."
Outside, a car honked. Letting out a shriek, Jessica raced to her closet and made one more frantic search for her sneakers. Miraculously this time she found them underneath her dirty cheerleading uniform.
She sent an agonized glance toward the window as she struggled to put them on. "Tell A.J. I'll be right there."
Elizabeth laughed and opened the window. "Since when did you care if you kept a guy waiting?" Leaning out, she called, "Hi, A.J.! She'll be down in a second!"
Jessica lunged to her feet, grabbed the family binoculars, which she had put on her bed, and raced out of her room. She pounded down the stairs and ran for the front door, then skidded to a halt. Taking a deep breath, she composed herself, smiled, and walked calmly outside.
Her heart fluttered excitedly when she saw A.J., who was leaning against the car, waiting for her. He grinned and raised one hand in a casual greeting, and Jessica smiled blissfully in response.
"Hi," she said, meeting his eyes. "Ready to go?"
"Yup. What are the binoculars for?" A.J. asked as they both climbed into his car.
"Bird-watching. I just love birds, don't you? I'm hoping we'll get a chance to see the—the, uh—" Jessica cut herself off as she realized she wasn't sure what kind of birds they might see at Secca Lake. But she wanted him to believe she was a dedicated nature lover, and bird-watching seemed like the perfect touch. She gave him a lightning smile. "The green-crested pod-eater," she fibbed.
A.J. gaped at her, a surprised expression on his face. "Green-crested pod-eater?"
"Yeah. It's very rare, but we might be lucky enough to see one."
He glanced at her again and then chuckled softly. "OK. We'll be on the lookout for the green-crested pod-eater."
Sighing contentedly, Jessica sat back and enjoyed the rest of the ride up to Secca Lake. So far so good, she told herself gratefully, Just keep it up.
When they arrived at the big state pajk, Jessica hopped out of the car and headed directly for the path that wound into the dense pine woods surrounding the lake. "Come on, there's a great view from Lookout Rock," she explained, grabbing A.J.'s hand and pulling him after her.
"How far is it?" he asked. He fell into step beside her, loping along with easy strides.
"Oh, maybe a mile," Jessica guessed. She gave him a ready-for-anything smile. "But we could go all the way around the lake if you want."
He let out a startled gasp, and his eyes took in the size of the lake, which stretched out in front of them. "You really want to? It's kind of far."
Jessica cursed herself silently. What a stupid thing to say. "Well..."
"And everybody else will probably be here way before we get back," he added, then shrugged apologetically. "Maybe some other time we could do the whole thing."
"Sure. Whatever." To herself, Jessica breathed a sigh of relief. But to A.J. she gave another bright, enthusiastic smile. She had definitely gotten off easy that time! "Well, let's go." She set off at a brisk pace, holding her binoculars. She was prepared to catch a glimpse of the pod-eater.
"I just love this place, don't you?" she said, puffing as she tramped along the path. "The lake is so beautiful, so inspiring. It really makes you aware of how incredible nature is, don't you think?"
A.J. nodded and swatted at a mosquito. "Yeah. It's really nice."
By reflex Jessica caught a branch just before it snapped back in her face, and she ground her teeth on a silent curse. She hoped they wouldn't have to go hiking too many times. She was already hot, sweaty, bug-bitten, and scratched, but there was no way she was going to let A.J. know what misery it was for her. As far as he was concerned, she was just loving her invigorating hike through the woods.
"This is great. This is just great," she lied, keeping her smile fixed on her face. "We should do this every weekend."
A.J. smiled back at her. "I'm glad you're having such a good time, Jess. Back in Atlanta I had a hard time finding hiking partners."
They trudged along in silence for a few minutes, until Jessica recognized the path that turned off to the shore. "Here, it's this way."
She led the way through the branches until they emerged at the edge of the lake. A house-size boulder jutted into the water, and they clambered up onto it. Once she was seated, Jessica put her binoculars up to her eyes. "I bet we could see, ah—those ducks. You know, those special ducks," she murmured, scanning the distant shore. "Isn't this beautiful?"
"See any green-crested pod-eaters?"
She shook her head. "Not yet, but I bet we— Wait a second! That could be— Oh, no! It's gone. Sorry." With a small apologetic smile, she handed A.J. the binoculars. "Too late."
"That’s OK." Taking the binoculars, A.J. surveyed the lake and then turned them on Jessica. "Whoa! There's something."
Jessica blushed and turned away. For some reason A.J. always made her feel as if she were on her first date. She guessed that was what being in love was like. You've got to make this work, she told herself urgently. It's got to work.
"Want to keep going?" she piped up brightly.
A.J. shook his head. "How about we just hang out here for a while, just sit and talk. You know."
"Oh. Sure. We can just talk." As Jessica spoke, her mind raced ahead, choosing topics of conversation she thought A.J. would be interested in, topics that would show him what a serious, thoughtful person she was.
"You know," she began, "I was reading in the paper the other day about the world hunger situation. And it's really bad. I mean, all those people with nothing to eat except—" She hesitated. What was it that they ate?
"Rice?" A.J. supplied.
She nodded. "Right. Rice. I think we should all go for a whole week eating nothing but a bowl of cold rice once a day and see what it's like. Don't you think that's a good idea?"
"Well..." A.J. tipped his head to one side and twirled a pine needle between his fingers. "The truth is, lots of people don't even get that much. I don't know how the Peace Corps people can do it—eating every day when they're working with famine victims."
Jessica frowned, trying to come up with a good response. Obviously A.J. had done some serious thinking about the subject. She wished she were better prepared to discuss it with him. "I was thinking about joining the Peace Corps myself. I'm definitely for peace," she added fervently.
A.J. gave her an odd look. "Actually, it's really hard work. I don't think I could hack it myself. It takes a lot of guts. You'd have to learn to do without a lot of the luxuries we take for granted."
"But we should try it, so we know what those people go through," she insisted, leaning forward with an earnest expression on her face.
A.J. nodded.
What did I do wrong? she was asking herself desperately. He thinks I'm so stupid.
Instinctively Jessica sensed that she wasn't grabbing his attention the way she wanted to. Maybe she just wasn't being interesting enough.
"It’s just not fair, you know?" she went on, her voice quivering with intensity. 'There's so much injustice in the world, and—and—"
"I know what you mean." A.J. smiled at her briefly but let out a tiny sigh.
Jessica swallowed hard and looked out across the water. For a moment she was tempted to recite her poem for him. That might do the trick. But something held her back. Some other time, maybe.
To her surprise A.J. reached for her hand. "You're a really special person, you know that?" he said in a soft voice.
A dizzy wave of bashfulness swept over Jessica, and she turned her face away. "Oh..." She was so confused she pulled her hand out of his grasp without thinking.
"Are you getting hungry?" A.J. asked in a slightly disappointed tone. He nodded back toward the way they had come. "I bet people are starting to show up by now."
"Sure, you're right," she replied. She felt a pang of regret. Their hike hadn't gone as well as she hoped it would, and she had just blown her first chance to get romantic. How could I be so stupid? she rebuked herself angrily.
But she managed a cheerful smile. "OK. Let's go. I'm starved."
"Didn't anybody bring paper towels or napkins? I got hamburger grease all over my hands!" Winston Egbert, a floppy chef's hat perched on his head, faced the crowd and gave a disgusted grimace. He shook the hamburger flipper for emphasis. "Every time we do this there's something missing! You guys must have your brains in a permanent airlock. It's no ketchup or no cups or no—" He was shouted down boisterously.
Elizabeth turned to Jeffrey and gave him a teasing grin. "Hey, wasn't that supposed to be your department?" she whispered. "Paper napkins?"
Shaking his head, Jeffrey put one finger to his lips. "Say anything and you die," he growled softly, his green eyes dancing.
"I'll just wait until I want to blackmail you for something."
Cara Walker reached across the picnic table for the big bottle of soda next to Elizabeth. "Liz? Isn't Jessica coming today?" the pretty brunette asked. Cara was one of Jessica's good friends, and she also dated the twins' older brother, Steven, who was a freshman at a nearby state university. She had invited him to come to the picnic, but he had had to work on a paper.
"Mmm. She's already here somewhere," Elizabeth answered, munching on a potato chip. She glanced out at the lake and shrugged. "She and A.J. came early to do some hiking."
Cara gave her a pained look. "Hiking?"
"That’s what I said to her," Elizabeth admitted.
"Well, this has got to be a first. There she is."
Turning quickly, Elizabeth saw her sister and AJ. emerge from the woods, looking tired, hot, and uncomfortable. At least that was the impression Elizabeth got from seeing her sister's face. Frowning, she watched Jessica and A.J. approach.
"Hey, you guys!" Roger Patman stood up on a bench and waved his hands for quiet. "Football game starts in two seconds. Shirts against skins. Come on—let's go."
"Count me out," Lila drawled, rolling her eyes.
"Me, too," Maria Santelli said, giggling. "I wouldn't want to get stuck on the wrong team, if you know what I mean."
All of the boys clambered off the picnic benches and headed for the big field, while the girls stayed put. DeeDee Gordon switched on a radio.
"Hey, nature girl," Amy called to Jessica. She grinned maliciously. "You look very elegant today."
Jessica flopped down onto the bench next to Elizabeth and let out a sigh of exhaustion. "Hi, yourself," she grumbled. She wore a world-weary expression as she poured herself a cup of soda and gulped it down. Sighing again, she stared out toward where the boys were playing football.
Elizabeth followed her sisters gaze to AJ. and remembered the odd expression each of them had worn as they joined the group.
"Everything OK?" she asked in an undertone.
Her sister shrugged. "Yeah. I guess so."
"How was hiking?"
"Horrible."
Suppressing a sigh of frustration, Elizabeth said, "Then why do it, Jess? This is just dumb."
"I told you, Liz," Jessica retorted, her voice tight with strain. She glanced over at A.J. again, and a quiver of emotion passed across her face. "I already told you."
Elizabeth opened her mouth to speak, but then shook her head without saying anything. No matter what, it seemed as though Jessica was determined to play a role in front of A.J., a role that she just wasn't meant for. And if Elizabeth was right in thinking that AJ. looked a little— she hated to admit it—bored, then Jessica was being her own worst enemy.
Elizabeth was dying to make everything perfect for her sister. All it would take was making sure AJ. knew what Jessica was really like. That way Jessica could drop the act and just be herself.
But I can't. I promised.
Sunk in gloom, Elizabeth stared out over the water while the other girls' conversation rattled on around her. The part of her that was always sensitive to her identical twin's feelings knew that Jessica was feeling a little depressed.
When the burgers were cooked, the boys all trooped back, and Jessica immediately perked up.
"Who won?" she asked, beaming up at A.J. All around the table, people were sitting down and reaching for food. The noise level instantly rose ten decibels.
He was panting as he pulled his T-shirt on over his head. "We did."
"Great! Good going." Jessica's voice was chirpy and bubbly, and she smiled like the happiest person in the world.
"Hey, you guys! You know the fund-raiser show's coming up," Winston announced through a mouthful of hamburger, "to raise money to start a dance program. They're auditioning all kinds of dance and musical acts. No stand-up comics, though," he added, trying to look depressed. "We're being discriminated against." Everyone laughed.
Jessica sat up a little straighter, Elizabeth noticed, at the mention of the variety show. Her twin was a glutton for the limelight and pictured herself as a great actress. Just recently Jessica had had a major role in You Can't Take It With You at school, and she had reveled in every minute of the attention—and applause.
There was an excited buzz of voices as everyone began talking about people who might audition. Elizabeth fully expected her sister to step in to take control and put herself in a starring role. But after a moment Jessica turned away and began a low conversation with A.J.
"Jessica? Are you going to try out for the show?" Sandra Bacon asked.
Surprisingly Jessica shook her head and let out a modest laugh. "No, I don't really like showing off like that," she replied, darting a glance at A.J. "Maybe I'll help out backstage, though. If the
hair, the same twinkling blue-green eyes, and the same beautiful heart-shaped faces. Each of them had a perfect size-six figure: five feet six inches of California girl. Growing up in the perpetual sunshine of Sweet Valley had given them a healthy glow that anyone would envy. Right down to the dimples in their left cheeks, Elizabeth and Jessica were mirror images of each other.
A.J. was gazing at her with a hopeful, little-boy look in his eyes. It took all her willpower not to lean across the table and kiss him. Instead, she whispered huskily, "Yes?"