part0017

"Jessica! You look beautiful!" Mrs. Wakefield exclaimed as Jessica entered the room on Friday night.

Elizabeth's heart sank. Her sister was looking more ravishing than ever in a pale-blue sleeveless dress that fell just above her ankles. It was sophisticated yet sexy, and it showed off her lanky figure. Her hair was perfectly blown dry so that every piece fell into place, and the makeup she was wearing finished off her polished look. Even though Elizabeth knew she could look just like that if she made the effort, she still felt incredibly jealous.

"Liz, don't you have to get ready for your date with Todd?" Jessica asked as she plopped down onto a chair. "I thought you were going on one of your nerdy literary dates."

"I'm already dressed for my date," Elizabeth snapped, feeling defensive about the jeans and old sweatshirt she'd thrown on. "Todd likes me just the way I am. I don't have to put on a bunch of makeup to get him to like me."

"Well, Ken likes me just the way I am too, but that doesn't mean I want to go dressed like a janitor on our date," Jessica teased. "I mean, really, you look terrible."

"Thanks for the compliment, sister dear," Elizabeth said curtly.

"What are you and Ken doing tonight?" Mrs. Wakefield asked.

"I don't know," Jessica said dreamily. "Ken said it was a surprise. He's planned something special for our second date. I can't wait. I need a fun night after the nightmare day I had."

"Nightmare at Sweet Valley High?" Mr. Wakefield joked.

"No, really," Jessica said. "Heather Mallone is ruining my life. I talked to the girls on the squad about Maria and Sandy being fired, and they didn't care. Heather has them eating out of her hand."

"I had lunch with Maria today, and she looked pretty upset," Elizabeth said. "Maybe you should ask her to join you on your date tonight."

Jessica burst out laughing. "Yeah, right. I'm really going to ask Maria to come on my date with Ken. I hope you're joking, because if you're not, I think you need to have the Jell-O taken out of your brain. Besides, Maria has a boyfriend. I'm sure she's seeing Winston tonight."

"Winston had to, umm . . . go visit his grandparents," Elizabeth lied. "I know she'd like the company."

"Well, if you're so worried about her, why don't you ask her to join you and your date?" Jessica said. "After all, she's really more your friend than she is mine."

"But I know she really feels close to you," Elizabeth tried.

"Liz, give it a rest," Jessica said, shaking her head. "She's not going on my date. Period. Finito."

Even Elizabeth had to admit to herself that that was a pretty lame way to try to ruin Jessica's date, but she was desperate. She knew there had to be some way to keep her from going out with Ken.

"Mom, don't you think Jessica still looks a little pale?" Elizabeth asked. "Maybe you're not over your sickness, Jess."

"I feel great," Jessica said. "The only thing making me sick is Heather Mallone. She's a virus of the worst kind, and I'd love to find the cure to get rid of her."

"Are you sure you feel better?" Mrs. Wakefield asked with a worried expression. "You were running a fever yesterday."

"I thought you were supposed to wait a couple of days after having a fever before you did too much activity," Elizabeth said. She knew her mother well enough to know that if she thought one of her kids was sick, she'd do anything to make them better. If I get her worried enough, Mom will forbid Jessica from going on her date , Elizabeth thought.

"I promise you, I never felt better," Jessica insisted.

"You were coughing all last night," Elizabeth lied. "I could barely sleep from all the noise coming out of your room."

"I was?" Jessica asked. "I don't remember that at all."

"I guess you were just coughing in your sleep," Elizabeth said. "You probably still have whatever bug it was that you had yesterday. I doubt Ken will really want to be exposed to it."

"Do you have the chills or anything?" Mrs. Wakefield asked, looking more and more worried. "Do you feel feverish?"

"I don't have a fever!" Jessica yelled. "Here, feel my forehead." Jessica walked over to her mom and knelt in front of her.

"You don't feel warm," Mrs. Wakefield said, putting one hand on Jessica's forehead and the other on her own.

"There. That settles it," Jessica said. "Now you can all stop worrying about me."

"I don't know," Elizabeth said, shaking her head. "You still look sick to me."

"Liz! What's with you tonight? If I didn't know better, I'd say you didn't want me to go on this date tonight!"

"Why would you ever think anything as silly as that?" Elizabeth asked innocently. "I'm just worried about you."

"Well, don't worry about me," Jessica said. "I can take care of myself. Especially with the help of the handsome Ken Matthews."

"I just heard a car pull up," Mr. Wakefield said.

Jessica looked out the window. "It's Ken!"

Elizabeth felt a wave of jealousy and sadness flood over her.

"See you guys later! Don't wait up!" Jessica called out as she jumped up and flew through the front door.

Elizabeth was sitting next to Todd at the bookstore listening to one of her favorite writers read a short story, and she had no idea what the story was about. Normally, she would have been hanging on every word, but her thoughts were miles away.

She had one thing on her mind, and it wasn't literature. Where are they right now? Elizabeth wondered as her eyes stared blankly at the psychology bookshelf to her right. What does "very romantic" mean? Todd said Ken planned something "very romantic" for their date. I'm afraid that doesn't mean bowling .

She looked at Todd, who was absorbed by the reading. Their shared interest in books and writers was one of Elizabeth's favorite things about her relationship with Todd, but now it all seemed boring. I'm sure Ken and Jessica are doing something a lot more romantic than this right now .

"This is great, isn't it?" Todd whispered in her ear. "Let's buy a copy of her new book when she's done."

"Yeah, great," Elizabeth whispered back.

Her guilt was unbearable. Todd was so eager to please. The reading had been her idea, and he was there jumping right into it with enthusiasm, as he did everything. He's a great guy. Why can't I just be happy with him and forget about Ken?

Elizabeth turned her face toward the direction of the writer and tried to plaster an interested smile on her face, but it was taking all her effort. Every now and then Todd would smile at her to acknowledge something funny or well written, and Elizabeth smiled back, even though she had no idea what she was smiling about.

After what seemed like an eternity, the audience applauded the author, and Elizabeth realized the reading was over.

"So which story did you like the most?" Todd asked.

"What do you mean?" Elizabeth asked.

"She read three different stories. I was just wondering if you liked one more than the other."

Elizabeth was so out of it that she didn't even realize that the writer had read more than one story. "Hmmmm, well, it's hard to say which one I liked best. They were all so good."

"I know what you mean," Todd said. "I think I liked the one about the old women at the post office the most."

"Yeah, that was a great one," Elizabeth said. "Do you want to browse around awhile?" She was eager to stop a detailed conversation about the stories, since it would be obvious that she hadn't been listening. She certainly didn't want to have to explain why she hadn't been paying attention.

"So I wonder what Ken and Jessica are up to tonight," Elizabeth said as they walked slowly through the poetry section of the bookstore. She was trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.

"Ken was really secretive about it," Todd said, pulling out a volume of Robert Frost's poems. "All he said was that he'd planned something totally romantic."

Romantic. I'm starting to hate that word , Elizabeth thought as her curiosity grew stronger by the minute. "Do you think he just meant that they were going to a movie?"

"Like I said, he was vague on the details, but from the look on his face I would imagine they're doing something pretty special," Todd said as he flipped through the pages of the book he was holding.

"Did he say anything about his feelings for Jessica?" Elizabeth asked. She pulled out a book of Adrienne Rich's poetry and flipped through the pages in an attempt to seem casual.

"Liz, you're holding that book upside down," Todd said.

Elizabeth looked at the book and saw that in fact it was upside down. She quickly put it back on the shelf. "I guess I'm just still thinking about those wonderful stories Kate Staples just read."

"Yeah, you seem a little spacey," Todd said, kissing her on the cheek.

"So did he say anything to you about how he feels about my sister?" Elizabeth asked again. She hated pumping him for answers like that, but since he was Ken's best friend, he was the best source for finding out the information she wanted.

"Well, it seems like he really has the hots for her," Todd said.

"How can you tell? Did he actually say that?"

"Hey, why such a big interest in Ken and Jessica?"

Because I had a fling with him when you were in Vermont, and I can't stand that he's dating my sister , Elizabeth thought miserably to herself. "Just normal sisterly concern. I guess I'm just afraid of Jessica getting hurt again. You know how awful that whole thing with Jeremy was. I just want to make sure Ken has good intentions."

"Well, you don't have anything to worry about," Todd said, taking her in his arms and hugging her tightly. "And I think it's really touching that you're so worried about your sister."

Not as touching as you think , Elizabeth thought guiltily.

"You didn't answer my question," she asked as they stood at the counter while Todd bought a signed copy of the book of short stories.

"Which question? You asked fifty already," Todd teased.

"How can you tell he has the hots for Jessica? Did he tell you that?"

"He didn't really come out and say it in those exact words. He didn't have to—it was written all over his face. He gets this kind of look when he mentions her name."

"What kind of look?"

"Kind of gooey and embarrassed—I guess it's a guy thing. I probably look the same way when I'm talking about you."

Elizabeth and Todd walked outside hand in hand. "So do you want to go get some ice cream at Casey's?" Todd asked.

Elizabeth didn't think she could bear having to put up a cheerful front any longer. All she wanted to do was go home and wait up for her sister. "I think I might be coming down with the same thing Jessica had. Do you mind taking me home?"

"Sure, if that's what you want. Do you want to rent a video on the way to your house? We could watch it together."

"OK, close your eyes," Ken said to Jessica.

Ken and Jessica had driven up the coast to a beautiful secluded beach, and they were sitting on a blanket in the moonlight.

As soon as Jessica was in Ken's car, her problems of the day started to drift slowly away. They had chatted nonstop on the drive up the coast, and Jessica didn't think she'd ever dated anyone she felt so comfortable with. It was a whole new concept to her—dating someone who is also a friend.

"You can open them now."

Jessica opened her eyes. Ken had lit two little lanterns that were on the sand, and he'd packed a gourmet meal that was spread out on the blanket. There was pasta with pesto, French bread with Brie cheese, strawberries dipped in chocolate, a Caesar salad, and chocolate cheesecake. He'd also brought along a boom box, which was playing some cool jazz.

"This is incredible! Where did you get all this?"

"I went to that new gourmet deli earlier today and asked them to pack a romantic picnic for the beach," Ken said. "I wanted tonight to be special."

"It is special," Jessica said. "And you're really special, Ken." She leaned over and kissed Ken tenderly on the lips.

Ken filled two champagne glasses with sparkling apple cider and handed one to Jessica. "I'd like to propose a toast. To the beginning of a beautiful relationship."

"You're quoting Humphrey Bogart from Casablanca ," Jessica said with excitement. "That's my favorite movie."

"That's my favorite movie," Ken said, laughing. "I've seen it about five times."

"I think you're the first guy I've met who loved that movie," Jessica said. "I'm starving—let's eat."

Ken smeared a huge chunk of Brie onto a piece of French bread and handed it to Jessica. "How's that for a start?"

"Perfect," Jessica said, taking a big bite. "This definitely is not on Heather's starvation diet. She'd probably be horrified if she saw me eating this. I read somewhere that Brie has more fat in it than any other cheese. I'm loving every last fat gram."

"Heather's diet-and-exercise plan sounds really ridiculous," Ken said, preparing a piece of bread and Brie for himself. "If she's not careful, she's going to have a squad of anorexic cheerleaders."

"You're right," Jessica said in a serious tone. Jessica looked out at the water that was lit up by the full moon and thought about Robin and her bout with anorexia. She had gotten so thin and weak that eventually she had to be hospitalized and fed intravenously. She felt a pang of sadness. If only Robin were still here , she thought. All my problems with Heather would be nonexistent. Robin would still be my cocaptain, and Sandy and Maria would still be on the squad .

"I still can't believe that people are going along with her," Ken said. "I give them about two days of dieting and exercising before they come running back to you, demanding that you be the sole captain. I would just wait it out and let them see for themselves how terrible Heather's plan is."

"Do you really think that will happen?" Jessica asked hopefully. "Heather has them so convinced that she knows what's best for them. Maybe she does."

"Jessica, you're a great captain, and I don't want you to think for a minute that Heather knows more about cheerleading than you do. Your squad was better than ever at that Big Mesa game two weeks ago."

"Even better than last Wednesday's game?"

"A thousand times better," Ken said. "And I'm really in a position to know, since I'm on the team. What you girls do out there on the field really affects how we play. We count on that energy and support, and it was so much stronger when you were in charge than when Heather was."

"Are you just saying that to make me feel better?" Jessica asked as she studied Ken's gorgeous face in the moonlight.

"If it makes you feel better, I'm glad, but that's not why I'm saying it," Ken said. "I honestly think that."

"You're the best," Jessica said.

Ken looked deeply into Jessica's eyes and took her face in his hands. "And you're beautiful, Jessica Wakefield. If I don't kiss you right now, I'm going to have to run into the water and drown myself."

"We can't have that," Jessica teased. "Your parents would never forgive me, not to mention the football team."

Jessica closed her eyes and Ken kissed her sweetly on the lips. She felt her heart pounding, and even though she didn't really want to, she pulled herself away from Ken's embrace before they went any further.

"I think we better eat," Jessica said. "And I want you to fill up my plate with high-fat food. This girl is not on a diet!"