closing her eyes and raising her face for a kiss.
But the kiss, when it came, was nothing like what she'd expected. Jessica's heart went into a tailspin. A kiss on the cheek! Like he was her brother, for cripe's sake! She'd never been so humiliated in her entire life!
"Yeah, really great, Jess. See you at school."
And he was gone.
"You creep!" Jessica said aloud as she stood there by herself. "Todd Wilkins, I swear I'll get even with you if it's the last thing I ever do!"
Elizabeth reached out to turn off her light but stopped when she heard the front door close.
Jessica was home. I suppose I'll have to listen to every dreamy detail.
Jessica stuck her head into the room. "Can we talk for a minute, Liz?"
"Sure, Jess. Tell me all about it. I'll bet you had one fabulous time tonight!"
"Fabulous?"
"Well, of course. An evening with Todd. Good-looking, good dancer, super-nice guy. What more could you want?"
Jessica suddenly knew how she was going to get even with Todd. That "nice guy" image was about to be destroyed.
"Oh, Liz, it was so awful!" Jessica's eyes filled with tears.
"Awful? What are you talking about, Jess?"
"I thought he liked me, Lizzie," she said between sobs. "I thought he respected me and everything!"
"Jessie, what happened?"
"Oh, Liz, I can't. I can't tell you!" Jessica collapsed, covering her face with her hands. "I'm--I'm too ashamed."
Elizabeth put her arm around Jessica's shoulder. "It's all right, Jess. You can tell me anything, you know that."
"Maybe I should tell you." Jessica sniffled. "You really should be warned about him. You might go out with him sometime, and I'd just
never forgive myself if I didn't tell you what the real Todd Wilkins is like."
"What did he do?"
"That rat tried just about everything. The horrible thing was that I could hardly make him stop. I had to beg him and beg him to please stop!"
"Oh, no." Elizabeth moaned, squeezing Jessica's shoulder in sympathy. "I can't believe it."
"I know. I couldn't believe it either. I even remember saying to him as I was fighting him off that I couldn't believe it."
"And what did he do then?" Elizabeth asked, flushed with anger.
"I don't remember. But, oh, Liz, it was awful. He just wouldn't stop. His hands! Oh, God, they were everywhere. And--"
"Don't tell me any more. I've heard enough."
Jessica wiped away the tears with the back of her hand. "Lizzie, you're not mad at me for telling you, are you?" she asked. "I just didn't want you ever to be in that kind of situation. I wanted to protect you, Lizzie."
"Of course I'm not mad, Jess. Not at you, anyway," Elizabeth exploded. "How dare Todd Wilkins treat you that way? How dare he! I'll kill him--absolutely kill him!" she raged.
No need, Liz, Jessica said to herself. I just took care of that myself.
Thirteen
The knock on the door was soft but persistent.
"Steve?"
No answer. Ned Wakefield knocked again.
"I have to talk to you."
Mr. Wakefield turned the doorknob slowly. The room was in total darkness, although it was almost nine in the morning. He pulled up the shades and walked toward the bed, where his son was hidden under the blankets.
"Hey."
Steven didn't stir.
Ned Wakefield sat on the bed and poked the lump under the blankets. "I'm not going away, so you might as well come out."
The blanket fell away from his face, and Steven blinked at his father. There was a two-day
beard on his face, and his eyes were bloodshot and swollen.
"You look terrible," said Mr. Wakefield.
Steven sat up on the side of the bed and held his face in his hands. "Why not? I feel terrible."
"Listen, Steve, I used to think my troubles would go away if I hid out long enough, too. But they won't."
"Thanks, Dr. Wakefield."
"You're welcome. Now, get up, shave, take a shower, and come on down. Let's talk."
"I thought you had an important case to work on."
"I have. Wakefield versus Wakefield. Up!"
Back downstairs, Alice Wakefield looked at her husband with concern. "Is he
But the kiss, when it came, was nothing like what she'd expected. Jessica's heart went into a tailspin. A kiss on the cheek! Like he was her brother, for cripe's sake! She'd never been so humiliated in her entire life!
"Yeah, really great, Jess. See you at school."
And he was gone.
"You creep!" Jessica said aloud as she stood there by herself. "Todd Wilkins, I swear I'll get even with you if it's the last thing I ever do!"
Elizabeth reached out to turn off her light but stopped when she heard the front door close.
Jessica was home. I suppose I'll have to listen to every dreamy detail.
Jessica stuck her head into the room. "Can we talk for a minute, Liz?"
"Sure, Jess. Tell me all about it. I'll bet you had one fabulous time tonight!"
"Fabulous?"
"Well, of course. An evening with Todd. Good-looking, good dancer, super-nice guy. What more could you want?"
Jessica suddenly knew how she was going to get even with Todd. That "nice guy" image was about to be destroyed.
"Oh, Liz, it was so awful!" Jessica's eyes filled with tears.
"Awful? What are you talking about, Jess?"
"I thought he liked me, Lizzie," she said between sobs. "I thought he respected me and everything!"
"Jessie, what happened?"
"Oh, Liz, I can't. I can't tell you!" Jessica collapsed, covering her face with her hands. "I'm--I'm too ashamed."
Elizabeth put her arm around Jessica's shoulder. "It's all right, Jess. You can tell me anything, you know that."
"Maybe I should tell you." Jessica sniffled. "You really should be warned about him. You might go out with him sometime, and I'd just
never forgive myself if I didn't tell you what the real Todd Wilkins is like."
"What did he do?"
"That rat tried just about everything. The horrible thing was that I could hardly make him stop. I had to beg him and beg him to please stop!"
"Oh, no." Elizabeth moaned, squeezing Jessica's shoulder in sympathy. "I can't believe it."
"I know. I couldn't believe it either. I even remember saying to him as I was fighting him off that I couldn't believe it."
"And what did he do then?" Elizabeth asked, flushed with anger.
"I don't remember. But, oh, Liz, it was awful. He just wouldn't stop. His hands! Oh, God, they were everywhere. And--"
"Don't tell me any more. I've heard enough."
Jessica wiped away the tears with the back of her hand. "Lizzie, you're not mad at me for telling you, are you?" she asked. "I just didn't want you ever to be in that kind of situation. I wanted to protect you, Lizzie."
"Of course I'm not mad, Jess. Not at you, anyway," Elizabeth exploded. "How dare Todd Wilkins treat you that way? How dare he! I'll kill him--absolutely kill him!" she raged.
No need, Liz, Jessica said to herself. I just took care of that myself.
Thirteen
The knock on the door was soft but persistent.
"Steve?"
No answer. Ned Wakefield knocked again.
"I have to talk to you."
Mr. Wakefield turned the doorknob slowly. The room was in total darkness, although it was almost nine in the morning. He pulled up the shades and walked toward the bed, where his son was hidden under the blankets.
"Hey."
Steven didn't stir.
Ned Wakefield sat on the bed and poked the lump under the blankets. "I'm not going away, so you might as well come out."
The blanket fell away from his face, and Steven blinked at his father. There was a two-day
beard on his face, and his eyes were bloodshot and swollen.
"You look terrible," said Mr. Wakefield.
Steven sat up on the side of the bed and held his face in his hands. "Why not? I feel terrible."
"Listen, Steve, I used to think my troubles would go away if I hid out long enough, too. But they won't."
"Thanks, Dr. Wakefield."
"You're welcome. Now, get up, shave, take a shower, and come on down. Let's talk."
"I thought you had an important case to work on."
"I have. Wakefield versus Wakefield. Up!"
Back downstairs, Alice Wakefield looked at her husband with concern. "Is he
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