toward the refreshment table.
"What's going on with Elizabeth?" she asked conspiratorially. "Lila just told me she heard that something's wrong with her. Is it true?"
Enid stared blankly at Caroline. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Caroline sucked in her breath. "Really, Enid. I'd think you'd be more sensitive to your best friend's problems."
"Problems? What problems? Who has Lila been talking to?"
"How should I know? But everyone's noticed how strange Liz has been acting--kind of like
she was after the time she had that motorcycle accident."
"That was ages ago," Enid said quickly. "Liz is just fine now. I'm her best friend. I would know if something were wrong, wouldn't I?"
"Sometimes best friends are the last to know," Caroline said, arching an eyebrow. "I'd keep a close watch on Liz if I were you."
"And if I were you," Enid replied angrily, "I wouldn't go around spreading rumors that you have no way of confirming."
"Who, me?" Caroline asked innocently.
Enid was close to tears as she hurried off. There was no point in telling Caroline to keep quiet. Everyone knew she was one of the biggest gossips in school. Even if the rumor wasn't true, she'd have everyone believing it before long.
Enid had to find Elizabeth. She had to warn her before things got out of control.
Elizabeth was busy looking for Todd, who had disappeared into the crowd during her showdown with Suzanne, when Enid came rushing up to her.
"You won't believe it, Liz! Caroline Pearce is telling, everyone that she heard you were having huge problems, that there's something wrong
with you, that your parents are getting professional help for you." Tears filled Enid's big green eyes. "Who could have started such an awful rumor?"
Elizabeth felt a renewed surge of anger. She'd underestimated Suzanne. Even before Elizabeth had been able to spill the truth about her, Suzanne was countering with an attack of her own. Was there nothing she wouldn't stoop to?
"Come oft, Enid," she said, tight-lipped. "Let's go find Suzanne. I think there's something you should know about our too-good-to-be-true friend."
Dumbfounded, Enid followed Elizabeth over to where Suzanne stood, surrounded by her usual throng of admirers. Trembling with outrage, Elizabeth marched up to her.
In a loud voice, she said, "I want you to stop telling lies about me."
Suzanne pretended complete shock. "Liz, what are you talking about? Why on earth Would I want to tell lies about you?"
Cold fury mounted in Elizabeth. Unlike her twin, she didn't get angry very often, but on the rare occasions when she did lose her temper, she was known to cause even the indomitable Jessica to back down.
"I know what you're up to," Elizabeth said. "You're trying to get everyone to think there's
something wrong with me so they won't believe it when I tell them what you did."
Suzanne exchanged a pitying, "see what I mean?" glance with Bruce Patman.
"I know you don't mean any of this, Liz," she said in a soft, conciliatory voice--the way one might talk to a child who's being unreasonable. "After all, you did hit your head awfully hard yesterday. Maybe you should go home and lie down."
Elizabeth frowned. "I never--"
"Oh, don't tell me you've forgotten already! Let me help you remember. We went swimming, and you cracked your head against the side of the pool doing laps."
"You're making it up. I never even went swimming yesterday!"
"Why would I want to make up a thing like that? Liz, you're absolutely my dearest friend! I would simply die if anything happened to you!"
"I'd rather have a rattlesnake for a friend!" Elizabeth cried in a choked voice. "After what you did--stealing my necklace, making up that terrible story about Mr. Collins--"
Suzanne slid an arm around Elizabeth's shoulders. "Poor Liz. You're imagining things again. How could I have stolen your necklace? You're wearing it. Look, you're probably just tired. I really think you should get some rest. Tell Todd
to take you home. And
"What's going on with Elizabeth?" she asked conspiratorially. "Lila just told me she heard that something's wrong with her. Is it true?"
Enid stared blankly at Caroline. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Caroline sucked in her breath. "Really, Enid. I'd think you'd be more sensitive to your best friend's problems."
"Problems? What problems? Who has Lila been talking to?"
"How should I know? But everyone's noticed how strange Liz has been acting--kind of like
she was after the time she had that motorcycle accident."
"That was ages ago," Enid said quickly. "Liz is just fine now. I'm her best friend. I would know if something were wrong, wouldn't I?"
"Sometimes best friends are the last to know," Caroline said, arching an eyebrow. "I'd keep a close watch on Liz if I were you."
"And if I were you," Enid replied angrily, "I wouldn't go around spreading rumors that you have no way of confirming."
"Who, me?" Caroline asked innocently.
Enid was close to tears as she hurried off. There was no point in telling Caroline to keep quiet. Everyone knew she was one of the biggest gossips in school. Even if the rumor wasn't true, she'd have everyone believing it before long.
Enid had to find Elizabeth. She had to warn her before things got out of control.
Elizabeth was busy looking for Todd, who had disappeared into the crowd during her showdown with Suzanne, when Enid came rushing up to her.
"You won't believe it, Liz! Caroline Pearce is telling, everyone that she heard you were having huge problems, that there's something wrong
with you, that your parents are getting professional help for you." Tears filled Enid's big green eyes. "Who could have started such an awful rumor?"
Elizabeth felt a renewed surge of anger. She'd underestimated Suzanne. Even before Elizabeth had been able to spill the truth about her, Suzanne was countering with an attack of her own. Was there nothing she wouldn't stoop to?
"Come oft, Enid," she said, tight-lipped. "Let's go find Suzanne. I think there's something you should know about our too-good-to-be-true friend."
Dumbfounded, Enid followed Elizabeth over to where Suzanne stood, surrounded by her usual throng of admirers. Trembling with outrage, Elizabeth marched up to her.
In a loud voice, she said, "I want you to stop telling lies about me."
Suzanne pretended complete shock. "Liz, what are you talking about? Why on earth Would I want to tell lies about you?"
Cold fury mounted in Elizabeth. Unlike her twin, she didn't get angry very often, but on the rare occasions when she did lose her temper, she was known to cause even the indomitable Jessica to back down.
"I know what you're up to," Elizabeth said. "You're trying to get everyone to think there's
something wrong with me so they won't believe it when I tell them what you did."
Suzanne exchanged a pitying, "see what I mean?" glance with Bruce Patman.
"I know you don't mean any of this, Liz," she said in a soft, conciliatory voice--the way one might talk to a child who's being unreasonable. "After all, you did hit your head awfully hard yesterday. Maybe you should go home and lie down."
Elizabeth frowned. "I never--"
"Oh, don't tell me you've forgotten already! Let me help you remember. We went swimming, and you cracked your head against the side of the pool doing laps."
"You're making it up. I never even went swimming yesterday!"
"Why would I want to make up a thing like that? Liz, you're absolutely my dearest friend! I would simply die if anything happened to you!"
"I'd rather have a rattlesnake for a friend!" Elizabeth cried in a choked voice. "After what you did--stealing my necklace, making up that terrible story about Mr. Collins--"
Suzanne slid an arm around Elizabeth's shoulders. "Poor Liz. You're imagining things again. How could I have stolen your necklace? You're wearing it. Look, you're probably just tired. I really think you should get some rest. Tell Todd
to take you home. And
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