to Suzanne in the coatroorn."
"You knew?"
He shrugged. "Yeah. It made me realize how stupid I've been. Falling for someone without getting to know what she was really like. I should be the one thanking you, Liz. For setting me straight. As for the accident, well"--he winked--"let's just say that clumsiness comes in handy sometimes."
"Oh, Winston, you spilled that drink on purpose. I love you!" Elizabeth cried, kissing him on the cheek.
"You're lucky I'm not the jealous type," Todd growled, wrapping his arms around her from behind. "Where've you been, anyway? I've been all over the club grounds looking for you."
"I was having a private talk with Suzanne in the coatroorn. And then"--Elizabeth paused to
smile at Winston--"Win and I Were taking care of a little unfinished business."
"So I heard. The whole place is buzzing about what happened. Sorry I missed all the action. Guess you really showed Suzanne up."
"The main thing is that now Mr. Collins won't have to lose his job. I think we have enough witnesses who'll tell the school board what that girl is really like. And Winston and I heard her admit she was lying. I don't think she'll be able to do any more damage now."
"Boy, Jessica is going to be mad when she hears about all the stuff she missed out on," Winston commented, cramming an entire chopped-olive sandwich into his mouth at once.
Elizabeth laughed. "Knowing Jessica, I'm sure she'll have a few stories of her own to tell,"
Seventeen
Home, sweet boring home, Jessica thought as she, her parents, and Steven entered the house. Instantly she flung herself into Elizabeth's arms. She never thought she'd be so happy to be back in dull old Sweet Valley, but after the "excitement" of New York, she could use a little dullness. For a little while, at least. Jessica rarely went for long without a fasten-your-seatbelt thrill of some kind.
"Would you believe I actually missed your ugly face?" Jessica gushed, as Elizabeth helped her upstairs with her suitcases. . "Hey, watch who you call ugly," Elizabeth warned with a laugh. "You're talking about yourself, too, you know."
"In that case, I take it back. You're absolutely gorgeous. I was just getting back at you for not coming with Mom and Dad to meet me at the airport. Where were you?"
Elizabeth sighed. It was such a long story. Suzanne ... the stolen necklace ... Mr. Collins. Elizabeth's own head was still spinning over the whole ugly mess. She didn't want to think about it right then. And if she ever heard Suzanne's name again, it would probably be too soon. Jessica would know what had happened soon enough--probably the minute she phoned Cara.
"Uh, sorry, Jess, I just didn't feel like riding to the airport, that's all."
It wasn't a lie, really. The prospect of a chilly ride with Suzanne had been enough to quell her excitement at seeing Jessica again. Suzanne hadn't spoken a word to her since Lila's party. She hadn't even bothered to say goodbye.
Jessica acted hurt. "I suppose you and what's-her-name were having such a fabulous time you didn't even know I was gone. What was she like? Mom and Dad didn't tell me anything!"
A smile tugged at the corners of Elizabeth's mouth, but she held it in. "Oh, Suzanne was really--something else."
Jessica felt a pinprick of jealousy. Things hadn't worked out at all the way she'd imagined. She
was the one who was supposed to have had all the fun, not Elizabeth. Instead, the tables had been turned. It wasn't fair!
After they deposited the suitcases in Jessica's room, Elizabeth pulled Jessica into her own room. "Now, I want to hear everything about your trip--and don't you dare leave out a single detail. I'm dying to know who this mystery man is," Elizabeth sat down on her bed and tugged Jessica down beside her.
"Oh, him." Jessica had forgotten all about the phone call to her sister before she'd found out what Pete was really like. "His name's Pete McCafferty."
"Suzanne's boyfriend! He's the mystery man?" Elizabeth broke
"You knew?"
He shrugged. "Yeah. It made me realize how stupid I've been. Falling for someone without getting to know what she was really like. I should be the one thanking you, Liz. For setting me straight. As for the accident, well"--he winked--"let's just say that clumsiness comes in handy sometimes."
"Oh, Winston, you spilled that drink on purpose. I love you!" Elizabeth cried, kissing him on the cheek.
"You're lucky I'm not the jealous type," Todd growled, wrapping his arms around her from behind. "Where've you been, anyway? I've been all over the club grounds looking for you."
"I was having a private talk with Suzanne in the coatroorn. And then"--Elizabeth paused to
smile at Winston--"Win and I Were taking care of a little unfinished business."
"So I heard. The whole place is buzzing about what happened. Sorry I missed all the action. Guess you really showed Suzanne up."
"The main thing is that now Mr. Collins won't have to lose his job. I think we have enough witnesses who'll tell the school board what that girl is really like. And Winston and I heard her admit she was lying. I don't think she'll be able to do any more damage now."
"Boy, Jessica is going to be mad when she hears about all the stuff she missed out on," Winston commented, cramming an entire chopped-olive sandwich into his mouth at once.
Elizabeth laughed. "Knowing Jessica, I'm sure she'll have a few stories of her own to tell,"
Seventeen
Home, sweet boring home, Jessica thought as she, her parents, and Steven entered the house. Instantly she flung herself into Elizabeth's arms. She never thought she'd be so happy to be back in dull old Sweet Valley, but after the "excitement" of New York, she could use a little dullness. For a little while, at least. Jessica rarely went for long without a fasten-your-seatbelt thrill of some kind.
"Would you believe I actually missed your ugly face?" Jessica gushed, as Elizabeth helped her upstairs with her suitcases. . "Hey, watch who you call ugly," Elizabeth warned with a laugh. "You're talking about yourself, too, you know."
"In that case, I take it back. You're absolutely gorgeous. I was just getting back at you for not coming with Mom and Dad to meet me at the airport. Where were you?"
Elizabeth sighed. It was such a long story. Suzanne ... the stolen necklace ... Mr. Collins. Elizabeth's own head was still spinning over the whole ugly mess. She didn't want to think about it right then. And if she ever heard Suzanne's name again, it would probably be too soon. Jessica would know what had happened soon enough--probably the minute she phoned Cara.
"Uh, sorry, Jess, I just didn't feel like riding to the airport, that's all."
It wasn't a lie, really. The prospect of a chilly ride with Suzanne had been enough to quell her excitement at seeing Jessica again. Suzanne hadn't spoken a word to her since Lila's party. She hadn't even bothered to say goodbye.
Jessica acted hurt. "I suppose you and what's-her-name were having such a fabulous time you didn't even know I was gone. What was she like? Mom and Dad didn't tell me anything!"
A smile tugged at the corners of Elizabeth's mouth, but she held it in. "Oh, Suzanne was really--something else."
Jessica felt a pinprick of jealousy. Things hadn't worked out at all the way she'd imagined. She
was the one who was supposed to have had all the fun, not Elizabeth. Instead, the tables had been turned. It wasn't fair!
After they deposited the suitcases in Jessica's room, Elizabeth pulled Jessica into her own room. "Now, I want to hear everything about your trip--and don't you dare leave out a single detail. I'm dying to know who this mystery man is," Elizabeth sat down on her bed and tugged Jessica down beside her.
"Oh, him." Jessica had forgotten all about the phone call to her sister before she'd found out what Pete was really like. "His name's Pete McCafferty."
"Suzanne's boyfriend! He's the mystery man?" Elizabeth broke
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