"This weekend, as a matter of fact."
Lila and Jessica stared at each other and each let out a little shriek. "Omigod. This weekend," Jessica cried.
''I've got to go to the mall. I don't have a thing to wear," Lila moaned.
Enid burst out laughing. "You two are incredible. You haven't even met him yet. How do you know you'll even like him?"
"Oh, I can tell right away," Lila protested. "I knew the minute I saw his picture."
"Me, too," Jessica seconded. "I don't know, something about that gorgeous build, that incredible face."
"I can't stand this anymore," Winston declared. "Let me see this photograph before I go put a bag over my head."
Enid grinned. "I've got it here somewhere." She reached for her purse and poked around inside it.
"I saw you put it back in your wallet last week," Lila said helpfully.
"You're right. Here it is." Enid took out a small snapshot. "This picture is two years old, though. I'm sure he's changed."
Winston craned his neck for a look, but it was hard to see much of Jake with Lila and Jessica sticking their heads in his way.
"He's so gorgeous." Jessica breathed deeply. "How does he stay so tan, living in San Francisco?"
"Look at those dimples. I've never met a guy with dimples who wasn't a doll," Lila pronounced.
"And curly hair, too. He's just my type," Jessica cried.
Enid laughed. "Whoa! Back off, you two! For all I know, he may have a girlfriend."
The possibility seemed to stun Jessica. "He can't, or he wouldn't ever go away for a long weekend," she said vehemently.
"Right," Lila agreed. "But that doesn't mean he won't have a girlfriend after this weekend. Enid, this cousin of yours is way too cute to keep under wraps. You have to be sure he gets lots of public exposure!"
"I can see it now," Jessica crooned. "I'll be up in San Francisco every other weekend."
"I love a guy who's serious about tennis," Lila added. "It's so, you know. So rich."
"Maybe you can buy him some clay courts as a welcome gift, Lila," Winston wisecracked.
"Hey," a familiar voice interrupted, "is there any room here, or do I have to eat this gruesome-looking lunch standing up?"
Elizabeth looked up to see Amy Sutton standing uncertainly near the table, holding her tray. "There's plenty of room. Todd, squeeze over," she said.
Elizabeth noticed that neither Jessica nor Lila said a word.
"What are you all looking at?" Amy asked, unloading the food from her tray.
"Enid's cousin is coming to visit this weekend. We're looking at his picture," Elizabeth explained, noticing again that neither Jessica nor Lila volunteered an explanation. Were they deliberately giving Amy the cold shoulder?
"Oh, yeah. I saw it before. He's cute," Amy said.
"Hands off, Amy." Lila smirked. "Hey, remember what happened when my cousin came to town?" she asked everyone at the table.
Enid blushed, and everyone fell silent.
Elizabeth could see that Amy looked uncomfortable, and she felt sorry for her. It was an awkward memory. Soon after Amy had moved back to Sweet Valley, Lila's cousin Christopher had come to visit and had created a real stir. Lila had given a big party in his honor, and Amy had chased him the whole night, even though it was clear to everyone but Amy that Christopher was not in the least bit interested in her.
In fact, Christopher had discovered he had an old friend at the party. He and Enid had gone to summer camp together several years before, and he had much preferred chatting with Enid about old times to dancing with Amy. There had been an embarrassing scene for Amy in the end. Elizabeth was a little surprised Lila had recalled the incident so publicly.
"Just keep Jake away from Amy, that's all I can say," Lila continued.
Amy's face was red. "I'm not going to make a play for Jake, Lila," she said hotly. "I happen to be a very different person now than I was then."
Jessica and Lila burst into giggles, and Amy looked hurt.
"Listen, I need help in planning some fun things to do while Jake's here," Enid said quickly, breaking the tension at the table. "I'm going to get some ice cream. Then we can get down to some serious scheming."
Amy poked unhappily at her salad. She would have felt a lot better if she had sat all by herself.
Some friends, she thought glumly, watching Jessica and Lila put their heads together and giggle as they shared some remark about Jake Farrell's photograph.
As if Amy were really planning to go after Jake! What her friends did not understand was that the new Amy Sutton wanted a serious relationship, not just a weekend fling. And she had already started working on it. She had seen Tom McKay that morning in study hall and had given him her most dazzling smile. Sure enough, he had smiled back at her.
Amy was doing things differently this time. She was not going to rush. She was going to take things slowly and with determination. Just wait until her friends and parents saw she had a steady boyfriend. They would be sure to stop treating her like such a flake!
Enid came back to the table, her hands clutching several ice-cream bars which she distributed among the others. "OK, guys, let's get serious. Jake gets in on Friday afternoon and leaves Monday. Help me think of some ways to show him a good time in Sweet Valley."
Amy decided to show Jessica and Lila she was not going to hold a grudge against them for having teased her in public. "How about having a party, like Lila did? That's a great way to introduce him to a lot of people."
Jessica made a face. "We already said we don't want a rerun of Lila's party, Amy. How do we know you're not going to steal Jake, like you tried to steal Christopher!"
Amy was stung. Hadn't they teased her about that night enough? Couldn't they let up? Obviously, rising above their tactics was not going to work. Jessica and Lila were out to get her.
"Cut it out, you guys," she muttered.
Jessica didn't notice Amy's genuine embarrassment. "Come on, Amy, don't lose your sense of humor. We know you too well." She began to tick off on her fingers the number of guys Amy had already dated that year. "Let's see . . . Peter DeHaven, Bruce Patman, Ken Matthews, Scott Trost. . . ."
Amy was quickly losing her appetite. "I thought we were supposed to be helping Enid, not destroying my credibility," she said, trying to keep her voice steady.
"Yeah, lighten up, Jess," Maria reproached.
Jessica sniffed. "I don't see why Amy can't take a little teasing."
Everybody fell silent. Amy stared down at her plate.
Enid cleared her throat and picked up her pencil. "It might be fun to have a party on Sunday night. After all, we don't have school on Monday."
"How about getting together at the Beach Disco on Saturday night. Does Jake like to dance?" Winston asked.
"As far as I know. Remember, I haven't seen him in two years," Enid replied. "But knowing Jake, he'd love that. Let's plan that, then. A get-together at the Beach Disco on Saturday, and a party at my house on Sunday night."
"Perfect. I can hardly wait," Lila pronounced.
The next ten minutes were filled with talk of the weekend. Once or twice Amy tried to make a comment, but no one really seemed to notice. What's going on here? she wondered. Usually, Amy was the center of attention, sharing the stage with Jessica and Lila. Now, nobody even noticed she was alive.
It would be different if I had a boyfriend, she thought fiercely, sneaking an envious glance at Elizabeth and Todd. It's obvious I can't rely on my friends. Elizabeth and Todd were so happy together. Todd seemed to anticipate everything Elizabeth needed. He even got up to get her something to drink! And she could tell they were holding hands under the table.
That was what Amy wanted. Someone to cuddle up with at football games, someone to take long walks with on the beach. No more flirting and chasing and pursuing and getting herself in weird situations. She wanted something steady, something serious. Someone who would love her for who she was.
"Listen, guys, will you excuse m
e? I've got some studying to do," Amy said as she got up from the table.
Jessica waved indifferently and Lila nodded. "Bye, Amy," Enid and Elizabeth said in unison.
Amy turned away quickly. Just wait, she vowed. They won't treat me this way once I've gotten things off the ground with Tom!
Amy never went to the library during lunch period. But that morning in study hall she had overheard Tom tell a friend that he was way behind in his homework because of tennis practice, and that he was going to have to start using lunch periods to catch up.
Amy spotted Tom across the room and her stomach did a tiny dive. Tom was incredibly cute. He was tall, tanned, with short blond hair and a casual but stylish way of dressing that Amy admired. She liked everything about Tom. He had every single one of the qualities on her "list." He was athletic, he was popular, he was good-looking. Perfect boyfriend material.
Tom was sitting alone at a corner table, books spread out before him. Amy approached him somewhat tentatively. She waited for him to look up and notice her.
She cleared her throat loudly and still he didn't look up. Frowning, Amy pulled out a chair and thumped her books down on his table.
Tom looked up briefly, and then back down at his notebook.
"Hi, Tom," Amy whispered. "What are you doing here?"
He looked up reluctantly. "Uh, I've got some homework to catch up on," he whispered in answer to her question.
"Me, too. Isn't it the worst?" Amy said sympathetically.
Tom nodded. He didn't seem eager to carry on a conversation.
"Do you always work in the library?" Amy persisted.
Tom ran his hand through his hair. "No. But I really need to get this assignment finished, Amy. I'll talk to you later, OK?"
Amy nodded. "I'll talk to you later," Tom had said. That wasn't such a bad start. Although she was used to getting what she wanted right away, Amy knew she had to be patient with Tom. He was a bit shy, and he might still be feeling vulnerable if Jean had hurt his feelings.
Amy sneaked appreciative little glances at Tom as she pretended to read her Spanish book. He was gorgeous, no denying it. She could hardly wait until they were boyfriend and girlfriend. Maybe they would have study dates! That ought to make her parents happy! Amy began to daydream about what it would be like once they were really serious about each other. They would spend every weekend together, she'd have a date for every special occasion, and no more feeling lonely or left out. A boyfriend took care of those awful feelings!
About ten minutes later Tom closed his book in exasperation. "I've got to get going," he whispered as he gathered his books together.
Amy was out of her seat in a second. "Me, too," she said, flashing him a bright smile. And before Tom had gotten half a yard away from the table, Amy had fallen into step beside him.
Four
After school Amy headed for her first appointment at Project Youth. She felt a little apprehensive as she neared the modest brick building that housed the clinic. She was sure the last thing she would be any good at was social work. She knew herself well enough to realize that she was not particularly interested in other people's problems. And lately she had had enough crises of her own to worry about. How could she possibly help other people with theirs?
Still, there was something about social work that intrigued Amy. As she approached the clinic, she remembered the movie she had seen, the one that had so impressed her. The heroine had managed to make people's lives better. To Amy's surprise she had been very moved by the story.
But this was not a movie, she reminded herself. This was real life, and this clinic looked all too real, at least from the outside.
Amy opened the front door cautiously. The scene that greeted her was friendly and relaxed, not at all like what Amy had supposed a clinic would look like. In a room to her right, a group of teenagers, all about thirteen or fourteen, were playing cards, listening to music, and talking. A small woman of about thirty got up from her place with the group and gave Amy a big smile. "You must be Amy Sutton. Your teacher told me you'd be coming. I'm Kathy Henry. Let me tell you a little about what we do."
Kathy gave Amy a tour of the clinic. As they went she explained who they were and how they worked. "Most of the people who come here are teenagers. Some are as young as ten or eleven, some as old as eighteen, but most are in junior high. They come for all sorts of reasons. Some are having trouble in school or at home. Some have problems with drinking or drugs. Some are depressed. We hear all kinds of stories here and our most important rule is that we respect each other no matter what."
Amy nodded. She liked this woman. She seemed very real and down-to-earth, not at all condescending.
"We have another volunteer from your school. He started with us last year. He's been working on the hot lines, answering phone calls from teens in trouble. If you'd like, you could work with him for a while, that is, while you're undergoing the introductory training sessions. Each session is an hour and you'll need four hours of training before you can solo on the phones. In fact, a session is starting in a few minutes. Why not jump on board now?"
"Sure." Amy was scared. She could not imagine answering a phone call from someone in trouble. What advice could she possibly have to give? Maybe she'd be given a manual in addition to her training, a book that held all the answers.
An hour later, Kathy escorted Amy to the switchboard.
"Barry?" Kathy called to a slender, dark-haired boy who looked familiar to Amy. "Barry, this is Amy. She's just had her first hour of training and she's going to be working with you for a while. Help her out, OK?" Kathy waved and headed off.
"I know you," Barry said, his eyes lighting up. "You're Amy Sutton, right?"
Amy nodded. She didn't really know Barry, and frankly, he didn't look all that thrilling. Dark curly hair, glasses. Maybe he would be cute if he sat up a little straighter and got contact lenses.
"I'm on the tennis team," he explained.
"Oh. With Tom McKay?" Amy demanded.
"Yeah." Barry looked away. "Well, I guess we should get to work. Let me show you how to work the switchboard."
As Amy took a seat next to him, she congratulated herself on her good luck. If she got friendly with Barry, maybe he would put in a good word for her with Tom!
"What made you sign up to help here?" Barry asked.
"Oh—" Amy was about to make a flippant remark, but something held her back. "I'm interested in social work. I wanted to learn more about this clinic." She was afraid she sounded uncertain and vague.
Barry shook his head admiringly. "That's pretty impressive. You sound like the sort of person who already knows what you want to do with your life." When Amy shook her head, Barry continued. "Most people only volunteer for some selfish reason. Like me. I'm in this because my little brother, Jerry, has a lot of problems, and I'm hoping my work at the clinic will give me some pointers on how to cope with him."
Amy fiddled with her hair. "Yeah, well, that doesn't sound so selfish to me." She glanced at the complicated-looking phone system in front of her. The first training session had covered how to use the phones and what to say to the callers, but Amy still wasn't feeling very confident. "So, now what?"
"When someone calls, you tell them you're a telephone counselor with Project Youth, that their call is confidential and they can say whatever they want because Project Youth isn't about judgments, it's about understanding." Barry seemed so self-assured, he made her feel less awkward.
Amy nodded. "That sounds pretty easy."
"And then . . ." Barry shrugged. "You listen. Every call is different. That's the hardest thing to remember, that each call comes from someone who's in real pain. The person wouldn't be calling if he or she didn't really need someone to listen."
Amy swallowed. It all sounded awfully serious. What if she blew it? "Isn't there, I don't know, some kind of book I can read that will tell me what to say to people?"
Barry laughed. "That's one of the great things about this clinic. Books
don't do any good here. Project Youth is about life, not about research. You'll learn that through your training." Barry could tell that Amy was still concerned.
"I'll help you with the first few calls. I'll get on the line, too, and afterward, I'll go over the calls with you and tell you what I think. But listen, no one's got a formula. You've got to find your own way." Barry smiled encouragingly.
Amy took a deep breath. A red light flashed on the phone. "Pick it up," Barry urged.
Amy did. "Hello, this is Project Youth," she said. She was surprised by how steady her voice sounded.
"Hi . . . uh . . . my name is Ellen. I'm fourteen. I think—uh . . . I think I'm in trouble. I feel really sad all the time. I don't have any friends."
Boy, Amy thought, I can relate to this one.
"I get really nervous in class. There's this guy. I like him a lot but he never notices me. I feel so ugly." The girl sounded close to tears.
Amy took a deep breath. "What you're feeling is normal, Ellen." Amy tried to get up her nerve to go on. "It's really hard sometimes believing in yourself when you think other people don't. But believe me, you're not alone. Is there anyone close to you you can talk to?"
Barry gave her the thumbs-up sign.
"Well, I can talk to my mom. But I still get so depressed."
Amy settled back. She listened intently and was as supportive and sympathetic as she could be. It was strange at first, talking to someone who didn't know who she was, who didn't want to hear anything about Amy at all! But to her amazement, she enjoyed the call. When she finally hung up, after having told Ellen about the clinic and urging her to come by sometime soon, Amy felt almost triumphant.
"That was great." Barry smiled warmly.
Amy shook her head. "It's easy. Talking on the phone is one of my talents," she said.
"Don't sell yourself short. You were great with her," Barry said firmly.
Amy was embarrassed. She didn't know quite what to say. Tell Tom how great I am, tell my parents how great I am, was what she was thinking. But the phone rang again, and Amy reached for it before Barry could. She was ready to talk to another kid in trouble.
Amy's True Love (Sweet Valley High Book 75) Page 3