“Liz, have you heard anything about the tryouts for the school play?” Lila Fowler asked before she had a chance to say anything.
“I think that’s still a few weeks away, Lila. Listen, you haven’t seen Todd around, have you?”
“Have you tried the lost and found?” Lila purred.
“Lay off her, Lila,” said Cara Walker. “I think she’s serious. Is anything wrong, Liz?”
“I just have to speak to him. Do you have any idea where he might be?”
“Hey, Liz,” said Ken Matthews, overhearing the conversation as he passed by the table with his lunch tray. “If you’re looking for Todd, you’ll find him in the parking lot with his new toy.”
“Thanks, Ken,” Elizabeth said, giving her favorite football player a squeeze on the arm. “You’re an angel.”
A few minutes later Elizabeth approached Todd, who was busily polishing the Yamaha’s gleaming chrome exhaust pipes. “Oh, hi, Liz,” he said, looking up at the sound of her footsteps. “I can’t believe how much dirt I picked up just riding to school. I’m going to have to spend all my spare time keeping this baby clean.” He dropped his rag and gave Elizabeth a hug. “How’s my favorite motorcycle mama?”
That was the last thing she needed to hear. Feeling her determination slip a little, she released herself from his strong grasp, then looked him in the eye. “Look, Todd, I’m sorry I ran out on you this morning. I—”
“Hey, what’s the big deal?” Todd interrupted good-naturedly. “You had work to do. I can understand that.”
“Thanks,” Elizabeth said. “I—”
Todd cut her off again. “I’m just sorry I didn’t get a chance to give you this.” He bent down to unlatch the pink helmet from its perch on the side of the bike. “I thought you’d look terrific in hot pink. The guy in the shop looked at me kind of funny when I told him I wanted pink, but when I said it was for my girlfriend, he said I had excellent taste. Here, try it on.” Rising, he held out the helmet to Elizabeth, but she wouldn’t take it.
“I—can’t,” she said haltingly.
Todd refused to be bothered by her hesitation. “Look, if you’re worried about making your cold worse, you don’t have to ride with me now. I just want to see how the helmet looks.”
“No, Todd, I don’t want to.”
“Hey, don’t tell me you’re afraid of messing up your hair. Now, if it was Jessica, I could understand it, but you.… Hey, what’s the matter, Liz?” Todd asked, noticing the tears welling in her eyes.
“I don’t have a cold, Todd,” Elizabeth admitted. “I made that up.”
“Why?” Todd asked, a puzzled expression on his face.
“It was easier to tell you that than to tell you I can’t ride with you. And not just today, Todd. I mean ever.”
“You can’t?” Todd exclaimed, nearly dropping the helmet. “Why not?”
Elizabeth took a deep breath and said, “A few years ago a cousin of mine, Rexy, died in a motorcycle accident. Since then my parents have forbidden us from ever riding on one.”
“How come you’ve waited till now to tell me this?” Todd said brusquely, setting the helmet on the motorcycle’s black leather seat. “You knew for months I was getting a bike.”
“I was afraid of how you’d react.”
Todd ran his fingers through his thick brown hair. “You mean that you thought I’d choose the bike over you or something?” After Elizabeth nodded yes, Todd shook his head and gave her the smile that Elizabeth always found so appealing. “Come here, you little fool,” he said, drawing her close. “Do you really think you mean so little to me that I’d drop you for refusing to get on this machine?”
When he put it that way, Elizabeth suddenly felt silly for having been so worried. “Well…” she began.
“Say no more,” he said, putting a finger over her lips. Then he replaced that finger with his own lips and kissed her with unmistakable intensity. “Now do you have any doubts about what you are to me?”
“Oh, Todd,” Elizabeth said with great relief, “you do understand, don’t you!”
“About how you feel about me, yes. About how you feel about riding my motorcycle, yes again. If I had a tragedy like that in my family, I’d probably feel the same way you do. I guess you probably don’t like my having this bike at all.”
“I’m worried about you,” Elizabeth said honestly, “but I know how much it means to you. I’d never want you not to ride just because of me.”
Todd let out a sigh of relief. “I’m glad you feel that way,” he said, giving her a quick kiss on the nose, “because I have no intention of giving it up. Besides, one thing that people unfamiliar with motorcycles don’t realize is that the overwhelming majority of accidents happen to people who don’t know how to ride or are improperly protected. I’m a good driver, Liz. And I’m always careful. What happened to your cousin was terrible, and I’m sorry for your family, but I’m even sorrier for you because you’ll never know the other side, the joy of being on one of these two-wheelers.”
“You think I’m missing out on something really special, huh?”
“I know you are. When the weather’s warm and sunny like it is today, believe me, there’s no better way to travel. I could take you into the hills, and you’d feel the wind wrapping around you. You’d be able to look around and see the trees, the birds, even the road in a way you never have before. You’d actually be part of the scenery, not just watching it. It’s the kind of experience you never get when you’re cooped up in a car.” Todd’s brown eyes were sparkling with excitement.
Elizabeth looked back at the bike. She wished she could share Todd’s joy, but she couldn’t imagine how he could be relaxed and comfortable and enjoy the view when his life depended on being able to balance five hundred pounds between his legs at fifty-five miles per hour. But there was more to it than that. His choice of color disturbed her as well. Black. The color of death. For a brief second a picture of Rexy flashed across her mind.
Quickly she shook off the thought. There’s no connection, she repeated to herself. What happened to Rexy doesn’t have to happen to Todd.
Todd continued to watch her as she stared at his bike. “It still scares you, doesn’t it?” It was more of a statement than a question.
“Yes,” Elizabeth acknowledged.
“You may not believe this,” said Todd, putting his hand on her shoulder, “but I understand. I was a little nervous myself the first time I got on one of these things. But it’s not like you think.”
“Don’t you ever worry about falling off?”
“No, the bike practically stands up by itself. The only way anything can happen to me is if I’m careless. And I don’t plan to be.”
“Nobody ever plans an accident,” she reminded him.
“The Elizabeth Wakefield I know is cautious, practical, and methodical,” Todd said, a trace of frustration creeping into his voice, “but she’s not a worrier. Why are you so sure that only the worst can happen? Your cousin’s death was a tragedy, but what happened to him doesn’t happen to everyone who rides.”
“I know,” Elizabeth said. “But it’s going to take some getting used to.”
Todd waited awhile before continuing. “If your parents were to change their minds and lift their restrictions, do you think you’d ever consider riding with me?”
Elizabeth didn’t look at him as she spoke. “They’ll never change their minds. They loved Rexy, and they love us too much to let us risk our lives.”
“It doesn’t have to be that way, Liz. I sure don’t think I’m putting my life on the line every time I rev that engine. Look, do you mind if I speak to them? Maybe if they hear how safe it can be, they’ll reconsider.”
When Elizabeth looked into Todd’s pleading eyes, she knew she couldn’t stand to disappoint him one more time. Even though she felt it would be pointless, she nodded. “OK, you can ask them. There’s certainly no harm in that.”
“Tonight?”
“So soon?” The
words escaped her lips before she realized how abrupt they sounded. “OK. Tonight’s fine,” she relented. “How’s seven-thirty?”
She wasn’t prepared for the big smile that crossed his face. “Thanks, Liz,” he said, squeezing her tightly again. “You won’t regret it, believe me.”
“I’m not so sure that thanks are warranted,” she said, adding, “Look, if we’re going to get some lunch, we’d better hurry. Only fifteen minutes left.”
“Is that all?” Todd glanced at his watch to check the time. “Gosh, I’ve got to run.”
“We can walk and still have time to eat.”
Todd looked a little flustered as he said, “I’m sorry, Liz. I can’t eat with you today. I promised Mandy and Winston I’d meet with them.”
“What for?”
“Mr. Marks grouped us together for a project in current events. An overview of the Save the Whales movement—and he gave us only a few days to do it in.”
“Sounds like you’re going to be a very busy guy.”
“But never too busy for you, Liz. See you at the Dairi Burger later?”
As she watched him run across the parking lot, Elizabeth smiled with relief. Todd had been so understanding. She had a feeling that everything was going to work out fine.
Three
The Dairi Burger lot was already more than half filled by the time Elizabeth pulled in with the Fiat. Finding an empty space near the drive-through area, she parked and took her first look at the refurbished restaurant.
The Doherty brothers had outdone themselves, she thought, impressed by the way the restaurant owners had turned the popular though somewhat shabby-looking hangout into a respectable restaurant. The most visible improvement was the replacement of the dingy, white-tiled exterior with natural wood planking. The neon sign atop the roof, which used to read D RI URGE, was gone, too, and in its place was a brown plastic sign with the words spelled out in yellow script letters.
The inside had a completely new style as well, redone in the wood-and-plants look so popular with many of the area’s eateries. Elizabeth didn’t think the plants had a chance of lasting more than a week, but she felt that the new wooden booths and tables were a welcome replacement for the old cracked red vinyl and Formica, covered with the graffiti of close to a generation of Sweet Valley students. Behind the counter the Dohertys had put up a new order board that stretched the entire length of the wall. To the right of the counter was the door to the newly created game room, which now contained the half dozen or so video games that had previously been scattered haphazardly around the room.
In celebration of the opening, the entire interior was decorated with multicolored streamers and helium-filled balloons sporting the Dairi Burger logo. Beside the entrance were two boxes containing T-shirts and bumper stickers reading “I love Dairi Burger,” with the love signified by a big red heart. Elizabeth picked up one of each, then squeezed her way through the crowd to one of the few remaining empty tables. She reserved the spot, leaving her blue cotton blazer behind before taking her place on line at the order counter.
As she waited, she let her gaze wander around the room. The scene here had enough action to fill a semester’s worth of “Eyes and Ears” columns, she thought. Over at a table near the center of the room, where he knew he’d be seen, Sweet Valley’s popular Bruce Patman was entertaining a beautiful, long-haired brunette Elizabeth didn’t know. Her hunch was that she was probably someone from a neighboring high school, though knowing Bruce as she did, the girl could just as likely have been a student at the university. Cara Walker, Jessica’s best friend, was sitting at a small booth near the counter sharing an order of the Dairi Burger’s newest dish, the hot clam special, with John Pfeifer, one of Elizabeth’s co-workers on The Oracle. She made a mental note to ask Jessica later if they were anything more than just friends. In the adjoining booth, Bill Chase was surrounded by a horde of girls, clearly enjoying the newfound status he’d garnered by winning the big surfing championship.
Robin Wilson and her boyfriend Allen Walters were there, too. They waved to Elizabeth as she carried her food back to her table. “Come join us,” Robin called.
“Thanks, but I’m waiting for Todd,” Elizabeth told her.
“Didn’t I see Todd on his new motorcycle today?” Robin asked. “How come you’re not riding with him?”
“Oh—um—I have the Fiat today,” Elizabeth said, avoiding the real reason.
In deference to the opening, Elizabeth decided to forgo her favorite chili dog and try the new special. It looked good, she thought as she put the first forkful into her mouth, but the concoction of clams and a mysterious batter was as heavy as a lead bullet. The Dohertys needed to work on it more, she concluded, jotting down her impressions of the dish as she washed away its slightly bitter taste with her root beer.
Putting down her cup, she looked toward the parking lot. Todd should have arrived by now. What was keeping him? she wondered. But just as she began to imagine him lying in a heap on the road with his bike beside him, she stopped herself short. You’ve got to trust him, she told herself. Todd was a good driver and very responsible. Nothing was going to happen to him. Besides, she added silently, if I don’t start trusting him, I’m going to go crazy with worry.
Before she had a chance to dwell any further on Todd’s whereabouts, she saw Danny Stauffer’s red Trans-Am roar into the newly blacktopped parking lot, with Jessica sitting in the bucket seat beside him.
Danny had been driving fast, and he slammed on his brakes a little too late. The brakes locked just before the car bumped into the rear fender of a big purple van. It didn’t look as if any damage had been done, but the impact shook the van a little and got its owner, Jerry “Crunch” McAllister, very upset. Within seconds, he was out of the van and heading toward Danny’s car.
“Uh-oh, Danny’s in for it now,” Elizabeth muttered as she rose from her seat and made her way toward the parking lot.
They didn’t call Jerry McAllister “Crunch” for nothing. As starting tackle on the Sweet Valley High football team, Crunch McAllister had rolled over the opposition handily until his playing career was cut short by a knee injury. Unable to play anymore and never much of a student, Crunch had dropped out of school several months earlier. He worked every now and then on construction jobs but spent most of his time at places like the Dairi Burger or, more often, at bars like the Shady Lady across the street. Despite his age, he never had trouble getting beers. And when Crunch had too many beers inside him, anything could happen.
Elizabeth didn’t know if Crunch had been drinking or not, but her concern was for Danny and Jessica, who were still inside the car.
Danny rolled down his window when he saw Crunch’s menacing face staring at him. “Hey.” Danny grinned weakly. “No damage, done, right?”
“Get out,” Crunch grunted.
A small crowd had already gathered to watch the drama unfold. “Ten to one says Crunch decks him,” Bruce Patman said, clearly relishing the prospect of a brawl.
Why don’t you stop him? Elizabeth wanted to snap back. But she knew Bruce would never willingly expose himself to bodily harm—especially in defense of someone else.
Fear showing through his thin facade of bravado, Danny got out of his car and faced the much taller, much more muscular boy. Seeing her chance to escape, Jessica got out the other door and quickly ran to her sister’s side. “I think he’s going to kill Danny,” she predicted.
Crunch grabbed Danny by the front of his jacket and led him to the van’s rear fender. “Look what you did!” he roared.
Danny relaxed a bit when he saw how little damage there actually was. “It’s just a tiny dent. You can hardly see it,” he said, pulling away from Crunch.
“Maybe you need your eyes checked, buddy. I see it real good,” Crunch shot back. “Look!” He grabbed Danny’s jacket again and dragged him around the rest of the van. “Not a dent, not a mark, not even a scratch anywhere. Perfection—until you came along.”
&nb
sp; As frightened as Danny was, he was grateful there wasn’t a trace of alcohol on Crunch’s breath. If Crunch got this steamed up sober, Danny couldn’t imagine how he would have reacted with a few beers under his belt. It was bad enough when Crunch led him back to his Trans-Am and threw him against the side of its front fender.
“I don’t take kindly to wimps messing with my wheels,” Crunch warned.
Crunch hadn’t thrown him too hard, but Danny still closed his eyes, afraid of what was going to happen next. Although he was in fairly good shape, he knew he was no match for the powerful, muscular Crunch, who had grabbed the back of his jacket and was about to throw him against the car again. He opened his eyes to look toward Jessica. Any chance he might have had with her was gone, he realized. Jessica went for winners. And there was no way he was going to win this bout. He only hoped that Crunch would end it quickly.
Suddenly a loud noise attracted Crunch’s attention, and he let go of Danny’s jacket and walked over to the source of the sound: a shiny black motorcycle that had pulled up alongside the Dairi Burger entrance.
It was Todd. And he wasn’t alone.
“Some wheels,” Crunch said, impressed. “Virago, right?”
“You bet.” Todd took off his helmet and rested it on the gas tank.
“Man, I’ve been drooling for a bike like this.”
“Want to ride it?” Todd offered.
Crunch couldn’t believe his good fortune. “Could I?” he aked, suddenly sounding like a little boy who’d been handed the key to a candy store.
Todd handed Crunch his helmet as he jumped off the bike. But Elizabeth’s attention was directed toward the person who got off the bike with him. It was Mandy Farmer, the girl who was saving the whales with Todd. As the tall, shapely girl took off the helmet she was wearing and let her long, black hair wave in the breeze, Elizabeth began to shake.
Mandy had been wearing a hot pink helmet. Elizabeth’s helmet.
Elizabeth tried hard to suppress the feelings of jealousy that now were welling up inside her. She knew she had no reason to feel this way, but the sight of the attractive girl holding Todd’s waist unnerved her. She tried to erase the image from her mind. It’s silly to let it bother me, she told herself. Mandy’s my friend.
Dangerous Love Page 2