Racing Hearts

by Francine Pascal

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  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Notice

  Pascal Letter

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Also by Francine Pascal

  Copyright

  Dear Reader,

  The minute I came up with the idea of Sweet Valley High, now thirty years ago, I knew it was perfect. But I knew it needed something else. And that something else was girl power. Unlike the Sleeping Beauty version of romance novels, where the heroine has to wait for the wake-up kiss, in my series the girls would drive the action. And there would be two of them; the good and the bad in all of us.

  After that all I needed were the stories. With my three daughters and my own teenage years to draw on, I had endless possibilities. I started with a bible where I developed the characters, the school, and the town, and then began writing the stories for first twelve books, and then twelve more and more and more until I had written 144 stories. And then with the help of other writers, they became the 144 books of the Sweet Valley High series, which more than 100 million fans have loved.

  And now it’s all back as e-books for a whole new generation of teenagers who want to lose themselves in the world of Sweet Valley, the fantasy of the eighties, and the best high school no one ever went to.

  And for the grown women who want to look back at the love of their high school lives and revel in the nostalgia of life with the most incredible twins, read away.

  Sincerely,

  Francine Pascal

  To Debra Spector

  One

  “Jessica, I’ve been looking all over the house for you,” Elizabeth Wakefield told her identical twin sister. “Mom wants you downstairs right away. She’s making pancakes.”

  Jessica continued to stand before the full-length mirror in her parents’ bedroom, admiring the way she looked in her mother’s chocolate-brown suit. “I’ll be down in a second. What do you think, Liz? I know brown’s not my usual color, but I think it’s a good color for business, don’t you?”

  Elizabeth sat down on her parents’ king-size bed, eyeing her twin as if she were an alien who had just crawled out of a spaceship. The color did go well with Jessica’s blond hair and tanned, flawless complexion, and the lines of the suit showed off the slender, shapely legs that were a mirror image of Elizabeth’s own. But to say that Jessica wasn’t the business-suit type would have been the understatement of the decade.

  “What’s this all about?” Elizabeth asked. “Your role in the next school play?”

  Elizabeth regretted her words as soon as they were out of her mouth. The week before, her twin had seen her world come tumbling down like a house of straw in a windstorm. Jessica had not only suffered the humiliation of losing surf champ Bill Chase to another girl, but she’d also discovered that the movie producer she’d been certain had come to watch her in the school play had barely even noticed her. It seemed he’d been scouting Bill instead. It wasn’t so much that Jessica had cared about either Bill or a movie career, but the embarrassment of being shot down twice in one night was too much for even the self-assured Jessica to bear. Elizabeth couldn’t remember ever seeing her twin so crushed, and now, she realized, her thoughtless remark had probably only made Jessica feel worse.

  “Oh, Jess, I’m sorry,” Elizabeth lamented instantly.

  Jessica turned around as she took off the tailored jacket and flung it carelessly on the bed. “Sorry about what? My not going to Hollywood?” As if to emphasize her complete lack of interest, Jessica casually ran her slender fingers through her shoulder-length hair before unbuttoning her mother’s cream-colored blouse. “It’s no big deal. I hear they’re all a bunch of phonies anyway.”

  “Come on, Jess, you don’t really mean that,” Elizabeth said as she placed the jacket on a wooden hanger.

  “Yes, I do,” Jessica said, continuing to undress as she spoke. “I was thinking about it, Liz, and all the guy ever said was that he was offering Bill a screen test. I’ll bet you anything they take him to L.A., stick a camera in front of his face, and send him home the same day. Sounds like a big waste of time to me.” Jessica donned a pair of blue running shorts and matching tank top.

  Elizabeth picked up the rest of her mother’s suit and hung it back in the closet. “And what does that have to do with modeling Mom’s clothes? You usually spend Sunday mornings between the sheets.”

  “Too excited to sleep this morning. I’ve got at least three hundred and thirty-seven things to do.”

  “But aren’t you going to the beach with Cara?”

  Jessica shook her head emphatically.

  Elizabeth remained puzzled. Cara Walker was her sister’s best friend. “What’s the matter? You two have another fight?”

  “No, sister dear. What I’m trying to tell you is that I’m no longer interested in spending idle hours in the sun gossiping with my girlfriends. It’s sooo juvenile.”

  Elizabeth reached over and grabbed her sister’s arm. “OK, Jess, what’s up now?”

  “I was going to tell you over breakfast, but I’ve decided it’s time I stopped being so frivolous with my life. I should be thinking about the future.”

  Elizabeth stared at her sister in amazement. Was this really her twin who was saying these words? “Since when have you cared about life after high school?” Elizabeth questioned.

  Jessica plopped down on the bed. “The more I thought about this Hollywood thing, the more I realized how little planning for the future I’ve actually done. Neither have most of my friends, for that matter. So I decided now is the time to begin,” she said. “To get a head start on everyone else,” she added in typical Jessica Wakefield fashion.

  “Isn’t this a bit sudden?” Elizabeth asked. “Last week you were ready to be an actress, now you say it’s something else. How do you know you won’t change your mind and forget it all as soon as you go outside and see what a nice day it is?”

  Jessica brushed aside her sister’s doubting words. “Look, Liz, sometimes an idea strikes you, and you just know it’s the right thing to do. You’re a perfect example. Didn’t you just realize one day that you were going to be a writer?”

  Elizabeth fell silent. She never talked much about her writing to anyone, with the exception of Mr. Collins, the faculty adviser of The Oracle, Sweet Valley High’s school newspaper. “It didn’t exactly happen like that,” Elizabeth said. “But my goal is beside the point. I just can’t help wondering if this new focus on a career is only something to occupy your time while you’re between boys.”

  “That’s where you’re dead wrong, Elizabeth Wakefield,” Jessica said, flashing her sister a look of indignation. “I’m serious about this. I never said I was giving up boys. But I’ve got to think about other things, too. I’ve just come to realize there’s more to life than drive-ins on Saturday nights and beach parties every Sunday afternoon.”

  Elizabeth was still dubious. It wasn’t the first time she’d heard her sister resolve to change her ways. “All I can say is I’ll believe it when I see it.”

  Jessica got up from the bed. “Thanks a lot, Elizabeth,” she spat out angrily. “You k
now, I expected a little more encouragement from you. I thought you’d be thrilled that I’d finally decided to set some goals for myself. Isn’t that what you’ve been trying to get me to do for ages?”

  “Well, yes,” Elizabeth admitted.

  “So why can’t you believe I’m ready to start?”

  She didn’t know how Jessica did it, but somehow Elizabeth had managed to wind up on the defensive once again. Nevertheless, there was something about the conviction she heard in Jessica’s voice that made her willing to give her sister the benefit of the doubt. “I’m sorry, Jess. I guess I’m feeling a little like one of the townspeople in the story of the boy who cried wolf. But if you’re serious and if there’s anything I can do to help, just give a yell.”

  “Thanks. I knew I could count on you, Liz.” Jessica hugged her sister impulsively. “Now, didn’t you say something about a nice hot stack of pancakes?”

  Elizabeth gasped. “Mom’s going to kill us!” she cried. “The pancakes will be ice cold by now.”

  But Jessica knew better. Linking her arm through Elizabeth’s, she slowly and calmly led her sister down the carpeted stairs. “I’ll bet Mom waited.” She inhaled deeply. “I don’t smell a thing.”

  Jessica was right, Elizabeth noted as the two walked into the spacious, tiled kitchen. Her parents were sitting quietly at opposite ends of the table reading the newspaper and nursing their coffee. The batter, a special Wakefield family recipe, was on the counter next to the grill, waiting for the girls’ arrival.

  Not wanting to disturb her mother, who appeared totally caught up in the editorial section, Elizabeth began to make the pancakes herself. That’s why she didn’t see the expression on her parents’ faces when Jessica dropped her bombshell.

  “Daddy, I have a big favor to ask,” Jessica said firmly. “I want an after-school job in your office. And I want to start tomorrow.”

  Two

  “Do you believe this weather?” Lila Fowler complained bitterly the following morning.

  Jessica took off her yellow rain slicker and shook it gently before hanging it up in her locker. The morning’s sudden downpour had caught the weather forecasters by surprise, flooded the streets of Sweet Valley, and dampened a lot of spirits. Cara Walker was so convinced the rain would aggravate her budding cold that she’d decided to stay home that morning.

  But Jessica wasn’t disturbed. “Oh, Lila,” she said, “don’t tell me you’re upset about a little water. Afraid it’s going to make your hair frizz?”

  “Jessica, sometimes you really get to me,” Lila said, trying to straighten out her wavy brown hair with her fingers. “Just because your hair is frizzproof doesn’t mean you can’t have some sympathy for other people’s problems.”

  Jessica gave Lila a once-over. Most girls would sell their soul to have Lila’s problems, she thought. Wearing the latest designer blouse and a pair of jeans that outlined every inch of her trimly shaped legs, Lila was the envy of many girls at Sweet Valley High. Even the rain hadn’t hurt, adding a fullness to her wavy hair that Jessica could seldom achieve with her curling iron. “You look great,” Jessica told her. “Really, I don’t think you have anything to worry about.” She smiled slyly. “You’re not trying to make a good impression on anyone in particular, are you?”

  Lila returned the sly smile. Pretty and smart—not to mention the daughter of one of Sweet Valley’s richest men—Lila was never lacking for male attention. But in her opinion, few of them were good enough for her. “No, I’m between boyfriends—just like you, Jessica.” She couldn’t resist getting in a dig.

  Jessica directed her piercing aquamarine stare toward her friend. “If you think I’m upset over Bill Chase, you’re wrong, Lila. I’m sure he and DeeDee will make a lovely couple.”

  “My, my, aren’t we bighearted this morning. Are you sure the rain hasn’t made your brain soggy?” Lila asked. “A week ago you weren’t in such a forgiving mood.”

  “Well, that was then and this is now. Besides, what’s wrong with wishing someone a little happiness?” Jessica replied, her voice pure sweetness and light.

  “Nothing. Nothing at all,” Lila said. She was still unconvinced about Jessica’s sincerity, but realizing she was getting nowhere, she changed the subject. “I wonder who we’ll see at the Dairi Burger this afternoon.”

  “What makes you so sure I’ll even be there?” Jessica asked.

  “Where else would you go when it’s too wet for the beach?”

  “There are other places in Sweet Valley besides the Dairi Burger and the beach,” Jessica reminded Lila.

  “I see.” Lila shook her head in that all-knowing way of hers. “You’ve already struck again. No wonder you’re feeling so generous about Bill. Who’s the lucky guy?”

  “It has nothing to do with guys, Lila.” Jessica took out her chemistry and French notebooks and slammed the door of her locker with her foot. “After school I begin my first day of work at my father’s law office.”

  That was the last thing Lila had expected to hear. “Work? Why? Why on earth would you do that?”

  “I know the concept of working is alien to you, Lila, but some people do enjoy it. I’ve decided I’d like to follow in my father’s footsteps and become a lawyer, and there’s no better time than now to start.”

  “But after school? What about your social life?” Lila shook her head in disbelief.

  “Dad’s office closes at six. That still leaves plenty of time for my social life,” Jessica explained. “Though I don’t know how much dating I’ll be doing for a while. I think I’d like to hold back until I see how the work goes.”

  Lila had to remind herself that this was Jessica she was talking to, not Elizabeth. “You’re still going to the Bart dance next week, aren’t you? I can’t believe you’d want to miss that.”

  The dance was a big event on the Sweet Valley High social scene. It followed the annual running of the Barton Ames Memorial Mile, a very prestigious interscholastic race known informally as the Bart. “I’ll be there,” Jessica said. She began to walk slowly down the long corridor toward the classrooms. The hall was unusually messy, spotted with puddles and dirt brought in by rain-soaked students.

  Lila avoided a streak of mud on the floor and fell in step beside Jessica. “I’ll be there, too. But I’m not going to settle for just anyone.”

  “How about me, Lila?” asked Aaron Dallas, who came up behind them. The trio paused beside a row of lockers. “Didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I don’t have a date yet and—”

  “No, thanks, Aaron. I’m not that desperate,” Lila teased. She gave the popular co-captain of the soccer team a playful shove. Lila had tried dating Aaron back in junior high, but there hadn’t been any chemistry. They had remained friends, however.

  “Your loss, Lila,” Aaron said good-naturedly. “Listen, I’d love to stay and talk, but I promised Bruce I’d go over our history assignment before class.”

  “Knowing Bruce Patman, he’s probably going to make Aaron give him his homework,” Jessica remarked caustically as Aaron walked off. She watched him as he disappeared down the corridor, swerving out of the way of Roger Barrett, who was running at full speed toward the locker area.

  Lila snickered and pointed down the hallway. “Oops, don’t look now, but here comes Bugs Bunny.”

  Just as Jessica caught sight of him, Roger stepped in a puddle and lost his footing. He slid about ten feet and landed on his backside on the wet floor, right in front of the girls. His books went flying in a semicircle around him, and his unfashionable, thick-framed glasses tilted at an odd angle on his square-jawed face.

  It took all of Jessica’s acting skills to hold back her giggles. The boy was a pathetic sight. His long legs stuck out of the cheap-looking jeans he wore, revealing his frayed white crew socks and well-worn sneakers. The force of his fall had caused his flannel shirt to open at the bottom, exposing a pale stomach that clearly hadn’t seen the sun in years. As he got up, he looked as if he couldn’t decide whether to t
end to his shirt first or to get his books before they were trampled by students on their way to class. His hesitation only heightened his clumsy appearance—and made Jessica’s giggles harder to suppress.

  Lila was only slightly more composed as she quipped, “Hey, what’s up, doc?”

  For the first time Roger noticed his audience. Lila Fowler was absolutely the last girl in the world he wanted to catch him off guard like this. He could feel his face flush with embarrassment, and he quickly closed his shirt and tucked it in. He’d had a crush on Lila for a very long time. Although he knew there was no chance of her caring about him, he’d never given up on the fantasy, even when he had heard her say at a party that she wouldn’t dance with him “if he were the last boy on earth.” He still always tried his best to impress her. This latest act, however, had done nothing to help his cause.

  “Excuse me,” he mumbled, turning away from her. He picked up his books as fast as he could and raced down the hall to his locker.

  Once he was out of earshot, both Jessica and Lila let themselves go. “Do you believe him?” Lila finally sputtered. She’d been laughing so hard that tears had gathered in the corners of her eyes.

  “I thought I was going to die,” Jessica replied. “I couldn’t have held it in too much longer.”

  “It would have served old Bugs right if we had laughed in his face,” Lila said nastily.

  “Hey, why do you call him Bugs Bunny, anyway?”

  “’Cause he bugs me,” Lila explained as she and Jessica resumed their walk down the corridor. “The creep’s had a crush on me forever, and I’m getting tired of it.”

  “Lila Fowler scorning the affections of an eligible bachelor?” Jessica said mockingly. Pretending to be serious, she continued. “It is getting late, you know. Maybe you ought to let him take you to the dance.”

  Lila sneered. “I’d rather date a fish.” Once again she was overcome with giggles.

  Jessica wasn’t finished. “You’re just saying that because he doesn’t drive to school in a Ferrari.”