The author and publisher have provided this e-book to you for your personal use only. You may not make this e-book publicly available in any way. Copyright infringement is against the law. If you believe the copy of this e-book you are reading infringes on the author’s copyright, please notify the publisher at: us.macmillanusa.com/piracy.
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
Chapter Thirteen
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 Don and Char Flynn
One
As she looked over the list of girls who had signed up to try out for the cheerleading squad, Jessica Wakefield purred like a satisfied cat. As co-captain of the squad, Jessica felt she was where she belonged—in charge of everything. Strictly speaking, Robin Wilson was also a co-captain, but Jessica had been heading the squad longer, and Robin pretty much let Jessica run things as she wished.
“Look at all these names!” Jessica told her twin sister Elizabeth. “Everybody wants to be a cheerleader.”
It seemed perfectly logical to Jessica, of course. The cheerleaders at Sweet Valley High were the cream of the crop—the prettiest, most sought-after girls not only in the school but in the entire town of Sweet Valley, California. They included Robin Wilson, the current Miss Sweet Valley High; Helen Bradley, a stunning redhead; Jean West, a pixie brunette; and Maria Santelli, who could do back flips that took everyone’s breath away. Finally, there was Jessica, who at five feet six, with a crown of glorious, sun-streaked blond hair, and those sparkling blue-green eyes, was the envy of most of the girls of Sweet Valley High.
Of course, looks were only part of it. It took more than that to make the Sweet Valley High cheering squad. You had to keep your grades up—although Jessica was the first to admit that studying wasn’t her idea of world-class fun. And it didn’t stop there. The cheerleaders had some indefinable style, at least the cheerleaders who could make Jessica’s squad. A Sweet Valley cheerleader had to set an example for those around her. Above all, she had to have talent. Every girl on the squad was exceptional, and Jessica meant to keep it that way.
Jessica surveyed the list and waited for Elizabeth to realize the importance of the situation. Though the sisters looked exactly alike, even down to the tiny dimple in the same spot on their left cheeks, their interests were worlds apart. Jessica had tried over and over again to interest Elizabeth in the cheerleading squad. “The two of us together would be sensational!” she’d told Elizabeth at least a hundred and thirty-seven times.
But no. Where Jessica was the performer, Elizabeth was the writer. Everyone at Sweet Valley looked forward to reading Elizabeth’s “Eyes and Ears” column in the school paper for the latest gossip. Her column was witty and funny and always on the mark. But never cruel. That’s how Elizabeth was. And though Jessica might not always admit as much, she thought it was terrific to have a star columnist in the family.
But right then Jessica studied her sister with growing impatience. Sprawled across Elizabeth’s bed, she gave a loud sigh. Her own bed and bedroom appeared as if they had been devastated by an earthquake. One of these days, Jessica was going to straighten things up. But for the moment she was too busy, and Elizabeth’s bed was handy.
“Liz, how am I ever going to pick two girls out of seventy-five? Liz? Elizabeth Wakefield!”
Elizabeth calmly continued to brush her hair. “You called, Jess?”
“Really, Liz,” Jessica wailed, “haven’t you even the tiniest bit of school spirit?”
“Jess, you just broke my eardrum with your Kansas cyclone imitation, but I’m afraid I didn’t get any details. What school spirit? What are you talking about?”
“The cheerleader selection, of course! Why do I always have to do everything myself?”
“Why? Because if anyone tried to do it, you’d be after her with a flame thrower.”
“I happen to be co-captain. It’s my responsibility.”
“Yes, but there’s no need to go overboard. There are five cheerleaders, and they all have a vote. You don’t have to choose all by yourself.”
Jessica frowned and made a face. “There’s such a thing as tradition, you know. The co-captain has to help the others decide. They look up to me; I can’t let them down. They’ll all want to know who I think should be picked. And look at this,” she screeched, flapping the paper again. “Seventy-five girls, three tryout sessions, and only two places to fill.”
“Two?” Elizabeth echoed, giving Jessica a questioning look.
“Well, yes. We have five on the team now, and there are two vacancies.”
“Jessica,” said Elizabeth, “didn’t you promise one of those spots to Cara Walker?”
Jessica shifted uncomfortably. “Cara is a perfect choice.”
“Yes, and your very best friend.”
“That’s beside the point. She was a terrific cheerleader before, and she’s going to be terrific again. If only she and Lila hadn’t gone and pulled that dumb stunt…”
Cara and beautiful, wealthy Lila Fowler had once been on the cheering squad but were thrown off during a big game against Palisades High. They’d sabotaged the Palisades’ cheering display by turning on the school sprinkler system in the middle of their performance. The two girls were finally off probation, and eligible for the squad once more, though Lila swore she would never crawl back to the team after being humiliated by the school officials. Cara, on the other hand, couldn’t wait to get back into her uniform, and all the glory that went with it, despite having to face tryouts all over again. Jessica thought Cara was sure to get on the squad again. The competition might be good, but Cara was pretty and graceful. And she already knew the ropes, which was just one more thing in her favor.
“Anyway,” Jessica continued, “Cara’s got all the talent a cheerleader needs.”
“Especially since she’s your best friend.”
Jessica sat up and glared at her twin. “What are you suggesting, Liz?”
“I’m suggesting that you’ve made up your mind about one girl already. So y
ou only have to choose one more.”
“Cara hasn’t been selected yet,” Jessica said defensively. “She has to try out like anybody else.”
“Oh,” said Elizabeth. “Well, then, you do have a stupendous job. Selecting two girls. Hmmm! Now, let’s see. If Cara doesn’t make it—”
“But Cara will make it,” Jessica interrupted. “I know it.”
“Then you only have one to pick.”
Jessica sighed and fell back on the bed. “You just don’t understand.” She held the sheet of paper up again and went over the list of names.
“Sandra Bacon—she’s good.”
Suddenly Jessica squealed and flopped over onto her stomach. “What’s this?”
“What?” Elizabeth asked.
“I don’t believe it!”
“What?”
“The nerve! The absolute, colossal nerve! Do you know who’s put her name in?”
“Must be frightful,” said Elizabeth.
“Annie Whitman!”
“You knew she was going to try out. She told you so.”
Jessica stared at the tryout list, her eyes burning into the offending name on the paper. “How do you like that? I never thought she’d really be brazen enough to do it.”
Elizabeth slumped back in her chair and shook her head. Her sister could be so dramatic. Jessica knew perfectly well that Annie Whitman wanted to be a cheerleader. She was always at practices, watching the Sweet Valley cheerleaders do their routines. She’d told Jessica and Elizabeth endless times that she couldn’t wait to try out. And now Jessica was acting as though a house had fallen on her.
“Jess, you know I helped Annie with her math so she could get her grades up and get off probation. I told you the reason she did it was to try out for the cheerleading squad.”
“I hope you didn’t encourage her,” Jessica said coldly.
“Encourage her? Listen, the Los Angeles Rams’ defensive line couldn’t hold her back.”
“I don’t want anybody like that on my squad,” Jessica said severely.
“Like what?”
“You know what they call her. Easy Annie! She’s been with every guy at school.”
Elizabeth, like everyone else at Sweet Valley High, had heard the rumors about Annie. It was a sad situation. Annie was one of the most beautiful girls in town, but she had a very bad reputation. She seemed to fall deeply in love with one guy after another, but each deep love never lasted more than a night or two.
“It’s probably just a lot of talk. You know how guys like to brag,” Elizabeth said.
“Oh, Liz, why do you always believe the best about everybody?”
“Look, I tutored her,” Elizabeth said. “I happen to know her a little. And I know she’s trying to change. She worked very hard to get her grades up.”
“That’s just too bad.”
“Jessica, I hope you’re at least going to give her a chance.”
“She can try out. Anybody can try out.”
Elizabeth examined her sister’s set mouth and fixed stare. She might as well be talking to one of the stone faces on Mount Rushmore. Still, it was worth one more try.
“Jess, it may be that Annie needs this more than just about any other girl at Sweet Valley High. It could be a turning point for her. I really want you to give her a fair chance.”
Well, that was certainly fine talk! Jessica thought angrily. She was on her feet in a flash, marching around. She never told Elizabeth what to write about in The Oracle. Well, hardly ever.
“I’m the captain of the cheerleaders, Liz! Not you. I’m not going to have our whole squad … tainted by Easy Annie.”
“Doesn’t it even matter that she’s trying to change? And for heaven’s sake, Jessica, how bad can a fifteen-year-old sophomore girl be?”
“When are you going to stop being so goody-goody, Liz, and accept the fact that she’s just plain bad?”
“How can you be so sure, Jess?”
Suddenly Jessica smiled triumphantly, and folded her arms. Elizabeth knew then and there that she’d been lured into one of her sister’s ambushes.
“Because, Liz, dear, I happen to know that your little pet Annie was up to her old tricks just last night.”
Elizabeth experienced a sinking sensation in her stomach. When Jessica came on like that, it meant she had the goods.
“What happened?”
“You remember that wonderful Rick Andover? The wild maniac who kidnapped us and almost got us arrested and killed at Kelly’s bar? Guess who was running around with him last night?”
“How do you know?”
“I know because our very own telephone gossip, Caroline Pearce, saw them zipping past the Dairi Burger yesterday.”
“For once you’re wrong, Jessica,” Elizabeth said firmly. “I happen to know that Annie had a very important math test this morning, and she was home studying for it.”
“Studying? In Rick Andover’s hot rod?”
“Caroline Pearce was mistaken.”
“We’ll see about that!” Jessica said, arching her eyebrows.
Later that morning, on the way to school, Elizabeth hoped against hope that Caroline Pearce had been wrong. She had to be! Annie knew that if she failed many more tests she’d be back on probation. And that would stop her from trying out for the cheerleading squad. For once in her life, sharp-eyed, evil-minded Caroline Pearce had to be wrong.
But all that day the rumor went through the corridors of the school. Elizabeth heard it again in the cafeteria at lunch.
“Easy Annie did it again.”
“What happened?”
“She was out with that bum Rick Andover.”
“No!”
“Yes. Everybody says she’ll take just about anyone. I guess this proves it.”
Despite the whispers, Elizabeth withheld judgment. That afternoon she wrote an article on the cheerleader tryouts for The Oracle, carefully typing out all seventy-five names.
“Competition for the cheerleader tryouts is the greatest in the school’s history,” she wrote. “Good luck, everybody.”
Elizabeth had left the Oracle office and was heading out through the front door, between the massive stone columns that adorned the building, when she spotted Annie Whitman.
She almost turned away to avoid the other girl, but something wouldn’t let her. Elizabeth had to know.
“Annie,” she called out. “Wait up.”
Annie looked back, saw Elizabeth, and quickened her step as if to hurry away. She looked down at her shoes, and suddenly tears welled up in her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. When Elizabeth caught up with her, Annie could barely speak.
“What’s the matter?” Elizabeth said softly. “Are you all right?”
Annie shook her head sorrowfully. “No, Liz, I’m not all right at all.”
“What happened?”
“Who does Ms. Taylor think she is, anyway?” Annie cried.
“Your math teacher?”
“Really, Liz, it was supposed to be a little quiz, but it was more like a final.”
Annie plopped down on the lawn under a huge tree, and her face looked like a dam about to burst.
“How did you do?” Elizabeth asked cautiously.
Annie let out an exasperated breath and looked away. “Rotten, of course.”
“How rotten?”
“Oh, I think I got the first part right. Where it says write your name. After that—zilch.”
Elizabeth shook her head helplessly. “You knew the test was coming.”
“But I didn’t realize she was going to cover everything!”
Did you study for it? Elizabeth wanted to ask but didn’t.
Annie was playing with her shoelaces, untying and tying them over and over. Her hands trembled, and her eyes were red. She looked like someone who desperately needed a friend.
“I thought I knew it. I really did,” she said. “I should have stayed home last night and reviewed it, I guess.”
Given the opening, Elizabe
th couldn’t resist dashing through it. “You mean you didn’t study last night?”
Annie tossed her lovely head and made a face. “I did, for a while. But I don’t like to hang around the house. Anyway, Rick Andover came by and showed me his latest car. It’s really neat, Liz.”
Elizabeth looked at Annie. So, it was true after all. She had been out with Rick.
“It’s a souped-up 1955 Chevy,” Annie went on. “He calls it his Campbell’s Special.” She laughed. But as she glanced at Elizabeth, the laugh died and she fell silent.
“Don’t look at me that way,” Annie said.
“I’m not.”
“You are!”
“Annie, I thought staying off probation was important to you.”
“Oh, it is, Liz! It’s just about the most important thing in my life. Because I just have to make the cheerleading squad, or I’ll die. But—”
“But what?” asked Elizabeth.
“Oh, I don’t know. Sometimes I think it’s not even worth trying, Liz. Sometimes I feel so worthless.”
“What?” Elizabeth said, truly surprised. “You? Why, Annie, you’re just about the most beautiful girl in Sweet Valley High.”
A becoming blush rose in Annie Whitman’s cheeks. “I am not, Liz. Oh, sometimes I think I’m sort of OK-looking, but—”
“OK-looking? Why, every boy in school is crazy about you.” Oh, no, why did I blurt that out? Elizabeth thought miserably. But Annie didn’t seem to mind. In fact, she perked up and smiled again.
“Yeah, boys like me.” She giggled. “I like them, too. But I don’t know,” she mused. “Maybe it’s because girls sometimes seem jealous of me. They’re not as friendly.
“But anyway, Liz, what am I going to do about that yucky math stuff?” The gloom returned to her pretty face. “If I don’t pass, I’ll be back on probation, and if you’re on probation, you can’t go out for the cheerleader squad. Liz, the first round of tryouts is in two weeks!”
“Don’t worry,” Elizabeth tried to console her. “You’ll make it.”
Unless my darling sister has something to say about it, she added grimly to herself.
Two
Elizabeth had mixed feelings as she walked into the lobby of the apartment building where Annie and her mother lived. She had not been able to resist Annie’s plea for help the day before.
Wrong Kind of Girl Page 1