Runaway

by Francine Pascal

  Elizabeth didn't know what to say. Ricky was right. She had no idea what it would be like to have her family torn apart like this.

  She put her hand on Ricky's arm tenderly and tried to find the right words. "Ricky. I know I can't imagine what it must be like for you. But think about your grandparents. It must be terrible for them, too. Why do you think they're doing this? They're only doing it because they love you. They just want to be there for you."

  "I don't care why they're doing this!" Ricky burst out. "I don't care. I just want them to leave us alone! And I want you to leave me alone, too!"

  Elizabeth was stunned for a moment. She tried to control her anger, but she couldn't. "OK. Fine. You know, Ricky, I always thought you were such a strong person, but I guess I was wrong. I watched you when you helped Annie through her problems. I watched you sit by her hospital bed and beg her not to give up. I never once thought I would see you giving up."

  "I'm not giving up anything!"

  "Don't give me that. You're mad at your father, and you want to get back at him, so this is how you're doing it. By hurting your grandparents, who never did anything to you other than love you. Well, if that's how you feel, then you're doing the right thing by turning away from your grandparents. Because you don't deserve that love, Ricky. Go ahead. Give up. Just put it out of your mind and get more and more bitter. That's really smart."

  Elizabeth choked up. She knew she had a lot more to say, but she also knew none of it would make any difference now. She got up and walked back into the courtroom.

  Her father was just finishing his statement.

  "I know the courts can't tell people whom they should love and whom they shouldn't. But it seems to me, if we help to open the door here, a lot of people are going to be happier in the future. Please, Your Honor." He paused. "Think of the children. The children," he repeated quietly. "That's what is really at stake here. Think of them."

  Mr. Wakefield sat down slowly. Elizabeth noticed that Ricky had reentered the courtroom and was now standing at the back, by the doors.

  Everyone began to shift uncomfortably in his seat. Judge Winters sat still for a long moment. Once it looked as though he was going to leave the courtroom; then, he seemed to decide against it.

  "Normally," he began, "I would retire at this point to consider all the testimony and make a decision. But in this case I'm afraid that the decision has already been made for me."

  Elizabeth watched as Ricky's grandparents looked hopefully at her father. Ned Wakefield just stared down at the papers in front of him, not offering them any encouragement.

  Judge Winters continued, "The law is quite clear as to the wishes of a parent or guardian and in a case such as this one—"

  "Excuse me, Judge Winters." The whole courtroom turned and watched as Ricky walked up the aisle. "I would like to say something, if it isn't too late."

  The judge glanced at both tables of lawyers. There seemed to be no objection from either side.

  "Yes?" Judge Winters motioned for Ricky to come forward.

  Ricky walked to the front of the courtroom. He cleared his throat and began. "You see, I haven't said anything throughout this whole deal, but I've been thinking it over. . . . " He paused and turned to his mother. "Mom, this isn't right. What we're trying to do here is punish Dad for leaving, and it isn't fair. It isn't fair to Grandma and Grandpa, and it isn't fair to Toni and me."

  Ricky's little sister, Toni, shifted her gaze from Ricky to her mother and back again.

  Ricky looked embarrassed. "And it isn't fair to you either, Mom," he added.

  No one said anything. Ricky looked around the courtroom. When he caught Elizabeth's eye, he smiled.

  "That's all I wanted to say," he finished. He nodded to the judge and returned to his seat.

  Judge Winters cleared his throat. He looked hopefully at Mrs. Capaldo, and then he stood up. "May I see all of the litigants in my chambers without their counsel?"

  The judge picked up his papers and walked out of the courtroom. Ricky, Toni, his mother, and grandparents followed.

  Elizabeth walked up to the row behind her father and leaned toward him. "What do you think is happening?"

  Ned Wakefield turned and smiled. "I think everything is going to be OK. Don't quote me, but I think that article of yours is going to have a happy ending."

  Elizabeth returned her father's smile. She sat back to wait for the judge to return. It seemed like forever. They were out a full hour. When they returned, Ricky walked between his grandmother and his mother, and his grandfather held little Toni by the hand. They were all smiling, but their eyes showed that some tears had been shed.

  They returned to their places at the tables, and the judge looked over the courtroom. He was obviously pleased. "I am very happy to say, it won't be necessary for me to make a decision in this case," he said. "The two parties have reached an agreement in my chambers."

  Ricky turned and gave Elizabeth a smile. The judge dismissed the case, and all parties shook hands. Ricky and Annie immediately made their way to Elizabeth.

  "Boy," Ricky said, "I don't know what to say, Liz."

  Elizabeth smiled at him. "You don't have to say anything."

  Ricky smiled at her again and tightened his grip on Annie's arm. Then the two of them walked away and joined his family.

  Ned Wakefield approached his daughter. He was beaming with pride. "Something tells me you had a hand in all this."

  "Could be." Elizabeth smiled. "Sometimes people just need a little push."

  Her father wrapped an arm around her and led her out into the hall. "Well, whatever it was, I appreciate it, and I'm sure the Capaldos do, too."

  Elizabeth looked down the hall at the group of people hugging and smiling. She felt warm and wonderful, and she knew that everything was going to be all right for them, even without their father.

  Marianna West walked up to Elizabeth and her father. "It's two-thirty. Anybody for a late lunch?"

  "Sure," Elizabeth's father agreed. "Alice went to a site this morning, but she said she'd be working at home this afternoon, and we can see if Steve wants to join us. After all, this is a celebration."

  "Sounds great," Marianna West said, smiling. "Why don't we meet at the Palomar House?"

  "Count me out." Elizabeth was looking through the notes she'd accumulated during the trial. "I've got to put some of this on paper while it's still fresh in my mind. Besides, I'd like to give Jess a call at Lila's."

  "Anything wrong?" her father asked.

  "No," Elizabeth replied. "I don't think so."

  "OK, I'll give you a lift," her father said as they walked out of the courthouse.

  The happy ending of the afternoon was somehow spoiled when Elizabeth thought of her sister and how strangely she'd acted that morning. Well, Elizabeth was on her way home now and could call her sister. One way or another, she was determined to get to the bottom of all this stuff with Jessica.

  Twelve

  Elizabeth decided to start her article before calling Jessica. She'd have the whole house to herself for a while, since Steven had agreed to go to lunch with her parents and Marianna West.

  She thought about how much better Steven seemed lately. He'd been out to play tennis with some friends that morning, and now she heard him singing to himself as he finished getting dressed for lunch. All in all, it looked as if they were getting the old Steven Wakefield back.

  "Better get a move on," Elizabeth shouted to him. "Mom and Dad are waiting in the car."

  "I'll be done in a second," Steven called back.

  Elizabeth took off the scarf she'd borrowed from her sister and set it on her dresser. No, she thought to herself as she glanced at it. I'm always bugging Jess about not returning things. Maybe I'd better practice what I preach.

  Elizabeth knew something was wrong the moment she entered Jessica's room. It couldn't be, but it was. The room was clean! Not a thing was out of place. There were no clothes lying around, and all the magazines were in neat piles
on the dresser. It didn't look as though anyone lived there, and certainly not Jessica Wakefield.

  Elizabeth thought whimsically that maybe the Environmental Protection Agency had finally forced her twin to clean up. In its usual state, the room certainly resembled a toxic-waste dump.

  Elizabeth walked to the closet to put back the scarf she had borrowed. What she saw made sense of the clean room and everything else that had happened in the last few days, including Jessica's silence and her tears that morning. The closet was almost totally empty!

  Elizabeth screamed at the top of her lungs. "Mom, Dad!" She ran down the stairs and out to the driveway. "Jess is gone." Elizabeth ran breathlessly to her father's side of the car.

  "Of course," he said calmly. "She's at Lila's."

  "No, I mean she's really gone!"

  Her parents got out of the car and followed Elizabeth up to Jessica's room. They checked the closet and the drawers. Nearly everything had been cleaned out.

  "Oh, my God," Alice Wakefield gasped.

  "We'd better phone Lila," said Mr. Wakefield. "Maybe she knows something."

  They went downstairs to the kitchen, and Elizabeth dialed Lila's number. While she was waiting for someone at the Fowler house to pick up the phone, Steven entered the room.

  "What's up?" he asked.

  His mother turned to him from her chair. Worry lined her youthful face. "We think Jessica's run away."

  "Run away?" he said in disbelief. "What do you mean, run away?"

  "Her clothes are all gone. Liz is calling Lila now."

  The phone was picked up, and Elizabeth heard Lila's voice.

  "Hello, Lila?" Elizabeth said.

  "Yes? Oh, hi, Liz."

  "Listen, Lila, is Jess there?"

  Lila picked up the worried tone of Elizabeth's voice. "No. Why? Is something wrong?"

  "When was the last time you talked to her?"

  "Yesterday. She said she was going to be busy all weekend. What's up?"

  Elizabeth decided against telling Lila what had happened. All they needed now was for something like this to get on the Sweet Valley gossip hotline.

  "Nothing, Lila. I was just wondering where she was, and I thought she might be over there." Elizabeth managed to conceal her mounting panic.

  To her relief, Lila didn't pry. "Oh, well, she's not here. Listen, when she comes in, have her call me, OK?"

  "Sure." Elizabeth thanked Lila and hung up. "Jess isn't there. Lila talked to her yesterday, but she hasn't seen her at all."

  "OK. Everybody think," Mr. Wakefield said firmly. "Who might know something about all of this?"

  "I think I've got an idea," Steven answered. "Liz, do you think she might be with Nicky?"

  Elizabeth caught her brother's gaze. Of course! She should have thought of that herself.

  "Who's this Nicky?" her father asked.

  "Nicky Shepard," Elizabeth replied. "I think he lives over on Riverdale Drive."

  Ned Wakefield reached for the phone book and a moment later began dialing the number.

  After a second, he slammed down the receiver. "Damn! It's busy." He stood there for a moment looking grimly at the phone. "I'm going over there," he said, starting for the door.

  Elizabeth followed him. "I'll go with you."

  Her father moved with a determination Elizabeth had never seen before. "OK. You come with me. Steve, you stay here with your mother, in case Jess calls. Oh, and call Palomar House to tell Marianna we won't be making lunch."

  "Right."

  Elizabeth and her father walked quickly to the car and jumped in. She studied her father as they drove toward Nicky's house. He just kept his eyes on the road and remained silent.

  Elizabeth thought about how Jessica had acted that morning. She could have kicked herself for not realizing how serious her twin had been. She should have done something when she saw Jessica in tears. Maybe if she had, none of this would have happened. Jessica would be home, and everything would be as it was.

  She wanted to tell her father everything, all the things Jessica had said and done over the last few weeks that showed how much she resented her twin, and how impossible she felt her life at home had been. But this wasn't the time. All that was important now was finding her and bringing her home.

  "This is it," Ned Wakefield said as he swung the car into the driveway of a low, ranch-style house.

  He put the car in park and ran up to the front door, Elizabeth following close behind. Mr. Wakefield rang the door bell, and a small, frail-looking boy answered.

  "Yes?"

  "Hello. Is your mother or father home?" Mr. Wakefield asked.

  "My mother is," the little boy replied. "But she's on the phone."

  "Would you tell her there are some people here to see her, and that it's very important, please."

  The little boy gave them a puzzled look and walked into the interior of the house. After a moment, a stern-looking woman in a pale-blue housedress came to the screen.

  "Yes?"

  "Mrs. Shepard? I'm Ned Wakefield. I believe my daughter Jessica has been seeing your son Nicky."

  The woman looked at both of them suspiciously. "So?"

  "Is Nicky home?" Elizabeth asked. "We'd like to speak to him."

  "No, Nicky isn't home." The woman mimicked Elizabeth's tone. The mention of her son seemed to stir some hostility in her. "Although I would have expected you would have known that," she said pointedly to Elizabeth.

  Elizabeth understood at once. "No—I'm not who you think I am. I mean there are two of us. You must mean my twin, Jessica."

  "Oh, great," Mrs. Shepard said sarcastically. "Double trouble."

  Ned Wakefield was losing his patience. "Look, it's important that we talk to Nicky. Do you know where he is or when he'll be back?"

  "Of course I know where he is," the woman snapped. "But I don't know when he'll be back. You'll just have to try again later."

  She made a move as if to close the front door, but Mr. Wakefield sprang forward and grabbed it.

  "Hey!" the woman shouted, taken aback.

  "Look," Mr. Wakefield said tersely, "I'm not fooling around here. My daughter is gone, and I think your son might know something about it. Now where is he?"

  The tone of his voice seemed to shake Nicky's mother up. She appeared to be on the edge of breaking down, and her voice took on a pleading tone. "Mr. Wakefield, I'm sorry. The truth is, Nicky's left home. We don't know where he's gone."

  Ned Wakefield, too, appeared to be on the verge of tears. "Do you have any leads?"

  "Well, we really haven't tried looking for him." Mrs. Shepard looked embarrassed. "See, Nicky's pretty headstrong, his father is very busy, and I've got my hands full with his brother Danny. He's not well, poor kid, and we have to watch him pretty close—"

  "OK, Mrs. Shepard," he cut her off. "Thank you very much."

  Mr. Wakefield turned quickly and went back to the car. Elizabeth took a last look at Mrs. Shepard and followed him.

  Mr. Wakefield said nothing as he started up the rust-brown LTD and backed it into the street. They were halfway home before he spoke.

  "Why didn't we listen to her? How could she have gotten to this point without any of us seeing how serious it was?"

  "I don't know, Dad. I just don't know." And for the first time in a long time, Elizabeth Wakefield felt absolutely helpless.

  Steven and Mrs. Wakefield were still by the phone, where they had been when Elizabeth and her father left.

  "Any word?" Mr. Wakefield asked his wife as they entered the kitchen.

  Alice Wakefield shook her head mutely. Elizabeth knew her mother was a strong person, but at that moment she looked very pale and frightened.

  "Did you talk to Nicky?" Steven asked them.

  Elizabeth shook her head. "Nicky's taken off, too. His folks don't know where."

  The four of them just looked at one another for a moment. Mr. Wakefield was the first one to say anything. He spoke in a quiet, confident tone. "OK. We are going to find her.
First of all, we can be pretty sure that if we find Nicky we'll find Jess, right?"

  Everyone nodded.

  "OK," he went on, "so how do we find this Nicky? Any ideas?"

  "His friends are all pretty different from our usual crowd," Elizabeth offered. "It might be hard to get them to cooperate."

  "What do you mean?" her mother asked. "Why wouldn't they be willing to help?"

  "You don't know this crowd," Elizabeth said.

  Her father became angry. "What kind of people wouldn't understand a situation like this?"

  Steven stood up. "Wait a minute. I think I know someone who might be able to help." He picked up the phone and began to dial.

  Jessica decided she would just let the old lady sleep on her shoulder for a while. She looked around the bus station and frowned. The sunlight that streamed in from the big windows only made her feel worse. Everyone else in the place seemed to be happy, excited.

  She tightened her grip on her suitcase handle and shifted her weight slightly to avoid waking the old lady again. The woman had taken the seat next to Jessica in the waiting room a full two hours earlier. After an hour of telling Jessica about her children and her good-for-nothing husband, she had fallen asleep on Jessica's shoulder. Whenever Jessica moved, the woman would wake up and hit her with her purse. Jessica could almost have laughed, if the experience hadn't been so unpleasant.

  The man behind the ticket counter waved Jessica over. She managed to wriggle out from underneath the old woman without getting hit, and she made her way to the window.

  "Listen, miss," the man said. "The last bus for San Francisco is leaving right now. You're going to have to take that one if you want to leave today."

  Jessica looked around the station in panic. There was still no sign of her family. She had let three buses leave, but now she had to decide to go through with her plans or to give up.