Double Love, chapter 3

“Hey, is anybody home?" The call brought Elizabeth to the top of the stairs.

"Steven!"

"You must be that ugly Wakefield twin I hear so much about. What's the matter? No hello for your older and infinitely wiser brother?"

Elizabeth hurtled down the stairs and into her brother's outstretched arms.

"Your repulsive face couldn't have shown up at a better time," she said with her first real laugh all day.

Disentangling himself from his sister's hug, Steven gave her a questioning look. "Yeah? What's up?"

"Oh, nothing," she lied hastily. "I just have these spells when I get totally weird-and actually start missing you."

"Sure you do. I'm repulsive but lovable. So tell me, how many princes did you turn into toads this week?"

Elizabeth pretended to think for a moment, then held up six fingers and shrugged. "Slow week. Seems fewer and fewer princes are passing through Sweet Valley these days. But I bet you have no trouble stopping clocks at State U. with that face of yours."

"You know it. When I get through with that place, no one will know what time it is."

Sister and brother stood smiling at each other, enjoying the special bond they shared. Elizabeth's blond beauty came from their mother, while Steven's dark good looks made him a younger version of Ned Wakefield. Slightly over six feet tall with beautiful brown eyes and a slim, athletic build, Steven had long been a target of crushes from Elizabeth and Jessica's girlfriends.

The two had started their "ugly" routine ages ago after spending a totally boring afternoon listening to a distant relative drone on and on about "how too, too adorable you children are. Just too, too!" They had invited Jessica to join in their game, but she was never bored when people discussed her beauty.

"Tell you what, little sister," Steven said now. "I'm starving. If you insist on fixing me something, I promise not to complain about your cooking."

"Insist! How do you know I don't have ten more important things to do?"

She couldn't resist the mock hangdog look on her brother's face. "OK, I insist, I insist! Let's go check the fridge for possibilities."

While Steven made himself comfortable at the round kitchen table, Elizabeth checked out the contents of the large, copper-colored refrigerator.

"How are things on the home front these days?" he asked.

"Oh, great, just great," Elizabeth mumbled, her back to him.

"What?"

Carrying cold cuts, mustard, pickles, and a carton of milk, she came over to the table. "Things are OK. The usual, I guess. School, homework. Stuff-you know."

Should she tell Steven about Todd? she asked herself. Or about Jessica? Or about Jessica and Todd, hating to link those two names even in her mind. No, she decided. It wouldn't be fair to put Steven in the middle.

"Stuff? You might not be much to look at, but I always thought you knew how to talk," Steven teased.

"One more crack out of you, Steven Wakefield, and I'll fix you a knuckle sandwich!"

"Peace!" he said, throwing up his arms in surrender. He grew serious as he watched Elizabeth fix him a huge sandwich.

"You know, Lizzie, big brothers are great listeners."

She smiled at his concern.

"Steve, things are fine. Just fine!" Or they will be when I'm dead and can't think of Todd anymore, she added to herself. "And now if you're through grilling me, big brother, how about telling me why you're home for the fourth weekend in a row. I thought sophisticated college men spent their weekends dating sophisticated college women."

"Well, you know, I, uh, like to see the family once in a while." Elizabeth could have sworn he was blushing.

"Sure you do, Steve. And we're really grateful for the fifteen minutes you spend with us every weekend. What I'm absolutely dying to know is where you spend the rest of the time."

"I see old friends. That kind of thing." Then he laughed. "You're getting to be a nosy brat, you know that?"

"OK," she relented. "I'll let you off the hook for now, but I'm not through with you yet. I sense a mystery here, and you know how I love a mystery."

"Nosy and weird-what a combination," he said, biting into his sandwich. "Tell me what's new with Jessica and the folks."

"Jess is fine." Boy, is she ever, Elizabeth thought. "And the folks are, too, I guess."

"You guess?" he asked between bites.

"They're so busy I hardly see them. Mom's always rushing off to meet a client. Her design business is really booming. And Dad-well, he's always out. He's working on a case with a new lawyer in the firm, somebody by the name of Marianna West. She used to be married to that big heart specialist, Gareth West."

"Dad and a divorcee? Hmmm." Steven lifted one eyebrow.

"For heaven's sake, Steve, you're as bad as Jessica. She said, and I quote, 'If I were married, I wouldn't let my husband spend so much time with a good-looking divorcee!'"

Steven nearly choked on his sandwich at Elizabeth's perfect imitation of their sister's voice.

"If I know Jess, she wouldn't let a husband of hers get any farther from her than the length of a two-foot leash," he said.

Just then the back door flew open, and Jessica whirled in, smiling as only she could when her day had been a perfect dream.

"Steve!" she squealed, dropping her books on the counter and rushing to hug her brother. "I didn't know you were coming this weekend!" She stepped back to get a better look at him.

"You're absolutely too gorgeous! Aren't we lucky, Lizzie?" she asked, turning to flash dazzling white teeth at her unsmiling sister. "We probably have the town's-maybe even the state's-handsomest brother!"

"What, that repulsive thing?" Elizabeth teased.

"What, this repulsive thing?" Steven added.

"Why in the world are you two still playing that ridiculous game? You wouldn't think it was funny if you really were gross-looking," Jessica said, shuddering at the thought of having anything other than an attractive family.

Elizabeth busied herself with cleaning up the table, tuning out Jessica and Steven for the moment. She wanted to ask Jessica where she and Todd had driven off to, but she just couldn't. Maybe I'm afraid of the answer, she thought. She felt tears starting to fill her eyes, but she willed herself not to cry. After all, she told herself, if Todd preferred Jessica-and that certainly was how it looked-she would not stand in the way. She'd do the decent thing. Die. Her unhappy thoughts were interrupted by Jessica's outraged cry.

"You didn't tell Steve about PBA? I simply don't understand how you could forget to tell him something so vital!"

"What about PBA?" Steven asked.

"We made it, Steve! We made it! Just today at lunch, Lizzie and I were accepted as full-fledged members of the most terrific sorority on campus!"

"No big deal," Elizabeth said.

"No big deal? Elizabeth, how can you say that? How can you even think it? You've got to be seven hundred and thirty-seven kinds of idiots not to be excited about associating with the best girls at Sweet Valley High. What's wrong with you?"

"It's hard to get excited when your feet hurt," Elizabeth muttered.

"Your feet hurt? What in the world do your feet have to do with Pi Beta Alpha?" Jessica demanded.

"My feet always hurt when I have to walk all the way home from school," Elizabeth answered in an ominously quiet voice.

Sensing a crisis, Steven stood and said, "Hey, you two lovelies, I hate to eat and run, but I've got to go up and shower."

The twins ignored him. Their eyes were locked on one another.

"Look, I'll see you later," Steven said. "Take it easy on the guys this weekend. Broken hearts are not a lot of fun." He sighed, and there was a funny smile on his face.

Jessica turned suddenly toward Steven, grateful for an excuse to break away from Elizabeth's angry gaze. "Steve, I have the most terrific idea! If you're not busy this weekend, maybe you'd like me to arrange a date for you with Cara Walker," she said hopefully.

"Cara Walker?"

"You remember Cara, Steve-long dark hair, terrific figure, fantastic tennis player. She's one of my best friends. She always thought you were soooo good-looking."

"Yeah, yeah, I remember. She's a cute kid, but a little young for me."

"Cara has become very mature, Steve. She's really ready to date a college man."

"Thanks, Jess, but no thanks. I have plans," he said, trying to edge out of the room.

“Plans? What kind of plans? Who is she?" Jessica shrieked.

"'Who is she?'" Steven shrieked, mimicking Jessica.

"Well, you're coming home every weekend to see somebody," Jessica insisted. "Who is she? Somebody from college who lives in town?"

"Two nosy sisters are more than I need," Steven said, and there was an edge of anger in his voice. "See ya." He left the room quickly. They heard him go up the stairs and slam a door.

Jessica turned back to Elizabeth, who was brushing nonexistent crumbs from the butcher-block table.

"What's with him? Do you know who he's seeing?"

Elizabeth remained silent. She didn't trust herself to talk to her sister at this point.

Jessica fairly exploded. "What is going on? Steve won't talk. You won't talk. The air in here is so cold I can practically see my breath! I might as well be in Siberia!"

Wouldn't that be wonderful? Elizabeth thought.

"Lizzie, talk to me, please," Jessica coaxed. "You're mad at me, but I don't know why. Please, Lizzie." Her eyes sparkled with unshed tears.

Elizabeth turned to face Jessica, determined to have it out with her. But she weakened when she looked into her sister's face. Maybe nothing had happened with Jessica and Todd. Maybe it was all innocent, she thought. And maybe I'm a world-class marshmallow!

"Jess, I didn't really appreciate having to walk home today."

Quick as lightning, Jessica wailed, "You didn't! I saw you get into a car with a bunch of the kids and zoom off without me! You should have told me you were going to do that. What would have happened if Mom saw me driving the car? Do you want to get me into trouble? I think it was sneaky and rotten of you to leave me like that when it was your responsibility to bring me home in the car!"

"Jess, I didn't leave without you-I got held up in The Oracle and didn't get out until late."

"Oh. In that case, I forgive you. And I'm sorry I suspected you of trying to get me into trouble. I must have been mistaken about you getting into that other car. Now, let's talk about Steve. He's up to something, and I think you know what it is."

"Whoa, Jess. Let's back up a bit. Jess? Jess!"

Jessica, her head in the refrigerator, didn't answer. Finally she turned, holding a plastic bag full of green grapes. "I was sure we had grapes! Now, about Steve."

"No, Jess," said a determined Elizabeth. "Let's talk about what happened after school. I saw you drive off in our car with Todd Wilkins." Please let there be a reasonable explanation, she prayed.

"Oh, that! I was just helping Todd." Jessica sat at the table popping grapes into her mouth while Elizabeth's world crumbled around her.

"Helping him?" Helping herself to him was more like it.

"He had to pick up some decorations for the dance, so I offered him a ride into town. He's so sweet, Liz."

I know, I know. Elizabeth moaned inwardly. "Jess, did he say anything about meeting someone-or waiting for someone after school?"

Jessica rested her chin on one hand and thought for a moment. Putting her other hand behind her back, she crossed her fingers and finally answered, "I don't think so."

When it comes to being unforgettable, I have to be a minus ten, Elizabeth thought with disgust.

"Now can we talk about Steve?" Jessica said impatiently.

"What about him?"

"I don't believe you, Liz, I really don't. Our only brother is involved in a flaming love affair, and you don't care at all!"

"Steve? Flaming love affair?" Elizabeth shook her head in amazement. Was her sister trying to get off the subject of Todd, or did she know what she was talking about?

"It's totally obvious to anyone with half a brain that, one, Steve is involved with someone; two, that he hasn't said who it is; and three, that it must be someone we wouldn't like. And I'm going to find out what's going on!"

"Look, Sherlock," Elizabeth snapped, "has it ever occurred to you that, one, it's Steve's business; two, it's not our business; and three, you'd better butt out before Steve takes you apart?"

"You can do whatever you want, Elizabeth Wakefield, but it's just not in my nature to be cold and selfish when it comes to the happiness of a member of my family!" With an expression on her face that would make an angel envious, Jessica picked up her books and sailed out of the room.

In a rare display of temper, Elizabeth threw a sponge across the room, narrowly missing her mother, who stepped through the back door at that moment.

"Elizabeth, what in the world is going on here?"

"Oh! Mom. Nothing's going on. I was cleaning the table and the sponge just-just slipped out of my hand."

Alice Wakefield lowered the two grocery bags she was carrying onto the counter and gave her daughter a knowing look. "Something's wrong, honey, isn't it? Do you want to talk about it?" She walked over to Elizabeth and put her arm around her daughter's shoulder.

Elizabeth suddenly wished she were five years old again. Then she could cry and pour out all her troubles to her mother, who would make everything right. But that was then, and this was now.

Elizabeth shrugged off her mother's arm and walked over to pick up the sponge. "Mom, nothing is wrong!"

"Don't tell me nothing's wrong, Elizabeth. You're not acting like yourself at all. Now, talk to me, please. I have to meet a client, and I don't want to be late."

Count to ten, Elizabeth told herself. Don't take your anger out on Mom.

"Elizabeth, I'm waiting!"

And then she couldn't hold back her tears any longer. "Acting like myself-what's that, Mom? Liz Wakefield is supposed to be good, sweet, kind, generous...." The tears were streaming down her face. "Do you know what that adds up to, Mom? Boring, boring, boring! Sometimes I get hurt-sometimes I get angry...."

"Honey, it's all right, I understand."

"Hey, is everybody in this family totally wacko?"

"Steve! I didn't know you were home."

"Hi, Mom. Bye, Mom." He dropped a kiss somewhere in the vicinity of his mother's forehead on his way to the door.

"Steve, I haven't had a chance to talk to you. Where are you going?"

"Out, Mom."

"Out? Out where? With whom?"

"Jeez! Is privacy a dirty word around here? The district attorney upstairs drove me up the wall with those kinds of questions. Fortunately, I was saved by the bell. The telephone bell. Sweet Jess is on the phone gushing all over some poor jerk named Todd. Ciao, you two!" Steven was out the door before Elizabeth or her mother could say another word.

Todd was on the phone with Jessica!

Elizabeth couldn't stand it one more minute. With tears streaming down her face, she threw the sponge in the sink and charged up to her room, leaving her mother openmouthed with surprise.