Memories Read online

  MEMORIES

  Written by

  Kate William

  Created by

  FRANCINE PASCAL

  Copyright © 2015, Francine Pascal

  MEMORIES

  "Afraid?" Steven sputtered. "Why should I be afraid?"

  "I don't know," Jessica said. "Maybe you're afraid of what people will think about your dating someone new."

  Steven got up, his fists clenched in anger. "That's crazy."

  "Is it?" Jessica replied. "I think you're terrified of what Betsy will say if you start seeing someone new."

  "Jessica!" Elizabeth exclaimed, shocked.

  "I don't care what Betsy says," Steven spat out. "I can do whatever I want!"

  "Then why do you keep avoiding Cara now, after you've had some good times together?"

  Steven slammed his fist on the counter. "I've told you, Jess, stay out of it. I'll live my life the way I want."

  "OK," Jessica said. "But remember—Cara's got one advantage over Tricia. She's alive."

  CONTENTS

  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

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  One

  "Steven! What's wrong?"

  Ned Wakefield looked up from the book he was reading as his son streaked by the master bedroom. Then came the sound of Steven's bedroom door closing with an angry slam.

  Alice Wakefield gave her husband a puzzled look. "What do you think could be the matter?"

  Ned Wakefield and his eighteen-year-old son were both tall and had the same dark hair and eyes. Right now Mr. Wakefield wore the same troubled expression that Steven had been wearing on and off for weeks. "I don't know," he answered, rubbing his forehead. "Steve has been so much better lately. I was sure he was beginning to let go of Tricia's memory. I hope that's not the problem."

  But that was the problem. Steven had forgotten about Tricia Martin, at least for a little while, and now, as he lay staring up at the ceiling of his bedroom, he felt horrible about it. Memories of Tricia, his beautiful girlfriend with her halo of strawberry blond hair and her shining blue eyes, washed over him. Death had taken Tricia from Steven several months ago, but he had vowed always to keep her in his heart.

  In spite of his family's love and support, Steven had mourned for weeks following Tricia's death. Lately he had begun to recover from his depression, though Tricia was always in his thoughts. His sister Jessica kept offering to fix him up with dates, and his friends were always telling him he should get out more, but that weekend had been the first time he had felt like being with people.

  He had agreed to go to a party that Lila Fowler was throwing. Lila went to school with his twin sisters, Jessica and Elizabeth, at Sweet Valley High. He had called up Tricia's older sister, Betsy, and asked her and her boyfriend, Jason Stone, to come along.

  The Fowlers were one of the wealthiest families in Sweet Valley, and any party held at their estate was an event. To his amazement, Steven had actually begun to have a good time. This was not because of the lavish surroundings, but because of Jessica's friend Cara Walker, who had made sure Steven enjoyed himself. Jessica had once fixed up Cara and Steven, and the evening had ended disastrously. Then, the afternoon of the party, Steven had run into Cara and discovered she, too, had been having problems and that she had changed. That night at the party Cara had made Steven relax and smile.

  That changed suddenly when Cara and Steven were dancing. Betsy Martin left Jason at the buffet and went up to Steven. Steven and Betsy had been finding comfort in each other's company since Tricia's death, but Betsy's eyes were blazing.

  "Having a good time, I see," she commented icily.

  "Yeah, it's a nice party," Steven had answered, suddenly feeling uncomfortable.

  "I'm surprised at you, Steve," Betsy lashed out, her voice shaking with anger. "I thought you really loved my sister. But the minute another girl starts to look at you, you forget all about Tricia!"

  Steven felt as though he had been punched in the stomach. He didn't know how to respond to Betsy's accusation. Before Betsy could say another word, Steven had rushed off the dance floor and raced to his car, without bothering to say goodbye to Cara.

  Now, lying in the dark, he could see that Betsy had been right. Why should he be out enjoying himself when his beloved Tricia was gone? Tears welled up in Steven's eyes, and he turned his face toward the wall.

  I may have betrayed Tricia's memory once, he told himself, but I will never, ever do it again!

  "So Todd's back in town. No wonder you're wearing that big smile this morning," Mrs. Wakefield teased.

  "Yup, we'll have the whole day together," Elizabeth said happily.

  Unknown to Elizabeth, Todd Wilkins, her longtime boyfriend, who had moved to Vermont a few weeks earlier, had come back to Sweet Valley to take care of some of his father's unfinished business. Todd had surprised Elizabeth the previous evening by showing up unannounced at Lila Fowler's party. But when Todd had spotted Elizabeth dancing with another boy, he'd assumed she'd forgotten all about their relationship. His feelings crushed, he'd left the party in a hurry. Luckily, Elizabeth had managed to find Todd and clear up the misunderstanding. It was Todd and Todd alone whom she loved. Now Elizabeth was looking forward to the precious hours she and Todd would spend together before he flew home the following morning.

  Mrs. Wakefield brought the platter of eggs she had just scrambled to the table and shifted her gaze to Jessica. Even after sixteen years of looking at them, Alice Wakefield was sometimes still surprised at just how identical her pretty twins were. They shared the same sunshine-kissed golden hair and blue-green eyes, and except for a small mole on Elizabeth's right shoulder, their five-foot-six-inch frames were absolutely identical. But the girls' similarities ended with their looks. In personality, they were quite opposite. Elizabeth was calm and steady, while the tempestuous and often conniving Jessica was like a firecracker waiting to go off. Right now her eyes were blazing as she described the previous night's events.

  "After Steve got home from the party and went upstairs," Jessica said dramatically, "Lila called to tell me that Betsy Martin made a big scene in front of everyone. She started to yell at Steve for showing too much interest in Cara."

  "She did?" Mrs. Wakefield asked with surprise. "That doesn't sound like Betsy."

  "I think it sounds exactly like her," Jessica interjected. "You can't get much trashier than Betsy Martin. I don't know why Steve even bothers to talk to her."

  "They're friends," Elizabeth answered.

  "It's embarrassing," Jessica said distastefully. "I can't believe that girl once stayed in our house. Everyone I know was horrified when they heard one of the Martins was living here."

  Jessica was not the only person who had a low opinion of the Martins. Although Sweet Valley was a picture-perfect California town, it did have a bad area, and the Martin family lived there in a ramshackle house. Mr. Martin was known as the town drunk, while Betsy had a reputation for being wild and heavily into drugs. Only Tricia had been able to rise above her family's circumstances. Her illness and death had hit Betsy hard; yet those tragic events had caused Betsy to straighten out her life and win a scholarship to art school in the fall.

  When Steven was feeling low, Betsy was often the only person he could bear to be around, and he always seemed happier after they'd spent some time together. The older Wakefields and Elizabeth felt Steven and Betsy gave e
ach other valuable support. But Jessica saw things differently. She thought Betsy Martin was a depressing reminder of her sister and that her friendship was prolonging Steven's misery.

  "Where is Steve this morning?" Mr. Wakefield asked, taking a sip of coffee.

  "I called him down to breakfast," his wife answered, "but he said he wasn't hungry, so I let him sleep. He really should eat something."

  Jessica dropped the slice of toast she was buttering. "I'll go up and get him," she said eagerly.

  "I suppose you could give it a try," Mrs. Wakefield said.

  "Don't worry, Mom. I'll get him down. He won't be able to resist me," she joked. "No man can." She gave the group a little wink and flounced out of the room.

  "Sometimes I wish I had Jessica's attitude toward boys," Elizabeth said, sighing. She stirred some honey into her tea.

  "I thought you'd worked things out with Todd," her mother said with concern.

  "Oh, we did. It's just so hard for us to be apart." Now that she and Todd were separated, Elizabeth knew what she had to look forward to in the coming months: letters, cards, and phone calls. But calls and letters were hardly the same as sharing kisses and seeing each other every day. In many ways, without Todd, Elizabeth was as lost and lonely as her brother. Although she and Todd had agreed to try to forge new lives for themselves, Elizabeth knew it was going to be hard.

  "Mission accomplished," Jessica said smugly as she came back into the sunny, Spanish-tiled kitchen. "Steve said he would be right down." Just as Jessica was about to join the others at the table, the front door bell pealed. The family looked at one another with surprise. The Wakefields did not usually have visitors so early in the morning.

  "Maybe it's a delivery for me," Mrs. Wakefield said. An interior designer, she sometimes received pieces she'd ordered for her clients at home.

  The bell chimed again. "Well, I'm up. I guess I'll get it," Jessica said, dashing toward the door. A few moments later she returned with a sour expression on her face and Betsy Martin in tow.

  "Betsy, what a nice surprise," Mr. Wakefield said cheerfully.

  "Won't you join us for some breakfast?" Mrs. Wakefield asked, gesturing toward an empty chair.

  "Sure, there's plenty," Elizabeth added, trying to make up for her sister's obvious lack of enthusiasm.

  "Thanks, everyone, but I don't think I'll be staying that long. Steve called me about a half hour ago and asked me to meet him here."

  Jessica caught her sister's gaze and looked away quickly. It was obvious that it wasn't her powers of persuasion that had gotten Steven out of bed.

  "Here he is now," Betsy said, hearing his footsteps on the stairs.

  Steven lumbered into the room. Dark circles under his eyes clearly showed how little sleep he had gotten the night before. " 'Morning, everybody," he said softly.

  Worried by her son's appearance, Alice Wakefield again asked Steven and Betsy if they wanted something to eat.

  "Mom, I'm sorry. I'm just not hungry," Steven replied in a low voice.

  Jessica went to the refrigerator, pulled out a pitcher of freshly squeezed orange juice, poured some into a glass, and handed it to Steven. "Here, at least have some juice. You look like you could use it."

  Steven smiled ruefully. "I guess I can't turn down an offer like that."

  "What about you, Betsy?" Elizabeth asked pointedly. She was growing furious with her sister. No matter how much Betsy had upset Steven the previous night, there was no reason to be intentionally rude to her.

  "No, thanks," Betsy said, watching Steven finish his juice and place the empty glass on the table. "I think we're ready to go."

  " 'Bye, everyone," Steven said, placing his hand lightly on Betsy's back and steering her toward the door. "See you later."

  Elizabeth watched them disappear down the hall. "Well, what do you make of that?" she said a moment later.

  "He certainly didn't seem angry with her," Mr. Wakefield commented.

  Jessica sat back down at the table and gave her plate a look of disgust. "Thanks to Betsy Martin, my eggs are cold now."

  Elizabeth glanced at her sister's plate. "Oh, you poor thing. There's not more than a forkful left."

  Jessica drew herself up in her chair. "To think that my own sister, my identical twin, doesn't care if I have enough food to sustain me." She paused for effect and shook her shining blond hair. "Liz, you're so cruel."

  "And you, Jessica, are such a wonderful actress," her twin said, smiling. "Your talents are wasted on us. I think it's time you were in another play."

  "You two should team up," Ned Wakefield said, taking a sip of coffee. "Since Liz is our budding writer, she can write the parts, and, Jess, you can play them."

  "Sounds good, Dad," Jessica agreed, "but I've decided the stage isn't big enough for me."

  "Why?" Elizabeth giggled. "Are you planning on gaining a lot of weight?"

  "Very funny," Jessica said, shooting her twin a withering look. "Actually, I've been thinking lately that I'm more suited to film. More money. More fame."

  "Sounds terrific," Alice Wakefield put in. "Right now, though, the only roles we're casting for are the kitchen help." She got up and brought a few plates to the counter. "Anybody want to audition?"

  "I don't mind trying out." Jessica grimaced. "But don't count on my taking it up as a career."

  "Honey," her mother joked, "I never count on you for anything. Well, I've got some phone calls to make. Ned, what are your plans for the day?"

  "I'm going to the office for a few hours. I need to bone up on the precedents for the case I'm defending." Mr. Wakefield had a flourishing law practice, which occasionally kept him busy on weekends and evenings. "So, girls, we leave the kitchen in your capable hands."

  The twins sat quietly for a moment after their parents' departure, each girl lost in her own thoughts. Suddenly Jessica burst out with, "Gosh, Liz! The volleyball match is less than a week away. Maybe we should practice our serves this afternoon."

  Jessica was referring to the charity volleyball match Sweet Valley High was playing against Big Mesa at the end of the week. The twins had volunteered to be on the team, along with a number of their friends.

  "I don't know, Jess," Elizabeth replied. "I'd like to practice, but I'm going to be busy with Todd all day. Maybe tomorrow."

  Jessica's reminder about the volleyball match brought a new worry to Elizabeth. She had no qualms about the game itself, although she had a feeling she needed to practice her serve. She was worried about the dance that was to follow the match. This would be the first big school event since Todd had left Sweet Valley. Dates weren't an absolute necessity, so Elizabeth wondered if she should make the effort to get one. On one hand there was no one special she felt like going with. On the other hand, she didn't want to go alone. She sighed. "Why do things have to be so complicated?" she muttered, barely realizing she'd said the words aloud.

  Jessica looked at her sister. "Is something wrong, Liz?" she asked, her voice filled with concern. Despite their differences, the girls had a close and very special bond.

  Elizabeth shook her head. "No, it's just something that'll have to be worked out with time."

  Jessica knew better than to press her. Elizabeth would talk when she was ready. "OK, then. Which role did you want to try out for? Counter cleaner or dishwasher loader?"

  Steven and Betsy walked quietly down the curved street past the well-maintained split-level houses that were similar to the Wakefields' home.

  "How are things at school?" Betsy finally asked, breaking the silence.

  Steven kicked a stone. "OK, I guess." He was a freshman at a college not far from Sweet Valley and lived in a dorm there. He used to come home only on weekends when he and Tricia were dating. After she died, he was so distraught that he had taken a short leave of absence from his classes. Lately he had been coming home more often, finding it a safe haven when things got rough. "Betsy," he said, "I'm glad you could see me this morning. I figured Jason would be teaching, so you'd be free
."

  Betsy smiled at the mention of her boyfriend's name. Jason Stone was a college friend of Steven's, and she'd be forever grateful to Steven for bringing the two of them together. Jason taught life-drawing classes every Saturday at the Sweet Valley Community Center. "Yes. Nothing interferes with Jason's teaching that class. He's a wonderful teacher."

  "So I've heard."

  They lapsed into silence and walked until they came to a small park filled with colorful flowers and unusual shrubs.

  "Want to sit for a while?" Steven asked, indicating one of the old-fashioned stone benches.

  "Sure," Betsy said, sitting down. Steven sat next to her. "It's so nice here," Betsy commented, looking around her. "I wish I could paint it."

  "This was one of Tricia's favorite spots," Steven said, leaning over and plucking a blade of grass from the ground.

  "Steve . . . maybe I came down too hard on you last night," Betsy said suddenly.

  "No, you didn't, Betsy," he said, looking at her. "That's what I wanted to tell you. You were right. Cara Walker is a nice girl, but she'll never take Tricia's place."

  "I was so worried, Steve," Betsy said, "I thought you were forgetting Tricia, and I couldn't let that happen." Betsy spoke with great intensity. "Tricia can live on, but only as long as we remember her."

  "I know that," Steven answered. A look of understanding passed between them. Just then a bird landed in front of the bench and started chirping. Betsy looked at it and smiled brightly. "Did I ever tell you about the time Tricia was a robin in a school play?" she asked.

  Steven smiled. "No. When was that?"

  "When she was in the third grade. She was so cute." Betsy settled back and began talking animatedly. Steven listened quietly and let memories of Tricia ease his pain.

  Two

  Where is it? Jessica thought, as she kicked a pile of clothes across the floor. Her favorite bathing suit was missing. She looked through some things that were lying under her bed. Nope, not there either.

  Elizabeth had once said that if you put a picture of Jessica's room next to one of a town devastated by an earthquake, it would be hard to tell which was which. The room's condition that day proved her point. But Jessica thought the messiness gave the room a comfortable feeling, and she liked it the way it was.