Runaway

  RUNAWAY

  Written by

  Kate William

  Created by

  FRANCINE PASCAL

  Copyright © 2015, Francine Pascal

  To Jeanne Rubin

  Jessica heard the phone clattering down and the boy yelling for Nicky in the background. After a couple of minutes, the phone was picked up again.

  "Yeah?" It was Nicky's voice.

  "Hi, it's Jessica." Just the sound of his voice made her feel better, convinced her that she was doing the right thing.

  "Hi," he said softly. "I was just going to call you."

  "You were?"

  "Yeah. Listen, I'm leaving tonight."

  "Tonight?" Jessica panicked. "I thought you weren't going until Friday!"

  "Things have gotten really bad around here after last night. I've got to get out now."

  Jessica didn't know how to reply.

  After a short silence, Nicky spoke again. "Have you been thinking about my offer?"

  Jessica took a deep breath. "Actually, that's what I called to talk to you about."

  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

  One

  Elizabeth searched through her closet one more time without success. It was no use; her new blue silk blouse wasn't there.

  Elizabeth stomped angrily through the bathroom that connected her bedroom to Jessica's, her twin sister, and burst into the room without knocking. Jessica was lying on her stomach on her unmade bed, her long, tan legs hanging off the edge. She was leafing through the pages of a magazine.

  As usual Jessica's room was in a state of disarray. Every surface was strewn with clothes, magazines, and makeup. To Elizabeth it looked a little like the aftermath of a bargain-basement sale at a department store.

  Elizabeth cleared her throat. Jessica didn't even look up.

  "Jessica!" Elizabeth said as forcefully as she could.

  "Uh-huh?"

  Elizabeth crossed her arms and tapped her foot on the floor. "I can't seem to find my new blue blouse that I have not even worn once. I thought you might know something about it."

  Jessica still didn't look up from the magazine. "Uh-huh," she repeated.

  Elizabeth stepped over to the bed and snatched the magazine out of her twin's hands.

  "Hey," Jessica said, looking up in surprise.

  "I'm talking to you, Jess."

  Jessica smiled innocently at her twin, her blue-green eyes wide and a sweet smile on her lips. "What was it, Liz?"

  "I am looking for my blue silk blouse, which has mysteriously disappeared from my closet. Now, I doubt very much that it walked away all by itself."

  "Oh, that," Jessica said calmly. She went to her closet and pulled out the blouse. "Here, Liz. I'm sorry. I know I should have asked you, but I needed it in a hurry. I had a date with Neil, and he's seen everything in my closet at least a hundred and thirty-seven times."

  Elizabeth shook her head. She doubted that her twin had worn very much of her wardrobe twice, let alone a hundred thirty-seven times.

  Jessica handed Elizabeth the blouse and returned to the bed. "The problem is, Liz, you're never around here when any of us needs you. You're always off with Todd or working on something for the newspaper. You really have to try to understand that your first allegiance should be to your family, those who love you best."

  Elizabeth couldn't believe her ears. Jessica was in rare form that day. After borrowing her blouse without permission, she was now trying to turn Elizabeth's anger into guilt. It was true that Elizabeth spent a lot of time with her boyfriend, Todd Wilkins, and she was a dedicated reporter for The Oracle, Sweet Valley High's newspaper, but that didn't give Jessica the right to grab anything she wanted from Elizabeth's closet.

  "Jessica . . . " Elizabeth began.

  Her twin cut her off. "It's all right, Liz. I forgive you."

  Elizabeth stared at her twin, not sure whether to laugh or to scream.

  "It's funny," Jessica went on, not missing a beat. "I thought I heard Steve's voice a minute ago."

  At the mention of her brother, Elizabeth's anger disappeared. She had planned on telling her twin about Steven, but she had gotten sidetracked when she started looking for her blouse.

  "You did hear Steve, Jess," Elizabeth said solemnly, sitting down on the bed.

  "Why? I thought his term break wasn't for a couple of weeks."

  "It isn't. He left school."

  Elizabeth watched as the realization of what she had said crept across her twin's face.

  Jessica gasped. "He quit?"

  Elizabeth sat down on the bed and began to play with a corner of the blanket. "Yes. Just for the rest of the term."

  "It's because of Tricia, isn't it?" Jessica asked.

  Elizabeth nodded. "He's just having a real hard time dealing with the whole thing. He thought it might be better if he took some time off from school to pull himself together."

  Steven Wakefield had loved Tricia Martin deeply. They'd managed to stay together in spite of differences in their backgrounds, problems with Tricia's self-image, even Jessica's well-intentioned tampering. In the end, the only thing that could separate them was the leukemia that had taken Tricia's life a few months earlier.

  Steven had been shattered by the loss of the only girl he had ever really loved. Tricia's death had been a terribly difficult experience for him, and the passage of time had only seemed to increase his pain and loneliness.

  The twins had noticed their brother pulling away ever since the funeral. When he'd come home on weekends he'd seemed more and more distant. Now, Steven was only a shadow of his former self. He didn't go out, he didn't laugh much, and he hardly ever saw his friends.

  "He really looks terrible," Elizabeth went on. "He just came in and said he was taking some time away from school."

  "What did Mom and Dad say?"

  "Well, they weren't exactly thrilled, but they didn't pressure him about it. I just feel so bad for him, Jess. I mean, I can't help thinking about how I'd feel if something terrible happened to Todd. I'd probably be the same way. I just can't imagine what it must feel like to lose someone you love that much."

  Jessica felt a momentary twinge of guilt as she remembered how poorly she had spoken of Tricia when she was alive. She had never thought Tricia was a good match for Steven, mostly because of Tricia's family. Her father was an alcoholic and her sister Betsy had had a bad reputation. Jessica had even tried to get Steven away from Tricia and to fix him up with Cara Walker, her best friend, but Steven wasn't interested.

  Jessica got up and walked over to her dresser. She reached under a pile of scarves and sweaters and extracted her hairbrush. It was amazing to Elizabeth how Jessica could find anything in that mess, but her twin seemed to have her own sense of order. For Jessica, it was perfectly natural to keep her hairbrush under six sweaters and nine scarves.

  Jessica walked back to the bed and plopped down next to Elizabeth. She began pulling the brush through her shoulder-length blond hair. "Look, Liz," she said coldly, "I am as sorry as anyone about Tricia. I know Steve was devoted to her, and I feel bad about the whole thing, too, but he has just got to get over it and join the world of the living."

  "I know," Elizabeth said. "But I don't think he's going to do it all by himself. It's just too hard."

  Jessica smiled. "Are you suggesting that we help him along?"

  "Well, nothing obvious, like inviting his friends over. It might make him uncomfortable." Elizabeth began to consider the possibilities. "It's so hard with school being out next week. There aren't any dances or games or anything."

  "Cara's having a party tomorrow night," Jessica offered.

  Elizabeth's face lit up at the idea. "That's not a bad idea. I'm sure there'll be lots of people there that Steve knows."

  Jessica shook her head. "I don't know, Liz. You know how Steve feels about Cara."

  "Oh, that's all in the past. I'm sure Steve likes Cara," Elizabeth countered.

  "Yeah." Jessica laughed. "About as much as the flu."

  "Anyway," Elizabeth went on, "it isn't like we're setting up a date or anything. It would just be an evening out."

  "He won't go for it," Jessica said, shaking out her hair. "But if you think it's worth a try, go ahead and ask him."

  "Actually," Elizabeth said tentatively, "I think it would be a better idea if you asked him."

  "No way, Liz," Jessica said, her voice rising. "He's still mad at me for the last time I tried to get him and Cara together."

  "Calm down, Jessica. I've got reasons."

  Jessica walked to the dresser and stuffed the brush back under the piles of scarves and sweaters. "Yeah, so do I. Like I don't want to spend the rest of the year in traction."

  "Listen." Elizabeth sat her sister back down on the bed. "First of all, Cara is your best friend. It would be more natural for you to invite him. And second, I'm going with Todd, but you don't have a date yet. Do you?"

  Jessica stared coldly at Elizabeth. "Thanks for reminding me."

  Elizabeth went on. "You could say you don't have a date and you don't want to go alone."

  "Be serious, Liz."

  Elizabeth smiled. She did have to admit that it seemed
a little farfetched that her twin couldn't get a date. Jessica could usually get any one of a hundred guys to go out with her at the snap of her fingers.

  "Come on, Jess," Elizabeth pleaded. "It's worth a try."

  Jessica remained silent.

  "For Steve," Elizabeth added.

  Jessica looked at her sister's plaintive expression. Of course, it would be a nice thing to do for Steven, she thought, provided he'd go for it. And it was always possible that something still might be fixed up between him and Cara, and that would be wonderful. They'd both have Jessica to thank. It could all work out perfectly. Jessica frowned for a second as she thought how demeaning it would be to show up at Cara's party with her brother as her date. But, she reassured herself, sometimes you just have to make sacrifices.

  "OK," Jessica said finally. "I'll bring it up at dinner."

  "Great!"

  "But it's a very difficult assignment," Jessica said slyly. "And I think it's pretty important that I look my best." Jessica smiled and looked down at the blue silk blouse in Elizabeth's lap.

  Elizabeth rolled her eyes and handed her sister the blouse. "Here," she snapped.

  Jessica took the blouse and kissed her sister on the cheek. "Thank you, Liz. It's beautiful. You know, you're really developing good taste. I must've taught you something."

  Elizabeth laughed and headed for the door. "More than you know, dear sister," she called behind her. "More than you know."

  Jessica walked into the Wakefields' spacious Spanish-tiled kitchen. Her father, wearing an apron over his shirt and tie, was standing at a counter and fussing over the salad. On anyone else, the apron might have been comic, but Ned Wakefield was the kind of man who looked good in almost anything. Just then he seemed to be giving the salad the same concentration and commitment he gave his successful legal practice.

  "Well, hello, princess." Mr. Wakefield smiled at Jessica. "Kiss any frogs today?"

  Jessica walked over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Nope. You're the first."

  "That's good." He laughed. "Have you seen your brother?"

  Jessica got the water glasses out of the cupboard. "Not yet. When did he get in?"

  "About an hour ago. He's taking a swim."

  Mr. Wakefield's solemn expression indicated to Jessica how concerned he was about Steven. Suddenly she felt uncomfortable about the party idea. Maybe it wasn't such a good one. Jessica was about to discuss it with her dad when Steven walked in.

  One glance at her brother showed Jessica that Elizabeth was right. He didn't look good. It wasn't anything physical, especially now, after he'd finished a hard swim. His dark hair was pushed back, and his muscular build was emphasized by the cutoff jeans and sweat shirt he was wearing. He flashed a quick smile at Jessica and said hello. That was when Jessica really noticed the difference. His eyes. There didn't seem to be any light in them. It was as if something inside had burned out.

  "You know," their father said, laughing, "I have never been able to teach your mother how to do justice to a salad. That woman has a master's degree, and she still can't mix a decent dressing."

  "My master's was in design," Alice Wakefield called from the door. "You'd be surprised how few salad courses we had to take."

  She breezed into the kitchen and walked to the oven. After pulling the roast out, she walked over to Steven and gave him a hug.

  "Have a nice swim?" she said.

  "Yeah." He smiled.

  "Table set, Jessica?" she asked.

  "I just have to get the silverware." Jessica pulled a drawer open, took out five knives, forks, and teaspoons, and started for the dining room.

  "We're almost ready here," her mother said. "As soon as your father finishes with that salad."

  "A proper salad has to be prepared with the care of a fine work of art," he said lightly. He put one last cherry tomato on top, picked up the salad bowl, and stepped back from the counter. "There!" he said. "Now we're ready."

  Dinner that night had a special feeling. The Wakefields were concerned about Steven and had gone out of their way to make his homecoming a little easier for him. All his favorite foods were on the table, and everyone smiled a great deal. In speaking they all tried desperately to skirt around any topic that might remind him of Tricia.

  Mr. Wakefield watched his son pick at the food. He turned to his wife and smiled. "The roast is perfect."

  Everyone nodded and complimented the food, except Steven, whose mind seemed to be somewhere else entirely.

  "Would you like some more peas, Steve?" Mrs. Wakefield asked.

  "No, thanks," Steven muttered. "I'm still working on all of this."

  There was an uncomfortable silence at the table. Mrs. Wakefield pushed back a strand of her golden hair. When Alice Wakefield was around, it was easy to see where the twins had gotten their striking looks. With her blond hair, blue eyes, and slim figure, it was almost possible to mistake her for the twins' older sister. She cleared her throat now. "So, you two have a whole week off from school."

  "Yes, thank heavens." Jessica would rather do almost anything than go to classes, and the week's vacation was a welcome gift.

  Her father looked up, smiling. "Any big plans?"

  Just then Jessica felt Elizabeth kick her under the table. But Jessica didn't need prompting. She knew an opening when she saw one. "Well," she began, "nothing special. Cara is having a party tomorrow night."

  "Oh, that sounds like fun," her mother said, helping herself to more of the roast.

  "It's not a big thing," Jessica continued. "Just a bunch of people from school."

  She looked hopefully at Steven, who didn't respond. He didn't even seem to be listening. He just sat at his place, brooding and pushing food around his plate with a fork.

  "Who're you going with?" Mr. Wakefield asked.

  Jessica couldn't believe her good luck. The conversation couldn't have gone any more smoothly if she'd given her family a script.

  "Well, I haven't really got a date. I sort of waited until the last minute and then got stuck."

  Ned Wakefield began buttering a roll. "Well, I'm sure you'll have a good time anyway." He turned to his other daughter. "I assume you're going with Todd."

  "Of course." Elizabeth eyed Jessica hopefully.

  "I'm not really wild about going alone," Jessica said slowly. "I thought maybe you'd like to come along, Steve."

  Steven was quiet for a second, and Jessica thought he was considering her offer. "You're not going to start all that stuff with Cara again, are you?" he asked finally.

  Jessica felt her footing collapse beneath her. "No, I just thought—"

  Steven cut her off angrily. "When are you going to learn, Jess? I thought I made it perfectly clear that I'm not interested in Cara Walker. Not now or ever!"

  Jessica tried to protest. "I wasn't trying to fix up anything. I just thought—"

  Steven broke in again, "Why can't you just stop trying to manipulate all of our lives?"

  For a second it looked as though he was going to go on, but instead, he just threw his napkin down and stormed out of the room.

  Everyone was quiet for a moment. Mr. Wakefield spoke first. "Really, Jess. Don't you think it's a little too soon for anything like that?"

  "Yes, Jessica," her mother added. "I would think you'd be a little more sensitive. It hasn't been that long since Tricia . . . " Her voice trailed off.

  "It wasn't Jess's fault," Elizabeth said, rushing to her sister's defense. "It was my idea. I just thought it was about time Steve got his thoughts off Tricia. He can't sit around and mope for the rest of his life. I'm the one who brought it up. We didn't mean for it to sound like we were fixing him up with someone. We just wanted to help."

  "Oh," Mrs. Wakefield said. "Well, I'm sorry to have jumped on you, Jess."

  "Sure," Jessica spat out. "Now that Elizabeth explains it all, it's OK, right? If it was Elizabeth's idea, it must have been a good one." Jessica stood up. "May I be excused? I promised Cara I'd pick her up at seven-thirty, and it must be almost that now."

  "If you're finished, of course," Mr. Wakefield said.

  Jessica folded her napkin and walked out of the room.

  Well, this is nothing new, Jessica told herself. I swear—sometimes they just look for chances to jump all over me. They never do that with Elizabeth.

  Jessica hurried upstairs, got her shoulder bag, then ran out of the house. The red Fiat convertible she shared with her twin was in the driveway. She got in, started the engine, and let the motor run for a moment.