Secret Admirer Read online

  SECRET ADMIRER

  Written by

  Kate William

  Created by

  FRANCINE PASCAL

  Copyright © 2015, Francine Pascal

  SECRET ADMIRER

  After reading Penny's personal ad, Elizabeth burst out laughing. "Penny, this is hysterical. But you're not really going to use it, are you?"

  "Why not?" Penny responded. "You see, I'm not totally convinced about this, but if I'm going to do it at all, I want my ad to be different. All the personal ads I've ever read sound more or less the same." She shrugged. "I'll probably get some pretty flaky answers, but I'm willing to sort through them."

  "Are you sure you want to say this?" Enid said cautiously. "I mean, I hope you know what you're doing."

  "Not necessarily," Penny said. "But when I see what kind of response this draws, I'll know whether there are really any boys around here with some imagination. Then we'll see. . . ."

  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

  One

  It was Wednesday afternoon, and Elizabeth Wakefield couldn't think of a thing to write about. She tugged on a lock of sun-streaked blond hair and frowned at the blank sheet of paper in her typewriter.

  "Writer's block, right?"

  Looking up with a rueful smile, Elizabeth met Penny Ayala's steady, amused gaze. "Did you ever get the creepy feeling that you've forgotten your own language?" she asked.

  Penny chuckled. "Sometimes I get so worked up I forget how to spell my own name." She pushed herself away from her desk and walked across the comfortable, cluttered space that was home to The Oracle, Sweet Valley High's student newspaper. "But I can't believe there isn't a single item for 'Eyes and Ears,' Liz, not in this hotbed of gossip. Isn't Jessica doing anything worth writing about?"

  Repressing a grin, Elizabeth shook her head, but the twinkle in her blue-green eyes said the opposite. Wherever the action was, there was Elizabeth's twin, Jessica. And if there wasn't any action, then Jessica was sure to start some. So when it came to material for her weekly gossip column, Elizabeth was seldom at a loss.

  "Actually, she's been suspiciously quiet these days," Elizabeth said, resting her chin in her hands. "But any day now something ought to pop up."

  She lapsed into silence, still racking her brain for something to write about.

  The column was supposed to be anonymously written, but Elizabeth's identity had long since become known, and "Eyes and Ears" was a popular feature of the paper. The gossip was never malicious or insinuating: Her column was always funny, and fun to read.

  Penny ran a hand quickly through her short, dark blond hair. It was a gesture she used whenever she was deep in thought. As editor-in-chief of Sweet Valley High's newspaper, she had plenty of decisions to make, and lots of them were pretty tough, such as when to come down on one of her reporters for sloppy work or when to bump a story to make room for late-breaking news.

  But Penny did manage to keep The Oracle—and its busy staff—on a steady course without hurting anyone's feelings, a fact that had long since won her the respect of everyone who worked with her. And on top of that, she was one of the best students in the senior class.

  Penny's ultimate goal was the same as Elizabeth's, as the girls had discovered long ago: to be a writer. She had wit, style, and imagination that showed up even in the smallest piece of work. She could write anything from hilarious parodies to sincere and moving poems. She and Elizabeth had shared many conversations about literature and writing, and spent long hours at the newspaper office together working on the paper.

  "Let's see," she murmured, staring off into space. She met Elizabeth's gaze and gave her a lopsided grin. "I really shouldn't be doing your work for you, you know. One more slipup and you're out."

  "What?" It was all Elizabeth needed to set her mind working, and she began tapping out her column on the typewriter, her jumbled thoughts suddenly organizing themselves.

  Julie Porter gave a piano recital on Sunday at the Freundlich Gallery in Santa Monica, while The Droids played a gig at The Hot Potato on Saturday night. Lead singer Dana Larson belted out their new song, 'Put on Your Dancing Shoes' to a very receptive audience. Roger Patman placed second in Palisades' Run for Kids charity marathon on Tuesday afternoon. Cheering him on were Olivia Davidson, Bruce Patman, and Regina Morrow. . . .

  "See how much you can remember when you need to?" Penny chuckled.

  "Boy," Elizabeth grumbled. "If anyone knew what a slave driver you are, they'd never sign up for this dumb old newspaper."

  The girls looked up quickly at the sound of a discreet cough from the doorway. "Hi, Liz, what's up?"

  "Jessica!" Elizabeth saw the quizzical look in her twin's eyes and knew instantly what Jessica was thinking. To Jessica Wakefield, sitting in an office writing for a newspaper was just about as dull as you could get. She frequently pointed out all the exciting things Elizabeth could be doing besides writing for The Oracle. So the snippet of mock complaining Jessica had just overheard must have sounded serious enough to make her optimistic that her sister would be quitting the paper.

  Penny turned away to hide a knowing grin, and Elizabeth shook her head with exaggerated solemnity. "Sorry, Jess, it's not what you're thinking."

  Jessica assumed an air of injured dignity. "I don't know what you're talking about, Liz. I just wanted to tell you Amy Sutton and I are going to the mall after cheerleading, and then she's driving me home, so don't wait for me, OK?"

  "Sure. Don't forget it's your turn to cook dinner, though. Right?"

  There was a moment's hesitation as Jessica toyed with the zipper of her burgundy nylon duffel. If there was any way to get out of a chore at home, Jessica was always sure to find it. That was one of her specialties, and it was just one example of the differences between the two Wakefield girls.

  On the outside they were identical. Both were five feet six with perfect size-six figures. Hours of jogging, swimming, and tennis had given them both a healthy tan, and their hair was a sun-kissed honey gold. They even wore identical gold lavalieres, presents from their parents on the twins' sixteenth birthday. Only a few people knew about the small mole on Elizabeth's right shoulder, or noticed that Elizabeth wore a wristwatch. Of course, Jessica would never wear a watch, because time was completely meaningless to her. After all, it was her belief that nothing ever got started until she arrived anyway, so what did it matter what time it was? Aside from those tiny observable differences, they looked like duplicates.

  On the inside, however, the Wakefield twins were as different as night and day. Elizabeth had been born four minutes before Jessica, which seemed to make all the difference in the world. "Slow and steady" was Elizabeth's motto. Her hobbies were reading and writing, and the quiet hours she spent with her steady boyfriend, Jeffrey French, or her best friend, Enid Rollins, were her favorite times. Practical and dependable, Elizabeth could be counted on for her loyalty and honesty. She was the sort of person people instinctively turned to—for help, sympathy, or the warmth of her sunny smile.

  Jessica, on the other hand, was like a spark of electricity—fast, exciting, and sometimes dangerous! She couldn't see tying herself down to anything—or anyone. Her closet was full of clothes she bought on impulse and wore only once, and the rest of her life was like that, too.

  But in spite of their differences, Elizabeth and Jessica shared a special bond that only identical twins could understand. Each one could always sense when her twin was troubled or sad, and they knew each other better than anyone else ever would.

  And at the moment Elizabeth knew perfectly well that her twin was trying to think of some way to get out of cooking dinner. Their mother, a successful interior designer, sometimes came home late, so the girls were responsible for many of the household chores; it was a responsibility that Jessica didn't exactly treasure.

  "Right?" Elizabeth repeated, a warning note in her voice.

  "Of course, Liz. The only thing is," she added with an angelic smile, "I don't want to upset Mom if dinner isn't ready when she comes home, so if I'm just a little bit late, could you start it? Please?"

  Elizabeth groaned and dropped her head down onto her typewriter. She knew she would say yes. The funny thing was, she could always see Jessica's manipulations coming, but she never held them against her twin; that was just the way Jessica was. "OK," she muttered.

  "Great! See you later, Liz." Jessica disappeared through the door. Penny and Elizabeth heard her say, "Hey, sorry," then Lynne Henry came through the door, grappling with an armload of books.

  "Lynne, hi."

  With a sigh of relief, Lynne set down a big, bulging manila envelope, then pulled out a chair for herself. Her almond-shaped, gold-flecked eyes twinkled as she nodded at the overstuffed envelope. "The first installment."

  Penny came forward eagerly. "You mean the personal ads?" She stopped herself as she was reaching to pull out one of the many slips cascading onto the desk. "Sorry," she said sheepishly.

  It was an idea Lynne had come up with to liven up the paper: Students would place personal ads in The Oracle, just as people did in the local papers. And even though Lynne wasn't a regular staff member, Penny had asked her to coordinate the new
feature. Lynne was a shy, quiet junior, who devoted most of her free time to writing songs and playing her guitar. But a trustworthy coordinator was absolutely necessary for this type of column, and Lynne had agreed to fill the position.

  "I think I've come up with the best system," she said, pushing her light brown hair behind her shoulders and leaning forward on her elbows. "People have put their names on the ad forms, so I know who they are, but I'm assigning everyone a number—like a post office box number—and that's what other people will use to respond. Then I'll look up who gets what, and I'll send or give them to people. I'm also prepared, once other schools find out about this, to send the responses to those people, too."

  Elizabeth gave a low whistle, "Talk about organized!" she said. "Is that all of them?"

  Lynne wrinkled her nose. "I'll probably get more tomorrow and Friday." She looked back at her desk and rolled her eyes. "I sure hope this system works."

  "Of course it will work," Penny reassured Lynne. "But it looks like you got a lot more than you bargained for."

  Lynne nodded. "Actually, it isn't as bad as it looks. I already read some of them, and I can tell there are a lot of joke ads—you know, people who aren't really serious. If there's room, I'll run some of them, but at first I'm just going to pick the ones that are serious."

  "What do you mean 'joke ads'?" asked Elizabeth.

  Lynne rested her head on one hand and poked a finger at the pile in front of her. "Such as, 'Gorgeous British rock star looking for fans. Beautiful girls: send pictures and all your dreams will come true.' "

  "Give me a break!" Penny laughed and shook her head.

  "Well, some of them are funny-but-serious," Lynne added. "So those will go in."

  "I can't wait to read them," Elizabeth said.

  Sitting back at her desk, Penny picked up her red pencil and began editing an article. "Thinking about checking some of them out?"

  "Hardly!" Elizabeth smiled and shook her head as she watched Lynne stacking the forms in a pile. She had a prize in Jeffrey French, and she knew it: He was warm, caring, and excitingly handsome. No, she wasn't interested in "checking some of them out." "But how about you, Pen?"

  As soon as the words were out, Elizabeth realized she had made a mistake. Penny blushed and the girl turned her face back to the article. "Don't be silly, Liz. You know I'm not into parties and things like that."

  Lynne looked up with a frown to meet Elizabeth's worried gaze: a note of tension had entered the air. For some reason Penny Ayala didn't date anyone, even on a casual basis. Elizabeth had often wondered about it but had put it down to Penny's busy academic and extracurricular schedule. But Penny's quick blush suggested that perhaps it wasn't entirely her choice.

  Elizabeth cleared her throat. "You know—"

  "And how are the best writers in Sweet Valley?" came a cheerful male voice.

  The three girls looked up as Roger Collins entered the office. The handsome, strawberry-blond English teacher was one of Sweet Valley High's favorites because of his relaxed and friendly attitude. He was a demanding teacher but a fair one, and he gave his time generously as faculty adviser to the newspaper.

  He set a bundle of galley proofs down on Penny's desk and looked around. "Something going on here?"

  "Just talking," Penny said with an offhand shrug. "Thanks for picking these up," she added as she reached for the galleys.

  "Sure, no problem. Say, Liz, I've got something for your column." Mr. Collins perched on the edge of a table and crossed his arms. "A certain English teacher who shall remain nameless at this time has been asked by the student council dance committee to act as chaperon for the upcoming Forties Night Swing Fling."

  "That's great! Are you—is he—going to agree?" Elizabeth's eyes danced as she smiled up at him.

  "That depends on whether a certain French teacher—who shall also remain nameless—would like to join him."

  Mr. Collins could be talking about only one person, and all three girls knew who that was: Nora Dalton, the pretty young French teacher. The two were a popular couple at Sweet Valley High, and almost every girl at school alternated between fierce envy and vicarious romantic bliss when it came to Nora Dalton.

  "And that reminds me," he went on as he jumped down. "I expect to see you ladies there. I plan on jitterbugging with all three of you."

  Elizabeth and Lynne laughingly agreed, and Mr. Collins collected some books and left the office. Elizabeth and Jeffrey were already looking forward to the forties-style dance, even though it was still a few weeks away. And Lynne was undoubtedly going with her boyfriend, Guy Chesney, who played keyboards for Sweet Valley's most popular band, The Droids.

  But Elizabeth did notice color tinging Penny's cheeks again as she bent studiously over the article with her red pencil. "Are you going to the dance, Penny?" Elizabeth asked softly.

  With another casual shrug, Penny shook her head. "Oh, you know. I'm too busy to go to the dances, I guess. Besides," she added with a bright smile, "I'm not really the type boys like to go out with."

  "What is that supposed to mean?" Elizabeth asked, incredulous. "You mean boys don't like smart, pretty girls with a great sense of humor?"

  Penny smiled wryly. "Liz, you're too polite. You know I'm not all that pretty—I guess I don't bother that much with my appearance. It just isn't as important to me as it is to some people."

  "Yeah, like Jessica," Elizabeth said and chuckled, thinking of the hours her twin spent in front of the mirror. But it was true: Penny Ayala had a pretty face and was tall and thin, but she didn't take pains with her appearance. She was always dressed neatly. But she didn't use any makeup or wear flattering styles.

  And on top of that, Elizabeth knew Penny was shy in a way that came across as aloofness. When you put it all together, Penny wasn't giving herself much of a chance. But Elizabeth thought it was too bad that most boys needed to be impressed by a girl's appearance before they could make an effort to see her inner qualities.

  "Look, what do you two say if we finish this up and get some ice cream at Casey's Place before we go home?" Elizabeth asked.

  Lynne smiled ruefully. "Sorry, I'm meeting Guy after he finishes practicing with the band. But you two go ahead. I'll stay here a while longer and try to make some sense out of these ads."

  "Penny?"

  Penny looked down at the stack of papers on her desk and frowned. But then she met Elizabeth's gaze and smile. "Sure, why not?"

  "That's the spirit!" Elizabeth typed the final period on her column and picked up her books. "Let's go."

  As they left the school for the parking lot, Elizabeth sneaked a look at Penny. Was it her imagination, or had she detected a note of wistfulness behind Penny's nonchalance about dating?

  "Penny, you can kill me if this is insulting, but you should learn how to lighten up a little around guys. Give them a chance to see how much fun you are."

  Penny's face was impassive, and Elizabeth felt like kicking herself. She stopped and put her hand on Penny's arm. "I'm sorry."

  For a moment Penny didn't speak. Her hazel eyes were clouded, as if she were looking at something far away. Then her face brightened in a warm smile. "Liz, I'm not mad at you. Hey, I know it's my own fault I turn boys off. They just don't like serious students, I guess. And frankly, I just can't see pretending to be something I'm not just to snag one."

  She continued walking, and reached the red Fiat convertible that Elizabeth shared with her sister. "This is your car, right?"

  Obviously Penny didn't want to talk about dating anymore, and Elizabeth felt she should respect her friend's feelings. But as they got in the car and headed downtown, Elizabeth couldn't help feeling that Penny was hiding a little bit of loneliness inside. And she wished there was something she could do to help.

  Two

  "I don't think I like this color after all." Lila Fowler looked down at the sleek, fire-engine-red maillot bathing suit she was wearing, then resettled herself on her beach blanket. "I mean, don't you think it kind of bleaches out my tan?"

  Jessica stopped rubbing cocoa butter onto her legs for a moment and looked at Lila's new suit with a critical eye. "Mmm. It does a little." She resisted a smile as Lila's expression soured. At least Jessica knew her white string bikini was about as flattering as could be.