That Fatal Night Read online

  THAT FATAL NIGHT

  Written by

  Kate William

  Created by

  FRANCINE PASCAL

  Copyright © 2015, Francine Pascal

  THAT FATAL NIGHT

  "Uh-oh, look at those flashing lights up ahead," Todd said.

  "Looks like an accident," Elizabeth murmured, staring up ahead of them. "Todd, isn't that a white Toyota? Like Ken's?"

  Todd stopped the car and stared at the wreckage. The front end of the white car was crumpled up like an accordion. The windshield had a gaping hole in it, and there was shattered glass everywhere. "It's a Toyota all right," Todd said.

  Elizabeth strained to see the back of the Toyota as they slowly passed by. Ken had two bumper stickers on his car. One said, "Honk If You Love the Gladiators." She tried to focus on the relatively unharmed bumper, but it was difficult with all the flashing lights. She was able to see the words "Love the Gladiators." She felt her heart leap in her chest.

  "Uh, I think you'd better pull over," she told Todd. "I'm—I'm pretty sure that's Ken's car."

  "No, it can't be!" Jessica shrieked. "How can you tell?"

  "I saw something," Elizabeth explained. "But I could be wrong."

  Todd pulled over to the side of the road, and the three of them got out slowly, afraid of what they would find. Jessica grasped Elizabeth's hand, Elizabeth held on to Todd, and together the three of them approached the scene.

  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

  Chapter Seventeen

  One

  "Go, Sweet Valley, go!" Elizabeth Wakefield was shouting so loud she thought her lungs would burst. Squeezing her boyfriend Todd Wilkins's hand, she jumped up from her seat to get a better view of the football field.

  The Sweet Valley High Gladiators were trailing the Palisades Pumas by four points. The Pumas had just fumbled, and Sweet Valley had recovered the ball. There was only one minute left in the game—one precious minute to turn the score around!

  On the field, quarterback Ken Matthews signaled for a time out. The referee's whistle blew, and Ken trotted over to the sidelines to talk to Coach Schultz.

  Her heart still pounding, Elizabeth sat back down and ran a hand through her silky blond hair. "Todd, do you think Ken will be able to pull it off?"

  "Are you kidding? The Pumas don't stand a chance against Ken." A huge grin spread across Todd's handsome face. "Besides, we've been undefeated all year. We can't blow it now, right?"

  "Right," Elizabeth replied with a nervous nod. Then she turned back to the field and yelled, "Come on, Gladiators!"

  On the sidelines the cheerleaders were going wild. "Run to the left, pass it to the right! Sweet Valley, Sweet Valley! Fight, fight, fight!" they chanted.

  Elizabeth's twin sister, Jessica, was leading the cheers, and the crowd responded eagerly. Jessica's red and white pom-poms twirled through the air as she jumped.

  With her sparkling blue-green eyes and sun-streaked blond hair, Jessica Wakefield was the mirror image of Elizabeth. They had the same perfect features, the same smooth complexions—even the same tiny dimples in their left cheeks when they smiled.

  Despite their physical similarities, the twins were different in almost every other way, however. Elizabeth was a serious person. She wanted to be a writer one day, and she was honing her skills by working on the staff of The Oracle, Sweet Valley High's newspaper. Dedicated and hardworking, she always seemed to have her feet planted firmly on the ground.

  Elizabeth's friends and family were confident that they could count on her for anything, anytime. If Elizabeth Wakefield made a promise, she would keep it. If she said she would be somewhere, she'd be there—on time.

  Jessica Wakefield liked to live it up—all the time. She could only stay interested in something or someone for a very short period. She got bored quickly, and she absolutely couldn't imagine staying with any one guy for long. Wherever she was, Jessica always liked to be the center of attention. She wanted to be famous when she grew up—for what, she wasn't sure, but she had lots of big plans.

  When Jessica was involved in one of her schemes, she could be thoughtless toward the people closest to her, especially Elizabeth, whom she often took for granted. Still, when Jessica apologized with that dazzling smile of hers, it was impossible to stay angry with her.

  Looking at her twin leading the cheers now, Elizabeth couldn't help being proud. Jessica added so much to the social life at Sweet Valley High. The school wouldn't be the same without her.

  "What's with Amy? She looks worried," Todd said, referring to the cheerleader next to Jessica.

  "You're right. She does," Elizabeth agreed. Although Amy Sutton was going through the motions of the cheers, she kept biting her lip and turning around to check out the huddle at the bench.

  "I guess she's worried for Ken," Elizabeth said.

  With his record for pass completions and an undefeated season well underway, Ken Matthews had attracted the interest of scouts from several major colleges. Everyone knew they were in the stands, watching the game.

  "Why? Are Ken and Amy an item?" Todd asked, putting an arm around Elizabeth's shoulder.

  She leaned against him and sighed. "Well, they're not a major item like we are," she said, a twinkle in her eye. "But Amy's hoping they will be soon. At least that's what Jessica says."

  "That's strange. I never would have pictured them together," Todd said. "Ken doesn't seem that interested in having a girlfriend."

  "Well, I guess Amy's out to change his mind," Elizabeth said. "You know Amy—she's as boy crazy as they come. And Ken is the star of the team. Hey, what's happening down there?" Elizabeth wondered aloud. Ken had come back onto the field, and the team was huddling at their thirty-yard line.

  "Looks like Ken's telling his teammates the plan," Todd said. "I'd hate to be in his shoes right now. Those guys are under so much pressure. But if anyone can handle it, Ken can," Todd said confidently.

  Suddenly the whistle blew, and play resumed.

  "Go for it, guys!" Todd shouted as the Gladiators lined up against their opponents.

  Elizabeth clutched Todd's hand as Ken dropped back to pass.

  "Complete!" she cried happily as Scott Trost caught the ball and scooted out of bounds, stopping the clock with forty seconds left.

  "Whoa, look at that!" Todd yelled a moment later. Ken had completed another long pass downfield, and the ball was on the Pumas' fifteen-yard line!

  "Five seconds," Todd said, looking up at the game clock. "We've only got time for one more play."

  "I know," Elizabeth murmured. She was so nervous she could hardly watch.

  With the snap of the ball, Ken swung into action. Fading back, he searched for a receiver, but they were all covered.

  A Palisades linebacker broke through Ken's pass protection and came right at him. Instantly Ken scrambled to the right, and the player missed him.

  Before the Pumas could react, Ken picked up his speed and shot through a hole in the defensive line. When another player came at him, he faked a move to the left. The player fell down as Ken zigzagged to the right and leapt straight into the end zone.

  "He did it! He did it!" Elizabeth cried, giving Todd a hug. The noise in the stands was deafening.

  "What a win!" Todd shouted, shaking his head in disbelief.

  The band broke into a victory march, and Elizabeth let out a laugh as the players leapt into one another's arms and hugged exuberantly.

  "Way to go, Ken!" she yelled as Ken's teammates hoisted him onto their shoulders and carried him triumphantly around the field.

  Down in the first row of the bleachers, Sweet Valley High's basketball star Shelley Novak exchanged high fives with her friend Kristin Thompson, who was well on her way to a professional tennis career. John Pfeifer, the sports photographer for The Oracle, was standing on his seat, snapping pictures of the celebration. His girlfriend, Jennifer Mitchell, was standing beside him.

  Sitting quietly in the middle of all the commotion, next to Shelley, was Terri Adams, a petite, pretty junior who was the Gladiators' assistant statistician. Her eyes closed, she hugged her clipboard tightly, a dreamy smile on her lips. That last run of Ken's was his fifty-seventh of the season. Terri always had all the facts right at hand—especially when they concerned Ken Matthews.

  As she gazed at Ken being carried off the field by his teammates, she felt a familiar thrill run through her, the same one she had felt the first time she had seen Ken.

  It wasn't just his talent or good looks that attracted her. It was his whole outlook on life. Ken was so easygoing, so confident. He took charge of the most difficult situations and made them look simple.

  But being out there every day at practice, Terri had watched him enough to know that his success was based on a lot of hard work. Ken was tremendously persistent, and he never stopped pushing himself to do even better.

  Now he was up where he belonged, on the shoulders of his teammates, reaping the glory he deserved.

  And she was sitting in the stands, as usual watching him from afar. She desperately wished he would notice
her someday. Not just as the assistant statistician for his team, but as somebody special.

  Shelley nudged her with her elbow. "Who are you staring at?" she asked good-naturedly, as if she didn't know. All of Terri's friends knew about her crush on Ken.

  Terri blushed and didn't say a word.

  "Hey, everybody!" Amy Sutton shouted suddenly. The other cheerleaders were huddled around Amy, still jumping up and down and waving their pom-poms.

  "Party tonight—my house! Everyone's invited!"

  "Excellent!" John yelled back. "We'll be there!"

  "Should be a great party," Shelley said. "There's nothing like a celebration after a big game!"

  "I'm just excited I get to go to any party," Kristin said. Her rigorous tennis schedule left her little free time, but lately she had been determined to lead what she called a "normal" life, and had been going to school events whenever she was in town.

  Terri wasn't sure if she should go to the party or not. She didn't really know Amy that well, or Amy's crowd, either. She knew Jessica Wakefield, but that was only because she had recently become friends with her sister, Elizabeth, through a project they had worked on for French class. Out of that whole crowd, Terri probably knew Elizabeth the best.

  Ken would definitely be at the party, which was another reason Terri felt nervous about going. Even though she wasn't normally shy, Terri always seemed to freeze up whenever Ken spoke to her.

  "Terri!" She turned and saw Zack Johnson trotting over to her, his uniform still clean. Zack was a sophomore linebacker, and a good one, too. But on a team like the Gladiators, with so many talented upperclassmen, Zack spent most of his time on the bench.

  "Are you coming to Amy's party?" he asked.

  Terri hugged her clipboard even tighter. "I don't know." She shrugged. "I should probably get some studying done."

  "Are you kidding?" Lowering his camera, John Pfeifer stared down at her. "How can you not go?"

  "He's right, Ter," Jennifer said. "You've got to come—you're a member of the team, too," she pointed out.

  "It wouldn't be the same without you," Kristin agreed. "I mean, you're more into football than any of us!"

  "Me included!" Zack teased her. "Besides, guess what, Ter?" he added in a whisper. "I'm going with April, and I might need your moral support."

  Terri shot Zack a grin. She knew he had been trying to get the nerve to ask out April Dawson ever since the first week of school.

  "That's great, Zack!" she whispered back. "Congratulations!''

  "So, are you going?" Shelley pressed her.

  "I'm taking the car," Zack said. "We could give you a lift, since you live so close by."

  Terri tilted her head to one side and considered. Maybe she wouldn't know everyone at the party—but if she went, she could get to know them. Besides, she would have plenty of time to study on Sunday. "All right, I'll go!" she told everybody.

  "Great!" John said. "The whole gang will be there then!"

  Terri smiled. As much as she was looking forward to spending the evening with her friends, she had another reason to be excited about the party. Maybe, just maybe, she and Ken would wind up alone together for a minute or two. And maybe she would finally get the chance to talk to him, about something other than football stats. She might even be bold enough to tell him how she felt about him.

  Stop it, Terri told herself as she stepped off the bleachers. You're getting carried away. But Terri had a good feeling about the party. Anything could happen, couldn't it?

  Two

  "Wow!" Zack whistled when he saw the dozens of cars parked in front of the Sutton house. "This is going to be some party." April smiled and smoothed her thick, dark hair.

  Sitting forward in the backseat, Terri nervously checked her reflection in the rearview mirror. Her lipstick was a pretty shade of apricot, and it matched her flowered shirt perfectly. Her short, glossy, light brown hair still looked neat, but she quickly ran a comb through it anyway. She wanted to make sure she looked her absolute best. She rarely wore eyeliner, but that evening she had carefully applied a thin dark line around her large brown eyes, which made them look even larger.

  Zack turned off the motor, then opened the doors for Terri and April.

  Terri slid out of the car and made her way up the walk with Zack and April. Suddenly she felt shaky. Remember, she told herself. Tonight you're not going to be shy—no matter what.

  They rang the door bell, and Jessica Wakefield opened the door. "Zack and April! Hi! Oh, hi, Terri!" Although the Wakefield twins were identical, it was always easy to tell them apart because they dressed so differently. Jessica was wearing a short black miniskirt, a bright red blouse, and matching red shoes. Elizabeth tended to be less flashy, preferring soft pastel colors and more conservative clothes. Terri was glad there was a way to figure out who was who!

  "Hi, Jessica," she said brightly. "How's the party?"

  "It's great," Jessica answered. "Come on in, you guys!"

  Happy to see a familiar face, Terri stepped into the Sutton home. It was a huge contemporary house with a cathedral ceiling in the living room. Impressed, Terri looked around for some more familiar faces.

  Across the room, she saw Cara Walker and Jean West sharing a laugh with several of the football players. In the other direction, Todd Wilkins was gazing into Elizabeth Wakefield's eyes as they talked quietly at the side of the room.

  A minute later Terri spotted Jessica dancing with Skip Harmon, a senior at Sweet Valley. Enid Rollins waved to Terri as she danced with a guy Terri didn't recognize.

  Lila Fowler had taken over Jessica's job of answering the door, and more people were arriving by the minute. Terri wondered when her friends were going to show up.

  With a shriek of laughter, Amy appeared at the living room entrance. "Here he is, everybody!" she announced, pulling Ken into the room by the arm.

  Just looking at Ken made Terri's heart pound. His sandy blond hair was tousled, and he was wearing a blue cotton pullover sweater that matched his deep blue eyes.

  "Hi, everyone," Ken said shyly.

  For a guy who attracted as much attention as he did, Terri thought Ken was remarkably down-to-earth.

  Everyone at the party broke into cheers.

  "Come on, you guys." Ken smiled as he and Amy made their way into the room. "I wasn't the only one out there, you know."

  "Well, you did score the winning touchdown," Amy said, smiling. "And for that, you deserve this." As the entire party watched, Amy took Ken by the shoulders and planted a soft, sizzling kiss on his lips.

  Terri felt herself blushing. Well, what did you expect? she reminded herself. Everyone knew that Amy was interested in Ken. And they were perfect for each other, weren't they? He was the star of the football team, and she was one of the prettiest cheerleaders. It seemed only natural for them to become a couple.

  "Way to go, Sutton!" Winston Egbert called out, Winston was the junior-class clown, and Terri usually laughed at his jokes. But tonight she didn't find the situation very funny.

  Amy finally broke off the kiss, then smiled with satisfaction. She snuggled closer to Ken and grinned at her guests. "That's all for now, folks," she quipped.

  A sickening feeling shot through Terri. Why had she come to this party anyway? So she could see Amy Sutton kissing Ken Matthews?

  Fortunately, just at that moment the door bell rang, and John and Jennifer burst in, followed by Kristin, Shelley, and Shelley's boyfriend, Jim Roberts. "Hi, everybody!" John shouted. "You can start the party now. We're here!"

  Terri giggled, despite herself. She had never been so happy to see her friends in her life!

  Ken was glad his tan would hide the blush on his face. It bothered him that Amy had kissed him like that in front of everybody.

  He liked her, sure. But they had only been out on a few casual dates. Amy was acting as if they were a serious couple.

  "Hey, buddy," Winston called out, walking over to shake Ken's hand. "So, did any of those scouts offer to buy you a car yet? Or are they just going to give you a bundle of cash?"

  Ken smiled. "I don't know what they're going to offer me," he said truthfully. "I'll settle for a scholarship, though."

  "Well, if they do give you any cash, you know where I live," Winston joked. "Tens and twenties will be fine."