In Love Again Read online

  IN LOVE AGAIN

  Written by

  Kate Williams

  Created by

  FRANCINE PASCAL

  Copyright © 2015, Francine Pascal

  IN LOVE AGAIN

  "You have no idea how much pressure I'm under," Todd yelled at Elizabeth. "Everyone expects me to just magically adjust to a whole new life-style. It happens to be pretty tough, Liz, especially with all this grief you keep giving me!"

  Elizabeth felt tears spring to her eyes. "Why are you feeling sorry for yourself?" she cried. "Because you have to get used to having your own screening room and a mansion to live in and a brand-new BMW?"

  Todd gripped the edge of the table, his knuckles turning white. She had never seen him this angry before. "Cut it out, Liz. Cut it out right now."

  "I have to tell you how I feel," she said weakly.

  "Well, I'm sick of you judging me," Todd snapped. "You know what? Maybe we should stop seeing each other," he said. "At least till we've figured out what we both want. Since all I seem to do lately is disappoint you."

  "Stop seeing each other?" Elizabeth repeated. She felt a queasy sensation in her stomach. This wasn't what she wanted at all. But if Todd wanted to break up with her, she wasn't going to beg him not to. After all, she had her pride. And at the moment it felt as if that was all she had.

  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

  One

  "I don't believe it," Lila Fowler said incredulously. She put down her fork, her eyes sparkling as Jessica Wakefield filled her in on the news that was spreading like wildfire through Sweet Valley High. "Are you saying that Elizabeth and Todd really got back together over the weekend? And that she broke up with Jeffrey French?"

  "It's like something out of a movie," Amy Sutton said, sighing dramatically. "It sounds so romantic."

  "You're not kidding," Cara Walker agreed.

  "So give us all the details," Lila urged Jessica.

  Jessica raised one eyebrow and regarded her friends. "Haven't you guys heard enough?" she demanded.

  "No!" the three girls screamed in unison.

  Jessica grinned. Secretly she was enjoying the attention. There was nothing Jessica liked better than being in the middle of the action. And right now she was more than in the middle of it—she was its twin!

  "I didn't think Liz and Todd would get back together," Amy said, gazing across the cafeteria at Elizabeth, who was eating lunch several tables away with her best friend, Enid Rollins. "I mean, here she was, totally involved with Jeffrey and everything."

  "But she and Todd had history," Cara said knowingly.

  Jessica shook her head. "I knew the second we found out Todd was moving back to Sweet Valley that Jeffrey didn't stand a chance."

  The three girls thought this over for a minute in silence. The fact was, everyone at Sweet Valley High had been following Elizabeth Wakefield's love life with fascination ever since her old boyfriend had moved back to town a few weeks ago. Elizabeth and Todd Wilkins had been a steady item for a long time, and then his father had been transferred to Burlington, Vermont. They had tried to keep the relationship going for a while, but the distance had proved insurmountable. Although they remained friends, they both began dating other people.

  Then Elizabeth had fallen in love with Jeffrey French, and she and Todd gradually lost touch.

  "And I thought she and Jeffrey were so happy together," Lila observed. She leaned over to steal a french fry off Amy's plate. Lila Fowler never forgot a grudge, and the fact that she herself had made a play for Jeffrey when he first moved to town hadn't exactly endeared her to either Elizabeth or Jeffrey. As a matter of fact, she had tried to come between them several times.

  "But Todd's much cuter," Amy commented. "I think Liz did the right thing."

  Jessica gave Amy a dirty look. "Liz didn't go back to Todd because she thinks he's cuter, Ame. The fact is, they're really in love." She shook her head, despairing at her friend's lack of insight. "Besides, now that Todd's father is president of Varitronics—now that he's practically a millionaire . . ." She let her voice drop off knowingly. "Why shouldn't Liz do what anyone with half a brain would?" She popped a french fry into her mouth, then smiled. "You can just tell she did the right thing, every time you see them together."

  "Who gets to see them together?" Amy pointed out. "Now that Todd's a Lovett Academy student, nobody sees him at all!"

  Amy had a point. Todd's father had returned to Sweet Valley to take over as president of Varitronics, the computer firm for which he worked. And the new job came with a whole new life-style, which included a luxurious new house and a new private school for Todd.

  "I don't see why he wanted to go to Lovett Academy, anyway," Amy grumbled. "I guess he doesn't think Sweet Valley High is good enough for him anymore, now that his dad's a hotshot corporate president."

  "Oh, please," Lila said, giving Amy an imperious smile. "Everyone knows Lovett Academy is the most prestigious private school in the whole state! It's only natural Todd's parents would want him to go there now that they've become such important people." Lila considered herself an expert on Lovett. Not only did she know some Lovett students through the Sweet Valley Country Club, but also, as one of Sweet Valley High's richest students, she considered herself the expert on anything exclusive—and costly.

  "So, how come you don't go to Lovett, Lila?" Amy demanded.

  Lila shrugged. "Daddy thinks it's important for me to learn about the real world."

  Amy stifled a giggle. Lila had a monthly allowance that was bigger than some students' yearly allowances. She wasn't exactly someone who went out of her way to meet people from different backgrounds! The thought of her going to public school to learn about the real world struck both Amy and Jessica as pretty funny.

  "Look," Lila said, sounding annoyed, "I don't see why you're all so critical of Todd for wanting the very best. I happen to know some terrific people who go to Lovett. That school has the best sports facilities, great teachers, small classes—"

  "And the biggest bank accounts!" Cara interrupted, giggling.

  "You know," Jessica said, grinning at Amy, "I think I may have learned too much about the real world lately. Don't you think it would be good for someone like me to spend a year at Lovett?"

  Amy groaned. "Just what we need—Jessica Stuck-Up Wakefield."

  "I'm serious," Jessica protested. "I think Lovett Academy might have a lot to offer me. Todd told Liz that they get to take Russian and Chinese there, not just boring old French and Spanish."

  "Good reason to go, Jess," Lila said sarcastically. ''Especially since you're such a world traveler."

  Amy narrowed her eyes at Jessica. "I don't suppose your new interest in Lovett has anything to do with the fact that you think you failed your math test this morning, does it? And that Skip Harmon ignored you in the lunch line?"

  Jessica shook her head. "Don't be ridiculous," she said. She wasn't about to tell her friends that she didn't like being out of the limelight, but that was exactly the way she had felt ever since Todd moved back to town.

  Jessica wasn't used to having her twin's life be more exciting than her own. In fact, far from it. But lately Jessica felt that things had seemed just a tiny bit stale at Sweet Valley High. She wanted intrigue, and she was prepared to do whatever was necessary to get it. If that meant transferring to a new school, she was ready and willing!

  "Lovett has so many advantages," Jessica continued.
"Just think about all the new people I could meet there."

  "When Jessica says people," Amy said, grinning, "you know she really means guys!"

  Jessica shrugged. "I admit it. When Todd took Liz and me on a tour of Lovett, I saw more cute guys in a day than you'd see around this place in a year. More cute, rich guys," she added.

  "Maybe this isn't the time to remind you what happened to that one cute rich boy you met from Lovett," Lila added.

  Jessica turned scarlet. It was true. Sheffield Eastman, a Lovett Academy junior, had turned out to be a major disappointment. Jessica had met him through Todd, and she had set her heart on becoming Sheffield's girlfriend. He looked like a young version of Paul Newman, and he had the bank account and the glamour to go along with his good looks! How was she supposed to have known that all Sheffield cared about was dedicating himself to charity work—and that he wanted to spend his senior year working and living in a shelter for the homeless?

  "Just because Sheffield bombed out doesn't mean there aren't plenty of other guys at Lovett," Jessica told Lila. "I saw enough during my one visit to be sure of that."

  "Maybe we should all go there," Amy said quickly.

  Lila groaned. "I think you're nuts, Jess. The Lovett admissions exams are very hard. You know that Todd had to take special exams in science, languages, and literature. You won't be doing anything but studying if you want to get in. Especially," she added condescendingly, "since your father isn't a brand-new company president like Todd's."

  "I still think it's worth looking into," Jessica said. She got to her feet and picked up her tray. "I'm going to get rid of this disgusting chicken salad, then go over to see how my sister's love life is doing." She giggled. "Besides, maybe Liz has heard more about Lovett from Todd." Her eyes sparkled. "There's still a lot I want to find out about private school before I rule it out completely!"

  "Here comes trouble," Enid Rollins said under her breath. "Trouble with a capital T, and that stands for Twin."

  Elizabeth giggled. She and Enid had been close friends for so long that they could practically read each other's minds. Elizabeth had been pouring her heart out to Enid, telling her all about Todd, and Enid had guessed that the last thing she wanted right then was to be interrupted by her sister.

  "Liz!" Jessica cried, sliding into a vacant chair at the table. "Mind if I join you guys?" she asked, helping herself to one of the chocolate-chip cookies Elizabeth had on her tray.

  Elizabeth smiled at her twin. As far as their looks went, the two girls were absolutely identical. Blond, slender, and unusually pretty, they both had sparkling blue-green eyes and tiny dimples that showed when they smiled. They each had perfect size-six figures and could swap clothes easily. No one but their family and closest friends could tell them apart.

  But the twins had personalities as opposite as their looks were similar. Jessica was four minutes younger than her sister, and she liked to claim that was what made her so carefree. Carefree wasn't always the word Elizabeth would have used to describe her sister. Careless was sometimes more like it. Jessica moved through activities, loyalties, and romances with lightning speed. She talked fast, dressed in all the latest styles, and was constantly looking for ways to make life more colorful and exciting.

  Elizabeth liked life at a slower pace. She had a few extra-special friends, not big crowds of them like Jessica, although she was one of the most popular students at Sweet Valley High. She loved reading and studying and dreamed of becoming a writer one day, a dream she was helping to realize by working on The Oracle, the school newspaper. Elizabeth didn't mind being the responsible half of the Wakefield twins. But every once in a while she wished Jessica were just a tiny bit calmer and more dependable.

  "I've come over here on a mission," Jessica announced, clasping her hands together. "Tell me everything you possibly can about Lovett Academy."

  Elizabeth laughed and glanced at Enid. "You must have ESP, Jess. We were just talking about Lovett."

  "I think it may be the right place for me," Jessica declared. "Todd likes it, right? Doesn't he think he's getting all sorts of things there that he couldn't possibly get here at Sweet Valley?"

  "There's more he isn't getting," Enid said. "For instance, time with Elizabeth."

  Elizabeth sighed. "True," she said. "It seems strange to have Todd back in town but not here at school." She looked at her twin with an amused smile. "I hope you're kidding about Lovett. You'd hate it there, Jess. It's snobby, and they have to do about ten times as much homework as we do."

  Jessica sat up straighten "You might not be aware of this, Liz, but I happen to be very interested in that sort of thing."

  "What sort of thing? Snobbishness? More homework?" Elizabeth asked.

  "You really don't seem like the Lovett type," Enid remarked. "Would you be able to stand dressing so formally every day? They wouldn't let you wear miniskirts and wild clothes there."

  "They didn't look that formal the day we visited," Jessica said doubtfully.

  Elizabeth shrugged. "Well, they have a pretty strict dress code, except on Fridays, when they can wear whatever they want, as long as it isn't jeans. And the students I've seen tend to dress much more formally and more conservatively than you do. Enid has a point, Jess."

  "Still," Jessica said, "think of all the interesting people I'd meet."

  Elizabeth glanced meaningfully at Enid. "Interesting boys," she said.

  Jessica jumped to her feet. "Thanks for taking me so seriously, Liz," she said in a hurt voice. "If you don't feel like telling me more about Lovett, I'll just have to find out more about it myself!"

  And with that she stormed off, leaving Elizabeth and Enid staring after her.

  That afternoon Elizabeth just couldn't seem to keep her mind on the poem Mr. Collins was discussing during English class. All she could think about was Todd and how lucky they were to be back together.

  Ever since Todd had moved back to Sweet Valley, she felt as though her life had been knocked off-balance. It was the biggest shock Elizabeth had ever experienced. One day everything had been calm, settled, routine. Then she heard that Todd was returning and suddenly everything changed.

  She honestly hadn't known how she was going to feel until Todd actually arrived. Before that, she and Jeffrey had tried to deal with things as rationally as they could. It wasn't as though Elizabeth had known from the start that her relationship with Jeffrey would fall apart just because Todd was coming back. In fact, she had been amazed by the strength of her feelings for Todd. She had been prepared to experience some pangs of nostalgia, but not such an overwhelmingly strong sensation of love.

  The hardest thing had been hurting Jeffrey. Jeffrey French was one of the kindest, best-natured boys Elizabeth had ever known. He had been a real friend to Elizabeth, as well as a boyfriend. In fact, his behavior for the past few weeks—since Todd had moved back from Vermont—had been so selfless that tears came to Elizabeth's eyes every time she thought about it.

  Jeffrey could easily have conspired to keep Elizabeth and Todd apart, especially since Courtney Kane, the daughter of the CEO of Varitronics and Todd's classmate at Lovett Academy, had been determined to make Todd her boyfriend. Because of Courtney, Elizabeth and Todd's relationship had almost been destroyed. But Jeffrey had actually intervened on their behalf. As he told Elizabeth in a tearful meeting later, he had to be sure she really wanted to be with him, and not Todd.

  But what he learned was that it wasn't all over between Elizabeth and Todd. Far from it, in fact.

  Enid had asked Elizabeth at lunch earlier whether it was strange getting back together with Todd after such a long time. Thinking about it now, Elizabeth had to admit that Todd sometimes seemed like someone other than the boy she used to date. He had a new house, a new car, and more money to spend. But surely those things weren't very important. What was important was that when they were together, she experienced all the old feelings of affection for him, only stronger. He was so funny, so kind, so clever. Just thinking abou
t the warmth of his lips on hers when they kissed gave her a tingling feeling.

  Suddenly the bell rang, and her classmates started gathering their notebooks. She had to shake herself out of her reverie.

  This is ridiculous, she chided herself, getting to her feet and rummaging around for her books. She felt as though everyone could tell what she was thinking.

  "Liz," Cara Walker said, turning to her and smiling, "why are you in such a daze?"

  Elizabeth blushed. She had a feeling it was going to take some time before she got used to being madly in love again.

  Two

  After school Jessica was waiting for Elizabeth outside by the Fiat Spider the two girls shared.

  "Could you drop me off downtown?" Jessica asked her twin. "I need to go to the library to look up some stuff on Lovett."

  Elizabeth narrowed her eyes at Jessica. "You're not really serious about this stuff, are you? Jess, you're the last person in the world I can imagine at that place. I told you what it's like."

  "If Todd's happy there, why won't I be?" Jessica said stubbornly.

  "To tell you the truth, I'm not sure Lovett is the right school for Todd, either." Elizabeth didn't like to prejudge anyone, but several of the Lovett Academy students, especially Courtney Kane, had been very snooty and unkind to Elizabeth. "I just wonder if Todd's not too down-to-earth for a place like Lovett."

  "You're not just saying that because you miss him and want him at Sweet Valley High all day?" Jessica asked.

  Elizabeth laughed. "You may have a point," she admitted as she hopped into the driver's seat.

  "So listen," Jessica said eagerly after they headed out of the school parking lot. "Is it really as wonderful being back with Todd as you thought? Is it totally romantic?"

  "Yes," Elizabeth said, smiling softly.

  "Poor Jeffrey," Jessica said, settling back in the passenger seat and unwrapping a stick of gum. "He looks totally devastated. I saw him moping around his locker today looking so depressed, I didn't think he'd have the strength to pick up his books."