Stepsisters

  STEPSISTERS

  Written by

  Kate William

  Created by

  FRANCINE PASCAL

  Copyright © 2015, Francine Pascal

  To Shannon Nicole Wooster

  "Have you ever thought of being a model yourself?" Annie asked.

  Cheryl looked up. "What? Oh, no, not really," she said in a quiet voice. "Music's more my thing." She paused for a few moments, and Annie couldn't read the expression on her face. "My mom was a model," she said finally. "That's how she met my Dad. He was just starting out as a fashion photographer then."

  "I didn't know that," Annie said. "Are your parents . . . I mean, is your mom . . ."

  Cheryl kept her eyes on the bare wood floor. "My mother died of leukemia when I was nine."

  "I'm sorry," Annie said, and she meant it.

  Cheryl shrugged. "It was a long time ago. Seven years. That's almost half my life," she said softly.

  Annie swallowed hard. "Are you . . . I mean, does it make you angry that your father is marrying my mother and making you move out here, away from your friends and everything?"

  Cheryl sighed deeply. "I'm really glad he's happy, Annie. But I don't understand why he was so eager to move out here. It's so . . . different."

  Suddenly the question of race flooded back into Annie's mind. She wanted to ask Cheryl what she had meant by saying that Sweet Valley was different, and whether it had anything to do with the fact of her being black in a town where most of the people were white.

  Annie opened her mouth to speak, but at the last minute lost her courage. Maybe tomorrow will be better, she thought.

  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

  One

  "Go, Sweet Valley!" Jessica Wakefield shouted. She leaped into the air and did a perfect split, her fingertips just touching her toes for an instant, before she landed lightly on her feet.

  "That was great, you guys," Robin Wilson, the co-captain of the cheerleading squad, said encouragingly. "Let's do it once more to make sure we have it down."

  "No way," Annie Whitman said firmly. She collapsed onto the bleachers and began to towel off her sweat-dampened thick brown hair.

  "But if we want to add this new cheer to our routine before the Claremont game—" Robin began.

  Jessica swatted Robin lightly with a pompom. "Hey, I'm a co-captain too," she reminded her friend. "And I agree with Annie. I'm beat. Besides, I have a date with Sam tonight, and I want to make sure I have enough time to change."

  "Where are you two going?" Amy Sutton inquired as she began to unlace her sneakers. "La Maison Blanche?"

  "I wish!" Jessica responded. "Actually, we're just going to the Dairi Burger. I'm broke, as usual, and so is Sam—he had to buy some thingamajig for his bike."

  Just then a voice called from the other side of the gym, "Jessica, are you ready to go?"

  "Give me a minute to toss my clothes on," Jessica replied as her identical twin sister, Elizabeth, came strolling across the gym floor, the keys to the Jeep the twins shared in her hand.

  While Jessica went into the locker room, Elizabeth sat down on the bleachers. "So how's the new cheer coming?" she asked Annie.

  Annie smiled. "I think we've finally gotten it. We're going to put it into our routine soon." She paused. "How are things at The Oracle?"

  "Pretty good," Elizabeth replied. "I'm working on an article about kids at Sweet Valley High who are involved in the environmental movement."

  As Elizabeth told Annie a little more about the article, Annie couldn't help being amazed once again at the differences between the Wakefield twins. They looked exactly alike, with sun-kissed blond hair, sparkling blue-green eyes, and a dimple in their left cheeks, but their interests were about as different as could be. Elizabeth put a lot of time into her work for The Oracle, Sweet Valley High's student newspaper, and Annie admired her gentle humor, her thoughtfulness, and her ability to understand and write about complex issues. Jessica, on the other hand, preferred being the center of attention. She had recently played Lady Macbeth in Sweet Valley High's production of Macbeth, and wanted nothing more than a career in acting.

  "I'm ready, Liz," Jessica called, emerging in jeans and a T-shirt.

  "OK. See you later, Annie," Elizabeth said as she left with her sister.

  Annie got up with a sigh and began to make her way to the locker room to get changed. Robin fell into step with her.

  "I was thinking about getting my hair cut," Robin said. "What do you think?"

  Annie looked at her friend's long, dark brown hair. "I like your hair the way it is, but I think you'd look great with shorter hair too. Did you have something particular in mind?"

  Robin shook her head. "I just feel like looking different, that's all."

  "The last time my mom got her hair cut, she went to a place called Shear Pleasure," Annie said. "They have a computer system that takes a picture of you and then shows how you'd look with different hairstyles."

  "You know, that sounds like a good idea," Robin said. "But isn't Shear Pleasure expensive? I always thought models spent a fortune on their hair."

  "Well, maybe some models do, but not my mom," Annie said with a grin. "She loves bargains on haircuts as much as double-coupon day at the supermarket. Anyway, it's not as if she could spend two hundred dollars on a haircut even if she wanted to. Remember, she's only a catalog and advertisement model. She isn't one of those supermodels who make a zillion dollars an hour."

  "She's met some of those models, though, hasn't she?" Robin asked.

  "Oh, sure," Annie answered. "She knows a lot of famous models and photographers through her agency."

  "When's she getting back from New York?"

  "Today. She should be home by the time I get there." Annie sighed. "It'll be nice to have her back. She's been in New York a lot more than usual over the last few months."

  Robin shrugged. "Hey, I wouldn't mind having the house to myself as much as you do."

  "Well, it gets kind of lonely," Annie admitted. "I mean, she calls every night, but it's nice to have a real dinner with someone instead of eating microwaved stuff all by yourself."

  "I think you need a brother or sister to keep you company," Robin said. "Hey, I know—you can have Tray!"

  Annie gave her friend a look of mock terror. Both of them knew how much of a pain Robin's thirteen-year-old brother could be. Her other brother, Adam, wasn't much better.

  "Uh, I think I'll pass on that," Annie said, laughing. "I know how much he means to you."

  Robin groaned. Then she looked at Annie. "Seriously, though, maybe someday your mom will get remarried. Is she seeing anyone now?"

  "Nah," Annie replied, stuffing her sneakers into her bag. "In fact, I can't remember the last time she was out with someone. She hasn't been too into dating ever since she and Johnnie broke up. She really did care for him, even though they weren't right for each other."

  Robin straightened up from tying her shoes. "Want a ride home?" she offered.

  "Sure. How about we stop and get some chips and stuff to eat at my house?"

  "I'd love to, but I can't," Robin said as they made their way to her car. "I've got to get started on that history term paper. You know me—if I don't get started now, I'll never get it done."

  As the girls were about to pull out of the parking lot, Robin said to Annie, "Hey, th
ere's Tony. Want me to drive over?"

  Annie flushed. Tony Esteban had been her boyfriend until she found out he was seeing another girl. They had broken up for a while, but Caroline Pearce, who seemed to know everything going on at school and never hesitated to tell everyone about it, had casually mentioned that Tony had stopped seeing the other girl and wanted to get back together with Annie.

  "No, I . . . uh, I should get started on my term paper too," Annie murmured.

  "You guys haven't got things straightened out yet, have you?" Robin said sympathetically.

  Annie shook her head. "He's been calling me a lot lately, but after the first call, I started letting the answering machine pick up. I don't know what I want to happen with him. I'm still so hurt that he could sneak around with someone behind my back."

  "Mmm," Robin said as she pulled into traffic. They drove for several minutes in silence before she said, "For what it's worth, Annie, I think maybe he's realized that he made a mistake. Do you think you can give him another chance? If you really love someone, you know, that's all that matters."

  Annie looked at Robin. I wish it were that simple, she thought.

  Annie shut the door to the apartment she and her mother shared and dumped her bag on the hall floor. "Mom? You home?"

  "In here," Mrs. Whitman replied from the bedroom.

  Annie wandered into her mother's bedroom, which had thick blue carpeting and a four-poster bed covered with an antique quilt. On her mother's dresser were pictures of Annie as a baby and a little girl. On one wall was a framed magazine cover that Mrs. Whitman had done when she was in her early twenties. Annie's gaze went from the magazine cover to her mother. That cover may be eighteen years old, but Mom still looks fantastic, she thought. Both she and her mother had startlingly green eyes, and Annie had also inherited her mother's slim, athletic build.

  "Hi, honey," Mrs. Whitman said, pausing from her unpacking to give her daughter a warm hug. "How was school today? Did you get the math test back?"

  Annie nodded. "I did pretty well, too. I got only one question wrong."

  "That's fabulous, Annie!" Mrs. Whitman said, gazing fondly at her.

  Annie flopped down on her mother's bed and watched as Mrs. Whitman put away her shoes and tossed her dirty laundry into the hamper. "So how was New York this time?"

  "Oh, pretty good."

  Annie looked at her mother closely. Something about her tone was unusual. "Only pretty good?" she prodded.

  Mrs. Whitman grinned mischievously. "Well, OK, better than pretty good."

  Annie was surprised by the look on her mother's face. I've never seen her smile that way, she thought. She looks like she's got the world's greatest secret.

  "What's going on, Mom?" she demanded.

  "Well, you remember me talking about Walter Thomas, don't you?" Mrs. Whitman said.

  "The photographer? Yeah. Didn't you do that jewelry ad with him?"

  "That's him. Well, Walter and I have, um, gotten interested in each other over the past couple of months. I've spent a lot of time with him in New York, and we've been talking a lot on the phone."

  Annie smiled. "That's great, Mom! It's about time you started going out with a nice guy."

  Annie's mother let out her breath in a big whoosh. "Oh, honey, I'm so glad you think that! Walter really is a wonderful man. He's a great photographer—and not just for fashion. I showed you that book of portraits he did, right?"

  Annie remembered the book. Walter Thomas had photographed ordinary people as well as celebrities, each time finding some unique way to highlight the person's character. "He seems to see right into a person's soul," she told her mother.

  Mrs. Whitman nodded. "Yes, and that's what being with him feels like. It's almost as if he can see into my soul."

  Annie smiled to herself. Mom sounds just like a sixteen-year-old, she thought. Then suddenly she felt a twinge of sadness. I used to have that feeling with Tony.

  She jumped off the bed, trying to shake off the sadness. "Do you think this is going to be, you know, serious? I mean, should I meet him or anything?"

  The smile faded from Mrs. Whitman's face, and she reached out for Annie's hand. "Honey, I . . . yes, it is serious. It happened pretty fast, but it feels right, Annie. I love him, and he loves me. He asked me to marry him, and I said yes."

  Annie was speechless. All she could do was stare at her mother.

  "I know this is sudden, honey," Mrs. Whitman went on quickly, a touch of alarm in her voice. "I probably should have told you we were getting involved. But things were moving so fast, and I didn't want to tell you in case it didn't work out with him. What with your father and me getting divorced, and then Johnnie and the way that ended . . . well, I thought you'd been through enough." She was silent for a moment as she anxiously searched her daughter's face. "Annie? I'm sorry I didn't tell you before. I think I was wrong not to. But I have a good feeling about this. I hope you'll love him and Cheryl as much as I do."

  A thousand and one thoughts were exploding in Annie's mind. Mom's getting married—to a guy she's been dating for only two months? I have no idea what this man is like! Not to mention that he's in New York and we're in Sweet Valley! And who is Cheryl?

  "Annie?" Her mother's voice was gentle.

  Annie collapsed back onto the bed and gave her mother a weak grin. "You have to admit, Mom, this is something of a surprise."

  Mrs. Whitman smiled back at her. "It was kind of a surprise to me, too."

  Annie exhaled loudly. "So when's the wedding?" Suddenly she sat up and rapidly fired off a series of questions. "When am I going to meet him? Where are we going to live? Who's Cheryl? And—"

  "One thing at a time!" Mrs. Whitman protested. "Let me tell you the whole story. Walter lives in New York at the moment, but he's lived in California before and would like to move back here. We'd like to get married in a month or so, and we thought it would be a good idea for Walter and his daughter, Cheryl, to come out here before the wedding and start settling in. We'll have to find a house big enough for all of us, of course, but I've been looking at a few places over the past couple of weeks."

  "His daughter, Cheryl?" Annie murmured, still feeling overwhelmed. "Is she . . . what's she like? How old is she?"

  "Cheryl's your age, honey. She's terrific—funny, sweet, talented, a little shy . . . I really think you two will get along fabulously."

  Annie shook her head, feeling as though she couldn't comprehend everything that was happening to her.

  Mrs. Whitman looked worried. "Annie, how are you feeling about all of this?" She sighed, and there was a catch in her voice when she spoke again. "I know I haven't handled this well, honey. I shouldn't have surprised you with news like this." She swallowed hard. "You're my daughter and I love you more than anything in the world. I want you to be happy—I want us to have a loving family. Do you think . . ." She didn't finish the sentence.

  Annie reached out and hugged her mother tightly. "I feel kind of in shock, Mom—but I guess you figured that out." Her own voice was a little husky. "After all, this is big news. But I want you to be happy too. And if you love this guy, he must be pretty special. I think everything's going to turn out just great." Annie pulled back a little and looked at her mother. There were tears in Mrs. Whitman's eyes. "It's OK with me."

  "Oh, honey," Mrs. Whitman said, hugging Annie to her again. "I love you."

  "I love you, too," Annie said. Then she grinned. "You know, Mom, I am almost a grown-up. If you have any more major news like this, would you give me a little warning? I can deal with it," she added more seriously.

  "I will, I promise," Mrs. Whitman agreed. "I guess I still think of you as a little girl sometimes."

  "So, how soon will I get to meet Walter and Cheryl?"

  "At the end of the week," Mrs. Whitman answered. "They'll be flying out after Walter finishes a shoot." She paused. "Annie, there is one more thing I should tell you."

  Annie looked at her mother expectantly and thought, a little giddily, OK,
here comes the bad news. They have a nasty, smelly old attack cat, or they like to get up at five in the morning and do calisthenics. Maybe both!

  "Annie," Mrs. Whitman said, "Walter and Cheryl are black."

  Two

  Startled, Annie looked up at her mother. "They're black?"

  "Yes," Mrs. Whitman replied simply.

  Annie considered this for a moment. Why should that be especially surprising? she asked herself as she fingered the photo frames on her mother's dresser. A lot of the other models Mom knows are black. Why shouldn't she have fallen in love with someone who happens to be black?

  She glanced up to see her mother studying her intently.

  "Does that make a difference to you?" Mrs. Whitman asked Annie.

  Again, Annie thought about the question. No, I don't think it bothers me, she decided.

  "No," she answered slowly.

  Mrs. Whitman came up behind Annie and wrapped her arms around her daughter's waist. Annie looked into the mirror and saw her mother's face right next to hers. The two of them looked so much alike. Annie tried to imagine their new family portrait, with two new family members who didn't look at all like either of them.

  "I'm glad to hear that, honey," Mrs. Whitman said quietly. "I can tell from your voice that you really mean it—it doesn't matter to you that Walter and Cheryl have a different skin color. But I'm not going to kid you; It may not affect the way you and I and Walter and Cheryl all feel about one another, but it is going to affect the way some people see us, as a family."

  Annie nodded. "I know. You remember all the trouble Andy Jenkins had just because he's black?" Andy, a junior at Sweet Valley High, had been hassled and even beaten up by Charlie Cashman and his gang in an incident that had upset the whole school.

  "Yes, I remember. And there are people out there who are going to react badly to the idea of an interracial family. We're all going to have to be prepared to deal with it." She sighed. After a moment, she smiled slightly and said, "I don't know about you, but I'm famished. I'll go and make dinner. How does tortellini sound?"