Starting Over Read online

  What about Dana and Jeremy? she wondered. What would they be like? Would they like her? Would they be glad she'd come?

  Before she had time for any more speculation, Mr. Larson pulled into the driveway and stopped the car. "Here we are, Sally," he said, smiling. "All set?"

  Sally swallowed hard and bravely returned her uncle's smile. She couldn't even bring herself to look up at the house, afraid it would mysteriously disappear if she did.

  "Hey, don't worry," he said, seeming to sense her nervousness. He tousled her hair and then gently lifted her chin with his finger. "You'll be just fine, Sally. Honest."

  The flood of gratitude Sally felt almost overwhelmed her. But she didn't want her uncle Hal to think she was a crybaby—or even worse, that she was unhappy about the arrangements—so she gritted her teeth. "OK, I guess—" she broke off, trying to gain control of her emotions.

  "That's my girl. Let's go!"

  Gripping her shoulder bag tightly, Sally followed her uncle up the slate walk to the front door. He opened it and then stepped aside to wave her through.

  "Sally, I'm so glad you're here." An attractive woman stepped forward and kissed her on the forehead. "I'm your aunt Anne."

  Sally, unused to any kind of affection, blushed, but she basked in the warmth of her aunt's tender smile. Her aunt looked much as she remembered her from years before and from photographs she'd seen.

  "Hello," she managed to say in a subdued voice. "Thank you so much for inviting me."

  "Oh, not at all! You're part of our family, Sally. And you remember that," Mrs. Larson chided. "And this is Dana."

  Sally looked quickly in the direction her aunt indicated, almost expecting to see the same girl she had played with when they were kids. But standing in another doorway was a tall, leggy blond, whose pretty features were crowned by an outrageous hairstyle. She was wearing skintight, black stirrup pants and a gold lamé dinner jacket, sleeves pushed up, over a black- and white-checked shirt.,

  Dana flashed a brilliant smile. "Hi, Sally. It's really great to see you again."

  For a moment, Sally was speechless. Was this chic, sophisticated girl, Dana? "Uh, hi," she stammered, suddenly feeling drab in her jeans and cardigan sweater. She looked around quickly. "Isn't—?"

  Dana crossed her arms and rolled her eyes dramatically. "My dear brother Jeremy is late, as usual," she said with a grin. "But don't worry, you shouldn't be in too much of a hurry to meet him."

  "Here we go!" Uncle Hal came back inside with a suitcase in each hand.

  Sally stood in silence, trying to take everything in, the house, her aunt and uncle, and especially, Dana. She seemed so bright, so cool. She would almost be intimidating if she didn't also seem to be so friendly.

  "Hey, why don't I show you your room?"

  "Sure. Thanks."

  Dana smiled again and picked up one suitcase. "It's this way."

  As Sally followed her upstairs, Dana chattered. "Sweet Valley's a pretty good school, except for old Chrome Dome. That's Mr. Cooper, the principal. Man, can he be a drag! But we've got loads of good teachers, and all of the kids are great. You'll really like it. Anyway, this is it!"

  Opening a bedroom door, Dana gestured grandly. "Your bedchamber, madam."

  Sally giggled. "Thanks," she said, stepping inside. "Wow, this is really nice."

  "You like it?" Dana bounded into the room and jumped on the bed. "It used to be Jerry's room, but he got moved up to the attic."

  A stricken expression clouded Sally's face. "Oh, no! I don't want to put anybody out of their room or anything. I can sleep in the attic. Really."

  Dana bounced on the mattress a few times, as if testing it. "Don't worry about it. He's a real grouch sometimes, but the attic is even better than this. Can I help you unpack?"

  "Oh, no. I don't really have that much." Sally pointed at her two small suitcases.

  "Then, I'll just stay and watch you unpack, OK?" said Dana.

  The eager smile on Dana's face was too much to resist. Sally melted, delighted by her exuberant cousin. "Well, sure, if you really want to." She didn't want to seem rude or ungrateful, but she didn't want to be a bother.

  "Great. So, anyway, what do you like to do?"

  Sally shrugged, still shy. "I don't know, anything, I guess."

  "Movies? I love old flicks. You know, the classics. Bergman, Bogart, Hitchcock . . ." Dana stretched luxuriously and sighed. "Ohhh, I love them. There's a great old theater in town, The Plaza. It's always got something good."

  With a little nod, Sally looked at her cousin. "Sure," she said quietly. "I like movies."

  "How about music? What sort of music do you like?"

  Sally paused a moment as she was hanging up some blouses and skirts. "Well . . . I don't know," she said, turning around to face her cousin. "Anything, I guess." She colored slightly, thinking how dumb she must sound to Dana.

  But her cousin didn't seem to notice. "Great. I'm in a band, you know. We're called The Droids. I'm the lead singer." Dana was lying face up on the bed, scissoring her legs back and forth above her.

  Sally stared. Wow! A singer in a band, she thought. How could she ever impress somebody that sophisticated?

  "And I told everybody I'd bring you to practice on Monday afternoon," Dana continued. "You could help out and stuff, too, if you want."

  "Oh, uh, that's great," Sally said, using what seemed to be Dana's favorite word.

  As Dana sat up, eyeing the contents of Sally's suitcase, all of Sally's old insecurities came back. She looked down at her conservative wardrobe, turtlenecks, oxford shirts, blue denim jeans, A-line skirts, a corduroy jumper. Then she glanced up quickly at her cousin's stylish clothes and haircut. She fingered her own brown shoulder-length hair nervously. It looked as if she would never fit in, she worried.

  "Hey, listen, Sally, how about if I take you down to the Valley Mall tomorrow, and we can get you some new school clothes? I'm sure Mom would pay for it."

  "Well . . ." Sally looked hesitantly at the clothes spilled out on the bed. She blushed, realizing that Dana must think they were shabby. "I don't want to be a bother. I've got enough stuff for school."

  "Oh, come on! How can you pass up this golden opportunity?"

  Sally looked at Dana's eager face and then back down at the plaid skirt in her hands. She knew she didn't have the greatest clothes in the world, but at least she felt comfortable in them. And she didn't want her aunt to think she was asking for a whole lot as soon as she arrived. But Dana really seemed to want to.

  "Are you sure?"

  The look on Dana's face erased all doubt. "No problem. It'll be—"

  "Great?" Sally supplied with a shy smile. She couldn't believe she and her cousin were getting along so well so soon.

  Dana laughed freely. "You've got it!"

  Downstairs, Mr. and Mrs. Larson heard the back door slam. They exchanged a quick glance. "Is that you, Jerry?" Mrs. Larson called out. "We're in the den."

  Jeremy slouched into the room and stood leaning against the wall. He eyed his parents warily. "Is Miss Neglected Child here yet?"

  Mr. Larson heaved an exasperated sigh, obviously trying hard not to get mad. "Yes, she is," he said, his voice tight. "And I might add I'm a little disappointed you weren't here when she arrived."

  Rolling his eyes, Jeremy pushed himself away from the wall and took a seat, staring fixedly at the television. "Sorry," he mumbled grudgingly.

  "Jeremy! How can you be so—so inconsiderate of your cousin's feelings?" His mother shook her head angrily. "The least you could have done—"

  "I said I was sorry, OK? Give me a break."

  Mr. Larson stood up and turned off the television. He faced his son angrily. "No, it is not OK, and I will not give you a break. We're talking about my niece, your cousin, and I would appreciate, no, I insist—" he emphasized, fixing Jeremy with a steely glare. "I insist that you treat her with respect and courtesy. I don't expect you to like her immediately, but you can at least go say hello and welcome her into your room."

  The two locked eyes for a tense moment.

  "Do it."

  "All right, all right! Jeez!" Jeremy stood up, digging his hands in his pockets. He shrugged. "I'll do it. Satisfied?"

  Mr. Larson regarded his son. "No, but it'll have to do for now."

  "And so anyway, there's Max—we use his basement to practice in. He's the lead guitarist. And then— Oh, hi, Jeremy."

  The two girls looked up from their positions sprawled on Sally's bed. Sally was slightly disturbed by the blank expression on Jeremy's face. It wasn't a scowl, certainly. But it sure wasn't a smile.

  "Hi," she said with a tentative smile. "I'm Sally."

  He nodded and looked over one shoulder. Then he glanced back at the girls. "Yeah. Hi. Like my room?"

  Sally was stunned.

  "Jeremy! You jerk, it's not your room anymore," Dana cried, jumping to Sally's defense.

  "I'm sorry, Jeremy. I didn't mean for you to get kicked out on my account." Sally bit her lip. Things weren't getting off to such a hot start with Jeremy. She'd have to make a special effort to make him like her. "I'll switch with you, if you want."

  Dana punched her. "Don't say that, dummy. He probably would." Then she stopped herself, seeing the look on Sally's face. "No, honest, he really wouldn't want to switch back now. Right, Jeremy?" She looked pointedly at her brother.

  He met her gaze and then nodded slowly. "Yeah. I don't care."

  There was an uncomfortable silence in the room for a moment. Sally looked down at her hands, wondering how on earth she could get around this bad first encounter with Jeremy.

  Jeremy turned abruptly and headed for the attic.

  Dana stared at the doorway for a moment longer, as if she expected him to reappear. Then she shook herself and drew a deep breath. "Boy, talk about the welcome wagon!"

  She turned and looked quickly at Sally, whose head was still bowed.

  "Hey, Sally, don't worry about him. He's always like that."

  Sally looked questioningly into Dana's face. "You're not just saying that, are you?"

  With a short laugh, Dana stood up. "I wish. Jeremy was born a drag."

  Sally squared her shoulders. She had no choice but to believe her cousin. Otherwise, it meant Jeremy already disliked her, and she couldn't let that happen.

  Later, when Sally was finally in bed, she fought off sleep long enough to recapture the last few hours of her day. Sweet Valley was even more than she'd dreamed of, she thought. It was so pretty, and everyone seemed so nice and happy. Except Jeremy, she added to herself, a frown creasing her forehead. She hoped she didn't make him unhappy. Maybe Dana was right. Maybe Jeremy was just a grouch all the time.

  She smiled again, thinking about Dana's eagerness to take her shopping. Even if she didn't want new clothes, Sally wouldn't pass up the chance in a million years. If that was what Dana wanted to do, then she'd do it. She'd do anything to make sure she was welcome in the Larson home.

  Sally snuggled down into the covers. "Sheets never felt this good," she murmured sleepily. No bed was ever this comfortable. No other town was so beautiful.

  Three

  "Don't you think malls are wild? They're like the new Main Street, USA, know what I mean?" Dana took a bite of a soft pretzel and gave Sally a huge grin.

  Sally looked around her at the colorful storefronts. Old ladies and young mothers with strollers sat on the benches by the fountain. "Yeah, I'm sure a lot of people come here just to watch other people."

  "Exactly. OK. Let's hit Lisette's. We can definitely find stuff for you there."

  Following Dana, Sally took a deep breath, trying to prepare herself mentally. Shopping with Dana would be fun, she realized. But she also had a feeling that her cousin would want her to buy things that weren't really Sally's style. She was even more sure of it when they entered a store pulsing with music and filled with trendy clothing.

  Sally stifled a sigh, glanced at her energetic, confident cousin, and came to a decision. If letting Dana pick out her clothes would help Dana accept her, Sally was ready to agree. She'd agree to anything to gain Dana's friendship.

  "Oh, get this!" Dana cried, swooping down on a rack of jeans. She held out a pair of black denims, trying to judge how they would look on Sally. "Do you like them?"

  "Yes, I do. Where do you try things on?" Sally looked around, feeling overwhelmed by the lights, colors, and music.

  "Over there. And I'll look for more stuff while you're in there," Dana said, waving her on.

  As Sally wandered off in search of the dressing rooms, she stared in amazement at the clothes around her. They were so offbeat—and expensive! She glanced at one price tag and shook her head in disbelief. She'd never been allowed to buy such expensive things. In fact, she had hardly ever bought new clothes. Most of what she had was hand-me-down stuff.

  She closed the door of a cubicle, hurriedly pulled on the jeans, and studied her reflection in the mirror. They really weren't so wild, she decided. And she added firmly that she should dress more creatively, more like Dana. There was no reason to wear such boring clothes all the time.

  "Sally, where are you?"

  She jumped up, startled by Dana's voice. "In here."

  Dana rattled the door. "Let me in."

  Embarrassed, Sally unlatched the door to let her cousin into the tiny room. She wasn't used to having someone with her when she changed.

  Dana's arms were laden with blouses, miniskirts, and pullovers in bright colors and patterns. "They're great." She turned her attention to the pile in her arms. "Try this," she commanded, pulling a pink sweatshirt out of the mess.

  Sally took it without a word.

  "And you can always pick up great things at thrift shops, too," her cousin continued. "And really cheap."

  Turning away so Dana wouldn't see her burning face, Sally pulled on the sweatshirt. She'd had to buy lots of things at thrift shops over the years. And not because it was trendy.

  "Let me see, let me see." Dana turned Sally around and surveyed her critically. Sally watched her cousin nervously as she was being examined. But all at once, Dana hugged her in a quick, affectionate embrace. "You look great, really."

  A warm glow spread through Sally as her cousin beamed at her. It was heaven to be the center of Dana's attention. She was so lively, so spontaneous, so fun. Sally couldn't remember anyone ever making such a fuss over her before.

  Overcoming her shyness, Sally returned the hug. "What else did you find?"

  For the next few minutes the girls pored over the selection of clothes and made their decisions. Sally objected only once, when she realized how much it would all cost.

  But Dana laughed away her worries. "Relax. Mom gave me her credit card. My folks are usually pretty strict with money, but every once in a while they let us go wild, you know?"

  Although Sally had never been allowed to go "wild," she couldn't help catching Dana's high spirits, and decided to stop worrying. This seemed to be what Dana and her aunt wanted her to do, so she was happy to agree.

  As they walked out of the store, she spoke up shyly. "Thanks, Dana, for helping me pick out these clothes. I've never had such a good time."

  Dana paused for a moment, as if surprised. "No problem. I had fun, too."

  Elizabeth glanced nervously over her shoulder as Jessica examined the dog collars. It was early for anyone they knew to be shopping, but it was still better to be cautious. At least the Perky Pet Shop was deserted. She looked back as Jessica spoke.

  "How about those rhinestones? Aren't they cute?"

  "Jess, don't you think it's a little tiny? You put that kind on a French poodle, not a Labrador."

  "All right, all right. This one."

  Elizabeth turned the brown studded collar over in her hands. "Hmmm. That's better."

  "OK, then let's just get it and get out of here."

  Jessica hurried to the cash register with the brown collar and a leash, and Elizabeth followed. After the night before, the collar had become their number-one priority. Their pudgy little pup was turning out to be a master escape artist. He could wriggle out of their grasp in a moment. Being able to tie him to something was important. At least that was what Elizabeth had insisted.

  "I still think it's cruel to tie up a little baby like that." Jessica pouted as she turned away from the cashier, package in hand.

  "Jess, it's not like we're going to bind and gag him. It's just for safety. What if he got loose and ran into the street?"

  Jessica stopped and faced her sister with a look of horror on her face. "Don't even say such a thing!"

  "OK." Elizabeth laughed. "Let's go."

  "Wait a second!" commanded Jessica in a hoarse whisper as they walked out of the shop. She grabbed Elizabeth's arm and held her back. "Maria Santelli and Sandra Bacon are over there. OK, they're gone. I wonder what they're doing at the mall so early?" she added.

  Chuckling, Elizabeth began walking. "Talk about drama, Jess. You should be an actress."

  "Elizabeth! Jessica! Wait up!"

  The twins froze in their tracks, paralyzed by the voice calling their names. Turning around, Elizabeth saw Dana Larson and another girl walking toward them. She heard the paper bag rustle as Jessica whipped it behind her back.

  "Hi, you guys," Dana called as she approached. She laid a hand on her companion's arm. "This is my cousin, Sally. She's just moved in with us."

  Elizabeth smiled warmly at the pretty, dark-haired girl. "Dana told us you were coming. Welcome to Sweet Valley."

  "Thanks," Sally answered, with a tentative smile of her own.

  Elizabeth noticed the girl look from her to Jessica and laughed sympathetically. "Yes, we're identical twins."

  "Oh, I didn't mean—" Sally began. She felt embarrassed that Elizabeth had noticed her staring at them. But it was hard not to stare, she thought. With their blond, shoulder-length hair, blue-green eyes and slender figures, they were both gorgeous.

  Jessica tried to catch Elizabeth's eye. "It's really nice to meet you, but we've got to go now." She started to back away, but Dana stopped her.

  "What are you being so mysterious about, Jessica? What are you hiding?" she teased, craning her neck to see around Jessica.