Say Goodbye Read online

  Elizabeth fiddled with the lid of her yogurt container. "It's not the end of the world," she said, trying to sound sensible, staring down at her tray. "I mean, it isn't like Todd's leaving the country or anything. We'll still be able to call each other, and he thinks he may be able to come back here to visit in a few weeks. And maybe this summer . . . "

  "You're so brave, Liz," Enid said sympathetically. "But remember, I'm your best friend. You don't have to put on a good front with me. Tell me how you really feel."

  "Oh, Enid," Elizabeth cried, tears welling up in her eyes, "it's horrible! I really do feel like I ought to be a good sport about the whole thing. But it just seems so hopeless! I'm so frightened that the move may affect the way we feel about each other. And I'm afraid I just couldn't stand that."

  "Have you two talked about what you're going to do once you're apart?"

  Elizabeth shook her head. "Not really. I think we're both trying to deny that the whole thing's really going to happen. But I know we need to talk. I just hope Todd feels the same way I do."

  "Which is how?" Enid prompted, taking a sip of chocolate milk.

  Elizabeth looked thoughtful. "I guess I really don't want it to have any effect at all. Oh, sure there'll be changes. There'll have to be! But in all the really important ways, I know I'm going to feel the same way about Todd. And I hope he'll feel the same about me, too."

  "Does that mean—" Enid hesitated, trying to think of a tactful way to probe further. "You don't think you'll want to see other people. Is that what you mean?"

  "You mean start dating again?" Elizabeth shook her head firmly. "I can't imagine it! No, Enid. That's completely out of the question."

  Enid didn't say anything, but the quizzical expression in her eyes made Elizabeth slightly uneasy. She had been sure Enid would understand. Enid of all people ought to have realized that she could never start dating other people—however far away Todd was!

  "A lot of couples manage things despite a temporary separation," Elizabeth added defensively. "You'll see, Enid. I bet it doesn't make that much difference once we get used to the whole thing!"

  "I'm sure you two will know how to handle it," Enid said soothingly. "I've never known two people with as much common sense as you and Todd."

  Elizabeth felt an angry flush creeping up her neck and face. "I know I'm usually practical, Enid. But at a time like this, being reasonable might be the very worst thing."

  "Why?" Enid demanded. "What would you do differently if you were going to be 'reasonable' about the situation?"

  Elizabeth bit her lip. "Who knows," she said finally, trying to sound casual. "I'd probably figure that it would be too hard to maintain a steady relationship with someone who's two thousand miles away. Todd and I might decide just to be friends. And that would be a disaster!"

  Enid sighed and set her milk carton down. "Well, two thousand miles is an awfully long way away, Liz. It's probably different for every couple, but I would have thought—"

  "It is different for every couple," Elizabeth said hurriedly, as she spotted Todd coming into the cafeteria. She waved him over. "All I know is that this couple isn't going to fall apart just because we have to be in different places for a while. I'm not going to lose Todd, Enid. I just can't!"

  Enid didn't answer, but Elizabeth didn't like the concerned expression on her best friend's face. I don't see why she's so doubtful, she thought unhappily. Todd and I can definitely make it work!

  But I'd sure feel better if we had some support, she thought. As it is, it seems like everything's stacked against us. But it doesn't matter. We're going to make it anyway—no matter how hard it seems, or how impractical!

  "How'd the job search go?" Steven asked his sister, affectionately rumpling her blond hair.

  Jessica was lying on her stomach on the diving board of the Wakefields' swimming pool, trying to tan the backs of her legs. It was almost five o'clock, but the sun was still strong enough to help maintain her golden tan. "Quit it!" she said crossly, jerking her head out of Steven's reach. "You're wrecking my hair, and I just brushed it!"

  "Couldn't tell," Steven joked, sitting down on the edge of the pool and dangling his legs in the water. "It looked awful before I got near it!"

  "For your information," Jessica told her brother, "I got a job on my very first try. I'm starting on Saturday."

  "Don't tell me," Steven said, closing his eyes and tilting his head back so the sun would hit his face. "You're going to work at Lisette's as a sales clerk and take your pay in silk scarves."

  "Very funny," Jessica said, miffed. "You'll never guess in a million years." She pulled herself up to a sitting position so she could see her brother's reaction. "I'm going to be a part-time receptionist at the Perfect Match Computer Dating Agency!"

  Steven groaned and clapped his hand to his head. "God save us," he cried. "You're kidding, aren't you?"

  "Of course not," Jessica said indignantly. "I think all I get to do is answer phones," she added, "but maybe after a while—"

  "I can't believe it," Steven said, shaking his head. "The thought of you working for a dating agency— it's like throwing a lighted match into a tank of gasoline."

  "I don't know what you're talking about," Jessica said, twisting a lock of blond hair around one finger, an expression of injured innocence on her face. "Mary Ann—she's the woman who runs the place—says I'm a natural."

  "That's exactly what I mean. Actually," Steven added, laughing, "it'll probably be the best thing that ever happened to Sweet Valley. If you concentrate your energy on the people who want to be paired off, maybe the rest of us can breathe easy."

  "If you're still mad about Cara Walker—" Jessica began.

  "Mad?" Steven laughed. "How could I be mad? Would you be mad at whatever caused the great fire of San Francisco? Or the earthquake of sixty-five? Or—"

  "You're trying to say it was a disaster," Jessica said coldly. "Well, that wasn't my fault. Cara's a perfectly nice girl, Steve. I was only trying to help."

  Jessica blinked, fearing she'd gone too far. It had been some time since Tricia Martin, Steven's girlfriend, had died tragically of leukemia. Jessica had only been trying to help during that period, when she suggested he go out with Cara Walker, one of her closest friends. He wasn't ready to be introduced to other girls—not then. And Cara Walker wasn't his type—he'd made that very clear.

  But Steven didn't seem upset now by what Jessica had said. "I know you were trying to help," he said softly. A smile spread over his face. "But do me a favor, Jess. Don't help me again! I'm probably better off on my own, just sort of stumbling my way through things as best I can."

  Jessica looked appraisingly at her brother as she slipped off the diving board and wrapped a towel around her slim hips. He's so good-looking, she mused. And despite what he'd said, he didn't seem to be doing very well on his own. He was still spending far too much time at home, alone!

  No, Jessica thought, Steven just didn't know what was good for him. Guys were almost always that way. Apparently Cara Walker wasn't Steven's type, but that didn't mean Jessica couldn't find someone who was.

  Especially, she thought as she walked across the patio and opened the door to the house, now that she had Mary Ann and the Perfect Match computer to help her out!

  "Can I come in?" Steven asked gently, putting his head inside Elizabeth's room.

  Elizabeth was staring blankly at her notebook, trying to piece together a paragraph in a story she was working on for The Oracle, the school newspaper at Sweet Valley High. "Sure, Steve," she said, trying to smile. "I'm afraid the creative juices just aren't flowing this afternoon."

  Steven sat down on her bed, looking affectionately at the photographs decorating his sister's dresser and bookshelves. Todd was in almost all of them.

  "You're really going to miss him, aren't you?" he said at last.

  Elizabeth nodded. She wished she could tell Steven how awful she felt at the thought of Todd's moving so far away. But it seemed tactless. Imagine
how Steve must have felt when Tricia was dying, she reminded herself. He couldn't console himself with the prospect of reunions. It was over so quickly, and it was over forever.

  "Do you want to talk about it?" Steven asked gently. "I know sometimes it makes it better to talk—and sometimes it just makes it worse."

  Elizabeth's lower lip trembled. "I wouldn't mind talking," she admitted. "I just feel guilty, that's all. It seems like such a small thing—"

  "Small?" Steven's eyebrows shot up. "It doesn't seem small to me. You and Todd have known each other for ages. And you've been practically inseparable. I'd think it's going to be awfully hard for you two to be apart."

  Elizabeth blinked back tears. "It is hard," she admitted. "It's kind of weird even now, when we both know we should be enjoying our last few days together. Everything we do—like going to the Dairi Burger or going to the beach—has this awful finality about it. We both keep thinking, 'Well, I guess that's the last time we do that.' "

  "I know," Steven said softly. "There's nothing worse than being conscious something is coming to an end—especially when that 'something' is very special."

  "But it isn't really coming to an end," Elizabeth said hurriedly. "I mean, the kind of inseparable friendship we've had—that's got to end. But Todd and I are going to keep in touch as much as we can. There'll be phone calls, and letters, and it looks like a few visits. So—"

  "Liz, can I ask you a question? Are you and Todd planning on keeping things just as they are now after the move?"

  "What do you mean?" Elizabeth asked. "Do you mean, are we going to date other people and all that?"

  Steven smiled. "I guess that is what I meant."

  Elizabeth shook her head. "We haven't really talked about it, but I know that neither one of us wants to. I know it's going to be hard, but we feel—"

  "I don't suppose I can give you a word of brotherly advice," Steven said. "This may not be the best time to bring it up, but I don't know if that's such a good idea, Liz."

  Elizabeth bit her lip. First Enid, now Steven. Couldn't they see that this was what was best for Todd and her? She didn't want people telling her how hard it was going to be. She and Todd already knew that!

  "I've seen this sort of thing a lot at college," Steven went on. "People have what they call 'hometown honeys'—girlfriends or boyfriends they've left behind. And the ones who have the hardest time always seem to be the ones whose expectations and demands are too high. They promise not to date, not to spend any time with the opposite sex at all. And they get really jealous if there's even a hint that they're being cheated on. It's the surest way I know to wreck a good friendship."

  "I'm sure that's true in a lot of cases, Steve," Elizabeth said a bit defensively, "but the way Todd and I feel, any other agreement would be ridiculous! I'm not saying that I won't see my friends after Todd's gone. And a lot of my friends are guys. But dating—or getting involved with someone else—I just can't imagine it happening."

  "Well," Steven said finally, getting to his feet and flashing Elizabeth a special smile, "I've never worried about you when it comes to making decisions, Liz. You've got both feet on the ground. However hard it is for you and Todd, I know you two will work it out. And you'll do what's right for both of you."

  Elizabeth stared at her brother, wishing she could smile back. He looked about as convinced of that as Enid had, she thought miserably. Everyone seemed to think that she and Todd were going to ruin their lives just because they refused to let distance ruin their love!

  But she wasn't going to change her mind, Elizabeth vowed, no matter what everyone else thought was wisest.

  No matter what happened, she told herself, Todd and she were a twosome. And that was the way it was going to stay.

  Three

  It was Saturday afternoon, and Jessica was alone in the plush front office of the Perfect Match Agency. Mary Ann had gone out for a late lunch, leaving Jessica in charge. "Just answer the phone when it rings and take a message," the pert brunette had instructed.

  "What a bore," Jessica said to herself. So far, working for a dating agency wasn't proving to be very interesting. For half an hour that morning Jessica had felt very glamorous, twisting around in her swivel chair and taking messages on a heart-shaped notepad with a freshly sharpened pencil. But by ten o'clock she was a little disillusioned. Somehow Jessica had been sure all the calls would be from terribly attractive men, but most of them seemed to be women—all desperate to find out if their dates for that night had come through. "Just keep track of all the new ones," Mary Ann instructed blithely, filing her nails. "Enter their names on index cards and put them in the top drawer. We'll get to them eventually."

  What a waste of available women, Jessica thought crossly, writing down the dozenth name and number on a pink, three-by-five card. Just think—Steve could be reaping the benefits of my new job, and I wouldn't even have to enter his name in the computer. I could just give his name and number to the next five women who call!

  It was a tempting idea. But having considered it for a few minutes, Jessica decided it wouldn't be fair to Steven to match him up with just anybody. She would sneak into Mary Ann's back files, she thought excitedly, and find women who really seemed right for Steven. Then she could call them and tell them the computer had just come up with the perfect man, someone who matched their interests in every way—Steven Wakefield!

  Jessica was about to open the bottom file drawer in Mary Ann's private office when the door swung open. "What are you doing, Jessica?" Mary Ann asked pleasantly, slipping out of her jacket.

  Jessica gulped. "I—uh, I wanted to look through some old profiles so I could get a better idea of what the agency is all about."

  Mary Ann grinned. "Why? You're not interested in being matched up by the computer, are you?"

  "Who knows?" she said airily. "No, I just hoped I could do a better job here if I knew more about the way the agency works," she said smoothly.

  "That's very admirable, Jessica." Her boss smiled. "But I really need you to cover the phones right now. Why don't I give you keys to the office? That way you can come back whenever you like and read the files to your heart's content."

  Jessica's eyes lit up. "That would be wonderful," she said sincerely. A minute later Mary Ann had slipped a set of keys into her hands—dangling, as Jessica had suspected, from a heart-shaped key ring.

  "Don't lose them," Mary Ann warned. "We wouldn't want just anyone getting hold of our private files. Who knows what could happen?"

  Yes, Jessica thought silently, tucking the keys deep in her pocket. Who knows indeed!

  Much to her surprise, the rest of the afternoon went quickly. Mary Ann was fun to work with. About twenty-seven, she had started the agency with her older sister and now ran it herself. She was vivacious and pretty, her brown curls framing a lovely oval face. By the end of the afternoon, Jessica found herself confiding in Mary Ann as if she were an old friend, like Cara Walker or Lila Fowler. When Mary Ann asked her what her plans were for the night, Jessica began just by mentioning the party Enid was throwing at the Beach Disco. But by four o'clock she had told her boss all about Elizabeth and Todd.

  "Frankly," Jessica admitted, chewing thoughtfully on the end of one of Mary Ann's pink pencils, "I think it's the best thing that could have happened to the two of them. They haven't realized that they're getting stale as a couple, but they are, I can just tell. Elizabeth refuses to go anywhere without Todd. You'd think he was her shadow! And when I suggest something like going to a party without him—or even thinking about another guy—Liz acts like I'm trying to infect her or something!"

  "Well, she and Todd must be happy together," Mary Ann said gently.

  "She's wasting her youth," Jessica said. "Besides," she added after a moment's consideration, "Todd isn't really that good for Liz. I think they're too much alike. They're both—well, you know—sensible, thoughtful, kind—all that."

  "What's wrong with that?" Mary Ann laughed. "It sounds ideal! A model couple. W
e should use them to advertise our agency!"

  Jessica shook her head. "It's too much of a good thing. That's what the problem is. They're both great on their own, but together—bo-ring! No, I'm sure Liz could do much better."

  "And she's never gone out with anyone else the whole time she's been dating Todd?" Mary Ann inquired.

  Jessica thought for a minute. "Not really," she said. "There was Nicholas Morrow for a little while, but she didn't really go out with him. He was crazy about her, but she never gave him much of a chance."

  "Who's Nicholas Morrow?" Mary Ann asked.

  "Nicholas Morrow," Jessica said, "is simply the best-looking, richest, most amazing guy. He's eighteen, and he lives in one of those huge mansions up on the hill. His father's an absolute millionaire, and Nicholas is fabulous. He's got dark hair and incredible green eyes and the best body—and Liz told him she was really in love with Todd and asked if they could just be friends. I almost died."

  Actually Jessica had been interested in Nicholas herself when the Morrows first moved to Sweet Valley. If he'd shown the slightest interest in her, she would never have been as stupid as she thought Elizabeth had been about the whole thing. As it was, all she could do was fume at her twin every now and then about how she'd turned down what would have been a ticket to everlasting wealth and happiness.

  "Will Nicholas be at the disco tonight? Maybe you can convince him you're the one for him, not Elizabeth," Mary Ann suggested.

  "No." Jessica sighed. "It's a lost cause." She had tried her hardest to get Nicholas to notice her, but there just wasn't a chance of making it happen. No, it looked as if Nicholas Morrow was lost to the Wakefields forever.

  Unless, Jessica thought suddenly, I can convince Nicholas that Elizabeth needs cheering up after Todd moves!

  She might have turned him down once, Jessica told herself—but that was while Todd was there to badger Elizabeth every second. Once he was good and far away . . .

  Nicholas and Elizabeth! she thought. What a wonderful pair they'd be.

  Elizabeth Wakefield, she thought, her eyes sparkling with determination, I'm not going to let you shrivel up or pine away. Nicholas and I are going to save you from everlasting sorrow!