Brokenhearted Page 2

  But Lila was too sharp to miss Elizabeth's reaction. "I'm sure Todd has written to you, Liz," she said sweetly. "What news do you have to pass along?"

  "Well, actually, I haven't heard from Todd too recently," Elizabeth said, her breezy tone forced.

  "I see," Lila purred.

  "Well, it'll be great to have Todd back," Enid observed, tactfully bringing the subject to a close. "Whether he's playing basketball for us or not! Speaking of sports, what do you guys think your chances are against El Carro High on Saturday?"

  At Enid's question Jeffrey and Aaron, both starters on the soccer team, began discussing that weekend's game. Jessica and Lila fell to anticipating the upcoming sale at Lisette's, an exclusive boutique at the Valley Mall. Elizabeth, meanwhile, listened with half an ear as Ken complained good-naturedly about the English paper they both had to write for Mr. Collins's class. She was too distracted by her own thoughts to focus clearly on Ken's words.

  Her mind was in a whirl. Not only was Todd moving back to Sweet Valley, but he was also returning as the son of the new Varitronics president. He would practically be a celebrity! Todd had always been fun, intelligent, and popular. Now that he was rich, he would probably be even more popular than before.

  Elizabeth nodded at a remark of Ken's and sipped her chocolate shake, but she was still thinking about Todd. Maybe it was no wonder she hadn't heard from him! Maybe he wanted to come back to Sweet Valley and date a lot of girls. Plenty of girls—wealthy, beautiful ones like Lila—were bound to chase after him now.

  Maybe I was wrong to worry that I'd be forced to choose between Jeffrey and Todd, Elizabeth realized, not sure whether she felt relieved or disappointed. It sounds like there will be a lot more competition for Todd's attention. Maybe I won't even be in the running!

  "We can beat them by at least four goals," Aaron Dallas stated after the four girls had left the Dairi Burger. He looked at his best friend for confirmation. "Don't you think so, French?"

  "What?" Jeffrey shook his head, realizing he barely knew what Aaron was talking about.

  "Four goals," Aaron repeated patiently. "I think we can beat El Carro by at least four goals on Saturday."

  "Sure," Jeffrey hastened to agree. But secretly he thought he didn't care if they beat El Carro by four or lost by four hundred. What was winning or losing a game, he thought, compared to winning or losing Elizabeth?

  The girls had left the Dairi Burger a quarter of an hour ago, Elizabeth and Jessica offering to drop Enid at home and Lila taking off alone in her lime-green Triumph.

  Jeffrey had walked Elizabeth to her car. Her goodbye kiss was sweet and lingering, and as always, she had promised to call him that night after dinner. Even so, Jeffrey couldn't feel at ease. When Lila had brought up Todd's name earlier, it had been only too obvious that Elizabeth's feelings about her former boyfriend were far from neutral.

  As Aaron and Ken discussed the similarities between soccer and football offensive strategies, Jeffrey thought about the whole Todd-Elizabeth question. When Elizabeth broke the news about Todd to him, she had been a little nervous—understandably, Jeffrey conceded. But in addition to nervousness, he had detected an uncharacteristic evasiveness. He suspected that Elizabeth, who always shared her thoughts and feelings with him, was holding something back.

  Now, two days after that initial conversation, Elizabeth had yet to deny that Todd's return would affect her relationship with Jeffrey. Granted, Jeffrey hadn't come right out and demanded such a denial. But the unspoken question hung in the air between them, as plain to Elizabeth, Jeffrey was sure, as it was to him.

  What sort of threat was Todd Wilkins? When Jeffrey first started seeing Elizabeth, he knew there had been a serious romance in her past. But Jeffrey had never felt Todd's memory come between them—until now. And now it wasn't just Todd's memory that was troublesome—it was Todd himself, who would be back in town any day. And not only that, but he had a new and improved image. Apparently he used to be a nice ordinary guy—a regular Sweet Valley High junior. Sure, he was a basketball star and all that, but he wasn't Superman. Now, though, Todd's dad had become a corporate president, and Todd would have an affluent life-style that impressed even Lila Fowler.

  Of course, Jeffrey knew Elizabeth wasn't concerned with superficial qualities such as money and status. But she had fallen in love with Todd once before. Jeffrey just couldn't help viewing the new high-society angle as frosting on an already impressive cake.

  "We're outta here," Ken announced, hooking a thumb toward the Dairi Burger door. Aaron was already on his feet, one arm wrapped around a bulging take-out bag.

  As Jeffrey trailed his friends to the parking lot, he decided there was only one way to learn more about his rival for Liz's affection.

  "So, tell me a little about this Todd Wilkins guy, anyway," he said casually. "What's he like?"

  "Todd? He's great!" Ken, a close friend of Todd's, clearly was psyched about seeing his old pal again. "A lot of fun to hang out with, although he does have a serious side. He was always a pretty good student. Active. You know, the student government type. Just don't ever let him talk you into a foul shot contest. He can sink ten in a row from half court!"

  "Todd's a regular guy," Aaron added. "You'll like him. Everybody does."

  Jeffrey wasn't so sure. Ken and Aaron talked as if it hadn't occurred to them that there could be tension between Jeffrey and Elizabeth because Todd was coming back to town. Or were they and the rest of the gang secretly feeling sorry for him, figuring it was only a matter of days before Elizabeth's name would once again be linked with Todd's?

  Don't be so paranoid! Jeffrey ordered himself as he slid into the passenger seat of Ken's white Toyota. But he couldn't help thinking that if it came to an all-out contest for Elizabeth's love, he would lose.

  Three

  Miss Elizabeth Wakefield, the envelope read in extremely familiar, slightly messy handwriting.

  On Friday after school, Elizabeth had parked the Fiat in the driveway and walked toward the front of the house to get the mail. Now she was frozen in front of the mailbox, holding the letter from Todd in one hand.

  Elizabeth studied the envelope. It looked as if it had been around the world. There were numerous creases and smudges and at least three postmarks on it. The earliest cancellation was dated three weeks earlier.

  Todd did write to me, Elizabeth realized, her heart flooding with a sudden intense happiness. But the post office had had trouble deciphering the hastily scribbled address, and the letter had been sent elsewhere first.

  Elizabeth sat down on the front steps. With trembling fingers she carefully opened the letter. Inside were two sheets of lined notebook paper, filled with writing on both sides.

  "Dear Elizabeth," the letter began. To Elizabeth's surprise her eyes momentarily clouded, and a tear crept down one cheek. "Don't be so sentimental, you goof!" she chided herself.

  Dear Elizabeth,

  I know it's been a while since my last letter, but I thought I'd wait until I had some really big news. You'll never guess what it is, Liz, so I'll just come right out and tell you. Maybe you'd better sit down first! I'm moving back to Sweet Valley!

  The words on the paper, written by Todd's very own hand, had as powerful an effect on Elizabeth as if she were learning the news for the first time. Her heart skipped a beat, and her hand, clutching the page, was damp.

  No kidding. I'm still in shock about it myself, to tell you the truth! The more I think about it, though, the more excited I get. Sure, I've come to really like Burlington. I'll miss the friends I've made here. But Vermont's not home, not like California.

  A yellow Buick pulled out onto the street from the driveway next door. Elizabeth looked up at the sound of its horn. Mrs. Beckwith, a neighbor of the Wakefields', waved cheerily to her. Elizabeth waved back, then got to her feet and carefully refolded the letter. She decided to go inside rather than read her personal letter in front of the rest of the world!

  The house was quiet—and empty. Elizabeth wandered past the airy living room, down the hallway, and into her father's wood-paneled study. Curling up on the sofa, she continued reading Todd's letter.

  This is how it all happened. My father has been managing Varitronics' Burlington office, and I guess they're pretty pleased with his work. So when the current president of the company, Mr. Kane, takes over in a few weeks as chairman of the board and C.E.O., my dad will become the new president! Mom and I are really proud of him. Anyway, I wanted you to be the first to know. If all goes well—we're selling the place here and Dad's closing a deal on a house in Sweet Valley—we'll be back in town on the fifteenth of next month, for good. Feel free to spread the word! I can't wait to see the old gang again.

  "Spread the word!" Elizabeth said out loud, smiling in spite of herself. "Sorry, Todd. Lila already did that for me!" Then she glanced back a sentence or two. The fifteenth—that was this Sunday! Only two days away.

  When Todd mailed the letter, Elizabeth thought, he probably believed he was giving her plenty of time to adjust to the idea. He couldn't have guessed the letter would be delayed and that she would hear the news in such a roundabout fashion.

  There's one thing I'm not too happy about. I won't be back at Sweet Valley High. There's a private school in Cedar Springs called Lovett Academy. Have you heard of it? Well, I'm going there instead. It was my parents' idea, and I'll tell you, I wasn't interested at first. But my dad is convinced that going to a prep school will help me get into a good college. Maybe he's right. Anyway, I'm sure Lovett will be fine, but I'll miss being at Sweet Valley High with Winston and Ken and the guys—and you.

  Elizabeth certainly had heard of Lovett Academy, the prestigious school about forty minutes from Sweet Valley. The distance to Cedar Springs and the fact tha
t Sweet Valley had a very strong public school system deterred other well-to-do Sweet Valley students, such as Lila and Bruce, from attending Lovett.

  But school—that's not what matters to me. Liz, it's been a long time. Did you ever think I'd move back to Sweet Valley and we'd have a chance to be together again? I didn't. And now it's happening. I can't wait to see you again. You've never stopped being my best friend. Thousands of miles couldn't change that. There are so many things I want to say to you! But they don't belong in a letter. They'll have to keep till I can say them in person. I'm only afraid you won't want to hear them. Liz, I know you're seeing someone. I'm not, not since my relationship with Suzanne ended. So maybe our perspectives about this are going to be different. I have to tell you this much now, though. I've never stopped caring for you. No girl has ever meant as much to me as you did—as you still do. I'm only wondering: Where do I stand with you?

  The letter slipped from Elizabeth's fingers. Todd wasn't dating anyone in Vermont! He still cared for her. She reread the final line. "I'm only wondering: Where do I stand with you?"

  Elizabeth heaved a deep, shaky sigh. She couldn't deny that it made her feel light-headed just knowing that Todd still had feelings for her. But it was an unsettling feeling, too. It proved that she still had a lot of emotions invested in her relationship with Todd—more than she'd been willing to admit to herself.

  Elizabeth could no longer ignore the dilemma that was facing her. The past—her love for Todd—was about to collide with the present— her relationship with Jeffrey. As for the future . . . She would have to make up her mind soon.

  "I've browned the hamburger and sautéed the onion," Enid announced. "Now what?"

  Elizabeth glanced at the recipe. "Add the tomatoes and tomato paste," she instructed. She gave a light toss to the egg noodles she was draining in a colander. "Then add some salt and freshly ground pepper, and Chef Rollins's half of the casserole will be done!"

  After reading Todd's letter, Elizabeth had needed someone to talk to. She had called Enid, and her friend stopped over to help make dinner. Since both their parents worked, Elizabeth and Jessica took turns preparing the evening meal—theoretically, anyway. Jessica had a habit of disappearing in the late afternoon, whether it was for a legitimate reason such as cheerleading practice or some trumped-up excuse. Tonight, however, Elizabeth didn't mind making dinner. It was nice to have the cozy, Spanish-tiled kitchen to herself and Enid.

  They layered the noodle and meat sauce mixtures in a baking dish, then placed the dish in the oven. Elizabeth set the timer and then collapsed in a chair at the kitchen table.

  Enid took an open bag of pretzels out of the cupboard and ate one. "I can't believe Todd'll be here on Sunday!" she said after munching for a moment.

  "Tell me about it!" Elizabeth took a pretzel. "I don't know what to wear, what to say, how to act—help!"

  "Well, how do you feel?" Enid asked. "Did the letter make things any clearer?"

  "You mean about how I feel for Todd compared to how I feel for Jeffrey?" When Enid nodded, Elizabeth shrugged her shoulders. "Not really. I used to dream of the day Todd and I could be together again. But Todd and I can't turn the clock back to before his family moved to Vermont. At least, I can't."

  "Jeffrey," Enid said, snapping a pretzel in half with a sigh.

  "Jeffrey," agreed Elizabeth.

  "What does he think about all this?"

  Elizabeth frowned. "He's not exactly thrilled. Basically, he doesn't know what to think because he's not getting clear signals from me. Because I don't know what I think!"

  Enid reached over to pat her friend's hand. "You've just got to be patient—all three of you. Todd's a sensitive guy, Liz. He'll give you the time and space you need to figure things out. And I'm sure Jeffrey understands this isn't easy for you. If he loves you, he should be able to deal with a week or so of uncertainty."

  Enid's calming words made a lot of sense. "But what about me?" Elizabeth asked. "What should I say this weekend when I see Todd? I wouldn't want him to get the wrong idea, to think either that I'm ready to drop everything for him or that I don't care at all."

  "I don't think you can plan a speech or anything," Enid said. "You'll know when you see him how to act! Just take things one step at a time."

  One step at a time. . . . Elizabeth was pretty sure she could handle that much.

  "Pretzels, yum!" Jessica ran into the kitchen and headed straight for the open bag on the counter. "All those handsprings have made me ravenous!" she exclaimed.

  Elizabeth laughed. As always, Jessica's timing was perfect. She arrived just as the casserole went into the oven, not a minute sooner!

  "How was practice today, Jess?" she asked.

  Jessica pulled up a chair and straddled it. "OK," she answered, her voice muffled as she wiggled out of her pink sweatshirt. "We've got the pyramid down pat for the next game. What are you two gabbing about?"

  While Jessica devoured half the bag of pretzels, Elizabeth filled her in on the details of Todd's letter. "So Enid came over to play Dear Abby and give me advice," she concluded.

  "What did you decide to do?" Jessica asked, going over to the copper-colored refrigerator to get a can of diet soda.

  "I decided to be patient with myself," answered Elizabeth. "I'll welcome Todd back to Sweet Valley, and we'll go from there. The most important thing is to renew our friendship. As for anything more, I don't know if he'll want it, and I don't know if I'll want it."

  It was plain Jessica was dissatisfied with this strategy. Snapping the tab on the can, she adopted a serious tone. "I think you'd be making a big mistake, Liz, if you didn't get back with Todd right away on Sunday."

  "Get back with Todd?" Elizabeth raised her eyebrows. "Didn't you tell me just this morning at breakfast to stick with Jeffrey?"

  Jessica did recall saying something along those lines, but that was before she'd had a chance to consider this new angle on Todd. In Jessica's mind there really wasn't a contest anymore. Nice as he was, Jeffrey was just Jeffrey—while Todd was now a somebody. Todd would be attending Lovett Academy in posh Cedar Springs!

  Jessica had heard all about Lovett from Lila, who knew a Lovett girl from the country club. It sounded like heaven on earth. All the boys were handsome, smart, and rich. They dressed well, and they knew how to treat a girl.

  If Elizabeth got back together with Todd, she would probably start spending some time with him at Lovett. And Jessica would join them. She had absolutely no qualms about playing the part of third wheel. After all, she would only tag along enough to find a fourth wheel—her very own Lovett man!

  "I don't remember what I said at breakfast," Jessica now declared, making it sound as if breakfast had occurred sometime in the last century. "If Todd comes back to Sweet Valley and wants to get involved with you, I think you'd be crazy to say no. He's not going to wait around, Liz. Action, that's what it's all about!" she argued.

  Elizabeth groaned. "Action? Jess, we're not talking about a football game, you know!"

  Jessica folded her arms across her chest. "We're talking about life, and you have to sprint in order to win in life, too," she pointed out. "I'm only trying to help, Liz. Really, I have your best interests at heart."

  Your best interests—and mine! Jessica thought.

  Four

  Elizabeth hadn't known what the word nervous meant until this moment. It was late Sunday morning, and she was sitting tensely on the living room couch, trying to remain calm and convince herself that everything was under control.

  An hour earlier Todd had called from a pay phone at the airport. He said he was on his way to the new house with his parents but would stay only long enough to help carry in the suitcases. Then he'd hop into the new car his dad had bought for him and drive over to the Wakefields'.

  Elizabeth hadn't been able to eat a bite of the delicious Sunday brunch her father had prepared. Eggs Benedict and fresh-squeezed orange juice might as well have been stale bread and water, as far as she was concerned.

  Elizabeth stood up and nervously straightened her jade-green twill skirt. Then she adjusted the collar of her white silk blouse. Putting a hand to her throat, she felt the gold locket on the chain around her neck. Usually she wore a gold lavaliere, a gift from her parents on her sixteenth birthday. But today she was wearing the locket that Todd had given her a long time ago. Inside it was his picture.