Untitled Cont.

By Tammy

Disclaimer: No, I do not own Sweet Valley or the characters. Don’t sue…. Blah blah blah…you know the drill, die hard fan fic readers. Wish I owned it, but that’s far from it.


* * *

~ One Week Later ~

After spending much time in bed, and constant persistence from Lila, Jessica finally decided to go to the beach with her. Jessica looked through all her bathing suits and cover-ups, trying to figure out what to wear.

‘Does it even matter what I wear?’ she thought to herself as she looked under a pile of clothes, ‘Jeffrey is still going to be mad at me.’ Jess looked at herself in the mirror. Normally she didn’t spend much time with one boy. She was love-them-and-leave-them-Jess. But Jeffrey was different, ‘I thought I really meant something to him. I guess not or he would have explained the reason for his psychotic argument with me. Or maybe…nah. I’m just being paranoid.’ The telephone rang and Jessica answered it.

“Jess, is that you?” Lila said.

“Yes, it’s me. Why are you calling? I thought we were supposed to meet at the beach.”

“I know, but when I looked through me closet I just couldn’t find anything to wear. I mean, all my clothes are just so last year.”

Jessica laughed, “What about the one that your dad brought home from Paris a couple of weeks ago? It was beautiful. Don’t tell me that has gone out of style already.”

“Of course it hasn’t. I mean that one practically came off the model that was coming down the runway. But everyone has seen me in it. Besides, I thought we could get color-coded in the mall. Fall is here, and we need the new lineup.”

“I don’t know, Li. I’m kinda low on cash right now…” Jessica’s voice trailed off. “Why are you so eager to go to the mall, anyway? I thought we were going to catch some rays.”

“I know, but you’ve been feeling bad and I thought a trip top the mall would make you feel better. We can eat gallons of million dollar mocha to make you feel better.”

“Wouldn’t that make you feel better, rather than me?” Jessica said with a smile.

“Hey, I never said I wouldn’t get anything out of it.”

“That sounds promising, but like I said, no money.”

“I could spot you some money.” Lila said.

“You! Lending me money!” Jessica choked out. “Isn’t that breaking some Fowler rule?”

“Like I always say, ‘The rules were meant to be broken.’ Besides, I thought this would take your mind off of Jeffrey.”

“Well, it probably would, but….” Jess broke off; suddenly it dawned upon her. “Wait a minute. I never told you who or what I was upset over. It was Liz, wasn’t? Am I right, am I right?”

“Yes, it was Liz. But it was only because you’ve been moping around the house-” Lila was interrupted by Jess before she had a chance to continue.

“I can’t believe she couldn’t keep her mouth shut.” Jess fumed.

“I guess you don’t want to go get colored coded then.”

“What! Are you kidding? Free makeup, I have to go. Like you said, I need a new fall lineup.”

“Wait a minute. Free makeup. I didn’t say anything about free makeup.”

“Well, I heard that they are giving away free makeup at the mall.”

“You did? Free makeup?”

“Why Li! That’s so sweet of you to offer free makeup,” Jessica said with a devious smile.”

“What! I said nothing of the sort!”

“I believe you did. I recall you saying a few minutes ago the words free makeup.”

“Why you little…”

“Meet you at the mall in ten minutes. Bye.”

“Bye.” Lila said.

After Jessica hung up the phone, Liz did the same. She was relieved her sister wasn’t mad at her. Suddenly she heard the jeep’s engine. Elizabeth looked out the window to see her sister wheel out of the driveway, the wheels screeching. ‘There goes my ride.’ She thought. She dialed up Todd to tell him that he should pick her up for their date that night.

“Hello, is Todd there?” she said into the phone.

“This is he, who is this?”

“It’s me, Liz.”

“What’s the matter?” Todd asked.

“Nothing except the fact that I have no transportation for tonight thanks to my nearest and dearest. Can you pick me up instead?”

“Sure. Pick you up at 7?”

“Okay, see you then.”

~ Meanwhile ~

Jessica sat in Martha’s Body & Facial Shop waiting for Lila to join her. Suddenly Lila appeared. She sat down next to Jessica and opened her bag.

“Here’s the magazine you wanted” Lila said, “I can’t believe I’m paying for you to get a facial.”

“What’s the matter Li? Afraid I’m going to look better than you?” Jessica teased.

“I’m sorry Jess, but no one, not even you, can look better than gorgeous!” Lila laughed and Jessica smiled back. ‘This may be costing Daddy a fortune, but it’s good to see her smiling again. Now all I have to do is find a guy to take her mind off of Jeffrey. And while I’m looking for guys for Jess, I might as well help myself find one as well!’ she thought to herself.

“We’re going to look absolutely fabulous by this time tomorrow. I can’t wait for the girls at school to see us!” Jessica said.

“Tell me again why we’re getting facial.”

“Vecause with properly exfoliated skin, von can feel von’s best. And ven von feels von’s best, they can truly shine.” Said Flora, the facial attendant, in a very fake French accent. “I vill be back in a moment ladies, please vait for me to get ready to beautify you.”

As soon as Flora left the two girls began laughing hysterically. Between fits of laughter Jessica said, “I think that about covers the reason we should get facials!”

“Oh god, that accent was atrocious. It totally reeked-”

“Girls! I back! Are you ready for your vacial?”

~ Twenty Minutes Later ~

Jessica was engrossed in the latest issue of YM. In fact, she was particularly interested in one of their columns: Why Relationships Go Wrong.

‘Hmm… it says here that the number one reason that relationships end too soon is because of a misunderstanding.’ Jessica thought, ‘Oh my god! That’s it! Jeffrey isn’t mad at me; it was just a misunderstanding! I have to talk to him. I have to-’

Her thoughts were interrupted by Flora’s voice, “Okay ladies! Those masks have set long enough! Now off they come.”

Jessica could barely keep still enough for Flora’s assistant to wash off her mask. As soon as it was rinsed off she got up and began leaving the store.

“Vait! You need to pay for that!” Flora shouted to her.

“Don’t worry. She’ll pick up the bill.” Jessica said, pointing in the vicinity of Lila.

“Hey Jess!” Lila said.

“I got to go Li! Thanks for the makeup! See you tomorrow!” Jessica quickly ran out of the store before Lila could protest.

“Vat vill be $34 please.”

“Yeah, yeah, here you go.” Lila mumbled.

~ The Wakefield House ~

Jessica sat on her bed contemplating whether she should call Jeffrey or confront him.


Dear Diary,

Can you believe it? I know I can’t. All this time and the solution was right under my nose! It’s very simple indeed. Sometimes I wish you could talk Diary. Then you would be able to tell me what a fool I’ve been. I think that I will call Jeffrey right now. I wonder what he’ll say. Diary, be prepared for the full details as soon as I’m done talking on the phone!

Jessica picked up the phone only to hear her sister talking to Enid. ‘Leave it to my sister to use the phone exactly when I have to make the most important phone call in my life.’ Jessica thought to herself. She was about to hang up when she heard how upset her sister sounded. ‘I wonder what she’s so upset over. I think that as her sister I owe it to her to listen to this conversation. After all, I am her twin sister. I almost have a right to know what goes on in her life!’ She said to herself with a twinkle in her eye.

“I can’t keep doing this to myself! Why can’t I just get over Jeffrey? Over 3 months ago I made the decision that I loved Todd. Why can’t I get it through my thick head that I do? But if I did, why would I feel this way about Jeffrey? And why would I even have to make a heart-wrenching decision if I really did love Todd? But could I really have gone out with Jeffrey for so long if I didn’t love him as well? But why did Todd think that I was going to drop everything and run back to him? Wait, did he think that? Or was it Jeffrey who--. Ugh! This is way too confusing!” She walked over to her radio and turned it on. “Am I making any sense at all?”

“Yes, you are. And though I may not be able to help you with your problem, I’m glad you’re finally talking to me again.”

“Me too. It’s just that I’ve been having all these problems. And they all seem to be focused around Todd and Jeffrey!” Elizabeth said in an exasperated tone. “I thought every thing was okay, but then Jess asks me if it’s okay to date Jeffrey. And then I guess I went crazy. Nothing made sense anymore. The only thing I knew was that I hated her for going out with him, and having a good time. Because I wished…”

“Wished that that was you?”

“Exactly, Enid. I was suddenly filled with this regret that formed into jealousy. I kept asking myself I if I made the right decision.”

“And did you?”

“Yes, I know that now. Thanks for listening, I really needed that.”

“Sure, no problem. So anyway, I was thinking that maybe we could-”

“Dammit!” Elizabeth interrupted. “I just remembered why I called you.”

“You mean the whole Jeffrey-Todd thing wasn’t the reason you called.”

“Well, yes. Uh, no. Well, sort of. You know how I said I was jealous of Jeffrey?”

“Yes.” Enid said hesitantly.

“Yeah, well, I sort of did something that I shouldn’t have done…”

“And?” A song by Fiona Apple came on. Somehow it sounded familiar to Elizabeth:

Heaven help me for the way I am
Save me from these evil deeds
Before I get them done
I know tomorrow brings the consequence
At hand
But I keep livin’ this day like
The next will never come
Oh help me but don’t tell me
To deny it
I’ve got to cleanse myself
Of all these lies till I’m good
This time the lyrics brought insight to Liz instead of last time’s horror. “That’s it. I have to tell Jess what I did. Until then I can never feel what I did was a mistake that I made on my own. Because until I do, Jess has to pay for it as well.”

“What? What are you talking about Liz?”

“Well, you see I sort of screwed things up for her and Jeffrey.”

“Exactly what did you do?”

~ Meanwhile ~

“Thanks for listening. I really needed that.” Elizabeth said into the phone. Jessica quickly hung up the phone upon hearing this remark.

‘Oh my god. That’s the reason Liz has been all wigged out these past 2 weeks. Oh my god. And it’s been my entire fault. I can’t believe I asked Jeffrey out. That was so insensitive of me. I know Liz would never have done that to me. God I am such an idiot! Well, there’s only one more thing for me to do. I need to apologize to her.’

~ Five Minutes Later-Elizabeth’s Room ~

“Liz, you did what!?”

“I know, I know. I just couldn’t help myself.”

“If you hadn’t told me yourself I would have thought it to be the most absurd thing I had ever heard. But, how could you?”

“I don’t know. I guess it was just some sort of way to have closure. To finally deal with the fact that maybe Jeffrey did like someone besides me. Just like the way I was able to have closure with Ken.”

“Excuse me?”

“Dammit. I didn’t mean for that to slip out. Ken and I sort of went out.”

“And when exactly was this, and why didn’t you tell me.”

“I didn’t tell you because I didn’t think it was important for you to know every aspect of my life!”

“Okay, okay, I get the picture. What are you going to do now?”

“The same thing I said earlier. Tell her and apologize for as long as it takes.”

“Well, good luck. I think you’ll need it. Goodbye Liz.”

“Bye Enid.” Elizabeth hung up the phone and walked over to her sister’s door. ‘I guess it’s now or never.’ She thought. She opened the door to find Jessica on her bed, almost in tears. To her surprise Jessica leaped up and hugged her.

“Oh Lizzy! I’m so glad you’re my sister!”

“I’m glad you’re my sister too, Jess. Um, can we sit down? I have something important I want to tell you.”

“You don’t need to tell me, I already know.”

“What?”

“I already know. I heard you on the phone talking to Enid.”

“You heard me on the phone with Enid?”

“Yeah, I hope you aren’t mad that I eavesdropped on you.”

“Mad? Wait a minute. You said you heard me talking to Enid?”

“Yeah,”

“And you aren’t mad at me?”

“Heck no. I mean it was partly my fault.”

“It was? Wait a minute. Are you sure you heard me talking to Enid?”

“Yes, silly. Like I was saying it was partly my fault. I mean I should have been kinder and more considerate.” Elizabeth began to smile.

“So you aren’t mad at me?”

“Gosh Liz. Are you dense today or what? I’m not mad at you. How could I be? You’re the best sister a girl ever had.”

Elizabeth leaned over and hugged her sister. “Thanks. And you are the most understanding sister that a girl ever had.”


Dear Diary,

I never called Jeffrey. I probably never will. But that’s okay with me. I think that I wouldn’t have, even if I hadn’t heard Liz’s conversation. ‘Cause in a way, Jeffrey was an unattainable dream. He was something that I wanted. Stability, a good relationship, basically someone who cared. I guess I was so tired of guys that didn’t work out. But Jeffrey was different. We’d been in that kind of situation before. Of course, he was going out with Elizabeth so we both knew that it was one moment that we would treasure but try to forget. We had restrictions, with our new relationship we didn’t. I guess it wouldn’t have worked out anyway. Besides I don’t really need a guy that cares, I have Liz.

Talk to ya later,

Jess

I began to cry. Of course I knew the truth now. I had known the truth for a while. And when I first found out, I had been mad as hell. But now I was crying not just for every guy I had ever lost, but for every time I had caused my sister pain. I realized that during this little incident how very easily we could hurt each other. I know it isn’t Lizzy’s fault that Jack likes her. But dammit, it hurts. Lizzy didn’t cause that pain so I know I can survive it though. ‘Cause boys come and go, but sisters stick for lifetimes. I’ll never forget Jeffrey or any other guy for that matter. I guess it’s all in the way you remember them.

Jessica flipped on the radio.

I've been a bad, bad girl...