SVH06-Dangerous Love (8 page)

"I know. But when I saw Mandy holding on to you

yesterday, I couldn't help thinking that you liked that feeling--and that if I couldn't be on the back of your bike, then eventually you'd find someone who could."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Todd asked, popping a fry into his mouth.

"I didn't want to sound like a psycho, demanding girlfriend," Elizabeth admitted.

"Well, you don't," he said. "And I don't want you to be afraid to talk to me about anything. Ever. Okay?"

"Okay," Elizabeth said with a smile.

"And now that I know that it bothers you, I won't offer any more rides to other girls," Todd said resolutely.

"Todd, you don't have to--"

"I know I don't have to. It's what I want to do," he said. "You're the only person I really want on the back of my bike, and if I can't have you there, no one else will be there either. From now on, that empty seat is reserved. Even if you can't use it, it still belongs to you."

"Todd," Elizabeth said. "That's so sweet."

"I know," Todd joked, shrugging. He grabbed his burger and took a big bite. "Anyway, if you were worried about Mandy and me, you can forget it."

He pointed to one of the corner booths, where Mandy was sitting with Winston Egbert. The two of them were lost in their own little world, feeding each other french fries. Elizabeth's jaw dropped.

"When did that happen?" she asked.

"We chose a save-the-whales charity for our project, and apparently they've both been obsessed with the cause since, like, kindergarten," Todd explained. "They've been all over each other ever since they figured out how much they have in common. It's kind of gross, actually."

"But cute," Elizabeth said as Winston gave Mandy a smooch. Liz stood up and leaned over the table to lay one on Todd as well. "Thanks for being jealous."

Todd smiled as she sat down again. "Anytime."

CHAPTER 7

"Hey," Elizabeth said. "What's up?"

"Not much. Just wondering if you're planning on leading with your own gossip in next week's Insider," Enid said teasingly.

"My own gossip? What do you mean?" Elizabeth asked.

"Just that you and Todd were so mesmerized by each other at the diner this afternoon you were, like, in another world," Enid said.

Elizabeth blushed and laughed. "You were there?"

"See? You didn't even see me!" Enid said accusingly, cracking up laughing.

Elizabeth put down her pen and sat back in her desk chair, using her foot to push off the floor and twirl around. "Well, you could have joined us," she said. "We were just celebrating the realization that I'm not completely out of my mind."

"That's good to hear," Enid said sincerely. "I don't mind you being a little insane, but completely insane could put a strain on our friendship."

"Gee, thanks," Elizabeth said sarcastically.

"So you're cool with the bike?" Enid asked.

Elizabeth braced her hand on her desk to stop all the spinning. "I'm cool with it. It's just a way to get from point A to point B and it has no effect on my relationship with Todd whatsoever."

"Nice. I like it," Enid said. "So, listen, have you talked to Jessica about Brian?"

"Yeah. I told her," Elizabeth said with a private grimace. "She didn't take it too well."

"Hissy fit?" Enid asked.

"Actually, no. It was kind of subdued," Elizabeth replied. "But she didn't eat a thing at dinner."

"Well, I hope there are leftovers, because I've kind of

changed my mind," Enid said. "I think I will set them up."

"Really?" Elizabeth said, sitting up straight in shock. "Why?"

"I don't know. I was telling George about what happened and he's all about the forgive-and-forget approach," Enid said. "He kind of made me feel like I was being spiteful, which basically sucked. So I thought about it and I realized that you were right-Brian would probably have fun with Jessica. Do I really want to deprive him of that just because I'm still mad at her?"

"Wow. That's very mature of you," Elizabeth said, impressed. "You sound like you're on Oprah or something."

Enid laughed. "I guess."

"This is so cool of you, Enid," Elizabeth said. "I can't wait to tell Jessica. She's going to freak."

"Speaking of freaking...," Enid said. "You should have seen my mother this afternoon. I thought she was going to pop a major artery over the flower arrangements for the party."

"She's kind of stressed, huh?" Elizabeth asked.

"It's getting worse by the minute," Enid lamented. "She's obsessing over every detail. The tablecloths, the music, the lighting, the favors. It's literally all she can

talk about. And I've been trying to get into it, but I just can't. It is so not my thing."

"Just think, in a week it'll all be over," Elizabeth said.

"I know. I just..."

"What?" Elizabeth asked, concerned by the dark tone of her friend's voice.

"I just get the feeling that this stupid party is more important to her than I am," Enid said quietly. "It's more like she's throwing this thing for herself, not for me. And when I try to tell her to chill, that it's not that important, she says I'm ungrateful. It really sucks."

"Yeah. That doesn't sound like fun," Elizabeth said, getting up to pace her room. She always thought better when she was on the move. "Maybe she's just getting carried away because you're her only daughter."

"Maybe," Enid said. "What's really insane is, I feel guilty. I mean, why does she even want to throw me some gala event after everything I put her through?"

Elizabeth bit her lip. Enid was referring to the drug and alcohol problems she'd beaten a couple of years back. It wasn't something Enid liked to talk about, so Elizabeth knew she must be really upset even to bring it up.

"That's the thing, Enid," Elizabeth said gently. "I bet this party is your mom's way of showing you how proud

she is of you. I mean, look how far you've come! A couple years ago she probably didn't even think you'd get to your sweet sixteen in one piece. Now you're a straight-A student. She probably just wants to show you off."

"You think?" Enid asked hopefully.

"Totally. I bet she just wants it to be perfect for you and that's why she's stressing."

"I never thought of it that way," Enid said, sounding a bit more upbeat. "You know what? If she wants to throw me the party of the century, I should just let her."

"Exactly," Elizabeth replied.

"Fine. I will. But I am not getting stressed about it like her," Enid said firmly. "We had an hour-long conversation about whether to do lilies or roses in the centerpieces. An hour!"

"Oooh. What did you decide?" Elizabeth asked.

"Lilies," Enid answered. "Like I even care. Either would be beautiful."

"Well, I would have gone with lilies too, if it makes you feel any better," Elizabeth said with a smile.

"Thanks. Oh! My mom's knocking on my door. Probably something about whether to get the milk or dark chocolate fountain. I'd better go," Enid said. "Wish me luck."

"Good luck!" Elizabeth trilled.

She hung up the phone and heard her sister banging around in her bedroom. Now seemed as good a time as any to share the happy news--before her twin broke something in there. She dropped her phone onto the bed, walked through their shared bathroom, and knocked on the door to Jessica's room.

"Come in!" Jessica shouted, sounding stressed herself.

"Hey, Jess," Elizabeth said as she entered. She had to kick aside a large pile of clothing just to get through the door.

"I never should have tried that new shampoo," Jessica said, frowning in the mirror above her dresser as she brushed through her long blond hair. "I look all mousy."

"So just use mine tomorrow," Elizabeth said. "And you'll have plenty of time to switch back before Enid's party."

"Like I even want to go to that loser fest now," Jessica grumbled.

Elizabeth smirked and sat on the edge of Jessica's unmade bed. "Oh really? But Brian is going to be so disappointed!"

"What?" Jessica asked, freezing in place.

"Oh, I just talked to Enid," Elizabeth said blithely. "She said she decided to fix you two up after all."

"What!" Jessica exclaimed, her entire face lighting up.

She threw her brush down and whirled around to face Elizabeth. "She actually changed her mind?"

"She decided to take the high road and forgive and forget," Elizabeth explained.

"Omigod! This is so awesome!" Jessica gushed. "You have to help me figure out what to wear. Something sophisticated and sexy, but not too sexy. I don't want him to get the wrong idea like the last college jerk I dated."

Jessica dove into her closet and started whipping out dresses and skirts. There wasn't much in there, however, considering half her wardrobe was strewn all over her bedroom floor, along with dozens of pairs of shoes that had been accumulating since junior high. Another pile of clothes was draped over Jessica's desk chair, and bags full of stuff stuck out from under the bed. Elizabeth had no idea how Jessica ever found anything in this mess.

"Nothing," Jessica said, stepping out of the closet with her hands on her hips. She surveyed the array of stuff at her feet and all around her room--enough clothing to fill an entire mall. "Absolutely nothing."

"You can always borrow something of mine," Elizabeth offered, feeling generous after her lovey-dovey afternoon with Todd and her positive conversation with Enid.

"Thanks," Jessica said, distracted. "Where's my phone? I should really call Danny while I'm thinking of it."

"What for?" Elizabeth asked.

"To tell him I don't need him to take me to Enid's party," Jessica said, lifting up one of the pillows on her bed in search of her cell.

Elizabeth's heart skipped a beat. "Wait. You were already going with Danny?"

"Liz, it's not like I could show up there without a date," Jessica said, rolling her eyes as she continued her search. "The invitation said 'plus one.' How would it look if I didn't have a plus one?"

"But I thought you broke up with him after that Valley Diner thing," Elizabeth said.

Not that she had agreed with the decision-there weren't many guys in school who would risk getting pulverized by Crunch McAllister by egging him on--but Jessica had felt that the whole thing was just too humiliating for words.

"Did I say that?" Jessica asked, blinking her blue-green eyes innocently. "Oh, well. Now, thanks to Enid, I don't have to get back together with him." Jessica dropped to the floor to disentangle her messenger bag from a sweater sleeve. "Speaking of getting back together, did you hear that Bruce Patman has been hinting about asking me out again?"

Elizabeth gripped the comforter next to her hip. "Who told you that and why do you sound so excited?"

"Cara, and I'm not," Jessica said, finally pulling her cell out of her bag. "I just think it's highly amusing."

Considering the self-satisfied gleam in her sister's eyes, Elizabeth wasn't so sure that was all there was to it. After the awful way Bruce had treated Jessica during their intense but brief relationship, Elizabeth assumed her sister would never want to have anything to do with him again. But maybe the crush Jessica had always had on Bruce hadn't been totally uncrushed.

Bruce, Danny, Brian. How does this girl do it? Elizabeth wondered.

"What are you going to tell Danny?" she asked Jessica as Jess powered up her phone. It beeped ten times, indicating missed texts and calls. Sometimes Elizabeth wondered if Jessica's friends had time to do anything other than text and gab on their cells.

"Oh, I'll think of something," Jessica said, sitting on the floor and leaning back against the bed to check her messages. "Oh! Perfect!" she exclaimed as she read the tiny screen.

"What?" Elizabeth asked.

"I got a text from Cara, and she says Danny and Julie Porter were getting all flirty at Casa tonight. If I set them up, then I won't even have to worry about it," she said. "Maybe I'll call Julie first and get her to ask Danny to

Enid's. Then when I call him to dump him, he'll already have a backup."

Elizabeth felt like she'd just gotten whiplash. "Your mind works in mysterious ways," she told her sister, amused.

"I know! Doesn't it?" Jessica said happily. She pushed herself up off the ground and pocketed the phone. "Come on. Let's go see what you have in your closet." She reached for Elizabeth's arm and yanked her off the bed.

"Sure," Elizabeth agreed.

At that moment, Elizabeth wouldn't have minded if Jessica wiped out her entire closet. For a day that had gotten off to a bad start, things were definitely looking up for everyone. Enid had George and was going to back off her mother. Mandy had Winston instead of Todd. Jessica had Brian. And now it looked like Julie Porter was going to have Danny Stauffer.

Plus Elizabeth was more positive than ever that she and Todd were meant to be. Enid's party was going to be amazing. She could hardly wait.

CHAPTER 8

waitresses in white vests circulated around the room with silver platters full of hors d'oeuvres and sparkling cider. The effect was simply beautiful.

"Wow. I feel like I'm at an Oscar party in L.A. or something," Elizabeth said, feeling underdressed in her simple black sheath.

"Oh, please. It's a floral nightmare," Jessica replied, crossing her arms over her chest. "Are there any stems left anywhere in SoCal?"

"My aunt loves flowers," Brian told her. "I think she did an amazing job."

Elizabeth smirked as Jessica blushed in embarrassment. Apparently, she had spaced on the fact that her date was related to the hostess of the party.

"Well, yeah ... they are pretty," Jessica said quickly. "Actually, when you take in the room as a whole, you're right... the effect is stunning."

"Not as stunning as you," Brian said, smiling down at Jessica.

Gag, Elizabeth thought automatically. Such a line.

But he did have a point. After much searching, Jessica had finally found the perfect outfit for the party-a black beaded halter top and wide-leg silk pants she'd borrowed from their mother. Her gleaming blond hair was pulled back and she wore long silver earrings that almost