of lies--not for long, anyway. If Enid really cares about you, she'll come around."
Elizabeth sighed. "I just hope you're right, Todd. Jess says I'm better off without her, but I really miss her."
"I wouldn't exactly call your sister the world's foremost expert on friendship," said Todd. "Look at what she almost did to us."
He was referring to the way in which Jessica
had manipulated him into thinking Elizabeth didn't care for him, and vice versa. Among other things, Jessica had led him to believe her sister was too busy dating other boys to bother with him. She'd told Elizabeth a story about Todd attacking her, when all he'd done was reluctantly kiss her on the cheek. Todd trusted Jessica about as far as he could throw her.
Elizabeth defended her twin. "Jessica means well. It really is nice of her to want to help Enid."
"I'm not so sure," Todd warned. "Anyway, you should go by your own instincts about Enid, not listen to Jessica."
"I'm not sure I can trust them anymore. This whole thing has gotten me so mixed up I can hardly see straight."
"As long as you can see your way straight to going to the dance with me tonight, you're in good shape. Just forget about all this for one night and have a good time, OK?"
"I wish it were that easy. I wish I didn't feel so guilty about having a good time when I know Enid will be sitting home feeling miserable. I mean, I know it's not my fault or anything, but I feel bad anyway."
"I know what you mean," he said. "It's like the time when I was a little kid and my brother got sick on Halloween, and he had to stay in bed while I went trick-or-treating. Somehow it just wasn't the same. Part of me felt like I should
have stayed home, too." He grinned. "It worked out for him, though, because I ended up giving him most of my candy."
"I'm glad you understand, Todd." She squeezed his hand. "I hope I don't act too depressed tonight."
"Goes to show how well you know my tastes," he said, brown eyes flashing. "I happen to love depressed blondes."
"Thanks a lot!"
Elizabeth blew a straw wrapper at him, starting a war that quickly escalated and ended up with Todd the victor--thirteen wrappers to her eight.
Out in the parking lot he slid his arms around her, dropping a kiss on her upturned mouth. He tasted salty-sweet, a combination of French fries and vanilla milkshake. Todd's kisses were one of the things Elizabeth loved best about him. They were like Todd himself--firm, but so gentle....
She wished she could stay this way, wrapped in his arms forever.
"Mom says that if we don't get our rooms clean, we're not going to the dance!" Jessica attacked Elizabeth with the news as she walked in through the door. "Can you believe it? It's positively medieval. I feel like Cinderella!"
Elizabeth shrugged. "So what's the big deal?
We've got plenty of time before we have to start getting ready."
"Easy for you to say. Your room is already so disgustingly neat. It'll take me a hundred and thirty-seven years to clean up mine," she wailed. "It's so unfair. Who cares what my room looks like? Nobody ever goes in it except me."
"And that's hardly ever," said Elizabeth. "You spend most of your time in my room, making a mess of it, too. Honestly, Jess, a person is entitled to a little privacy, you know."
"Mmmm," Jessica murmured, shooting her sister an oddly sheepish look.
She'd been acting strangely secretive these past few days, Elizabeth thought, wondering what she was up to. With Jessica, you never knew.
While Jessica disappeared into the Hershey Bar, Elizabeth set about straightening the few items that were out of place in her room. Mostly that meant books and papers. She was always scribbling something or other, and consequently there were notebooks and typewritten pages strewn about the floor. As she stooped to pick up some paper, she caught sight of a piece of pale blue stationery barely visible under the bed.
One of George's letters! She realized it must have been there all along and felt a
Elizabeth sighed. "I just hope you're right, Todd. Jess says I'm better off without her, but I really miss her."
"I wouldn't exactly call your sister the world's foremost expert on friendship," said Todd. "Look at what she almost did to us."
He was referring to the way in which Jessica
had manipulated him into thinking Elizabeth didn't care for him, and vice versa. Among other things, Jessica had led him to believe her sister was too busy dating other boys to bother with him. She'd told Elizabeth a story about Todd attacking her, when all he'd done was reluctantly kiss her on the cheek. Todd trusted Jessica about as far as he could throw her.
Elizabeth defended her twin. "Jessica means well. It really is nice of her to want to help Enid."
"I'm not so sure," Todd warned. "Anyway, you should go by your own instincts about Enid, not listen to Jessica."
"I'm not sure I can trust them anymore. This whole thing has gotten me so mixed up I can hardly see straight."
"As long as you can see your way straight to going to the dance with me tonight, you're in good shape. Just forget about all this for one night and have a good time, OK?"
"I wish it were that easy. I wish I didn't feel so guilty about having a good time when I know Enid will be sitting home feeling miserable. I mean, I know it's not my fault or anything, but I feel bad anyway."
"I know what you mean," he said. "It's like the time when I was a little kid and my brother got sick on Halloween, and he had to stay in bed while I went trick-or-treating. Somehow it just wasn't the same. Part of me felt like I should
have stayed home, too." He grinned. "It worked out for him, though, because I ended up giving him most of my candy."
"I'm glad you understand, Todd." She squeezed his hand. "I hope I don't act too depressed tonight."
"Goes to show how well you know my tastes," he said, brown eyes flashing. "I happen to love depressed blondes."
"Thanks a lot!"
Elizabeth blew a straw wrapper at him, starting a war that quickly escalated and ended up with Todd the victor--thirteen wrappers to her eight.
Out in the parking lot he slid his arms around her, dropping a kiss on her upturned mouth. He tasted salty-sweet, a combination of French fries and vanilla milkshake. Todd's kisses were one of the things Elizabeth loved best about him. They were like Todd himself--firm, but so gentle....
She wished she could stay this way, wrapped in his arms forever.
"Mom says that if we don't get our rooms clean, we're not going to the dance!" Jessica attacked Elizabeth with the news as she walked in through the door. "Can you believe it? It's positively medieval. I feel like Cinderella!"
Elizabeth shrugged. "So what's the big deal?
We've got plenty of time before we have to start getting ready."
"Easy for you to say. Your room is already so disgustingly neat. It'll take me a hundred and thirty-seven years to clean up mine," she wailed. "It's so unfair. Who cares what my room looks like? Nobody ever goes in it except me."
"And that's hardly ever," said Elizabeth. "You spend most of your time in my room, making a mess of it, too. Honestly, Jess, a person is entitled to a little privacy, you know."
"Mmmm," Jessica murmured, shooting her sister an oddly sheepish look.
She'd been acting strangely secretive these past few days, Elizabeth thought, wondering what she was up to. With Jessica, you never knew.
While Jessica disappeared into the Hershey Bar, Elizabeth set about straightening the few items that were out of place in her room. Mostly that meant books and papers. She was always scribbling something or other, and consequently there were notebooks and typewritten pages strewn about the floor. As she stooped to pick up some paper, she caught sight of a piece of pale blue stationery barely visible under the bed.
One of George's letters! She realized it must have been there all along and felt a
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