Read Online SVH04-Power Play by Francine Pascal - Free Book Online
Authors: Francine Pascal
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hurt you, dear, but I must respect Robin's feelings." And she hung up.
Elizabeth spotted Robin after school the next day and immediately noticed a change. Gone was the open, friendly face and the eager, quick step. Robin wore no makeup now and was dressed in a drab blue tent dress that seemed a little too big for her. As she walked, Robin looked only straight ahead, as though the rest of the world didn't exist for her. She moved through the corridors of Sweet Valley High as though she were a stranger there. The enthusiastic old Robin Wilson seemed to have vanished.
"Robin, I want to talk to you," Elizabeth pleaded, catching up with her in the front of the school. Robin turned to face her with a look that seemed to cut right through her.
Elizabeth shivered.
"Yes?" Robin said in a sharp, challenging tone. She stopped and stood perfectly still, staring
with unwavering eyes at Elizabeth, who began to feel like a bug pinned to the wall.
"Robin, I just wanted you to know how sorry I am."
"Is that all?"
"Robin, don't be like this. Don't let those-- don't let them get to you."
"It's too late, Elizabeth. I'm sorry to say they did get to me. But don't worry. I'm fine now."
Suddenly Jessica came through the doors and seeing them, hurried over. Her face was wreathed with sympathy.
"Robin," she gushed. "Oh, I'm so happy to see you! I want to tell you ..."
Jessica's words evaporated on her lips. Robin had walked away.
"Well, did you see that?" Jessica fumed. "Of all the ungrateful, impossible--! Elizabeth Wakefield, what are you smiling at!"
During the following hectic few weeks, Elizabeth saw Robin from time to time walking through the halls of the school. Always she focused straight ahead, not speaking to anyone, as though she were willing herself to be alone, to disappear. She even began to look different, though Elizabeth couldn't figure out what was changing. She was clearly a new person, and
Elizabeth just didn't know whether it was for better or worse.
Something also happened with Lila Fowler. Elizabeth had noticed that Lila was dressing more and more wildly, wearing elaborate jewelry and extremely flashy clothes. At the same time, she seemed less involved with her friends and more interested in sounding off on her own desires and, as Elizabeth suspected, fantasies.
"I might be transferring," she said mysteriously one day. "I might go to school in the East."
"Where?" Jessica asked, wide-eyed.
"New York," said Lila. "My father knows the head of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. I just may go there."
"Really?" Jessica was impressed.
"Actually, my father wants me to go to the Sorbonne in Paris," Lila went on. "He spends most of his time planning my future. It's really wonderful to have a father who wants to spend every minute with you."
Jessica filled Elizabeth's ears with Lila's extraordinary plans at every opportunity. Lila Fowler was not only the richest and one of the most beautiful girls at Sweet Valley High, it seemed to Jessica, but she also had the most adoring, generous father.
"Is she still giving you things?" Elizabeth asked.
"Yes, sometimes," Jessica said. "Are you jealous, Liz?"
"No," Elizabeth replied flatly. "Worried" would have been the better word, though she didn't say so.
"Do you like them?" Jessica asked, flicking the earrings that dangled attractively against her blond hair. Elizabeth took one between her fingers and looked at it. It was an exquisite, carefully detailed gold butterfly hanging from a delicate gold chain. Clearly very expensive. It was time for a showdown with her twin sister.
"Jessica, where did you get those earrings?" Elizabeth demanded.
"I told you--from Lila. Her aunt--"
"I asked Lila about her aunt in New York-- and she's not a very good liar. I don't believe there's any such aunt, Jessica, so let's drop that."
Jessica turned an expression of total defiance toward her. "What are you saying, Liz?"
"Is that your story? Lila gave them to you?"
"It's the only
Elizabeth spotted Robin after school the next day and immediately noticed a change. Gone was the open, friendly face and the eager, quick step. Robin wore no makeup now and was dressed in a drab blue tent dress that seemed a little too big for her. As she walked, Robin looked only straight ahead, as though the rest of the world didn't exist for her. She moved through the corridors of Sweet Valley High as though she were a stranger there. The enthusiastic old Robin Wilson seemed to have vanished.
"Robin, I want to talk to you," Elizabeth pleaded, catching up with her in the front of the school. Robin turned to face her with a look that seemed to cut right through her.
Elizabeth shivered.
"Yes?" Robin said in a sharp, challenging tone. She stopped and stood perfectly still, staring
with unwavering eyes at Elizabeth, who began to feel like a bug pinned to the wall.
"Robin, I just wanted you to know how sorry I am."
"Is that all?"
"Robin, don't be like this. Don't let those-- don't let them get to you."
"It's too late, Elizabeth. I'm sorry to say they did get to me. But don't worry. I'm fine now."
Suddenly Jessica came through the doors and seeing them, hurried over. Her face was wreathed with sympathy.
"Robin," she gushed. "Oh, I'm so happy to see you! I want to tell you ..."
Jessica's words evaporated on her lips. Robin had walked away.
"Well, did you see that?" Jessica fumed. "Of all the ungrateful, impossible--! Elizabeth Wakefield, what are you smiling at!"
During the following hectic few weeks, Elizabeth saw Robin from time to time walking through the halls of the school. Always she focused straight ahead, not speaking to anyone, as though she were willing herself to be alone, to disappear. She even began to look different, though Elizabeth couldn't figure out what was changing. She was clearly a new person, and
Elizabeth just didn't know whether it was for better or worse.
Something also happened with Lila Fowler. Elizabeth had noticed that Lila was dressing more and more wildly, wearing elaborate jewelry and extremely flashy clothes. At the same time, she seemed less involved with her friends and more interested in sounding off on her own desires and, as Elizabeth suspected, fantasies.
"I might be transferring," she said mysteriously one day. "I might go to school in the East."
"Where?" Jessica asked, wide-eyed.
"New York," said Lila. "My father knows the head of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. I just may go there."
"Really?" Jessica was impressed.
"Actually, my father wants me to go to the Sorbonne in Paris," Lila went on. "He spends most of his time planning my future. It's really wonderful to have a father who wants to spend every minute with you."
Jessica filled Elizabeth's ears with Lila's extraordinary plans at every opportunity. Lila Fowler was not only the richest and one of the most beautiful girls at Sweet Valley High, it seemed to Jessica, but she also had the most adoring, generous father.
"Is she still giving you things?" Elizabeth asked.
"Yes, sometimes," Jessica said. "Are you jealous, Liz?"
"No," Elizabeth replied flatly. "Worried" would have been the better word, though she didn't say so.
"Do you like them?" Jessica asked, flicking the earrings that dangled attractively against her blond hair. Elizabeth took one between her fingers and looked at it. It was an exquisite, carefully detailed gold butterfly hanging from a delicate gold chain. Clearly very expensive. It was time for a showdown with her twin sister.
"Jessica, where did you get those earrings?" Elizabeth demanded.
"I told you--from Lila. Her aunt--"
"I asked Lila about her aunt in New York-- and she's not a very good liar. I don't believe there's any such aunt, Jessica, so let's drop that."
Jessica turned an expression of total defiance toward her. "What are you saying, Liz?"
"Is that your story? Lila gave them to you?"
"It's the only
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