Read Online SVH04-Power Play by Francine Pascal - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Francine Pascal
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Lila, probably the richest girl at Sweet Valley High! Here was a girl whose father gave her everything she ever wanted! A girl envied by all. Why did she do it?
Resting in her room, Elizabeth tried to sort out the reasons Lila would resort to stealing. She also tried to rid herself of the anger she felt for having to know about Lila in the first place. Elizabeth willed it to go away. Unfortunately, it couldn't be ignored. Not for long.
And she didn't know what to do.
Elizabeth suddenly became aware that she'd been able to question Jessica about the stolen items because she hadn't really thought Jessica
had taken anything. But confronting Lila was a whole different thing, and Elizabeth trembled at the idea of handling the problem on her own.
She had no idea what Lila might do if confronted. The possibilities were alarming--and endless. She finally decided to do nothing, hoping the problem would go away.
A wave of guilt raced through her now as she remembered how she had suspected Jessica. She got up from her bed, walked into Jessica's room, and hugged her. There were tears in her eyes.
"I'm sorry, Jessie," she murmured. "You're a great sister."
Jessica looked at her twin in confusion. "What's the matter? What happened?" she asked, instinctively sensing a crisis.
"Nothing, Jess. I'm just sorry I suspected you of doing something you didn't do."
"Well, I'm glad you realize that, anyway. Robin Wilson was your doing!"
"OK," Elizabeth said, too tired to quarrel. Speaking of Robin, she hadn't seen much of her lately. "How is Robin, Jessie?"
"I don't know why you would ask me! Elizabeth, that girl has turned weird!"
"What do you mean?"
"Have you noticed her walking through the hall? She dresses like--I don't know what--like a gypsy. She's pale as a ghost, and I swear she acts like she's on something."
"Robin? Come on, Jess."
"Liz," said Jessica, her voice dropping dramatically to a whisper, "Liz, she looks right through me!"
Elizabeth had to agree. She had noticed that odd, vacant expression, too.
"And you know what else?" Jessica went on. "You know how we made her run the track? Well, she still does it--all the time."
That was true. Elizabeth had seen a solitary figure out on the track morning after morning, in baggy gray sweat clothes. Running, running, running.
"Yes, I've seen her."
"Liz, what's she doing? I hope this--this thing you made her do hasn't twisted her mind or something." Jessica seemed quite perturbed.
"I'll talk to her," Elizabeth said, then sighed.
"Would you, Liz? You know how to do things like that. And I just can't. I'm sure she's going off the deep end."
Elizabeth accepted Jessica's attitude that Robin Wilson was now her responsibility. She didn't forget that Robin had been Jessica's "best friend"
and that it was the Pi Beta hazing and cruelty that had apparently affected Robin so deeply. But as it often happened with the Wakefield twins, Jessica worked very hard to convince herself and others that nothing that went wrong was her fault, while Elizabeth usually found herself having to mop up the mess, no matter who had caused it.
"But, Jessica, there's one thing I want you to do."
"Sure, Lizzie. Anything."
"Stay away from Lila Fowler!"
"What?"
"And don't accept any gifts from her--no matter what they are or where she says they came from."
"What? Why?"
"Trust me."
"Elizabeth, you can't just ask me to discard my very best friend and not tell me why. Are you still jealous of Lila? Why are you so hateful and mean to her?"
"Jessica, do you believe I love you? I'm your sister and I want things to be good for you. I think Lila is heading for big trouble, and I'm afraid of the effects it'll have on you."
Elizabeth realized, too late, that she had opened up a Pandora's box. Jessica immediately
became extremely agitated, practically shouting questions at her sister, not even pausing for the answers. "What do you mean? What have you heard? How could you be so vile? Since when do you know
Resting in her room, Elizabeth tried to sort out the reasons Lila would resort to stealing. She also tried to rid herself of the anger she felt for having to know about Lila in the first place. Elizabeth willed it to go away. Unfortunately, it couldn't be ignored. Not for long.
And she didn't know what to do.
Elizabeth suddenly became aware that she'd been able to question Jessica about the stolen items because she hadn't really thought Jessica
had taken anything. But confronting Lila was a whole different thing, and Elizabeth trembled at the idea of handling the problem on her own.
She had no idea what Lila might do if confronted. The possibilities were alarming--and endless. She finally decided to do nothing, hoping the problem would go away.
A wave of guilt raced through her now as she remembered how she had suspected Jessica. She got up from her bed, walked into Jessica's room, and hugged her. There were tears in her eyes.
"I'm sorry, Jessie," she murmured. "You're a great sister."
Jessica looked at her twin in confusion. "What's the matter? What happened?" she asked, instinctively sensing a crisis.
"Nothing, Jess. I'm just sorry I suspected you of doing something you didn't do."
"Well, I'm glad you realize that, anyway. Robin Wilson was your doing!"
"OK," Elizabeth said, too tired to quarrel. Speaking of Robin, she hadn't seen much of her lately. "How is Robin, Jessie?"
"I don't know why you would ask me! Elizabeth, that girl has turned weird!"
"What do you mean?"
"Have you noticed her walking through the hall? She dresses like--I don't know what--like a gypsy. She's pale as a ghost, and I swear she acts like she's on something."
"Robin? Come on, Jess."
"Liz," said Jessica, her voice dropping dramatically to a whisper, "Liz, she looks right through me!"
Elizabeth had to agree. She had noticed that odd, vacant expression, too.
"And you know what else?" Jessica went on. "You know how we made her run the track? Well, she still does it--all the time."
That was true. Elizabeth had seen a solitary figure out on the track morning after morning, in baggy gray sweat clothes. Running, running, running.
"Yes, I've seen her."
"Liz, what's she doing? I hope this--this thing you made her do hasn't twisted her mind or something." Jessica seemed quite perturbed.
"I'll talk to her," Elizabeth said, then sighed.
"Would you, Liz? You know how to do things like that. And I just can't. I'm sure she's going off the deep end."
Elizabeth accepted Jessica's attitude that Robin Wilson was now her responsibility. She didn't forget that Robin had been Jessica's "best friend"
and that it was the Pi Beta hazing and cruelty that had apparently affected Robin so deeply. But as it often happened with the Wakefield twins, Jessica worked very hard to convince herself and others that nothing that went wrong was her fault, while Elizabeth usually found herself having to mop up the mess, no matter who had caused it.
"But, Jessica, there's one thing I want you to do."
"Sure, Lizzie. Anything."
"Stay away from Lila Fowler!"
"What?"
"And don't accept any gifts from her--no matter what they are or where she says they came from."
"What? Why?"
"Trust me."
"Elizabeth, you can't just ask me to discard my very best friend and not tell me why. Are you still jealous of Lila? Why are you so hateful and mean to her?"
"Jessica, do you believe I love you? I'm your sister and I want things to be good for you. I think Lila is heading for big trouble, and I'm afraid of the effects it'll have on you."
Elizabeth realized, too late, that she had opened up a Pandora's box. Jessica immediately
became extremely agitated, practically shouting questions at her sister, not even pausing for the answers. "What do you mean? What have you heard? How could you be so vile? Since when do you know
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