Enid nudged Elizabeth with her binder and deftly changed the subject. “Speaking of absences, has anyone seen Bill Chase around lately? He’s been absent from my history class for the past three days.”

  Cara brightened. “You mean you haven’t heard?”

  “Heard what?” asked Elizabeth.

  “The latest word is that Bill Chase is in hiding. No one’s seen him.”

  “Hiding from what?” Enid wanted to know. “The FBI?” She giggled. “Somehow I just can’t imagine Bill on the Ten Most Wanted List.”

  “The rumor is that he’s avoiding the surfing championship,” Cara went on, undeterred by Enid’s sarcasm. “I suppose he can’t stand the idea of getting slaughtered by Sonny Callahan.”

  “I don’t know,” said Elizabeth. “That just doesn’t sound like Bill somehow. I know he seems laid-back and all, but he’s pretty involved in this whole thing from what I understand. There’s even some surf shop that’s sponsoring him, I heard.”

  Cara’s eyes widened at this unexpected tidbit. “Don’t you see? That’s all the more reason why he should be hiding out. He probably can’t bear the thought of facing his sponsor after he gets creamed.”

  “Sounds pretty drastic to me,” Elizabeth said doubtfully. On the other hand, she recalled how glum Bill had looked the previous Sunday at the beach, watching Sonny glide through that curl.

  Cara sniffed. “Well, I’m putting my money on Sonny. Besides, he’s a hunk.”

  “I think Bill’s kind of cute,” Enid defended. He wasn’t really her type, but she felt obliged to root for him for some reason.

  Cara gave her a scathing look. “To each his own,” she remarked haughtily as she sailed off toward class.

  Elizabeth turned to Enid. “I guess I’ve been so involved in my own problems I haven’t been paying much attention to what anyone else has been doing.”

  “What can you expect? As if Todd wasn’t enough, you have the tour-guide test to worry about, too.”

  “Every time I think about those scores, I get this awful feeling in the pit of my stomach.”

  “They’re posting the results today, aren’t they?” asked Enid.

  “After fourth period.” Elizabeth groaned.

  “Have you told Jessica you’re worried?”

  “I didn’t have the heart. She’s been on cloud nine this whole week. Besides, miracles have been known to happen. Maybe she’ll pass.”

  * * *

  “I can’t believe it! I just can’t believe it!” Jessica stared at the test results posted on the bulletin board outside the principal’s office for several minutes before turning to her sister with a look of despair.

  “I—I can’t imagine how it happened, Jess,” Elizabeth stammered, her cheeks growing pink.

  Jessica’s eyes remained riveted on her sister’s, her expression of agony slowly hardening into one of suspicion.

  “You passed,” she observed, her voice soft but piercing.

  “The questions on your test were a little different,” Elizabeth offered weakly.

  “Yeah, but it was all pretty much the same stuff. They wouldn’t make it harder for one group of kids. That wouldn’t be fair.” Jessica leaned against the wall, one hip slightly forward in a defiant pose. “Liz—how could you do this to me?”

  “I didn’t do anything to you,” Elizabeth shot back defensively, starting to feel a little angry herself. “Remember, if you hadn’t sneaked off with Scott, you would have been here to take the test yourself. Then you would have had only yourself to blame if you’d flunked.”

  “I knew it!” Jessica jabbed an accusing, ruby-nailed finger at her twin sister. “I knew all along you were jealous. I’ll bet you flunked me on purpose, just to get back at me.”

  “That’s an awful thing to say! Besides, why would I be jealous?”

  “You were jealous because secretly you wanted to go out with Scott. And all along I thought you were doing me this big favor because I was your sweet baby sister. God, how could I have been so utterly naive!”

  “Not naive, Jess,” said Elizabeth coldly. “Just plain stupid. If you think I’d care about going out with a creep like Scott—”

  But Jessica wasn’t even listening. “You did it on purpose,” she ranted, staring harshly into Elizabeth’s face. “Maybe you didn’t plan it that way, but I’ll bet you didn’t try as hard on my test as you did on yours!”

  Elizabeth stared back with a stricken expression. Part of what Jessica said was true, in a weird way. She hadn’t tried as hard; she’d been too upset. It wasn’t on purpose, but the result was the same.

  “That’s ridiculous,” she argued, but her voice lacked conviction. “It wasn’t up to me to take the test, anyway. It was your responsibility.”

  “Don’t you remember?” Jessica flung back at her, her face contorted with fury. “You promised! You promised you’d help me. And I trusted you. I believed you.”

  Elizabeth felt herself go white. “I’ve never done anything to hurt you,” she said softly. “I can’t believe you’d even think such a thing.”

  “Oh, don’t bother playing sweet, innocent Lizzie with me,” Jessica hissed. “If you were so sweet and innocent, you never would have pretended to be me in the first place.”

  She’s right, Elizabeth thought with a dull shock. It had been wrong from the very beginning. She’d known, yet she’d gone ahead with it anyway. Maybe she and Jessica were more alike than she’d ever realized.

  Jessica wheeled around in dramatic fury. “I’ll never forgive you for this,” she directed back at Elizabeth, and her voice was pure ice.

  Elizabeth slumped down on the bench outside the principal’s office. Her head was buzzing. She was so upset that she actually felt sick. Her mouth was dry, her legs like rubber. She’d only tried to be helpful, and now her life lay in shambles as a result. How had something that had started out as a favor managed to go so terribly, hideously wrong?

  Eleven

  Elizabeth caught sight of a group of girls she knew heading toward her, and she ducked out a side exit so she wouldn’t have to talk to them. She just wanted to be alone—to think, to sort out her feelings. Wrapped in her misery, she drifted off toward the deserted baseball diamond.

  She sank down on the empty bleachers, staring blankly at the long, rolling stretches of green. It was quiet except for the distant thwanging of balls hitting the hurricane fences of the tennis courts. The air smelled faintly of the sawdust that had been sprinkled over the diamond. Elizabeth recalled the time she’d sat here, on these bleachers, watching the baseball tryouts. What a day it had been! When Brad Summers hit that fly ball over the bleachers, Todd had seemed simply to reach up and pluck it out of thin air. Everyone had cheered, and she’d been so proud. Later, when he’d kissed her, she’d felt herself soaring up, up, just like that fly ball.

  Elizabeth was so caught up in her thoughts, that she didn’t notice how late it had gotten. Long shadows crosshatched the field as the sun melted below the horizon. She shivered, hugging her chest, the thin T-shirt she wore no protection against the chill that had crept into the air. Her cheeks were wet and cold with tears she didn’t even know she’d shed.

  She was startled from her reverie by someone slipping a sweater over her shoulders from behind. She whipped about to find Todd standing over her, looking down at her with a strange, lopsided smile.

  “Don’t say a word,” he ordered in a voice gruff with emotion. “Just shut up and listen, OK?”

  Elizabeth nodded, too stunned to argue.

  “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking these past few days, and I’ve come to the conclusion that we’re both a couple of class-A jerks. Since neither of us had the guts to say anything, we probably would’ve gone on being miserable for the next hundred years. Now don’t get any ideas.” He held up a hand. “I’m not apologizing. I think we both said some pretty dumb things. Let’s just say I’m calling for a truce. OK?”

  “OK.” Elizabeth’s reply emerged as a squeak.

  “Hey, silly, what are you crying for?”

  Gently he brushed his forefinger along her cheek. His expression softened to one of open tenderness, his dark eyes taking on a liquid gleam in the fading light.

  “Look who’s calling who silly,” she said, her voice catching a little. But suddenly she couldn’t seem to stop grinning.

  “I missed you,” he said.

  “Me, too.”

  “I’m sorry I—”

  “No apologies, remember?”

  “OK. So I’m not sorry.”

  “Me neither.”

  They were both grinning. A soft breeze nudged a lock of hair over Todd’s eye. She reached up and brushed it back.

  “You’re a mess,” he said, digging into his pocket and handing her a crumpled tissue.

  “Todd?”

  “Yeah?”

  “I really can’t believe I said all those awful things to you.”

  “Yeah, well, maybe I deserved some of them. Even if I’m not too crazy about your sister, I should’ve kept my mouth shut. I’m not too crazy about my own sister half the time, but I’d probably waste someone else for badmouthing her.”

  “I’m not wild about Jessica myself at the moment, if you want to know the truth,” Elizabeth confessed.

  “I figured that’s how it would come down. I saw the test scores. Well, congratulations—at least one of you passed.”

  “Thanks,” Elizabeth said sullenly.

  “That bad, huh?”

  “She was pretty upset. She really blew up.”

  “Must run in the family.”

  He cupped his hands about her face, tipping it up to meet his gaze.

  “You were right, Todd,” Elizabeth said. “I never should have cheated on that test. I knew it was wrong. That’s why I got so angry when you told me off.”

  “Sure it was wrong, but you did it for the right reasons. You were only trying to protect Jessica. She’s your sister, and you love her, no matter what.”

  “Love does funny things to people.”

  “Yeah, I happen to have firsthand knowledge of that.” He kissed her softly on the forehead, following it with another kiss on the tip of her nose before finally arriving at her mouth.

  “What kind of kiss do you call that?” Elizabeth asked when she’d caught her breath.

  “A connect-the-dots kiss,” he breathed.

  “Mmmm, nice.”

  “This is a shut-up-and-enjoy-it kiss,” he continued, brushing his lips against hers.

  Wrapped in Todd’s arms, surrounded by his clean, warm scent, Elizabeth almost forgot she’d ever been miserable. She snuggled her head against his shoulder, feeling the lean hardness of his muscles beneath his sweat shirt.

  “I love you,” she murmured.

  “Some truce, huh?”

  “More like out-and-out surrender.”

  “On both sides,” he was quick to add. “Liz?”

  “What?”

  “I love you, too.”

  “I know. Shut up and kiss me, silly.”

  Todd needed no further invitation.

  Twelve

  Elizabeth felt as if she were floating two feet off the ground as she and Todd strolled hand in hand back toward the school building. In her blissful fog, she didn’t notice they were being pursued until someone snatched her arm from behind, plummeting her abruptly back to earth.

  “Liz! Didn’t you hear me calling you?” Jessica gasped, out of breath from running. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes shining with excitement.

  Elizabeth stared at her in bewilderment. She was familiar with Jessica’s quicksilver mood changes, but this was unbelievable. She felt as if she were on a roller coaster whenever she was around her sister.

  “Well?” Elizabeth eyed her with stony coolness. “What is it? Can’t you see I’m busy?” She glanced toward Todd, who was eyeing Jessica with suspicion. “I haven’t got all day.”

  “Oh, come off it, Liz,” Jessica wheedled. “Don’t be like that. Look, I’m sorry I blew up at you. I didn’t mean it. You know how I get sometimes.”

  “Do I ever!”

  “I said I was sorry. You don’t have to get nasty.”

  “Is that what you ran after me for?” Elizabeth asked impatiently. “To tell me you’re sorry?”

  “Uh, well, not exactly. Oh, Liz, you’ll never guess!” She grabbed her sister by the shoulders, swinging her around. “They’re going to give me another chance on the test! Mr. Sandalow called me in and told me he could see how sick I was on Monday and figured that was the reason I did so badly.”

  Elizabeth felt her anger draining. “Gosh! That’s great, Jess.” Funny, she thought, how things had a way of working out.

  “Great? It’s unbelievably fantastic! Isn’t it fantastic, Todd?” Jessica gave him a broad smile.

  “Fantastic,” he echoed, with slightly less enthusiasm.

  “I’m really happy for you, Jess,” Elizabeth said, hugging her sister back. “And I forgive you—even if you don’t really deserve it.”

  “Oh, you know I never mean any of the things I say when I get mad. It’s just my way of letting off steam. Honestly, I never really thought you were jealous about Scott.”

  “Scott who?” Todd asked, frowning.

  “Nobody, silly,” Elizabeth reassured him, turning back to Jessica with a scowl. “You’d better quit while you’re ahead, or you’re really going to get me in trouble this time.”

  Jessica grinned. “My lips are sealed, dear sister.”

  “I hope your brain isn’t. Remember, you haven’t passed the test yet. You still have to study.”

  “Yes, sir.” Jessica directed a mock salute at her twin.

  “I think all this reconciliation calls for a celebration,” put in Todd. “How does a double-decker mocha almond chip at Casey’s sound? My treat.”

  “Great!” Elizabeth responded.

  “Sounds delicious,” Jessica chimed in enthusiastically. “I’m starved. I’ve hardly eaten anything today. Not to mention last night—”

  “Gee, it’s too bad you can’t come with us,” Todd interrupted, feigning disappointment. But Elizabeth noted the mischievous sparkle in his eyes. “But then I know how it is when you’ve got a lot of studying to do. Life is full of sacrifices.”

  Elizabeth giggled. “We’ll bring you back something,” she promised. “If it doesn’t melt on the way.”

  “Thanks a lot, you two.” Jessica glowered at them. She knew when she’d been out maneuvered.

  “Don’t mention it!” Elizabeth sang out over her shoulder as she sailed off on Todd’s arm.

  Thirteen

  The beach was packed by the time Todd and Elizabeth arrived on Saturday. Fortunately, Enid and George had saved them a place near the water where the view was relatively unobstructed. They threaded their way toward the ocean through a jungle of splashy-bright beach towels, toasting bodies, and Styrofoam coolers.

  It was another perfect, sunny day. The salty air smelled of suntan lotion and surfboard wax, and there was just enough of a breeze to keep everyone from getting too hot. Farther down the beach a game of volleyball was in progress. Elizabeth watched as a slender girl in cutoffs took a nose dive into the sand after a spiked ball.

  “I thought you were never going to get here,” Enid greeted as they plopped down beside her and George on the old chenille bedspread they were using as a beach blanket.

  “Thanks for holding some space for us. Looks like you’ve been here quite a while,” Elizabeth noted, as she took in the hot-pink color of Enid’s formerly pale thighs. “If you don’t put some suntan lotion on, you’re going to look like a poached salmon pretty soon.”

  Enid sighed, rolling onto her stomach. “The price one pays for beauty. Can’t you see I’m working on getting a tan?”

  “More like getting crispy-fried,” joked George, earning a dirty look from Enid over the rims of her sunglasses.

  Todd stared out over the waves that rolled in offshore in nearly perfect four-foot green swells. He whistled in appreciation.

  “Man, couldn’t be better. Those waves are definitely made to order.”

  The judging hadn’t started yet, but a number of wetsuited competitors bobbed beyond the swells, sometimes paddling in to take a wave as it curled into a crest. Elizabeth spotted Sonny Callahan down the beach, near the lifeguard station. The blond sun god didn’t look the least bit worried as he straddled his board, waxing it with slow circular strokes while carrying on a conversation with an animated-looking Lila Fowler. Lila, in her metallic-blue one-piece, her wavy light-brown hair done up in French braids, was practically draped over his board as she feigned a keen interest in surfing.

  “Anyone seen Bill?” Elizabeth wanted to know.

  “Not a hair of his hide,” replied Enid, who was busy smoothing her legs with lotion.

  “I think that’s supposed to be ’neither hide nor hair,’” George corrected, slapping her shoulder playfully.

  “Ouch! OK. No, I haven’t seen Bill, come to think of it.”

  “No one has,” George added.

  “Do you think he’ll show?” Sniffing a scoop in the works, Elizabeth dug into her oversize straw beach bag for the pad and pencil she always carried.

  Enid shrugged. “Who knows? Bill’s always been kind of a loner. He probably didn’t tell anyone what he’s up to.”

  “Maybe you were right, Enid.” Elizabeth giggled. “Maybe he’s really a double agent wanted by the FBI.”

  “The wet suit is only one of his many disguises, folks,” George said in a stage-whisper. “Used mainly to smuggle secret information to enemy submarines.”

  The four of them giggled at the idea.

  “He’d better turn up soon,” Todd remarked. “They’re going to start the contest any minute.”

  The judges occupied the lifeguard station, the highest vantage point on the beach. As Elizabeth shaded her eyes to look up, one of the judges, the owner of a local surf shop, raised a megaphone to his lips to announce that any competitor who didn’t have a number by twelve o’clock would be disqualified.

  Sonny Callahan strolled leisurely over to receive his number, then proceeded to suit up, bronze muscles rippling under Lila’s adoring gaze.

 

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