Lila managed to flash Jessica a big smile. “Isn’t it great?”

“Yeah, just great,” Jessica muttered.

“Well, Jessica, you’ll still be the star,” Cara said soothingly, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Apparently, you and Elizabeth are going to be the centerpiece of the film.”

Jessica perked up. “The centerpiece?”

“Well, that might not be so bad,” Lila said with a smirk. “At least you’ll get to share top billing with your sister.”

“You know, Lila, you have total bitchface right now,” she shot back.

“Whatever,” Lila spat as she stood up. “I hope you have fun in your starring role!”

Jessica and Cara watched as Lila walked out of the cafeteria, slamming the door behind her.

“She is so totally jealous of you,” Cara said.

“I know,” Jessica said thoughtfully. “Everyone in Sweet Valley is.” She looked around the cafeteria. Everyone was still chattering away excitedly.

“Well, one thing’s for sure,” Cara said. “This will definitely put Sweet Valley on the map!”

It was another beautiful day, so Elizabeth and Enid were enjoying a leisurely lunch outside.

“I have a story idea for The Oracle,” Elizabeth said, taking a tiny bite of her grilled chicken sandwich. She’d barely made a dent in it, and already she was feeling ill.

“What’s it about?” Enid asked. Elizabeth’s stories always fascinated her, probably because she rarely had any of her own.

Elizabeth swallowed. “Well, it could be kind of controversial,” she said. “But Mr. Collins thinks it will be an excellent piece. He even volunteered to help me research the topic.”

“I’m sure it’s going to be terrific,” Enid told her friend warmly. She laughed. “But you still haven’t told me what it’s going to be about!”

“Enid, have you ever noticed that we seem to have an awful lot of attempted date rape in Sweet Valley?” Elizabeth asked.

Enid hadn’t noticed, but that could have been because she was kind of fugly and no one had attempted to date rape her. She shrugged. “I guess not,” she said.

“It even happened to me, Enid,” Elizabeth said, casting her eyes down at the grass. “You remember the time I was in a coma, then woke up and thought I was Jessica?”

Enid nodded. She did remember. Elizabeth and Todd had been heading back from Enid’s birthday party on Todd’s motorcycle, even thought Elizabeth had promised her parents she’d never ride a motorcycle. They had gotten into an accident, and Elizabeth had gone into a coma. After she woke up, she was acting like a total whore – Jessica.

“I remember, Elizabeth,” Enid said slowly. “But what does that have to do with date rape?”

“Attempted date rape,” Elizabeth corrected her. “No one ever actually gets date raped in Sweet Valley.”

“Okay, then,” Enid said, slightly annoyed. “What does that have to do with attempted date rape?”

“Bruce Patman … he,” Elizabeth paused dramatically. “He touched my breast!”

“Well, I’ve heard he is a boob-grabber,” Enid said. “Didn’t he untie Jessica’s bikini top?”

“Yep, but she was totally asking for it. He’d already given me enough wine to get me shitfaced, so it wasn’t really my fault,” Elizabeth said, dropping her voice to a low whisper. “Do you know he keeps a bottle of wine and paper cups behind the passenger seat in his Porsche?”

“A bottle of wine and paper cups?” Enid leaned back, horrified. “You’d think the richest senior in school would use proper wine glasses!”

“I know,” Elizabeth said. “I couldn’t believe it myself. Thank God I fell off his bed, hit my head and returned to my normal self before he could touch the other breast!”

Enid looked up. “Well, speaking of Bruce Patman…” she said, her eyes on a sleek black Porsche turning into the school parking lot. It was Bruce’s car – there was no mistaking it. He was enough of a tool to have a personalized license plate that read “1BRUCE1”.

Bruce parked the car and called to Elizabeth and Enid.

“Hey, Wakefield! Heard you’re going to be a movie star!”

Enid looked at Elizabeth, an expression of surprise on her face. “A movie star?” she asked.

“Oh, God,” Elizabeth said under her breath. “How does he know about that?” She gave Bruce a small wave as he sauntered over.

Bruce gave Enid a look of concern. “Sorry you didn’t make the cut,” he said.

“Bruce, what are you talking about?” Enid asked. “Elizabeth’s not interested in being in some silly movie.”

He laughed. “Good one.”

Elizabeth sighed. “I sorta, kinda promised Jessica I’d tape this film with her,” she said slowly.

“That’s not all,” Bruce said. “Come on, Elizabeth, don’t be so modest. Elizabeth and Jessica are going to be the biggest stars in the film. And apparently, all the hottest girls at Sweet Valley High are going to be in it as well.”

“All the hottest girls at Sweet Valley High,” Enid repeated dully.

“Yeah, you know – all the girls I’ve attempted to date rape,” Bruce said. “If I haven’t tried to slip a roofie in your drink and take advantage of you, then you haven’t got what it takes to be a major film star!”

Enid had heard quite enough. She knew she was kind of ugly and boring, but to see her best friend participating in something like this was completely ridiculous. She stood up. “I have to go study before Mr. Collins’ class,” she said, clutching her books to her chest. “See you around.”

“Oh, Bruce, speaking of date rape, I’m writing an article for The Oracle, and I wanted to interview you,” Elizabeth said.

“Sure thing, Liz,” Bruce said, flashing Elizabeth a thumbs-up sign. “Is after school okay?”

“Yeah,” Elizabeth said, grabbing her books and standing up. “I’ll meet you at The Oracle office at three o’clock.”

“Can I walk you to class?” Bruce asked.

“Why not?” Elizabeth asked. “After all, you’ve changed your ways and are a perfect gentleman now, right?”

Bruce laughed huskily. “For the most part, Liz.”

Loving Regina Morrow had softened Bruce’s black heart. Regina, a rich girl who was born deaf after her vain mother had cracked out on diet pills during pregnancy, had moved to Sweet Valley some time before. Despite the fact that she had to lip-read his sexual advances, the two of them had fallen in love. Regina’s family then discovered a miracle cure for her deafness – one that involved a long-term move to Switzerland. Regina returned to Sweet Valley, able to hear, but held hostage by a disgruntled former employee of her father. In the end, Bruce, Elizabeth, Jessica and Regina’s brother, Nicholas, had saved Regina, and Bruce and Regina’s love had only grown stronger. That is, until they broke up, she started hanging with a bad crowd, tried cocaine once – and died! Slowly, though, Bruce was returning to his normal asshole self.

“How are things going with you?” Elizabeth asked, her voice full of concern. “I know it’s been hard for you since Regina died.”

“Okay, I guess,” he said, shrugging. “It sounds like this movie is going to be the biggest thing to hit Sweet Valley in a long time.”

Elizabeth put an arm around Bruce’s shoulder. “Maybe it’s just what you need to take your mind off everything,” she said.

“Maybe,” Bruce said thoughtfully. “But I can’t help but thinking that if Regina were here, she’d be starring in this movie as well.”

“Oh, Bruce, I’m sure she would,” Elizabeth said warmly. “She was pretty hot.”

Neither Bruce nor Elizabeth was aware they were being watched. From one of the classroom windows, Todd Wilkins was staring at his girlfriend – and she looked as if she was getting very close to another man!

Four

“Why, Todd Wilkins, what on earth are you doing sneaking around outside The Oracle office?” Jessica teased, coming up behind Todd.

He jumped back, startled. “Hi – hi, Jessica,” he stammered.

“Are you waiting for Elizabeth?” Jessica demanded. “I need a ride home, so I hope you’re not planning on bumming a ride off my sister.”

“No, of course not,” Todd said. “I was just trying to find Liz. I needed to talk to her about something.”

“Fascinating,” Jessica said snottily, pulling open the door to The Oracle office. “Elizabeth! And Bruce!”

Todd shrunk back from the door. It was worse than he’d thought!

“She’s in here, Todd,” Jessica called, but he didn’t follow. “Todd?” she asked, poking her head out the door. But Todd was nowhere to be found.

Oh, well, Jessica thought. Bruce is much better looking than Todd – not to mention richer and with a better personality! I guess it doesn’t matter that we went out for about a week and he controlled me to the point that I picked up his dry cleaning, purchased him a few cassette tapes, made out with him on the ground in the woods and let him untie my bikini top. And then he did cheat on me. Go, Elizabeth!

“Is Todd out there, Jessica?” Elizabeth asked, looking up from her notebook.

“Not anymore,” Jessica said with a sly smile. “So, Bruce, what’s going on? Or should I say, what’s going on between you and my sister?”

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “Knock it off, Jessica. I’m interviewing Bruce for an article on date rape.”

“I’m the most notorious potential date rapist in Sweet Valley!” Bruce exclaimed. “And the richest.”

“Is that so, Bruce Patman?” Jessica purred, leaning against Elizabeth’s desk. “Are you going after Elizabeth now?”

Bruce shook his head. “I never hit the same girl twice,” he said.

Elizabeth sighed in exasperation. “Is there anything I can do for you, Jessica? I’m trying to conduct a serious investigative interview here!”

Jessica’s eyes flashed. “Remember what I told you about your little attitude?”

Bruce shifted in his seat. A catfight was pretty hot, but a catfight between two identical twins with perfect size-six figures, long blond hair and blue-green eyes? He may as well have died and gone to heaven.