SVH08-Heartbreaker (7 page)

"Ambition?" he said in surprise. His gray eyes, magnified by his glasses, appeared startled. "I
have
to work. If I didn't, my family wouldn't be able to pay the rent!" It was apparent he hadn't meant to blurt his secret; the words had just slipped out. He hung his head in shame.

Elizabeth touched his arm. "I'm sorry, Roger, I didn't know. Of course I won't say anything. I still don't think you have anything to be embarrassed about, though. In fact, you should be proud of yourself. I'm sure your family is."

Roger offered her a weak smile. "Thanks,

Liz. I really appreciate it. I always figured you were the type who would understand."

Elizabeth felt so sorry for Roger, she temporarily forgot her own misery. Roger really wasn't someone she knew well--they shared only one class, chemistry--but she felt as if she were seeing a side of him no one else knew. She would never forget the shamed, fearful look in his eyes.

Obviously she wasn't the only one with a problem.

Eight

Jessica fluttered about backstage like someone who'd just been asked to give a command performance at the White House.

"I'm so nervous, I could just die!" she hissed to Lila, "Why didn't anyone ever tell me DeeDee's father was a Hollywood agent?"

Lila rolled her eyes. "Who would have believed it?" Everyone knew who
Lila's
father was, so she never had that problem. George Fowler was one of the richest men in Sweet Valley.

"You're right, she's not exactly the Hollywood type, is she?" Jessica clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle her giggle.

"Shhh, she'll hear you." Lila shot a warning glance over to where DeeDee was standing, talking with her father, who had decided to drop in on a special lunchtime rehearsal. The entire cast had been given special permission to cut the class just before lunch since there was a

special teachers' meeting in the auditorium after school that day. "Anyway, I don't see what you're so nervous about. It's only a rehearsal."

"Easy for you to say. You're not playing the lead."

"Do you have to rub it in?" Lila stuck her nose in the air and patted the cloud of silky brown hair that swirled about her shoulders. With a perfectly straight face, she added, "Actually, if you want to know the truth, they offered me the lead role in
Raiders of the Lost Ark
before Karen Allen--but I had to turn it down."

"Harrison Ford was too much for you, right?" Jessica played along.

"No, of course not." She wrinkled her pert nose. "Harry and I got along fine. It's just that I hate snakes."

Jessica recalled the scene in the movie in which the hero and heroine were dropped into an Egyptian tomb full of snakes. Ugh! Had they really used live snakes? Maybe there was more to being an actress than she'd considered. Still, it would be fun. Jessica smiled as a new thought occurred to her. If she were a star, she would have the perfect double--Elizabeth. They could use her sister for the stunts, and it w
^o
uld leave her free for the juicy stuff, like kissing Harrison. She closed her eyes, imagining what it would be like....

"Hey!" Lila nudged Jessica. "I was only

kidding, you know. I think you're really getting serious about all this star business."

"Why not?" Jessica demanded. "Even Jessica Lange had to start somewhere."

"Yeah," Lila twittered, "and you know where
that
was. King Kong's hairy hand. I can just see it now--
King Kong II,
starring Jessica Wakefield." She smacked her palms together. "Oops, splat!"

Both girls collapsed in giggles. They were rescued from complete hysteria by the intervention of Mr. Jaworski, announcing that it was curtain time.

Immediately Jessica was transformed into the tragic heroine once again. She wafted onstage to join hands with Bill, whom she gazed up at with an adoring expression, as if he'd just switched faces with Harrison Ford.

"Oh, Bud, don't let them keep us apart...."

DeeDee was bursting with the good news when she returned from walking her father back to his car.

"Guess what, everybody? My father loved it! He said it was practically professional. But the best part is"--she took a deep breath, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth--"he saw someone he thinks is really talented. I mean
really
talented, like maybe this person could be in the movies!"

"Who?" Jessica practically shrieked.

"He wouldn't say. He was very mysterious about it. He's afraid it would make the person too nervous."

"How can he keep us in suspense like this?" Jessica cried. "It's--it's cruel and inhuman!"

"It's just until the end of the week," DeeDee hastened to explain. "He's bringing this producer friend of his to see the play on opening night. And get this--it's the same guy who discovered Matt Dillon! He's known for finding new talent."

Jessica was jumping up and down as if a fire had been lit under her. "Ooooh, I can't stand it! Didn't he give you a hint? Just one little hint?"

"You mean something like, she has blond hair and blue eyes, and she could be the next Jessica Lange?" Lila broke in, giving her friend an amused grin.

"Oh, stop it!" Jessica wailed. "Of
course
I don't think it's me. Why on earth would he pick me? I'm the worst one in the whole play!"

As usual, Bill rushed to her defense. "The best, you mean. I can't think of anyone else it could be."

"Thanks, Bill," she demurred. "But I'm positive you're wrong."

"Well, we won't know anything until Saturday night," DeeDee said quickly. "You don't know my dad when it comes to keeping a secret.

Nobody could get it out of him. I can hardly wait to find out who it is!"

In her excitement DeeDee threw her arms around Bill. Bill looked embarrassed, but not half as embarrassed as DeeDee was when she realized what she'd done. She took a hasty step backward, nearly falling over a stack of scenery that was propped up behind her. Acting on reflex, Bill reached out to steady her. His touch was like a delicious shock; her skin tingled with awareness. She only hoped Bill wouldn't notice that she was blushing.

Jessica had noticed, though, and for the first time found that she didn't care. What did Bill have compared to the stardom that awaited her? Naturally, she wouldn't have dreamed of saying so aloud, but it was obvious which one of them DeeDee's father had earmarked for fame and fortune.

"Maybe it's Roger," Lila snickered when she and Jessica were alone in the restroom. "Now that I think of it, he does bear a striking resemblance to Robert Redford, don't you agree?"

"Who do you really think it is?" Jessica asked. She was brushing her hair, and it flew up around her head in crackling splendor.

Lila gave her a long look. "As if you didn't know already."

Jessica wore an innocent expression. "Who, me? What makes you think
I
own a crystal ball?"

"Well, I'll say one thing. You should get the Academy Award for best performance at pretending to be modest."

That did it. Jessica burst into peals of silvery laughter. "Don't worry, Lila, I won't forget you when I'm a star. You can visit my mansion in Beverly Hills, and I'll even send you a card every Christmas."

"Thanks a lot. What I want to know is who they'll pick as your leading man in your first picture. Hey, wouldn't it be great if you got Matt Dillon? He's really sexy."

"Too immature," Jessica said and sniffed. "I was thinking more along the lines of Sylvester Stallone."

"Neat." Lila giggled. "I can just see you slugging it out with him in
Rocky Five."

"Watch it," Jessica warned, snatching up a hair spray can and aiming it at Lila. "You may be the next one on my hit list."

"Oh, I can't stand it!" Lila gasped. "Jess, you really are too much!"

Jessica smiled to herself. It wasn't the first time she'd been accused of it. And she hoped it wouldn't be the last.

Nine

"I guess you must meet a lot of Hollywood big shots since your dad's in the business," Bill remarked.

He and DeeDee were standing outside the drama room. Most of the other cast members had already rushed off to have a quick lunch.

"Not really," DeeDee said. "You see, he doesn't live with us. My parents are divorced. We visit when we can, but he lives in L.A., so it's kind of hard to get together."

"Yeah, I know. My dad moved to Idaho after he and my mom split up. We used to be real close, and now I hardly ever see him."

"That's rough," she commiserated.

He shrugged. "Yeah, but he's really happy. He's totally switched careers. He used to be in business, and he's a forest ranger now."

"It's funny, isn't it? How people change

when they get older? I wonder what we'll be doing ten years from now?"

Bill looked thoughtful for a moment. "You know something, it's weird, but lately I've really been excited about acting. I'm actually starting to enjoy it. But if someone had told me I'd be feeling this way six months ago, I wouldn't have believed it."

DeeDee responded by giving Bill a shy smile. He'd always been pretty quiet about himself, but he was finally opening up to her.

She remembered once when she was walking in the woods and had come upon a deer grazing in a clearing. She hadn't wanted to move or even breathe too deeply for fear of scaring it off. That was how she felt now. Something had changed between them, but she didn't know what.

Bill was looking at her as if he were seeing her for the first time. Suddenly a faraway expression crossed his face, and he seemed to draw back into himself. "Hey, how's the surfing going? I'm sorry I haven't been able to go out with you these past few days, but I've been pretty tied up with this play."

DeeDee took a deep breath. "I was hoping you could go out with me today," she blurted. "Just for an hour or so. The championship is this Saturday and--I'm pretty nervous, if you want to know the truth."

"I'd like to," Bill said. "But the thing is, Jessica and I are supposed to go over these couple of scenes we're having trouble with."

At that moment Jessica breezed past them. She'd changed out of her costume into a pale blue sundress and had put on fresh lipstick that carried a faint perfumey smell. She was, as usual, breathtaking.

"Oh, Bill," she stopped to say, looking past him in a distracted way, "I forgot to tell you. I won't be able to meet you after school. Something came up. Sorry." She apologized offhandedly, as if she'd just bumped into him or stepped on his toe.

"Sure. I understand," he replied.

"I knew you would." Jessica flashed him a brief smile and was gone.

Wearing a crestfallen expression, Bill stared after her for a moment before turning back to DeeDee.

"Guess I'll have time to do a little surfing after all. That is," he faltered, "if you, uh, still want me to go with you."

She smiled. "Do I! Just meet me out at the beach at around four. OK?"

His grin was a bit wobbly, but nevertheless intact. "OK. See you then."

Elizabeth spotted her sister flying toward her across the cafeteria. Jessica's hair splashed

about her shoulders in golden disarray; her cheeks were bright with color. She swooped down on Elizabeth, nearly knocking over a glass of milk as she hugged her.

"Guess what?" Jessica said. "I've got the most fantastic news in the world! DeeDee's father is going to make me a star!"

"What?" Elizabeth momentarily forgot her misery. "Is that what he said to you?"

"Not exactly. He came to our rehearsal, and afterward he told DeeDee that he thought one of us had real talent. Only he's not saying who, because he doesn't want to make anyone nervous. Isn't that just too exciting?"

"In other words," Elizabeth translated soberly, "you don't know who it is yet. It could be anybody."

Jessica's lower lip edged out in a tiny pout. "Why do you always have to be such a party pooper? Just because Todd's ignoring you, it doesn't mean you have to take your bad mood out on
me."

Elizabeth wanted to protest that Todd hadn't been ignoring her. Just the opposite, in fact. He'd been trying to pin her down for the past few days, but she kept on avoiding him. Enid told her she was being silly and childish about the whole thing, but Elizabeth wasn't so sure.

"I'm sorry, Jess," she said wearily. "But I

just don't think it's a good idea to count on things before you know for sure."

"But it's obvious, isn't it? Who else could he have meant? I'm the best one. Everybody thinks so."

"Look, I'm not saying you're not the best. I'm just saying it's dangerous to count on something too much, that's all. Remember when you told everyone you were going to get Bruce Patman to take you to the Sophomore Fling, and he ended up asking Lila?"

Jessica's eyes narrowed to slits. "That was ages ago. I wouldn't go across the street to meet Bruce if he asked me now."

Jessica had been wild about Bruce at one time, but the experience of actually dating him had taught her what a phony he really was.

"That's not the point. I just don't want you to get your hopes up, that's all." Elizabeth sighed. "Just in case there's a chance in a billion you're wrong."

"Thanks for the advice," Jessica tossed back, "but next time I want some, I'll write to Ann Landers."

"While you're at it," Elizabeth added ruefully, "ask her what to do when your boyfriend dumps you for another girl."

But Jessica was no longer interested in Elizabeth's plight. Her head was too filled with sugarcoated visions of her own brilliant success.

She dashed off without even bothering to say goodbye.

Just then Enid came by. "Where's Jessica off to in such a hurry? New boyfriend?"

"Uh-uh. Hollywood. At least that's where she thinks she's headed. I'm not so sure." She repeated what Jessica had told her.

"It sounds pretty unbelievable to me," Enid agreed. "Then again, I've never known your sister to let anything stand in the way of getting what she wants. But what about you?" she asked, her voice softening with concern. "Have you talked to Todd?"