SHOWDOWN

  Written by

  Kate William

  Created by

  FRANCINE PASCAL

  Copyright © 2015, Francine Pascal

  SHOWDOWN

  "I was wondering if you'd like to go out sometime this week," Jack proposed. "How does the day after tomorrow sound?"

  Wednesday, Jessica thought. That was two days before Lila would even have a chance at him. "Wednesday's perfect."

  "So, I'll see you then. I'm looking forward to it," Jack said.

  "Me, too," replied Jessica. After she said goodbye, she put down the receiver and gave a shriek of excitement.

  "Jess, what are you yelling about?" Mrs. Wakefield called from the other room.

  "Oh, nothing, Mom," she called back. Nothing except the most gorgeous, charming, mysteriously exciting guy in the whole world, she added to herself. Let Lila sneak behind her father's back. Jessica was convinced that she wouldn't be doing it for long. Because soon Jack would be eating out of Jessica's hand, and Lila would be nothing more than a name in his past.

  CONTENTS

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  A LETTER TO THE READER

  Preview: Caitlin

  One

  "I just can't wait to meet Lila's mystery man," Jessica Wakefield announced to her twin sister as they cleaned up after their usual Sunday family brunch. Her blue-green eyes sparkled with excitement. "The guy sounds unbelievable." She carried a stack of dishes from the table to the kitchen counter.

  "Well, I'm sure you'll have plenty of time to get a look at him this afternoon," Elizabeth remarked, scraping the plates and then carefully loading them into the dishwasher. "Knowing Lila Fowler, she probably invented this whole pool party just to lure him over to her house and show him off to everyone." She laughed good-naturedly.

  "Not to mention showing Fowler Crest to him, in all its splendor," Jessica added, referring to the sprawling estate where her friend Lila lived. "I swear, Lila never gets tired of flaunting her wealth." There was disdain in her voice, although Elizabeth thought she detected a note of envy as well.

  "Whatever the case," Elizabeth commented, "Lila sure picked a perfect day for an outdoor party. It should be great." The morning sun poured through the wide-open windows into the Wakefields' Spanish-tiled kitchen.

  "Especially if this guy Jack is as fabulous as Lila's made him out to be," Jessica added.

  Elizabeth gave her sister a hard stare. "Jessica Wakefield. You're not, by any strange chance, thinking of going after Lila's new friend yourself."

  "I'm not?" Jessica asked with mock innocence. "And why not, if he's so fabulous?"

  "Honestly, Jess." Elizabeth shook her head in disbelief, her sun-streaked blond hair glinting in the sunlight. "You haven't even met the guy yet."

  "So? The one thing I've got to say for Lila is that she usually has terrific taste. And from the way she's been raving about Jack, he must be hotter than all the guys at Sweet Valley High put together."

  "But what about Lila?" Elizabeth finished loading the dishwasher and tackled the greasy frying pan and dirty pot in the sink. "She's your friend, and she met him first."

  "And I'll meet him next." Jessica hoisted herself up onto the kitchen counter and watched her sister work.

  Elizabeth sighed. Sometimes it was just useless to try to reason with her twin. Jessica was only four minutes younger than she was, but at times like this, Elizabeth felt as if it were more like four years. Identical on the outside, from their perfect size-six figures to their shoulder-length blond hair and brilliant smiles, the girls were as different on the inside as two sixteen-year-olds could be.

  Jessica liked being at the center of the action, and there was no trick she didn't know about getting there—and staying there. You could often find Elizabeth alone, on the other hand, hard at work on her latest assignment for the Sweet Valley High newspaper, The Oracle. Or you could find her sharing a quiet evening with her steady boyfriend, Todd Wilkins, or her best friend, Enid Rollins.

  But right now Elizabeth's attention was focused on her twin. "And what about Neil Freemount?" she asked.

  "Neil? He and I are just good friends," Jessica replied. "I mean, sure, he's taking me to this party, but he doesn't mind if I spend time with other guys. Just like I don't mind if he hangs around with other girls."

  "He never does, Jess," Elizabeth said sternly.

  Jessica shrugged. "That's not my problem. You know, Liz"—she gave a little laugh—"I can't help it if I drive boys wild."

  Elizabeth tried hard to keep a straight face, but a giggle finally escaped her lips. "OK, OK, Jess—you win. You're charming and irresistible."

  Jessica grinned. "Don't stop, Liz."

  Elizabeth burst out laughing. "All right. And clever, and a good dancer. And the best cheerleader Sweet Valley High has ever had. Oh—and, of course, absolutely gorgeous."

  "Of course." Jessica nodded her head vigorously.

  "But you're also going to be a dead duck if you don't pick up a dish towel and start drying these pots and pans. And then you'll never get to meet the famed Jack."

  "Well, we can't have that, can we?" Jessica gave her twin a little salute, jumped off the counter, and got to work.

  Elizabeth climbed out of the pool and stretched her lithe, tanned body out on a large beach towel next to her boyfriend, Todd Wilkins. To one side of them lay the sprawling Fowler mansion with its Spanish-style patio; to the other, a broad expanse of perfectly landscaped lawn and gardens and a spectacular view of the town of Sweet Valley, nestled far below.

  "Great view from up here, huh?" Todd commented.

  Elizabeth nodded, scanning the lush California landscape.

  Todd rolled over on his side so he was facing his girlfriend. "But I've got a better view right now." He took one of Elizabeth's hands in his and gave her that wonderful smile that never failed to make her heart skip a beat.

  "You're not so bad yourself," Elizabeth returned teasingly, taking in Todd's lean, muscular build, his warm brown eyes, and the shock of dark hair that fell over his forehead. She reached over and gave him a tender kiss.

  "Hey—what's all this about?" a girl's voice called playfully. Elizabeth looked up to see her best friend, Enid Rollins, coming across the lawn with her boyfriend, George Warren, a freshman at nearby Sweet Valley College.

  "Oops, caught in the act." Elizabeth smiled as Enid and George spread their towels next to her and Todd. "Where have you guys been, anyway? I thought maybe you'd decided not to come."

  "George had a flying lesson," Enid explained. "And I went out to the airfield to pick him up when it was over."

  "Oh, that's right." Elizabeth nodded. "I forgot—today's a flying day. How's that going, George?"

  George grinned. "It's fantastic. You can't imagine how it feels to be soaring through the air in the cockpit of your own glider." He looked up at the bright, cloudless sky as if to emphasize his point.

  "That's what my friend Robin Wilson's been telling me," Elizabeth said. "She's taking the same course."

  "Robin? She's one of the best students in the program," George commented.

  "Except for you," Enid joked, her green eyes twinkling.

  "Well, what else would you expect?" George kidded back, giving his girlfriend an affectionate swat on the arm.

  "So, Mr. Super Flyer, when do you take the test for your pilot's license?" Todd asked.

  "Two weeks from yesterday," George answered. "And you and Liz will be the first people I give a ride to, after Enid."

  Suddenly, loud laughter erupted from the direction of the pool. The four friends turned to see tall, lanky Winston Egbert, the clown of the Sweet Valley High junior class, challenging handsome Nicholas Morrow to a dog-paddle race across the pool. Elizabeth giggled as Winston and Nicholas fought to pull themselves through the water, their arms paddling frantically while they strained to keep their heads above it.

  The amusement of the onlookers was contagious, and soon Winston and Nicholas were laughing as hard as anyone else, spurting water out of their mouths as they struggled across to the deep end of the pool and back. The kids standing around the pool cheered noisily as Nicholas and Winston touched the edge at the same moment.

  Elsewhere on the grounds of Fowler Crest, a badminton game was in full swing, while nearby, Olivia Davidson, the arts editor for The Oracle, strummed her guitar, a group of people singing along with her.

  "Great party," Enid observed.

  "Except for one thing." Elizabeth turned toward a grove of palm trees at the side of the huge house. Under it, Lila Fowler sat alone. "Lila's mystery guest hasn't arrived yet." And Lila's not the only one who's wondering where he is, Elizabeth thought to herself. Jessica had spent the better part of the afternoon surrounded by her faithful fans—Cara Walker, her best friend; Neil Freemount; and several other admirers. But whenever she thought no one was looking, she would glance over her shoulder to see if anyone new had arrived. To most of the guests at the party, it looked as if Jessica was having a fabulous time. But her twin sister wasn't fooled; Elizabeth knew Jessica was disappointed.

  "Gee, that's too b
ad," Enid said. "I was getting kind of curious about Lila's date, myself. I mean Lila doesn't go out of her way like this for just anybody." She motioned to the buffet table set up on the patio. Trays were piled high with fresh berries, grapes, cherries, and pieces of melon and pineapple. Delicate cakes and pastries were arranged on the table, too, along with imported cheeses, several different kinds of crackers, cold cuts, chips, raw vegetables, and a number of dips. A red- and white-striped canopy was set up over the feast to keep it out of the sun. Elizabeth watched as surfer Bill Chase and his girlfriend, DeeDee Gordon, piled their plates high with food.

  "It does look like a great spread," said Todd, eyeing the buffet hungrily. "Should we go sample it?"

  "You bet!" George answered, and the two couples got up and headed for the buffet table.

  Elizabeth was trying to decide between an apple turnover and a cinnamon-raisin swirl when Lila's voice floated across the grass.

  "Oh, Jack," she gushed, "I'm so glad you made it. The afternoon just wouldn't have been a success without you." Elizabeth turned and watched Lila join the party with a tall, well-built young man. His powerful-looking arms and handsome face were deeply tanned, and his honey-brown hair was shot with sun-lightened streaks. He was dressed conservatively in a pair of khaki walking shorts, a green Lacoste shirt, and Top-Siders.

  So he finally got here, Elizabeth thought to herself. Jessica would be happy.

  "Oh, boy," declared Cara Walker, who had come up beside Elizabeth at the refreshment table. "Lila wasn't kidding when she said he was gorgeous." Her gaze followed Jack as he and Lila approached the pool.

  Jessica, seated next to Neil on the Fowlers' lawn, also noted Jack's arrival. Wow! she thought to herself. Before I was only half-serious about stealing him from Lila. But now . . . She watched the good-looking boy's every move as he was introduced to some of the kids around the pool. "Neil," Jessica said, "I don't know about you, but I'm broiling. I think I'll go take a swim." And without waiting for a response, Jessica was up in a flash, heading for the pool—and Jack. When she got within a few feet of him and had made sure he was looking in her direction, she slipped out of her terry-cloth beach robe, revealing a minuscule turquoise bikini that showed off her every curve. She mounted the diving board and, without a second's hesitation, executed a graceful backflip into the water.

  "Nice dive," Jack remarked to Lila.

  "Umm," Lila replied noncommittally.

  A second later Jessica surfaced. She looked over at Lila and Jack, and waved. "Come on in. The water's great." She smiled brightly.

  "It does look good," she heard Jack say to Lila. "Shall we?"

  "I guess so," Lila muttered, sounding unenthusiastic about having to share Jack's attention. "You can change into your suit over there." She pointed to a small cabana near the shallow end of the pool.

  As Jack walked off, Jessica eyed Lila carefully. Her light brown hair was swept up off her face in a becoming French braid. Her shiny black bikini was as skimpy as Jessica's. And Lila's trim figure was almost as good. Almost, Jessica noted. Jessica shifted her focus as Jack emerged from the cabana in a navy-blue racing suit. Omigod, she thought, the less this guy wears, the better he looks!

  She watched Lila join Jack at the edge of the pool and gingerly dip her toe in the water.

  "After you," Jack said gallantly to his hostess.

  Lila lowered herself into the pool, and Jack dived in after her. When he came up, Jessica was at his side.

  "Hi," she said, flashing him a blinding grin. "I don't believe we've been introduced."

  Without missing a beat, Lila swam over to Jessica and Jack and positioned herself directly between the two of them. "This is my dear friend Jessica Wakefield," she said as she treaded water. Lila turned her back to Jack for a split second and shot Jessica a look of purest ice. Then she looked at Jack again and smiled sweetly. "And, Jess, this is my new friend, Jack."

  "Nice to meet you, Jessica," he said in a friendly voice.

  "Likewise," Jessica responded, swimming around so she was next to him again.

  As if in a water-bound game of musical chairs, Lila swam between the two of them again and faced Jack. "How about a few laps across the pool?" she asked, trying to ease Jessica out of the picture.

  "OK," Jack agreed amicably.

  Lila flipped onto her back and made a few paddling motions. "Later, Jess," she said pointedly.

  "See you soon," Jack told her.

  "You can count on it," Jessica responded, refusing to be daunted by Lila's "hands-off" signals. She watched them swim across the pool, noting Jack's strong, smooth strokes as he glided through the water. Every few yards he would stop and wait for Lila to catch up with him. He's a real gentleman, Jessica thought. Definitely the kind of guy who interests me. Now all she had to do was to get him alone.

  That proved more difficult than Jessica had imagined. Lila didn't let Jack out of her sight for even a minute, shepherding him from one group of friends to another, her arm linked through his. Jack seemed to charm everybody. He was very polite, but not at all stuffy. He took an interest in each person he met, and though he obviously had a lot to envy, he never once boasted. In fact, he barely said a word about himself. Though he was clearly the center of attention, he remained a mystery—a mystery that, as the party wore on, Jessica became more and more eager to unravel.

  But as the day wore on, Jessica still hadn't found a chance to talk to Jack again, until she spotted Lila introducing him to Elizabeth, Todd, Nicholas Morrow, and Aaron Dallas near the badminton court. "Excuse me," Jessica said to Ken Matthews, who had been telling her about a new stunt he'd learned to do on water skis. "I just remembered something I have to tell my sister." Seizing her opportunity, she sprinted over to the group just in time to catch the end of Jack's sentence.

  ". . . but I thought you had on a different bathing suit earlier," he was saying to Elizabeth, who was wearing a simple, off-white tank suit.

  Jessica came up and wrapped her arm around her twin's shoulders, watching Jack's confused expression turn to one of understanding.

  "Oh, I see. Twins." Jack chuckled.

  Elizabeth extended her hand. "I'm Liz," she said.

  "A pleasure to meet you. My name's Jack."

  "And this is Todd and Aaron," Elizabeth introduced them. "And Nicholas."

  Nicholas eyed Jack curiously as the two boys shook hands. "Jack, you look so familiar," he observed. "Do we know each other from someplace?"

  For the first time since he'd arrived, Jack appeared to be a bit flustered. "No. I—ah—can't imagine where we could have met before," he stammered.

  "Sailing camp?" Nicholas questioned. "I used to go to Teela Locca sailing camp in New Hampshire when I was a kid." Jack shook his head. "Hmm. Well, what about Martha's Vineyard? My family used to have a summer house there."

  "Nope," Jack said, shifting from one foot to the other. Jessica thought he looked decidedly uncomfortable, and she wondered why.

  "You've never spent any time on the East Coast?" Nicholas persisted. "My family recently moved from there."

  Jack studied the ground. "I've been there," he mumbled, "but I really can't remember ever seeing you before."

  "Maybe you know my sister, Regina Morrow."

  Nicholas's sister, a classmate of the twins, had been deaf from birth. She was now at a special clinic in Switzerland, undergoing a series of operations to correct her handicap.

  "The name doesn't sound familiar." Jack shook his head.

  "Oh, well," Nicholas said. "Maybe you just look like somebody I know." But he didn't sound convinced. "Anyway"—he waved his hand—"we were just about to play a game of badminton. Would you two care to join us?"

  Lila spoke up hastily. "No, I wanted to show Jack the new gym my father's installing."

  It was plain to Jessica that Lila wanted to spend some time alone with Jack before the party wound down. A number of the guests had already said goodbye, so this was her last chance. But Jessica had every intention of spending the end of the party with Jack as well, and she didn't plan to let Lila stop her. "Oh, I'd love to see the gym, too," Jessica invited herself along.

  Lila appeared distressed, but clearly there was nothing she could do. Squaring her shoulders, she led Jack and Jessica inside the enormous house. As they walked into the foyer, decorated with a huge abstract painting—something outrageously expensive, Jessica was certain—they heard the faint ringing of the phone.