"Boy, she can wreck me anytime," Bruce said. "Wow, what a beauty-awesome!"

Most of the school jocks turned out for cheerleader tryouts, including Bruce, and Robin went through the routine as if she'd done it a thousand times before. Not only was she picked at once, but she was made co-captain with a completely astounded Jessica Wakefield.

But Jessica wasn't the only one who was shocked.

"I can't deal with this," muttered Bruce Patman to anyone who would listen. "That gorgeous girl is Robin Wilson!"

Elizabeth decided to interview Robin for The Oracle, as her new status as co-captain of the cheerleading squad had to be one of the school's hottest items in the past few weeks.

She asked her a number of questions, which Robin answered enthusiastically, with occasional bursts of cheerful laughter. It was the first time Elizabeth had heard her laugh in months.

Finally Elizabeth asked a question that was, as she told Robin, "off the record." "Well, how does it feel to shove it all down their throats?"

"Heavenly." Robin giggled, then she regained her composure. "Well-I don't care about them. Although, let me tell you, Liz, you haven't seen anything yet."

"You've got other surprises for us?"

Robin smiled. "I've got the biggest surprise of all. Just wait."

"I hope you're not going overboard, Robin."

"Don't worry, Liz. I've learned how to swim with sharks."

After that victorious afternoon, it seemed Robin regained some of her old friendliness, and Elizabeth was happy to find herself sitting together with Robin and Enid outside under a tree one beautiful day, having lunch.

"At first I thought you really had set me up," Robin told Elizabeth. "I thought you must have known somebody was going to blackball me. I thought you just might be as rotten as your sister."

"Come on, Robin. Jessica isn't rotten."

Robin looked at her. "You're too much, Liz. You know that? You can't see rottenness in anybody! She's the one who blackballed me."

"Jessica? No!" Elizabeth couldn't bear for Robin to be so hurt, so disillusioned. "She was your friend!"

Robin laughed and shook her head. "Liz, don't try to protect her. I know it was Jessica. I decided after a lot of thinking that you couldn't have been in on it. I'm even starting to believe you don't understand that scheming sister of yours."

"Oh, but, Robin-"

"You just don't want to face up to what kind of person Jessica is. She and I were never really friends. I used to pretend to myself that we were because I wanted to believe it was really true. It must have given Jessica a few good laughs."

Little by little Elizabeth began to feel that she and Robin were becoming close friends. Somehow, through adversity, a strong bond of friendship had sprung up, grown, and deepened.

"I was so afraid," Robin confessed one day. "I needed to be accepted so much that I threw away my pride and self-respect. Believe me, it's never worth it."

"I tried to tell you that silly sorority wasn't worth it," said Elizabeth.

"I know you did. And you were right. But you were already in, Liz. Everything comes easy for you. You're bright, pretty, everyone likes you. You don't know what it's like to have troubles."

Remembering the recent past, Elizabeth had a difficult time keeping her mouth shut at that last remark.

Being Robin's new friend proved to be quite entertaining. Everywhere they went, Bruce Patman followed. Todd wasn't pleased to find him hanging around Elizabeth, but he could see it wasn't his girlfriend Bruce was interested in. Bruce simply couldn't keep away from the new cheerleader. He seemed to have completely forgotten that he once called her the Queen Mary. Everybody at Sweet Valley High, even Elizabeth, gradually forgot there had ever been a fat and ugly Robin. But Robin would always remember.

Thirteen.

Elizabeth sat in the Oracle office trying to figure out what snappy news items she could include in her column. About the only important thing going on at Sweet Valley High was the approaching football grudge game against Palisades High. But that was news that the sports editor, John Pfeifer, handled. This is impossible, Elizabeth thought disgustedly. Maybe I should give up journalism altogether and become a novelist instead. She grimaced, remembering what had happened the day before.

She had been working at her desk in the Oracle office when Mr. Collins strolled over and handed her a letter. Her eyes widened when she saw the return address: The Sweet Valley News. In the corner was typed the name of the editor, Louis Westman. Elizabeth tore open the letter, her heart pounding. Finally, she prayed, acceptance of one of the articles she had mailed to the newspaper on a regular basis for months. As she scanned the words, her elation slowly deserted her.

Dear Miss Wakefield: Just a note to let you know I have received your stories. You show a lot of promise. I haven't been able to use any of them yet, but I hope you'll keep trying.

Sincerely, Louis Westman Elizabeth slumped back in her chair and felt her eyes getting red. She had tried so hard, she thought. And now this-this stupid letter! Mr. Collins was quietly standing beside her.

"That's pretty good, Wakefield," he said cheerfully. "Getting a letter from the editor."

"But, Mr. Collins, he hasn't taken any of my articles!"

"Rome wasn't built in a day," Mr. Collins said. "Keep trying. He thinks you'll make it. So do I."

Well, the future would have to take care of itself. Right now, she wasn't getting any story ideas. Deciding she might be able to work better at home, Elizabeth left the Oracle office.

"What do you think it takes to be a novelist?" she asked Jessica when her sister later came into her room carrying an armload of clothes.

"Elizabeth, please stop talking nonsense and help me. This is the most important event of my life."

"What is?"

"What is?" Jessica shrieked. "Elizabeth, you act like Rip van Winkle! Have you been asleep for twenty years? I've been telling you about this all week."

Not having the slightest idea of what Jessica was fuming about, Elizabeth sat down and calmly said, "Jess, why don't you run it by me one more time?"

Jessica refused to tell her. Instead, she went into an utter tirade. "How can I have a sister who always talks about crazy, impossible things like becoming a novelist? It's more than I can stand! Where are your priorities? How can a sister of mine-my twin yet-walk around in the middle of the most exciting time of my life and be so oblivious to the life-or-death battle I'm waging here? It's unfair! It's sick! If I didn't know better, I'd swear they switched babies in the hospital by mistake!"

"I'm sorry, Jess. What battle?"

Jessica suddenly switched to a patronizing stance. "Liz, you poor, innocent, ignorant ninny-the football queen!"

"Oh, that."

"Oh, that? Elizabeth, I am determined to be Miss Sweet Valley High, and you've got to help me! I think I'm the logical choice, actually, since I was voted queen of the fall dance. So does everybody else."

"What 'everybody else' do you mean?"

"Why, everybody! Lila and Cara and all the Pi Betas. And most of the football team. If you want to know, I think every guy on the offensive line is in love with me!" Jessica giggled.

"Is it possible you've encouraged them, Jessie?"

"What? No! Well, I'm not unfriendly, Liz. There's no sense in that. I think a girl can be friendly and nice to several boys."

"The whole football team?"

"Not the whole team. I haven't dated a single boy who isn't on the first string."

Elizabeth smiled. "Oh, well, as long as you're selective."

"Well, I do it for team spirit," said Jessica. "Every one of them appreciates it, too!"

"I'm sure. So how can I help you?"

"Well..." Jessica grew totally serious. "First, there's the vital choice of what I should wear each day leading up to the day of the vote. The whole student body votes on this, you know. Anyway, what do you think of my new Jordache jeans for Monday?"

"You look terrific in them."

"And my cheerleading outfit on Tuesday."

"You mean wear it to class? Won't that attract a lot of attention?"

"What in the world is wrong with you, Liz? That's the entire idea."

The wardrobe decisions took two hours, and after endless switches and changes, Jessica finally was satisfied.

"Now-about my publicity campaign," she said.

"Your what?"

"When you write up all the contestants, I want you to lose their photographs, see? Give them to me, and I'll burn them."

"Jessica!"

"What?"

"What about Lila Fowler? Isn't she running, too?"

"Lila doesn't have a sister who's practically the editor of The Oracle. She'll understand."

Jessica smiled expectantly at Elizabeth.

"Jessica-no! I'll treat all contestants exactly the same."

"That's the unfairest thing I've ever heard in my life," Jessica shouted, running out and slamming the door behind her.

Lila caught up with Elizabeth after their last classes the next day and walked her to the newspaper office. She talked shyly about how she appreciated all Elizabeth had done.

"Oh, don't be silly. I didn't do anything."

"Daddy took me to Sacramento in the company Learjet," said Lila. "It was super!" Then she sighed. "He's going to be frantically busy for the next couple of months, but maybe after that...."

Elizabeth said nothing. A couple of months! She could see it starting all over. Once again poor Lila was going to be starved for her father's attention.

"I just wanted to tell you how much better I feel. And I really want to thank you for not telling a soul. Did Jessica ask you anything?"

Elizabeth shook her head in dismay. "Did Jessica ask? Lila, is the Pacific wet?" They both laughed. "Luckily she got so involved in the cheerleading business that she forgot to keep after me."

"I don't know how you can ever be a writer, Liz, when you're able to keep a story like that to yourself."

The old Lila was coming through again, and Elizabeth suddenly wondered how friendly Lila would remain with the only girl at Sweet Valley who knew her secret.

The next two weeks were a supercharged time at Sweet Valley, as every beauty who ever coveted the title of Miss Sweet Valley High went into high gear. Comfortable overalls disappeared. Sneakers went into the closet. With carefully dressed hopefuls lounging around on the school lawn, leaning against the white oak trees, Sweet Valley High looked like a spread from a fashion magazine.

Jordache jeans were challenged by Calvin Kleins. Miniskirts were seen next to tapered slacks. Makeup and new hairstyles turned the young women into Glamour models.

And leading all the challengers was Jessica Wakefield, whose natural beauty, sparkling blue-green eyes, sun-streaked blond hair, and terrific figure stood out no matter what look she went for. The backfield of the football team suddenly began wearing sweat shirts with Jessica's name emblazoned on them.

"Aren't they sweet, those crazy guys," Jessica said to everyone she passed.

And then, one day a typewritten sign appeared on bulletin boards all over the school: CHALLENGE ACCEPTED.

It has come to my attention that members of Pi Beta Alpha have forbidden any girl who is not a member to go out for Miss Sweet Valley High. I know all about the PBAs. They blackballed me. I accept their challenge. I ask for your vote.

Robin Wilson The sign created a sensation. People were talking about it everywhere, up and down the stairways, all over the lunchroom, buzzing across the auditorium, and even into the football team's locker room.

"Did you hear what the Pi Betas did to Robin?"

"Those snobs!"

"But that's totally stupid," Lila said defensively. "How could we forbid anybody from running?"

It was the talk of the school for days. No matter how much the Pi Betas protested that they had not forbidden anyone anything, the accusation hung in the air.

Finally, gathered in front of the school one morning, Lila, Cara, and Jessica all demanded that Robin publicly announce who among the Pi Betas had said such a stupid thing.

"Sure," said Robin. "I'll tell you-just as soon as you tell me who blackballed me."