"More party stuff?"

"It's getting worse by the minute, Liz. She's thrown herself into every little detail-the flowers, the decorations, even the little party favors. It's all she cares about nowadays. And it all means so little to me."

"I know," Elizabeth commiserated.

"I almost get the feeling..."

"What?" Elizabeth probed.

"It's almost as if the party is more important to her than I am. No, that's not exactly what I mean. More like it's starting to be her party. Does that sound crazy to you?"

"I know what you're saying, Enid, but if I were you I'd try to enjoy it. She's probably just having a good time making the preparations."

"You really think so?"

"Well, the party was her suggestion, so she was under no obligation to make it this elaborate. Face it, Enid, she's doing it because she loves you."

"After all that grief I put her through, I'm not sure why." Enid winced, remembering the days when the problems in her family had driven her to join a wild crowd and get heavily involved with drugs.

"That's the point, Enid. You came pretty close to hitting rock bottom at one point, but you survived. You're doing great now. I think your mom is pretty proud that you've made it to sixteen in one piece. For a while there she probably didn't think you were going to make it at all. This party is a celebration for her as much as for you."

"When you put it that way, I see what you mean. She probably is throwing this party out of love for me. If she wants to make a big deal out of it, I guess I have no right to stop her."

"That's the idea."

"But I refuse to make myself crazy over it, too!" she added emphatically. "Gosh, Liz, do you think I really care whether there are yellow or blue carnations on the tables?"

"No," Elizabeth said, chuckling. "Look, I've got to go. I think Jessica's in her room, and I want to give her the good news. See you tomorrow. 'Bye."

Elizabeth hung up the phone and scurried off to find her sister. She didn't have to go far. Jessica was standing before the mirror in the bathroom the two girls shared, brushing out her long blond hair. "I never should have tried that new shampoo," Jessica said, noticing Elizabeth's reflection. "It's made my hair so lifeless."

"You can use mine," Elizabeth offered. "Especially the night of Enid's party. I know you'll want to look great for your date with Brian."

Throwing down the hairbrush, Jessica whirled around and grabbed her sister by the arms. "Are you kidding? You mean Enid changed her mind?"

"She decided 'twas better to forgive and forget," Elizabeth said.

"I knew that girl would come to her senses," Jessica proclaimed. "Want to come help me pick out an outfit to wear? I can't be seen in just any old thing with Brian." She breezed into her room and yanked open her closet door.

The empty hangers on the rack were more a reflection of Jessica's disdain for orderliness than a lack of clothing. At least half her wardrobe was strewn in all corners of the closet, over and under the mismatched shoes that had been accumulating ever since junior high. Most of the rest of it was draped across the chair in the corner near her bed. Elizabeth couldn't see how Jessica ever found anything.

The truth was she didn't. "Darn, there's nothing here," Jessica grumbled, sorting through the few garments still hanging. "Oh, I just remembered." She stopped what she was doing. "I'd better call Danny while I'm thinking of it."

"What for?"

"To tell him I can't go with him to Enid's party."

"You were going to go with him?"

"I had to have someone to go with, and the party's less than two weeks away. When you told me Enid had said no about Brian, I called Danny."

"But I thought after the other day you didn't want to have anything to do with him anymore."

"Did I say that? I'll admit I wasn't wild about the way he handled himself with Crunch, but I suppose even Bruce Patman wouldn't have done well against that big brute.... Listen, did I tell you that Lila told me Bruce has been asking about me again?"

Detecting a note of excitement in Jessica's voice, Elizabeth said worriedly, "I didn't know you cared."

"Oh, I don't, Liz. I just find it very amusing."

Elizabeth wasn't so sure that was all there was to it. After the shabby way Bruce had treated Jessica during their intense but brief relationship, Elizabeth assumed her sister would never want to have anything to do with him for the rest of her life. But perhaps the torch Jessica had always carried for Bruce hadn't been totally extinguished.

However, that had nothing to do with the problem at hand. "What are you going to do about Danny?"

"Him? Oh, I'll think of something. I always do, don't I?" Jessica said sweetly as she did a quick inventory of the garments on the left side of her closet. "I've got it!" she announced.

"A dress?"

"No, a date for Danny. I remember overhearing Julie Porter say she didn't have a date. They'll love each other," she added before announcing, "I can't find a thing here, Liz. Maybe there's something in your closet?"

"Sure, let's go see," Elizabeth said generously, feeling happier than she had for days. "You know that green polka-dot dress with the puff sleeves? I think it would look terrific on you."

At that moment Elizabeth wouldn't have minded if Jessica wiped out her entire closet. For a day that had gotten off to a bad start, things were working out wonderfully for everybody now. Enid had George and her fancy party. Mandy had Winston. And now Jessica had Brian.

And she was more secure than ever in the knowledge that she was Todd's one and only girl.

Enid's party was going to be great, Elizabeth thought. She could hardly wait.

Eight.

The Sweet Valley Country Club never looked better, Elizabeth decided as she entered the elaborately decorated ballroom in the club's main building, accompanied by Jessica and Brian. Enid's mother had really gone all out, turning the stately old room into a garden of multicolored flowers and plants. Every table had its own vase filled with blue and yellow carnations-Enid's compromise-and above the bandstand at the far corner of the room there was a huge floral arrangement that spelled out, "Happy Sweet Sixteen, Enid."

"Isn't it beautiful?" Elizabeth exclaimed.

"They've gone a little overboard on the flowers," Jessica chided.

"My aunt loves flowers," Brian noted. "Looks fine to me."

"But they are pretty," Jessica quickly added, not wanting to get off on the wrong foot with the guy she considered a monument to male perfection.

"Not as pretty as you," Brian whispered.

It was an old line, but Elizabeth felt that in Jessica's case it happened to be true. After much searching, her twin had finally found an outfit that did her justice, a black-and-white satin jumpsuit held in place by two tiny spaghetti straps. With her hair piled atop her head and long black-and-white earrings dangling from her lobes, Jessica looked stunning.

Brian was a fitting companion, his six-foot-plus body shown off by the Egyptian cotton dress shirt and charcoal-gray pants he wore. He was even more handsome than Elizabeth had remembered, and she planned to thank Enid for having changed her mind about Jessica. She only hoped that Jessica would show the same consideration.

"Why don't we see what they've got to eat?" Brian suggested, pointing to the table of gleaming silver chafing dishes straight ahead of them.

"Fine with me. Liz?" Jessica asked perfunctorily.

Elizabeth could tell from Jessica's tone that she wanted to be left alone with her date. "I'll stay here," she said, adding, "Todd ought to be along any second now."

"OK. And don't worry-Brian and I will take you to the club later." After a little prodding Elizabeth had convinced Jessica to give her a ride to the Caravan, Sweet Valley's newest rock club, where Enid planned to move the party after midnight.

"Though I can't understand why Todd couldn't borrow a car for tonight," Jessica needled.

"Don't start that again," Elizabeth warned.

"You're right. We're here to have fun. See you later."

Because the night was warm and clear and she felt a little awkward standing around alone, Elizabeth waited for Todd in front of the building, between the club's stately carved pillars. It was as good a place as any to survey the scene. Nearly everyone from school was beginning to arrive: Cara Walker and Ken Matthews, John Pfeifer, Winston and Mandy, Caroline Pearce, Penny Ayala, Lila Fowler and her date Tom McKay, Bruce and the brunette from the Dairi Burger. More of her friends were already inside, either dancing to The Droids' music or sampling the food.

After a while, Elizabeth wandered back into the ballroom. On her way over to the buffet table, she ran into Enid, who looked adorable in the teal-blue dress Elizabeth had helped her pick out the week before. George was at her side, his sparkling eyes reflecting the joy he took in watching Enid have her night in the spotlight.

"I've been looking all over for you," Enid declared. "When I saw Jessica come in without you, I began to get worried. Where's Todd?"

"Not here yet," Elizabeth said. "He had that party at his grandfather's, remember? It must be running late." What she left unsaid was her concern that something must have happened to Todd on his way there.

"Well, don't just stand around. Go check out the food." Enid blew a kiss into the air. "Worth every cent Mom spent."

"Any caviar?"

"No, but there are these great little shrimps and these cheese things that are just fantastic. You've got to try them," she said excitedly. "There are even pigs in blankets after all."

Elizabeth smiled. "You're glad she did it now, aren't you?"

Enid shuffled her feet. "Yeah," she admitted. "It is kind of nice."

Elizabeth peered into the crowd. "Hey, is that Mr. Collins I see over there?"

"Your eyes do not deceive you. Mom has to oversee the cleanup before going down to the Caravan, and he agreed to be our chaperon there. He looks gorgeous, don't you think?" Enid said, giggling.

"I'm glad he's here. I need to talk to him, so if you'll excuse me, Enid," Elizabeth said, "I'll be back in a few minutes."

Wading her way to the end of the table, Elizabeth caught up with the handsome teacher as he finished filling his plate with hors d'oeuvres. "I owe you one," she said.

Mr. Collins looked up and smiled. "For curing you of writer's block the other day?"

"That-and a whole lot more. You helped me straighten out my brain."

"That's one of the main functions of a high school teacher, Liz," Mr. Collins noted. "I'm glad things worked out for you."

"I can't imagine them better," she said. "I'm so lucky to have Todd. He's really so understanding. I can't say enough about him." She dropped her voice into an almost conspiratorial whisper and added, "But don't tell him I said that."

"Don't worry. My lips are sealed forever."

Elizabeth had sampled everything at the banquet table and was roaming around the room nervously when the phone call from Todd arrived. As she'd suspected, his grandfather's party had run late. He also told her he had some things to do before heading for the country club.

Elizabeth felt much better after speaking to him, glad her fears about his safety were unwarranted. She began to wonder, though, if she'd ever stop worrying about the motorcycle, if she'd always automatically suspect the worst whenever Todd was late for something.

Filing all those worries in the back of her mind, she resolved to enjoy the party as best she could until he arrived. Winston and George helped her out by dancing with her, but as it grew closer to midnight and Todd still hadn't shown up, she found herself getting worried again, and then annoyed. She'd looked forward to Enid's party for weeks, and now Todd had blown a big hole in it by missing practically the whole thing. He hadn't even had the consideration to break the date in advance, and the more she thought about it, the more she realized that she was, in effect, being stood up. Why would Todd do such a thing? she wondered angrily. After all they'd just gone through, it didn't make any sense. But, given the circumstances, all she could conclude was that he was avoiding her.

At a quarter to twelve couples began to filter out of the club for the trip downtown to the Caravan.

"Want a ride?" Enid asked as she and George were leaving.

"I'm going with Jess," Elizabeth told her, even though she hadn't seen her sister in over an hour. "She'll be back soon. And if worse comes to worst, your mom's offered to give me a lift after the cleanup."

Less than five minutes later Mrs. Rollins tapped Elizabeth's shoulder. "A young man is on the phone for you, Liz."

She rushed down the short flight of stairs to the pay phone just outside the women's lounge. "Todd Wilkins, where are you?"

"I'm really sorry, Liz," he said. "But it was something I had to do."

"What was, Todd?" she snapped. "Missing the party?"

"No," he answered, ignoring her icy tone. "I'll tell you when I see you. It's a surprise." Clearly he was enjoying his mystery.

"Todd, tell me now!" Elizabeth demanded. "What have you been doing all night?"

"I'll be up there in a few minutes. 'Bye."

Todd hung up before Elizabeth had a chance to ask him if he knew the party was moving to the Caravan. She would have liked to tell him to meet her there-where she'd have plenty of time to give him a piece of her mind.

The last remaining couples left for the club. Taking advantage of the balmy, moonlit night, Elizabeth waited outside for the second time that night. This time, however, the wait was a short one. Less than ten minutes after he called, Todd pulled up on his motorcycle. "Everyone gone?" he asked, taking off his helmet and noting the silent and darkened ballroom windows.

"Jessica's coming back for me," Elizabeth began to explain. "She took off with Brian, and I'm waiting for her to-"

"She's got Brian to herself, and you expect her to come back here for you?" Todd interrupted.

Elizabeth shrugged.

Todd smiled wryly. "Well, I guess this is as good a time as any," he said.

"For what?"

Todd grew serious. "I've made another decision about us. And the bike." He patted the bike's gas tank, which gleamed in the moonlight. "It's the most difficult decision I've ever had to make, but it's something I have to do."

Elizabeth felt sick. Her anger at Todd dissipated as a sobering, dark thought set in. Todd's missing the party had nothing to do with his grandfather or with traffic. The "things" he'd had to take care of definitely had something to do with her. He sounded so solemn, she had the awful feeling she'd drawn the short straw in his choice between her and the motorcycle.

This wasn't the way it was supposed to be. Didn't the tender kisses they'd shared and the promises of love they'd exchanged mean anything to him? "Go on, Todd, get it over with," she said glumly.

"I know you're not expecting this-"