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?"

Elizabeth stared down at her plate. "Not yet."

"This is getting truly ridiculous. You've got to talk to him."

Elizabeth groaned. "I can't. Don't you see? I just can't. Oh, Enid, it would just be too humiliating to have him tell me what I already know."

"Aren't you forgetting one thing?"

"What?"

"That you might be wrong?"

"You didn't see them together," Elizabeth maintained stubbornly.

"Doing what? Sounds like all he was doing was rubbing suntan lotion on her back. What's the big deal?"

"It was the way he was doing it."

"Maybe you imagined that part."

"Am I imagining the fact that Patsy is gorgeous and sophisticated and that he used to be in love with her before he met me?"

"He used to be in love with her," Enid emphasized. "It doesn't necessarily mean he is now."

"But Jessica said-"

Enid frowned. "What did she say?"

"She said they spend an awful lot of time together at rehearsals."

"I'm surprised she noticed. From what I hear, Jessica spends all her time baiting poor Bill."

Elizabeth seized the opportunity to turn the subject away from her and Todd. "I think Bill may have competition before long," she said.

"Who?"

"It's my guess it's a toss-up between Richard Gere and Sylvester Stallone."

Enid giggled. "Knowing Jessica, she'll want them both. I'll bet she's got her heart set on winning an Oscar, too."

"I just hope she isn't disappointed."

"Me, too." Enid knew what Jessica was like in one of her royal rages; anyone who came within firing range was target for her anger. "For all our sakes."

Enid is right, Elizabeth said to herself as she stood at her locker after her last class.

She owed Todd a chance to explain. She couldn't go on avoiding him forever. She had to know the truth-even if the truth was that he was in love with Patsy. Determinedly she walked down the crowded hallway to Todd's locker.

She wasn't prepared for the scene that met her eyes. But this time there was no mistaking what was going on.

Todd had his arms around Patsy, and she was clinging to him in a way that left no room for doubt in Elizabeth's mind about their feelings for one another.

Hot tears flooded her eyes and scalded her cheeks. Her insides were churning. She felt as if she was going to be sick.

They didn't see her. Todd was stroking Patsy's back and murmuring something in her ear.

He's probably telling her he loves her-the way he used to tell me.

Elizabeth couldn't stand it any longer. It was like a nightmare coming true. She had to get away. She had to escape before they saw her. But she couldn't move. It was as if the air had turned to ice, freezing her body inside it.

Then, in a sudden flash of hot anguish, Elizabeth found herself pushing through the kids who were standing at their lockers or hanging around in small groups, talking. She wanted to put as much distance between herself and Todd as possible.

At that moment a million miles wouldn't have been far enough.

Ten.

"Can I talk to you for a second, Jessica?" Bill caught up with her at her locker after the last bell.

"What is it?" she asked with an edge of impatience.

Swallowing the last remnants of his battered pride, Bill forced himself to speak. "I know you're busy and all, but, uh, I was wondering-" He gulped against the sudden tightness that was squeezing his throat.

"Yes?" Jessica tapped her fingernails impatiently against her locker door. "Listen, Bill, I don't mean to be rude or anything, but I'm in a big hurry. What is it you wanted to ask me?"

Bill managed to get the words out despite his humiliation. After all, this might be his last chance to win Jessica over.