"Especially since she's your best friend."

Jessica sat up and glared at her twin. "What are you suggesting, Liz?"

"I'm suggesting that you've made up your mind about one girl already. So you only have to choose one more."

"Cara hasn't been selected yet," Jessica said defensively. "She has to try out like anybody else."

"Oh," said Elizabeth. "Well, then, you do have a stupendous job. Selecting two girls. Hmmm! Now, let's see. If Cara doesn't make it-"

"But Cara will make it," Jessica interrupted. "I know it."

"Then you only have one to pick."

Jessica sighed and fell back on the bed. "You just don't understand." She held the sheet of paper up again and went over the list of names.

"Sandra Bacon-she's good."

Suddenly Jessica squealed and flopped over onto her stomach. "What's this?"

"What?" Elizabeth asked.

"I don't believe it!"

"What?"

"The nerve! The absolute, colossal nerve! Do you know who's put her name in?"

"Must be frightful," said Elizabeth.

"Annie Whitman!"

"You knew she was going to try out. She told you so."

Jessica stared at the tryout list, her eyes burning into the offending name on the paper. "How do you like that? I never thought she'd really be brazen enough to do it."

Elizabeth slumped back in her chair and shook her head. Her sister could be so dramatic. Jessica knew perfectly well that Annie Whitman wanted to be a cheerleader. She was always at practices, watching the Sweet Valley cheerleaders do their routines. She'd told Jessica and Elizabeth endless times that she couldn't wait to try out. And now Jessica was acting as though a house had fallen on her.

"Jess, you know I helped Annie with her math so she could get her grades up and get off probation. I told you the reason she did it was to try out for the cheerleading squad."

"I hope you didn't encourage her," Jessica said coldly.

"Encourage her? Listen, the Los Angeles Rams' defensive line couldn't hold her back."

"I don't want anybody like that on my squad," Jessica said severely.

"Like what?"

"You know what they call her. Easy Annie! She's been with every guy at school."

Elizabeth, like everyone else at Sweet Valley High, had heard the rumors about Annie. It was a sad situation. Annie was one of the most beautiful girls in town, but she had a very bad reputation. She seemed to fall deeply in love with one guy after another, but each deep love never lasted more than a night or two.

"It's probably just a lot of talk. You know how guys like to brag," Elizabeth said.

"Oh, Liz, why do you always believe the best about everybody?"

"Look, I tutored her," Elizabeth said. "I happen to know her a little. And I know she's trying to change. She worked very hard to get her grades up."

"That's just too bad."

"Jessica, I hope you're at least going to give her a chance."

"She can try out. Anybody can try out."

Elizabeth examined her sister's set mouth and fixed stare. She might as well be talking to one of the stone faces on Mount Rushmore. Still, it was worth one more try.

"Jess, it may be that Annie needs this more than just about any other girl at Sweet Valley High. It could be a turning point for her. I really want you to give her a fair chance."

Well, that was certainly fine talk! Jessica thought angrily. She was on her feet in a flash, marching around. She never told Elizabeth what to write about in The Oracle. Well, hardly ever.

"I'm the captain of the cheerleaders, Liz! Not you. I'm not going to have our whole squad ... tainted by Easy Annie."

"Doesn't it even matter that she's trying to change? And for heaven's sake, Jessica, how bad can a fifteen-year-old sophomore girl be?"

"When are you going to stop being so goody-goody, Liz, and accept the fact that she's just plain bad?"

"How can you be so sure, Jess?"

Suddenly Jessica smiled triumphantly, and folded her arms. Elizabeth knew then and there that she'd been lured into one of her sister's ambushes.

"Because, Liz, dear, I happen to know that your little pet Annie was up to her old tricks just last night."

Elizabeth experienced a sinking sensation in her stomach. When Jessica came on like that, it meant she had the goods.

"What happened?"

"You remember that wonderful Rick Andover? The wild maniac who kidnapped us and almost got us arrested and killed at Kelly's bar? Guess who was running around with him last night?"

"How do you know?"

"I know because our very own telephone gossip, Caroline Pearce, saw them zipping past the Dairi Burger yesterday."

"For once you're wrong, Jessica," Elizabeth said firmly. "I happen to know that Annie had a very important math test this morning, and she was home studying for it."

"Studying? In Rick Andover's hot rod?"

"Caroline Pearce was mistaken."

"We'll see about that!" Jessica said, arching her eyebrows.

Later that morning, on the way to school, Elizabeth hoped against hope that Caroline Pearce had been wrong. She had to be! Annie knew that if she failed many more tests she'd be back on probation. And that would stop her from trying out for the cheerleading squad. For once in her life, sharp-eyed, evil-minded Caroline Pearce had to be wrong.

But all that day the rumor went through the corridors of the school. Elizabeth heard it again in the cafeteria at lunch.

"Easy Annie did it again."

"What happened?"

"She was out with that bum Rick Andover."

"No!"

"Yes. Everybody says she'll take just about anyone. I guess this proves it."

Despite the whispers, Elizabeth withheld judgment. That afternoon she wrote an article on the cheerleader tryouts for The Oracle, carefully typing out all seventy-five names.

"Competition for the cheerleader tryouts is the greatest in the school's history," she wrote. "Good luck, everybody."

Elizabeth had left the Oracle office and was heading out through the front door, between the massive stone columns that adorned the building, when she spotted Annie Whitman.

She almost turned away to avoid the other girl, but something wouldn't let her. Elizabeth had to know.

"Annie," she called out. "Wait up."

Annie looked back, saw Elizabeth, and quickened her step as if to hurry away. She looked down at her shoes, and suddenly tears welled up in her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. When Elizabeth caught up with her, Annie could barely speak.

"What's the matter?" Elizabeth said softly. "Are you all right?"

Annie shook her head sorrowfully. "No, Liz, I'm not all right at all."

"What happened?"

"Who does Ms. Taylor think she is, anyway?" Annie cried.

"Your math teacher?"

"Really, Liz, it was supposed to be a little quiz, but it was more like a final."

Annie plopped down on the lawn under a huge tree, and her face looked like a dam about to burst.

"How did you do?" Elizabeth asked cautiously.

Annie let out an exasperated breath and looked away. "Rotten, of course."

"How rotten?"

"Oh, I think I got the first part right. Where it says write your name. After that-zilch."

Elizabeth shook her head helplessly. "You knew the test was coming."

"But I didn't realize she was going to cover everything!"

Did you study for it? Elizabeth wanted to ask but didn't.

Annie was playing with her shoelaces, untying and tying them over and over. Her hands trembled, and her eyes were red. She looked like someone who desperately needed a friend.

"I thought I knew it. I really did," she said. "I should have stayed home last night and reviewed it, I guess."

Given the opening, Elizabeth couldn't resist dashing through it. "You mean you didn't study last night?"

Annie tossed her lovely head and made a face. "I did, for a while. But I don't like to hang around the house. Anyway, Rick Andover came by and showed me his latest car. It's really neat, Liz."

Elizabeth looked at Annie. So, it was true after all. She had been out with Rick.

"It's a souped-up 1955 Chevy," Annie went on. "He calls it his Campbell's Special." She laughed. But as she glanced at Elizabeth, the laugh died and she fell silent.

"Don't look at me that way," Annie said.

"I'm not."

"You are!"

"Annie, I thought staying off probation was important to you."

"Oh, it is, Liz! It's just about the most important thing in my life. Because I just have to make the cheerleading squad, or I'll die. But-"

"But what?" asked Elizabeth.

"Oh, I don't know. Sometimes I think it's not even worth trying, Liz. Sometimes I feel so worthless."

"What?" Elizabeth said, truly surprised. "You? Why, Annie, you're just about the most beautiful girl in Sweet Valley High."

A becoming blush rose in Annie Whitman's cheeks. "I am not, Liz. Oh, sometimes I think I'm sort of OK-looking, but-"

"OK-looking? Why, every boy in school is crazy about you." Oh, no, why did I blurt that out? Elizabeth thought miserably. But Annie didn't seem to mind. In fact, she perked up and smiled again.

"Yeah, boys like me." She giggled. "I like them, too. But I don't know," she mused. "Maybe it's because girls sometimes seem jealous of me. They're not as friendly.

"But anyway, Liz, what am I going to do about that yucky math stuff?" The gloom returned to her pretty face. "If I don't pass, I'll be back on probation, and if you're on probation, you can't go out for the cheerleader squad. Liz, the first round of tryouts is in two weeks!"

"Don't worry," Elizabeth tried to console her. "You'll make it."

Unless my darling sister has something to say about it, she added grimly to herself.

Two.