Secrets by Francine Pascal Read Free Book Online

frown darkened to a scowl.
    "Speaking of Ms. D--" Cara began.
    "Who hasn't been talking about her?" Jessica broke in impatiently. "Frankly, I'm sick of it. Can't anyone talk about anything else?" Jessica quickly grew bored with gossip that didn't directly concern her. It seemed that the girls of Pi Beta Alpha, the sorority that Jessica, Cara, and Lila belonged to, could talk of nothing else.
    "Have you heard the news about Ronnie and Enid?" Cara whispered, catching sight of Ronnie standing over by the fireplace. Gossip was gossip, as far as she was concerned. It didn't much matter who the target was.
    "Knowing you," Dana Larson put in as she glided up to the bar, "you probably found out about it before Enid did." She held out her empty glass to Lila. "Just Pepsi for me. Got to protect my pipes."
    Dana was lead singer for The Droids, Sweet Valley High's answer to the Rolling Stones. They had a reputation for being pretty wild, but most of it was just conjecture. Not many outsiders knew what went on in the smoky confines of
    Max Dellon's basement, where they held their practice sessions. As for Dana, she was fairly straight underneath the outrageous clothes she wore. Tonight she was decked out in tight black velvet jeans, a pair of sparkly pink leg warmers, and a purple satin blouse.
    Cara nudged Jessica in the ribs. "Ronnie doesn't look too happy. Why don't you go over there and cheer him up?"
    "No, thanks, I'm saving myself." She perched on a stool and crossed her legs, making sure her hemline was just far enough above her knee to make it interesting.
    "If you mean Bruce, you can forget it," said Lila. "He's not coming."
    "What?" Jessica nearly fell off her stool.
    "He called at the last minute to tell me he was going to some bash at the college. You know Bruce, always hanging around with older women."
    Jessica's heart plummeted into her shoes--Elizabeth's shoes, actually, which she'd borrowed. After all the trouble she'd gone to, Bruce didn't even have the decency to show up! She knew that if he'd just give her half a chance, she could have him wrapped around her little finger. The tricky part was getting him there in the first place. She could see it wasn't going to be easy, but Jessica didn't discourage easily, either. She was already halfway there--thanks to Enid's letter.
    Jessica squelched a tiny twinge of guilt as she remembered how upset Elizabeth had been. After all, how was she to know Enid would blame her sister? Really, the whole thing was Enid's fault from start to finish. People who left letters lying around for anyone in the world to see were just begging for trouble.
    "The girl he's taking to the dance is nineteen, for heaven's sake," Lila went on. "I can't believe anyone that ancient would want to hang out at a high school dance."
    Jessica scarcely heard the rest of what Lila was saying. Her mind was stuck like a broken record on those first words: The girl he's taking to the dance ...
    She gulped down half her glass of wine, gasping as it burned a fiery path down her throat. Nevertheless, she refused to surrender. The battle was not lost yet. It just called for a little new strategy and a fresh round of ammunition.
    "This isn't going to be just any high school dance," Dana said. "After all, when you've got the greatest band around ..."
    Jessica tuned out the conversation. With her eye on Ronnie, she slithered off her stool and made straight for her prey.
    "Hey, heartbreaker," she drawled, linking her arm through Ronnie's. "Why don't you try cheering up? This is supposed to be a party. Aren't you having a good time?"
    "Yeah," he snarled into his drink. "I'm having a ball."
    "Well, you look like someone with a terminal case of the blahs. Come on, I know a terrific cure--let's dance."
    "Thanks, Jessica, but I think I'll pass. I'm not really in the mood. Maybe later."
    Jessica dropped her flirtatious pose and changed tactics. "Maybe you should have brought Enid," she suggested sweetly. "It's obvious you're