The New Elizabeth (Sweet Valley High Book 63) Read online

  THE NEW ELIZABETH

  Written by

  Kate William

  Created by

  FRANCINE PASCAL

  Copyright © 2015, Francine Pascal

  As Elizabeth rode the wave, she couldn't help but feel that something was wrong. Usually at this point in a ride, she felt in control. But right then she felt just the opposite.

  She glanced over her shoulder and saw the huge wave beginning to crash down on top of her. She tried to brace herself for the impact, and then she took a deep breath.

  The water crashed over her, and the surfboard slipped out from under her. Just as Elizabeth was rising to the surface to get another breath, she felt a powerful thud on the side of her head, and then suddenly everything went blurry.

  Elizabeth was sinking deeper into the wave when she felt a strong current catch hold of her. It dragged her down as if a great chain were attached to her legs, pulling her deeper and deeper into the water.

  Elizabeth suddenly felt her heart constrict. I'm caught in a riptide, she suddenly realized.

  Her body was crying out for air. Forgetting for a moment that she was underwater, she took a desperate breath. Then everything went black as night.

  CONTENTS

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  One

  "Watch out, everyone! Here comes Elizabeth Wakefield, the trend-setting fashion queen of Sweet Valley High, with her daring new perm," Lila Fowler announced.

  Jessica Wakefield, Lila Fowler, and Amy Sutton were having lunch together in the cafeteria, and things had been fairly boring until Lila spotted Elizabeth—with her curly, shoulder-length blond perm—making her way through the crowd. And then the teasing began.

  "Yeah, Liz's perm sure is wild and crazy," Amy responded.

  "Let's just say your sister has a weird way of being adventurous, Jess," Lila continued, munching on a potato chip. "I mean, some people drive race cars, climb mountains, or sail boats around the world, but Elizabeth gets her hair curled."

  Jessica laughed and glanced across the crowded cafeteria at her twin. She had been as surprised as anyone when Elizabeth showed up a week earlier with a perm. She knew it was all part of Elizabeth's new plan to be spontaneous and to take risks, but unless Elizabeth did something a little more daring, Jessica was not going to be impressed.

  "Just remember, Lila," Jessica said, holding her chin high, "not everybody can be as daring and spontaneous as I am."

  "Thank goodness for that," Amy said. "I mean, could you imagine a world full of Jessica Wakefields? It would be utter chaos."

  "But imagine a world full of Elizabeth Wakefields," Lila said. "Could you imagine a duller, more predictable place? I think I'd go crazy."

  "Hey, Jess," Elizabeth said, sliding into the empty chair beside her twin. "Can I use the car this afternoon? I want to check out the History of Communication exhibit at the museum. It's supposed to be really good."

  "Now, that's the boring Elizabeth Wakefield we're used to," Lila whispered to Amy.

  "Are you guys laughing at my perm again?" Elizabeth asked, annoyed.

  "Oh, no, Liz. We all like your hair," Jessica answered, sending a glance to her friends.

  "We think it's really cute." Amy smiled at Elizabeth. "But lots of people get perms. It's not really the most daring thing in the world."

  "Face it, Liz," Lila added. "Jess is the risk-taker in your family. She loves the smell of danger. You're happy just to write for The Oracle and go to the museum."

  "This exhibit happens to be one of the best in the country," Elizabeth said.

  "Oh, I'm sure it is!" Lila laughed. "We'll see you later," she said, and she and Amy stood up and walked off to another table.

  Elizabeth sat perfectly still for a moment, stung by Lila's words. Lila was not exactly Elizabeth's favorite person, even though she was Jessica's best friend. Lila could be a little mean, and very snobbish, but this time, Elizabeth had to admit that Lila had a point.

  "Don't let those two worry you, Liz," Jessica began, glancing at her twin and taking a big bite out of her sandwich. "Just because I'm the one who takes all the risks and does all the interesting things doesn't mean you aren't a good person or anything."

  "Gee, thanks," Elizabeth said.

  Physically the beautiful twins were identical in almost every way, from their sparkling blue-green eyes to their perfect, willowy size-six figures. But as far as their personalities, the twins were definitely not identical. Elizabeth was born four minutes before Jessica, and she always joked that those extra minutes made her more responsible, thoughtful, and mature. Elizabeth was serious about her schoolwork, and although she liked a good party, she was just as happy to spend a quiet evening with her boyfriend, Todd Wilkins, or with her best friend, Enid Rollins. She spent a lot of time writing for The Oracle, Sweet Valley High's student newspaper, and she hoped someday to be a professional writer. Elizabeth loved sports and music and dancing, but she could also get excited about going to a museum.

  Jessica was impulsive and always lived for the moment. When it came to boyfriends, for instance, Jessica didn't like to be tied down. Except for a brief relationship recently with A. J. Morgan, Jessica had never stayed with one boy for long. There were always too many other cute ones around!

  Of the twins, there was no doubt in anyone's mind that Jessica was the risk-taker. But Elizabeth was beginning to get tired of her conservative, sensible reputation. And now she was wondering how to change things, once and for all.

  I've got to prove that I can live dangerously, too. Elizabeth ran her hand distractedly through her hair. But how?

  Just then an idea dawned on her, and her eyes sparkled.

  I do need the car this afternoon, she thought with a determined smile. But I won't be visiting the museum!

  Right after school Elizabeth drove to the newsstand and bought the latest copies of Mountain Climber Magazine, Scuba Digest, Hang Gliding Monthly, and The Serious Adventurer. She had decided she would surprise everyone by doing something really daring, and these magazines were the perfect place to start. She drove home, then ran upstairs to her bedroom, hiding the magazines under her arm just in case anyone was around. Elizabeth wanted her adventurousness to be a complete surprise to everyone who thought of her as Miss Conservative—even her parents.

  She sat on her bed, crossing her legs beneath her, and a minute later she was deep into an article about a man who had paddled a kayak from Los Angeles to Hawaii. In another magazine she read an article about a man who had climbed Mt. Everest. Then she read about a group of scuba divers who had found sunken pirate treasure off the coast of Florida.

  All of these amazing people, Elizabeth thought, and all of these daring things to choose from. I can just imagine how surprised Todd and Jessica would be if I went to the Himalayas and became a mountain climber. That would prove to them that I can be daring. And then once I climbed Mt. Everest, I could sail a boat around the world. Then I could learn how to fly, and I could take everyone on a trip to the Colorado Rockies, where we could go white-water rafting . . .

  "Hey, Liz!"

  A familiar voice startled her from her day-dreams. Elizabeth barely had time to hide all the magazines under her pillow before Jessica barged into her room and plopped herself down on the bed.

  "How was the museum?" Jessica asked. "Did you get your fill of old newspa
pers and antique typewriters?"

  "I didn't stay too long," Elizabeth responded, trying to sound as offhand as possible. "It was really kind of boring."

  "I could've told you that without even going," Jessica said. "So, if you don't need the car anymore, I'm going to the Dairi Burger." Before she had finished the sentence, Jessica was grabbing the keys from Elizabeth's bureau.

  "Wait a minute," Elizabeth said, springing to her feet. "Could you get Lila to pick you up? I need the car for something else."

  Jessica stopped in her tracks and turned back to her sister. "Don't tell me," she began wearily. "There's a mummy exhibit up at the Big Mesa museum that you just can't miss."

  "Maybe," Elizabeth replied with a crafty smile.

  Jessica shrugged and tossed the keys to her twin. "All right, but you owe me one. I'll be at the Dairi Burger if you want to talk to any live people."

  Elizabeth waited until she heard her sister talking to Lila on the phone. Then she collected all her magazines and hurried out to the car.

  Jessica will sure be in for a big surprise, she thought as she revved up the engine. And so will everyone else!

  Ten minutes later Elizabeth pulled the red Fiat she shared with Jessica into a parking space in downtown Sweet Valley. She marched into the sporting goods store and started looking around. All of the equipment was incredible! First she looked at a beautiful pair of clear blue plastic flippers, leaning up against a scuba tank. Right beside those she saw a deep-sea mask made of matching blue plastic and a hot-pink wet suit.

  She could see it now: she would be a scuba diver and find sunken treasures. She would discover the skeletons of Spanish galleons lost at sea and then appear on the cover of National Geographic—in the hot-pink wet suit—her hands full of gold coins.

  But then a multicolored hang glider in the corner of the store caught her eye. She took a deep breath and imagined how it would feel to run off of a cliff, supported by fragile wings. She would look so small to all her friends, who would be watching her in amazement from the ground below. That would show them who could take a real risk!

  She hurried over to the salesperson. "Excuse me. I'm interested in buying some scuba gear, or maybe a hang glider," Elizabeth said boldly. The salesman looked up from the inventory list he was reviewing. He seemed a little surprised, but he dutifully followed Elizabeth over to the scuba gear.

  "Now, I definitely want the hot-pink wet suit," Elizabeth began quickly, trying to sound as if she had been deep-sea diving for years. "And these blue flippers and the matching mask. And then one of these oxygen tanks."

  "Fine," the salesman slowly replied. "You'll also need to get an air compressor and a mouth-piece. I assume you've never done any scuba diving before?"

  "Uh, no, I haven't," Elizabeth admitted. "But I'm ready to go for it."

  "Then you'll need lessons to get your certification," he said. "And that may take a couple of months."

  "A couple of months?" Elizabeth repeated. But she wanted to start her new adventurous life now.

  "How much does all of this equipment cost?" she asked the salesman.

  "The suit is three hundred dollars," he said. "And this air compressor costs two hundred and fifty. The masks and flippers are the best on the market, imported from France, and they're on sale this week for a hundred and fifty." One hundred and fifty dollars for a lousy pair of flippers? Elizabeth thought, aghast. I can't afford all this!

  "But you can take lessons and rent the equipment first, to see if you like it," the salesman suggested.

  "Oh, how much are lessons?" Elizabeth asked.

  "Fifty dollars an hour," he said.

  Elizabeth's heart dropped. "Maybe I'd better try hang gliding instead."

  "That's pretty expensive, too," the salesman said gently, sensing that Elizabeth was discouraged by the prices.

  Elizabeth nodded glumly. "Well, how much is that pretty, multicolored one in the corner?"

  "Oh, that's a fancy new one," the salesman answered. "But I can sell you a nice used hang glider for about seven hundred dollars."

  Elizabeth shook her head. She was beginning to think that being adventurous was completely impractical—and expensive. No wonder Jessica always ended up getting in over her head! Elizabeth couldn't ask her parents for any money because she wanted her new hobby to be a surprise. And she certainly didn't have seven hundred dollars of her own to throw around.

  "Thanks for your help," Elizabeth told the salesman.

  "You're welcome," he said cheerfully.

  On her way out of the store, Elizabeth noticed a small sign in the window:

  "Surfing Lessons. Only Seven Dollars an Hour. Moon Beach Surf Club, Big Mesa. Rental Boards Available."

  A wide smile crossed Elizabeth's face. Of course—surfing! No one would ever expect to see her riding those huge waves. And even she could afford seven dollars an hour!

  Half an hour later Elizabeth pulled into a parking lot behind a small weather-beaten clubhouse. Moon Beach was long and wide, and the sand was white. Elizabeth could see a few surfers out in the water, and for a moment she watched them glide along the curling waves. Her heart began to beat faster. The surfers moved so gracefully, and it didn't look too difficult, either. Why hadn't she thought of this earlier?

  Just then, one of the surfers she had been watching flew up into the air, his board soaring high above him. He crashed into the water and began swimming frantically after his board.

  I guess it's not as easy as it looks, Elizabeth thought, her heart sinking a little. But I didn't want to do something safe and easy, did I?

  The sign above the clubhouse door read: Moon Beach Surf Club. This beach would be perfect for her—especially since kids from Sweet Valley rarely came this far north. Elizabeth could learn surfing in complete secrecy, just as she had planned.

  As she stepped out of her car, Elizabeth heard the sound of laughter coming from the clubhouse. She glanced through the window and saw three boys and a pretty girl having a lively conversation. One boy, with lime-green zinc oxide on his nose, was wildly waving his arms to make a point. He was tall and darkly tanned, with longish, sun-streaked blond hair and a lean and muscular body. Elizabeth smiled at his wild gestures and opened the door.

  "And she's the one!" The boy with the zinc oxide on his nose pointed at Elizabeth and smiled. "Congratulations," he continued. "You win the prize!"

  Elizabeth looked puzzled. "Um, I saw an ad in a sports store in Sweet Valley for surfing les—"

  "That's great!" the boy interrupted her. "But you've just won the lottery—the surfing lottery! Hi, my name is Sean Blake."

  "I'm Elizabeth Wakefield—Liz," she replied, shaking Sean's hand.

  The two boys behind the counter introduced themselves as Sammy and Dave. They said they all worked at the clubhouse after school and on weekends, renting boards and selling equipment and sodas. Sean was a senior at Big Mesa High, and the other boys were juniors, like Elizabeth.

  "I'm Laurie MacNeil," the girl said. "It's nice to meet you."

  "You, too," Elizabeth said. "Do you go to Big Mesa?"

  Laurie nodded. "I'm a senior, like Sean."

  "Liz, have you ever surfed before?" Sean asked. His gold-flecked green eyes sparkled.

  "No," Elizabeth replied. "And I've never done anything like it, either. But I really want to try something new—you know, to surprise my friends."

  "All right!" Sean exclaimed. "That's perfect."

  "Huh?" Elizabeth asked, confused.

  "Don't worry about a thing. I plan to make you into a great surfer," Sean replied. "All you have to do is agree to take lessons from me."

  Elizabeth hesitated for a moment, trying to make up her mind. Was surfing what she really wanted to do?

  "They're free!" Sean added.

  "Free?" Elizabeth repeated.

  "Sure. I'll even throw in the rental board," Sean said. "And I guarantee that your friends will be impressed."

  "You've got a deal!" Elizabeth exclaimed.


  Two

  Before she knew what was happening, Elizabeth had agreed to a month of surfing lessons. Now Sean was busy showing her the club's collection of rental boards.

  "This one's a classic Malibu, all foam with a fiberglass top," he began. "The skeg's a little wacky so you get some chatter, but it's not a bad semi-gun board if you ride it close to the crest. But come to think of it, Liz, for you maybe—"

  "Wait a minute!" Elizabeth cried, holding up her hand. "I can't understand a word you're saying."

  "What's wrong, am I talking too fast?" Sean replaced the surfboard he was holding and looked at Elizabeth.

  "Too fast?" Elizabeth repeated. "Not only are you talking too fast, but you're using a foreign language."

  At that, the boys behind the counter laughed.

  "You've just met Mr. Surfing Encyclopedia," Sammy joked as he polished a new board.

  ''You'll probably wish you'd never heard of surfing when he's done with you," Dave responded, smiling.

  "Sean may be a great surfer, but we'll have to wait and see what kind of teacher he is," Sammy added. "I get the feeling we may be seeing Sean around here for a few weekend shifts. Don't you, Laurie?"

  Laurie smiled. "Definitely."

  "What are you guys talking about?" Elizabeth asked. She was beginning to be sorry she had ever seen the notice for surfing lessons.

  "I'm sorry, Liz," Sean began, flashing her a big smile. "I guess we do owe you a little explanation."

  Elizabeth sank down into an old upholstered chair. "That would help."

  Sean perched on the arm of her chair. "Just before you came in, we were trying to decide whether it takes a lot of raw talent to be a great surfer or just a little bit of determination . . . and a great teacher." Sean puffed out his chest and raised one eyebrow. A crumpled ball of paper flew across the counter and hit his arm.

  "And guess who considers himself a great teacher?" Sammy joked.

  "So, I made a little bet with everyone here," Sean continued, hurling the paper back at Sammy. "I said I'd take the next person who happened to walk through the door as my student. And I bet that after only a month of lessons with me, that person would place in the Moon Beach Surfing Competition at the end of the month. If I win, and that means if you win, Liz, then Sammy and Dave have to chip in and buy me a new board. If I lose, then I have to work the weekend shift for the next three months. And you happened to be the next person to walk through the door!"