The New Elizabeth (Sweet Valley High Book 63) Page 4

  "Tell me all about it, Jess!" Amy exclaimed.

  Jessica sat cross-legged on her unmade bed. Her room was so messy, it looked like a hurricane had just blown through.

  "Caroline Pearce was just about ready to explode!" Jessica began, lying down on her bed and wriggling her feet. "She stood there and watched me take out every single sweater from the stack she had just straightened up. Amy, you should have seen the look on her face—she was ready to kill me! But there was nothing she could do because the manager was standing right there!"

  "Did you buy anything?" Amy asked. "Or did you just terrorize her?"

  "Are you kidding?" Jessica shrieked. "Even if I had found the coolest outfit in the world I wouldn't have bought it. But Lila got a pair of earrings. That way the manager saw us buying something, but Caroline didn't get the pleasure of taking any money from me."

  "You've sure got all the bases covered, Jess," Amy said.

  Jessica giggled. "There's no way Caroline can get herself out of this one."

  Five

  On Saturday afternoon Elizabeth climbed out of the surf with her board tucked under her arm, tired but exuberant. She smiled as she walked toward Sean. That afternoon she learned how to pull out of ride without wiping out. After three hilarious, disastrous attempts—when she went sprawling into the waves—Elizabeth finally pulled out perfectly and gracefully. As she made her way across the soft sand, Elizabeth felt the warm glow of triumph.

  "Great lesson, Liz. You're a wonderful student!" Sean exclaimed. He handed Elizabeth a towel and kept talking as she dried her hair and tried to knock the water out of her ears.

  "You've just got to remember to crouch down when you pull out," Sean continued, squatting down to demonstrate. "Because if you don't, you'll always wipe out."

  "I think I've done enough wiping out to last a lifetime." Elizabeth said. "What're you drawing there in the sand?"

  "This is a diagram of the currents here at Moon Beach," Sean answered, pointing at the lines in the sand. "A surfer needs to know as much about currents and reefs and tides as any scientist. And an excellent surfer probably knows nearly as much about sea life as a marine biologist."

  "Really?" Elizabeth asked, fascinated.

  "We've been surfing to the right of the reef out there—" Sean began, pointing at his diagram and then out at the waves.

  "We have?" Elizabeth interrupted. "How can you tell there's a reef?"

  "Easy," Sean said. "You can tell by the way the waves are breaking. But you have to watch out when you're scouting out a new place to surf. You have to make sure you don't check it out at high tide, then find out at low tide that you've got some nasty reefs and riptides."

  "I've been hearing about riptides for years, but you know, I've never known exactly what one is," Elizabeth said as the two of them headed across the sand toward the clubhouse.

  "A riptide is a surface current of water running back to the sea from the shore," Sean answered. "And it's the thing that pulls surfers and swimmers far out into the ocean. If you've ever been caught in a riptide, you know how strong and frightening the ocean is. Let's put it this way, Liz," Sean added, a twinkle in his eye. "When you're dealing with a riptide, it doesn't matter how many laps you've done in your pool at home."

  Elizabeth laughed. "No, I guess not."

  "Hey, Liz," Sean said when they reached the clubhouse, "I was wondering if you'd like to go up to Jackson's Bluff with me this afternoon. It's the best place in Southern California to check out the tides and waves."

  Elizabeth had heard of Jackson's Bluff, but the twinkle in Sean's eyes made her a little leery. "I should probably get home—before everyone starts wondering where I am," she said,

  "But we still need to go over some important safety guidelines," Sean reminded her. "This way we can go over that stuff in the car on the way up.

  Elizabeth didn't know what to do. She wanted to learn everything she could about surfing. But she was feeling a little guilty about all the time she was spending away from the other things she loved, like Enid, and her writing . . . and especially Todd.

  "Come on, Liz," Sean said coaxingly. "We'll have fun. And there's so much more you need to know."

  "I don't know how you do it, Sean," Elizabeth responded, "but you've convinced me again."

  "Great! I'll drive," Sean said, smiling.

  Laurie stood at the clubhouse window and watched Elizabeth climb into Sean's Jeep. When the car turned and headed north, Laurie was somehow sure that Sean was taking Elizabeth up to Jackson's Bluff, the spot where all the Big Mesa kids went when they wanted to be alone. Sadly, she watched them disappear up the road.

  "Did Sean tell you where he was going, Laurie?" Sammy asked from behind the counter. "He's supposed to close up the clubhouse tonight."

  "No, he didn't," Laurie answered quietly, still gazing out the window. "He was with Elizabeth."

  Sammy lifted his eyebrows. "They've sure been spending a lot of extra time together. He blew off work on Thursday and took Elizabeth over to his house to show her his surfboard collection."

  Laurie felt her heart sink. All of her worst fears seemed to be coming true. "See you later, Sammy. I'm going home," Laurie said glumly.

  "Later!" Sammy called out as Laurie left the clubhouse.

  Sean barely even said hello to me today, Laurie thought as she headed toward her car. We used to hang out all the time, and now he acts as if I don't exist.

  Well, at least there's something I can still try, she thought. She started the car and pulled out of the parking lot. Laurie had been practicing her surfing at a beach just north of Moon Beach. The first few times she had surfed, she had been afraid that someone she knew would see her—she knew that she surfed terribly. She liked the other beach because she could be alone when she wanted to, but there were also some friendly girls there who helped her learn the more difficult moves. Already she could understand Sean's fascination with the sport. It was exhilarating, and it required intense concentration.

  She drove up to Crescent Beach and parked the car. It was time to hit the waves!

  Jackson's Bluff jutted high above a wild stretch of ocean. Sean pulled his Jeep right up to the edge of the bluff, where there was a fantastic view.

  "Now, look at that patch of white waves out there in the middle," Sean began, pointing out toward the water. "What does that mean?"

  "Is this a quiz?" Elizabeth asked, chuckling.

  "You'd better believe it," Sean said.

  "Well, all those little breakers must mean that there's a reef under there," Elizabeth answered.

  "A-plus!" Sean cried.

  Sean proceeded to tell Elizabeth all about coral reefs and ocean currents and marine life. As he talked he leaned over close to Elizabeth and pointed out at the waves.

  "When you want to find a secluded place to surf, you just look for breaking waves," Sean said.

  "Like those over there?" Elizabeth asked, pointing at some whitecaps.

  "No," Sean answered, taking Elizabeth's hand and pointing it in another direction. "Like those waves right there."

  "Oh, I see them now," Elizabeth answered.

  But Sean kept holding Elizabeth's hand. A moment passed, and Elizabeth held her breath.

  "That's all it takes to discover a nice, quiet, secluded place where you can go surfing with one special person," Sean added. At last he took his hand away, and Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief.

  He must be thinking of Laurie, Elizabeth realized.

  "There are some beaches farther north that you and I can go to sometime," Sean said.

  "I think I'd better just learn how to surf on Moon Beach first!" Elizabeth laughed.

  "Well, maybe you're right, Liz," Sean began, lifting his eyebrows. "At least Moon Beach doesn't get too many sharks."

  "Sharks!" Elizabeth cried. "What do you mean by too many?"

  "Well, what I mean is that no one's been killed by a shark there yet," Sean added, grinning.

  "Have you been letting me go out i
n shark-infested waters?" Elizabeth exclaimed, her face suddenly pale.

  "Well, it's not as bad as some other places," Sean answered playfully. "If we were to go surfing here at Jackson's Bluff, we'd not only have to worry about sharks, but we'd also have to watch out for sea urchins and barnacles and jellyfish and sharp mussels and—"

  "Enough!" Elizabeth said, covering her face with her hands. "Do you want me to quit surfing altogether, before the big competition?"

  "You'd better not, Liz," Sean warned.

  "You're only saying that because you don't want to lose the bet and have to spend three months working weekends."

  "That's not true, and you know it," Sean responded. "Of course I want you to do well in the competition. But mostly I've enjoyed just being with you."

  "It has been kind of fun," Elizabeth added quickly, feeling a little uncomfortable again. "And I can't believe how much I like surfing. Oh, you know what, Sean?" Elizabeth checked her watch. "I think it's time for me to go. Could you drive me back to my car now?"

  "So soon?" Sean asked. "But I wanted to—"

  "Give me another test?" Elizabeth joked. "Go ahead—ask me anything about surfing." Just don't ask me out tonight, she added silently.

  Elizabeth strolled into the kitchen as the Wakefields were getting ready for dinner. Ned Wakefield, the twins' handsome, broad-shouldered father, was standing at the counter carving the meat while Mrs. Wakefield scooped beans into a serving dish. Jessica, being Jessica, was gabbing on the telephone.

  "Hello, Liz," Mr. Wakefield said as he lowered his cheek to Elizabeth's kiss.

  "Hi, Dad!" Elizabeth said. "What's new with you?"

  "Well, let's see," Mr. Wakefield began. "Pretty much the same old lawyer stuff, Liz. But come to think of it, we did get a case today that you might be interested in."

  "What's that?" Elizabeth asked as she began removing plates from the cabinet to set the table. It was actually Jessica's night to set the table, but considering the squeals of laughter coming from the direction of the telephone, Elizabeth guessed she might starve before Jessica even thought of the table. And after all of her surfing, Elizabeth was absolutely famished.

  "The case involves a young man, a professional surfer, who drowned last year after being dragged out to sea in a riptide," Mr. Wakefield began. "His family is suing because there weren't any signs on this beach warning people about the danger of riptides."

  Elizabeth almost dropped a plate. "That's awful," she commented.

  "I don't want to think about it!" Mrs. Wakefield exclaimed. "Not after what we went through with Jessica."

  Mrs. Wakefield was referring to the time a charter boat capsized in a storm, and Jessica—along with Winston Egbert—was missing at sea for a whole day. It turned out Jessica had swum to a nearby island, and while everyone at home was praying she hadn't drowned, Jessica was lying on a beautiful beach, working on her tan.

  Elizabeth felt guilty about keeping secrets from her parents. But life is made up of taking risks, isn't it? Elizabeth thought. And she was being as safe as possible when she surfed. She had a teacher who always watched out for her, too.

  During dinner Elizabeth ate quickly, not only because she was hungry, but also because she had to hurry and get ready for her date with Todd. As soon as she could, she excused herself from the table and rushed upstairs.

  She was standing at the bathroom mirror getting ready when Jessica walked up and stood in the doorway.

  "What are you doing tonight?" Jessica asked.

  "Todd and I have a date," Elizabeth answered.

  "I know that. Where are you going?"

  "To that new French movie that's playing downtown." Elizabeth brushed her hair back from her face and fastened it into a ponytail.

  "Figures," Jessica said, making a face. "Hey, you know, you've really been getting a good tan working on this biology project."

  "Really?" Elizabeth said. "I hadn't noticed."

  "You were probably too busy sifting through seaweed or something." Jessica giggled. "Maybe this project isn't such a bad thing after all, though. Are there any cute scientists up there?"

  "Well, my lab partner is pretty good-looking," Elizabeth said, playing along. And Sean is the type of guy Jessica would really like. If he weren't already going with Laurie, I might try to fix them up, Elizabeth thought.

  "Maybe I should go up there with you one day," Jessica said.

  "I don't think so, Jess. It's pretty boring—you know, counting turtle eggs and stuff like that." Elizabeth shrugged, then began to apply some eyeliner. "Besides, I think he has a girlfriend."

  "It figures. You know, I don't understand how you can be interested in that boring stuff and still be related to me." Jessica shook her head.

  "Thanks a lot, Jess!" Elizabeth jabbed her sister in the ribs with her hairbrush. "I'm glad you think I'm so dull."

  Just then, the door bell rang downstairs.

  "That's Todd. How do I look?" Elizabeth asked. "No, don't tell me—I don't want to hear how boring my outfit is."

  "Come on, Liz, you know I don't mean it," Jessica said. "But if you did want to borrow something . . . say, my leopard-print skirt?" She grinned.

  "No, thanks," Elizabeth said, laughing as she ran down the stairs. "See you later!"

  "I must admit, Liz, I've been pretty jealous of this extra-credit project," Todd said as he drove toward downtown Sweet Valley. "I mean, you're the last person in the world who needs extra credit," he added.

  "I know, but I'm really excited about it," Elizabeth said. "We're doing some interesting research. And the reason I can't tell you about it is that there's going to be a big presentation at the end of the month, up at the Marine Biology Center on Moon Beach. And I want you to be my guest of honor."

  "I'm thrilled," Todd said, rolling his eyes. "At least now I have a biology presentation to look forward to."

  "You may be surprised," Elizabeth said, tapping her fingers nervously against the car door. She wanted so much to tell Todd everything. She hated to see him jealous and grumpy. But, on the other hand, she wanted her surfing debut to be a complete shock to everyone. "It may not be as boring as you think," Elizabeth added.

  "Let's not talk about your project anymore, or even think about it, OK?" Todd said.

  "Hey, I've got a good idea," Elizabeth said, turning to Todd. "Why don't we skip the movie and drive out to the beach? There's a full moon, Todd."

  "This wouldn't have anything to do with your marine biology project, would it?" Todd asked.

  "Don't be silly," Elizabeth remarked. "I just think it would be nice to look at the ocean in the moonlight with you."

  Todd agreed, and a few minutes later they pulled up onto a bluff overlooking the ocean. As soon as Elizabeth settled into Todd's arms, she knew it had been too long since they had been together and spent a quiet evening, with nothing to do but kiss and talk.

  But even though Elizabeth was happy to be with Todd, she kept glancing out the window to catch a view of the waves in the moonlight. She couldn't help but notice how the surf was breaking and whether the tide was in or out. The moonlight glittered romantically on the water, but Elizabeth was imagining how far out she would paddle and where she could catch the best waves . . .

  "You're so quiet," Todd observed. "What are you thinking about?"

  "Oh," Elizabeth said, surprised. "Nothing." Nothing I can tell you now, that is.

  "Are you sure?" Todd asked, sounding a little suspicious.

  "Actually, I was thinking about how nice it feels to be here with you," Elizabeth replied.

  Todd pulled her closer to him. "Same here."

  Six

  "We'll catch the next one!" Sean cried, paddling his surfboard through the waves, his strong, tanned shoulders flexing. "The one cresting just now!"

  It was ten days later, and Elizabeth had had three more lessons. She had made a lot of progress, and now Sean wanted her to try surfing the same wave with him.

  "Looks like a beauty!" Elizabeth cried in r
esponse. She was paddling twenty feet across from Sean, just managing to keep up with him.

  "Now, remember, Liz," Sean called out across the waves, "try to keep your speed up so I don't run into you!"

  "Are you sure I'm ready for this?" Elizabeth yelled.

  "We'll find out, won't we?" Sean said, turning his board toward the shore. "Get ready, here she comes!"

  Elizabeth turned her board toward the shore and then felt the familiar list of the cresting swell. Over the past couple of weeks, she had come to know these things very well, and now she could almost say she was a "real" surfer. Not as good as Sean—not even close—but still, she knew that after only six lessons, she was doing pretty well.

  Her heart was pounding with excitement as she rose from her knees to her feet. Sean was riding the same wave right behind her, and a moment later she heard him yell, "Yahoo!"

  She glanced over her shoulder and caught a glimpse of Sean surfing just behind her, white sea spray flying up all around him. He had a huge grin on his handsome face.

  "Don't look back at me or you'll wipe out!" Sean yelled.

  "Am I going fast enough?!" Elizabeth screamed.

  "Just perfect!" Sean responded. "Now hold steady while I sneak up a little."

  Sean slid forward along the wave toward Elizabeth, until he could almost have reached out and touched her. Then he let out another excited yelp.

  Elizabeth glanced over her shoulder again, and when she caught Sean's eye, he winked at her. Before she knew it, the nose of her surfboard dipped under the wave, and she went flying into the water.

  Her board flew up and hit Sean's board, and he went sprawling into the waves beside her.

  They both came up unhurt, laughing and sputtering, and retrieved their surfboards.

  "I told you not to look back at me!" Sean cried as they paddled toward shore.

  "Well, nothing would have happened if you hadn't winked at me!" Elizabeth responded.

  "I couldn't help it," Sean answered, grinning. "You looked so beautiful out there."

  Elizabeth tried to ignore Sean's comment as they headed toward the clubhouse.

  "Our lessons are halfway over, Liz," Sean said as he put their surfboards away. "And I think you're doing great. You have a lot of natural talent."