Time elapsed in this book: 2 weeks
Length of their junior year: 1 year, 1 month, 2 weeks
Jessica’s love interests: Jack Howard (strangely, his last name isn’t mentioned in this book but it is mentioned in the next)
Entertainment rating: 7/10
Some of my favorite moments from SVH, both as a kid and as an adult, are when Jessica and Lila are scheming, either together or separately. This book is a perfect example of Jessica vs. Lila. The cover captures the drama in here too, and I love the way both girls look on it! Lila’s hair is gorgeous. I aim to perfect that haughty, unbothered look of hers. The first time I read this, I think I expected a normal love triangle as Jess and Lila fight over a guy, but wow, this went off the rails quickly! Not sure why everything in Sweet Valley is so dramatic, but whoa was this ever a wild ride!
We open with the twins getting ready to go to a party at Lila’s, which she’s throwing to introduce everyone to her new mystery man, Jack. Jess says Lila has great taste in guys so with the way Lila’s been raving about Jack, he’s got to be hotter than all the guys at SVH put together. It’s a tall order, considering how many hot guys there are at SVH, but I believe in the ability of new, even hotter guys to appear. Liz reminds Jessica that Lila’s the one dating Jack, and Jess says sure, but that’s only because Lila met him first; she’s about to meet him next. Liz then reminds Jess she’s going to the party with Neil Freemount as her date. Jess says sure, Neil is her date, but she’s sure he won’t mind if she goes out with other guys since she doesn’t mind if he goes out with other girls (which, Liz points out, he doesn’t). I love her logic.
At Lila’s, Liz and Todd make out for a bit after commenting on how staring at the other is a beautiful view. Ahh, romance. Enid and George appear and George mentions that he’s taking flying lessons. It’s so weird that any of these four were even invited to Lila’s, since none of them are friends with her, but this is how Sweet Valley parties work: everyone’s invited. Finally Jack arrives. Jess immediately thinks that Lila wasn’t exaggerating about his hotness! She had only been joking about stealing him from Lila, but now that she’s seen him, she wants him. Jess dives in the pool in her skimpy bikini to attract his attention, then introduces herself. Jack is friendly, but Lila doesn’t leave Jack alone with Jessica because she knows what Jess will do. Lila introduces Jack to a group of people that includes Nicholas Morrow, who’s also at the party for some reason. Apparently he just hangs out with the high school crowd. Nicholas tells Jack he looks familiar and asks if he’s from the East Coast. Jack gets flustered and says he’s been there but doesn’t recognize Nicholas.
Lila takes Jack inside to show him the new gym her dad’s installing. Jess joins them because why not? The phone rings and Lila says it’s the servants’ day off (who set up the party then? I know it wasn’t Lila herself!) so Lila goes to get it. In the brief time Jess has alone with Jack, she gives him her number. When Lila comes back, she tells Jack to reveal what he’s doing in Sweet Valley: he’s a construction worker.
Lila is convinced that there’s more to Jack than just being a construction worker. She knows he must be a somebody. She asks him what he was doing before he came to Sweet Valley and he tells her that his dad is a controlling man who tried to run Jack’s life so he left home a year ago and that his mom died a few years ago but that he misses his sister, Valerie, and wishes he could see her. After they part for the evening, Lila calls Cara to gush about Jack and tell her that Jack is a Somebody, she just doesn’t know details yet!
Monday at school, Liz is going over proofs for the paper, filling in for Penny as editor-in-chief since Penny has mono. Liz finds a photo of Tad Johnson, a linebacker on SVH’s football team, kissing a teddy bear before a football game. She laughs and asks who took it. No one knows, since it wasn’t Allen Walters, The Oracle’s usual staff photographer. Liz decides it needs to be printed with a note asking the photographer to identify themself.
At lunch, Lila is mad at Cara for telling everyone the news that Jack is a Somebody because Lila apparently thought this secret would be safe with Cara. Since when is any secret safe with Cara? Also, this is barely a secret since Lila knows absolutely no details about anything. Lila is also mad at Jess for flirting with Jack, but Jess reminds Lila that Jack is going out with her, which slightly appeases Lila. Lila says her dad’s mad at her because somehow an expensive vase got broken and the pool drain got clogged during her party, plus all of her dad’s gold cuff links and tie clips disappeared. Lila figures the maid misplaced them or something. Jess asks why Bruce wasn’t at Lila’s party, and Lila says she didn’t invite him. We’ve found the one person who didn’t warrant an invite from Lila!!
At home, Jess lounges by the pool and wonders why Jack asked Lila out for the following weekend. Jess thinks about it and decides the only thing that Lila has that she doesn’t is loads of money. While she’s pondering this, Jack calls. Jess is positively delighted! He asks her out for Wednesday, and Jess is even more thrilled because that means she’ll see Jack a full two days before Lila does.
On Wednesday, Jack picks up Jess for their date and brings her a rose. Liz is skeptical that Jess going out with Jack is a good idea, but Jack meets their parents and charms them. Jess is convinced this is proof that Jack is a winner. They go for a walk on the beach and say they can never imagine living far from the sea. Jess asks where Jack grew up, and he snaps at her, then softens and says he doesn’t like to think of the old life he left behind and would much rather learn about Jessica. Jack says he’s going to name a star after her in the sky and points up. Jess says that’s the North Star. Jack says not anymore; the star is now named Jessica and anytime he sees it, he’ll think of her and this evening. Jessica’s heart does some flip flops and she thinks, This has to be true love. Pretty sure my 12 year old self thought the same. They share a long, lingering kiss and my younger self no doubt swooned heavily.
The next afternoon, Liz goes over to Penny’s house to talk about newspaper stuff. Penny’s younger sister, Tina, answers the door and says she knows exactly who Liz is because everyone knows who the Wakefield twins are! Damn straight. Liz says she’s seen Tina around but didn’t know she was Penny’s younger sister since “Penny was tall and lanky and fair-haired, but Tina was small, dark, and plump.” Yikes. Liz meets with Penny and shows her two new photos anonymously submitted to the paper. One shows the principal, Chrome Dome Cooper, in an undignified pose under his desk as he looks for something; the other shows Mr. Russo petting a kitten with a big smile on his usually stern face. Penny loves them and says they need to be printed. I wonder how the subjects of these photos, especially teachers, feel about these images being shared for the entertainment of others, but this isn’t mentioned. Liz also shows Penny an article Robin Wilson wrote about the flying class she and some others (including Enid’s boyfriend, George) are taking. Penny can’t believe Robin can write so well, and Liz reminds Penny that Robin used to write a lot back before she lost weight. Liz is trying to encourage her to pick it up again.
After cheerleading practice on Thursday, Jess and Cara head to the Dairi Burger. Jess lectures Cara about how cheerleading is hard work and Cara reminds Jess that she used to say she wanted the fun of being a cheerleader without the sweat. Jess blushes because she’s only talking like this because Jack worked for his independence so she wants to act like she’s working for stuff too. Lila meets them at the Dairi Burger and says that Jack is busy with work all week but that she’ll be seeing him on Friday. Jess almost feels bad for Lila but doesn’t. She figures she’ll tell everyone about herself and Jack once he officially breaks things off with Lila.
On Monday, Lila floats into school and tells Jessica she had the best weekend of her life with Jack! She says she saw him Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Jessica can’t believe it! She asks when Lila’s going to see him again, and Lila says Friday!
Jess is furious and at first she’s mad at Lila, then realizes she shouldn’t be mad at Lila for going after who she wants since that’s exactly what she herself does. Jess then starts wondering if she should be mad at Jack. Yes, Jess, you should. She seeks out Liz for advice and tells her she’s in love with Jack. Liz doesn’t buy it, but Jess reminds Liz that she fell in love with Todd after one date. Liz says sure, but justifies it by saying Todd wasn’t seeing anyone else at the time. Jess regrets asking Liz for advice.
Jack calls Jessica on Tuesday and invites her out to a showing of Help! in theaters. I love the dated movie references in here. Jack shows up at the house at the same time as Todd. Jess panics because no one’s supposed to know about her and Jack yet, but Liz tells her not to worry because Todd can keep a secret. Jack’s eyes are a bit bloodshot. He says he just went for a swim and sometimes chlorine in the pool irritates his eyes. After Jess and Jack leave, Todd and Liz gossip about them for awhile because they’re both busybodies. Liz says she doesn’t understand why Jess would bother with a guy who’s also dating Lila. Todd says maybe Jack has some special charm that neither of them can see.
Jess and Jack get to the theater. Jess offers to get popcorn and sodas, but when she reaches for her wallet, it’s missing! She panics, and Jack helps her look under the theater seats, but there’s no sign of it. Jack says he bets it’s on her bedroom floor and that he’ll get their snacks in the meantime. After the movie, Jack drives to Miller’s Point and Jess asks why he’s still seeing Lila. Jack says that Lila had invited him to her party without knowing him very well, so he invited her out on Friday as a way of reciprocating. He says she invited him out on Saturday but that was just as a friend. On Sunday, they happened to run into each other at the mall and had lunch. Jess says he may just see her as a friend, but Lila’s clearly interested in him. Jack says he’ll tell Lila on Friday that he’s not interested. They make out and Jess thinks that the night is a win even though she never finds her wallet.
Thursday, Liz is finishing up at The Oracle office and runs into Tina, who’s immediately flustered. Liz realizes that Tina’s dropping off photos. She’s the mystery photographer! Liz says she should tell Penny, but Tina freaks out and doesn’t want Penny to find out. She says that Penny’s always been the special one in the family and that she won’t be impressed when she finds out it’s Tina. Liz says she’ll help Tina out and tell Penny, and Tina thinks this is a great idea. Liz goes through the new photos Tina dropped off. One of them was taken at the flight lessons that Robin and George are taking, and in one of the photos, the two of them are locked in a passionate embrace! Liz tells Tina she can’t print this photo because George is supposed to be dating Enid and to please not tell anyone else about it until she figures out what’s going on.
Friday night, Lila and Jack are on their date. They’re in the Fowler’s outdoor sculpture garden, sipping on expensive wine from Mr. Fowler’s cellar that Lila figures he won’t miss. Talk about ritzy! Jack tells Lila he’s falling in love with her and Lila says the same. Jack tells Lila she’s beautiful and that he can imagine spending the rest of his life with her and that someday, he wants Lila to be his wife. This went from like a 7 to a 100 on a 1-10 scale of a high school relationship because what?! Jack says that their engagement needs to be secret for now because if the press found out, his father might find him. Jack points to a star in the sky and tells Lila that every time he sees this star, he’ll think of her and their special night. Jack suggests they have a special celebration the next night. Lila says it can’t be at her house since her dad’s having a dinner party, so Jack says they’ll celebrate at his place.
The next day, Liz drives out to see the flight lessons and catches Robin and George together. They admit they’ve fallen in love while taking lessons together. Robin broke up with Allen that morning, but George is waiting to break up with Enid until after the lessons are over because he’d promised Enid he would take her on a flight. He says he’s going to tell her all immediately after that flight. Because yeah, she’ll always have fond memories of that flight… and not just think of her boyfriend confessing he’s cheating on her as soon as the flight’s over. Liz understands they couldn’t help falling in love and says she’ll keep their secret in the meantime.
Saturday, Lila wakes up horribly sick. She wants to spend the day with Jack, but the housekeeper, Eva, insists she stay in bed because Lila feels so awful. Lila tries to fight it, but she really does feel lousy and figures that Jack will wait, considering he’s now her fiancé. Again, what?! How are they engaged when he never actually asked her to marry him and certainly never gave her a ring? Also, she’s sixteen. And they’ve been dating for like a week.
After Lila cancels on Jack, Jack calls Jess and invites her out. Jess is thrilled and assumes that she’s able to go out with Jack because he broke up with Lila. Jack takes Jess to Guido’s for pizza. Jack tells Jess a story about his family going on some trip to their cottage in the Caribbean, and Jess starts daydreaming about laying on the sand in front of a Caribbean palace in her sexiest bikini. Nicholas Morrow and a friend walk into Guido’s, and Jack’s expression changes. Jack says he’ll take care of the check and meet her by his car, and he disappears out the door. Jess is confused but starts to head out. She stops by Nicholas’s table, where Nicholas introduces her to his friend David, who’s visiting from the East Coast. Apparently David graduated from prep school with Nicholas last year, so Nicholas does have at least one friend who’s not still in high school. Jess goes outside to meet Jack, who apologizes for his behavior and says he thinks he knows David and didn’t want David to see him and tell Jack’s dad where Jack is now. Jess is relieved that there’s a normal explanation (this is normal?) and accepts Jack’s invitation to go over to his place to see some of his photos from that trip.
Back at Guido’s, Nicholas and David talk about the weird encounter. Nicholas says he’s sure he knows Jack but can’t figure out where from. David suddenly realizes it’s Jack, someone who used to be at their prep school. Jack had robbed a girl he was dating at knifepoint and was expelled from school right around the time Nicholas started there! Apparently Jack’s entire family had been killed in a boating accident a few years before Jack started at that school. To cope, Jack created a fantasy world in which his sister was still alive and he was rich and important. Living a fake double life led him to drugs and now he doesn’t even know what’s real and what’s fantasy! Nicholas is shocked and says they need to find Jessica and warn her immediately! They pick up Liz in the car and head out!
Jess arrives at Jack’s place and is disappointed that it’s small and shabby. Jack says he’s tired of posh, after having lived in fancy places all his life. Jess sees an old photo of Jack’s sister and asks if he has any recent photos of her. Jack angrily says no and then simmers down and tells her to stay. Jess goes to the bathroom and does some snooping. Under the sink, she finds a box filled with drugs! There are pills, white powder, marijuana, pipes, rolling papers, and more! Jess is shocked! She rushes out of the bathroom and shows him what she found, demanding answers. Jess asks if this is why her wallet disappeared and asks if Jack also stole Mr. Fowler’s cuff links and more. Jack gets angry and then angrier. Jess calls him a phony, and Jack furiously pins her to the ground! I don’t want to blame the victim, but why would Jess think it was safe to confront him like this??
Meanwhile, Nicholas, David, and Liz are frantically searching for Jess. Desperate, Liz calls Lila and asks for Jack’s address. Lila is furious that Jess is out with Jack, but when Liz explains Jack’s history, Lila says Jess apparently did her a favor and gives Liz his address.
Nicholas, David, and Liz break into Jack’s apartment! Jack picks up a kitchen knife and threatens Jess with it. She manages to break free. Jack makes slashing gestures with the knife and cuts Nicholas’s shoulder. Jessica winds up her best cheerleading kick and makes contact with Jack’s arm! The knife flies out of his hand! Nicholas punches Jack in the stomach (I’m disappointed it’s Nicholas and not Todd doing the punching here because this is his expertise!). While he’s doubled over, David pins Jack’s arms behind his back. The nightmare is over!
Jack is booked at the police station. Jess says she hopes he never gets out of jail, but Mr. Wakefield tells her that professional counseling would do Jack more good than jail, and Mrs. Wakefield chimes in to say if only Jack had gotten counseling earlier, this whole thing wouldn’t have happened. They might be right, but what a weird thing to tell your daughter right after she’s gone through this awful ordeal. Before they leave the police station, an urgent message comes over the police radio, saying a plane rented to George Warren is in trouble!
Next up: George and Enid have their own terrible ordeal to get through!