Playing With Fire by Francine Pascal Page B

can’t let her go on like this.”
    â€œI can’t stop her.” Sadly Elizabeth looked down at the tuna salad she’d barely touched. Jessica’s love life was ruining her appetite more than her own ever had, she mused.
    â€œBut there’s got to be something we can do!” Winston insisted.
    Elizabeth thrust a forkful of salad into her mouth. It tasted like wet cotton. “Look, I think we both need to change the subject. Got any plans for tomorrow night?”
    Winston shook his head. “Besides a hot date with my Atari? No, nothing doing.”
    â€œThe Droids are playing their first big-time gig tomorrow night. Want to come along with Todd and me?”
    â€œThe Droids? How come I haven’t heard about this?”
    â€œThey’ve been quiet about it because they don’t want the audience full of kids from Sweet Valley. They want to see how their stuff’ll go over with a bunch of strangers.”
    â€œI’d go see them wherever they’re playing.”
    â€œYeah. Me, too,” Elizabeth agreed, but the next moment she sucked in her breath. “Win, listen, I just remembered something. Please don’t get the wrong idea, but I also asked Robin Wilson to come along.” She looked down at her plate hesitantly.
    â€œNot you, too!” Winston exclaimed. “What’s with you Wakefield girls? Why the big push to get me and Robin together?”
    â€œI didn’t mean it that way. I told you, I forgot for a second that I’d asked her. I just thought that since you didn’t have any plans, you might want to go with Todd and me.”
    Winston studied Elizabeth affectionately. “That was nice of you. But Robin … well, she’s OK. We really don’t have much in common, though. I get nervous around people who eat all the time.”
    â€œYou don’t have to feel like it’s a date. There’ll probably be lots of new faces at the club. And you can use a change of atmosphere. What do you say?”
    â€œI don’t have to stick with Robin?”
    â€œYou’re riding in the same car together, that’s all. You’re free to do whatever you want after that.”
    â€œIn that case, what time are you picking me up?”

Seven
    Late Saturday afternoon Elizabeth stepped out of the shower and began to get ready for her night out. She dried off, put on her bathrobe, then, after wiping off the steam-covered mirror, she ran a wide-toothed comb through her long, thick hair as she tried to figure out what to wear. Mentally rejecting most of her wardrobe, she finally decided to ask Jessica if she could borrow one of her wilder, flashier outfits. “You can’t go to a rock club looking like your own grandmother,” she muttered to her reflection.
    She hoped Jessica wouldn’t give her a hard time. At least they were talking again. Trying to keep the lines of communication open between them, Elizabeth had stopped criticizing Bruce. She figured that as long as she kept him out of the conversation, her relationship with Jessica stood a good chance of returning to normal. She also hoped it would increase the chances of Jessica’s confiding in her, should she need to.
    As Elizabeth finished blow-drying her hair, she heard a knock on the bathroom door. “Come in,” she called out.
    Jessica, smiling and balancing an armload of packages from her afternoon shopping spree, stood in the doorway. “Come take a look at what I bought,” she squealed excitedly. “I found the most heavenly dresses at The Boston Shop.”
    â€œYou went where? ” Elizabeth couldn’t believe her ears. The twins had always avoided that exclusive women’s store, a place where a lot of snobby types did their shopping. Filled with curiosity, Elizabeth followed Jessica into her room. “You swore you’d never set foot in that place.”
    â€œThat was before,” Jessica said, opening up one of