Sweet Valley High #14: Deceptions

Publication Date: December 1984

The last book ended with Nicholas Morrow standing in the Wakefield doorway looking absolutely smitten with Elizabeth. And there he still stands, like an idiot. Liz introduces herself and brings Nicholas into the party, where he occupies her attention and won’t leave her alone. He follows her around for the whole party and then he tells her he’s in love with her. She reminds him Todd exists but he guilts her into agreeing to have dinner with him. Nicholas sucks.

Of course, Elizabeth plans to tell Todd about her dinner with Nicholas, but of course he acts all jealous about Nicholas paying so much attention to her when she finds him at the end of the party and she decides it’s not the time. Then Jessica tells her she’s in love with Nicholas so Liz can’t talk to her about it, either.

Jessica, by the way, is trying to learn about computers because Nicholas is going into his father’s computer business. To that end, she’s doing a lot of flirting with Randy Mason, resident nerd of the week, so he’ll teach her about computers. And speaking of computers, Nicholas and Regina’s father has donated one to the high school and it’s a huge deal because it’s 1984. After hearing that the computer will store grades and then learning about hackers, Jessica decides to see if she can get Randy to change her math grade because she’s flunking.

Elizabeth is absolutely infuriating all week. She does not want to go out with Nicholas this Sunday, but she promised. Todd will be hurt and Jessica will be angry if they find out, but she promised. Enid gives her terrible advice and says she guesses Liz has to go out with him. Because she promised. It’s a really stupid problem that would be solved by an, “I changed my mind and I love my boyfriend and also my sister is in love with you.” But she promised.

Randy falls for Jessica’s lovesick act and changes her math grade for her. Then he immediately regrets it and calls Jessica a million times to whine about it. At one point, Liz answers the phone and he thinks it’s Jessica and he says he’s going to Mr. Cooper’s office right now to turn himself in. Elizabeth forces Jessica into the car and they meet Randy there. At Liz’s insistence, Mr. Cooper doesn’t suspend Randy and Jessica.

Sunday rolls around and it’s finally date night. Liz and Nicholas are going to an expensive restaurant about an hour away, which Liz thinks is great because nobody will see them there. Todd will be out with his family to celebrate his mom’s birthday and Liz is relieved that he’ll be too busy to wonder what she’s doing. I think we can all see where this is going.

Todd’s family is at the restaurant, obvs. They walk right by Elizabeth’s table on their way out and Todd stops dead in his tracks with an “Elizabeth!?” So Liz pretends to be Jessica and makes him feel bad about not being able to tell them apart. Todd stews about it all the way home and eventually decides he needs to rush right over to Liz’s house and apologize to her for getting the twins confused. It’s dumb but it’s a plot contrivance so there you go.

Jessica answers the door and Todd hugs her until she pushes him away in disgust, and that’s when Todd figures it all out. He tells Jessica Liz is on a date with Nicholas, so now she’s pissed too. Todd punches the doorframe and kicks his own tires before driving away. When Liz gets home Jessica yells at her for a while, but then forgives her because she’s lost interest in Nicholas anyway. She claims he’s too busy for her but really he just isn’t into her.

Todd ignores Liz all day at school the next day. That night is a big basketball game and Mr. Collins asks Liz to cover it for the paper. She’s horrified that Todd is playing so badly and it’s all her fault. She’s all weepy in the bleachers and suddenly Nicholas is there. She tells him everything and he feels bad and decides to not be an asshole for once. He goes to the locker room and tells Todd that he begged Liz to go out with him, but Todd is the one she loves.

Todd goes back out there and wins the championship. He and Liz make up and go to a post-game party at Cara’s. Nicholas is hanging around there, too, for some reason, and Todd thanks him for their talk earlier. Then Mom Wakefield calls to tell the twins to meet them at the hospital. Brother Steven’s girlfriend Tricia is near the end.

Notes:

1.     Why is Nicholas lurking around all these high school events? Get some friends your own age.

2.     It’s mentioned in passing that Roger Barrett’s father has left his mother. Which is weird, because I thought it was pretty clear he had a single mother who couldn’t work and that’s why he had to be a cleaning boy.

3.     Todd has a terrible temper. That boy has got to stop punching people and things when he gets mad.