Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

In this universe,Elizabeth and Jessica were born in 1976. Like another story of mine,they and their friends graduate in 1994. 

Differences from SV canon:

• The whole ‘evil twin’ plot line never happened - Margo got the psychiatric help she needed
• There wasn’t an earthquake at the end of their junior year
• Certain relationships developed differently 
• Instead of Cara moving to London,she and Steve (born in 1973) broke up in the spring of 1993. Shortly thereafter,he met Billie Winkler.

Plot arcs (tentative,don’t hold me to this,will probably evolve as time passes)

• High school senior year 
• High school graduation
• summer before college
• first autumn/winter at SVU
• Billie and Steven’s wedding
• Billie and Steven’s honeymoon
• Billie realizes that she’s pregnant
• Jessica and Mike’s wedding
• Christmas 1994
• remainder of winter 1994-1995
• spring 1995
• summer 1995 - Billie and Jessica’s pregnancies 
• Gordon and Tracey’s wedding
• beginning of sophomore year
• the births of Billie and Jessica’s babies
• autumn - Billie and Jess adjust to being young mothers
• Christmas 1995 / New Years 1996

Chapter Text

September 9,1993

7:50 am

”Hurry up,Jess!”, Elizabeth Wakefield yelled up the stairs. “Winston’s almost here!”

”Coming!”, her sister Jessica said,just as she appeared around the stair corner. She was dressed,unusually for her,in a sweatshirt and jeans. This was unusual because Jessica usually preferred bare-shouldered shirts and the sorts of pants one wore in TV shows intended for people their age. Over the summer,however,she had started changing from her usual self. Encouraged,perhaps,by a lower SAT score than what she’d hoped for,she was different from her usual carefree self. Elizabeth hoped that the new state of affairs would hold,at least for a while. Even though she knew it likely wouldn’t.

If you had recently moved to Sweet Valley,their hometown on the southern coast of California,equidistant from LA and Point Arguello,you might have gotten confused regarding the twins. To the average viewer,they looked the same. They were slim,5 feet 6,and had long blond hair and eyes the color of the Pacific on a winter’s day. It was hard not to notice how beautiful they were as they walked down the halls of Sweet Valley High. But if you looked closer,you would begin to notice a world of difference.

Oh,sure,even physically there were ways to tell them apart. Elizabeth had a mole on her left shoulder,where Jessica’s was unblemished. They wore different lavalieres on their necks. Elizabeth’s had a crescent moon and Jessica’s a stylized star. Elizabeth wore a wristwatch on her right arm. Jessica was slightly taller (emphasis on slightly). But their personalities were like night and day.

Elizabeth was the more conservative and studious of the two. She enjoyed working on The Oracle,Sweet Valley High’s official student newspaper,with her friends Olivia Davidson,Enid Rollins,John Pfeiffer,Winston Egbert,and Teddy Collins,whose dad was their faculty advisor. After the previous editor,Penny Ayala,had graduated,Elizabeth was now the chief editor. She’d passed her editing job onto John,a lanky boy who hid an idealistic personality beneath a troubled,brooding exterior. Her other friends included Robin Wilson,Kirk Anderson,Maria Slater,Kerry Glenn,Regina Morrow,Chloe Murphy,and their cousin Dana Larson.

Jessica,however,couldn’t have been more different if she tried. She was given to shopping,beach days,gossip,and generally making Elizabeth’s life difficult (although she could be nice). Although her grades weren’t as spectacular as Elizabeth’s,she still managed to pass all her classes,and she was a cheerleader to boot. Her friends included Lila Fowler,Cara Walker,Ellen Riteman,Amy Sutton,Neil Freemount,and Sonya Bentley. Cara had dated their brother Steven for two years before they had amiably broken up in the past spring. Cara was now dating Mason Gathers,one of the Wakefields’ cousins. Naturally,this inspired a bunch of jokes from Jessica,who loved humor,particularly at the expense of other people.

There were also a few people who were friends with both twins. Cara counted as one,Chloe as another,Aaron Dallas as a third. Another one was Pam Jacobson,a distant relation of Winston who had moved to Sweet Valley in middle school. A pretty,unassuming girl with a minor (now more-or-less cured) heart condition,she had joined the Oracle staff recently,handling its new online section with Teddy Collins and his new girlfriend,Maria Santelli,whose father was the mayor of Sweet Valley.

Winston arrived shortly with breakfast bagels,which they ate on the way to school.

”Ready for senior year,you two?”

”You bet!”, said Liz.

———-

8:15 am 

A blue 1988 model Fiat Spider drew up into an empty parking space,throwing up gravel as it came to an uneasy stop. Out of it stepped William Howard White. He paused to gather his books and size up his new school.

William (he almost never went by Bill) was a tall,raw-boned boy with brown hair and eyes,not particularly handsome,but most were willing to spare him a second glance. He was smart where he felt it counted,which was in the humanities and sports,but he was known to do well in most subjects. He hoped that would hold true here.

Oh,why did my dad have to get that transfer,William thought,even if reusable rocketry is his forte? Jason White worked for the Horizons Group,a think tank dating from the Udall administration which provided advice to government officials on how to move forward in scientific areas. This was their first move in half a decade. William’s mom,Becky,now worked for the middle school as a secretary. As she was part of a carpool,she had offered Will the use of her car.

Will was almost to the doors when...

”Ow!”

”Sorry!”, he heard a cheerful voice say. He turned around and saw a girl,leaning against a wall as she collected her books.

“No,no”, he found himself saying. “I’m the sorry one,I am. Guess I should’ve looked where I was going instead of admiring this nice school.”

”It’s alright. I do that sometimes myself.”

”Oh?”

”And I’ve been going here since kindergarten. If your look is any indication,you’re new to Sweet Valley. I’m Camilla Adams.”

With that she stuck out a long arm,terminating in a hand half the size of William’s. He took it.

”William White,rarely Will,rarer still Billy,almost never Bill,and never Willy.”

Camilla laughed. “You’re so silly,Will.”

”Does anyone ever nickname you?”

”Most everyone calls me Cammi. Want me to take you to homeroom?” She stuck out an arm. William looped his through it.

As they walked the halls,Will got his first proper look at Cammi Adams. She was just shorter than he,with long brown hair and an attractive heart-shaped face dotted with a small amount of freckles. A pointy nose divided two heartfelt grey eyes,and her mouth had an attractive pout to it which slightly clashed with her sweet voice.

He grew aware that she was still talking. “....and my dad is rather hard of hearing.”

”So’s my uncle Ron.”

At last they arrived at room 130. They passed a tall guy talking to a girl with bleached blonde hair like you saw in TV commercials.

”....so far I’ve had to issue three threadkicks. Emily Mayer,that was accidental,Jamie Barton for threadcrapping,and Nicolas Morrow for spam. And Scott Avery,he’s a junior at SVU,is my first ban. Anti-Semitic speech against Olivia.”

”Olivia?”, asked William.

”Davidson. She works for the Oracle. That’s our school paper. And she’s Jewish.”

”Ah,then. Sounds like quite the school. Who were those people?”

”The girl is Elizabeth Wakefield. Next to her is Teddy Collins. His dad’s the Oracle teacher advisor.”

”.....Holy heck. Is that Lila Fowler?” His gaze was now locked on the dark-haired heiress.

”Yeah. How’d you know?”

”She’s been featured in Teen Vogue. I didn’t know she went here. She’s....cool.”

”So are you,William White”,Cammi said with a smile. “So are you.”

————-

10:32 am

Jessica was surprised when she followed Liz into the History and Current Events classroom,so surprised that she nearly bumped into Olivia Davidson,who was leaving said room.

”B-Billie?”

”Jessica! Elizabeth! Nice to see you here!”

”Who’s that-you know the teacher?”, Winston asked as he sidled up to the twins. Elizabeth turned to face him.

”She’s our brother’s new girlfriend. I have to congratulate her on this.”

”Liz? You knew?”, Jessica said with an incredulous expression. She took a seat between Cara and Scott Trost. Winston pulled out his H&CE book.

The teacher,an attractive brunette with hazel eyes,took a seat at her desk and pulled out a lesson planbook. Behind her was a whiteboard.

”When I call your name,please say ‘here’. Otherwise,I hope you’re accounted for. Winston Egbert.”

”Here.”

”Tamara Chase.”

”Here.”

”Cara Walker.”

”Here.”

”James Roberts.”

”Here.”

”Scott Trost.”

”Here.”

”Kerry Glenn.”

”Here.”

”Amanda Miller.”

”Here.”

”Manuel Lopez.”

”Here.”

”Rachel Potter.”

”Here.”

”Alicia Benson.”

”Here.”

”Christian Tessier.”

”Here.”

”Elizabeth Wakefield.”

”Here.”

”Jessica Wakefield.”

”Here.”

”Ophelia Rushden.”

”Here.”

”Enid Rollins.”

”Here.”

”Warren Blackwood.”

”Here.”

”Michael McAllery.”

”Here.”

”Jean West.”

”Here.”

”Claire Middleton.”

”Here.”

”And finally,Regina Morrow.”

”Here.”

She strode up to the board with a determined expression.

”What would you say is an important current event?......Mr Egbert?”

”The Ares 1 Mars/Venus flyby mission.”

”Ah. A scientific frame of mind,you have there. Ms West?”

”My uncle Duane is serving in Botswana,so the intervention there.”

”Not bad. Ms Walker?”

”The London fashion show?”

”Perhaps. Actually,all of them are equally important for their respective fields. I aim to give you a decent understanding,as it were,of modern historical trends.....”

Chapter Text

September 24,1993

3:15 pm

In their infinite wisdom,the SVH administration under Principal Gregory Cooper had seen fit to assign a student guide to William White,to teach him the ways and means of the school. That person was Allen Walters,a handsome fellow senior who William took to like a duck does to a pond. William saw a little of what he wanted to be in Allen:a photographer,like his uncle Rudy in Chicago. It also helped that Allen was popular with both boys and girls.

It so happened that both Allen and his girlfriend,Abbie Richardson,worked for the school paper,so Abbie had pulled a string or two and gotten William a job as a coder,aiding Maria Santelli with the design of www.geocities.ws/svoracle, the new online home of the paper. Today,however,Maria had little for Will to do,so she let him sit in the office corner and do his homework for the day.

“Thanks for letting me stay here for a while,Maria.”

”You’re welcome anytime,Will”, she replied,then turned a little,perhaps noticing a slight change in Will’s expression. “What?”

”That guy in math class,in front of me........has anyone ever told him he looks a lot like Cam Geary? And the girl he accompanies so often.....I almost called her Maria,she looks so much like Maria Slater. If I didn’t know any better,I’d be prepared to swear that that’s them.”

”It is them! They’re in our grade.”

Will’s mouth dropped open. “First Lila Fowler,then Maria Slater and Cam Geary.......I know we’re close to LA,but.......”

”They’re actually engaged! They’re gonna marry the day after graduation.”

Again with the wide-open mouth. “Think I could secure an invite?”

”Probably.”

”Speaking of girls,I invited Cammi to homecoming.”

”And?”

”It’s a date.”

”I’m happy for you. Cammi Adams is a really nice girl.”

Just at that exact moment,the door opened and a small girl with auburn hair came into the office,asking after Allen and John Pfeiffer.

”They’re conferring with Chrome Dome,Grace”, said Maria. With that,the girl nodded and dashed out back into the hallway.

”Chrome Dome?”

“Principal Cooper. So called because he’s bald as a mesa.”

”Who was the girl?”

”Grace Oliver,Allen’s cousin.”

”He never mentioned a cousin.”

”Abbie and Lila are cousins as well.”

”Do you have any cousins around here?”, William asked. For some reason he couldn’t ascertain,he felt uncomfortable.

”Yep”, said Maria, popping the ‘p’. 

“Who?”

”Todd Wilkins,the basketball star. Bill Chase,who surfs. His sister Tamara,the gossip princess. Their adopted sister Mary,the vice president of our class. Jeannie West,who’s on the cheer squad. Sandra Ferris,who’s so good at English. And Patty Gilbert,a star athlete. Speaking of Todd,Cammi’s his cousin as well,on his mom’s side of the family.”

The mouth dropped open again. “What a town this is. How did the Oracle get started?”

”It was the end of freshman year. The spring footballers won a great victory against Victorville,but news was late spreading to the rest of us. Penny Ayala came up with the idea of a school paper.”

”What happened to her?”

”She graduated last year. Her sister Tina is in our class.”

”Lemme think......tall girl,slightly Hispanic looking,long dirty blonde hair,always carries a clipboard and paper?”

”Yeah. If you see a little blonde girl with a ponytail and clipboard,that’s Shellae Mueller.”

Chapter Text

See the Turtle of enormous girth!
On his shell he holds the earth.
His thoughts are slow but always kind;
He holds us all within his mind.
On his back all vows are made;
He sees the truth but mayn't aid.
He loves the land and loves the sea,
And even loves a guy like me

- inscription made by Winston Egbert on the SVH 1st floor corner bathroom wall, sometime in September 1993

————

September 29,1993

11 am

In one of the main hallways of Sweet Valley High,Olivia Davidson was setting up homecoming banners as she stood on a stepladder. She reached up to tie some ribbon on the support beam,making sure not to tie it to the lockers below.

Olivia was Jewish and had some of the features a stereotypical thinker might associate with that people,like a nose which curved down to a hook,a bit like the beak of a hawk if you've seen that. Her hair was dark,thick,and curled and crimped about her head. She had large,expressive brown eyes with flecks of blue in them. Height-wise,she stood just over 5 feet,necessitating that she reach long distances,and her arms had grown long and lankily to accomodate. She also had long bowlegs.

Olivia was a nice sort of girl,friendly and bubbly. She could count people as diverse as Elizabeth Wakefield and Todd Wilkins and Patty Gilbert and Cara Walker as part of her friend group. She also had family at school:Ellen Riteman of the School Boosters was her first cousin,and Guy Chesney of the Droids a distant cousin of her father. It was not unusual for some students to be related to each other:Sweet Valley was a small,insular sort of town,as were its neighbors.

The homecoming dance would be on Friday,October 8. She hoped Winston would ask her to the dance. Dear Winston,with his chocolate brown hair and blue eyes,his fetching smile and charming personality,his smarts,his rockets,his awesome family.......

”Liv? You might wanna reposition yourself and get off that ladder.”  Dawn Schafer’s voice pulled Olivia out of her reverie. The cool blonde was standing nearby,armed with a clipboard and paper. “And we have English class next period,then lunch. After lunch,we’ll meet in the eastern courtyard and start hanging up the voting posters.”

————

After school,Olivia sat under her favorite shade tree to relax.

The tree was located in the front yard of the campus. It was one of the oldest trees in town,at nearly 1,000 years. The campus had been built around it in a way:from the air it looked like a great crab with its pincers around the tree. The tree itself had many branches that were easy to climb.

Gradually,the pandemonium of students leaving died around Olivia. She picked up her novel and was about to read when.....

"Liv? I thought I'd find you here."

"Winston!",she said with joy in her voice. "Come sit next to me! How was your day?"

"Liv,I thought I'd ask you something. You've been one of my best friends for a long time." Winston adjusted himself. Olivia thought he looked cute with his tousled hair. "....Would you do me the honor of going to the dance with me? And prom,if you can? I'll even bring flowers", he said mischieviously.

Olivia was struck by his invitation. She had only one answer.

"Yes,Winston Egbert. I thought you'd never ask. Friday at......"

"6 pm. At your house."

"It's a date!", she said as she hugged him. He smelt wonderful. Like cloves,the beach,summertime,all in one handsome,smart boy. And he was hers,all hers.

—————-

The next day found Elizabeth relaxing at Max Dellon’s house after school. Also there were Elizabeth and Jessica’s cousin Dana and the rest of the Droids. Max was lead guitarist,rotating with Dan Scott and junior Alex Lapin. Dan had used to handle bass guitar:now said guitar was handled by Sam Woodruff. Lynne Henry was backup vocals,and her longtime boyfriend Guy Chesney handled keyboard. And the drums were the domain of Emily Mayer.

”......Just Pepsi for me. Got to protect my pipes”, Dana was saying. She was lead singer,meaning she bore the brunt of the band’s publicity. They had a reputation for being pretty wild, but most of it was just conjecture. Not many outsiders knew what went on in the smoky confines of Max Dellon’s basement, where they held their practice sessions. But by virtue of being Dana’s cousin,Liz knew that those who believed it was just conjecture were right. Dana had had alcohol once,at the family Christmas party when they were in eighth grade,when she’d unknowingly downed a Bacardi meant for their Uncle Greg,which had set her head to buzzing.

The band had been formed the following spring,when the band that would’ve covered the eighth-grade graduation dance had to call in sick. Principal Valerien, having heard of Dana’s talents,had suggested that she form a band to play the dance and any subsequent school events. Back then,she had been backup vocal for senior Hanna Delafontaine, who now taught music at a private school in Canada. Keyboard had been handled by Tad Vickery,who was now part of the Sweet Valley Police Department. The drums had been handled by Josh Bowen,another cousin of Liz’s. And Patty Gilbert had been the guitarist.

"I wonder what'll happen with the band once we've graduated", said Lynne, a tall,lanky girl with long brown hair and emotional hazel eyes.

"Easy", said Dana. "Dan'll take it over. Jordan Fay on drums. Dana Upshaw on guitars, Abby Brown and Nate Tucker on vocals. Mike Verres on bass guitar. Kellah Sherwood on synthesizer, alternating with Gareth Hadley. Jamie Wilkins as backup vocalist and announcer,just as he is this year."

Elizabeth nodded at Dana's choices. Most of them were juniors (Kellah was a sophomore,sister of the sophisticated Paul Sherwood). Jamie was one of two twin brothers of Todd,the other being Alex,who had taken Emily out on dinner dates before. They would at least ensure the Droids lasted another couple of years. And it wasn't just school events the band did now:they played bars and restaurants all over Sweet Valley and environs. It was Liz's understanding that Dana's calendar was booked well into the upcoming winter,and for easily the first half of 1994 as well.

A knock on the door signalled the arrival of Max's mom,Willa Dellon. "Just wanted to check up on you guys. Jays"-here she named Max's father,whose own father had been mayor of Sweet Valley back in the '40s-"says for me to tell y'all that there's pizza and tacos in the fridge."

"Thanks,Ms D", said Dana as the older woman (she was actually in her mid-30s) retreated upstairs.

"What was that about you and Pepsi,Dana?", Liz asked.

"My dear Lizardbreath (Liz internally bristled at the nickname), it's scientific fact that Pepsi cools the airways,not like the sharpness that is Diet Coke. Don't even get me started on New Coke. Jerry says they should call it the Devil's Drink."

Dana was one of a set of triplets born to Elizabeth's Aunt Jan,the other two being her brother Jeremy and sister Sally. Jeremy played for the school’s soccer team and Sally was an artist who had actually achieved some local repute. She had had her art exhibited in local galleries.

"So", Liz asked, "who're you guys going to homecoming with?"
"Easy", Dana said. "Mark." Mark Gathers was another cousin of theirs,twin to Mason.  He had always had an affection for Dana,who he shared a musical gift with. His own band,Getting to Gryps,consisted of himself,Michael Harris,Paul Sherwood,and Terry Knapp. They were the Droids' opening act. 
"What about you,Emily?"
"Alex,as a friend."
"Guy?"
"Lynne. Need you even ask?" They smiled at each other.
"Max?"
"Gracie." Grace Oliver was Max's girlfriend. She was also a second cousin of Liz and Jessica's,on the Wakefield side of the family.
"Sam?"
"I went to the Junior Prom last year with Tina Ayala. I asked her yesterday,and it's a date."
"What about you,Liz?",asked Lynne.
"Todd. Who else?"
They all exchanged a laugh. Liz relaxed on the sofa and listened to the Droids go through the songs they would play at homecoming.

—————

October 2,1993

12:45 pm

Chloe Murphy nearly fell over when she saw the finished product of herself in the mirror. The first thing she noticed was that her lips were a deep red wine color which made her lightly-tanned skin look creamier. Her eyes were almost as dramatic with black mascara and a light shimmer of golden brown eye shadow. Her cheekbones were played up with a dusty pink shade of blush. Her hair had been gently curled into ringlets and loosely gathered up behind her head in a high ponytail with a few strands left out to frame her face, and tiny maroon imitation-diamonds were scattered lightly throughout the hairstyle. Her sleeveless Spanish-style off-the-shoulder V-neck dress was of a deep blood red colour and fell into waves of fabric just past her knees, revealing the black strappy sandals with three-inch heels that she wore. Her jewellery was three interlinked gold bangles (Jessica informed her it was called a Russian bangle) on her right wrist and a gold necklace featuring a red Venetian glass heart-shaped pendant dangling from it. She didn't have her ears pierced and she'd point-blank refused to let the twins do it for homecoming. 

"You look great,Chloe!", Jessica enthused as she zipped up the dress in the changing room at Lisette's. "Dave'll be thrilled!"
"Yeah!",Liz agreed from a nearby bench. "You're a stunner. Any guy at school would love to have you."
"You really think so?" asked Chloe.
"You bet", said Liz. "Let's go get some lunch and coffee."

Dave was a cousin of the twins on the Wakefield side,the son of Gregory Wakefield and Marla Bates and the brother of Kelly Bates and Matt Wakefield. He was a tall,somewhat handsome boy with sandy hair and brown eyes and a proclivity for athletics who had been dating Chloe since the eighth grade. Most everyone they knew agreed that they made a cute couple. Chloe's hair was a light reddish color,with occasional lighter streaks in the middle. She had blue eyes,a subtly sharp chin,a few freckles,and a straight nose. Overall,she was a handsome girl,Liz thought as they made their way to the eatery across the mall. 

Jessica saw Amy,Cara,and Mandy Miller in a corner. "Gotta go,Liz."
Liz and Chloe exchanged a knowing look as Todd and some of his football buddies passed them. They both knew how flighty Jessica was.
"Remember second grade?", Chloe asked.
"What about it?"
"Jess and Ellen"-here she named Ellen Riteman-"teased me about my drawings of Dad's lab equipment." Chloe's dad,Luke Murphy,was a chemist by day and a concert pianist by night.
"Why'd you pick that memory?"
"We're about to graduate. I guess my brain's just been remembering all kinds of crazy things lately."
John Pfeiffer and his girlfriend Robin Wilson chose that moment to wave them over to their table,so they joined them.

----------

October 7,1993

4 pm

“As main advisor to the Sweet Valley High class of 1994, I do declare this first meeting of the Class of 1994 Senior Prom Committee underway”, Xavier Jaworski intoned. The handsome,muscular Sociology teacher surveyed the crowd around the table. Winston Egbert,Lynne Henry,Kerry Glenn,Billie Layton,and Tom McKay sat on one side of the table,facing Elizabeth Wakefield,Maria Santelli,John Pfeiffer,Mandy Miller,and Brooke Dennis on the other. To the side,Sophia Fisherman sat at a computer,ready to take notes. Sophia was notorious as being one-half of one of the two married couples in their class,with the other half being Bryce Fisherman,a popular football player. She had frizzy dark hair,grey eyes,and a pretty smile.

Tom closed his eyes briefly before beginning to speak. “It’s official,folks:we’ve got a location. The Valley Inn.” This prompted oohs and aahs around the table. The Valley Inn was an upscale hotel in the richer district of Sweet Valley. It had a central ballroom built in an early 20th century fashion,complete with wide columns and chandeliers. Next to the ballroom was a ladies’ room and a powder room just in case people had to take a bathroom break during the night. The plan called for an assembly at the school,after which charter buses would take everyone to the Inn. The king,queen,and their court would be crowned at 7,and from then to midnight would be the dance. The rest of the night would be spent at the Valley ‘Plex,an entertainment center opened in their eighth grade year with funding from Lila Fowler’s father George. There was a skating rink,a restaurant,a coffee shop,a movie theater,a video game arcade,and more.

Maria smiled slightly. “We-Elizabeth and I-we’ve narrowed the theme down to four possibilities. Earth Tones as suggested by Mike McAllery,Elizabeth Gordon’s suggestion of Spring Fling,Fire and Ice as suggested by moi,and Beach Days as suggested by Annie Whitman. Honorable mention goes to A Night in Paris,as suggested by Peter Blake. We’ll make our decision before the next meeting in mid-December.”

Kerry,a tall,handsome girl with brown hair done in a side ponytail,cleared her throat. “We’ve got three fundraising events coming up:the Christmas Parade,a bake sale in January,and the nature hikes in March. I’m delegating myself and Winston to manage those.” They were cousins and worked easily together. 

Chapter Text

October 8,1993

8 am

As Liz entered the school alongside Julie Porter,the excitement was building to such a level that she swore she could physically sense it. Students were gathered in clusters in the halls,whispering excitedly:Liz even noted that a few girls had come to school wearing their dresses,which was permitted by the school. One of them,Lacey Frells,was waving at Liz. The dark-eyed,olive-skinned brunette was one of her friend Winston's many cousins, a slim,nice-featured sophomore given to boy-chasing and being a member of various school clubs.

"Liz!", Lacey said with a cheerful voice.

"Hi,Lacey", Liz said as she took a few moments to admire Lacey's dress. The auburn dress was a form-fitting,body-hugging affair of the sort Liz's mother Alice favored. At the moment Lacey was naked underneath,but after school she intended to put on a T-shirt under the dress.  

"So", Liz asked, "who're you going with?"

"Hunter Reese. Just as a friend. We're going in a group with Reggie Patman and his girlfriend,Emma Stevens." 

Liz smiled at Lacey. Reginald Patman, who insisted that everyone call him 'Shred', was in Lacey's class. A cousin of Jessica's friend Bruce Patman,who was dating Lacey's other cousin Kerry, Reginald was a smooth talker. In June he had also become the youngest operator of the Sweet Valley municipal ice-cream van. Hunter was the younger brother of Cherie Reese,who'd been on the cheer squad since junior high school.

"See you around,Lacey".

"You too,Liz."

—————-

11:50 am

"I swear to God,if this is what homecoming's like,I don't even want to think about senior prom", Tamara Chase drawled from where she sat. She,Elizabeth,Todd,Jessica,Lila,Cara,Chloe,Winston,Olivia,Brooke,Jeffrey French,Julie,her sister Johanna,and Enid were sitting at their usual table. Sweet Valley High's cafeteria was unusual in that it was outdoors,owing to the favorable coastal climate the town enjoyed. 

“I agree,Tam", Bill Chase said from the next table. He was Tamara's brother,a hardworking and hard-playing surfer dude. They were twins,but not identical like Liz and Jess. To give a couple examples,Bill had blonde hair while Tamara's was chestnut brown,and Tamara was actually taller than Bill was.

Tamara was referring to senior prom because at Sweet Valley High there was both a junior and senior prom. Peter Blake had been King of their junior prom,and Pamela Jacobson had been his queen. Even though the prom wouldn't be till May,a little more than a month before graduation,people were already getting excited over it. Liz and Jessica had ordered their dresses from an online seller and they would arrive sometime in January. 

"So,Lila,how're you and Ken doing?", asked Chloe. Lila had been dating Ken Matthews for nearly a year. The blonde football captain was,according to most,the most desirable boy at Sweet Valley High.

"As well as we can be,I guess. Dinner dates at the Dairi Burger,hiking trips up to Secca Lake,you know how it goes", Lila said boredly. "What about you and Dave,Chloe? Any news on that front?"

"He's getting me a promise ring for Christmas."

"I didn't know those were still around", commented Jessica.

"He showed me a picture. It's an opal ring."

Lila giggled. "Opal is the new diamond,Chloe. I read it in Ingenue magazine this past spring."

"You still read that?"

"Someday it'll make a comeback,mark my words...."

Liz tuned out their banter and focused on Aaron Dallas,who had just plopped his tray on the table's far end. "Hi,Aaron. Where's Ellen?" Ellen Riteman was Aaron's girlfriend and another of Jessica's many friends.

"She's having lunch at the DB with Patty and April and their boyfriends. They'll be back in half an hour if the traffic holds." Aaron was referring to Patty Gilbert,April Dawson,Jeremy Larson,and Michael Harris. 

“Isn’t she writing some sort of history of the Unicorns?”, asked Cara. She was one of only four people in their class who were still in the club, Jessica, Maria Santelli,and the Wakefields’ cousin Kimberly Haver being the other three. 

“Yeah.” Elizabeth moved a little bit. “So, Cara,Chloe,Brooke,Enid,and Todd, we’ll all meet up at my place at 5, yeah?”

All involved nodded.

————

2:55 pm

As soon as last period was done Liz went to the Oracle office on the ground floor, three doors down from Principal Cooper’s domain. Nodding at William White,who was happily coding away in his corner,Liz proceeded into the backroom for an executive meeting. She found that John and Olivia had preceded her there. Tina Ayala sat in the corner with her camera ready:she took a moment to wave at Liz.

“All I’m saying”,John said,”is that perhaps we should hire someone in junior high onto the paper. Perhaps Evie Hillebrandt or Lissy Anders would do....”

”And we’ll need new editors for next year!”, enthused Olivia. “Dana Upshaw for arts and music, Joey Jensen for sports.....”

Elizabeth cleared her throat. “I’ve already named Lacey Frells to continue Eyes and Ears” she said,naming her gossip column. 

“Winston’s cousin?”

”Yep. You know her,John.”

”Good choice. I hear she’s almost as gossipy as Caroline herself.”

At that point the Collinses made their entrance,accompanied by Billie who would be the meeting’s recorder. Roger Collins,the elder of the two,taught English 11/12. He was a classically handsome man with light brown hair in a crew cut,warm brown eyes,and a cleft chin. John had once compared him to the actor Robert Redford,and Liz could see why. Roger was as pleasant as they came,combining a raffish sense of humor,a gift for witty observations,and an eye for journalistic detail that had made him an obvious choice to helm The Oracle when it was founded. 

Teddy Collins was his father’s son,no doubt about it. He had his father’s hair,eyes,and easy smile. From his mother,May Stillwater Collins,he’d inherited her pointy nose and small,slender build. From the both of them he’d inherited a quick,shrewd sort of intelligence that suggested a good sense of wit and also of judgment.

Roger sat at one end of the long table,Billie at the other. “Alright,people,the latest meeting of the Oracle newspaper,for Friday the eighth of October in 1993,is in session” said Roger. “Mr Pfeiffer,have you any new business to report?”

”Yes,sir. Liv and I were discussing our replacements for the 1994-1995 school year when you arrived.”

Roger arched an eyebrow. “And who have you picked?”

Liz spoke up first. “Lacey Frells for Eyes and Ears. Like me,she’s social enough to get the type of information needed for the column but not gossipy enough that she’d want to ruin someone’s life or something. The column does have standards,you know.” This prompted John to snort.

”Cool your jets,John. You know I’m right.”

John snorted again. “Anyway, I’ve picked Kieran Warrington for sports-“

”And Dana Upshaw for arts and music”, said Olivia. “Michelle Lawrence will manage the social columns and Charlie Wilkins will be the webmaster for the paper’s site.”

The door jangled as Abbie Richardson burst in,her dark blonde hair streaming behind her. She was the Oracle’s resident cartoonist,responsible for the comic strip Jenny,which parodied the foibles of social life at the school.

”Sorry I’m late. I had English homework to do in study hall.”

Roger waved her in. “‘Salright,Ms Richardson. Please,take a seat.”

Abbie sat next to Liz. “So what were you guys discussing?”

”Our replacements for next year.”

”I think Leila McGuire would be the best choice to continue Jenny. I kinda want it to be a continuing thing,you know?”

Liz agreed with her. The strip had been a running fixture of the Oracle since its beginning. Following the adventures of fictional SVH student (and eternal junior) Jenny Blake,her best friend Katie James,and her boyfriend Bryce Rose,it had attracted its own small fandom during its run because of the way it examined the kind of life most SVH students lived. 

With replacements named,the meeting turned to new business. “As part of the new Behind the School series”, Roger said, “the school board wants a series of articles covering various aspects of school life. Liz,your mother thinks the first article should be a combination article for this series and-what’s the name of that Eyes and Ears spinoff you’ve done a bit of?”

”Personal Profiles?”

”That’s the one. It’s supposed to be on the popular kids - people like Lila Fowler and Cara Walker and Jeannie West. I’ve talked with the cheer squad and set up an interview between you and them. It’s next Wednesday,and you all will get out of last period. What is last period for you on Wednesday anyways?”

”Algebra. Gym for Lila and Jean,H&CE for Cherie,and I think Biology for Maria-is that right,Teddy?”

”Yeah.”

“I’ll see if I can’t set us up in the caf. Olivia,you can be photographer since Tina’ll be covering the basketball game.”

”Thanks,Liz.”

The meeting went on for a few more items,primarily discussion of upcoming events,and was dismissed by Mr Collins at 3:30. All in all,it had been a good day.

—————-

4:35 pm

”I'm going to strip,Teddy”, Enid Rollins was saying to her stepbrother. She eyed the blue dress on the table,the dress she’d be donning in a few minutes to wear to the dance. 

Teddy Collins helped Enid lift her shirt off,then watched as she took off her pants and underwear,standing and turning as she scanned herself in the mirror. "How do I look,Ted? Gimme your opinion." 

Below them,they heard a car screech as it stopped and voices. Enid's (real) brother's girlfriend Helen had arrived. Carter had been going out with Helen Bradley for more than a year and a half. Enid and Teddy both liked the red-headed cheerleader who always had something nice or witty to say and who'd led the school track team to victory a few times over the years. 

"You look good",Teddy said. Sashaying her naked body in a playful way,Enid walked over to the dress. "Thanks,Teddy",Enid said and kissed him on the cheek. She retrieved a pair of red panties from her closet and put them on, then shimmied into her dress. Enid was pretty in a plain way,with long,glossy brown hair, an oval face with grey eyes and a proud nose,and a nice figure (if a bit stout). 

Once Enid had finished dressing,they went downstairs for pictures. Helen was happy to see them.

Chapter Text

Cammi Adams
Terri Adams
Danielle Alexander
Kirk Anderson
Kate Arnfield
Tracey Atkins
Sabrina Avery
Tina Ayala
Sandra Bacon
Laura Banks
Roger Barrett-Patman
Jamie Barton
Susan Barton
Kelly Bates
Ginny Belasca
Alicia Benson
Lucy Benson
Sonia Bentley
Warren Blackwood
Peter Blake
Josh Bowen
Helen Bradley
Tim Bradley
Brandi Brown
Lavender Brown
Stacey Cabot
Christy Callahan
Ricky Capaldo
Leslie Carlisle
Charlie Cashman
Bill Chase
Tamara Chase
Guy Chesney
Theodore Collins
Ginny Culpepper
Aaron Dallas
Jim Daly
Olivia Davidson
April Dawson
Peter DeHaven
Lisa DePaul
Leslie Decker
Max Dellon
Brooke Dennis
Patricia Duvall
Ronnie Edwards
Brendan Egbert
Jackson Egbert
Winston Egbert
Sam Evans
Mandy Farmer
Alanna Feldman
Sandra Ferris
Bryce Fisherman
Sophia Fisherman
Melanie Forman
Leslie Forsythe
Lila Fowler
Neil Freemount
Jeffrey French
Mark Gathers
Mason Gathers
Teresa Gathers
Cameron Geary
Wendy Gibson
Patty Gilbert
Kerry Glenn
Dee Dee Gordon 
Elizabeth Gordon
Christian Gorman
Rachel Grant
Hugh Grayson
Denise Hadley
Roland Hamilton
Suzanne Hanlon
Michael Harris
Kimberly Haver
Sharon Haver
Amanda Hayes
Molly Hecht
Robbie Hendricks
Lynne Henry
Bonnie Irris
Lynne Jacobs
Dennis Jacobson
Pamela Jacobson
Rosie Jameson
Toni Jennings
Tad Johnson
Zach Johnson
Mary Judson
Lianne Kane
Diane Kaplan
Darcy Kayman
Terry Knapp
Dana Larson
Jeremy Larson
Sally Larson
Belinda Layton
Manuel Lopez
Roberta Manning
Tricia Martin
Randy Mason
Ken Matthews
Emily Mayer
Michael McAllery
Jerry McAllister
Pamela McDonald
Tom McKay
Claire Middleton
Amanda Miller
Jennifer Mitchell
Aline Montgomery
Johanna Morris
Nicolas Morrow
Regina Morrow
Shellae Mueller
Chloe Murphy
Tim Nelson
Shelly Novak
Grace Oliver
Ricky Ordway
Bruce Patman
Caroline Pearce
John Pfeiffer
Danny Porter
Johanna Porter
Julia Porter
Rachel Potter
David Prentiss
Cherie Reese
Mark Regis
Abbie Richardson
Ellen Riteman
Barry Roarke
Jim Robertson
Pamela Robertson
Annabel Rogers
Corinne Rogers
Carter Rollins
Enid Rollins
Ophelia Rushden
Maria Santelli
Dawn Schafer
Jeff Schafer
Dan Scott
Christy Seltzer
Rose Shaw
Nicky Shepard
Paul Sherwood
Eva Simpson
Andrea Slade
Maria Slater
Susan Stewart
Danny Stouffer
April Sullivan
Amy Sutton
Christian Tessier
Kristin Thompson
Scott Trost
Cathy Ulrich
David Wakefield
Elizabeth Wakefield
James Wakefield
Jessica Wakefield
Matthew Wakefield
Cara Walker
Ginny Walker
Mary Wallace
Lois Waller
Susan Waller
Allan Walters
George Warren
Lisa Warren
Patricia Webber
Arthur West
Jean West
Lauren Wexler
Becky White
William White
Annie Whitman
Cheryl Whitman
Todd Wilkins
Robin Wilson
Megan Winters
Leanne Woodruff
Sam Woodruff
Janice Young

Exchange students:

Viktor Krum (Ukraine)

Michael Sheldon (Ireland)

Kristen Bellenar (Netherlands)

Chapter Text

Cammi Adams appears,so far as I know,only in the Sweet Valley Twins books. She is a member of the ballet class the Wakefield twins take,and is in their grade at school. Her father is mentioned to be completely deaf and her mother tone-deaf, but it’s implied that their deafness will not be passed on to Cammi herself. My own version of Cammi is as an ‘everybody’s friend’ sort of girl,given to affection and perhaps to philanthropy later on. I imagine that by 2005 or so she’d probably resemble Anne Hathaway - at least I’d like to think she does!

In canon Cammi has one known sibling,her younger sister Cara. I decided to give her another for story purposes. However,Terri Adams is not my original character:she appears in some of the Sweet Valley High books as Ken Matthews’ girlfriend. I made her and Cammi twins for the heck of it. I think of Terri as the more practical twin,a member of a school club or two,given to getting good grades and all that fun stuff.

Danielle Alexander appears in some of the SVH books as a ballerina,presumably in the twins’ grade. The books don’t really attempt to give her much character:I tend to imagine her as a vivacious redhead with a toothy smile,perhaps acquainted with Jessica Wakefield and her crowd. Perhaps in their younger days she was a cheerleader for one of the junior high teams. It certainly would fit with what we know of her.

Kirk Anderson appears in some SVH books as a bully-ish sort of character,described as intimidating by some. His most important appearance is in SVH 46,Decisions,where he attempts to antagonize Todd in various ways. I imagine Kirk as somewhat reformed from his blunder years,a strong guy who’s well-meaning but doesn’t really know his own strength (so something like a latter-day Lennie Small). I imagine that despite appearances he’s actually one of the smarter guys in their grade,and has a bit of a friendship with Elizabeth.

Kate Arnfield is one of a handful of characters who only exists in the continuity of the Sweet Valley High TV show that ran from 1994-1997. She is evidently meant to be pretty gullible, as suggested by the ease with which a certain minor character took her out on a date. I imagine Kate as a sociable person,although not as sociable as some. Her family is one of Sweet Valley’s nouveau riche families,having a park named for them in the ‘40s. Physically,I imagine her with short auburn hair and grey eyes,short but with pert features and rosy red lips.

Tracey Atkins appears in the first Sweet Valley High Super Star book,Lila’s Story,as a minor character who’s on Lila’s tennis team at school. We don’t know a lot about her,other than that her family is upper middle class. In my imagination,Tracey is a pretty brown-haired girl,tall and shapely,with a heart-shaped face and a bright smile. She lives practically around the block from Lila,in a colonial-style house with her parents and two younger brothers.

In the SVH books,Penny Ayala is the editor of The Oracle,the semi-official school newspaper:however,she also happens to have a sister. In the books’ canon,Tina Ayala is actually in the grade below the twins, but here I have made her part of the twins’ grade. We know comparatively little about Tina,but I tend to picture her as an attractive girl with dirty blonde hair who likes her guys nice and muscular. Naturally,she and Elizabeth are friends.

Sandra Bacon is one of the more prominent supporting characters in SVH. We know that she’s blonde,that she’s attractive (duh!),that she’s a cheerleader,that she’s best friends with Jeannie West,and frankly not much else. Sandra is definitely a interesting character to develop for my story. In my mind,Sandra is an outspoken,athletic,and smart young woman with a passion for cheerleading and a penchant for pranking (yes,girls can prank too!). She’s closer to Jessica than to Liz but she and Liz are sort of friends.

What can I say about Roger Barrett-Patman that Francine Pascal’s ghostwriting team hasn’t already said? The rich stepbrother of Sweet Valley’s resident bad boy is a pretty nice guy all on his own. He’s a lovable goofball who got kinda screwed over by canon (no spoilers). My version of Roger is friendly to his stepbrother Bruce and (of course) to his longtime girlfriend Molly Hecht. He’s gotten a summer job working for Patman Enterprises as a stockboy and is eager to prove himself.