Free SVH05-All Night Long by Francine Pascal Page B

interest. "Did Cara think you were me? I bet she did, right? Right? She is so totally oblivious."
    Elizabeth was trying to think of a way to wrangle herself out of this high-energy inquisition when Jessica's grin suddenly turned into a frown. Her eyes darted past Elizabeth and her brows knit.
    "What's up with him?" she asked with a sneer.
    Elizabeth turned to find Todd, dressed in his practice football uniform, trudging past them toward the parking lot. He had been scowling at Jessica, but the moment his eyes caught Liz's, he turned and looked pointedly away. Without a word to either of them, he just kept walking. Elizabeth felt like he was taking her heart with him.
    "He must've forgotten something in his car," she muttered. "He's probably in a rush to get back to practice."
    "Uh, okay. But he could at least wave," Jessica said.
    "I don't want to talk about this," Elizabeth, standing, told her sister. "Let's go home."
    "Wait. Liz, is something going on with you and Todd?" Jessica asked with concern.
    "Sort of. Not really." Elizabeth hedged. "Seriously, can we please just talk about this later? I want to go home."
    "Okay, fine," Jessica said with a shrug. "You go. I have cheerleading practice."
    For the first time, Elizabeth noticed that Jessica was dressed in her practice skirt and tank top and had her SVH cheerleading duffel bag with her. Liz's heart sank. She realized she had been hoping to
    have a heart-to-heart with her sister about Todd once they got home, and to get some advice about how to approach him-all without divulging the particulars of their fight, of course. But Jessica wasn't even going to be around.
    "But you missed all your classes," Elizabeth said in consternation. "What if you run into one of your teachers?"
    "Whatever," Jessica said, rolling her eyes. "I'll just tell them I was in the nurse's office during their class and I forgot to get a pass. It's not like they actually care when they're halfway out the door already. And if you mention female troubles to the men, you can get away with anything."
    Elizabeth sighed. Her sister, she hated to admit, made some valid points.
    "I'd better go. Coach'll freak if I'm late," Jessica said, shouldering her bag. "I'll get a ride home from Lila later. And, Liz, thanks again for everything today. You're the best."
    "You're welcome," Elizabeth said wanly. "But, Jess-"
    She was about to tell her sister that she wasn't going to be doing anything like this again, but Jessica was already halfway across the front lawn to
    the gym. Once again, functioning in her own little world.
    Taking a deep breath, Elizabeth turned toward the parking lot. She saw Todd striding away from his car in the opposite direction with his shoulder pads dangling from his fingers, taking a circuitous route to the practice field-probably to avoid bumping into her. Her heart instantly welled with sorrow and the realization of how much she had lost in one short day.
    All for Jessica. All for a girl who cared more about not missing cheerleading practice than she did about her own sister.
    ***
    "Jess! You are a total celebrity!" Cara bubbled, rushing over to Jessica in the locker room as Jessica adjusted her pleated red practice skirt.
    "I am?" Jessica asked, arching her brows.
    "I have been telling everyone how you humiliated Scott at the party," Cara told her, her green eyes twinkling with excitement as she toyed with her long, dark ponytail. "You're, like, infamous now."
    Jessica blinked. How she had humiliated Scott? What had Elizabeth been up to that day?
    "What exactly have you been telling everyone?" Jessica asked innocently, leaning down to retie her sneaker. "I just want to make sure you haven't left out any important details."
    "Don't worry," Lila said, her light brown hair falling over her pretty face as she struggled in vain with the zipper on her own skirt. "She probably invented most of it. You know how skilled Cara is at exaggerating."
    "Still, I'd like to know," Jessica