invited to a White House reception and your fairy godmother is getting ready to turn a zucchini from Mom's garden into a jet."
Jessica threw a hairbrush at her sister, missing her by several inches. "Very funny." She was trying very hard not to laugh.
"OK." Elizabeth giggled. "I give up. Where are you going?"
"To a party at Lila's. You could've been invited, too, if you tried a little harder to be friends with Lila."
Elizabeth shrugged. "Why should I? I think she's a phony."
"No phonier than some of your friends," Jessica shot back. "I won't mention any names, but I think you know who I mean. Her first initial is E--and I'm not talking about E.T., either."
"No comment," said Elizabeth. It bothered
her that Jessica was so determined to dislike Enid, but she knew if her sister guessed what she was feeling, she'd never let up. "Anyway, I wouldn't go to Lila's party even if I was invited. Face it, Jess, the Fowlers are snobs. I guess it comes from getting rich practically overnight."
"I don't care if their money grows on trees," Jessica said. "The point is, they know all the right people. Everybody who's anybody will be at that party."
"You mean like Bruce Patman, Bruce Patman, and Bruce Patman?" Elizabeth couldn't resist teasing her.
"You can joke about it all you like," Jessica said. "As a matter of fact, he is going to be there, and I'm making sure he notices me. So what do you think? Is the sweater dress OK? You don't think it makes me look fat, do you?"
"Yes and no."
"What?" Jessica screeched as if she'd just been mortally wounded. She whirled to face her sister. "How dare you suggest I'm fat? We weigh exactly the same, for your information!"
"Cool it, Jess. I meant yes, the dress is fine, and no, it doesn't make you look fat."
"That's better." Jessica switched back to her usual ultra-charming self, flashing Elizabeth a brilliant smile.
She yanked the last curler from her hair, letting loose a mass of golden ringlets. Curly hair
was the one thing Jessica regretted not having been blessed with.
Elizabeth went back to her room and to the book she was reading, but she couldn't seem to concentrate. She was thinking about Enid, worrying over the fact that she hadn't called. It had been a whole twenty-four hours since their double-date--a record for silence where Enid was concerned. Especially since she had to know that Elizabeth was dying to find out how her confrontation with Ronnie had come out. She'd tried calling Enid herself, but both times her mother had said that she was too busy to come to the phone.
Something strange was going on.
Elizabeth decided she would try calling once more, and if Enid wouldn't come to the phone, then she was going over there herself to see what was the matter. Had Ronnie broken up with Enid? she wondered anxiously. Was Enid angry with her for advising her to be truthful with him?
This time Enid answered the phone herself-- though Elizabeth scarcely recognized her voice. She sounded so cold and distant.
"Are you OK, Enid?" Elizabeth asked. "You sound funny, like you have a cold or something."
"I'm all right."
"You don't sound all right. Aren't you going to tell me what happened last night?"
Enid laughed, but it was a dry, harsh sound. "I'm surprised you have to ask, Liz. I should think it would be pretty obvious to you."
"What are you talking about? Enid, hey, it's me, Liz. What's going on with you? Look, I'm sorry if I told you to level with Ronnie. Was he upset when you told him? Is that it?"
"Upset?" Enid choked. "Yeah, I'd say he was upset, all right. Only I wasn't the one who told him."
"So he knows about the police record. Big deal. He'll get over it in a day or two. After all, it happened such a long time ago. It has nothing to do with you and Ronnie now."
"He knows about the letters."
Elizabeth gasped. "How could he have found out? You and I were the only ones who knew!"
"That's right," Enid replied icily.
"Oh, Enid, you couldn't possibly think--"
"What am I