SVT #70: Psychic Sisters
Elizabeth goes and jumps on Jessica's bed to wake her up and tell her. Jessica isn't best pleased, especially as it's the middle of the night. No, I wouldn't be best pleased either. Liz explains, and Jess realises she is telling the truth. Shame really, it would have been cool if they had really been psychic. Liz panics about what they will do about the talent show, but Jess, who is determined to have her moment in the spotlight, says she will think of something.
The next day (Wednesday), Liz rings up the hotel to explain about the cheque. The manager, Mr Peters, says it's fine, but he needs the cheque by Friday so can she drop it off please. However, he isn't in town until Friday, and the hotel is being renovated so no-one else will be there. She agrees to drop it off on Friday, as long as she can be back at school for seven for the damned talent show.
At school, the twins are still being treated like celebrities, apart from by Ellen, who is jealous and calls them fakes. Randy appears and tells them some more about his uncle, and why fake psychics are wrong. Liz feels all worried, but Jessica just keeps telling everyone they aren't fakes, and all will be proven at the talent show. To make things worse, Sarah Thomas has been chosen by the committee to make the posters, and Liz and Jessica, 'Psychic Sisters', posters are splashed across the school, (Jess isn't happy because she has Ellen Riteman's nose, as Sarah was doing Ellen ones beforehand and had to change it last minute). Jessica's brain will be working overtime I feel to sort this one out.
Jessica decides to talk to Maria, who used to be a child actress, but retired so she could have a normal kids life (In Sweet Valley? Are you joking. What with evil Carnival Ghosts, embittered cheerleaders, ancient Native American ghosts and English classes featuring slime, someone tell me what's normal about it). Jess tells Maria the truth, and begs for help putting on an act to convince everyone at the talent show they aren't fakes. Maria, not being a spiteful person, agrees, and teaches Jessica how to pretend-cry (a skill I thought she'd have learnt at birth) so Liz will agree. I thought Maria was Liz's friend, not Jessica's. O-K then.
Jess and Maria meet Liz in a room after school to tell her the plan. At first Liz refuses, as we all knew she would, and then Jessica 'cries'. Liz, being a total fool, falls for it hook line and sinker, and agrees to fake their act to fool the audience. As we all knew she would. Tut tut, dishonesty, Elizabeth! As soon as she agrees, Jess looks up with no sign of tears. Grr, I'd walk out then, but not our Liz. Maria instead goes with them to Caseys, as apparently she thinks ice cream is good for stage fright (yeah, and she's hungry after listening to Elizabeth's whining).
That night, Liz has a change of heart and decides not to go ahead with the show. She isn't convinced they can pull it off, and besides, its dishonest. She tells Jessica, and they have a massive row about it. Liz won't budge (go Liz), and they go to bed angry.
Both twins' have nightmares. Jessica dreams everyone is watching them on-stage and they can't do anything. Everyone starts chanting, "fakers, fakers", and Ellen gets up and denounces them publicly. Liz dreams nearly the same thing, except her family are all saying how disappointed they are in her. Bless. She wakes up and goes and jumps on Jessica's bed, again. Jess is even less pleased than before, and I don't blame her. She cheers up, however, when Liz decides she will do the show after all, using Maria's cheating method. Go Lizzie, you break those rules!!!
On Thursday, the twins learn Randy's uncle will be filming the contest after all. Liz nearly has a coronary, but Jessica rallies her round, as usual, and they meet up with Maria after school to practice. Maria was once in a movie about a fake psychic, and still has the props she used. There is a sheet she has where every consonant in the alphabet corresponds with a facial movement. They need to learn this before the next day. Yeah, right. That way, one twin can 'spell' out a word, and the other can guess it by mentally filling in the vowels. O-K then! They ask Maria to be in their act by being the person who asks the twins questions, i.e. think of an animal, and write it down, etc etc. Surely she could help them cheat a lot easier than this, being in this position, but obviously they don't think of that.
All evening the twins practice. At dinner, Ned asks Jess if she is OK, as her face is twitching. She is of course practicing. Lolz. This is probably the first time she has thought about something other than herself during dinner for a long time you guys!! Steven tells them they better not flop, as his ultra cool high school friends will be there, and he doesn't want to be embarrassed. Poor Steven, it must be hard having younger twin sisters who are part of a best selling young adults series :-p! Jessica gets angry and declares they will be the best in the show; after all, they aren't fakers! Elizabeth starts to feel really uncomfortable and tells Jess she can't go through with it, but gets rollered over by Jessica as usual and gives in.
All night long the twins practice because going to school and doing a performance where they they have to concentrate on not giving the game away on a few hours sleep is a really good idea and eventually get the code down pat. Liz is 'relieved', and they go to bed.
All day at school the twins' are nervous. Everyone is wishing them good luck for the talent show that night, apart from Ellen of course. Liz tells Jess she has to drop her mom's cheque off after school, but will be back at the school for half past 6 at the latest.
That evening, Liz goes over to the hotel. She thinks it's 'creepy' because everything is covered over in dustsheets and the place is deserted. A lone builder lets her in, but, in this series he does not try to rape her/steal her face/kill her/assume her identity or anything else. He tells her Mr Peters office is on the fourth floor, and points out the elevator. He then leaves for the weekend. Liz goes up, after waiting absolutely ages for the elevator. She is getting a bit anxious about the time. She delivers the cheque to Mr Peters no problem, and he offers to escort her down in the elevator (oh-er) after he has changed the message on his answering machine. She declines, and goes out to wait for the elevator. Because it takes so long, she decides to use the stairs after all. She runs all the way down, and when she gets to the bottom, the door is locked. Oh Noes!! She quickly runs up again, and Mr Peters has obviously by now left the building and locked the door as he left. She panics and tries all the doors of the levels down. All are locked. Oh Noes....
Leaving our intrepid explorer locked in a stairwell for the time being, let's see what Jessica is up to. She is at the school waiting for Liz. Time is ticking, and she's getting a bit worried. What if Liz has had a moral fit and isn't going to turn up. One of the acts has dropped out, so the 'Psychic Sisters' act has been brought forward. Besides, they are the stars of the show and everyone wants to see them. Mr Mason, Randy's uncle, comes backstage to meet the twins. Jess fobs off Elizabeth's absence, but wonders what is keeping her sister. Poor Jess I do feel for her at this minute. Mr Mason is quite scary and keeps rambling on about phony psychics, and how they should be locked up! However, eventually he goes to take his place in the audience, and Jess catches sight of Ellen practicing. As Ellen sees Jessica, she glares at her. Then...her voice cracks and goes altogether. Ellen blames Jessica; she says she put a curse on her. Haha! I hate Ellen, so go Jessica!! Jess protests, but Ellen isn't having any of it and goes off. Now her act is out as well, Jess really is in trouble. She can hear the crowd chanting for the 'Psychic Sisters'. Jessica suggests to Mandy and Belinda they invite Ellen to lip synch with them, and feels like she has done her friendly duty. As they rush off to the stage (with no rehearsal as a trio or anything - not that that matters as it is Sweet Valley and everyone is great), she whispers, "remember me well". It would be touching if it wasn't so funny.
Back to Elizabeth for a moment. She is still stuck in the stairwell, despite crying and shouting for help. She keeps imagining her lifeless body being found on Monday. No offence Liz but I don't think you'd be dead. And if you were, why would they go looking in a stairwell? Liz cries as she thinks about how embarrassed Jessica is going to be at the talent show, and how she will hate Elizabeth for backing out, even though she hasn't. She tries to send a psychic message to her twin, "Please find me Jessica, I'm stuck in the stairwell of the Regent Hotel".
Back at school, Jessica has no choice but to go on alone and apologise. She is thinking, "I'll never forgive you for this, Liz. This should be the best night of my life", (which is usual Jessica talk) as she slowly enters the stage, but as she gets centrestage she realises in a flash that Liz would never desert her (took you long enough, Jess). Liz must somehow be in trouble at the hotel. No, really? Quick on the uptake, this one! She gets centrestage, and apologises for Elizabeth's absence. She says that she has had a psychic message from her sister, and then pretends to be receiving another message from Elizabeth. She spreads her arms (not legs, for a change) and starts rocking. She cries, "heeeeeellllp me, heeeelp me, I'm stuck at the Regent Hotel". She then pretends to be alert and says, "Elizabeth, is that you", whilst keeping an eye on the camera to make sure Mr Mason is filming her. Haha, that's our Jess! The next thing she knows, Ned is by the stage. He looks angry and worried. Jessica tells him she is pretty sure Liz is stuck at the Regent Hotel, and he picks her up and carries her off stage. Mr Mason follows them, as this is obviously more exciting than the talent show!
In the car on the way to the hotel, Mr Mason interviews Jessica. They call the police at some point too. When they get there, they wait outside as nobody has a key. Mr Mason films Jessica, even though she isn't happy with how she sounds and asks to do it again. Thats Jessica, always concentrating on what's important, like finding her one and only twin sister. Mr Peters eventually turns up with the key, and they go in. They call for Elizabeth, and she starts shouting she's stuck in the stairwell. As soon as it's opened, Jessica rushes in to hug her, accompanied with Elizabeth's tearful, "I'm so glad you found me. I sent you a psychic message." Jessica then turns to the camera with a big grin, taps her temple and says, "see, psychic"
Everyone goes to Lila's afterwards for a party (what book would be complete without the obligatory party) to celebrate the talent show. I'm surprised the Wakefield parents let them but I keep forgetting this is Sweet Valley. Ellen is all happy because she got to go onstage in the end. Mr Mason has donated his film to the local news channel, and they watch it. That's a very quick news channel; the film must be considered breaking news, lol. It shows Jessica's performance at the talent show (to which Liz says, "how corny" - she isn't shook up by her experience at all, you see) and the film closes with the close up of Jessica tapping her temple and saying, "see, psychic". The newscaster announces at the end, "Whether this was an example of psychic messages or just sisterly love, this is a great story of trust and eleventh hour rescue."
Bless. I have a solitary tear!
On Monday, it is announced that the twins' didn't win the talent show. What, I thought they ALWAYS won; don't tell me that ghostwriters were trying to be fair or anything. I'm just back onto my chair after falling off in shock. Jessica is disappointed, but Randy tells her his uncle has a friend who would be interested in interviewing them for a magazine. Jessica is so dying to say yes, but she catches Elizabeth's eye and says no - after all they are fakes! they are retiring their psychic skills to concentrate on other things. Woo, Jess did the right thing for a change; my bottom is in danger of being covered in bruises at this rate from keeping falling off the chair!
It's a shame Liz got locked up really as I wanted to see how the fake performance would go!!! What do you guys think would have happened?
The foreshadowing for the next book is all the kids being excited about the Middle School football team's chances - leading onto #71. Jessica Saves the Trees.
The next day (Wednesday), Liz rings up the hotel to explain about the cheque. The manager, Mr Peters, says it's fine, but he needs the cheque by Friday so can she drop it off please. However, he isn't in town until Friday, and the hotel is being renovated so no-one else will be there. She agrees to drop it off on Friday, as long as she can be back at school for seven for the damned talent show.
At school, the twins are still being treated like celebrities, apart from by Ellen, who is jealous and calls them fakes. Randy appears and tells them some more about his uncle, and why fake psychics are wrong. Liz feels all worried, but Jessica just keeps telling everyone they aren't fakes, and all will be proven at the talent show. To make things worse, Sarah Thomas has been chosen by the committee to make the posters, and Liz and Jessica, 'Psychic Sisters', posters are splashed across the school, (Jess isn't happy because she has Ellen Riteman's nose, as Sarah was doing Ellen ones beforehand and had to change it last minute). Jessica's brain will be working overtime I feel to sort this one out.
Jessica decides to talk to Maria, who used to be a child actress, but retired so she could have a normal kids life (In Sweet Valley? Are you joking. What with evil Carnival Ghosts, embittered cheerleaders, ancient Native American ghosts and English classes featuring slime, someone tell me what's normal about it). Jess tells Maria the truth, and begs for help putting on an act to convince everyone at the talent show they aren't fakes. Maria, not being a spiteful person, agrees, and teaches Jessica how to pretend-cry (a skill I thought she'd have learnt at birth) so Liz will agree. I thought Maria was Liz's friend, not Jessica's. O-K then.
Jess and Maria meet Liz in a room after school to tell her the plan. At first Liz refuses, as we all knew she would, and then Jessica 'cries'. Liz, being a total fool, falls for it hook line and sinker, and agrees to fake their act to fool the audience. As we all knew she would. Tut tut, dishonesty, Elizabeth! As soon as she agrees, Jess looks up with no sign of tears. Grr, I'd walk out then, but not our Liz. Maria instead goes with them to Caseys, as apparently she thinks ice cream is good for stage fright (yeah, and she's hungry after listening to Elizabeth's whining).
That night, Liz has a change of heart and decides not to go ahead with the show. She isn't convinced they can pull it off, and besides, its dishonest. She tells Jessica, and they have a massive row about it. Liz won't budge (go Liz), and they go to bed angry.
Both twins' have nightmares. Jessica dreams everyone is watching them on-stage and they can't do anything. Everyone starts chanting, "fakers, fakers", and Ellen gets up and denounces them publicly. Liz dreams nearly the same thing, except her family are all saying how disappointed they are in her. Bless. She wakes up and goes and jumps on Jessica's bed, again. Jess is even less pleased than before, and I don't blame her. She cheers up, however, when Liz decides she will do the show after all, using Maria's cheating method. Go Lizzie, you break those rules!!!
On Thursday, the twins learn Randy's uncle will be filming the contest after all. Liz nearly has a coronary, but Jessica rallies her round, as usual, and they meet up with Maria after school to practice. Maria was once in a movie about a fake psychic, and still has the props she used. There is a sheet she has where every consonant in the alphabet corresponds with a facial movement. They need to learn this before the next day. Yeah, right. That way, one twin can 'spell' out a word, and the other can guess it by mentally filling in the vowels. O-K then! They ask Maria to be in their act by being the person who asks the twins questions, i.e. think of an animal, and write it down, etc etc. Surely she could help them cheat a lot easier than this, being in this position, but obviously they don't think of that.
All evening the twins practice. At dinner, Ned asks Jess if she is OK, as her face is twitching. She is of course practicing. Lolz. This is probably the first time she has thought about something other than herself during dinner for a long time you guys!! Steven tells them they better not flop, as his ultra cool high school friends will be there, and he doesn't want to be embarrassed. Poor Steven, it must be hard having younger twin sisters who are part of a best selling young adults series :-p! Jessica gets angry and declares they will be the best in the show; after all, they aren't fakers! Elizabeth starts to feel really uncomfortable and tells Jess she can't go through with it, but gets rollered over by Jessica as usual and gives in.
All night long the twins practice because going to school and doing a performance where they they have to concentrate on not giving the game away on a few hours sleep is a really good idea and eventually get the code down pat. Liz is 'relieved', and they go to bed.
All day at school the twins' are nervous. Everyone is wishing them good luck for the talent show that night, apart from Ellen of course. Liz tells Jess she has to drop her mom's cheque off after school, but will be back at the school for half past 6 at the latest.
That evening, Liz goes over to the hotel. She thinks it's 'creepy' because everything is covered over in dustsheets and the place is deserted. A lone builder lets her in, but, in this series he does not try to rape her/steal her face/kill her/assume her identity or anything else. He tells her Mr Peters office is on the fourth floor, and points out the elevator. He then leaves for the weekend. Liz goes up, after waiting absolutely ages for the elevator. She is getting a bit anxious about the time. She delivers the cheque to Mr Peters no problem, and he offers to escort her down in the elevator (oh-er) after he has changed the message on his answering machine. She declines, and goes out to wait for the elevator. Because it takes so long, she decides to use the stairs after all. She runs all the way down, and when she gets to the bottom, the door is locked. Oh Noes!! She quickly runs up again, and Mr Peters has obviously by now left the building and locked the door as he left. She panics and tries all the doors of the levels down. All are locked. Oh Noes....
Leaving our intrepid explorer locked in a stairwell for the time being, let's see what Jessica is up to. She is at the school waiting for Liz. Time is ticking, and she's getting a bit worried. What if Liz has had a moral fit and isn't going to turn up. One of the acts has dropped out, so the 'Psychic Sisters' act has been brought forward. Besides, they are the stars of the show and everyone wants to see them. Mr Mason, Randy's uncle, comes backstage to meet the twins. Jess fobs off Elizabeth's absence, but wonders what is keeping her sister. Poor Jess I do feel for her at this minute. Mr Mason is quite scary and keeps rambling on about phony psychics, and how they should be locked up! However, eventually he goes to take his place in the audience, and Jess catches sight of Ellen practicing. As Ellen sees Jessica, she glares at her. Then...her voice cracks and goes altogether. Ellen blames Jessica; she says she put a curse on her. Haha! I hate Ellen, so go Jessica!! Jess protests, but Ellen isn't having any of it and goes off. Now her act is out as well, Jess really is in trouble. She can hear the crowd chanting for the 'Psychic Sisters'. Jessica suggests to Mandy and Belinda they invite Ellen to lip synch with them, and feels like she has done her friendly duty. As they rush off to the stage (with no rehearsal as a trio or anything - not that that matters as it is Sweet Valley and everyone is great), she whispers, "remember me well". It would be touching if it wasn't so funny.
Back to Elizabeth for a moment. She is still stuck in the stairwell, despite crying and shouting for help. She keeps imagining her lifeless body being found on Monday. No offence Liz but I don't think you'd be dead. And if you were, why would they go looking in a stairwell? Liz cries as she thinks about how embarrassed Jessica is going to be at the talent show, and how she will hate Elizabeth for backing out, even though she hasn't. She tries to send a psychic message to her twin, "Please find me Jessica, I'm stuck in the stairwell of the Regent Hotel".
Back at school, Jessica has no choice but to go on alone and apologise. She is thinking, "I'll never forgive you for this, Liz. This should be the best night of my life", (which is usual Jessica talk) as she slowly enters the stage, but as she gets centrestage she realises in a flash that Liz would never desert her (took you long enough, Jess). Liz must somehow be in trouble at the hotel. No, really? Quick on the uptake, this one! She gets centrestage, and apologises for Elizabeth's absence. She says that she has had a psychic message from her sister, and then pretends to be receiving another message from Elizabeth. She spreads her arms (not legs, for a change) and starts rocking. She cries, "heeeeeellllp me, heeeelp me, I'm stuck at the Regent Hotel". She then pretends to be alert and says, "Elizabeth, is that you", whilst keeping an eye on the camera to make sure Mr Mason is filming her. Haha, that's our Jess! The next thing she knows, Ned is by the stage. He looks angry and worried. Jessica tells him she is pretty sure Liz is stuck at the Regent Hotel, and he picks her up and carries her off stage. Mr Mason follows them, as this is obviously more exciting than the talent show!
In the car on the way to the hotel, Mr Mason interviews Jessica. They call the police at some point too. When they get there, they wait outside as nobody has a key. Mr Mason films Jessica, even though she isn't happy with how she sounds and asks to do it again. Thats Jessica, always concentrating on what's important, like finding her one and only twin sister. Mr Peters eventually turns up with the key, and they go in. They call for Elizabeth, and she starts shouting she's stuck in the stairwell. As soon as it's opened, Jessica rushes in to hug her, accompanied with Elizabeth's tearful, "I'm so glad you found me. I sent you a psychic message." Jessica then turns to the camera with a big grin, taps her temple and says, "see, psychic"
Everyone goes to Lila's afterwards for a party (what book would be complete without the obligatory party) to celebrate the talent show. I'm surprised the Wakefield parents let them but I keep forgetting this is Sweet Valley. Ellen is all happy because she got to go onstage in the end. Mr Mason has donated his film to the local news channel, and they watch it. That's a very quick news channel; the film must be considered breaking news, lol. It shows Jessica's performance at the talent show (to which Liz says, "how corny" - she isn't shook up by her experience at all, you see) and the film closes with the close up of Jessica tapping her temple and saying, "see, psychic". The newscaster announces at the end, "Whether this was an example of psychic messages or just sisterly love, this is a great story of trust and eleventh hour rescue."
Bless. I have a solitary tear!
On Monday, it is announced that the twins' didn't win the talent show. What, I thought they ALWAYS won; don't tell me that ghostwriters were trying to be fair or anything. I'm just back onto my chair after falling off in shock. Jessica is disappointed, but Randy tells her his uncle has a friend who would be interested in interviewing them for a magazine. Jessica is so dying to say yes, but she catches Elizabeth's eye and says no - after all they are fakes! they are retiring their psychic skills to concentrate on other things. Woo, Jess did the right thing for a change; my bottom is in danger of being covered in bruises at this rate from keeping falling off the chair!
It's a shame Liz got locked up really as I wanted to see how the fake performance would go!!! What do you guys think would have happened?
The foreshadowing for the next book is all the kids being excited about the Middle School football team's chances - leading onto #71. Jessica Saves the Trees.