When I was first reading these books, many moons ago, I used to think that Nicholas Morrow was pretty dishy. Perhaps it was because he's one of the few Sweet Valley Boys who actually looks pretty handsome on the book covers; perhaps I was just taught to lower my expectations by Todd Wilkins. Either way, I was all about the Nicholas, so it made perfect sense to me that Liz would agree to go on a date with him, despite being in an exclusive relationship with Todd.

Of course, as an adult, I look at things very differently. Let's see what really happens in this book:

* Nicholas apparently falls in love with Elizabeth at first sight, despite her looking exactly like her sister, whom he managed not to fall in love with, even when he was talking to her for hours.

* Nicholas pressures Liz into a date, not listening to her repeated attempts to fend him off and basically telling her that she's too young to make her own dating decisions... so he'll make them for her! (Nice boy, right? Give me Bruce's overt sleaze over Nicholas's nice guy tactics any day.)

* Liz knows that Jess is desperately head-over-heels for Nicholas. She's also blatantly aware of her own relationship with Todd. She's in love with Todd, remember. (It's not like we're told at least once per book.) She still decides to go on a date with Nicholas.

* Liz then proceeds to lie to Jessica and Todd about the date.

* Jess continues to pursue Nicholas. Liz doesn't bother to tell her that she's wasting her time because Nicholas is love with someone else—her.

* Liz heads off to her date with Nicholas, making sure to put way more effort than normal into her appearance. But she's not interested in him at all, guys! Really she's not!

* Oh no! Todd's out for dinner with his parents at the exact same restaurant that his girlfriend's on a date with another boy! Who could've seen That coming!

* Understandably, he's more than a little put out by bumping into Liz and Nicholas. Instead of trying to explain to Todd, Liz pretends to be Jessica, because what's a little more deception by this point in time?

* Todd heads to the Wakefield house to apologise to Liz for thinking ill of her. Jess answers the door in a towel, Todd smooches her, Jess corrects his misconception (after complementing his snogging skills) and The Truth Outs.

* Jess stays mad at Liz for about five minutes, because she's finally realised just how boring Nicholas is, but Todd resolves to break up with Liz and starts giving her the silent treatment.

* Liz mopes around the school and Todd almost blows the basketball championship because he's so upset about his girlfriend cheating on him.

* It all works out okay, though, because Nicholas goes in to talk to Todd at half time. Todd doesn't punch him (WHAT?) and actually listens to what Nicholas has to say. Once a boy tells him not to worry about the date and that Liz's purity remains intact, Todd perks up immediately and heads right out to win the championship single-handed. Nicholas has apologised for borrowing Todd's property, so that's what matters.

* Liz gets off completely scot-free.

Side plot: Jess flirts with Randy Mason and eventually convinces his Jess-struck self to change her math mark on the school's new computer. He has a near-immediate crisis of conscience and decides to confess to Chrome Dome Cooper. Liz discovers what's happened and forces Jess to face the music with him, because it's important that people admit their mistakes, apologise and make restitution.

UNLESS, OF COURSE, YOU'RE ELIZABETH WAKEFIELD.

Honestly, the way that Jess is punished heavily for everything she does, while Liz gets away with murder, is one of the hardest things to digest when it comes to these books.

Oh, and Nicholas Morrow is a paternalistic creep.


Moral of the Story? Elizabeth Wakefield can do no wrong. Especially when she does.

[re-read - previously read around 3 times]