SVT #34 Jessica, The Rock Star
Gem Jem is truly outrageous!!
The book opens a few hours after the Melody Power concert at Secca Lake. It's late at night and an excited Jessica wakes up Elizabeth. Elizabeth is annoyed, but she allows Jessica to recap the concert for the 11th time so that the readers can catch up.
Thanks to Jessica's correct answer in a radio contest, the twins won front row seats. Which was fortunate because the concert sold out so quickly. Jessica gets up and announces on her way out that she is going to be a rock star just like Melody Power!
The next morning, Elizabeth thanks her mom for giving them permission to go to the concert and Jessica makes her debut wearing a 'rock star' outfit: her new Melody Power T-shirt, her shortest miniskirt, electric-pink tights, and pink high-top sneakers....looked as if she had put on every scarf and necklace she owned.”.
Alice tells Jessica that she is wearing too much makeup and explains that performers need heavier makeup on stage. Jessica wipes away excess eyeshadow and in true American Idol reject form says “When I'm a big star, you'll be sorry that you didn't appreciate me.”
At school, Lila wants to know if Jessica is going to a costume party and is sour because she couldn't get tickets to the concert. Only Mary recognizes the Melody Power getup because she was at the concert too. Ellen and Mary fawn over Jessica's outfit and her plans on becoming a rock star. Lila is annoyed.
But as the week drags on, all of the Unicorns tire of Jessica's obsession with Melody Power. Lila complains that she wishes that Jessica hadn't gone to the concert so that Jessica would talk about something else for a change. Jessica thinks that all of the haters are just jealous.
After lunch, Jessica enters the Mr. Nydick's classroom and she spots a flier advertising auditions for a female rock singer. She daydreams, is caught not paying attention, and has to serve an after school detention.
After detention, Jessica goes home and puts her Melody Power record on the turntable. She sings along with a growly Melody Power imitation and the racket draws Elizabeth out of her room.
Elizabeth wants to talk about how Jessica spaced out in history class. But Jessica couldn't care less about history and starts talking about Sweet Valley's newest rock band called NRG. It's made up of the cutest boys in school and they are auditioning for a singer tomorrow so Jessica needs to practice.
Unfortunately Elizabeth isn't a fan of Jessica's Melody Power imitation and wonders why Jessica isn't singing with her natural voice. A dismissive Jessica insists that her natural voice is kid stuff and that she has the charisma necessary to pull it off. Elizabeth informs her that Dana Larson and Sandra Ferris are her competition.
On Saturday a confident Jessica goes to the Patman mansion for auditions. The band consists of Bruce Patman on bass guitar, Aaron Dallas on electric keyboard , Peter Jeffries on guitar, and Scott Joslin on drums. The only thing missing was power ballads, big hair, and makeup.
But before auditions can begin, Marie Patman kicks them all out because they are too loud. Jessica volunteers her basement as an audition spot and says that if she is chosen as the singer they would have a place to rehearse permanently. The band members all agree to go over to the Wakefield home for the audition and Bruce goes to ask the Patman gardener for a ride in his van (1garden1?).
Jessica gets the singing job despite her horrific voice and Elizabeth thinks that the band is using her for the rehearsal space. Um..Duh!
During the next few rehearsals, the band keeps Jessica busy painting guitar cases, providing refreshments, and running errands in order to prevent her from singing. Bruce borrows a line from his grandmother and tells Jessica that she is a real gem. This inspires Jessica to use Gem as her stage name.
By this time everyone ,including Amy, knows how bad Jessica sounds ,but no one tells her.
Moving along, Jessica makes posters to advertise the rock band using creative slogans such as “NRG-the newest sound in rock!”. She hangs the posters all over town and the band gets a birthday party gig as a result.
The next day at rehearsal, Jessica's posters are overlooked by the other members of the band and she is beginning to realize that they are using her. Making matters worse, Lila is barely speaking to Jessica because she has missed so many Unicorn meetings.
The following Tuesday, Bruce brings a tape recorder to rehearsal. Jessica listens to her songs in private and realizes how awful she sounds. Dropping the Melody Power imitation, Jessica starts practicing with her natural voice.
Later that week, Jessica catches up with Lila and Lila says that since the birthday boy's parents are in the same country club, she should be able to get an invitation. Jessica is nervous and losing interest in being in a band because it takes up so much time. She is missing Unicorn meetings, shopping trips, and time with her friends.
While Jessica was practicing by herself later that night, Elizabeth went to the mall with her mother. In a store looking for a sweater, Elizabeth spots the band members shopping for a matching band costume. Fortunately they don't see her and as the boys shop they talk about how horrible Jessica sings and how they plan on giving her the wrong time so that she can't perform.
Oh and too bad if she gets mad because they will be so famous that they can rent rehearsal space! I guess even the deep pockets of the Patman family have their limits.
The boys then select their matching outfits and Elizabeth sneaks away to find a sweater that will match the rest of the band's costumes. While Elizabeth thinks that the boys are awful, she wrestles with whether or not to tell Jessica about her bandmates' deception. At first she was willing to go along because Jessica sounded awful, but ,after accidentally hearing Jessica practice with her pleasant sounding natural voice, Elizabeth is conflicted.
The Saturday morning of the gig, Elizabeth finally decides to give Jessica the correct time and the matching sweater she bought at the mall. The twins then head out to Simon Holliday's birthday party. NRG minus Gem is already playing and they sound awful. Unfazed, Jessica makes her way to the stage and begins her set with the band. Everyone enjoys her singing and her bandmates are shocked by how good she is.
On Monday, the halls of Sweet Valley Middle School are buzzing with excitement about NRG and Gem. And after school the band went to Jessica's house to rehearse.
The boys sans Bruce are fighting for Jessica's attention and wanting her input on their ideas. To Elizabeth's surprise, Bruce is waiting on Jessica and bungling Jessica's lemonade request. Note to Jessica: never trust Bruce Patman with an open container.
But after a few songs, Jessica quits the band and the Unicorns arrive to plan (what else?!) their next party.
B-Plot:
This just sets up the next book about Amy's pen pal. In an nutshell, Amy hasn't gotten a letter from her pen pal Samantha in a while and is worried. It never occurs to Amy that her pen pal may just be busy or simply isn't that into her.
Best line of the book: “Get to work on your fingering, Peter,” Bruce commanded.