SVHSY #43 It Takes Two
The last two books were MUCH more snarkable, but this one was lousy. Last book we had almost NO Wakefield twins, and the focus was on Melissa! unsuccessfully attempting to get revenge on Will and Cherie, leading to everyone finding out and Will breaking up with her. The B-Plot was Andy trying to make it as a stand-up comedien. I'd rather stand up and slap him.
Journal entries: Will is tired of Melissa's shit and being whipped. He swears he'll never go back to it again. Liar. Melissa Fox is unstoppable. Jessica is tired of Elizabeth's shit and being the "airhead" when Lizzie is the one being a ditz recently. She hopes people will start noticing her being the responsible one. And Melissa Fox doesn't call herself a conniving witch. She prefers the term "survivor". So do I, Melissa, so do I.
Melissa gets home from being found out and is somewhat shaky, which is realistic. I know that whenever I try to get revenge on my jerk boyfriend and he turns the tables on me that I feel a little thrown. Anyway, she finds out that she's been accepted to Smith College. She says that she and Will had decided to go to a California school, but she'd secretly applied to Smith anyway...as a backup. Right. Because when I think of Smith College, I think of it as a backup.
Evan Plummer, our resident hippie gets put on the waiting list for Berkeley and whines about it for the ENTIRE book. Dude, it's a wait list not laughter that you you dared apply. Anyway, Evan the environmentalist freak is bummed and his girlfriend, Jade Wu, convinces him to go out with her, Tia and Andy. Jessica's working and we find out that because Evan bitches so much, the manager at House of Java sets aside special coffee for when Evan comes by: "Hey, I drink coffee, but only if the beans are picked by unionized farmworkers who are paid regulated wages and get health benefits." Seriously. He says that. While I admire the sentiment, I can't stand the self-righteousness. Anyway, he discovers that Tia got into Berkeley and he's jealous and pissed. Especially because Tia doesn't even know if she wants to go. How could anyone NOT want to go to his fave school EVER?? IDK, Evan, maybe not everyone loves the no showering hippie lifestyle that you embrace.
Will gets home from Melissa's shenanigans and is angry! Roar! He snaps at his mom for no reason and is annoyed that she's in a good mood. Why the good mood? Will has a fat envelope waiting for him from NYU. Apparently Will has decided to be a sports journalist since he can't play football anymore because of his bum leg. Anyway, he's gotten in and decides that he should definitely go there and leave Melissa's game playing behind. Loser. You'll miss her AND her game playing within five minutes. Besides, she was only getting BACK AT YOU. YOU STARTED IT! Jackass. He puts off filling out the information packet because he's not ready...still reeling from Melissa's betrayal and all that. Or so he tells himself.
Melissa tries calling Gina, Amy, and Lila, but none of them call her back. Looks like Cherie got to them first.
Evan meets with his guidance counselor who tells him that Berkeley (gasp!) doesn't JUST look at social justice things you've been a part of! They also are big on academics! And Evan doesn't have a great gpa. In fact, it sounds like he's pretty lucky to have been wait-listed. The counselor tells him that Berkeley usually accepts about three SVH students, so his chances of getting in will improve if one or more of those students reject the school. I think we all see where this is going, though Evan is too dumb to think of it just yet.
Cheerleading practice. Melissa is screwing up a little and the other girls are making snarky comments about her, lead by Cherie. Mostly they just say things that Melissa said about Jessica back in the fall, so Melissa is rather unimpressed. I'm with you, girl. In the locker room, Tia is complaining to Jess that she doesn't know if she should go to Berkeley. Melissa congratulates her on getting in, and then says casually for the whole room to hear that she got into Smith and it's her dream school. The other girls are paused, but not for long. They announce that they're meeting Aaron, Josh, Matt, and WILL at First and Ten. Melissa's stomach clenches and I want to shake her! You don't want Will! He's a dirty cheater!
Evan tells Jade what the counselor says and she suggests that he ask Tia to give up her spot. Wow. Jade's a selfish bitch. I can't believe that she thinks that's a good idea. Evan asks if he'd be a "supreme jerk" to ask Tia that (Yes. Yes, you would.), but Jade says no.
And here begins the Jessica Wakefield part of this book where she is the only awesome member of her family. She realizes that next week is Ned and Alice's 25th wedding anniversary (someone would have to doublecheck the Wakefields of Sweet Valley Saga to determine if this is accurate) and that she, Liz, and Steven have done no planning. She goes to Liz's room with her ORGANIZER. I can't believe she even has one, though most of it consists of things like, "Buy more Sedona Wild Plum Lipstick". "Duh--like she'd forget that." Liz's room is really messy and she's laying on her bed talking on the phone to Jeff, her loverboy, and refuses to get off when Jess tries to relay the importance of the anniversary, so Jess goes and calls Steven, who also forgot the anniversary. He asks to call her back because he's on the other line. MAJOR CONITINUITY ERROR ALERT!!! Jess asks if it's Heather, and he says that it's Rachel now. This is all while he's supposed to be living with Billie the girl. I wonder if SHE knows about Heather and Rachel.
Jess makes a list of possible celebration ideas, including a horse-drawn carriage ride that she immediately nixes. Too bumpy for pouring champagne and the smell of the horses. Liz starts a list with the carriage idea, too, because Jeff took her on one and it was so romantic and oh, what was she making a list for again? Stupid Liz.
Evan goes to Andy's house and asks his advice on asking Tia to give up Berkeley. Andy thinks it's a great idea! Evan decides that he'll call her that night and is less whiny now! That evening, though, Andy calls Evan and tries to warn him not to ask Tia because he just got off the phone with her and discussed it. Before he can give a proper warning, Evan picks up the other line and it's Tia! And she's mad! And rightfully so.
At the First and Ten, the girls snark on Melissa and Will's uncomfortable with it. Yeah, she did a crappy thing (in retaliation!!), but they just broke up yesterday. Why don't you give Will time to heal, ladies? Actually, never mind. I like it when he suffers. Like when the girls reveal that Melissa is going to Smith. Will gets bent out of shape because she wasn't sticking in California, so he tells them that he's been accepted to NYU. That'll show her, Will. Go to a school on the same coast as her.
This is why Elizabeth sucks: she gets back from a date with Jeff and is all Dreamy McLovey when Steven calls for Jess. She's not there so they discuss anniversary plans; Liz suggests some sushi place that Jeff's parents love and Steven agrees to meet her there the following afternoon at 6pm. She can't go (a date with Jeffy-poo), but promises that Jessica can. He insists that she let Jessica know that he's really busy so she better be there on time. Elizabeth never tells Jessica, though, so she gets an angry phone call from Steven the following night when she doesn't arrive. He won't listen to her say that Liz never gave her the message because he doesn't believe her. After all, he calls her "Airhead" or "Space" and Liz "Brain". Nice, Steven.
Evan calls Elizabeth to whine more about Berkeley when Jessica bursts in the room to confront her about the previous night. Liz reluctantly hangs up and lets Jess yell. I don't think that St. Liz feels appropriately remorseful and she thinks that Jess flakes out on her all the time so this is no big deal. Jessica also points out that Alice hates sushi, so picking that restaurant was a terrible idea. They agree to meet right after cheerleading practice and an Oracle meeting to go to Le Chateau, Ned and Alice's fave place, to arrange the party there.
At the end of French class, Tia's pen runs out of ink, so she asks to borrow one from Jade to write down the homework assignment. "Gee, Tia, I don't think so. You see, it's mine. But I'll add your name to the waiting list." Mega bitch!! If I were Tia, I'd have said something like, "Oh, you know what? I thought about it and decided to give up my Berkeley spot for your loser boyfriend, but now that you're being such a bitch, I'm keeping it. Suck on that." She doesn't say it, though. Darn. Then Tia runs into St. Liz who tells her that she shouldn't go to Berkeley. "I think you should give up your spot and give Evan a real chance. He really wants this, and I'm not sure you do. I don't think you're really being fair here." WTF?! Right, Liz. It's "fair" for Tia to give up the spot she earned for Evan to have a chance that he didn't.
In the locker room before cheerleading practice, the girls are snarking on Melissa AGAIN and let slip that Will's going to NYU. Melissa is bummed and hates that she has to get through cheerleading for the rest of the year when a better life at Smith awaits her. Then it dawns on her that she can say, "Fuck off," to these girls, so she quits the squad right then. Coach Laufield is pissed because Melissa is the top of the pyramid (of course she's on top!) and she'll have to write up an entire new routine for an upcoming halftime show.
Laufield cancels practice and Tia suggests that she and Jess go to Big Mesa to cheer on Trent and Jeremey at basketball practice. Jess really wants to, especially since she has an hour before she has to meet Liz, but does the responsible thing and refuses. Jess goes to Le Chateau, but they won't let her LOITER inside while she waits for Liz. She waits outside as it gets colder and colder and Liz gets later and later. Why is Liz late? She interns at Scope some sort of magazine or something and they call, needing her desperately. She decides that Jess will have to understand and goes. She tries to call Jess at Le Chateau (apparently these girls do not own cell phones), but they're unhelpful because she doesn't have a reservation and no one is waiting in their waiting area. Jess mans up and goes in by herself. She turns on the SVH Lila Fowler charm and announces that she's trying to book the place for all her parents' friends, and lists rich people of Sweet Valley like the Fowlers. She's no longer treated like a loiterer...but she's still mad at Elizabeth.
Jess comes home and Liz is on the phone with Jeff, of course. She lets Elizabeth know that the place is booked and all Steven and Liz need to do is invite the guests and get their parents there. Liz goes back to Jeffy.
Will finds out from Lila that Melissa quit and left them all in a lurch. He starts getting worried that she may swallow a bunch of pills again (I love that. Melissa will go to ANY lengths in her game-playing. What a professional) or something, so he goes home and calls her. She's trying to cull all non-Smith clothing from her wardrobe when he does, so she lets the machine get it and she gets mad at him for telling her that she shouldn't give up on things here. Then she gets really mad when he says that he doesn't want her to "lose it" later on. She hangs up and decides to go to a Smith symposium the following night at a nearby lecture hall.
Will is also mad, so he fills out his NYU packet and can't find a stamp. His dad doesn't have one, either, so Will decides he'll wait for tomorrow...maybe.
Lila Fowler journal entry!!!! Yay! Basically, she thinks it's interesting that Will's asking about Melissa, so she's going to start backing off from Cherie, who is not any good at being "top girl". Our Lila Fowler is smart, smart, smart. She should totally be in charge, forget Melissa, Cherie, or Jessica.
Melissa goes to the symposium, but leaves very quickly after the initial introductions. The girls there about what you'd expect from Smith, I think. Very Womyns' Studies-ish, and they look down on Melissa after hearing she was a cheerleader. She doesn't need that crap! She's Melissa Fox, damn't! She doesn't see it that way, though. Instead of deciding that she needs NO ONE(!), she decides that she needs WILL. Geez, Melissa. I thought we could be friends. She goes to his house with two Lakers tickets and apologizes for the way they talked the night before. He wants her to apologize for trying to cheat on him with Aaron, but she won't because he deserved it. He refuses the tickets and slams the door. Melissa, you deserve much better.
Tia and Evan both go to a Berkeley symposium, too. Evan is blown away by this guest lecture series they're going to have with all of his favorite hippies. Tia checks out the class lists for the Honors Liberal Arts program and is blown away by how much work/time it'll entail. She'd rather have something less intensive and be able to explore some other subjects, something this program doesn't really allow. She runs into Evan and lets him know that he can stop being a whiny crybaby because she doesn't want to go there and will give up her spot.
Steven sends out an e-mail to his parents' friends for the last minute party. He says that it's all thanks to his kid sister who put it together, and if they have any questions, they should call Elizabeth's private line. Jerk. At the anniversary party, Jess overhears some older women gush about what a wonderful son Steven is for putting this together for Ned and Alice, and she gets mildly upset that he's getting credit. Then Ned and Alice make speeches thanking their friends for coming, and Alice says, "I'm sure that Elizabeth went through twenty to-do lists!" Jessica gets upset and goes to the bathroom. Liz finds her there, sobbing. She swears that she'll tell their parents that it was Jess that put everything together and even pats Jess's arm (remnants of the old St. Liz??), but Jess is too upset. I can't snark on Jess here because I really feel for her and I know that I'D be just as upset if I were in her shoes...of course, I never will be because I'M the responsible Elizabeth type in my family...minus the cheating and shoulder pats. Right then the hostess comes in looking for Elizabeth because a man named Jeff is on the phone for her. Dear Lord. First, he's supposed to be at work, and second, they can't be apart for a few freaking HOURS?!
Jess blows up here when Liz gets up to take the call. "Whenever anyone else needs you--Jeff, the Scope, even Evan Plummer--you drop everything to help them! You're right there for everyone except me!" When Liz denies this, Jess continues, "I never matter in the family. All these years I've been the flaky, airheaded twin who no one takes seriously. And you've always been Little Miss Perfect who never does anything wrong. Only guess what. Now you're the flake. You get to space out about stuff and no one calls you on it. Me? I bust my butt trying to organize a party for Mom and Dad and no one--not Mom, not Dad, not Steven, not you--no one says thank you!" Liz feels a little bad here, but Jess tells her to go talk to her boyfriend.
Will's dad asks if he's serious about NYU. When Will claims that he is, Mr. Simmons asks where his acceptance application is. Will doesn't know and Mr. Simmons opens the freezer door and pulls it out. Apparently Will is actually Sharon Schafer Spier. He gives Will a stamp and tells him that he can walk down the street and mail it, if he's sure that it's what he wants to do. Will says it is, walks to the mailbox, but can't do it. Not without talking to Melissa! He runs straight to her house. Melissa is happy to see him, but sad to see the thawing out envelope for NYU. She tells him she's not going to Smith and boldly asks if he could sell her on NYU, when he asks where she'll go instead. He says he's probably not going and she invites him in to talk about college stuff. He agrees and she throws herself into his arms and with that, they are back together. Sigh. I miss her flirting with Aaron. He'd be a much better boyfriend. Except for his RAGE the year before. Double sigh.
Edit to add: Ned's parents foot the bill for the party, even though they didn't attend. They don't like Ned and Alice, either.
Journal entries: Will is tired of Melissa's shit and being whipped. He swears he'll never go back to it again. Liar. Melissa Fox is unstoppable. Jessica is tired of Elizabeth's shit and being the "airhead" when Lizzie is the one being a ditz recently. She hopes people will start noticing her being the responsible one. And Melissa Fox doesn't call herself a conniving witch. She prefers the term "survivor". So do I, Melissa, so do I.
Melissa gets home from being found out and is somewhat shaky, which is realistic. I know that whenever I try to get revenge on my jerk boyfriend and he turns the tables on me that I feel a little thrown. Anyway, she finds out that she's been accepted to Smith College. She says that she and Will had decided to go to a California school, but she'd secretly applied to Smith anyway...as a backup. Right. Because when I think of Smith College, I think of it as a backup.
Evan Plummer, our resident hippie gets put on the waiting list for Berkeley and whines about it for the ENTIRE book. Dude, it's a wait list not laughter that you you dared apply. Anyway, Evan the environmentalist freak is bummed and his girlfriend, Jade Wu, convinces him to go out with her, Tia and Andy. Jessica's working and we find out that because Evan bitches so much, the manager at House of Java sets aside special coffee for when Evan comes by: "Hey, I drink coffee, but only if the beans are picked by unionized farmworkers who are paid regulated wages and get health benefits." Seriously. He says that. While I admire the sentiment, I can't stand the self-righteousness. Anyway, he discovers that Tia got into Berkeley and he's jealous and pissed. Especially because Tia doesn't even know if she wants to go. How could anyone NOT want to go to his fave school EVER?? IDK, Evan, maybe not everyone loves the no showering hippie lifestyle that you embrace.
Will gets home from Melissa's shenanigans and is angry! Roar! He snaps at his mom for no reason and is annoyed that she's in a good mood. Why the good mood? Will has a fat envelope waiting for him from NYU. Apparently Will has decided to be a sports journalist since he can't play football anymore because of his bum leg. Anyway, he's gotten in and decides that he should definitely go there and leave Melissa's game playing behind. Loser. You'll miss her AND her game playing within five minutes. Besides, she was only getting BACK AT YOU. YOU STARTED IT! Jackass. He puts off filling out the information packet because he's not ready...still reeling from Melissa's betrayal and all that. Or so he tells himself.
Melissa tries calling Gina, Amy, and Lila, but none of them call her back. Looks like Cherie got to them first.
Evan meets with his guidance counselor who tells him that Berkeley (gasp!) doesn't JUST look at social justice things you've been a part of! They also are big on academics! And Evan doesn't have a great gpa. In fact, it sounds like he's pretty lucky to have been wait-listed. The counselor tells him that Berkeley usually accepts about three SVH students, so his chances of getting in will improve if one or more of those students reject the school. I think we all see where this is going, though Evan is too dumb to think of it just yet.
Cheerleading practice. Melissa is screwing up a little and the other girls are making snarky comments about her, lead by Cherie. Mostly they just say things that Melissa said about Jessica back in the fall, so Melissa is rather unimpressed. I'm with you, girl. In the locker room, Tia is complaining to Jess that she doesn't know if she should go to Berkeley. Melissa congratulates her on getting in, and then says casually for the whole room to hear that she got into Smith and it's her dream school. The other girls are paused, but not for long. They announce that they're meeting Aaron, Josh, Matt, and WILL at First and Ten. Melissa's stomach clenches and I want to shake her! You don't want Will! He's a dirty cheater!
Evan tells Jade what the counselor says and she suggests that he ask Tia to give up her spot. Wow. Jade's a selfish bitch. I can't believe that she thinks that's a good idea. Evan asks if he'd be a "supreme jerk" to ask Tia that (Yes. Yes, you would.), but Jade says no.
And here begins the Jessica Wakefield part of this book where she is the only awesome member of her family. She realizes that next week is Ned and Alice's 25th wedding anniversary (someone would have to doublecheck the Wakefields of Sweet Valley Saga to determine if this is accurate) and that she, Liz, and Steven have done no planning. She goes to Liz's room with her ORGANIZER. I can't believe she even has one, though most of it consists of things like, "Buy more Sedona Wild Plum Lipstick". "Duh--like she'd forget that." Liz's room is really messy and she's laying on her bed talking on the phone to Jeff, her loverboy, and refuses to get off when Jess tries to relay the importance of the anniversary, so Jess goes and calls Steven, who also forgot the anniversary. He asks to call her back because he's on the other line. MAJOR CONITINUITY ERROR ALERT!!! Jess asks if it's Heather, and he says that it's Rachel now. This is all while he's supposed to be living with Billie the girl. I wonder if SHE knows about Heather and Rachel.
Jess makes a list of possible celebration ideas, including a horse-drawn carriage ride that she immediately nixes. Too bumpy for pouring champagne and the smell of the horses. Liz starts a list with the carriage idea, too, because Jeff took her on one and it was so romantic and oh, what was she making a list for again? Stupid Liz.
Evan goes to Andy's house and asks his advice on asking Tia to give up Berkeley. Andy thinks it's a great idea! Evan decides that he'll call her that night and is less whiny now! That evening, though, Andy calls Evan and tries to warn him not to ask Tia because he just got off the phone with her and discussed it. Before he can give a proper warning, Evan picks up the other line and it's Tia! And she's mad! And rightfully so.
At the First and Ten, the girls snark on Melissa and Will's uncomfortable with it. Yeah, she did a crappy thing (in retaliation!!), but they just broke up yesterday. Why don't you give Will time to heal, ladies? Actually, never mind. I like it when he suffers. Like when the girls reveal that Melissa is going to Smith. Will gets bent out of shape because she wasn't sticking in California, so he tells them that he's been accepted to NYU. That'll show her, Will. Go to a school on the same coast as her.
This is why Elizabeth sucks: she gets back from a date with Jeff and is all Dreamy McLovey when Steven calls for Jess. She's not there so they discuss anniversary plans; Liz suggests some sushi place that Jeff's parents love and Steven agrees to meet her there the following afternoon at 6pm. She can't go (a date with Jeffy-poo), but promises that Jessica can. He insists that she let Jessica know that he's really busy so she better be there on time. Elizabeth never tells Jessica, though, so she gets an angry phone call from Steven the following night when she doesn't arrive. He won't listen to her say that Liz never gave her the message because he doesn't believe her. After all, he calls her "Airhead" or "Space" and Liz "Brain". Nice, Steven.
Evan calls Elizabeth to whine more about Berkeley when Jessica bursts in the room to confront her about the previous night. Liz reluctantly hangs up and lets Jess yell. I don't think that St. Liz feels appropriately remorseful and she thinks that Jess flakes out on her all the time so this is no big deal. Jessica also points out that Alice hates sushi, so picking that restaurant was a terrible idea. They agree to meet right after cheerleading practice and an Oracle meeting to go to Le Chateau, Ned and Alice's fave place, to arrange the party there.
At the end of French class, Tia's pen runs out of ink, so she asks to borrow one from Jade to write down the homework assignment. "Gee, Tia, I don't think so. You see, it's mine. But I'll add your name to the waiting list." Mega bitch!! If I were Tia, I'd have said something like, "Oh, you know what? I thought about it and decided to give up my Berkeley spot for your loser boyfriend, but now that you're being such a bitch, I'm keeping it. Suck on that." She doesn't say it, though. Darn. Then Tia runs into St. Liz who tells her that she shouldn't go to Berkeley. "I think you should give up your spot and give Evan a real chance. He really wants this, and I'm not sure you do. I don't think you're really being fair here." WTF?! Right, Liz. It's "fair" for Tia to give up the spot she earned for Evan to have a chance that he didn't.
In the locker room before cheerleading practice, the girls are snarking on Melissa AGAIN and let slip that Will's going to NYU. Melissa is bummed and hates that she has to get through cheerleading for the rest of the year when a better life at Smith awaits her. Then it dawns on her that she can say, "Fuck off," to these girls, so she quits the squad right then. Coach Laufield is pissed because Melissa is the top of the pyramid (of course she's on top!) and she'll have to write up an entire new routine for an upcoming halftime show.
Laufield cancels practice and Tia suggests that she and Jess go to Big Mesa to cheer on Trent and Jeremey at basketball practice. Jess really wants to, especially since she has an hour before she has to meet Liz, but does the responsible thing and refuses. Jess goes to Le Chateau, but they won't let her LOITER inside while she waits for Liz. She waits outside as it gets colder and colder and Liz gets later and later. Why is Liz late? She interns at Scope some sort of magazine or something and they call, needing her desperately. She decides that Jess will have to understand and goes. She tries to call Jess at Le Chateau (apparently these girls do not own cell phones), but they're unhelpful because she doesn't have a reservation and no one is waiting in their waiting area. Jess mans up and goes in by herself. She turns on the SVH Lila Fowler charm and announces that she's trying to book the place for all her parents' friends, and lists rich people of Sweet Valley like the Fowlers. She's no longer treated like a loiterer...but she's still mad at Elizabeth.
Jess comes home and Liz is on the phone with Jeff, of course. She lets Elizabeth know that the place is booked and all Steven and Liz need to do is invite the guests and get their parents there. Liz goes back to Jeffy.
Will finds out from Lila that Melissa quit and left them all in a lurch. He starts getting worried that she may swallow a bunch of pills again (I love that. Melissa will go to ANY lengths in her game-playing. What a professional) or something, so he goes home and calls her. She's trying to cull all non-Smith clothing from her wardrobe when he does, so she lets the machine get it and she gets mad at him for telling her that she shouldn't give up on things here. Then she gets really mad when he says that he doesn't want her to "lose it" later on. She hangs up and decides to go to a Smith symposium the following night at a nearby lecture hall.
Will is also mad, so he fills out his NYU packet and can't find a stamp. His dad doesn't have one, either, so Will decides he'll wait for tomorrow...maybe.
Lila Fowler journal entry!!!! Yay! Basically, she thinks it's interesting that Will's asking about Melissa, so she's going to start backing off from Cherie, who is not any good at being "top girl". Our Lila Fowler is smart, smart, smart. She should totally be in charge, forget Melissa, Cherie, or Jessica.
Melissa goes to the symposium, but leaves very quickly after the initial introductions. The girls there about what you'd expect from Smith, I think. Very Womyns' Studies-ish, and they look down on Melissa after hearing she was a cheerleader. She doesn't need that crap! She's Melissa Fox, damn't! She doesn't see it that way, though. Instead of deciding that she needs NO ONE(!), she decides that she needs WILL. Geez, Melissa. I thought we could be friends. She goes to his house with two Lakers tickets and apologizes for the way they talked the night before. He wants her to apologize for trying to cheat on him with Aaron, but she won't because he deserved it. He refuses the tickets and slams the door. Melissa, you deserve much better.
Tia and Evan both go to a Berkeley symposium, too. Evan is blown away by this guest lecture series they're going to have with all of his favorite hippies. Tia checks out the class lists for the Honors Liberal Arts program and is blown away by how much work/time it'll entail. She'd rather have something less intensive and be able to explore some other subjects, something this program doesn't really allow. She runs into Evan and lets him know that he can stop being a whiny crybaby because she doesn't want to go there and will give up her spot.
Steven sends out an e-mail to his parents' friends for the last minute party. He says that it's all thanks to his kid sister who put it together, and if they have any questions, they should call Elizabeth's private line. Jerk. At the anniversary party, Jess overhears some older women gush about what a wonderful son Steven is for putting this together for Ned and Alice, and she gets mildly upset that he's getting credit. Then Ned and Alice make speeches thanking their friends for coming, and Alice says, "I'm sure that Elizabeth went through twenty to-do lists!" Jessica gets upset and goes to the bathroom. Liz finds her there, sobbing. She swears that she'll tell their parents that it was Jess that put everything together and even pats Jess's arm (remnants of the old St. Liz??), but Jess is too upset. I can't snark on Jess here because I really feel for her and I know that I'D be just as upset if I were in her shoes...of course, I never will be because I'M the responsible Elizabeth type in my family...minus the cheating and shoulder pats. Right then the hostess comes in looking for Elizabeth because a man named Jeff is on the phone for her. Dear Lord. First, he's supposed to be at work, and second, they can't be apart for a few freaking HOURS?!
Jess blows up here when Liz gets up to take the call. "Whenever anyone else needs you--Jeff, the Scope, even Evan Plummer--you drop everything to help them! You're right there for everyone except me!" When Liz denies this, Jess continues, "I never matter in the family. All these years I've been the flaky, airheaded twin who no one takes seriously. And you've always been Little Miss Perfect who never does anything wrong. Only guess what. Now you're the flake. You get to space out about stuff and no one calls you on it. Me? I bust my butt trying to organize a party for Mom and Dad and no one--not Mom, not Dad, not Steven, not you--no one says thank you!" Liz feels a little bad here, but Jess tells her to go talk to her boyfriend.
Will's dad asks if he's serious about NYU. When Will claims that he is, Mr. Simmons asks where his acceptance application is. Will doesn't know and Mr. Simmons opens the freezer door and pulls it out. Apparently Will is actually Sharon Schafer Spier. He gives Will a stamp and tells him that he can walk down the street and mail it, if he's sure that it's what he wants to do. Will says it is, walks to the mailbox, but can't do it. Not without talking to Melissa! He runs straight to her house. Melissa is happy to see him, but sad to see the thawing out envelope for NYU. She tells him she's not going to Smith and boldly asks if he could sell her on NYU, when he asks where she'll go instead. He says he's probably not going and she invites him in to talk about college stuff. He agrees and she throws herself into his arms and with that, they are back together. Sigh. I miss her flirting with Aaron. He'd be a much better boyfriend. Except for his RAGE the year before. Double sigh.
Edit to add: Ned's parents foot the bill for the party, even though they didn't attend. They don't like Ned and Alice, either.