SVT #4 Choosing Sides
For all SVT trivia buffs: the first five original SVT books had these small black and white photos printed on the inside front cover, (this is from book #5) showing the subsequent Sweet Valley Twins covers just in case the reader had missed purchasing them. I held on to all my original Sweet Valley Twins copies with these inside photo covers in case they might be worth something someday (or for showing off on an internet web page that wouldn't be invented for about 20 years) I'm really dating myself here aren't I?
OK the Cover: The scene is the middle school gymnasium. Elizabeth is biting her fingernail in worry over her best friend. Why does Amy always look like an android on these SVT covers? You know, so…not-human-like? Amy looks dull and drab as usual yet the fact she's wearing JEANS to a cheerleading tryout leaves something to ponder. In this series, Amy was always described as having "straw-colored hair" but here it's almost a reddish brown! We know her hair was blonde in SVH. L'oreal anyone?
About the story:
Hard to believe anything could top the bitchiness in book #3 and what the Unicorns did to poor Nora Mercandy. Here, Jessica and the Unicorns have called up Amy Sutton's number while Saint Elizabeth can only watch from the sidelines, wringing her hands in dispair. We're only four books into the series and there's bullying, peer-pressure, gang relations, self-esteem, and eating disorders (way to go ghostwriters) but, remember folks, this was the 80's! Such teen-issues simply weren't discussed back then and if a teen girl had any self-esteem problems, well, all she needed was a good makeover!
Ok, now that I've got that out of my system, on with the recap!
Elizabeth has been sent upstairs to get her twin sister, Jessica, for dinner. Just in case our own fragile, teenage, self-image hasn't hit rock bottom already Jessica and Elizabeth are described as having long blonde hair, vivid blue-green eyes, pretty, tanned faces, graceful bodies and dimples in their left cheeks (I'm so UGLY! *sob*).
Jessica is practicing for her future career as a high school cheerleader and is so worried about her image, Elizabeth has to practically drag her downstairs to join the other Wakefields.
At the dinner table, Jessica is excited to tell her family all about the new middle school cheerleading squad except, Jessica groans, they also have to be fair and hold tryouts so EVERYONE can have a chance to participate, even those on the bottom rung of the social ladder.
In all modesty, Jessica explains, "Everyone wants to be like the Unicorns, because we're beautiful and special. That's why the Boosters are going to be so popular. So far it's all Unicorns." Oh, Jessica can you even HEAR yourself talking?
Oh, no, Princess Jessica has no qualms about putting others down as she complains to her family who never intervenes (great parenting) about all the "gross" girls who have already tried to get into the Boosters:
"Girls like Lois Waller, who's so fat she's really two people, and that icky tomboy, Amy Sutton."
Gasp! Jessica has just hit a nerve. Amy Sutton is Elizabeth's best friend and had recently announced to Liz her interest in trying out for the Boosters. Elizabeth is already worried about this, afraid her friend will end up rejected and hurt by the Unicorns. She weakly tries to stick up for her friend saying maybe Amy doesn't care about being popular like the Unicorns, maybe she just wants to be a cheerleader.
Here is where Amy's future downward spiral all started. Right here! Considering Amy will one day ruin many lives in High School, even driving Regina Morrow to her death and end up Jessica's best friend... Ah, the Sweet Valley Universe! It's just nuts! No wonder I loved this series as a tweeny!
I gotta keep quoting Jessica, she is so mean and self centered and we LOVE it! Liz tries to stick up for Amy but Jessica snorts back:
"...that's a joke because we'll never let such a tomboy into the Boosters. Cheerleaders are supposed to be beautiful and graceful. Not like Amy! She was the biggest klutz in our whole ballet class. Can you imagine her twirling a baton?"
Oh-Ho! Just you wait until the tryouts, Jessica!
And instead of using this wonderful opportuity to instill a little character buliding into their daughter, Ned and Alice just sit there and let Jessica rip on Liz's BFF. Like I said, great parenting.
Dinner is over, and Elizabeth quietly begins her chores of clearing the table and loading the dishwasher. Jessica, watching her twin, has a bit of a guilt rush. Even though Amy has a "plain face and stringy hair" which is all wrong for the stereotypical cheerleader look, Jessica is human enough to realize Elizabeth is feeling bad about the whole situation. Suddenly she jumps up and orders Elizabeth to "put (that dish) down right now or I'll call the dishwashing police. It's my turn to do the dishes."
"Dishwashing police," *grins*
Naturally, this smoothes over any bad feelings Saint Elizabeth ever had about her twin’s cruel put-downs about her best friend. But Jessica really is as cruel as we all know her to be. Five minutes later Jessica is on the phone to Lila Fowler her best friend and fellow Unicorn minion. Together they gleefully pick up where Jessica's dinner table put-down fest had left off and gripe some more about the trials of organizing a new club whilst keeping the unpopular girls out.
The next day the ghostwriter gives a shout out to Nora Mercandy from book #3. Nora has moved up the social ladder because Jessica and St. Elizabeth have stopped by walk to school with her. Nora’s not a witch anymore. Yay!
Jessica hurries on ahead while Nora and Liz speculate on the tryouts that will be held after school that day both for the new Boosters group and the SVMS boy’s basketball team. The final auditions for both will be held one week from today.
Elizabeth has a bad feeling Amy's in for disappointment, she knows these tryouts are already rigged and the Unicorns are only going to pick their friends to be on the school’s new cheerleading team.
Why isn't a TEACHER in charge of these tryouts?
School passes quickly and everyone is gathered in the gym for tryouts. With "regal and bored" expressions on their faces, Jessica, Lila and rest of the Unicorns all parade out of the girl's locker rooms in matching purple leotards and white tights to begin the Booster tryouts.
Lila is so domineering all she has to do is flip her "luxurious" brown hair around, glance coldly at the hopefuls lined up in front of her and make a few checkmarks on her clipboard. This scares a few girls so badly they make excuses and leave the tryouts. Can anyone say sociopath?
Apparently all non-Unicorns at SVMS have really low opinions of themselves. Just watching Jessica with her "graceful movements, clear voice, and air of confidence" as she demonstrates the tryout cheer makes all the other girls feel like losers. With such competition will ANYONE get picked to join this new team?
The girls form groups of five to practice the demo cheer and learn a baton routine that they'll use in the finals next week. Jessica gloats inwardly watching the other girls who giggle self-consciously, stumble over the words and are so uncoordinated as they attempt the movements of the cheer Jessica is positive they'll all drop out in sheer embarrassment. Some are near tears, others scowl in self criticism as they try to look like a cheerleader and fail miserably.
"What a bunch of dorks." Jessica whispers to Lila.
Jessica, Lila and Ellen are running the Booster tryouts like boot camp, all do their best to be as intimidating and domineering over the other girls as possible.
It's working; these poor twelve year olds are scared stiff as they pick up batons and try to follow Ellen in learning a routine.
Where are the teachers? Who's supervising this after school activity?
Elizabeth sits on the bleachers collecting material for the Sixers story she'll write covering both tryouts. She worries some more about Amy who looks just as self conscious and uncoordinated as all the other girls cheering and practicing stag leaps.
By the way, what’s a stag leap? I WANTED to try out for cheerleading in high school, but I had self-esteem issues! (I did pep band and drama club instead.)
Seeing Amy fumble through the baton routine Elizabeth closes her eyes in relief thinking it means Amy is going to drop out of tryouts and spare herself any more pain as it's obvious she'll never be good enough. That's our Saint Elizabeth!
Suddenly the boys basketball tryouts burst into the gym with shouting and squeaky gym shoes and pounding basketballs. Bruce Patman leads the other boys in chanting "Midget" at Ken Matthews, the shortest boy in school, which is enough to drive Ken out the door, almost, because he trips over Elizabeth's backpack on his way out. They strike up a conversation about the tryouts. Ken is really down on himself because of his short height and Bruce's teasing but Saint Liz encourages him to just try his best and forget about the teasing boys. Ken agrees and gets back in line for the basketball tryouts.
To Ken's embarrassment, the coach, seeing Ken Matthews name on his list, brags about Ken's father who was once the star basketball player (apparently middle school basketball outshines all upper grade divisions in Sweet Valley) and mistakens another, taller boy, in the line for Ken Matthews which Bruce and the other boys find hilarious.
The coach lets Ken try out anyway despite his height. After fumbling the ball and basically making a mess of his tryout, the coach takes Ken aside to lecture him: even though he has a famous father, once the star of the middle school boys basketball team (as everyone in Sweet Valley remembers) if Ken doesn't show improvement he won't make the team because it wouldn't be fair to the other players, you see. Way to rub it in, Coach. Call yourself a teacher?
Ken goes home and cries his eyes out.
Ok, he doesn't, St. Liz takes him under her wing instead. Amy wants to stay after and practice some more. Jessica's going out for ice cream with her friends so Elizabeth walks home with Ken. At Casa Wakefield Steven, at Liz's brilliant suggestion, tries to give Ken a basketball lesson but it doesn't go very well. Ken is hopeless at basketball, end of story.
Suddenly Elizabeth remembers an unbeatable trick for becoming a pro-basketball player: substitute a tennis ball for a basketball which will improve your coordination and concentration! (Would this actually work IRL? Has anyone ever put it to the test?) The two are happily bouncing tennis balls (wax on, wax off) when Bruce Patman rides by on his bike and teases Elizabeth and Ken who is so hurt by this insult he storms off angrily. Liz stares forlornly after Ken as Jessica arrives on the scene.
Jessica hopes Bruce didn't just mistaken HER for Elizabeth hanging out with Ken Mathews, (Ewwww, think of my reputation!) Jessica gripes some more about all the pathetic girls who tried out that afternoon.
Amy calls and she and Liz talk about tryouts. Amy had noticed Liz and Ken talking in the gym that afternoon but "that's all it was" Elizabeth reassures her friend and smiles curiously as the conversation ends. Matchmaking already Liz?
The next day at school Bruce ribs Liz and Ken some more calling them "Lovebirds" since everyone knows a girl caught bouncing tennis balls with a boy automatically makes them an item! Ken pounds a locker in frustration. Whoa, Ken! Don't start channeling a ToddPunch, you might hurt yourself.
Elizabeth says they should just ignore "the stupid jerk".
But by the end of day the "Ken + Elizabeth" rumor is all over school. Jessica is horrified. Amy is uncomfortable. Elizabeth is too busy sticking up for her twin's behavior to care about the rumor as she and Amy walk home.
Jessica's not like the rest of the Unicorns, Amy. Jessica would never be so mean trying to bully you off the team!
Oh, really?
Ken catches up with Elizabeth and Amy, he's not angry anymore just sheepishly embarrassed. Amy tells Ken he shouldn't let anyone talk him out of following a dream just because they don't like you. Ken looks at Amy in adoration. This is the beginning of something with those two, I just know it…
Later, at Casa Wakefield, Elizabeth is in her room trying to do her homework but her twin is blasting Johnny Buck from her room. Elizabeth enters and Jessica stops the music by lifting the tone arm off the record (if you don't know what a tone arm is, ask your parents) so they can talk about Elizabeth’s new "boyfriend" and Jessica's precious reputation comes up again. Elizabeth refuses to clear her name about the truth of their relationship and stop the rumors Bruce has been spreading. She and Ken are JUST FRIENDS!
Meanwhile, Amy is in her backyard practicing and she’s totally absorbed twirling her baton in the evening twilight when she's called to the phone. It's Lila and Ellen trying to scare her off the tryouts, urging her to drop out. Amy slams the phone down on them in response. Go Amy!
Ken is also hard at work in his bedroom practicing with his tennis ball (wax on, wax off) and is feeling very self-confident about the upcoming basketball trials.
At lunchtime the next day Jessica is first shamed by Lila out of eating the usual cafeteria food and into eating a carrot stick instead so she won't "get fat". (See, this book is just full of teen issues!) Janet Howell, the 8th grade Unicorn president, announces her dismay at how the Booster tryouts are going. She wants Jessica's help in letting the un-popular girls, especially girls like Amy Sutton, get the "we don't want you in our club" message so they'll all drop out. Oh, those Unicorns! Keeping the world safe from unpopularity.
Jessica has a great idea on how to discourage Amy from her goal of becoming a Booster. She writes two letters. The first one is to Amy which she signs "From Ken" in which Ken tries to “persuade” Amy to drop out of the Booster tryouts so she won't get hurt and (can't she see?) she’s just not as good as the other girls! The second is a really cheesy "love letter" addressed to "My dearest Ken," from Amy. Totally believable, especially considering the conversation Ken and Amy just had together the day before.
The other Unicorns pat Jessica on the back for her genius. These letters will assure Amy and Ken avoid each other from now on and since Liz is given an honorable mention in both letters, Ken and Amy won't want to be friends with her anymore either! The "Amy-Ken-Elizabeth Group" has been dissolved and the Boosters will now be made up of only the prettiest and most popular girls in school.
Okaaay.
Things get sorted out quickly. Lila and Ellen are in the girl's bathroom laughing over the letter writing plot, comically reciting their favorite lines. They chortle gleefully over Jessica’s letters while Elizabeth eavesdrops in a stall.
"The two cousins collapsed into giggles." (It's Lila and JANET who are the two Unicorn cousins, do your homework ghostwriter!) and Elizabeth, who has never been so mad in her life, waits for the two girls to leave instead of storming out and confronting them. Does Elizabeth report this to a teacher? Oh no! Meddling Elizabeth will find Ken and Amy and fix all this by herself! She'll deal with Jesscia later.
Elizabeth first finds Ken. He's already read his letter and actually believes it’s from a lovesick Amy! Seeing Elizabeth he turns red with embarrassment and tries to run away but Liz straightens him out about Amy’s true feelings and sends him off to the final basketball tryouts with confidence that he can do it and make the team!
Elizabeth then confronts Amy. She should just drop out of the competition, especially after all the Unicorn harassment and from what Liz just overheard in the girls bathroom they have something really super mean planned for Amy during the tryouts. Elizabeth's turquoise eyes are filled with worry, "...you've got to quit now Amy." But Amy won't, she's sticking to her principals. You go girl! Saint Elizabeth at least wishes her luck.
Elizabeth is at the drinking fountain when Ken literally runs into her. He's having last minute doubts about his basketball ability and short size but Elizabeth is all-get in there and just go for it! If Amy can go through with her tryouts just to spite the Unicorns, so can you!
Sure, after being bullied by Bruce and the other students, Ken should still try out for the basketball team and just go for it and not give up. But Amy's case is completely different and Liz has been pressuring her to quit throughout the entire story!
Lila stuns everyone by announcing if anyone messes up during any of the tryout routines, even once...that girl is OUT! Then acting all sugar sweet asks the teacher supposedly “supervising” the tryouts if that's a good way to do it. The teacher just looks surprised and doesn't say anything except "Fine".
Sweet Valley and their model teachers. We know who's REALLY running this school, don't we?
Amy then stuns everyone during her Booster team tryouts by breaking into her own original baton routine which ends with a spin and a flourishing catch of her baton. The really super mean prank Elizabeth tried to warn her about is when the other Unicorns all step back and leave Amy to do a cheer for Ken Matthews...all by herself!
On the other side of the gym the boys are having a scrimmage as part of their basketball tryouts and for Bruce the sight of a lone Amy cheering for "that midget, Ken Matthews," is just too much for him. He gets distracted, laughing and pointing at Amy. Ken takes this opportunity to steal the basketball from him and takes off like John Stockton. He scores a basket for his team leaving Bruce choking on his dust. Amy repeats the cheer, and the crowd goes wild! The coach can only stand and gape at Ken as he proves to the world that he can play basketball.
So, Amy is reluctantly allowed to join the Boosters. Jessica, Lila, Ellen and Janet don't even apologize to Amy for their actions and bullying, they weakly compliment her on her baton routine even though Jessica had called her "the biggest klutzoid in California" behind her back.
Amy says, "Just let me know when practices are, that's all."
Elizabeth was right, all Amy wanted was to be a cheerleader.
ELIZABETH is the one who apologizes to Amy for doubting her cheerleading ability!
So this is how Amy will one day grow up to be High school junior varsity cheerleader who has an even meaner viscious streak than all the Unicorns put together. Reading about her in the SVT series, you'd never know sweet, shy, Amy Sutton ever had it in her!
Ken will carry on "The Matthews tradition" at Sweet Valley because, of course, he made the boys basketball team. Everyone is invited Liz's house for celebration milk shakes and everyone lives happily ever after.
At least, until the football tryouts.