Sweet Valley Diaries

Extra Drama #63: The New [Insert Name Here]

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Inspired by Elizabeth's attempts at reinvention in book 63, Caitlin and Marissa compare notes about times they've made big change (plus a lengthy tangent about high school theater typecasting).

Book #63: THE NEW ELIZABETH w/Caitlin McCann

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Now who's new? Elizabeth is reinventing herself, and this time it goes way beyond a two-week perm. Caitlin McCann is back to dissect Liz's meteoric rise to the top of the local surfing beat, and the self-sabotage that sends her crashing back to status quo.

Check out Caitlin's The Lit Review

Follow SVD on Instagram and Twitter

Extra Drama #62: The Valentine's Day Dance

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Marissa and Julia compare notes on their respective high school dance experiences; 20-year-old crush gossip is spilled.

Sweet Valley Diaries on Instagram and Twitter

Marissa's Substack, Metaforia

Book #62: WHO'S WHO w/ Julia Kenney Smith

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At long last, it's an all-Elizabeth-and-Jessica book! No school (almost)! No friends (almost)! No teachers! Just our twins and the most ridiculous dinner date disguise debacle since Mrs. Doubtfire. Julia Kenney Smith joins Marissa in the (actual) studio!

Extra Drama #61: It's All Jim's Default

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Did you notice how there was no big, lusty "Boys" description of Patty's boyfriend, Jim Hollis, in BOY TROUBLE's main episode? Even though he's the boy that's the source of the titular trouble?

It's because he doesn't really get described.

This extra drama is kind of a thought experiment around why.

Book #61: BOY TROUBLE w/Marissa Wasseluk

 

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Patty Gilbert is having a scheduling nightmare! Her boyfriend is home from college for the first time in a month...and her sister is home from NorCal for the first time in 6 months! This is a bigger crisis than it sounds like. Also, there are handpainted t-shirts in this one.

Marissa Wasseluk returns to mark this auspicious Season 7 premiere!

Follow the show on Instagram, Twitter, or TikTok

Subscribe to Marissa's Substack, Metaforia

SUPER STAR: LILA'S STORY (w/guest reader Marissa Wasseluk)

Fa la la la Li-la Fow-ler!

 

 

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Picture this: it's the end of 1989. You're at the Walden Books inside the mall. As you browse the latest soapy middle-grade serials, what to your wondering eyes should appear but an ENTIRE book all about the elusive, elegant, rich, and endlessly scheming Lila Fowler. Your favorite character in the Sweet Valley High series.

Fast forward: it's 22 years later, and two Elder Millennials named Marissa are going to retell the story of this very important novel to you.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS, GLADIATORS!

Thanks to guest reader Marissa Wasseluk and Purple Planet Music.

 

The following transcript was automatically generated and only minimally edited. Apologies for any nonsense.

Super Star: Lila's Story

[00:00:00] Marissa F.: Superstar, Lila's story.

Happy holidays, Gladiators. Here is a special gift to you in your feed during the off season. Sorry, the off 'seasons going on so long, but it's not another reissue of special Christmas though. I do really recommend making that episode a part of your whole holiday tradition. Um, it's a beautiful redemption tale and today we have another kind of redemption arc of sorts and the person being redeemed, in my eyes at least, is notorious rich bitch Lila Fowler, um, who also happens to be one of the most popular favorite characters in the series based on things that people have tweeted at me.

I think that popularity might be due in large part to this book, uh, which is kind of amazing. So with me to address that question and of course discuss the book itself and the majesty, the purple mountains majesty that feels sexist or like objectification, can I, 

[00:01:13] Marissa W.: whatever the book is, purple book is 

purple.

[00:01:16] Marissa F.: Lila is like the original Purple Unicorn or whatever, you know, from club. Um, it means something to me anyway. I, uh, I'll, won't put off the introduction anymore. It's another person named Marissa. All your Marissa's here together. Marissa was solid. Hello? Hello, Marissa. 

[00:01:35] Marissa W.: Marissa. So happy to be here. Thank you for choosing me to read Lila's story with you.

Well, 

[00:01:40] Marissa F.: we were, uh, having an outdoor coffee co-working session as you do in Los Angeles today. It's indoor today. Today we're indoors. This is the first recording I've had in my beautiful studio in some time. Oh, really? Yeah. Um, it's been remote stuff or like other people's homes. Um, but I'm happy to have you here.

Obviously, longtime listeners may recognize Marissa's name or voice as well. I don't know if you sang in any of your previous episodes. This could be the first, but you have been our resident expert on the Porter family. Um, and you may continue that it should, the Porter girls come up again, but Julianne Joanna Porter, uh, if anybody listening doesn't know who that is.

No big surprise. They're not super major character geniuses. Yeah. The Porter family in general, computer geniuses. I think it was Shoah Joanna. Joanna decided to she was in less musical, but really into science. 

[00:02:38] Marissa W.: Yes. Achieve programmed a music, um, um, program. 

[00:02:44] Marissa F.: She programmed a music program. Yeah. So show that makes her musical in a way.

Yeah. 

[00:02:48] Marissa W.: Um, together nicely. Yeah. Like episode was that listeners need to rewind. It's going to be 

[00:02:56] Marissa F.: like a 19 and like a 40, I feel like I was just listening to a 47 is the last time you were here. So now when the new season starts, we're going to be on book 61. Okay. 

[00:03:07] Marissa W.: And this is a special edition. This is a 

[00:03:09] Marissa F.: special edition and it, but it falls pretty much right where we are the very end of 1989, think back.

And, um, when we were having our, okay. Back to the story, we were having our coffee. Co-working outdoor time here in beautiful silver lake. And you mentioned that this was a book superstar Lila's story. It was a book that. I remembered from your girlhood 

[00:03:38] Marissa W.: that I wrote fan fiction about because I loved Lyla so much.

Let's pause a moment and talk about representation in children's literature, please. Because I was, I w in my little hometown of legs, Erik, Illinois, um, all I read was sweet valley high. I was like nine, I think. And I was like all about sweet valley twins. And then I was all about sweet valley high because of Lila, because I would hear all about these beautiful blonde girls who are with their crystal blue eyes.

And, um, I, and I wanted to be blonde because I was reading all about the sweet valley twins. I was watching, you know, I grew up watching rainbow bright Shira. Everybody was blonde blue eyes, and then there was Lyla the dark beauty and, um, and you know, growing up in, uh, You know, suburban Illinois, there weren't a lot of Asian people, especially like half Asian people.

So like I got a lot of what are you, um, man, and it meant a lot to be like, oh, someone with dark hair and dark eyes is the main character of the story. And I didn't realize how big of a deal it was until now. Now it's a thing like where people are, are like we have to make, um, minorities, protagonists of the story so that kids can see themselves in.

I didn't really realize how important it was. Um, and I really got into sweet valley because I wanted more Lila even though Lila's is kind of a bitch 

[00:05:16] Marissa F.: it's um, I, that's so interesting. That's like an important perspective and it's something that I feel like. Uh, another facet to a story that we are hearing that I have kind of been learning over the course of this podcast and talking to all different people with different experiences with the books, um, but you know, all different kinds of people, um, for different reasons, I think love Lila and, um, this book makes you root for her, even when she's being terrible, it was just making bad choices.

It's like she's a 

[00:05:45] Marissa W.: manipulative. 

[00:05:47] Marissa F.: The story comes back around to make it all be for good, uh, you know, in the end, but we'll get, so she's the hero of the story, even though she doesn't stop being Lila, Fowler, you know, 

[00:05:57] Marissa W.: Lila, Fowler, 

[00:05:58] Marissa F.: Lila, this character who throughout the series is basically. Only trotted out to like, show how rich people can be in this neighborhood most of the time, because these books always have the Wakefield twins at their core, a really, really common theme of Lila's introduction.

Is that something she's saying is making Jessica feel really jealous that she doesn't have as much as Lyla does, which Jessica has a lot of great things, but she's just like upper middle-class instead of upper upper class. Yes. She doesn't have a car phone. Yeah. But I think that it's yeah, you're right in the, when these books were written, the mindset seems to be, from my perspective from now looking back is that it was a time when it counted.

Like it was quote unquote enough just to have characters that were not white or that were not stereotypical. To use the term of these books. That bothers me. I'm all American looking people as your care, look to how people in the periphery was like, good job. You know, other people exist, not, they're not just blonde white people in the world.

[00:07:12] Marissa W.: Um, I'm looking forward to 

[00:07:13] Marissa F.: season seven. Me too, me too. You're not alone in that because I 

[00:07:18] Marissa W.: mean, for all of how different Lila is, she is pretty much this like cut from the 

[00:07:25] Marissa F.: same. I mean, in a lot of ways, Lyla Fowler is sweet valley. Forget the Wakefield twins, Lila Fowler represents the allure of sweet valley.

California. People can be this rich. They can have the greatest fashions. They can live in a mansion. Let's talk about Layla's story. Shall we? This is the first such book of these superstars that we're talking about. And it's the first one that came out. There are some other superstar books that will happen.

I think there's one for Bruce Patman. This, I think he did gets one. Yeah. And so, uh, this was my first read for me for the first time, my first time reading this book and I, yeah, I was excited and I was different from what I was expecting. It's a summer book. Like a lot of these special additions have been, the super thrillers are all take place during mysterious summer.

And, uh, it's just a story of a thing that's happening to Lila. Like Lila gets to be the protagonist and it's extra long. Like these super additions tend to be well, 

[00:08:25] Marissa W.: a lot of things happen to Lila in these three weeks 

[00:08:28] Marissa F.: of her summer. Yes, indeed. Starts off simple enough. Of course they're at the beach, you know, she's at the beach with who else?

Amy, Amy, Kara, Jessica, Jessica they're at the beach, uh, like affecting a, sort of a aloofness, uh, and you know, looking over the top of their sunglasses and they like half nude boys and it was Lila also. Good 

[00:08:53] Marissa W.: enough for 

[00:08:53] Marissa F.: Lila. No, she wants an older boy. She's bored of all the boys in town. That kind of thing.

[00:09:00] Marissa W.: Jessica says you need to fall in love and she's like, puppy love. 

[00:09:04] Marissa F.: Yeah. That's rich coming from you just go Wigfield but the big news in Lila's life right now is that her father, George Fowler is dating a woman named Joan Borden and he, she lives in LA and her father has been spending a lot of his free time in LA.

And as someone who knows Lila Fowler, who these books I was, I felt really felt for her with this, um, Uh, who knows what personal baggage I might be bringing into that, but she definitely is constantly characterized as someone who just really craves her father's attention. And he's such a busy man that she doesn't get much of it.

Now he's spending his free time with this lady, John Borden. And it seems like it's getting serious. 

[00:09:49] Marissa W.: She also seems a little bit, she, she doesn't like the idea that it's happening, but she also seems a little bit like fine. Have 

[00:09:57] Marissa F.: fun. Right. And she thinks it's going to be like the way she is with boys.

Right? Like the way her father is with this woman, he's dated other women before he dated the French teacher. You know, he's dated women in these books. I still remember him dating the French team. He actually was way too young for him. Although who knows George Fowler is probably like 35, but, um, there's actually a line, uh, at the end of chapter one, her father is telling her yet again, I'm going to go out to LA.

So you're going to be home alone. Sorry, sweetheart. I didn't mean to snap at you. Uh, he's yelling at her for having overspent, uh, on her credit card at Lizette's she spent $600 on an outfit at Lizette's. She lied 

[00:10:37] Marissa W.: to her 

[00:10:38] Marissa F.: father about it. She's like, oh, I think that was a mistake. I was like, okay, well I don't have time to look into it now.

So it says to her, be sure to have Eva fix you something good for supper and don't wait up. I'll be late. Ill Lila. Didn't say a word. She didn't feel so bad now about lying about the credit card bill. What difference did it make? Her father was so wrapped up in his new girlfriend. He barely even noticed his own daughter was a lie, exclamation point.

[00:11:09] Marissa W.: Like I really felt for Lila to, yeah. They, there was a really good 

[00:11:13] Marissa F.: setup there, and it's not like in other books about like random characters where we're getting all this information for the first time. We know that this is Lyle is dynamic with her dad. Yeah, no. Yeah. Then pretty soon, uh, Joan starts coming over for dinner, like spending more time at the house and she brings her daughter Jacqueline with her.

Oh yes. 

[00:11:33] Marissa W.: It's the next morning where daddy surprises her with brunch. Yeah. He's like get some, get a lunch, 

[00:11:40] Marissa F.: a brunch menu. And did you notice what he said that they were gonna serve? 

[00:11:45] Marissa W.: Uh, I think it was. Nice white salad or something like that. He's like, 

[00:11:49] Marissa F.: he's like, what do you think about the menu? He proposes cold poached salmon with cucumber sauce and a light lobster sauce.

And then he says too much seafood and I'm just like too much sauce, sausage cold poached salmon. Honestly, it sounded good, I guess. So, um, maybe with like some bagels or like rice, it's like getting dangerously close to being 

[00:12:16] Marissa W.: that sauce, but 

[00:12:17] Marissa F.: Ava's on top of it. If it can do anything, Ava's the nice housekeeper.

So they're going to be there. Like they're just Joan and Jacqueline. 

[00:12:25] Marissa W.: He tries to trap her. Her father tries to trap her in situations where she would have to interact with the Borden's, especially Jacqueline. Of Joan. Um, he really wants them to get 

[00:12:39] Marissa F.: along. And the initial impression of Jacqueline Jacqueline seems sheepish at first.

Totally. She seems like in all of Lila, she's really quiet. She's so nice. Like sickeningly sweet. And I will admit that I was getting some Suzanne Devlin vibes from Jacquelyn. There is a book, I think it's book 11 of the series too. Good to be true. It's called about Suzanne Dublin of the aforementioned special Christmas redemption arc.

And the whole title of the book is like, this girl is so nice. She's bound to be not actually nice. Like nobody could be this giving and nice and also this beautiful, which is a problematic, uh, perspective anyway. Um, yeah. Yeah. 

[00:13:25] Marissa W.: So you have to be. To be like nice lady to beat, like, yeah, 

[00:13:29] Marissa F.: I guess so. I mean, maybe that's why Jessica hates even so much.

She was just like, I don't, I don't trust that girl. Like she may need to be this nice maybe, or like she's, if she's nice, she must not actually be as, as pretty as she appears. Um, anyway, I could, we could actually could think of a lot of examples where, uh, charity and attractiveness seem to be at odds in this series, but we'd have so much book to talk about.

Okay. I'm sorry. No, no, no, no. Apologies. I think 

[00:13:59] Marissa W.: Jacqueline. Oh, 

[00:14:00] Marissa F.: let's talk about Jacqueline talking about Jacqueline. That's a great idea. 

[00:14:03] Marissa W.: Um, well I really just, I, she had me fooled as cause she was just, she just wanted to be, but like I'm reading about Jacqueline. All she wants to do is be Lila's friend every time she entered.

Yeah. 

[00:14:15] Marissa F.: Well, another part of me was like, they're not going to go down that same road again. They've done that character. So yes, I was fooled by her because. I mean, spoiler alert, gladiators were saying the word fooled. Uh, but you know, she, she's definitely, she's so nice. And she's so meek, that's a, that is a difference between her 

[00:14:32] Marissa W.: and the lonely girl.

Now I started to get, like, once we talk, once you went to the I'm jumping ahead, a lot of, but once they went to the beach and, um, Francine starts talking about how attractive, uh, Jacqueline is, how her Auburn hair and her slim body and all that, I'm like, ah, she's not as nice as she is. 

[00:14:53] Marissa F.: Well, there we go. And just before that, something weird happened.

So you mentioned how George has kind of trying to force Lila and Jacqueline into proximity. Lila, not just with Jacqueline, but with Joan, with the whole board in situation, she is trying to steer clear of it. She it's like an avoidance tactic. Like if I don't look at them, they don't exist. Dad's going to get over it and we can go back to our lives, our lives, which, um, she describes early on.

This is what this is like Lila state of mind early on in the book, while his mood lifted slightly, as she looked around at the pristine beauty of Fowler crest, none of this would ever change couldn't her father see how perfect their life here was together. Just the two of them. Lyla was certain. He would never do anything to ruin the way they live.

Certainly he wouldn't let Joan Borden and her daughter spend too much time with them. 

[00:15:44] Marissa W.: And just mentioned, I love when mansions have a name and that this one's called Fowler crest 

[00:15:50] Marissa F.: crest. Yes. The mansion thing is funny. I highlighted something underneath here where they describe it as a 20 room mansion.

It stood out to me because when I was a kid, some person, I think, I know, I think it was my friend Francis at the time. My suspicion, um, told me that. In order for a house to be a mansion, it has to have 20 rooms. And like, that was the definition of a mansion. And it was one of those things that was just probably totally fabricated that I, like, she probably pulled it out of thin air, but I thought it was real, like into my adulthood that like 20 rooms.

It sounds 

[00:16:27] Marissa W.: like a fact. Well, I mean, I 

[00:16:30] Marissa F.: should have Googled it. Architect. Well, if a house does have to have 20 rooms to be a mansion, then it's not that exciting that fellow I'm like how many rooms do get mentioned in this book? I mean, there's a whole guest suite that the board ends are eventually moved into.

So Lila is fantasy here in chapter two, about how nothing's ever gonna change. Uh, he would never let the Borden's ruin what they have and their beautiful Fowler crest life. Uh, Lyla must be in on the secret that like time is not going to pass for them. Even if, if this were normal timeline, she would be getting older.

She would graduate. Like this would be, there would be a ticking clock on this whole lifestyle of there's anyway. But yeah, we know that because we live in reality and sweet valley, no such things. We'd Belize, 

[00:17:19] Marissa W.: chasm of it's. 

[00:17:22] Marissa F.: So you mentioned Jacquelyn at the beach when that happens, like her George and Joan are really pressing Lila to like put together an event so that Jacqueline can meet her friends.

And so she like gets her, her usual suspects on the phone tries to get a group together, but Jacqueline doesn't have a bathing suit and the Borden's are staying in sweet valley for the weekend or whatever. And so while it gets out her like six bathing suits, right, she's got these beautiful, like high fashion swimsuits and Jacqueline goes straight for the most expensive one that Lila has never been.

And while there's nothing particularly incriminating in that there was something about it that I was just like, Hmm, how would she know? Like, how would this unassuming sweet girl know which bathing suit to pick that would be like the fanciest, the most luxurious and piss off while at the moment? Yeah. So it'd be a coincidence.

[00:18:20] Marissa W.: Um, well, at first at first I thought maybe it was cause she really, you know, was sweet and meek and you know, she wouldn't really also why would Lila even put that one out with her, for her to be why? Because Lila mentions how much she doesn't like her stuff being touched and whatever. And yet dad is all like, um, share everything with Jacqueline, you 

[00:18:42] Marissa F.: know?

Yeah. Including stuff in the house that is like her mother, like Layla's mother. Signature, which is another complicated thing. Um, well, his mother isn't dead. She's just gone, but he got divorced. 

[00:18:55] Marissa W.: Uh, and yet Lila still has a soft spot for her missing mother and doesn't want her 

[00:19:01] Marissa F.: furniture. We upholstered.

Yeah. So sounds like we were on the same page here. Like these little issues with Jean and Jacqueline. Don't quite seem like at the level of red flags, they're like yellow flags pink. Yeah. I was going soccer. You were going color wheel. It's great. How to play soccer? Well, all I know is that there are yellow cards and red cards and they mean different things.

And I did say flags thinks that there's something off about the Borden's too, but it's just like, can we, is, can we trust Lila's suspicions? I don't know. Here's what she says. Lila slumped back in despair. She couldn't believe this. Her father truly seemed to be crazy about Joan Porton and Lyla. Really couldn't see why Joan was perfectly nice on one.

She brimmed over with enthusiasm for every detail, the flowers on the table, the lemon trees, even the delicious aroma of the coffee, but there was something about her that made Lila feel uneasy and Lila. Couldn't help feeling that Joe made too much of an effort to emphasize her Beverly Hills connections.

At one point, she told them that her mother had been an Aldean Westcott. She looked disappointed when no one commented on that back. And she had to explain that they were one of the oldest, most established families in the country, Lila twisted uncomfortably in her chair. Ordinarily she would have been impressed with someone who came from such old money and who seemed so sure of her place in society, but she didn't like the way Joan was barging in to felon crest.

So our spider senses tingle and Joe. This running thing with Joan and her last names and families really made me laugh. 

[00:20:41] Marissa W.: Can we talk about when she meets Jessica? 

[00:20:43] Marissa F.: Yes, we absolutely can. And I have it on page 55. I like I've marked this down. Can I marry it again? Set it up. We can set it up. Okay. They throw at the country club, right?

Oh yes. So the, you know, again, George is bringing the Bornes around, like, so everybody is starting to ask DeLila more and more questions about it. Poor thing. Like she really wants to bury this and pretend like it's not happening, but you know, the more George starts bringing these women around the mom and the daughter, the more people are like asking Lyla questions about it and, you know, trying to get her to be real about it.

And of course, everybody thinks the board and seemed great. Right. Yes, they're putting their best selves. And unfortunately for 

[00:21:31] Marissa W.: Lila adamant about meeting everyone in 

[00:21:33] Marissa F.: sweet valley, they really are. And unfortunately for Lila, you know, she's been complaining about these people and especially about Jacqueline, when her friends meet Jacqueline, they're like, she's great.

Like, I don't know what. Complaining about. And it's a little bit of a boy who cried Wolf kind of thing. Right? Cause Layla is always complaining about everything. So it's like just lie, Olivia and Lila. She thinks there's something wrong with Jacquelyn. She doesn't like her dad's new girlfriend makes 

[00:21:59] Marissa W.: me more empathetic to Lila because like, cause you can see like Jessica takes little jabs at her for being rich and everything like that.

And uh, it just she's as much. It seems like she boasts about being rich because she's like, well, that's how I define myself and that's who I am. So sit down and watch me be like this. But when you read Lila story, you see that there's really like more layers to it that it's like, why won't you believe me?

[00:22:27] Marissa F.: Right. Well, we mentioned at the outset that she has does a lot of scheming in these books. And she does a lot of scheming in this book. And before it helps her, her nature of kind of duplicitousness and mistrust really like gets her in a lot of trouble to the point where like the fact that she lies about the credit card to her dad, we're going to talk about some more lies.

It makes it so that the truth sounds like a lie from her. And the fact that she has come in is complaining all about every single thing about the Borden's with no real proof makes people who meet this like pretty nice girl, Jacqueline, be like, you seem disjointed with your complaints. And it's just Lila being Wila, which, you know, You can relate to both sides of that, right?

Yeah. If I were telling somebody that I really have a bad feeling about this person, that's invading my life, it's really upsetting me to have to pretend to be sisters with this new girl. And all my friends were like, oh, get over it. Oh, 

[00:23:29] Marissa W.: we're friends. 

[00:23:30] Marissa F.: It hurts. It hurts. Okay. So Joan Borden meets Jessica Wakefield 

[00:23:36] Marissa W.: there at the sweet valley country club.

Lila has, uh, is sunbathing with Jessica cleaning again. Okay. About Jacquelyn and 

[00:23:48] Marissa F.: Joan and Lila has told Jessica, but she'll probably tell you her lineage within seconds of being introduced, or she'll tell you about Jacqueline's debutante ball or something equally tied with them, you know, and then they're, they're coming over.

They're coming over. Lyla. It's so nice to see you again. She sat in a charming voice and who's your pretty friend Lila flashed Jessica and I called just Wakefield. Jessica said putting out her hand of the Boston Wakefield's or the Philadelphia Wakefield's Joan asks studying. Jessica was interesting. I don't think either difficult said, oh, Joan dropped her hand.

The look she gave, Jessica seemed to say. What a shame, but all she said was, and this is Jacqueline, my daughter, she laughed putting a pale hand up to her throat. KhaLila. Your father just had the most flattering thing to me at the bar. He said, I don't look old enough to have a daughter, Jackie Sage. Isn't that silly of him.

It certainly is. Flightless said,

boom. Hey, 

[00:24:52] Marissa W.: so good Lila gets in her jabs, the Boston Wakefield's 

[00:24:57] Marissa F.: or the Philadelphia 

[00:24:58] Marissa W.: Wakefield. I love your Joan voice, 

[00:25:01] Marissa F.: man. I need to get these together, but I just have to, you know, let, let the character speak to me, speak through me. So yeah, that's Joan. It is a little bit like you. Yeah. Um, something that Lila remarks at a certain point.

Oh, you mentioned upholstery. So they're back at Fowler crest. Uh, like ding dong. There is a guy at the door who has like Rhea, pollster to chair, like Joan had one of George's chairs. Reupholstery and she's weird about it. She's just like, oh, they've come early. How bad of them? I'll just, I'll go ahead and read what she says exactly.

She says those men are so bad to bring it around. Now when you're at home, I thought they were delivering it next week. She wants it to be a surprise. I guess she says, let me go upstairs and get my money. I only left a small down payment. She returned a few minutes later looking distressed. This is so embarrassing.

She said, I forgot to bring enough cash from LA to cover it while look at her within their own eyes. It struck her that for a very wealthy. John warden didn't seem particularly solvent. I enjoyed reading that sentence in a book for, for a teenager to preteens. I wonder how many kids like got out the dictionaries, like solvents.

I thought that was like very much in Lila's head, like for a supposedly wealthy woman on board. And doesn't seem particularly solvent. 

[00:26:24] Marissa W.: We talk about the timeline of George and Jones romance here. Yeah. Let's do it because, okay. It's not even the whole summer where we meet her and they decide to get married.

[00:26:37] Marissa F.: Yeah. That's coming gladiators in case you didn't see that coming well, 

[00:26:40] Marissa W.: you know, it's on the back of the book. 

[00:26:42] Marissa F.: I mean, it was obviously it was coming everybody in the sweet valley seems clear on the fact that it's going to happen except for lilacs. 

[00:26:50] Marissa W.: You know, there's like so many. Oh, we have to go introduce her to the people at the country club.

We have to, we have to put together a little, put together a little party at the wood. They do so 

[00:27:03] Marissa F.: many birthday party for Jacqueline and she's turning 16. 

[00:27:05] Marissa W.: And also why does Jacqueline not have her own friends in LA? 

[00:27:09] Marissa F.: Yeah. Why would Jacquelyn want to have a birthday party and sweet valley valley instead of in LA?

She goes, she's just met. She's turning. He met these other teenagers. Yeah. Weird. 

[00:27:21] Marissa W.: Why would a 16 year old not have their own own friends to invite to their birthday? 

[00:27:29] Marissa F.: Especially one like Jacqueline, you know, like supposedly lives in Beverly Hills, supposedly. It's pretty there's supposedly, but yeah. Um, she would maybe, maybe it wouldn't be good friends.

Maybe they wouldn't be real friends, but they neither are these people she's just mad. 

[00:27:46] Marissa W.: Yeah. So yeah, there was, it was very quick 

[00:27:50] Marissa F.: whirlwind romance, especially for her. I mean, to go back to the chair thing for her to be like redecorating the house, it's like you, yeah. Sorry. I was just seems like presumptuous.

[00:28:00] Marissa W.: They've only been staying over like four nights. They stayed over in the guest suite and she's like, I'm going to 

[00:28:06] Marissa F.: redecorate this chair. Well, but of course we know not to bring it back to this cause there's no fun, but we know as savvy adult readers that this is actually just like a MacGuffin, like it's a, it's a plot device because.

George Fowler is going to have to go get some petty cash. Petty cash is going to be missing and an order to talk about why petty cash is missing. We're going to have to back up just a little bit to talk about another very important element of this book. And we're also going to have to move to the part of the podcast where we talk about boys.

[00:28:50] Marissa W.: let's talk about 

[00:28:51] Marissa F.: boys. Yes. So Lila at the beginning of the book, not interested in falling in love, but then one night she's at the Carlyle Xavier concert and the sweet valley stadium. 

[00:29:05] Marissa W.: And so he 

[00:29:05] Marissa F.: fell. He's got everything. Bills. She knocks into a cute boy, spills his drinks and it's, you know, it's a meet cute lovey of Nora Ephron.

Yeah. 

[00:29:15] Marissa W.: Love it. First bump. Yep. Yep. 

[00:29:18] Marissa F.: So this is Evan Armstrong. Well-named boy ever. There was one very 

[00:29:25] Marissa W.: strong name for strapping young lad. Right? Who is unlike any boy she's ever come across in sweet valley. That's right. He goes to 

[00:29:33] Marissa F.: a different school. I think he's just graduated from Palisades high looking, looking at it again.

I think he just graduated. So, but it's summer. So that's why 

[00:29:43] Marissa W.: she never ran into him. 

[00:29:44] Marissa F.: Yes. He's an older boy, but he's dating a girl that I guess goes to sweet valley high. Yes, Sonya. Sadly. 

[00:29:51] Marissa W.: Yes. Who Jessica knows through cheerleading. Sonya didn't make it of course. 

[00:29:57] Marissa F.: Oh, right, right. We missed that. We missed that book.

I mean, I don't think, I guess it could go back and go back and check cheerleading tryouts. I don't know how many chilling trials out at this point in their junior year of high school. Um, so when you Bentley and they are like, Sonya is too short for Evan, that is her big. They seem to be a hot item, but there's a lot of the like, bitchy, like justification that Lila comes up with for why it's okay to break them up is that, um, Sonya is way too short for.

[00:30:34] Marissa W.: She can't even look at them together. This 

[00:30:36] Marissa F.: is your favorite character gladiators. Think about that for a second. I stand behind it. Yeah. I spoke to the gladiators in general, but you specifically Marissa? No, no. I mean, clearly Lila has a thought at one point she says something like if Sonya and Evan or this easy to break up, they shouldn't have been together anyway.

And she has a real point there. Yeah. 

[00:30:57] Marissa W.: I agree with her because, okay. Let Jessica has some inside deets about this couple, um, that she learned, well, trying out for cheerleading with Sonia, like her boyfriend, Evan has a really great car. Number one, like some Italian 

[00:31:14] Marissa F.: fancy car. This, this needs to be read verbatim because my goodness.

It's an important moment. Oh, let's 

[00:31:24] Marissa W.: rewind. And describe Evan to the gladiators 

[00:31:27] Marissa F.: here. Yes, it is the part of the podcast. We were talking about boys, and that is the jurisdiction. Of course, 

[00:31:33] Marissa W.: the two girls climbed out of their seats and made their way down the aisle to the concession stand. They were just getting in line for soft drinks.

When Lila bumped into a guy in front of her sending the cardboard box in his hands, flying and drinks in it, spilling to the ground. Whoops Lila said turning red, the guy looked down at the spilled drinks and shrug. Oh, well he said giving Lila, disarming smile. I guess what they say about not crying over spilled milk goes double for spilled soda.

Don't worry about it. Lila looked into his smoky gray eyes and was mesmerized. She had never in her entire life seen a guy. So utterly gorgeous and charming. Uh, can I I'm so sorry. I was totally my fault. Can I buy you more drinks? Nah, he said with an easy smile that took her breath away. Honestly, don't worry about it.

Lila tried to catch her breath. She couldn't bring herself to take her eyes off him. She studied his long bill. He was very tall, probably six feet, two inches or so with sun streaked blonde hair, he had broad shoulders and square of handsome features. He was dressed casually in faded jeans and a white polar shirt.

And he was very tan. Layla was instantly and madly in love, but before she could say another word he paid for new drinks, gave her a casual wave and smile and disappeared into the crowd. 

[00:32:58] Marissa F.: Sounds like a sexy boy. She goes back and talks to Jessica and the stands like who is that guy? Jessica gives you the scoop.

He's actually there with Sonia. That's how they see how the height disparities. They, uh, you know, very harshly and unfairly, uh, judge them for, but whatever, you know, 

[00:33:16] Marissa W.: person I'm very, I was, I felt 

[00:33:18] Marissa F.: triggered. Yeah. I mean, you can see what they're doing though. It's not really about that. Like, you know, it's a thing, especially high school girls, you can imagine, like, why are they together?

You know? Yeah. But what Jessica says is, I don't know all that much about him, aside from the fact that he drives the sexiest car on earth, a launcher coop, which is an Italian sports. Yeah, I Googled it. I Google a 1989 launch a coop and it is not the sexiest car in the world. And this, the ones in that like seventies models.

Okay. I mean, maybe it was like in the wrong car, but 

[00:33:57] Marissa W.: well, is it, what's it what's it worth 

[00:34:01] Marissa F.: because, oh, good question. Good question. 

[00:34:03] Marissa W.: I feel like a sweet valley teenager with like, no, the MSRP on that, 

[00:34:10] Marissa F.: especially one of these girls. For sure. Yeah. Um, so you mentioned, I mean, that passage is such a perfect, like one of these rare, like, um, really, really good boy descriptions.

We haven't gotten one in awhile. 

[00:34:24] Marissa W.: Well, you just knew, you know, you get when the new you get 

[00:34:28] Marissa F.: and you see, and it's important, like how much she lost after him, because you know, she really, it's gotta be this whole love at first sight thing. Um, later on when everybody's at the beach Desco and we'll get to what's happening there.

Um, she is like seeing him again for the first time and she's like gonna make her move on him. Um, and the book says she studied him closely and practically trembled at the sight of him. Sorry,

sorry. Go on. His arms were muscular and tanned and his jaw was set. He looked melancholy and angry, like a romantic hero. Well, I look, could feel a blush coming towards her lips felt more, you know, so she's, she's having a physical response, 

[00:35:18] Marissa W.: put it that way. Or the last time a man made me tremble.

[00:35:25] Marissa F.: it's a very 16 year old thing to, uh, to experience physically. Um, but yeah, so, well, I love basically is like, oh, did you say what, what, um, Jessica knows about Sonya. 

[00:35:39] Marissa W.: Okay. I didn't say, okay. So Jessica knows Sonia through we'd covered how she knows her. They had had a conversation during tryouts and apparently Sonia like is so into Bruce Patman.

He makes her tremble at the site, you know? Uh, 

[00:35:55] Marissa F.: yeah. And, and like, Evan is aware of this and. It's kind of like, Sonia, you need to stay away from Bruce. You know, it's a little bit possessive, but it sounds like it's warranted. Right. Um, so yeah, it's basically like Bruce shows up and Sonya is really excited.

This is Jessica's theory. So then like the next day at the country club Lila has arranged to meet Bruce and like have a talk with him. Like she's going to make a deal with the devil essentially, uh, to get Bruce's help and breaking them up. And then she's going to swoop in and steal Evan Armstrong. So let's talk about, let's talk about the scheme.

Let's talk about the scheme and I really want to read Bruce's perspective. On whether or not the scheme will work as well. We can do this all, all in one fell swoop. Here's a nice little passage. Okay. Do you think you could get Sonya interest in you again? Do you think you could get her to go out with you?

Sorry. That's not a good Lila. Let's try Lila again. This is Lila. Okay. Do you, 

[00:36:56] Marissa W.: sorry, you just sound a little like an 

[00:37:00] Marissa F.: Elizabeth. Do you think you could get Jessica to go out with you? Sorry. Do you think you could get Sonya interested in you again? Do you think you could get her to go out with you? Bruce gave her a look.

You've got to be kidding. He said dryly Lila. The girl was practically throwing herself at my feet last year. I don't see why it should be any different. Now she has a boyfriend Layla pointed out. Don't you think that might just be a tiny little bit of an obstacle, Bruce shrugged and took off his sunglasses.

Why should it be the guy can't possibly be as great as I am besides she had a boyfriend then? And it didn't seem to bother her. 

[00:37:39] Marissa W.: I love your bruise. I love it. If you can see her read Bruce, like an eyebrow thing, 

[00:37:47] Marissa F.: going back, that he, it says he took off his sunglasses is you can really picture it. He's like.

You David Caruso or whatever, like, you know,

so yeah, that's the scheme, but we can go into the details of the scheme. It's going to happen at the beach disco. Yes. So they, 

[00:38:10] Marissa W.: they know the time and the place and like she and 

[00:38:14] Marissa F.: Winston and Aaron, Dallas are having some kind of party that they're arranging. 

[00:38:18] Marissa W.: Oh, yeah. I don't know why I forgot there. He isn't Winston the class clown or something.

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. So I do enjoy with Winston, 

[00:38:29] Marissa F.: Bruce Patman and this book as that man, Batman, I have never seen before and it really tickled me. Um, he's like Winston and Lyle are dancing on the dance floor, which is already weird, but like wireless looking everywhere and here comes Bruce. Like, that's what she's waiting for because Bruce is like going to swoop in, on evidence Sonia where they're doing.

[00:38:48] Marissa W.: Yeah. And you know, I'm surprised at how much Bruce wanted to take part in Lila scheme, given how much Lila and Bruce hate each other, because they're the most rich, the richest teenagers in sweet valley. And they kind of like have a, a rivalry going on that, on the side, old money versus new money. Love.

Yeah. For Lila's true love. And, uh, she has nothing to trade him 

[00:39:13] Marissa F.: for. So, and 

[00:39:15] Marissa W.: he's like, ah, one day I'll 

[00:39:17] Marissa F.: get you in. Yeah, they basically, they do discuss it at the country club. So I'm going to do the same for you. What are you going to do for me? She's like, you're going to have Sonia. He's like, sh I get Sonya any day, whatever he says, you know, but he's like, they tried to think of something and eventually he's like, no, you're going to owe me one, which is dangerous, especially 

[00:39:35] Marissa W.: with Bruce.

And you never know what that one is, but it's kind of established that Lila and Bruce like have a like friendly rivalry that, where they love to hate. 

[00:39:47] Marissa F.: They're kind of cut from the same cloth, you know? So it's like game recognize game. 

[00:39:51] Marissa W.: So like, she's like, I know you can do this. This is what you're best at.

I'm going to let you do your I'm going to let you shine. 

[00:40:00] Marissa F.: And he, so he does successfully break them up. Like almost instantly all he 

[00:40:04] Marissa W.: needs to do is walk up to 

[00:40:06] Marissa F.: her. Well, it helps it Sonya he's. He was right about Sonia. Like basically he insinuates himself and is like, I really want to dance with. Sonya is like, Evan, is it okay?

Evan's like, no. And Bruce was like, yeah. Was just like, oh, come on, buddy. You can see, she wants, the lady wants to dance with me. And she's like, yeah, I do. You know, that's basically how it goes down then evidence brooding. That's when he goes out on the porch and Lila is waiting, pretend she doesn't remember him, even though he's making her tremble or whatever.

And from there it's like Lila and Evan are essentially a thing and he pretty soon he breaks up with 

[00:40:39] Marissa W.: Sonia that night before he breaks up with Sonia. Yeah. In fact, there is no actual scene. It's just. Well, he doesn't want to talk to Sonya anymore. 

[00:40:51] Marissa F.: A few days later, like we hear Lyla tell after they've gone to Miller's point of Intel's Wila but this is just like recounted Baila that he had called Sonia up and ended things.

I will 

[00:41:03] Marissa W.: say I was a little disappointed that they didn't go into more detail about hanging out at Miller's. I 

[00:41:07] Marissa F.: know. Right? Well it's because we're adults reading, like actual romance novels. It's like, but they are teenagers. So. It's kind 

of 

[00:41:15] Marissa W.: word in show when they just go like pan to the right and you watch the wind in the window, like, oh, Alicia, I supposed to insinuate that they had a hot and heaviness like Titanic, you know, 

[00:41:29] Marissa F.: we didn't even 

[00:41:30] Marissa W.: give that.

I wouldn't. Yeah, there she's just like, he took me 

[00:41:33] Marissa F.: up to Malone. There is a moment actually where, um, it's this is, and this is, I was just like the exception that proves the rule. Um, what it says is there at Millers point, it was a beautiful windless night, the moonlighting up the valley, like a wonderful beacon.

And before Alila knew what was happening, Evan was taking her in his arms, his mouth soft and warm. As he kissed her, she could feel his heart beating against hers. Oh, Lila. He cried, burying his face in her neck. It's like, okay, it's peace in her neck. 

[00:42:07] Marissa W.: But she seems certainly proud of her. That she, you know, got 

[00:42:12] Marissa F.: him to tremble.

She could barely conceal her joy. It was working like a dream, you know? So I was ready for the other shoe to drop with this pot line. I'm like, like every romantic comedy, you know, that starts as a trick. They fall in love for real. And then they have a breakup, you know, crisis in the finds out because he thought it was all a lie.

Yeah. That's not, what's going to happen though, but it 

[00:42:35] Marissa W.: isn't really a lie because she is really into him. Yeah. She just like, you know, schemes to yeah, yeah, yeah. Which, you know, I can't really approve of Lila, but it is very typically Lila. 

[00:42:46] Marissa F.: Right. So we find out and Lila finds out really quickly that one of Aaron's big things is that he's like a race car driver.

Um, he races like sports cars, like drag racing in. That the Davis Speedway or something 

[00:43:01] Marissa W.: someplace that's 30 minutes away from Fowler 

[00:43:04] Marissa F.: crest. Yes. Whatever that means. So

um, so the, this is kind of brings us back to the upholstered chair, the petty cash. Eventually Evan is like, I reloads collide. Yes. Evan really wants to enter this big, like qualifying race. He has what it takes to be a top driver, whatever that means, but it's going to cost $500 to enter Lila offers to give him the $500 he refuses.

She offers again, he refuses. He does not want to take this money from her. Good for him, but, um, she insists and then she takes it from the petty cash. And then on top of all that, she has a brilliant idea. She is going to take the key. Um, that her father keeps, uh, in hidden away. She knows where it's hidden the key to the drawer where the petty cash is kept.

We're talking, I'm using the phrase, petty cash. This is a household, like whatever, like some, 

[00:44:13] Marissa W.: well, her father keeps cash in his drawer for like, there's at least a thousand dollars in there at all times just in case, you know, someone has to repulsed or a chair or something. 

[00:44:24] Marissa F.: So, and I think like for, for Ava to go grocery shopping.

Yes. Um, cause at one point they reference how she's going to need more money because she's having them buy more groceries. Cause there are two more people at the house. Yes. I was a little worried for Ava at this point. Like, is she going to get in trouble for stealing this money, but no. So Lila plants, the key under.

Wait in Jacquelyn and Jacqueline's room. And also like, uh, um, and the pocket, she also like takes a necklace of hers and like hides and under Jacquelyn's pillow. Like she's trying to frame Jacqueline for like, basically to have everybody think that Jacqueline's not so perfect after all. 

[00:45:06] Marissa W.: And Lyla is very proud of herself for this game because she's, she can't wait until someone finds out that there's no money in the, or that there's $600, $500, less petty cash.

And, um, for her father to start asking questions. 

[00:45:23] Marissa F.: Yeah. So, but what actually happens is the father comes back from his office after having gone to get some cash to pay this upholstery delivery guy. And he's like, oh, it's so weird. There's this key that I usually keep hidden as sitting on my desk. And there's not as much money as there should be in this drawer.

Like, what's this about? Well, Y Lila is immediately like, oh my God, Jacqueline must've found the key and put it there. What does that mean? 

[00:45:53] Marissa W.: Yes. I honestly did not know where I was. 

[00:45:57] Marissa F.: And Jacqueline tries to claim to Lila when Lila confronts her about it, because, oh, because Jack also, she hasn't gotten a message that, uh, somebody called and left a message, right.

Or Jessica. 

[00:46:09] Marissa W.: Okay. Jessica was like, we were, uh, Jessica had told Lila, Hey we're where are you? We all went to, um, I think we all went to the beach or something. Um, and Lila wasn't there and she's like, it would've been great if you came. Um, and she's like, I didn't get a message that we're 

[00:46:25] Marissa F.: all going out.

Jessica leftward with Jacqueline, Jacqueline is like, oh, I wrote it down on your stationary. I put it on your desk. I left. It was like, you did not do that. And Jacqueline's like, I think there must be a ghost in this house, which is an intriguing idea, you 

[00:46:39] Marissa W.: know, said that she had put it next to her gold necklace.

[00:46:44] Marissa F.: Um, on her. 

[00:46:46] Marissa W.: So that's how, you know, that Jacqueline knows that she was being set up. 

[00:46:50] Marissa F.: Yeah. Yeah. It's very easy to picture the scene of these two girls. Just sort of like pretending to each other that, you know, like just like passive 

[00:46:57] Marissa W.: aggressive. Yeah. Yeah. They're saying more between the lines. Well, that's like the first time you're like the flags turn red with Jacqueline and we're like beyond the middle point of the book.

Yeah. This 

[00:47:12] Marissa F.: is, um, page. I have a note here that says on page 1 40, 1 of this is like a 210 page book. It says Jacqueline reveals herself. So let's see what that passage is. Shelving. 

[00:47:28] Marissa W.: Oh, well, oh, you might be talking about when George and Joan go on a long weekend and the girls are alone. Yeah. Okay, so that happens.

So, oh my God. Yes. The confrontation was, um, just before Joan and George were like, we're 

[00:47:46] Marissa F.: going away from him. Just a few pages earlier. Yeah. Like page 1 34 is when Jacqueline says this thing. I, well, I think there must be a ghost. Joan and George are going to go on a trip. Jacqueline's going to stay with Lila because that way she won't be home alone.

And Leila was like, oh, I don't think I'm going to like this. Well, she has no idea. Jacquelyn is about to reveal her true nature. And I was so tense during this because it's like Jacqueline turns into such a cruel, like sassy, like bitch to Lila and Lila. And there's nothing. Well, I can do about it because everybody thinks that Jacqueline, this is angel here.

What happens? Uh, she walks Lyla, walks into her bedroom. When she went upstairs to her bedroom, she found Jacquelyn twirling around in front of the mirror wearing the brand new suede outfit. Lila had bought from Lizette's. This is the one that she spent the $600 on. She couldn't believe her eyes. It didn't exactly make her feel better to see how fantastic Jacquelyn looked in it.

What are you doing? Lila cried. Jacqueline chugged, just trying on a few things to see what I need for the week. This is the first time I've seen the summer suedes, but still I thought I'd just try this outfit on. She tipped her head in the direction of Lila's bed, where the contents of both our closets were strewn and heaps.

You have so much stuff. It's hard to decide what I want most get out of my outfit. Lila snap right now. Why should I Jacqueline said calmly admiring herself in the mirror. I really don't see the need. Do you anyway, what are you going to do? Run to daddy and company. He's far away now, Layla, it's just you and me.

Ooh. Oh. And she's two goes on. She says, I have to give you credit. You didn't believe I really was the way I pretended to be. Most people buy it. Her column was unshakeable, I guess that's because you and I are two of the kind Lila, she smiled a nasty, I know your type kind of smile in any case, I guess you and I are going to have to learn to live with each other.

It certainly looks like that's what our parents have in mind. 

[00:49:54] Marissa W.: I felt like I was in boiling water when I read that, like she got, she got her. 

[00:50:01] Marissa F.: That is a good description. Lila is in such deep shit. And there's no way for her to get out of it. Cause nobody will believe. And, 

[00:50:08] Marissa W.: you know, it says a lot about when this was written, because like my first instinct is to be like, call dad or record it on your phone.

Yeah. 

[00:50:20] Marissa F.: Well, you're, you're, you're in the right Headspace, 20, 21. Yeah. But leave. But if we take it back, you know, 30 years, 32 years, you're you are getting close to the right head space. This, we will reveal, you know, we need proof. Right. It gets even worse when Joan and George get home. Right. Because, uh, before too long, um, this was really exciting part of the book, but also nerve wracking.

Lila is walking past the like guest suite where the Borden's are staying. And she actually overhears, uh, the conversation between the mother and the daughter. Do you want to do this with me, Jack? 

[00:50:59] Marissa W.: The winner, Joan. Ooh, you do a good job. 

[00:51:03] Marissa F.: My Jacqueline's not quite as distinctive. Um, 

[00:51:06] Marissa W.: your Jacqueline is quite Lila.

Oh 

[00:51:08] Marissa F.: yeah. Well, there are two of a kind. Yeah. Well, by next week at this time, he and I will be married and there won't be a thing to worry about anymore. Lila heard John say, what 

is 

[00:51:19] Marissa W.: that awful daughter of his gets in the way somehow I don't 

[00:51:22] Marissa F.: trust her LEL. His face grew hot and she felt dizzy. Fury burned inside her like a volcano.

Oh, I can manage her. Haven't I done a good job so far with her father Lila had to bite her lip to keep from screaming. What was going on. Then the voices resumed. I'm 

[00:51:39] Marissa W.: just afraid someone will find out who you really are. If he knew you didn't have a set to 

[00:51:45] Marissa F.: your name while his heart began to pound, how can you find that out, sweetheart?

Trust me. I know how to take care of George Fowler. As soon as he and I are married, you and I are going to be millionaires 10 times over. I'll make sure of that. Then all that's left for us to do is wait things out to like, and file for divorce and alimony. George Fowler will never know. Lyla runs away.

They don't know they've been overheard. 

[00:52:11] Marissa W.: Lila's not the only one with 

[00:52:12] Marissa F.: schemes in this book. They're full on con artists. 

[00:52:17] Marissa W.: And to explain why Jacqueline has no friends. Right. 

[00:52:20] Marissa F.: And of course she doesn't have any money. I thought it was funny. Like that's the part that really makes life. So, but it's like just finding that out.

Wouldn't really be a smoking gun. It's the whole divorce alimony thing. Like, I am literally just trying to marry this man to take his money. I don't care about him. I'm wrapping around my finger, like fifteens of sweet valley often do with boys, but this is her dad, you know, her dad and her dad 

[00:52:45] Marissa W.: has assets.

[00:52:46] Marissa F.: He's been duped. Yes. So Lila like thinks about it. She thinks about it. And she's like, you know what? I'm going to tell my dad when I heard. Yeah. And that scene is like, oh, so difficult. It really like speaking of shaking things, making one tremble, not in a good way. 

[00:53:06] Marissa W.: Like she was she. And what kind of environment has he created where she doesn't feel like she can be honest with her father.

[00:53:15] Marissa F.: And she's like, I, it's so hard for me to say this to you. Like every, not a normal thing for a while at a say. And when she tells him, like, I overheard something, they're not who they say they are. Her dad is like, you have been scheming against these women since they showed up. You never gave them a chance.

You have lied about so many things. He's so mad at her. It's really hard to watch 

[00:53:43] Marissa W.: or read. And as the case may be, she's stuck. She has made her bed and she is lying 

[00:53:50] Marissa F.: in it. Yeah. And speaking of lying, another bit of light let's do a segue, Bruce. You know, he knew like he picked the thing to make LA ask Wila to do in return, but he like knew would most upset her.

It's such a like monkeys bar thing, you know? 

[00:54:08] Marissa W.: Yeah. Um, so he had asked her, uh he's like, Hey, I finally know what I'm going to ask you for your favorite bag. And honestly, when I read that my heart sank, I was like, oh shit. Now is the time to, you know, pay back that debt. And, and, and, um, honestly I thought it would be bigger than it was, but Evan wants to race in this big race that she paid $500 to get him to fix the cars for.

Um, and Bruce's big question is, Hey, like now that I'm dating Sonya, because you told me to, and your dating Evan, I need you to get Evan to drop out of that. Cause he needs, he, his good friend. Who's 

[00:54:55] Marissa F.: he's like Tom, I was looking, I never heard it before and I didn't mark his name. Let's see, 

[00:55:01] Marissa W.: he wants his friend to win.

[00:55:03] Marissa F.: Yeah. He wants his friend to win the race. He's like, 

[00:55:06] Marissa W.: if Evan who's a really great racer is 

[00:55:09] Marissa F.: in the race. Bruce must have some money on the sky or something too, you know? Cause otherwise why would Bruce wouldn't do a favor out of the goodness of his heart for his buddy, right? That he 

[00:55:18] Marissa W.: actually mentioned that he does have money, um, on, on Tom or Toby or, 

[00:55:24] Marissa F.: oh, his name is this isn't the end of the book, right?

Yeah. 

[00:55:27] Marissa W.: He turns out to be really hot 

[00:55:29] Marissa F.: to 

[00:55:32] Marissa W.: Toby. His name is Toby. 

[00:55:34] Marissa F.: Bruce wants Toby to win. Bruce basically is like, if we get Evan out of the way, Toby is a surefire winner. So Alila really doesn't want to, because she actually genuinely does care about Evan, first of 

[00:55:44] Marissa W.: all. And she wants him to have the things that he, like, she wants him to sweep, but she comes up with an even grander scheme to get him to 

[00:55:54] Marissa F.: not write.

And once again, these, like these worlds are crossing over. She's like my dad doesn't believe. Because I've been scheming against the Borden's. So I'm going to change my tone. Totally. I'm going to be so cooperative. I'm going to help plan the wedding. I'm going to help plan. She suggests a joint birthday party and engagement party for the Borden's, which is already a pretty genius, like scheme to pretend like, oh, she's so excited about it.

Cause the Borden's like, can't really protest, but of course, like why would Jacqueline want her birthday party to be the same as the engagement 

[00:56:26] Marissa W.: party, but Lila is reinforcing how she has her father twisted around her finger more than Joan, because George is all about 

[00:56:37] Marissa F.: it. He's like, yeah, he's so excited that Lila is excited.

That he's, and he's the one who pulls, you know, he's the, what's the, the purse strings or whatever he holds the purse strings is the phrase. So he, that gives him the power, you know, you know, if, if, if we can get daddy to agree with it, then. We can get anything. And so she she's gone to the, the real power in the family, which is, um, which is daddy.

Yeah. So of course the Borden's can't argue with George's enthusiasm. They have to go along with it or else they risk revealing their true selves. And Lila 

[00:57:12] Marissa W.: actually says, when she's like, Hey, uh, we're planning this a great birthday party for Jacqueline. Um, how much are you contributing to this, to this 

[00:57:24] Marissa F.: party?

She's like, oh, maybe you want to pay for it. And George is like, oh, I like wouldn't hear of it. You know, but she knows she's sticking it to him. Yes. Um, so she goes to Evan and she's like, we're having this party. And you know, it's so hard for me. This whole thing has been so difficult. Um, I really need you to be there.

It's Friday. And Evan says, you know, lie that our race on Friday night, if I could be there for you, I would. But Lila drew in a deep quivering breath. Oh, it was race. She said quickly taking a step back with all my problems. I completely forgot. Nevermind. She said hastily at her most martyr, like voice. I'm sure I'll be fine.

It doesn't matter. Evan, the hurt and betrayal, she managed to work into her voice. Surprised her. She didn't even feel like she was acting. Evan bowed his head. Okay. I'll bag the race. I want to be there for you. He murmured. So little Lila is excited. I thought that was such a talent. Sweet little sentence in the middle of this.

Like, she didn't even feel like she was acting like that is a moment of, of, uh, literature in this book.

[00:58:39] Marissa W.: Yeah. I mean that also endears Lyla too, because like, she, she does, even though she's scheming, she does have these feelings and honestly, it's not a lot to ask your boyfriend 

[00:58:50] Marissa F.: and she does want him to be there for her difficult time. You know, it's like, it's not, we wouldn't be 

[00:58:55] Marissa W.: in the race if not for her $500.

So 

[00:58:59] Marissa F.: like what she's not getting, they're not getting back by the way. 

[00:59:03] Marissa W.: Like, so like how big of your you race every weekend? How big of a deal is it to, you know, not go honestly, If he said, no, I'm going to raise out a 

[00:59:14] Marissa F.: broken up with him. Um, but yeah, so she's really excited and it's all, you know, she's paid back Bruce or whatever.

She feels bad about it, but whatever, she's excited, he's going to be there. Yeah. 

[00:59:29] Marissa W.: She gets what she wants to fold. She gets to fulfill her, her debt to Bruce and she gets to have her boyfriend at the party. Right. 

[00:59:38] Marissa F.: So, um, and at the party, when Evan goes, she like sees him talking to Jacquelyn a little bit and she's like, Hmm.

They seem awfully friendly. That's weird. But you know, when she brings it up to him, he's like, oh, you have to talk to other women. And he wasn't particularly, he makes it sound like, oh yeah. You know, I was telling her happy birthday. She's not that interesting. You know, he like, really doesn't seem like he, and 

[01:00:02] Marissa W.: he goes to the whole, like, she's actually a nice girl.

You don't even know. And she's like, you know, you, I do know. So please just hang out with me. Yeah. 

[01:00:12] Marissa F.: How about we stop talking about it, talking about Jacqueline, but Lila still has one really big problem, which is that she needs to get this wedding canceled or like her father is going to be ruined. It's like the day of the wedding arrives.

And 

[01:00:26] Marissa W.: honestly, when we got to that point, cause like it, it sort of all tumbled, they had their engagement party and then what three weeks goes by and they're getting in, they're going to get married, 

[01:00:35] Marissa F.: I guess. So. And we just have Lyle, like sitting on her bed, like it was the morning of the wedding.

[01:00:48] Marissa W.: like, I really thought they would be more things happening, but we just go straight to the wedding. Uh, and oh, when do we see Evan and Jacquelyn again? Is that 

[01:01:00] Marissa F.: the wedding or. Uh, she has been helping them like helping with wedding plans while evidence at the house. And so she just kind of lost track of him a little bit.

And she walks past, this is not the day of the wedding. It's like he was jumping over 

[01:01:14] Marissa W.: the pool and like, everybody loves him at 

[01:01:17] Marissa F.: Fowler. He's just, yeah, once they meet him, he's like a fixture at the house as well. So, and of 

[01:01:23] Marissa W.: course she's wearing 

[01:01:24] Marissa F.: Lila's bathing suit. So Lila is going to the like guest suite to drop something off for the, I had peace for that.

She was working on for Joan Jacqueline's voice was muffled. We can't say anything. She hates me so much as it is. If she found out Lila felt her stomach do a flip-flop, she couldn't believe it. Jacquelyn. And Evan, was it possible or was she actually losing her mind? She peeked inside the room and her worst fears were confirmed.

Evan had his arms around Jacquelyn and was staring deeply into her eyes. You know, you're the one I've always cared for. I don't see how it can have been as confused as. Jacquelyn looked up at him, adoringly and Lila felt her knees weakened as Lila listened. The two of them discussed how to behave in front of her and what to do with the wedding.

How do we arrange time to see each other? I'm going to be really busy because there's this race I want to be in in a few weeks, but Evan hesitated and then said, sadly, I don't think I'm going to be able to be in it. Why not? If that's what you really want. Jacquelyn cried. I'd love to come and watch you race sometime.

I'm glad you're so. Lyla couldn't stand. My racing. Evan said, which is so interesting because Evan said the same thing to Lila about Sonia and Weil has been really supportive to Evan about his racing. Who's 

[01:02:39] Marissa W.: the real con artist. Yeah. We're seeing now that it's Evan the whole time, 

[01:02:44] Marissa F.: not the way we were expecting things to unfold 

[01:02:47] Marissa W.: for $500 here and there.

[01:02:50] Marissa F.: So, so now it's an L Jacqueline says, oh, Evan, I love you so much. Like, it's really like poor Lila. She's like, everybody's scheming around me and there's nothing to do. Um, so the wedding, the day of the wedding comes 

[01:03:07] Marissa W.: well, you know, the theme of overhearing things yes. Is prevalent in this, in this book, how things are conveniently overheard and you never know who's listening.

Right. And I think it really, the morning of the wedding dawns on her, that this could be, 

[01:03:26] Marissa F.: yeah, there's this there's this plan. It was all comes together for her. Um, another convenient plot element is. George is really concerned about everyone being able to hear the quartet that he's hired no matter where they are in the, in the wedding party, in the, in valor crest, wherever, and just big on music.

Yes. He's big on music and this is believable, rich guy stuff, right? He's like, I want the sound of my wedding to be perfect speakers lining the garden. So there's this sound guy that Lila starts pestering. Like, tell me, explain to me how it works. You know, I really need to know my dad is going to be really upset if anything goes wrong and I need to be able to understand how they work, you know, and finally she gets this guy to give him, uh, to pay attention to her and she decides to, uh, take some microphones and hide them in some plants, I think in the room when the sunroom 

[01:04:28] Marissa W.: yeah.

Where. The girls are getting ready to go down the aisle 

[01:04:33] Marissa F.: literally to like, yeah. That's like an outdoor wedding, right. Moments. Yes. 

[01:04:36] Marissa W.: It's in the 

[01:04:37] Marissa F.: backyard of father crest. Yeah. And so Lyle is like, all right, what I need to do is make sure I'm going to make sure all the wiring's properly. And then I need to make sure that I get them to reveal their secrets because they actually don't know.

So at this point, that Lila knows. Yes. Um, obviously Jacquelyn knows that Lila knows that Jacqueline's true nature. Yeah. Her true nature. But the Borden's don't realize that Lila knows that they're con artists like full on con artists. Um, so Lila chooses, uh, the moment, um, the split second before, they're about to where they walked down the aisle.

Uh, so. So 

[01:05:21] Marissa W.: the back of the sunroom, getting ready to walk down the aisle. Yeah. And Lila seizes her moment, she knows like now is the time to expose these con artists for who they are it's now or never. 

[01:05:34] Marissa F.: I'll start with Joan, trying to pull on these gloves. Joan was trying to wriggle into a pair of two small white gloves.

These are supposed to be borrowed. She muttered, but I don't know what George was thinking of. Borrowing them from a friend with child size hands after briefly glancing down at the microphones, Lila cleared her throat and turned to Joan, you know, Lelisa, delicately. This might be a good time to think about what you're doing before.

Do you know what it means to stand up in front of 300 people and pretend to feel something, you know, what are you saying? Joan demanded her frustration over the gloves, making her face, turn red. I don't understand you, Layla. You know, I adore your father and I want the chance to be a good mother. She threw down the gloves and exasperations, I think it's time.

We all quit the acting here. Jacqueline made it clear to me weeks ago, who you two are and what you're really after Joan turned dead white and she stared at her daughter. You did what 

[01:06:35] Marissa W.: she gassed. Don't listen to her. She's lying, 

[01:06:38] Marissa F.: but John's expression of flora said it all. How could you, she demanded grabbing her daughter and shaking her shoulders violently.

You could have ruined everything if her father finds out don't you see how close we are? You swore not to drop the act for us thinking. 

[01:06:53] Marissa W.: Mother, let me go. I'm not the one you should be 

[01:06:56] Marissa F.: mad at. How dare you tell me who I should be mad at after I put myself through all this, just so you and I can have the kind of money you've always wanted.

I've done this for you as much as for me. You got it. Well, I will took a deep breath. She hadn't thought it would work so perfectly. Every one Joan and Jacqueline were exchanging, was being picked up and transmitted out to the audience of wedding guests, Angela. She was almost, she had been afraid. It would be hard to get Joan and Jacqueline to show their true colors in the excitement because before the ceremony she should have known better.

So just desserts, um, And I'm sure they're like, so the door opens and Lila breathes a sigh of relief when like all the guests and her dad are just like staring like a Gog. Some of the guests will extend, they start to walk. So I think that there's some booing, even I made that out, but there was some 

[01:07:52] Marissa W.: hissing

[01:07:56] Marissa F.: So Joan is beautifully clueless that any of this has happened. So when she gets up to the front and George is like, I can't believe he would do this to me. She's like, darling, what are you talking about? And it's so 

[01:08:09] Marissa W.: delicious. I just can't believe how hard it was for her to date millionaire, George Fowler.

Oh, so tough. So hard to go, to get had fancy brunches. Like, I don't know. Maybe she's upset about the gas money she had to 

[01:08:25] Marissa F.: like she, yeah, this is a good point. She could have been like. Using him for his money, but also like trying to get along with him. Like he didn't have to be such a dastardly scheme. You know what I mean?

Like, yeah. His money is something I like about him, but you know, we're going to be happy together instead. It's like it wasn't great. Maybe she's not into dudes. Maybe, maybe she, um, has some sort of dream. They have some like secret plans that they didn't get into in the book. 

[01:08:57] Marissa W.: Yeah. I mean, but she was, they went to Hawaii to get engaged.

They were going to go to Japan for their, for their honeymoon. Yeah. I don't see what the big deal about, even if she didn't even, she didn't like him. Uh, he was so happy to be around her that like, and he loved her. He really loved her. And that's why he's so taken aback when he hears that she D he just, she just wants the money.

[01:09:25] Marissa F.: Yeah. It's really tragic. I mean, we don't know that much about George Fowler. 

[01:09:30] Marissa W.: She doesn't even say, I don't love him. 

[01:09:33] Marissa F.: It's true. But she is pretty set on weird. I'm going to divorce him and steal his alimony. Yeah. Yeah. 

[01:09:42] Marissa W.: Um, but uh, at least Lila could have said that, you know, and, but anyway, Everybody puts it together.

She walks out. Everybody's like, how dare 

[01:09:55] Marissa F.: you? Uh, cause, and there's this amazing moment that really tickled me because it was so there was something so weirdly like only in sweet valley about it. George makes this announcement to everybody, my friends, he said, calmly, there's been a little change in plans.

It appears that thanks to my daughter's intervention, he had DeLila and the crowd sheet

and that's super appropriate reaction. I think. Thanks to my daughter's intervention. There won't be a wedding ceremony today after all a sigh of relief went through the ground. So, 

[01:10:35] Marissa W.: you know, I really also, just before that happens, the board is just walk away. They're like, oh, well the jig is up. Well just going to walk out the door now.

[01:10:47] Marissa F.: Not like talk about this darling note. 

[01:10:49] Marissa W.: I know. And Evan gives Jacquelyn a look because he realizes that he can't get money out of Jacqueline 

[01:10:57] Marissa F.: bull. Plus Jacqueline was pretending to be a nice girl to him, just like she was pretending to be nice to everybody else. So Evan was duped as well. I mean, he sucks, but he was, um, tricked into thinking that she was nice.

I mean, he defended her to Lila, you know, he really, she really made him a fool. Yeah, let me, he did some of that work himself. But the reason that this is so hilarious, of course, in case it's not obvious, it's just like, there's no wedding, 

[01:11:23] Marissa W.: like spit this switch, terrible thing happened. My heart's completely broken, but I've processed 

[01:11:31] Marissa F.: while actually does get her wish of like our fault.

My father would never ruin our perfect life together. You know, 

[01:11:37] Marissa W.: there's no reason to let all this food go to waste. Let's just have a party in honor of. Yeah, who saved my, who saved me from Alamo. 

[01:11:47] Marissa F.: And then in like such a perfectly Lila thing, like I'm ready for this, this book to end the way it would end.

If, if this had happened to say Elizabeth, where Lila goes up to Evan and is like confronts him and like tells him off, it gives him a piece of her mind. Instead, what happens is like only like the perfectly Lila version of it. Whereas she pretends that she was using him the whole time. 

[01:12:12] Marissa W.: Yes. I read that.

I loved it because like, like she could have admitted that she was hurt by him. Right. But that's not his style. She has to have the last word she has to go out and she's like, I've done like this 

[01:12:27] Marissa F.: whole thing. Yeah, I will. And Bruce is there with Toby who has won the rice that Evan couldn't has won the race that Evan couldn't be in.

And Lyla is like, Ooh, this Toby fellow, like you said, it's pretty attractive as well. And, um, didn't see that coming actually. No, no. Oh, 

[01:12:46] Marissa W.: so there, Jessica is toasting with Lila, like, Hey, everything worked out to too, like, I'm sorry. I didn't see the whole thing going on with this Jacqueline girl. I'm sorry. I ever talked to her on the phone and let her borrow your car to come meet me.

Like, oh, that happened. Yeah. 

[01:13:04] Marissa F.: Borrowed the lime green triumph. I mean, can you imagine gladiators can just 

[01:13:08] Marissa W.: picture it? I can't because she hasn't even had her 16th birthday, 

[01:13:12] Marissa F.: Jessica Lila. I'm so angry and called him the wrong means. Lila is going to go meet her friends somewhere and she goes to get her car.

Her car is gone because. Jacquelyn drove her triumph to the mall to meet Lila's friends at the mall. We didn't, oh, we just 

[01:13:31] Marissa W.: skipped right over that. That was that's one. They were in Hawaii getting engaged. 

[01:13:35] Marissa F.: And of course Jacquelyn tells, Ava tells the friends tells everybody like, like, oh, Lila was so nice.

She let me borrow the car. And then Lila is getting home, graduated by Ava for like, you know, turning a page or whatever. It's just like, oh, anyway, honestly, 

[01:13:49] Marissa W.: I can't believe that George wasn't mad that this 15 year old girl basically stole a car or you probably didn't know well, but they, they were there toasting their engagement.

When, um, Lila came back from meeting. 

[01:14:02] Marissa F.: Oh, she did take the bus. She had to take the bus in dignity, 

[01:14:07] Marissa W.: someone like Lila on the bus because I don't take the bus.

[01:14:15] Marissa F.: So in the back to the end 

[01:14:18] Marissa W.: of the wedding, back to the end of the wedding, Jessica was apologized. She's like, I'm so sorry that I didn't see this. And, um, I, everything turned out just as you had planned, you know, even Jessica is like, this is so Lila. Yeah. Okay. Jessica told Layla, Hey, how come you invited Bruce?

Anyway, everyone knows how much you guys hate each other. Well, in case you haven't noticed more than half of sweet valley is here. We couldn't leave out our favorite rivals. Could we? No, I guess not Jessica said giggling. No, where's the guy you were telling me about Myla craned, her neck. She finally located Bruce standing next to a guy who looked like he had just stepped off a movie set.

He was very dark with chisel, Beatrice, just the kind of guy Lila wouldn't mind getting to know, excuse me. She said to Jessica and Amy poof both dissolved into laughter. So Lila decided it was definitely time to ask Bruce for another favor since the last one hadn't exactly worked out the way she had.

So that turns out to be 

[01:15:23] Marissa F.: Toby. Yeah. And Bruce is like, Hey Toby, we owe this girl a big favor. So Lila like starts like hanging around over Toby. She goes over to Evan and Evans, of course, who we know is a famously jealous guy, which is ironic. I mean, of course during that he like butterflies. Like it takes one to know one kind of, you know, no wonder he has no faith in anybody's fidelity.

He's so willing to double time. So. You know, he asks her like, who's that guy you're hanging over. And she's like, oh, that's Toby Clement. Uh, the guy who won the race, when you didn't, you know, you dropped out and she's like, and he's, you know, he, Lila is so proud because she's like, Evan's going to now, this is perfect.

Evan's going to think that I was just using him to get to, to help Toby and that my whole scheme to get him to drop out of the race was just to support Toby. Cause I really liked Toby and I was using them the whole time and isn't that perfect. But that's what he's going to think, 

[01:16:17] Marissa W.: want to admit that she actually was doing and had feelings for this.

[01:16:21] Marissa F.: Well, so how did you feel about the ending? You said you, you liked it because it was Lila, but like if you were Lila, would that have been more satisfying to you then just telling them off. 

[01:16:32] Marissa W.: If I was Lila, I think, I think this is, you know, perfectly Lila. Um, I don't agree because I don't know. I don't expect.

A 16 year old to be so emotionally mature enough to admit that like, Hey, you used me and it hurt me, but that's who she 

[01:16:54] Marissa F.: is. Yeah. I think I wanted Evan to have more of a comeuppance than just thinking that he was being used. 

[01:17:02] Marissa W.: Do you think that he would learn his lesson with this? 

[01:17:05] Marissa F.: I don't know. No. He's, he's going to walk away from this thinking like girls are liars, you know, like, like all women are twisting me around and like Jacqueline was a liar when you left me for Bruce Lila was using me to get to Toby, 

[01:17:21] Marissa W.: but did he really care about Sonia?

Because he gave Lyla like this whole, you know, this whole spiel about Sonia, which we don't know 

[01:17:30] Marissa F.: if that's true. I think he probably cared about her to some extent, but then 

[01:17:34] Marissa W.: we also learned that Sonia has never been to the race. Well, that's what he says. Oh, that's true. That's true. His friends were like, you must be Sonia.

And she's like, no, I'm 

[01:17:44] Marissa F.: like, that's true. That's true. But I think that regardless of how much you really cared about her, like they were in a relationship. So he's like creating this catalog of like wrongs. This is, I mean, this is my psychologizing Evan. I feel like now he's got this list of like all the girls that misused him when he was a player in all of these.

Right. He was sure Jacqueline lied to him, but he was cheating on Lyla with Jacquelyn. I'm sure Sonia did leave him for Bruce, but largely because he was so. Angry about her even dancing with Bruce that he ended things with her. Yeah. So leaving the door open for Bruce and her to start a thing. Um, the, and the situation with Lila Wila would have never broken up with Evan.

If she hadn't known that he was cheating with Jacqueline, you know, they would still be together today to him. Yeah. She was, she was thought she was in love with him, you know? Yeah. And that's rare for Lyla. Yeah. It hasn't happened in one of these books before she, yeah. She's been in less with some dudes, 

[01:18:42] Marissa W.: for sure.

Um, I, I did like the ending and the way that it all came together. Like last minute. Hail Mary pass and, and it works out for her. Yeah. Um, because Lila always gets her way 

[01:18:59] Marissa F.: as the ending. Well, the book that is called superstar Lila's story, it is a very appropriate ending. So the point about 

[01:19:06] Marissa W.: that, I was getting toward the end of the book, honestly, asking myself, how is this going to work out?

Like I'm, I've got six more pages and she still has to figure out how to get 

[01:19:16] Marissa F.: rid of the Borden's. Yeah. Yeah. It's really all. I mean, in a book that's over 200 pages long, like a full, like, you know, quarter or third of a book, more than usual, it all comes down to the end. Pretty exciting. It 

[01:19:29] Marissa W.: was just like a dump.

It was like the whole 199 pages. We're leading up to this moment and it all just, you know, Domino's, it all just came together. And, um, I actually really liked that because it was very much Lyla. It, it gave me the same feeling. The end of a hallmark movie does like totally. If it all came together, Power of friendship 

[01:19:51] Marissa F.: for the holiday season.

And speaking of the holiday season is a very fitting way to end this visit. We both have a fiscal copy of this book because this is a special edition and you can't get eBooks of that. Um, the very end of this, this book ends again with this sweet valley wants to know what's your new year's resolution.

So having this new year's resolution contest and a pretty, pretty great, how are you planning to start the 1990s Marissa? 

[01:20:18] Marissa W.: Oh gosh. You know, I thought about it when it got to this page and I like, okay, 1989, I was, I was seven. Um, and all I really cared about was who framed. Roger. Um, and I'm trying to think, how did I start the nineties?

Um, I th I had resolved to draw more and I think as I start 2022, I should have the same resolution. Um, 

[01:20:44] Marissa F.: my family started the nineties by moving to the Indiana suburbs. Um, There's not a new year's resolution that I have from, uh, Chicago proper. Okay. So I, uh, that's not my plan for 2022. Um, goodness. I like, yeah, but I'm going to clean my studio, AK my room.

That's my big resolution to try not to live in squalor. I know I'm exaggerating, but you know how it is. It's like you have this room you spent, we spend our whole lives now working from home in the same room. And now it's my recording studio too. And it's just like, all my stuff is in here. I live in an apartment.

I have more stuff than fits in the amount of space that I have. And I need to deal with that. 

[01:21:32] Marissa W.: That's our resolution, honestly. Oh, you haven't seen my, because I moved just down the street three months ago. Yeah. And it's the same thing I'm like, I need to, I need, why do I have all this stuff? Yeah. Um, and I, I need to put them in places and it's really hard to get 

[01:21:50] Marissa F.: rid of stuff, you know, urban millennial problems when they say, uh, well, so did this book, you read this book as a girl.

I did. Um, did you remember what happened in it? Like was it did cool, 

[01:22:03] Marissa W.: very cool. Um, and I really thought, um, cause like in my fan fiction, Which I remember more talk about that. Okay. Um, and my fan fiction, which I remember more than the story itself, she loses her riches for a minute. Um, and she has to figure out, oh yeah, I know ten-year-old Marissa.

Um, like, um, she has to figure out how to live without her ridges, but of course she like gets it all back at the end. That was awesome. Yeah. So I really thought that I was inspired by that, in this book and I forgot just how rich she was. Number one. Um, when they start talking about Fowler crest, I started thinking like, oh yeah.

Um, you know, they talk about, they talk about the name of the place, where she lives. And that should say something about how rich she is when you live in a place that has a name, especially when it's named after you. Um, when I was a girl, I was really impressed by what she was. By like, she was richer than the Wakefields and the Wakefields wanted to be like her.

Well, Jessica at least wanted to be like her. So I think that in far, as far as the sweet valley totem goes, oh yeah. Um, that said a lot and about why I admired her so much. If these. Perfect. Blue eyed angel girls looked up to Lila for some reason, so much so that they kind of have to break her down when they're with her, like, oh, you're so rich.

[01:23:35] Marissa F.: I'm sorry. It's so hard being 

[01:23:37] Marissa W.: so rich. And then we, we go into her life and yeah, it is kind of. 

[01:23:42] Marissa F.: He's got her own problems. 

[01:23:43] Marissa W.: Yeah. She's not, she's not perfect, but she likes to put up the persona that she's perfect. And, um, that made her 

[01:23:51] Marissa F.: really great on Instagram. Oh, totally. Definitely. As an influencer, even though she doesn't need the money wrench with daddy, 

[01:23:59] Marissa W.: hashtag salmon, 

[01:24:04] Marissa F.: Butch salmon hashtag all this office.

that's awesome. Well, we have a few bits of business to take care of before the episode is over. Um, so first things first, we did not talk about the cover of the book largely because it's very simple. Uh, it's just a picture of Lila Fowler looking out, but the look 

[01:24:25] Marissa W.: on her face she's she's like, I 

[01:24:28] Marissa F.: am better than you.

[01:24:29] Marissa W.: Yes. Lila Fowler is, 

uh, her soft Pantene pro V. Uh, 

[01:24:36] Marissa F.: yes. And she sh like upside down, like I'm looking at yours upside down right now. And she looks really sad, but right side up, she just looks like pure. Like, I mean, business, like don't fuck with me. I'm Wila Fowler. Yeah. Uh, also Jennifer Connelly was the model for Myla.

Fowler looks so much like Jennifer godly, like, so just picture Lila Fowler in labyrinth. How about, 

[01:25:03] Marissa W.: yeah. Les eyebrows then Jennifer Connolly and she's completely Lila 

[01:25:09] Marissa F.: Fowler. I think that's real. I don't think that's just a myth. I'm pretty sure that's a real fact. Yeah. You heard it here first, everybody, or maybe not, uh, correctly by making the thing she's wearing a beautiful purple turtleneck.

Probably cashmere because Baila with black Pearl. Black pearls, finest kind of Pearl. 

[01:25:31] Marissa W.: And, um, more rare than your usual 

[01:25:34] Marissa F.: Pearl necklace. Yeah. And the superstar books have a pretty star on the cover and it's appropriate that Lila is the first superstar because she's Lila. 

[01:25:43] Marissa W.: Yeah. Um, I also got to say, I appreciate as someone who does design work from time to time, I appreciate the font choices of the metallic superstar above the bowl.

Seriff 

[01:25:58] Marissa F.: finds this wireless story cover has fully three different Sara fonts on it, but that's okay. They are all serving their purpose. Um, and all right, so that's one thing. Uh, there has been some significant sweet valley news recently, which is that there is, uh, officially. Uh, sweet valley series in development.

That's for the CW, from the people that made gossip girl. Oh my gosh. Yeah. Oh my gosh. If anybody at CW is listening to this, I have a master's degree in screen writing and, uh, I'm an experienced screenwriter with a history as a writer's room assistant on TV. So it's come on, come on. Yeah. I have put out money 

[01:26:44] Marissa W.: to not have you at least consult get 61 of these books.

[01:26:51] Marissa F.: You got the super special, but I have, uh, gone on the record on this show many times over the years over like how I would do the sweet valley series. I don't know what the show will be like. Um, if it will come to fruition. Uh, but I do know that. The CWS seems like the right place for it. Absolutely. And I can be flexible and you know, again, my toes at least have a walk on roll.

Come on. Ooh. Yeah, I can play Robin Wilson.

Probably. They're not going to cover. That can happen. Is that, oh my God. Um, you do Ms. Waller. How about I could be the lowest, lowest Waller hoo. I don't know. She's background character at this point. She's good. She'll get her book at some point. I'm sure I am 38 years old. I play young, whatever. Uh, you know, I know some people that play teenagers, I'm going to be, you could be the French teacher.

say 

[01:27:57] Marissa W.: all that. 

[01:27:59] Marissa F.: All right. Last bit of business, is that a sweet valley diaries will return in 2022 of course, with, uh, with season seven. I am aiming at late January. Depends a little bit on the guests here, everybody. Um, I really appreciate how many people have reached out to say they're eagerly, awaiting the show's return.

I am too. Um, if you ever wonder why I take these hiatuses many podcasts, uh, just keep going. They just keep pressing through week after week. Uh, this is a show that requires a lot of logistics on my end and it is of course, a passion project. Um, not only do I not have any sponsors or ads, uh, this is super indie show, but.

I, it actually costs me money to make the show today, save any money by not doing it, but, you know, I love it. It's my passion project. Just paper books and free these paper books you gotta pay. Yeah. You gotta pay for the, for the physical copy of the super additions. So, um, I will certainly be working on a way, uh, to try and, um, allow fans of the show to support the show, to support my work.

And hopefully, um, if that is something that can, uh, have some legs. Uh, then hiatuses can be shorter and less frequent or perhaps even nonexistent in the future. We'll see how it goes, but I really, really appreciate you for listening. And I really want to say a huge thank you to everybody that has told a friend about the show.

I think that's the best thing you can do. I think the show is a weird sell. I have said from the beginning that I wanted it to be a show where people who didn't know anything about sweet valley could listen and enjoy it. And I know that some of you who are listening to the show, don't know anything about sweet valley and listen, and enjoy it.

But I feel like it's a hard buy-in if you don't remember the series. I know from my statistics that people go back to show number one and listen from the beginning. That's awesome. But like any podcast, the show has gotten a lot better. For years it's actually, this month is the four year anniversary, a suit valley diary.

Thank you very much. So, you know, tell a friend, try to tell the internet and the world that they don't have to start at the beginning at all. They could start here and listen backwards. That's a fun way to listen to serialize podcast. Then you're already in love with the show. By the time you get to the beginning, um, stay tuned.

I will let everyone know when there is an opportunity to support the show financially. Should you so desire and, uh, until then, uh, I wish everybody the happiest of 20, 20 twos, 

[01:30:33] Marissa W.: I feel like they should leave comments about what their new year's resolution is for 2022. Yeah. Or to let us know how you started 19, the 1990s, 

[01:30:44] Marissa F.: you started the 1990s would be great as well.

So you can. Do that, by going to Instagram, uh, where this show is at sweet valley diaries, uh, or you can also follow in comment about these things on Twitter at sweet valley, sweet valley diaries. And, oh my gosh, I have had the Tik TOK experience where you're just kinda like messing around. And then all of a sudden you have a random post that has like a thousand likes or whatever.

And you're like, I didn't do anything to make this happen. This is weird. And I got a bunch of randos on there who were like, trying to tell me what happens in the book I'm talking about. I'm like, guys, I know there's a podcast listen to, but that's fun. So we'll see if that ever happens again. But, um, we should take tack right now.

Yeah. I think that I am pretty sure that, uh, at least some part of this conversation is going to 1:00 AM on text. 

[01:31:36] Marissa W.: Yeah. You should really actually do all of that. Boy 

[01:31:39] Marissa F.: descriptions. Ooh, that's a great idea. Okay. So look for that. I think, um, I took that candle is flax Bart, which was my last name, because like I said, didn't really plan on becoming a sweet valley tech talker, but that sweet valley takes over every aspect of one's life valley talk.

Yes. 

[01:31:57] Marissa W.: Yeah. 

[01:31:58] Marissa F.: Sweet valley talk. It's the corner of tick-tock is very small, which is probably how I ended up with people finding my post and leaving comments and say things like, oh my gosh, I remember these books. Yeah. And stuff. It goes a long way. Yes. I remember them too. And so do you Marissa, 

[01:32:15] Marissa W.: thank you for the walk down memory 

[01:32:17] Marissa F.: lane.

Oh, I'm so glad you were game. Oh, always game. And what lesson did we take away from this one? They'll leave the gladiators with 

[01:32:25] Marissa W.: you can never be too Lila. Um, 

[01:32:28] Marissa F.: you can never be too rich, too beautiful or too Lila Fowler. 

[01:32:36] Marissa W.: And I feel like I should live my. In the same way. 

[01:32:40] Marissa F.: All right. Well, we'll check back in the end of next year and see how your year of Lila to Marissa as are thanking you for listening.

Bye bye-bye

Is this the same arrest. So you talk to you last year. Are there two tumors, a solid, and one is a Stuart too. All right. I did say that I made a lot of Marissa's, but that would be truly strange. The only 

[01:33:16] Marissa W.: other like that woman who works for Yahoo, the VP of Yahoo. Sure. That's the only other Marissa. 

[01:33:23] Marissa F.: I was like, Ooh.

Yeah,

Yahoo. She's of the yahoos of the, of the Philadelphia, um, part in the book like bursa Meyer where Samira, I didn't Google it. Everybody. I just remembered it. I'm like acting like this is a part of the podcast. Okay. Well now you've got your brain. You're talking. I know you're ready. Yeah. I remembered Marissa Meyer and I made a joke about last names.

We're now we're firing on all cylinders here. Ready? Ready? Let's do this.

Podcast Bonus Episode: THINK TWICE! The Sweet Valley High Dolls

On this very special narrative-style hiatus bonus episode: A listener’s email leads down an internet research rabbit hole of ridiculous proportions. Caution: there will be dolls.

 

Approximate Transcript:

Sweet Valley Diaries is, and always has been, a conversation podcast. But did you know that the show's creator — oh, that's me, Marissa Flaxbart — that she...that I also moonlight as a narrative podcast writer and producer? My work on the award-winning Twenty Thousand Hertz podcast involves research, copywriting, interviews, and creative audio thinking. So, this inter-season hiatus, I thought: why not bring the investigative narrative podcast treatment to Sweet Valley?

It all started with the topic. And that topic revealed itself loud and clear: dolls.

Think twice! About the Sweet Valley Twins! Think twice with all the fashion and the fun that begins...Think twice about the sweet valley twins!

On this very special hiatus bonus episode of Sweet Valley Diaries: The Sweet Valley High...Dolls.

Intro theme music

As listeners are hopefully aware, this podcast has an email address. It's a strange one, hearkening back to the show's roots as a iWeb blog during the "Mobile Me" era of Apple-branded cloud storage: [email protected]

On September 3, 2021, listener Zana D. wrote in to that address. Among other things, her detailed and intriguing missive contained this mysterious paragraph:

[music in

I wanted to ask you if you knew that back in the 1990s, they actually had two versions of Barbie-like dolls made of Jessica and Elizabeth.  I hadn't heard you mention them in Sweet Valley Diaries like you had the board game [https://youtu.be/2qxZgJcmn5s?t=11 Now everyone can get into sweet valley high — the game that is!] so I didn't know if you knew about them.  I had both sets growing up. 🙂  In case you didn't know, here's a little about them.  One set was sold separately, Elizabeth and Jessica, and the other was a special prom set sold together.  Each doll in both sets looked alike (obviously!) but had differences so you could tell them apart.  Elizabeth had a closed-mouth pink smile while Jessica's was bright red and open.  The Elizabeth doll even had a dot on her shoulder for her mole.  The dolls came with a small booklet with a short SV story in it.  Elizabeth wore Todd's letterman jacket and Jessica wore a green-and-purple outfit.  The prom set obviously had the girls in prom dresses and the booklet told of how each girl bought a dress, decided it wasn't right for her and swapped it with her sister's.

I was stunned. All signs suggested that I should not only have heard of these dolls, but owned them. Nevermind my years of Sweet Valley scholarship. I had a huge Barbie collection growing up, and my mother's refusal to buy them for me meant I saved up and bought my own...making them my prized possessions. I read the Sweet Valley Twins and Kids books that were targeted at the same age group as these dolls. The Sweet Valley High dolls were released in 1992. I turned nine years old in 1992. How had I missed them?

I had to know more. So I turned to the internet.

First off, Zana was right on about how the dolls were sold. You could buy your own Jessica and Elizabeth dolls in a big box as a set labeled, "PROM PERFECT Jessica and Elizabeth," where the girls came dressed like Disney princesses, ostensibly on their way to one of their infinite junior proms. But there was another option. In possibly the greatest doll racket since Puppy Surprise with only three puppies inside [https://youtu.be/efH56w7RAiE puppy surprise comes with three, four, or five baby puppies inside] Campus Cool Jessica and Elizabeth dolls are sold separately. Think about it. The entire gimmick of these dolls is that they are twins. On the front of each box, in huge letters, are the words "TWIN SISTERS! TWICE THE FUN!" But inside the box? Only one twin. A notable difference between the two dolls is that the Jessica doll has a big, flirty smile on her face, while the Elizabeth doll stares out at you with a dead expression in her eyes and no hint of emotion playing across her lips. So while you could buy two Jessicas or two Elizabeths and pass one them of as the other — and that would be a very Wakefield ruse to pull — you'd know. The packaging even challenges you to know the difference between the dolls: "Their best friends can tell them apart. Can you?"

Even more bizarre to my trained eye are the outfits the doll twins are wearing. More specifically, the out fits that doll ELIZABETH is wearing. princess prom gowns aside, these outfits are all Jessica at her most outrageous. The Campus Cool Elizabeth is indeed wearing Todd's letterman jacket, but she's also wearing a red blossom hat with a big, blue silk rose slapped on it, a lace-fringed satin crop top, and a paisely miniskirt. There is not a polo shirt or sensible pair of jeans in the line.

Oh, did I mention there was an entire LINE of outfits. Well, there were. At first, alliteration was the rule. To Campus Cool and Prom Perfect were added Denim Duet. Rockin Rags. Pillow Party.

Then, the marketing team got lazy. Or bored. Additional sets were sold as "Let's Dance!" Winter Dazzle" and "Born to Shop." Of all of these outfits, the only one that looks like something Elizabeth Wakefield would MAYBE wear is her Pillow Party pajama set, which consists of blue sweat pants and a pastel printed loungewear top. It should be noted that Jessica's Pillow Party outfit is red lingerie lined in black lace.

The dolls themselves, as Zana mentioned, were packaged with mini-books telling a story related to the outlandish outfits the dolls donned. The books were titled Moonlight and Roses, Campus Cool: Jessica's Story, and Campus Cool :Elizabeth's Story, and they look much like the Sweet Valley High covers were if James Mathewuse had taken mushrooms and then been told to hurry up and paint.

But every outfit set came with an origin story too. For example: https://i.etsystatic.com/23994945/r/il/816e3c/2939247226/il_1140xN.2939247226_15df.jpg

Denim Duet; Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield are going on a double date. The twins can't wait to have a great time with their boyfriends, but there are so many great places to go and sweet valley. The twins just can't decide whether they should be widow's pizza place or maybe even a picnic. Jessica wants to see a movie at the mall and then get something to eat. But Elizabeth would rather take a long romantic walk with her boyfriend. Will the twins be able to go on a double date after.

Or

Rockin Rags: The hottest concert of the year is tonight at sweet valley arena. Identical twins, Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield wouldn't miss it for anything. They had a really hard time deciding what to wear, but have finally come up with a perfect outfit. Jessica and Elizabeth look great and are ready for a fabulous evening. The twins have been waiting all week and can't wait to see their favorite rock star. Who is playing tonight? Are the twins going to meet the star after the concert?

Armed with such specific creative marching orders? What small child wouldn't want to dress up their dolls and answer some rhetorical questions through. As long as we're talking packaging, it's important to note that Francine Pascal herself got in on the packaging action to every item included the following letter, which Francine certainly took the time to scribe with her own hands and didn't farm out to a ghost writer:

Dear friend, Since my first sweet valley high book was published in 1983, girls all around the world have enjoyed reading about the adventures of Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield and their many friends in the California town of sweet valley. Now you can have even more fun acting out all your favorite sweet valley stories with sweet valley dolls and fashions.

I know you'll love playing with Elizabeth and Jessica, as much as I love creating their stories, yours truly Francine Pascal.

Like so much of Sweet Valley High ephemera, these dolls barely exist on the internet. The dolls are now considered rare, as are the clothes. New in package, sellers are charging hundreds of dollars for them. During my exhaustive research process, a second-page search result touting a "review" of the dolls generated as much pop-up web junk as a janky porn site. This is the story of young gen x and older millennials on a nostalgia hunt: we grew up in a world half in and half out of the web. If something was made for kids and it stopped being cool before about 1998 has the potential to seem like a false memory, undocumented by the algorithm.

But luckily there's more than enough online about these dolls to assure me that they were real. And I've saved the best for last: the greatest online resource by far is the 1992 advertisement for Sweet Valley Dolls.

In it, you can see the dolls, the outfits, and even the mole on doll-Elizabeth's back.

For me, this advertisement unlocked an even deeper truth. when I saw the ad, I remembered. I hadn't owned these dolls, but I had played with them before, at the home of my neighbors. A year younger than me, they were blonde twins. One of them was even named Jessica. We moved in down the street in late 1990. Of course the girls had these dolls. And even though I'd never seen the packaging or the advertising, the dolls had been a small part of my girlhood.

Maybe, just maybe, in this investigation, I accidentally uncovered not only a memory of these strange toys, but also the origin story of my Sweet Valley obsession. We'll never know for sure.

music theme song out

Credits (sweet valley diaries is produced, written and edited by Marissa Flaxbart. Theme music by Marissa Flaxbart. Sweet Valley High and the entire Sweet Valley universe is the brainchild of Francine Pascal supported by a cabal of nameless scribes. The Sweet Valley twin dolls were manufactured by Bandai. Special thanks to Zana for emailing in her Sweet Valley memories. Sweet Valley Diaries will return with season 7 later this year.

 

 

 

Extra Drama #60: The Ken Matthews Story [podcast bonus with guest reader William J. Stribling]

“It’s 3D, but not the D’s you’re expecting”

 

In which two professional filmmakers/screenwriting professors attempt to break story on a film adaptation of Sweet Valley High Book 60: THAT FATAL NIGHT.

---

A NOT-TOO-TERRIBLE TRANSCRIPT FOR THIS EPISODE FOLLOWS

Extra Drama #60: The Ken Matthews Story

[00:00:00] Marissa: It's extra drama for book number 60 that fatal night. Hey everybody. It's me. Your host, Marissa Flaxbart. And I'm joined again by William J Stribling. Hi, I call you will though. That's fine. Although sometimes I call you Joe, but I always feel a little bit like, I'm kidding when I call you Joe. Cause that's like not how I do natural.

No, but people call you Joe. Sometimes some people, some people. How do you feel about it? 

[00:00:41] Will: Uh, I like my first name. 

[00:00:43] Marissa: Yeah, I like it too. Okay, well, that's good to know. I'll keep calling you Will then. Will and I are together in person, which is why this episode probably sounds a little bit different than some of them have lately.

We have been in person more lately than I have been in person with most people 

[00:01:00] Will: This year in general.

 this year.

[00:01:02] Marissa: Yeah, not lately so much as this year because we made a movie together, made a movie, and that was exciting and continues to be exciting because now is the part where maybe people will get to see it, presumably, uh, 

[00:01:15] Will: whether they like it or not.

They'll see it, 

[00:01:17] Marissa: uh, you know, it won't be for everybody, but know what movie is it? Did they, but I bet not. Well, how do you think the world at large would feel about the movie? of Ken Matthews' story. 

[00:01:32] Will: I think it's too much in today's climate. I feel like that, uh, it would be asking a lot of an audience to get behind this premise of this boy.

There's ways we can amend the story and make it appropriate for today's audiences. But as I mentioned in the episode, I feel like he both Ken, he is unfairly punished with the car accident and the blindness, both of which are kind of writing. You know, like they're, they're very random. He's not in any control of his, his fate.

He wasn't doing something he shouldn't have been doing, and this is the cautionary tale, but when he gets his sight back at the end, he also doesn't deserve that. It's just as random and, and undeserved. Um, so that's where I sit with with the story. I feel like people would, would roll their eyes and groan.

Obviously we can, we could go hard into the like satirical angle and, and, and play it for comedy or play it straight. And in playing it straight, it is funny. 

[00:02:30] Marissa: I have always thought that would be a really funny way to do a Sweet Valley High, like TV show, would be to make it like intensely earnest and like over the top.

And then it would be really funny because it would sort of be like a self-parody almost. Yeah, like the moment at the end of the movie or episode or whatever, where he sort of sees the light from the sunset. It's like reading. You know, it's like touching in its way, but I think it's easy to picture it.

Like you said, in the main episode that you could hear the music, swelling and everything, when they reunite 

[00:03:05] Will: She runs into his arms and then they kiss and then it's, you know, there's a sunset happening. It's very cinematic what's going on here. 

[00:03:12] Marissa: It is. And you know, what else is in...? Yeah, sorry. I was having two thoughts at once and one of the thoughts was like, it would be really easy to make it so over the top that it's ridiculous.

And then it wouldn't be that much harder to push on that to make it ridiculous on purpose in a way that's funny, 

[00:03:30] Will: just the premise that this guy's life is totally ruined because he's blind now? It's, it's a little dicey. It's like, being blind is not a death sentence. And he would, what do you need to see for he wasn't reading. This kid

wasn't reading. I feel like that there's a pitch of this film where he comes to terms with his blindness and becomes the world's first blind quarterback. 

[00:03:56] Marissa: But that's actually what I thought you were going to say. And then I thought, oh, you weren't going to say it. And I'm going to tell you what I thought you were going to say, it's going to be so funny.

But then you said, when I thought you were originally going to say, yes, that's the way this movie should go. So the sunset thing doesn't happen. We cut the sunset moment. 

[00:04:11] Will: Right. Or put it later. It happens later.

[00:04:13] Marissa: It happens later after he. Like, or with Terry's help. Oh, because Terry is so good at football, she knows all about football, not just stats, but like what they mean and what the players do.

So they're doing all this running on the beach. So they start kind of come up with a system for how she can like throw the ball and, 

[00:04:30] Will: and they're inspired by a dolphin that they see in the water and they train him with echolocation. 

Yeah. You 

[00:04:35] Marissa: can see dolphins at the Pacific ocean sometimes. 

[00:04:38] Will: And he learns to harness echolocation to play football and.

And then his teammates all have to wear metal plates underneath their uniforms, so he can tell who's on his team and who's not on his team so he can throw the ball at...at those... 

[00:04:54] Marissa: The metal plates make a sound?

[00:04:56] Will: Well, 

they will kick back a reverberation that sounds different than the other team, which are not wearing the metal.

[00:05:03] Marissa: His ears are just really finely tuned at this point. 

[00:05:05] Will: He's gone full dolphin. 

[00:05:07] Marissa: Okay. So he, you know, on a football team, you know, before they do the pass, the quarterback has this thing where he's like, 

[00:05:17] Will: Hut, hut...

[00:05:19] Marissa: Yeah, so can, can remain the quarterback, but he just says, he's just calling out "hut hut" all the time. Yeah.

And that was how he can hear the difference in the reverberations and throw these like beautiful passes. And I mean, like he knows how to throw a pass. 

[00:05:34] Will: Right. 

[00:05:34] Marissa: So as long as he knows the general direction of the throwing pass, then it's on the other teammates, right. 

[00:05:39] Will: To like pick up the slack. Yeah. 

[00:05:42] Marissa: Okay, this is good. This is good. So another cinematic scene is the Terry discovering what it's like to blind. 

[00:05:52] Will: We could expand that. And I think right now it's a little underwritten. It's just her and her room with a scarf around her head. And then she goes into the kitchen and spills some juice. I think the book is short enough that if this were a movie that would need to be a full sequence where Terry goes to school and pretends to be blind and offends everybody.

[00:06:11] Marissa: Right. Including Ken, right? Cause Ken can be like, what do you think? You know, you're making fun of me. 

[00:06:16] Will: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Definitely. 

[00:06:18] Marissa: Are the Wakefields in the movie? 

[00:06:20] Will: They have to be a bit, I feel like Elizabeth creates so much of the plot just in her phone calls. The things she accomplishes to push the story forward.

She's gotta be there. 

[00:06:31] Marissa: she's like a mover and a shaker, right? She's connecting people, connecting situations. 

[00:06:36] Will: Jessica is a superfluous character in this one. She's off in the background doing her own thing. Is she dating someone in this book? 

[00:06:44] Marissa: No, cause she goes on that date with Skip Harmon, but maybe we can use Skip Harmon somehow because he's not really utilized in the book other than like, as an excuse as to why Jessica wants to leave

the party with Elizabeth and Todd, which therefore puts her in the right position to see the accident. 

[00:07:03] Will: Well, I think that Skip Harmon gets cast in the school play, which is an original that the theater teacher is inspired to do based on the story of their blind quarterback and skip plays Ken in the. 

[00:07:17] Marissa: Ooh. 

[00:07:18] Will: Because he, I mean, he, he's not an actor, but he sees himself as a superstar.

So of course they tap into that level of... 

[00:07:27] Marissa: The drama teacher, incidentally, Mr. Jaworsky. Pretty close to Jablonksi!

[00:07:34] Will: Hey Jablonski! It feels like something you would say, 

[00:07:37] Marissa: Oh! I mean, Ron Ja-who would play Ron Jablonski? 

[00:07:40] Will: We never know. We only ever hear him. Because when we're in the sequence of the film, that's at the, uh, the rehab facility is fully silent or sorry....

Black, I guess? So. Okay. Pictureless. Not silent. The 

opposite of silent. 

[00:07:56] Marissa: Over black, we hear the sounds of a facility 

[00:08:00] Will: The inverse of The Sound of Metal, a fantastic film that's streaming on Amazon with Riz Ahmed 

Have you seen it? 

[00:08:06] Marissa: I actually haven't watched it yet, but I know that I should. It's just 

the, 

[00:08:10] Will: But he goes deaf and then he goes to, uh, uh, it's not a camp.

It's a, it's not really a school either. It's it's a place. Yeah, there are other deaf people that help him learn how to be deaf. But the main mentor figure is a deaf person in that film. And I feel like Ron Jablonski should probably also be a blind person, 

[00:08:33] Marissa: Even though he is not in the book 

[00:08:35] Will: In the book, they make it very clear that he is not blind.

And I think in the movie version that we're making Ron Jablonski should probably be blind as well. 

[00:08:43] Marissa: Sure, I like that.

[00:08:44] Will: To set an example. 

[00:08:45] Marissa: I do think that if we go too artsy with it, whuh it's a real choice that we're making, that might, uh, undercut the other direction of pushing it so far, that it's comedy. 

[00:08:57] Will: We're going to counteract that with the 4d experience, because we want you to be able to have heightened senses in this sequence.

So we're going to bring in smells. 

[00:09:07] Marissa: Okay. So... 

[00:09:07] Will: to the theater.

[00:09:08] Marissa: ...that's the fourth D? 

[00:09:09] Will: That's the fourth, is smell 

[00:09:11] Marissa: I was going to say, cause sometimes isn't... 4D usually has like shaking seats?

[00:09:16] Will: It might still just be 3d. Cause we're taking one D away. 

[00:09:20] Marissa: It's 3d, but it's not the D's you're expecting. Yeah, this is good.

This is good. It's. Yeah. Yeah, I, is there a 4D thing where like you can get water sprayed in your face? 

[00:09:34] Will: Yeah. It's water sprayed in your face. It smells and like rumble seat. 

[00:09:40] Marissa: There is, there are smells and 4D in. Normally I have you ever been on, um, Soarin', California Adventure? 

[00:09:48] Will: Yeah, many times. Yeah. 

[00:09:49] Marissa: I went on it for the first time, uh, earlier this year, uh, when Disneyland reopened. We went one day, like on a Wednesday, this is sort of like pre Delta. Yeah. 

[00:10:01] Will: But there was a tiny window in there where. It's safe to go out and 

[00:10:06] Marissa: in a place like that, I mean, everybody has to wear a mask and honestly, they were really strict, strict about it. They're one of the people in our party, like had her mask off while we were walking to like, take a drink of water.

And he was like, you can't do that. You have to let me not like you can't, you just have to go to a designated area to do. Um, even though it's all outside. But there are so many people around. And so they have to have strict rules, I guess, anyway, not to make this about Disneyland, but Soarin' has a really, I wasn't, I didn't know anything about it.

So I was excited to experience the smell dimension of it. 

[00:10:38] Will: It's like orange Grove or something that you, right? Yeah. 

[00:10:42] Marissa: There's like, I mean, there's some of it's pretty fakie, but there's a rose by the Taj Mahal. And there was a sort of like ocean smell, like, but it's like ocean cologne smell when you're by the ocean.

But a lot of it is, is very, it's still was cool. Cause I, yeah, I like smells. Good smells. Bad smells I don't like. I really don't like them. Well, I think this is a great idea, but could we have the seats lift up out of the air? Is there any reason for that? 

[00:11:11] Will: Um, when, when Ken is being lifted on people's shoulders, when he wins the football match, 

[00:11:18] Marissa: the first one or the one, the after he is the blind quarterback?

[00:11:22] Will: I think we slowly dial up the Ds in our 4d experience as the film goes on. 

[00:11:28] Marissa: Well, there is a moment in the book when there's a question of, um, maybe if can, does well enough for the rest of the season- this is before the accident. Maybe he'll be able to beat the record. Just one kid's record of how many touchdowns in a season? 

[00:11:46] Will: Completed passes? Runs? Foot...balls? 

[00:11:49] Marissa: It was... the number was low, like nine.

So what could it have been? But whatever it was like, that doesn't matter. It, it sets up a certain kind of stakes, right? For Ken, 

[00:11:58] Will: he's got a goal that he's trying to hit by the end of this season. 

[00:12:01] Marissa: Right. And so we feel the loss for Ken when those stakes fall through, but it never gets brought up. 

[00:12:08] Will: It certainly does not.

[00:12:09] Marissa: It's just like, "oh, I can't play anymore." Not, "I'm not going to hit that goal." And so the Gladiators aren't going to have an undefeated season maybe. And then. The game that he goes to with Terry's in the last second. Yeah. But he kind of realizes that he can handle it. Like football's not everything. 

[00:12:25] Will: Yeah. Football's not everything. Is nice. 

[00:12:27] Marissa: Football is NOT life 

[00:12:28] Will: is not life. Is that a Friday night lights thing? Football. 

[00:12:31] Marissa: Football is life is a Ted Lasso thing. 

[00:12:34] Will: Different football though. 

[00:12:35] Marissa: Yeah, that's right. Well, we did it. We did it. We'll get right to work on this. Our follow up project 

[00:12:42] Will: Sold in the room, as they say. 

[00:12:44] Marissa: To whom though?

Well, that's when you're an independent filmmaker, you don't have to sell anybody. 

[00:12:49] Will: I'm sold. 

[00:12:50] Marissa: Just do what you want and then ask people to give you money. 

[00:12:53] Will: Um, speaking of giving us money, uh, you can Venmo us 

[00:12:57] Marissa: Yeah we just set up a Komodo...

Sweet Valley Venmo?

Oh yeah. I was thinking for the, for the movie 

[00:13:03] Will: I was to trying to make you some money.

[00:13:05] Marissa: Well, we'll, I'll have to look into that. It would be great if people could, could give me some money and maybe in the future, I will find a way for that to be, 

[00:13:11] Will: This is the thing that I've seen lately driving around the streets of Los Angeles, graduations, bachelor parties, bachelorette parties, and the like.

The "just married" type cars you write in soap, kind of on the windshield. People are writing their Venmo handle. So the like strangers can, and passers by can send the money. 

[00:13:34] Marissa: Wow. I don't know how to feel about that. 

[00:13:36] Will: I don't either, but part of me wanting to pull out my phone while I was driving and just send like a dollar to this random person and say congrats, 

[00:13:44] Marissa: but like, couldn't, you then get bombarded with a bunch of like requests for money that you have.

[00:13:50] Will: Maybe. Yeah, you're right. 

[00:13:53] Marissa: I would be worried about like publicizing venmo, which, I mean, I've seen a lot of that lately 

[00:13:57] Will: but I also just want to put mine on my car and see, there's no reason I'm not celebrating anything. I don't deserve this.

[00:14:06] Marissa: Come up with a way to trick the DMV and make it your license plate, VNMO... 

[00:14:11] Will: WJS? 

[00:14:12] Marissa: There's not enough room. I just put them on a bumper sticker. You can put it right next to your "love gladiators."

[00:14:18] Will: "Honk if you love to read cake." 

[00:14:23] Marissa: Yeah. Well, Will, thank you so much for this wonderful brainstorm session and for being, you know, such a powerful creative mind, 

[00:14:29] Will: anytime, see... 

[00:14:30] Marissa: And for doing the podcast

[00:14:31] Will: See y'all again in four years. 

[00:14:33] Marissa: Yeah. Oh my gosh. Yeah. Gladiators. We will not be gone for long here on Sweet Valley Diaries because there's some business to attend to in the near future.

Some things I want to talk about and that I'm gonna, you know, have some more bonus episodes about, and you know, a little book called Lila's Story, maybe some other kind of odds and ends that we need to take care of. So I won't be gone for long and I will also still be around at sweet valley diaries on Instagram at sweet valley on Twitter. And you can email me sweet valley [email protected]. Bye! 

 

Book #60: THAT FATAL NIGHT (with guest reader William J. Stribling)

Honk if you love the Gladiators

It's the (main episode) Season 6 finale and all the stars are out: Terry Adams! Zack Johnson! Skip Harmon! You know, all your favorites. Oh, and the Wakefields and such are there too. But let's quit beating around the bush: this is the book where Ken Matthews becomes (temporarily???) blind in a car accident. Director (and former guest reader!) William J. Stribling is along for the ride...but, you know, figuratively. Safer that way.

Blind on the Move: Do Blind People Count Their Steps?

Florence Nightingale Effect

 

---

Episode Transcript (Auto-generated and shoddily edited; apologies for the many errors)

 

Book #60: THAT FATAL NIGHT

[00:00:00] Marissa: Welcome to sweet valley diaries. It's just like Friday night lights except ridiculous book number 60 that fatal night. 

[00:00:17] Will: will Ken's life be ruined in one tragic moment. Was that good?

That was great. 

[00:00:23] Marissa: Well, hello, Gladiators. And welcome to this, the full episode season finale of season six. I didn't realize this was a season finale. Yeah, well, surprise, surprise. Well, do you recognize that voice, Gladiators? Probably not, but there's always a chance. I'm Marissa Flaxbart . Did I say that?

Well, I'm the host of the show. My name is Marissa Flaxbart. You should get that down. Cause I'm going to be here every time. I am joined by William Joseph Stribling. Will you were on the show once before. Do you have any recollection of that, of 

[00:01:00] Will: that happening? Because it was me and Sinead Persaud together.

It was years ago. 

[00:01:08] Marissa: Yeah. Well, now we're getting close. Like this December will be four years that we've been doing so it was an 

[00:01:13] Will: early one. I think it was. 

[00:01:17] Marissa: Oh, yeah, it was book 11. It was called "Too Good to Be True." And Too Good to Be True is the story of a visitor to Sweet Valley named Suzanne Devlin. Does that ring any bells?

[00:01:27] Will: Mean, yeah, the name Devlin definitely ring some bells.

And was there something with her flirting with a teacher? 

[00:01:35] Marissa: Yeah, there, there was something with that and she tried to ruin his career by making up a story. It was a very problematic book, 

[00:01:44] Will: This one is also a little problematic and it makes me wonder, are they all like this? Or am I just lucky? Because, 

[00:01:52] Marissa: uh, I think it's a little bit of both, a little bit of both.

 The fact that every sweet valley high book is a little problematic is kind of like the thesis statement of the whole podcast. You know, why is it interesting? We're here to talk about That Fatal Night, 

[00:02:07] Will: A bad title. Yeah. Why That Fateful night? 

[00:02:12] Marissa: You know, when I put this in my calendar, it's like at the beginning of the season, I'll like structure out, this is where every episode will fall. If I start on this date, but I'm deciding when to start a season. And I noticed the other day that I had put "that fateful night" in the calendar because my brain was like correcting, couldn't possibly be "fatal!" And 

no one died. So it's not a fatal night. Yes. No one dies.

Our guest in the last books episode, Libbie Hawker did to spoil that for everybody. So Gladiators, I didn't issue a spoiler alert because it was pre- spoiled. So, 

[00:02:45] Will: does anyone ever die in these books? Oh, yes. 

[00:02:49] Marissa: Right. Once I noticed that the book was called That Fatal Night, which honestly the whole fatal/ fateful thing was like a low level realization.

Like it was not rising to consciousness that I had been making that confusion, but I was like, oh no, who's going to die. But then you read the back of the book and it's like, it seems like some serious stuff is going to happen, but I don't know who might die. Um, well, I mean, we can talk about the cover of the book because...

[00:03:13] Will: The cover's so silly..

[00:03:15] Marissa: Okay. If you hadn't read the book and you haven't read the back of the book, what would you think is happening on the cover? 

[00:03:22] Will: I would think that the blonde boy did something bad and he's looking off into the distance with guilt and his girlfriend, who is kind of like clawing at his clavicle, is concerned that she doesn't know the secret thing that he has done, that he is responsible for.

He also looks like. Like Brian Wilson from the early beach boys days. 

[00:03:51] Marissa: I was trying to think of what he looked like

[00:03:53] Will: a little, like a, one of the Wilson brothers. 

[00:03:55] Marissa: He has a lot of hair, but it's short, but it's just like a long, this, um, this fellow is such a hunk. Ken Matthews. He is. 

Does he 

exist before this book?

Ken Matthews, has been a favorite, like, background character of these books since the beginning, he hasn't gotten a book of his own for a really long time. 

[00:04:19] Will: So this is a big deal for Ken. 

[00:04:21] Marissa: He gets his own book? Yeah. It's a big deal. 

[00:04:23] Will: That this all happens to him. 

[00:04:24] Marissa: Oh yeah. I mean, basically Ken's short, like one- sentence biography it's included in this book.

It's he's the star of the football team. He's got those handsome. I think the phrase all American probably gets used because these books love that phrase. But, he's the football star. He's, well-liked, he's popular.

He's not all that bright, but you know, he can hold a conversation and, uh, he's mostly famous for being the captain of the football team, the quarterback. 

Now, would you consider this book like a side plot or it doesn't really focus on the twins. And I know they're the stars of the show, basically. 

So this is one of these books of which the kind of like parade of randos is what we call it here on sweet valley diaries.

Ken, Ken Matthews is not a rando, but The, a Woman on the cover is turning Ms. Terry, Terry Adams, Terry...Polo? Not Teri Polo.. 

[00:05:24] Will: Oh man, I'm going to find that it is, I mean, she doesn't even show up right away. Come on, Terry.

Just 

[00:05:33] Marissa: Terry.. Sorry. I can't remember what her last name is. The book doesn't care. And Terry. like Kind of appeared at the end of the previous book, but she's new. She's the rando. She is one of many randos that this book brings 

[00:05:45] Will: She so random that she's not even the main statistician for the football team.

She's the assistant, that's 

[00:05:51] Marissa: her job. She's a junior. She is a junior 

[00:05:53] Will: Terry Adams by the way. 

[00:05:55] Marissa: Got it. Okay. So yes, she is the statistician. She's a junior and I at the high school, which most of the characters in these books are, but we've never heard of her. 

[00:06:04] Will: They're all perpetually juniors? Do you see people graduate?

[00:06:08] Marissa: Not in sweet valley high. There are other series sweet valley senior year. Got it. Sweet valley university. But even those, it was like, they were written in different eras, so it's sort of confusing. 

[00:06:20] Will: When was this book 

written?

[00:06:21] Marissa: This, oh, that's actually an important question because, um, this book was published in November of 1989, which is pretty momentous because that means 

[00:06:32] Will: I wasn't born yet. 

[00:06:34] Marissa: That's right now what I was going to say, but thanks for reminding me of that. I'm sure me and all the listeners that are older than me, it will be thrilled to hear that. Um, no, the reason is that it's about to be the nineties. Like when we return for season seven of Sweet Valley Diaries. It's going to be the nineties.

[00:06:53] Will: And does that get reflected in the books that follow this one? 

[00:06:57] Marissa: I don't know. 

[00:06:59] Will: You've never read them. 

[00:07:00] Marissa: I've never read them. 

[00:07:01] Will: Oh, I thought that you read all of these as a year. So many of them yeah, 180 Wikipedia says. Yeah. 

[00:07:09] Marissa: So I read 50 of them before I started the podcast. So a lot of books, I thought it was a lot.

Yeah. But, uh, and I read the Sweet Valley Twins books, which are like younger. Um, but yeah, so it's November, 1989 and there is actually something in the back of the hard copy of the book that I thought was so precious, it says 

Marker

[00:07:28] Marissa: Sweet Valley wants to know what's your new year's resolution? Announcing the Sweet Valley, New Year's Resolution Contest.

How are you planning to start? The 1990s? Sweet Valley wants to know and entering our contest is so easy. Just send us a short description of your new year's resolution. 50 words or less. 

[00:07:48] Will: It does not take 50 words to say that you just want to kiss a boy at midnight. 

[00:07:53] Marissa: My new year's resolution. Yeah. So it's like a nineties resolution too, um, so anyway, this is, isn't that cute?

[00:07:59] Will: That is extremely cute. 

[00:08:00] Marissa: You were asking me about the. The structure of the books. This is one of those, it's kind of like the structure of what, of these parade of randos books that are not about the twins in any real way, in that it starts reminding the reader.

These books are mostly about the Wakefield twins, because the very first thing that happens is that we have, you know, Elizabeth and Todd doing their thing and Jessica and her perspective on things before we get into the fact that. The book is going to be about Ken Matthews. And they're at a football game.

Cause the Gladiators, 

[00:08:34] Will: That was my high school mascot as well. I did not, not go to any football games, but I knew that we were the Gladiators, 

[00:08:40] Marissa: Did you guys have football? 'Cause you went to like an art school. 

[00:08:43] Will: Yeah. But it was an arts magnet within a big public school. The public school, big football school. Gibbs High School, the Gibbs Gladiators. 

[00:08:51] Marissa: Oh, well that makes a lot more sense than the Sweet Valley High Gladiators.

[00:08:54] Will: What makes the valley sweet is what I want to know. Oh, I understand what makes a valley hidden, but not what makes a valley sweet. 

[00:09:01] Marissa: We actually recently had a sort of conspiracy theory that maybe a Sweet Valley had once been Hidden Valley, but like some terrible curse had struck it and it had become 

sweet, 

[00:09:12] Will: Like an overgrowth of strawberry plants? And now it's a sweet valley? 

[00:09:17] Marissa: Ugh, yuck. Sorry, I was thinking about the ranch dressing and the strawberries. And it's ugly 

[00:09:21] Will: You don't dip your strawberries in ranch? 

[00:09:22] Marissa: I haven't tried it yet, so maybe I shouldn't knock it.

[00:09:24] Will: You're missing out. It's savory and sweet. It's I don't even know what ranch flavor is. 

[00:09:30] Marissa: It's like buttermilk and pepper. Hmm. 

[00:09:32] Will: Okay. Right. That's a lot simpler than I would've thought.

[00:09:35] Marissa: Well, I don't know. I'm just spitballing. Um, so the first chapter of this book. My head was spinning because it reads like a yearbook, like whoever was the ghost writer for this book was like, we got to get as many teen full names as we possibly can. We've got a who's who of sweet valley sports I wrote in my, 

[00:09:57] Will: and then there's a party that immediately follows.

So there's two big opportunities to meet way too many characters for me to understand what the hell is going on at any point. Like where, where is this going? Whose story is this? The point of view is constantly shifting. There's so many people with so much skin 

in this game. 

[00:10:16] Marissa: Right? Right. Well, and there's an, well, the point of view shift is wielded creatively in this book and a few points, but I will get there. Um, so I'm going to read this. Uh, this is my thing that I noted as who's who of sweet valley sports. 

 sports

[00:10:31] Marissa: Down in the first row of bleachers, Sweet Valley High as basketball star, Shelley Novak exchanged high fives with her friend, Kristen Thompson, who was well on her way to a professional tennis career.

John Pfeifer, the sports photographer for the Oracle was standing on his seat, snapping pictures of the celebration. His girlfriend, Jennifer Mitchell, was standing beside him sitting quietly in the middle of all the commotion, next to Shelly, was Terry Adams, a petite pretty junior, who was the gladiators assistant statistician.

Her eyes closed, she hugged her clipboard tightly, a dreamy smile on her lips. That last run of Ken's was his 57th of the season. 

This book holds up the 57th run as if it's like a special number. 

Yeah. 

[00:11:12] Will: I don't know nearly enough about football to know if that is an impressive thing.

High school, college professional. 

[00:11:19] Marissa: We don't know how long their season cause you know, 

Terry always had all the facts right at hand, especially when they concerned Ken Matthews. 

So Terry Adams has a big crush on Ken Matthews. Terry. Yeah. Knows everything about the Gladiators football stats that, and she's like interested like it... it's not just that she loves Ken. And so she loves football because she loves Ken much of the books credit. She doesn't don't you think she's genuinely into, right? Well, her job. 

[00:11:49] Will: As, as the assistant statistician at the school. 

[00:11:53] Marissa: So it's like, I'm sure she has like a volunteer thing. It's like being a water 

[00:11:56] Will: or like writing for the school paper or the other kid.

John Pfeiffer. Who's a photographer who somehow standing on his seat. Why wasn't he down on the sidelines? Why did he have to sit in a seat? 

[00:12:06] Marissa: That's a really good point. I mean, this whole book. The way that football is described in this chapter also struck me as both confusing and vague. And I was thinking about the fact that these books were published, like all across the world, but especially in the English speaking world.

And there's not, I mean, there are other countries that have football, like American football I know there were a lot of Canadian readers, but like, I don't know what is Australian football 

[00:12:31] Will: No they're more into 

rugby, right? 

[00:12:33] Marissa: Yeah But there is something called Australian football 

[00:12:35] Will: It's probably soccer 

[00:12:37] Marissa: Well, then there's soccer, which of course the British call football.

[00:12:40] Will: Which most of the rest of the world calls.

football 

[00:12:42] Marissa: Yeah. 

In...yeah 

[00:12:44] Will: Yeah. 

I mean, it was definitely dumbed down enough that I understood it as someone who doesn't really get football. 

[00:12:50] Marissa: It's a complicated sport. 

[00:12:51] Will: Yeah. 

[00:12:51] Marissa: I mean, for a sport, that's just like "run it down from one end to the other,"

[00:12:55] Will: There's a lot of chaos.

[00:12:56] Marissa: The little bits and bobs. 

[00:12:57] Will: And the nuances of the chaos 

[00:12:58] Marissa: How, how many chances do you have to go how far? If you get that far, then you get to go a little further and then you can score seven points or you can score two points or you can score one point.

[00:13:10] Will: Well you score six. And then... 

[00:13:12] Marissa: OH, six plus one 

[00:13:13] Will: plus one, or plus two, 

[00:13:15] Marissa: we should have a football podcast. We explain how football works to the world. 

Like this is the level of understanding that, um, the book conveys as well. For sure. So another, character that gets mentioned early on, is a fellow named Scott Trost.

So as long as we're talking about characters in the world of sweet valley, let's just real quick. Do a little bit of talking about boys. 

 Okay. So Scott Trost, I kind of think he's come up in the book before, but I'm not totally sure. How did he 

come up in this one? I don't remember him. 

First of all, he's on the football team.

Okay. Oh, is he the one that replaces Ken, the quarterback. He's going to 

replace Ken as the quarterback, once events of this book unfold. 

[00:14:06] Will: I'm bad with names.

[00:14:07] Marissa: Well, that's a problem in a book like this, cause there's about a thousand characters.

[00:14:12] Will: Yeah, but they also just constantly call each other by their full name, by their full name, last name.

So 

[00:14:18] Marissa: later on in the book, they're like, "Ken, it's me, Aaron Dallas." " I'm here. Lila Fowler." She doesn't say that, but yeah. Um, it Gladiators, if you don't know what this book is about, it'll all become clear when we get there, but, uh, start imagining what you, why you think people might be introducing themselves to Ken by their first and last name.

You were saying like, you're not good with names. And I was noticing how many names were being introduced. I was just thinking about how many characters already exist in Sweet Valley and how ridiculous it is that like still more characters are being introduced. Like this book almost feels like a big push into like a new era of Sweet Valley where they're going to be more characters to have stories, but like, there are plenty of characters have stories about all right.

[00:15:00] Will: Did Egbert exist already? Okay. Because when he casually calls this guy Egbert in his car, it seemed like a quip like an insult. Yeah. Is that like a weird insult from the eighties I'm not aware of? Literally. And then they came up later. Oh, okay. His name is, is Egbert. And that made me sad for him. 

[00:15:21] Marissa: So here's an intro to Scott Trost.

[00:15:23] Will: Seems all right. I feel like he gets painted as a villain later. He is the replacement of Ken, , we're definitely supposed to be team Ken, not team Scott. We're supposed to get right? Like empathize? So I feel bad for 

Scott. 

[00:15:41] Marissa: The Wayfield twins feel bad for Scott too, in a funny scene. Um, but we're getting ahead of ourselves. Just a quick intro of Scott Trost? 

st

Elizabeth clutch Todd's hand is Ken dropped back to pass. "Complete!" She cried happily as Scott Trost caught the ball and scooted out of bounds, stopping the clock with 40 seconds left.

So Scott's a good football guy. Elizabeth and Todd are having a great time at the game. That was a little taste of the football , in this book. there's another boy who gets introduced his name is. Johnson. I wrote in my notes for the question mark, 

zj

" Terry!" She turned and saw Zach Johnson trotting over to her.

I got trust and trot. Was there similar words? Is that, is that something, is that something? I dunno. Okay. 

She turned and saw Zach Johnson trotting over to her, his uniform. Zach was a sophomore linebacker and a good one too, but on a team like the Gladiators, with so many talented upperclassmen, Zach spent most of his time on the bench.

So Zach is inviting, uh, Perry to a party at Amy Sutton's house. So Amy Sutton is on the cheerleaders. She is really gunning for Ken and she has this whole big elaborate fantasy, about how she's going to be Ken's girlfriend, but this is the first we've ever heard of Zach Johnson. I'm pretty sure. Yeah. So like Terry doesn't really want to go to the party because she's like nervous to even be around Ken. 

[00:17:06] Will: Has Terry existed before this book?

[00:17:07] Marissa: Only to set up this book in the briefly in the last book.

Okay. Uh, but wouldn't you say like she's so in love, with Ken, like she's has such a big crush on Ken that she's like nervous to go to the party. 

Yes. Yes. Which is. Weird and also totally authentic to teenage anxiety. 

Yeah, totally. It's a thing that seems actually fairly warranted.

She's got this feeling about Ken. Like he doesn't really know. I exist my, my dream of falling in love with him or him falling in love with me is only that. And I know that it's just a fantasy, so why torture? Plus the party's at Amy's house. And everybody knows that Amy is like of gunning for Ken. And if they didn't know..

[00:17:48] Will: And Amy's been around the block. Amy has dated everyone apparently. And is that accurate with the previous books? Amy's just always got a new boyfriend? 

[00:17:56] Marissa: Yes. And Amy has this interesting quality where like, at the end of the last book, Jessica was thinking that she was worried that Amy would.

Kind of just want to toy around with Ken and Ken was looking for something serious, but when Amy thinks about Ken in this book, she's thinking about... actually marked a particular passage. This is much later, but this is a glimpse into she was thinking about Ken. 

Amy loves Ken

[00:18:20] Marissa: The two of them had so much to look forward to. There were the rest of the football games. She would be out front shearing for him as he carried the team to victory after victory. And then there was college.

Ken would probably go to a big university on a football scholarship and she could go to the same school. Maybe Ken would even end up playing professional football one day. Amy wouldn't mind that one bit. 

She's basically like married to Ken daydream and she's got their whole lives planned out.

But this is what Amy does. She like falls madly in love with a boy for like five seconds. But do you remember how she is at her party? 

Yes, I do. I mean, she's kind of, uh, really swinging for the fences with this public Ken relationship. 

He walks into the party and she's like, it's the man of the hour 

[00:19:06] Will: just like makes out with him publicly in front of everyone.

[00:19:09] Marissa: They were not even dating. She just plants a kiss full on his lips 

[00:19:13] Will: and then like paragraphs go by. And then it says, And then she breaks away from the kiss and I'm like, whoa, they were kissing this whole time? You know, like, was 

[00:19:20] Marissa: it just like lips against lips? Like, like no movement for like 

20 seconds?

[00:19:26] Will: Everyone's just staring at this. Poor Terry 

[00:19:29] Marissa: poor Terry is right. You know, also poor Ken cause he's like what? And he hears at the party, this rumor, that Amy is basically saying that they were an item, she's like "the secreting" it, right. She's like willing it into 

existence. She's definitely manifesting this relationship, 

which we could probably work in a high school relationship, especially with someone who's manipulating as Amy, and as like, sort of malleable as Ken, but.

 I know we kind of stopped talking about boys, but there is another boy at the party that's worth talking about. 

[00:20:07] Will: skip? 

[00:20:08] Marissa: Yeah. It's almost like why does he even exist in this book, but there's this guy named Skip Harmon. Here's the funny moment I thought, um, Skip is Jessica's date to the dance or... the dance. An easy mistake to make to Amy's party. Dancing at this party are dancing.

let's see. I have so many notes. 

[00:20:27] Will: I wrote no it's at the beginning, like, okay. Elizabeth Wakefield, dating Todd Wilkins, and then quickly went, this is not worth my time writing. These things are not nearly as important as I thought they were going to me.

[00:20:40] Marissa: Uh, well, they are .Important, but not to this book. Uh, the whole last book was all about Elizabeth dating Todd. Ken, Todd and Liz, or they're just standing around and, um, Jessica comes up to them. She's been dancing with Skip Harmon, 

skip harmon

[00:20:55] Marissa: Hi Liz. Hi Todd. Great party. Huh? She asked. Sure is, Elizabeth agreed. Skip is a terrific dancer. You two look fabulous dancing together. Dancing isn't everything Jessica said rolling her eyes toward the ceiling. In answer to Elisabeth's quizzical look, she added "I'll tell you later."

[00:21:11] Will: Later. Does she ever tell her later? I don't think she does.

[00:21:14] Marissa: She does tell her later, but only after like, Skip has gotten worse. So whatever it is that he's done up to that point. Got it. Um, I wonder if I made an, a. I wonder if I made a note about skip 33, I put 33 exclamation point here. So they're still at the party. I'm the page 33 of this book. It's a long party.

 We get a description of him to, 

skip h

[00:21:36] Marissa: every time he passed a mirror, he would whip out a comb slick back his dark hair, and then smile at his reflection as if you were looking into a movie. To be this good looking and this talented? Skip sighed. Well, what can I say? I've been very fortunate.

[00:21:52] Will: He goes on a whole rant about his, his good fortune and his luck being talented, handsome. How he, it wasn't his, his choice, nothing he earned. It, you know, such a strange fellow, Skip. 

[00:22:06] Marissa: And when he asked her to dance again and she says, no, that because she's tired, he says, 

"can't keep up with me, huh? "Skip teased her.

What's the matter are you out of shape or something? No, but I am out of patience, Jessica replied. 

She's like, she's not into it. So that's funny, but there's like, nothing really comes 

of that

[00:22:26] Will: . there's no, payoff to Skip in this book, 

[00:22:28] Marissa: Like I would call it a B story, but that's all the whole story.

[00:22:32] Will: Skip Sucks. 

[00:22:35] Marissa: So Winston is there with his girlfriend, Maria, and they need to go home, but they're going to have to take the bus.

Oh my God. 

[00:22:43] Will: No one takes the bus in sweet valley. 

[00:22:44] Marissa: No, and it's because Winston's cars in 

the shop or something 

[00:22:49] Will: VW needs new tires this time. 

[00:22:52] Marissa: That's great. Good memory. Um, you're kind of a car guy. 

[00:22:57] Will: I don't understand how they work, but I, I, you know, I understand occasionally they need new tires. 

[00:23:03] Marissa: So Ken like wants to get away from the party.

He's seems like he's maybe a little bit more introverted than people expect him to be, but also he's like weirded out by the Amy thing. He offers to drive Winston and Maria home kind of insists, 

[00:23:17] Will: he's looking to get out of this party. 

[00:23:19] Marissa: Yeah. And he says, he'll come back. You know, he's just gonna drop him off and he'll be right back.

And it'll be nice to kind of get away for a minute. Um, Terry is so feeling like shit about the whole Amy Ken thing, like she just feels really devastated, like, cause how could she compete with Amy Sutton for Ken Matthews? So it does like they're a perfect obvious pairing, you know? Right. So. Winston offers somebody somehow she ends up in this car too..

[00:23:44] Will: I thought it was pretty well done the way she ended up in the car. She's crying in the bathroom and talking to Elizabeth, probably what, meanwhile, um, Maria and Winston are arranging their ride with Ken, 

[00:23:58] Marissa: You're doing SO good.

[00:23:59] Will: And I thank you very much. Just so many, so many names. 

[00:24:05] Marissa: The Elizabeth thing is actually another facet to this particular kind of framework that some of these randos books have.

It's like, how are we going to get the twins involved? Jessica doesn't really have anything to do. Maybe she'll like spread a rumor or be like a way to get information around, which she is in this book. And then Elizabeth needs a job and Elizabeth job is always the same. It's to be the person that's going to fix everything through a phone call that happens.

And also through some, a scene like this, usually where she likes 

[00:24:35] Will: she's a good friend. 

[00:24:36] Marissa: Yeah. So she kind of knows Terry, Terry's been doing some stuff for the newspaper lately, I guess. And has recently made friends with Elizabeth. We didn't see any of that happened with the book, tells us that we take it for granted and then Elizabeth is stepping in and helping out, or is the person that the Rondo character thinks to call for advice. It has happened many times at this point in these books. 

[00:25:00] Will: Yeah, I'd call her. She sounds like she knows everyone and everything is comfortable talking to other people's parents 

[00:25:06] Marissa: And also like understands the true subtext of everybody's emotions. I mean, she's not always like that, but in this book, when Terry eventually calls her and is like explaining what's happening with Ken and her interpretation of the story, Elizabeth is like, "well, but maybe Ken feels this other way." And she, what she says is totally true. Anyway, we're, we're, uh, being vague, but we're going to get there.

So this is actually a really important moment because after Ken drops off Winston and Maria, he goes to drop off Terry and it's raining. It's raining so hard. Oh my gosh. I can hardly see in front of me and Terry's like, come inside. Right? Doesn't she say, come inside and wait out the rainstorm. She's so awkward.

But like they started talking about football 

and it's okay. 

[00:25:52] Will: I thought it was going to lead in a romantic direction. I honestly, to be fair at the party. There's a scene where, uh, this is me trying to figure out where this story's going and what's happening. I didn't trust Amy for one second. So there's a scene where.

Offers to get Ken a drink. And I was like, she's going to roofie him. Like, there's something going on here? 

[00:26:15] Marissa: What does she do? 

[00:26:16] Will: She gets him juice? Is that ..

[00:26:17] Marissa: Orange juice! She actually 

doesn't even, she says that he comes into the party. She says, Hey Ken, can I get you a drink? And he's like, sure. And she says, orange juice, right? As if like she knows that's his order.

And I was just like these, I can not believe the juniors of Sweet Valley High are having a post football game party at Amy Sutton's house. No parents. And she's going to serve him orange juice. I mean, I love it. 

[00:26:39] Will: He's depleted of his vitamin C after the game. 

[00:26:43] Marissa: This is just not what you think of as a stereotypical, like, 

[00:26:47] Will: but the way that she, she exits the scene and we don't go with her and then she comes back and she's just being so manipulative.

I was like, she's, she's up to no. Good. And then he's driving on the dangerous wet road and I'm like, oh, the roofie's going to kick in.

Well, the, the cover of the book, the teaser makes it seem. Like, what, what 

does it say? 

[00:27:09] Marissa: Will Ken's life be ruined in one tragic moment? 

[00:27:12] Will: Yeah. In one tragic moment. And I guess it is tragic because it's totally random and is not a cosmic or karmic punishment for anything it's truly bad luck. Um, but I thought it was going to be a cautionary tale of sorts where it's like oh, mess with the wrong people and you know, this is what's going to happen. But no, it was just bad luck. She didn't do anything malicious. She's just really overplaying her hand trying to get this boy to date here. So fast forward, back to the car. It's dark, it's wet. It's very rainy and dangerous slick roads, I suppose.

And Ken gets in a car accident with a tree avoids, a drunk driver 

[00:27:53] Marissa: Yeah, there's a drunk driver whose fault it really is. Ken was driving really slow and there's somebody with the like headlights careening really fast, like right toward him. And so he swerved to avoid the drunk driver and hits a tree. 

[00:28:04] Will: and they're pretty delicate with how they deal with the drunk driver. I thought it wasn't totally written off and it wasn't over the line.

Like he wasn't belligerently drunk. Like he was very sad. There's a mention of a breathalyzer. He gets led to a cop car, but it's not too explicit. You're definitely left to fill in the blanks a little bit. And then later the kids are all like "some drunk driver ran him off the 

road and he hit a tree." 

[00:28:29] Marissa: The drunk driver is like crying. He's like a middle-aged man.

He's like, oh, I can't believe this happened. Yeah. Um, but that we see all of that stuff through Elizabeth and Todd and Jessica's eyes because they are driving home together. Jessica is like excited to get away from Skip Harmon. And a moment happened that, um, is tragic and heartbreaking, but also seemed like a real, like potential kind of merch opportunity for Sweet Valley Diaries.

Okay. So here's what. Um, they're driving and they see an accident, right? They see this ax to the site of this accident. 

Accident! 

[00:29:06] Marissa: It looks like a bad one. There's an ambulance. Todd said pointing the ambulance was pulled over next to a crumpled white car. Todd isn't that? A white Toyota like Ken's? Elizabeth asked. Stodd top...

Sorry.

Todd stopped the car and stared at the wreckage. The front end of the white car was crumpled like an accordion. The windshield had a gaping hole in it, and there was shattered glass everywhere. It's a Toyota all right, Todd said. Elizabeth strained to see the back of the Toyota as they slowly passed by.

Ken had two bumper stickers in his car. That's wrong. 

Ken had two bumper stickers on his car. One simply had the name of the school on it. And another said, "Honk if you love the Gladiators." She tried to focus on the relatively unharmed bumper, but it was difficult with all the flashing lights. She was able to make out the words, "love the Gladiators." She felt her heart leap in her chest. 

[00:30:17] Marissa: So what do you think would be the better bumper sticker branding opportunity for, for the podcast? Is it "honk if you love the gladiators" or just "love the Gladiators"? Um, 

I liked the, I liked the idea of the merch somehow representing the moment from the story where it's like half torn away.

[00:30:37] Will: It's it's but he survived. It's not a fatal night. It's a fateful night. 

[00:30:41] Marissa: See, this is, we're celebrating the fact that Ken Matthews is alive, he's alive, 

[00:30:47] Will: but is it a life worth living, which is the, the, I guess that's really 

[00:30:54] Marissa: the takeaway for the rest of the rest of the book. Is his life going to be worth living or not?

 

[00:30:59] Marissa: Okay. We're back in a new location. Does it sound different? Oh my gosh. It was like the ceiling about lower or something. So we are displaced. Yes. But displaced to a place 

[00:31:14] Will: and not forgotten 

[00:31:16] Marissa: displaced. That's beautiful. That's a really beautiful sentiment. Um, we just had to stop talking cause it was so emotional.

You know, the poor Ken, could he be dead? 

[00:31:26] Will: No.

[00:31:27] Marissa: Well, he couldn't be, we are, we did already say that nobody died, but they do. Uh, somebody does say, before we know what's going on with Ken, 

ken dead?

[00:31:36] Marissa: Ken Matthews was on his way to the hospital. He was unconscious and from what they had seen, his chances didn't look good.

[00:31:43] Will: They really drive it home. The idea that Ken could die at any moment. He's fine...but he could also die. 

[00:31:49] Marissa: Yeah. But then it seems like what's actually happened is that he has received some bruises and scratches to his face. Primarily. No other part of his body seems damaged.

He is very touch and go, 

[00:32:02] Will: can I read a quote that I wrote down in full in my notes, this is something that a doctor says to him once he's woken back up. Right. The doctor says 

Doctor

[00:32:12] Will: once the swelling from the bruises and the small cuts goes down, you're going to look exactly the same as you did before.

Like as a way of consoling, like, don't worry. You're going to be exactly as, as you were. And it worked on me, it threw me off. I thought, oh, he's going to be fine. I did not see the, the, I was, I was blindsided. I was blindsided. 

[00:32:38] Marissa: Well, and is that a football reference? No, it's not a blindness reference because.

Uh, Ken has these bandages that totally are covering his face.

[00:32:48] Will: I imagine like the invisible man? 

[00:32:50] Marissa: It was like that! With like a little slit for his mouth and, oh, I mean immediately in the aftermath of having seen this accident, Liz Todd, and go back to Amy's party and like tell Amy what happened. Amy is distraught.

She wants him to the hospital right away. Cause like, this is her man, you know? But then they, Elizabeth is like, no, one's, they're not going to let you see him. Or somebody says that. And then they resolve to go the next day. Yeah. So Amy goes there with Jessica the next day and also, you know, Mr. And Mrs. Matthews are there and say like, yeah, no, he's can't have visitors yet. Cause he's still in the ICU and Jessica notices, that Amy seems sort of relieved. Like all of this is like a little bit much for. Which is understandable. I mean, they're not actually dating. And her whole interest in Ken is basically this daydream that she has that not real 

what's interesting is that she never comes to the realization that she was too much and pushed him away.

And, you know, poor Terry thinks she's the reason that he got in this car accident, but really you can draw. To Amy. Oh, yes. Amy's I guess over zealousness in trying to lock this man down, forced him to leave the party, which is why he got 

in the car. Right. Um, and instead like nobody ever connects those dots, but Amy does like flat out confront Terry and tell her that it is her fault.

Because if Terry hadn't, I mean, it's all, everything that is in the accusation is not true. Like if Terry hadn't sourced him. Yeah. Well that must be, it must be protected. She doesn't know. But she actually, I think doesn't realize that Ken wanted to leave her party. We'll never really know. Um, but we didn't even, we, we stopped at the bandages and the invisible man, like eventually.

Yeah, I guess nobody else, no other kids are there. It's just Ken and his parents and the doctor, but eventually it's time for the bandages to come off and they all come off and it's like, he looks exactly the same, but then 

what does he ask? He says something like, when are you going to take the menus, this off my eyes.

So sad. And the doctor's like, oh, we were afraid of this, but there was no way to know until we took them off your 

[00:35:00] Will: eyes. So I have not Googled this yet, but my assumption is that this would be the rarest possible outcome from a car crash to just go blind, to be totally fine. Cuts and bruises. Yeah, it 

[00:35:15] Marissa: didn't go good with either.

I mean, I, so since we're going to be talking for the rest of the book about Ken Matthews and his struggle with blindness. I mean, I'll read some quotes. I think there are places where the book actually handles it fairly. Well. I just want to say, like, if we ever feel like we're making fun of the book, we're making fun of the book.

The, I have actually really recently, um, gotten a chance to talk with some people for another podcast project about people who like Ken Matthews, uh, no, not in a car accident. I don't think I don't really know the details, but they became, uh, blind after having been sighted for the first part of their lives.

They're awesome. Normal people. Like there's nothing. I. This 

[00:35:57] Will: is what makes a lot about blindness. Like it makes a big to do about it and it is both warranted and also laying it on 

a 

[00:36:04] Marissa: little thick. I mean, we'll see, I think it handles it. Okay. But I just want to, I guess I'm just trying to hedge my bets here just in case it comes up.

We cross come across sounding in anyway, callous, it's just that the book is ridiculous. Well, 

[00:36:16] Will: I, as a joke was going to pitch you on the idea of wearing blindfolds to record this, and then do you know, 30 pages later, poor Terry comes up with that idea herself. And I was like, oh man, this is 

[00:36:31] Marissa: Elizabeth doing her Elizabeth thing.

[00:36:34] Will: She plants the seed 

[00:36:35] Marissa: of the idea. So basically after Ken Is blind, uh, Jessica and Elizabeth go to visit him 

[00:36:40] Will: what page does he become blind on? I was trying to track the structure 

[00:36:45] Marissa: it's right around page 59 because I did, I marked this down 

[00:36:48] Will: pretty deep in there for the premise to take shape 

[00:36:50] Marissa: at page fifty-nine..

It's like two thirds of the, this book is 150 pages long. ,

okay. This is just before the bandages come off. I thought this was kind of funny. 

Ken's Dad

[00:36:58] Marissa: Ken breathed a sigh of relief as the gauze was removed and he could actually feel the air on his head again, he raised his hand to the top of his head. Whoa. He said with half a laugh, where's my hair? We had to shave it, Dr. Arquette explained in order to treat some of the cuts and to take some x-rays, don't worry. It'll grow back in a few weeks. That's good. Ken grinned. I'm going to look pretty scary on the football field right there. You always do Mr. Matthews replied, especially with that arm of yours, 

[00:37:26] Will: how fast his hair grow?

[00:37:28] Marissa: We don't know, but I thought that was such a funny, like dad comment, you always do look scary, son. You always 

do. 

[00:37:34] Will: But the dad knows that you assume the doctor has told the dad like your 

[00:37:39] Marissa: reaction suggest to me that they already knew 

[00:37:42] Will: overcompensate the possibility of a joke, like with a dad joke. Okay. 

[00:37:46] Marissa: So not long after that Jessica and Elizabeth come by and, Ken momentarily thinks about like, pretending that he can see still, like he doesn't want to deal with it.

And they brought him a car that has like everybody in the club in a school basically signed it and they're like, read the poem and he's like, I'm blind. He just blurts it out. I 

do love that. We get a little bit of his thought process. He considered. Saying, oh, I have a headache. Can you read it for me?

But then he does the right thing. He's honest. 

Yeah. Although when he had that, I was like, oh, that's a good idea, Ken. That would work, that would totally work.

Yeah. But it is like at a certain point. So they go back to the school and they, I think Jessica intercepts Amy at the hospital and mentions it to her and Amy leaves, she's like, fuck this.

Yeah. 

[00:38:35] Will: For, for someone who is that into him, uh, she bails just as quickly as this romance began. 

[00:38:41] Marissa: She has come to visit him at the hospital at some point and sent some letters. And Ken is like touched by that early on. But then he gets sent to this rehab facility for like a month, a month that gets totally elided in this book.

It's like, you turn a page to a new chapter and it's like 

[00:38:58] Will: A lot happens very quickly in this poor boy's life. Yeah, it's just a few weeks at the end of the book they talk about, oh, remember just a few weeks ago, like, oh, wow. I didn't realize all this could happen in such a short span of time. He went to a school for the blind and learned how to live his life as a blind person.

He, he did get screwed a little bit. He did not get a dog. I feel like a seeing eye dog would have done wonders for poor ken. 

[00:39:25] Marissa: Yeah. He could have had a buddy, but yeah, no chapter nine starts after like the last thing that happened was that Terry went to visit Ken at the hospital and, he was happy to see her and, she cries at him because she feels so guilty.

Amy has like full on confronted her, like blaming her for the accident as well as we mentioned earlier now. So she's all sad. She goes to the hospital and. Um, or wait, is that, did that happen already that Amy confronted her or was that yeah. Yeah, it did. So,

 The beginning of chapter nine... Ron Jablonksi. 

Yes. Which 

[00:40:03] Will: is a fantastic name. Yeah. 

[00:40:05] Marissa: Yeah. Um, when I'm naming characters, I tend to give them last names like Jablonski because

[00:40:09] Will: A lot of Polish people in your stuff. 

[00:40:11] Marissa: Yeah. Everybody that, when I was growing up, this was the kind of last names people had 

where I lived, 

[00:40:16] Will: they roll off the tongue in a very, in a very nice way.

[00:40:19] Marissa: Yeah. 

Ron Jablonski

[00:40:20] Marissa: Attitude is everything. Ron Jablonski told Ken, if I keep saying that over and over again, it's because I want to drill it into your head. Ken nodded, he didn't know what Ron looked like, but he sure had learned to recognize his voice. Ron had been his counselor, therapist and friend during the month Ken had spent at Holly field. 

So it's like, oh, okay. He's been there for a month already now. oh, I know. I, sorry. I understand what I was confused before. So Terry doesn't come to visit Ken at the hospital. Amy accosts Terry, Terry wants to go visit Ken, and Elizabeth is like, you can't visit him because he's at this facility rehab facility for people who've become blind and you can't, 

no one can visit him.

He's 

not allowed no visitors, 

[00:40:59] Will: but then, Terry's that one that asks. "Hey, do you mind working your Sweet Valley magic?" She 

[00:41:06] Marissa: basically is like, "Can't you talk to his parents and tell them how important it is?" , Because she wants to apologize to Ken for what she now feels is her fault.

So she's 

[00:41:15] Will: His blindness, by the way, it shook me. It really, it really did catch me by surprise. I did not think that that's where this story was going. And then I, it just went full, full into it. Uh, a premise about the, what if the star football player became blind? I just, it took me, it took the book this long to figure out what it was about.

And now we're into an interesting premise.

[00:41:39] Marissa: well, this 

is kind of a funny side effect of having you read the ebook because on the physical copy on the back of the book, the second paragraph starts, 

Back cover

"then one rainy night, Ken is in a terrible car accident that leaves him blind,"

[00:41:51] Will: Yep, nope. Didn't read that. This was truly a rollercoaster.

[00:41:56] Marissa: Ah, well rollercoaster for Ken too, because he is when he's about, it's about time for him to leave. Now, his month is up and he goes into his room to kind of like pack things up. And he's got all these cards from students at sweet valley. 

Ken's Cards

[00:42:13] Marissa: Ron had read each one to Ken as it arrived. And he had re-read them.

Whenever Ken felt lonely, his favorite card was the homemade one from the football team. It was shaped like a football and a shoelace was threaded through it. Ken ran his hand over all his friends' signatures. He could feel the impressions, the pens, and may in the paper, remembering the guys on the team made tears come to Ken's eyes.

He was funny. His eyes couldn't see anymore, but they sure were good at crying. In his whole life, Ken hadn't cried as much as he had in the last month. There were all kinds of cards from lots of different people. Mr. Collins --

should remember him. He's 

--coach Schultz, Olivia Davidson, the Wakefields, Cara Walker.

Amy had written too, but both of the letters had come a long time ago, in the first week. Ken knew them by the scented envelopes that were Amy's trademark. Her letters had been friendly, but there wasn't much to them beyond the same old, "you'll be fine" that most people wrote. With a wave of his hand, Ken sent the cards, flying to the door, not one of these get well wishes had brought him any closer to seeing again. 

You know, so he's about to go back to sweet valley high and he feels bad about it. Understandably. So then we get his first day at sweet valley high. 

[00:43:27] Will: They mentioned later that he had gotten like a, a private walkthrough to, to learn the layout 

because he was doing a lot of like step counting to like figure out his way around. And he hadn't changed 

the step. I had never thought about that, but it's, it's clear that whoever wrote this book did the very minimum amount of research into what happens when you go blind.

Like, what are the things that they teach you immediately? It's like, Count your steps. That's, that's where we're going to start. 

[00:43:54] Marissa: Hi, Marissa chiming in real quick. After listening back to this episode, I thought maybe it would be a good idea for me to actually look into this whole step counting thing. And lo and behold, I I quickly uncovered many articles written by people who are blind referring to the idea that they count their steps as a "popular misconception." And that this is not really a recommended method for getting around because it's not particularly reliable. Uh, it's possible that this is something that has just changed in the course of the last 30 years, in terms of the way that people are taught. But that's just me giving the ghost writer the benefit of the doubt. 

I'll put some links in the show notes to what I uncovered. 

It seems to me like, if. There was a popular misconception. It might've been really easy for an author to just trade in that rather than doing the research, anyway, I thought it was worth popping in to comment on after the fact, rather than just deleting that whole part. Now back to the show!

And just to call myself out here, like if I had really been thinking about this, I probably could have tried to to ask one of the people that I have met that is blind and to be the guest on this book, but then you would have been deprived of reading this.

Beautiful. Okay. Well soon that's what Terry is going to do because so Ken, I mean, just to, I guess like fast forward through it, Ken is having a really tough time in all of his classes. Understandably. Winston on the first day I was leading them around and it has to like meet him, like I have to arrange to like meet each other between every class so that one student can lead him to the next class.

[00:45:29] Will: The acknowledgement that he wasn't a great student to begin with. And now things are going to be waiting. 

[00:45:34] Marissa: Yeah. It's like he's recording his lectures, but then the teacher will say something like open your books. Dammit, you know, he's still learning to read braille. I passed a braille Institute on the way over here, by the way.

Really? Yeah. Well, on the way to the first location and then, Amy like used to sit by him in one of these classes and now she doesn't, 

[00:45:59] Will: they're treating him like a leper. 

[00:46:00] Marissa: But then Terry goes to talk to him and they actually have like a great conversation. Uh, it's really nice. I think that might be when he goes out by the football field on his own.

He goes rogue. Winston's supposed to meet him. And that's when he overhear a Scott Trost talking to some other football player, he learns a couple things.

[00:46:20] Will: That Scott is quarterback of the team. Yes. What else does you learn? Oh, that Amy and he are dating, right? Yeah. The 

Amy is like going after him, pursuing him hard. She has dropped cam like a hot potato. 

[00:46:33] Marissa: Here's what it says. 

Scott and Amy

[00:46:34] Marissa: So are you going with her? 

Said an old timey way to say it. Yeah. Ken heard a distant voice say. A couple of guys seemed to be heading back to school from the athletic fields. She's been after me to take her out. That's for sure. Ever since coach made me quarterback.

Oh my God. It's so transparent.

 From his position on the bench, Ken, tried to figure out who he was listening to. It sounded like Scott Trost, but whom was he talking about? 

[00:47:01] Will: I wonder if I'd be able to, to identify my friends just by their voice. I feel like I do a decent job. I was, I think I was silently judging him.

I'm like, you don't know who these 

[00:47:10] Marissa: people are. Well, I don't do they ever even say no, but this is a cool, this is the cool example of when we're in Ken's POV, after he becomes blind, this is how it is. It's like , if he doesn't know who's talking, we don't know who's talking right there, you know, and it sort of comes up as it becomes clear to Ken. 

"you know, Amy, she's got to have somebody to go out with. Another boy said Ken was certain that the second guy was Skip Harmon. 

There you go.

Ken's breath caught in his chest. Could they mean Amy Sutton? 

[00:47:40] Will: The only Amy that's ever been referenced? 

Of course it's Amy Sutton. 

Yeah. So 

[00:47:45] Marissa: he feels like crap, but then Terry comes out and they started talking and he forgets, you know, the pain of his blindness for a little while. 

[00:47:54] Will: When she starts basically nursing him back to, to health.

It's very like, what do they call it? Nightingale syndrome. Isn't it. 

Uh, where you fall in love with the universe, like Florence Nightingale. I mean, there's Stockholm syndrome, but that's when you fall over with your kidnapper. So that's not what 

happened. Well, I think it's, I think there's a Nightingale reference.

Um, I'm remembering from, from something or some movie. And I caught that very early on. I'm like, this is not going to go well, I see where this, this conflict is going. 

[00:48:24] Marissa: What happens is that Terry, like the first thing is that Terry talks to him, but at some point in the conversation, he has this moment where he's like, oh no, she is just talking to me out of pity.

Like, I like this girl. I'd like to spend more time with her, but you know what? She wouldn't want to spend time with me. And he gets all solid and runs away. And Terry takes this kind of personally. And so she calls Elizabeth and that's when Elizabeth advisors heard it. You know, I read this weird thing in a magazine.

This is kind of strange to try, but Terry has said, I wish I could understand what was going on inside of him. And Elizabeth recommends that Terry cover her eyes for a little while. I tried to spend some time like blind. Yeah. So this on the face of, it seems a little silly, but the way that it's actually written about I thought was pretty like surprisingly nuanced for sweet valley high.

And 

[00:49:13] Will: I just, as a side note in a, in a Boy Meets World episode, I feel like this would lead to the character showing up to school, you know, with their eyes taped, shut and sunglasses on and a walking stick, trying to live the life of a blind person for a day to see how it is. And it would not go well there either, but 

would be way funnier.

[00:49:31] Marissa: Yeah. This is not played for comedy. So Terry's walking around her house with a scarf over her eyes. Uh, I guess it must be a pretty thick scarf because otherwise that wouldn't do too much, although your eyes are closed underneath the scarf. Right. 

[00:49:45] Will: Scarf is there to keep you honest. 

[00:49:47] Marissa: Yeah. So she's understanding that this is kind of scary, like to not really know where you're going. So she's relating to Ken on that level. 

 

Blind

The reality of blindness was turning out to be a lot harsher than Terry had ever imagined. 

[00:49:59] Marissa: It's kind of a strange choice of words. The reality is like this isn't, that's not what this is, but okay. Whatever. every simple task she tried gave her a whole new sense of respect for how much can it already learned. He was really doing well at this. At school, he walked at a normal pace by himself. That alone was a major achievement. When she finally managed to get some juice into a glass, Terry found a chair next to the window and sank into it. A sweet fragrant breeze blew in the kitchen. Terry took a sip of the juice, then stood up and walked over to the sliding glass door that opened onto the deck.

The smooth glass felt cool to her fingertips, but standing at the window made her sad. Ken would never be able to look out a window again. Blindness had robbed him of even the simplest pleasures. Suddenly a bird started chirping. The sound was startling. It stood out like a bright color against the darkness in her head, standing at the window.

She listened intently, drinking in the music. She must have heard those birds in the backyard every day of her life, but she had never really listened to them before, never realized how beautiful they sounded. Being blind was terrible, but it did have its compensations, Terry suddenly realized. She was hearing and touching things she had merely taken for granted before.

Still, when she took off the blindfold, a few minutes later, Terry was immensely relieved to have her eyesight back then a feeling of sadness overwhelmed her. She had only been blind for an hour. Ken might be blind for the rest of his life. 

Oh, which I guess we should say the doctor has allowed some wiggle room that Ken might get his eyesight back.

[00:51:31] Will: Don't count your chickens before, 

[00:51:34] Marissa: like, okay. I better not get my hopes up. 

[00:51:35] Will: Another instance in that passage of a sweet valley kid, drinking juice as their beverage of choice did not clean up the spilled juice. 

So we never saw that. And you know what, Terry takes this experience and turns it into like, what feels like a very deep understanding of blindness, because suddenly now when she offers to hang out with Ken and like, she wants to take him to the beach and she, she like, kind of knows exactly what to say to him.

She narrates what's happening, 

yeah, yeah. I never thought about that, but that was clever. 

[00:52:09] Marissa: Yeah. It's like, she's driving and she's like, I'm on going on this street now I'm stopping at the stoplight. Then I'm going to turn on this street because she felt like not knowing what was happening was part of what made it scary.

And they get to the beach and he's sort of sad, like, oh, I used to come running on the beach and she was like, you can run, you know, like, I'll be right here. 

It's a private cove, basically. 

[00:52:31] Will: It's not the Sweet Valley beach. It's North Haven, which is just vacant. It's just a two miles just vacant 

You know, one of those vacant beachess between, 

[00:52:40] Marissa: uh, like Newport and Santa Barbara of which there are so many, you know, one of those, um, uh, there are parts of the beach that are quieter than others, for sure.

They spend a few days, like she invites them to a football game and he's a little bit iffy on it, but he goes and has a good time. 

Right. It was a romance plot, but neither of them is acknowledging the romantic part 

of it. Yeah. And I was actually surprised when it came back to, Ken at a certain point it's like, he's going to kiss her.

And then he's like, oh no, shoot. There was nothing romantic between us. Like she would hate that. And I was just like, oh, okay. I didn't. I thought that they were like, had become an item, but I guess 

not. 

[00:53:20] Will: Yeah. For someone who's the star quarterback of the football team, his, his confidence is, is quite low. And I appreciate that perspective.

You know, he's not super cocky. He's not, you know, overconfident and just, you know, assuming that everybody loves him, he's like, no, she must just be taking care of me and I'm thinking too much about it. 

[00:53:39] Marissa: Yeah. And then once that realization. He now he has a whole new, weird attitude towards Terry, which this is the book is winding down at this point, but he's like, 

[00:53:51] Will: Winding down and building towards what we hope is them getting together 

officially. 

[00:53:56] Marissa: This is like the part of the romance novel, where the two characters are convinced that the other one is all wrong for them. And that, that can never work out. So, uh, it's like the last hurdle, they both they've fallen in love, but like they can't confess their love to each other for reasons inside their own mind. Yeah. So Ken is like simultaneously reliant on Terry for every little thing to the point that he is not doing things on his own as much as he should be. And also he's kind of like being a Dick to her because it's like, if he's friendly to her, it'll only be making him feel his love for her more?

[00:54:33] Will: He's keeping it very professional. He's treating her like an employee. I feel like. There's a distance that he's forcing by his behavior. Yeah. I got, I felt, I felt like for a book and a series that seems very broad and soapy, this was accurate, I think, to a certain extent and nuanced in the way that people behave.

Well, there 

[00:54:55] Marissa: was one part... So when Terry eventually calls Elizabeth again and, uh, like for the, at least the third time in this book, you know, Elizabeth to the rescue, like help advise me, um, she called and she kind of tells Liz that he's kind of been a jerk lately. And Liz is like, have you ever told him how you felt?

Cause like everybody else knows that Terry has a crush on Ken and has like all year, Elizabeth says, 

Liz love advice

[00:55:20] Marissa: "Terry, when you see him today, why don't you tell Ken how you feel about him?" Elizabeth suggested. "That might make things easier between you. You'll know one way or the other if he's interested in you, you know, as a girlfriend.' Terry, let out a little laugh, "I'll try, but I don't think I want to know the answer."

And that was just like, oh, it's such a gut punch because I have been Terry like so many times in high school and beyond, you know, this thing of like, well, I get to spend all this time with this person that I have strong feelings for. Like maybe it'll just work itself out, but what's happening with Terry.

I don't know if this ever happened in one of the situations for me, but you know, is that can actually does have feelings for her, but he has his own reasons for not 

voicing them. 

They're 

[00:56:00] Will: both doing the same thing. To to the situation. 

[00:56:04] Marissa: So there's a big fight that they have the next time they see each other,

[00:56:07] Will: at the Droids concert?

[00:56:09] Marissa: They do go to the droids concert, but that's where Terry is kind of like, he's been kind of a dick lately 

[00:56:14] Will: Are the droids, a recurring band? 

[00:56:17] Marissa: Okay. Usually referred to as sweet valley high's own rock band. They're a great, 

[00:56:21] Will: That's a great name. I mean, I assume that they're a great band and I would enjoy, 

[00:56:27] Marissa: I wish I wish they 

were real.

Is it, do you think it's a star wars thing? Like we're in the eighties, there's a band it's like, oh, like the Droids. 

Okay. I think it's gotta be, um, do you have your book handy? Um, I, yeah. Do you want to read, do a dramatic reading of this fight with me? Is that too intense? No, not at all. Let me bring it up.

This'll be our first time probably acting together since grad school. 

Did we not do one of these on my previous episode? 

Oh, maybe. I don't know. I listen to. When I introduced you, I said your full name, but I didn't say a single thing about you. 

[00:57:04] Will: I liked the mystery. 

[00:57:06] Marissa: So what gladiators may or may not know is that Will, is a, director, a film director, and also other things and writer. And so, you know, you can tell me about my performance.

I could take it. 

[00:57:19] Will: Oh no, 

FIght

Ken, spending time with you was my idea.

[00:57:24] Marissa: You know that, but I can't go on like this forever. I've got my own homework to take care of too. 

[00:57:29] Will: I'm sure you do.

[00:57:31] Marissa: Ken. I'm not saying I don't want to see you anymore. 

[00:57:34] Will: Aren't you? It was fun to play candy striper for awhile, but now you're sick of it. I understand perfectly. 

[00:57:40] Marissa: That's not true. I only want to help you Ken! 

[00:57:43] Will: Look, Terry, you're not blind. You can't help me because you have no idea what it's like. So why don't you just get out of here? Like everyone else. 

[00:57:53] Marissa: Terry stood up ready to run out, but she couldn't let him have the last word she had to tell him how she felt about him. You're right. I don't know what it's like to be blind, but I do know it's not the end of the world Ken! Plenty of blind people have accomplished great things.

And you can too, if you stop sitting back and feeling sorry for yourself, letting other people do everything for you. 

[00:58:13] Will: I said, get out of here! 

[00:58:16] Marissa: Terry stormed through the open doorway, then spun around to face him, tears streaming down her face. All right. I see now that you've been taking advantage of me this whole time. Oh, you like it when I help you out and do things for you, it's fine with you that I make you feel good about yourself, but you ever stopped once to consider how I feel? 

Why in the world did you think I was doing all these things for you anyway? Because I love you. That's why. And if you never noticed that you're even blinder than you think, 

[00:58:43] Will: all right, we'll go for another take. 

[00:58:44] Marissa: I know we should have your wife come out in, but she's literally currently teaching an acting class.

[00:58:51] Will: So this is true. This is true, but, uh, yeah, it's really dramatic and it's just like Ken and Ken, when 

[00:58:58] Marissa: the chapter closes ken's house. end 

Terry turned and ran down the front sidewalk to her car. She heard Ken calling her name, but she didn't stop. So Ken's like calling after, you know, he is, it's been a big revelation.

He's just like, oh my gosh. You know, so what does Ken do? 

[00:59:15] Will: He yells Terry Terry. I mean, that's the beginning of the next chapter. It's 

[00:59:20] Marissa: an, it's a, it's a direct pickup. So yeah, he calls her house after we cry, like sits on the porch and like mopes for 15, 

[00:59:32] Will: it goes into, I think what we can admit as a classic romcom ending, you know, where he resolves his, his inner flaw and does a big romantic gesture.

Something that's very difficult for him, which in this case is doing things without her. So he figures out a way to, um, well he first realizes she's not home. I know where she is. She must be at the beach. He rejects everyone's offers to give him a ride to the beach and says, he's going to do it on his own.

He storms out of his house. He gets to the bus stop, gets 

on the bus. Sweet valley has 

buses. Oh, great buses that no one would ever take. There's no reason to ever take the bus. So the bus driver's really nice. He gets to the beach, he gets off, he counts his steps. , you know, 

he knows that's where she is. And he knows the beach really well because he spent so much time with her there.

And it 

feels like this like epic long. Yeah. 

[01:00:27] Marissa: It seems like it must've been really hard. He has to like ask people strangers for advice, like, you know, is this the bus stop and bus driver? Can you tell me like, things that, I mean, we've probably seen, I mean, living in the city, like you see people that are navigating the world like this who are blind all the time.

You know, it happened in Chicago recently, there was a guy getting off the Metro rail who myself and several other people were kind of like telling him where the stairs were and thinking, you know, helping him go the right way. And I just remember thinking. This must be his whole day, like, cause he's, this is clearly a guy who's like brave enough to risk, you know, walking down a train platform and not knowing where the stairs are. I mean, I don't know what his story was, but I was just thinking like, wow, that must be like, on the one hand, I don't want to like, he's, he's out there living his life. So I don't want to treat him with like pity, but on the other hand, like, oh, that would be so hard to have to navigate the world that way, especially in a new situation, right.

With no buddy to like lead you around. 

[01:01:25] Will: Well, I could hear the music, you know, it felt like the end of a movie and they run into each other's 

arms and at the setting they're back at the beach, which is the place that began their relationship. Yeah, it was very, it was very nice. The one thing I will say is that I.

I wish that he didn't get his sight back. 

[01:01:43] Marissa: Well, yeah. And so what happens is that there's a big romantic moment at the end and it goes like this. 

Romantic Moment

[01:01:49] Marissa: Suddenly his lips met hers in a warm, passionate kiss, standing on the beach, the wind tousling their hair and the waves crashing around them, their kiss said more than all the words in the world could ever say.

 This is very Princess Bride 

For the first time, Terry didn't have any doubts about the way Ken was feeling. "Terry you're too good for me," he whispered in her ear when the kiss was over. " We're good together, Ken," she replied, resting her head on his chest. "You're right. And we're going to be even better," he said, squeezing her waist. "Ken," she said, excitedly, "the sunset is so beautiful.

I wish you could see it. The sky is light pink and the sun is gold. Like it's on fire." Ken removed his sunglasses and turned his face toward the ocean. "Are there clouds?" he asked. "Only a few," she answered. "The sun's over this way, right?" he asked, pointing. "Yes," Terry answered, her voice quivering. "How did you know that?"

"Because I can feel its warmth," Ken answered. "But you know what, Terry?" when I looked that way, there's a brightness... a definite brightness." 

And then a second later, he's like, I don't see it anymore. And she's like, Ken the sun went down? So it's like, your vision is coming back, you know? So that's like basically the end of the book, like he doesn't get his vision back, but it's like, he's gonna get his vision back.

Which, I mean, when the doctor said he might get his vision back, I was like, okay, so they're going to have Ken be blind for like a book or two. And then that's what happens in his books. people are differently abled for, like, a couple of books and then they get a 

taste of it.

[01:03:17] Will: Yeah. It's almost, it's almost like he's been rewarded, you know, in the same way that, that he was punished unfairly. He is also rewarded unfairly. There's a balance to this universe for 

[01:03:33] Marissa: sure. Yeah. The, oh, that's interesting. 

[01:03:36] Will: And then we don't really know in the epilogue the final chapter, uh, if he's still blind or not, do we like, even in that chapter, they're running, it's all about Patty Gilbert and Deedee Gordon, and it's about setting up the next book, I assume.

Yeah. But yeah, I mean maybe he's, he can see again, or maybe they're, they've established that the two of them run when he can't see, so 

[01:03:59] Marissa: yeah. Well, I guess find out next season on sweet valley diaries.

 would you care to tease the next book, which will be the premiere of season seven or sweet valley diaries.

[01:04:14] Will: It sounds like there's something malicious going on. I don't, I it's 

[01:04:20] Marissa: Patty. So Patty Gilbert, Gladiators, if you don't remember her, she is a friend of Dee Dee Gordon's and in some of the Dee Dee books, or like Bill and Dee Dee books, she factors in, but this is definitely gonna be her first time in the spotlight. 

[01:04:33] Will: And her boyfriend is off at college and he's....

Jim is coming back this weekend and they haven't seen each other in a while. And she's really nervous. Patty's really nervous. She wants it all to be perfect. When her boyfriend comes back, 

she seems to think that maybe he's cheating on her and Dee Dee 

seems... I read this as Dee Dee's, the one who's cheating with.

Oh, that would be quite, he seems to know way too much. And she's withholding. 

[01:05:01] Marissa: I wouldn't worry about it. I wouldn't worry about Jim. I'm sure he's off doing wonderful things for you and like planning a great, 

[01:05:08] Will: yeah, I see. Straight through 

[01:05:10] Marissa: you. Well, do you have the, the part about coming next month as well?

Would you read the whole thing and the gladiators are going to be pretty excited? 

Teaser 1

[01:05:20] Will: Will everything work out between Patty and Jim? Find out in Sweet Valley High Number 61: Boy Trouble 

and then there's another one.

Teaser 2

[01:05:27] Will: Coming next month, the first Sweet Valley High Superstar Edition: Lila's Story. 

As if that's what we wanted. Lila, who's been a terror in this book. It's like, you know what? I want a whole spinoff superstar Lila. 

[01:05:40] Marissa: We didn't even tell them about the scene with the cake and all the people at the world's largest cake. there's this moment with a cake where they like are having a welcome back to school party that Elizabeth and Enid have like arranged for Ken and, um,

There's this big, uh, big, 

Cake

[01:05:55] Marissa: a huge rectangular box containing a sheet cake that read "welcome home, Ken." "Poor, Ken," Jessica said with a shake of her head, "he won't even be able to read the cake." "Jessica," Elizabeth replied impatiently, "ken doesn't need people feeling sorry for him. The cake will taste just as good, even if he can't read it, besides it's really to show him that we're happy he's back."

 And then Jessica says, 

"Are you really happy he's back?"

 She's just like... it's so sad. Like it's and Elizabeth is pissed off at Jessica, but she's like, at least she's being honest about how she feels as opposed to like Amy who never apologizes to Ken or says anything about Scott Trost to Ken. But there's this other moment that I thought was hilarious.

Uh, also around the cake, just the next. 

Lila Cake

[01:06:35] Marissa: I think this whole cake ideas stupid Lila Fowler complained, when they found her at the locker adjusting a tortoise shell barrette in her long light brown hair. I mean, how's he even going to know there's a cake for him, "we're all going to yell, surprise, and then we'll tell him that's how." Enid answered.

I love that 

Lila gave a bored shrug. "All right," she said, "I'll be there even though he won't know if I am or not." 

[01:07:00] Will: This was my favorite part of the whole book. I can't believe that I didn't bring it up because that scene was everything. 

[01:07:05] Marissa: Well, the next sentence says, 

contd

[01:07:06] Marissa: Enid looked as though she was about to punch Lila. Elizabeth took her friend by the hand and gently guided her down the hall. 

And then when they have the cake scene, that's when everybody's like, Hey, it's me, Aaron Dallas. And Winston says like, Hey Amy, aren't you going to say something? So, you know, 

[01:07:22] Will: the cake, the cake scene was really special and that, that was.

Intentionally funny. And we were rallying around Lila being awful. I think we were allowed to laugh at the idea that that a cake is to be read. You know, a cake is not to be read, it is to be eaten, but then the idea of "will he even know there's a cake here?" Like we could tell him there's a pony. We could tell them there, you know, who is a, a popular football player at the time that he would look up to OJ Simpson.

We got OJ Simpson to come here and, you know, participate in your cake ceremony, 

[01:08:00] Marissa: like OJ, say something, oh, he's 

[01:08:03] Will: talking 

[01:08:05] Marissa: awful. Um, but that does seem like Where Lila's head is, well tell me this, Will, having read this book, is there a character that you relate to in particular? 

[01:08:18] Will: I feel like I shouldn't say Skip, but

[01:08:22] Marissa: Maybe Ron Jablonski? 

[01:08:23] Will: Ron Jablonski gets totally shafted because we never know what he looks like. We never, I pictured that Ron Jablonski is just the generic name that all the workers at this facility get, because, you know, it's, everyone deserves a Ron Jablonski, to help their rehab process. But there's just not enough.

[01:08:47] Marissa: true. Um, there is a moment toward the very end of the book, like in the last chapter. 

SIght

[01:08:54] Marissa: 'Did you hear that Ken's sight is starting to come back?" Patty asked absently 

I didn't say that very absently, but, 

"Uh, did you hear that Ken's sight has started to come back?" she asked absently. 

"Yes. Isn't that great?" DeeDee answered. "Someone should make a movie out of his story. Maybe they could even film it at Sweet Valley High. We could all be extras. Wouldn't that be terrific."

So I think that in next week's extra drama episode, you and I should think about this movie. 

[01:09:20] Will: Yeah, absolutely. And, and that's not the, the only time that, uh, like a movie is referenced because early on with skip, he looks at himself in the mirror as if he's looking into a movie camera.

So there is this idea that these kids are kind of self-absorbed and, and picture their lives as if they're interesting enough to be in movies. Yeah. But their proximity to Los Angeles can explain 

away all that. It's true. What's true. And I mean, high school is kind of like that, right? Like you just think of yourself through that lens.

I certainly did. 

I don't know if I did. Looking looking back. No, I don't know if anything that exciting happened that I've thought it should be. 

[01:09:59] Marissa: Uh, I guess not, well, we can save all this for the, for the bonus episode in the meantime, gladiators. Thank you so much for listening. I'm so excited about next season, but we can get into all of that in the next episode.

Um, thank you for listening and for telling your friends and remember that you can email me at [email protected] or find me on Instagram at sweet valley diaries. The website is sweet valley diaries.net. Do you have anything you want to plug? 

[01:10:24] Will: Well, no. Well, I mean, we have a movie that is theoretically coming out in the next calendar year.

If it happens to come to a film festival near you keep an eye out, it's called The Mirror Game and we're pretty excited 

[01:10:36] Marissa: about it. Oh, The Mirror Game. Yeah. So surprise twist ending, Gladiators! Well, Teya was on. Earlier this season, 

[01:10:45] Will: do we have a title for the movie at that point? We didn't keep an eye out. Marissa wrote it I directed it, Teya's in it. You better love it. 

[01:10:52] Marissa: I mean, you better believe that I'm going to tell you more about it when it is coming to theaters near you. Should that happen or if it's on streaming at some point, which should also happen. All right, we'll see you next time. And, , I have, , some advice that I actually wrote down in advance this time, 

 The cake tastes just as good.

Even if you can't read it. 

[01:11:12] Will: That's great. I, you can have a bumper sticker that says "honk if you love reading cakes, 

[01:11:18] Marissa: I like that. I like that a lot. 

 We are recording. Okay. The pressure. No pressure. Okay. Welcome to sweet valley diaries, the podcast where it's just like, oh wait, no, that's not. I going to say, sorry. I usually, sometimes they say the podcasts and who knows, I don't this time. I don't want to say, oh, this will go at the end.

I always say gotta save. You gotta have a least one flub to put at the end. Yeah.