Sweet Valley Diaries

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.

Super Thriller #2: ON THE RUN w/guest reader Nick Riley! [Podcast]

Is the new boy a ladykiller, or a girl-murderer?

SURPRISE! Just to keep things spicy, we're returning to the Super Thriller series, where the Wakefield twins are still slaving away (literally!) at the News. Murders are on the rise, and all the new kids are from Ohio. Superfriend Nick Riley is Marissa's guest, and together they marvel at Elizabeth's illicit new crush, Jessica's annoying new bestie, and the impressive neighborliness of Sweet Valley citizens.

Marissa's weekly newsletter, Metaforia

Sweet Valley High Subreddit (go post about SVD there!)

Trailer for The Living Daylights

Super Edition #6: SPRING FEVER w/Guest Reader Megan Keller (Podcast)

Stop it, horse!

 

 

Marissa, world-class art-knower-abouter, references this painting but can't recall its title or artist: Christina's World (Andrew Wyeth, 1948)

 

TRANSCRIPT

The following transcript is computer-generated and likely to contain some errors.It's also incomplete at this time...working on fixing both of these things! 

Marissa Flaxbart 0:00
Welcome to Sweet Valley diaries, the podcast where what happens in Kansas stays in Kansas.

Super edition number six, Spring Fever.

Hi, hello Gladiators and welcome back to Sweet Valley diaries. It's still the hiatus but you know, we got to we got to read these books. We've got a few books here that we are trying to get through super editions and spring fever is one of them. Have you read it? If you do? You might have thoughts about it. I bet you remember it. I'm here with a very special guest, Megan color. Hi, Megan. Hello, Marissa. So Megan, you are the latest in grand tradition on sweet Valley diaries of roommates as guests on the podcast.

Megan 1:00
Happy to be here. excited to read this book,

Marissa Flaxbart 1:03
easy to book... I said the word book right after you said the word book. So that might sound funny, but I mean book as a verb. It's easy to book a guest who lives in the room next door to you. Yeah, the very first guests on the first episode of sweet Valley diaries. Were my two roommates at the time.

Megan 1:20
I saw that and I was really excited when I looked up your podcast. I was like,, I know Kat!.

Marissa 1:25
Yeah. There's a picture of those girls on our refrigerator actually. Yeah. So listeners, lest you think that I somehow have like a crazy rotating cast of roommates. It's just a normal rotating cast of roommates. I've lived in the same apartment for a long time. And you know, it's Los Angeles, people move. Things happen, especially pandemic things. But I'm very happy to have you as my roommate now for many months and as a guest.

Megan 1:56
Very happy to be here. I've never been in your room.

Marissa 1:58
I didn't realize that! Well welcome. I should have cleaned more for you. So this is also exciting listeners that we are in the same physical space. That's pretty cool. I haven't had an episode like that in quite some time. Yeah, obviously,

Megan 2:15
I hadn't thought about it. Yeah, we can be in the same space.

Marissa 2:21
Very special. We have a lot to talk about Spring Fever, like literally what happens in the book, and then also about how the book fits into the world of this sweet Valley series. But first off, do you have any prior experience with the sweet Valley High universe?

Megan 2:38
This is my first sweet Valley High book. I have read lots of the baby sitters club. But I don't know why I don't know how I missed these as a youth. So at this one, it was very interesting. I know, I know, you've mentioned that this book is different.

Marissa 2:50
I probably said this every time we do a super edition, but they are kind of challenging from the podcasting perspective. And also from your prospective listeners. Should you be trying to read along which I have to say, absolutely not a requirement. But they are not available as ebooks, so we have to get physical copies. So I figured that we could share the book, which was also the case with the last super edition, the super Thriller I did with my dad, where we ended up sharing a copy of the book. So that means that I read it first. And I kind of warned Megan that it was going to be an unusual sweet Valley High book, largely because they're not in Sweet Valley.

Megan 3:31
No, they are not.

Marissa 3:33
And that's something that you could gather just by looking at the cover of the book. I didn't fully grasp this. But do you see where they are?

Meganr 3:39
Yes, like I where they didn't go there. I mean, maybe on their way back from the airport. They didn't go to a field.

Marissa 3:45
They're in this... So we've got Jessica and Elizabeth on the cover of this book. This cover is just a really, really special one. I think they are not just in a kind of oil painting vague background. They're in a specific physical location. outdoors, in front of like a big field of hay or something. It's like a dried up hay field. Yes, or grasses. I wish I could remember the painters name but you know that that famous painting of the young woman in the field, and she's like laying down in a field sort of like reaching out towards something. That's that's what this that's what this field looks like, except instead of a young woman reaching out towards something. It is just too happy, happy California and girls looking very rosy cheeked and just thrilled to be in this field.

Megan 4:35
I was really excited when I was reading the book and when I can, like near the end, I could be like, This is Jessica This is Elizabeth. I think Jessica is wearing... I didn't I didn't even know this was a type of outfit. But it was a gingham dress is that dress Yeah. And it's described as low enough to be to be fashionable, but high enough not to not to alarm her and And uncle right

Marissa 5:01
And alarming their aunt and uncle is like a major conflict point in the book spring fever like, will uncle Herman and Aunt Shirley be able to handle these Wakefield's and their crazy California in ways. Then we've got Elizabeth the super cute in a red neck scarf and she's wearing like a big old belt buckle. And I mean, these two girls, they look like they're ready to go to a hoedown or maybe a square now, which is absolutely what they're doing. That's this is the outfit that they wear toward the end of the book when like, you know, every single rally book does have to have some kind of big party or dance and this book is no different. It is a big square dance, because that's what people do in Middle America. Make sense? make sense. The Gladiators as we call our listeners may be wondering like, who are uncle Herman and Aunt Shirley? Why on earth are Jessica and Elizabeth front of a field? Well, as was alluded to in the intro to the show, they are in Kansas, we find out like right at the beginning. What did you think of the first chapter of the book,

Megan 6:05
the first chapter, well, they're just finally find out they're going to walkersville and I was like, I first googled walkersville Is it a real place? No, it is not.

Marissa 6:13
Walkersville, Kansas. And they're like, well, Elizabeth is excited about it. And Jessica is jealous.

Megan 6:20
She packed a lot. She packed a lot of outfits to go to walkersville. And I had a really hard time fathoming how big this town of Walkersville was.

Marissa 6:29
Yeah, yeah, I mean, and Jessica's not too psyched about going to Walkersville, Kansas, which I have to say, is a very relatable reaction to spending your spring break with your is this is one of these Spring Break books where it happens outside of schools, they can go on a trip. So spending that in a small town in Kansas with your elderly great aunt and uncle does not sound like a super great fun way. Whether you're a Jessica or an Elizabeth to spend your spring break.

Megan 6:56
10 days is a very long time when you think about it.

Megan 6:59
Also 10 days spring break, like, wow, wish I had a spring break. 

Marissa Flaxbart 7:05
Yeah, I think what do we get like an eight day spring break? Right? Because you're eight, nine, or... 7, 8, 9? I guess we get nine days if you count both weekends. But that's not what's happened. They just I don't know, they just had an extra long spring break. And it goes right to the mystery time zone of the sweet Valley books because they've had several other spring breaks. And when this spring break is over, they're going to go back and it's gonna be junior year again. Junior year again.

Okay, so you gotta ask like, does this does this exist in a universe where Elizabeth and Jessica never went to France? Like they did? Oh, in a book, actually cat or a cat was my guest for that one is she have the first ever episode of the podcast. But Elizabeth is of course excited because she's Elizabeth and she wants to learn what it's like, actually, there's a passage here that I can read. I love it.

Okay, so this is when Elizabeth and Jessica have landed in walkersville. And they're wherever whatever airport they flew into, we don't know,

Megan
Unknown, Unknown.

Marissa
Their aunt and uncle are driving them. This is a great aunt and uncle. They just they clarify that at some point. They're more like grandparents age. All right.

The early spring fields stretched around them on all sides, a soft celery color here and there are groups of cattle graze together and pastures. The blue of the sky was soft and luminous. The landscape was so peaceful and lovely. Elizabeth thought she knew then what her mother meant about the magic of that part of the country. I'm so glad we've come she said impulsively. Jessica nodded around died. Me too, she said. So Jessica, also in transfer the beauty of the landscape. Well sit back and enjoy the scenery their uncle suggested because we've got a long ride I had to walkersville to Elizabeth though it seemed that the next hour flew by there was so much to catch up on. Though their uncle and aunt did correspond frequently by phone and letter. There was really no substitute for a visit. Just as long as we're reading. I'll just add that aunt and uncle are African but the girls a lot about their lives. And Charlie says, what about you girls? You must be too young to be worrying about boyfriends. Mrs. Walker said from the front seat. The twins exchanged looks. Well actually, there is a guy who is a special friend of mine back home, Elizabeth said slowly. His name is Geoffrey French. And he's she stopped and look uncertainly at Jessica, who's your animal understand how she felt about Geoffrey? It didn't seem likely her aunt was looking at her with the bemused expression on her face. But I have to you a little young to get serious about any one boy, her aunt pressed her. "Shirley," her husband said disapprovingly...

Anyway... and then Shirley is all like, oh, we're just the old fuddy duddies, things are a lot different than California that they were when we were raising children your mother's age here and loved Kansas. You know, it's that's the vibe.

Megan 9:58
Oh, yeah, that's totally, totally the vibe that she's lying down there.

Marissa 10:02
So I know the reason that this passage stood out to me was that I, as a young girl, every year was on was drove to as a young girl, my family always took an annual road trip at the holidays pretty much every year from the Midwest, but like Chicago area through either Kansas or Oklahoma, to New Mexico. So we're driving right through the middle of the country, and with all due respect to any Kansans. And I thought Oklahoma was so much more exciting, but the drive through the highways of like rural Kansas was, I would just hope that we would go the other way, because it was just mind numbingly boring.

Megan 10:50
Just a lot of corn, a lot of fields. Yeah,

Marissa Flaxbart 10:52
it's very flat. I mean, you're going through Illinois, Missouri, you know, into through the middle of the country. And there's plenty of wonderful things there. But the drive down the highway is not really a super selling point. Although one difference between me and these girls is that I was living in the Midwest. So it was just more and more and more Midwest, whereas for them coming from California, they were seeing something that was novel to them.

Megan 11:19
Brand new,

Marissa Flaxbart 11:19
lots of fields, lots of fields. But then you are from California.

Megan 11:24
Yes. Well,

Marissa Flaxbart 11:24
have you ever driven through a Midwestern field

Megan 11:28
I have. It reminds me of South Dakota, which isn't it's not the Midwest, but just no quiet anymore. I just remembered the wide open the plains I just think of the plains. I think I drove through Kansas like the tiniest idi with tiny bit of Kansas on the way there. But yeah, I've never always kind of wanted to go to Kansas. But now I took just a

Marissa Flaxbart 11:50
journey. Ah, that's sweet. Okay, so I'm I was already pre-jaded by my Midwesternness, to be already bored in a way that the twins were not. I mentioned earlier that Jessica was jealous. That's a reference to she's talking about how Lyla gets to go to Rome or something like that. But that's that's it, like, that's all of this we valid that this book even has, like, then they go to walkersville. And that's where they are. And the whole story unfolds there. And that was the big thing. When I was warning you about like, this is gonna be different. There's none of the home characters.

Megan 12:24
Now. I don't I don't know them. But now I don't know them still.

Marissa 12:28
We'll have to have you do a regular one. I have a feeling we can make that happen. So did you notice that it didn't actually play that big of a part? But uncle Herman was the mayor? Yeah, first of all, yes, it

Megan 12:42
really didn't play that much big of a part at all. Like I would forget that he was the mayor and then it would come up again. But he also owned the general store called What's it called? Walk the walker or was it just called walker

Marissa 12:55
or maybe it was called walkers? That makes sense? Yes. Yeah. Because their last name is Walker. And the town is called Walkersville. So so this is like their town, which you think the book would make a bigger?

Megan 13:07
That's true. Like, who founded this town was founded by the walkers. Oh, I

Marissa 13:12
have to wonder if this book was ghost written by the same person who goes to wrote the super thriller that I read with my dad last time double jeopardy, because once again, like they're hanging a lampshade on how they can't think of any more interesting last names for people because she points out that Stephen is dating Cara Walker. And it's like, oh, that's the same last name as you. I wonder if they're distant cousins. Now they don't say that in the book.

Megan 13:41
I guess I didn't hadn't thought about that. So are these books ghost written? Mostly? Or?

Marissa Flaxbart 13:45
They are? Yes.

Unknown Speaker 13:46
How did you find out? I mean, just in general, you just know that or like, how did I find out?

Marissa 13:53
I don't know. Okay,

Megan 13:54
these books were coming out once a month?  but they weren't Yeah, yeah. That's that's really hard to sustain

Marissa 13:59
Yeah. So you have a bunch of different people that are working on them and Francine Pascal, the creator has this big like Bible and is the ultimate like arbiter of what what is going to happen in them but she's almost like the the Anna Wintour something

Megan 14:14
she has that she wrote, like, generally what would happen in this book, and then someone else wrote it?

Marissa 14:19
Yeah. And all the character BIOS and things like that. That's my understanding of it. I know that there is a lot of information out there. And there's some people that I could probably talk to that could tell me even more about how it really worked. But part of me has always been a little bit hesitant to look too closely. Because it's like, how much do I really want to know how the sausage is made?

Megan 14:42
Because you enjoy it and

Marissa 14:43
yes, I'm gonna keep eating that sweet Valley sausage. Yeah. guilt free. So they're in walkersville. And I don't know, it wasn't immediately clear to me reading this book, like what was gonna happen like what the book was gonna be about?

Megan 14:59
Yeah, well, I I certainly didn't know this was all a surprise to me. But I also I just really had a hard time so Walkersville had like a main street with with Walker's. The general store it says has a movie theater, but like I had a hard time understanding how big this this town was, like, I wish they would have told us the population.

Marissa Flaxbart 15:20
It's a very, like folksy small town. And the book even trades a lot in like, trying to compare it to something from a movie. No. So it's like, it's its own self sustaining little town. And it's very like 1950s to the point that it's almost like the people writing it didn't know that it was the 80s thought that nothing had changed in the Midwest, since the 50s. Like, okay, because there's an old timey soda fountain that the girls get jobs at, which we'll get to. There is the movie theater, like he said, there's the dimestore one of the funny things about how like, quaint and small townie walkersville is is that Jessica has brought like you said she's brought these many suitcases so she's got these crazy outfits. In fact, actually this passage addresses that very thing.

What an adorable town Jessica cried. One thing was certain she loved Main Street. It was a little like being a time warp. Everything looks slightly out of date, as if time had frozen and things remained exactly as they were 10 years. The styles in the clothing stores were out of date. And Jessica always ahead of fashion even in stylish sweet Valley couldn't help feeling a little bit like a movie star as they walked down the street. She could tell people were gazing at her and Elizabeth. And why not? She thought modestly. She knew she stood out in her tight black stirrup pants, bright raspberry t shirt and black man Taylor jacket she was wearing her pointy black sunglasses completed the look, though we're looking at him when she put them on. Jessica dear. Don't you think those sunglasses are a little? A little? Aren't they outrageous? Jessica filled in for her digging around in her purse for some chewing gum. She found a pack and offered it around much toolsets amusement. No, thank you. Her aunt and uncle said giving each other startled looks

so like even the chewing gum.

Megan 17:22
She wore that on the plane!

Marissa 17:24
That's what she wore on the plane.

Megan 17:25
Yeah, seems so uncomfortable for air travel.

Marissa 17:28
Black stirrup pants. I don't know it doesn't seem so bad.

Megan 17:36
It's the funniest part to me. Like comfort is key.

Marissa Flaxbart 17:38
Oh yeah. But you know, that's I feel like that's kind of a novel notion. Like for a long time you got dressed up? Because it was such a special occasion. I don't know if that was still true in the 80s. But as the book just said itself were frozen and

Megan 17:53
frozen in time 

Marissa Flaxbart 17:54
It's rare that the books admit it, but here's here is admitting it. I'm picturing Back to the Future. Oh, yeah.

Megan 18:03
No, totally see that. That's what I see now.

Marissa Flaxbart 18:04
Yeah, like that little like, that's that Town Square. That's like the centerpiece for all those movies.

Megan 18:10
Yeah. Okay.

Marissa 18:12
I see that park. So that's however big that town. Yeah. So early on, we get a glimpse finally of what is going to be the big excitement.

Megan 18:22
I'm just laughing because I'm excited. I'm excited.

Marissa 18:25
Yeah. Is that how you felt when you when you read about what you read

Megan 18:29
it I was like, I also they were so excited to see boys that I was just like when when they saw they saw some Dennis that we don't know. boil them down. I saw the Jessica saw Dennis across the street and she was just like, wanting to go talk to him. So I just can't imagine being that boy crazy. Yeah, to be like, Hey, I'm only here for 10 days, but I see something I like and she immediately gets in trouble for it actually,

Marissa 18:58
just being Jessica and like standing with boys looking at her draws the ire of some chick who comes up with her little girlfriend and it's like "come on, Dennis, we're leaving,"  and that we find out is Annie Sue. Annie Sue... what's her last name?

Megan
Stewart?

Marissa
Yeah, that seems right.

Megan 19:20
I didn't even realize her last name until the end and then like they said like everyone knows this is Annie Sue.

Marissa 19:28
But anyway, the big excitement of the carnival is coming to town. Yeah. This was interesting because like the aunt and uncle don't think it's really that great shakes but just with our super

Megan 19:43
excited, so I love how excited they are.

Marissa 19:47
Mr. Walker is reading the paper.

Girls you're in luck. He declared the carnival will be in town for the next week. carnival. Elizabeth and Jessica said raising their eyebrows at each other Mr. Walker nodded, still scanning the Sunday paper. It's right here in the paper, he said smiling. I knew it was gonna be coming, but I wanted it to be a surprise for you. I don't know what toys This is, but I'm doing whatever I can. So this is just the kind of a we'll be in town for a week starting today at five o'clock. today. Jessica exclaimed. That's wonderful. They're at laughter they excited looks on their faces, much like we're laughing right now. It doesn't take long for you girls to get caught up in walkersville traditions. She said affectionately. The Carnival is fun, but don't get your hopes up too high. She added. It's just a small town carnival. Nothing elaborate.

Oh my gosh. Okay. I got to keep reading because this is...

Megan 20:42
I hope it's the reason.

Marissa 20:44
But the twins didn't hear her. They were too excited. A carnival. Here we go. Tonight. Jessica asked jumping up from the breakfast table. She was already imagining how great she would look strolling casually up to the first step. All the guys would think when they saw her in her nude jumpsuit with the rhinestones that she had never been to a real Carnival before. And she was sure it would be fantastic. So she's really excited

Megan 21:11
That part is very important, but I thought you're gonna read the part when they describe carnies.

Marissa 21:17
we'll get to that part. So it doesn't come up just yet. But yeah, so we bought like, I guess it's important to note like, as we've alluded to, the boys of walkersville have somehow become like off-limits to Jessica Elizabeth, because of Annie Sue, because Annie Sue, and they're getting lots of cold shoulder from all of the girls in tech.

Megan 21:44
And their aunt and uncle, like keep saying how great Annie Sue is at the same time. Yeah, like Annie Sue is the best you guys are going to be such good friends. And it is not going that way.

Marissa 21:56
No, not at all. So Jessica, I have to say does wear this ridiculous jumpsuit to the carnival. And Aunt Shirley doesn't know what to do with herself. She's beside herself about it. But she she goes with it like, Okay, if that's what you want to wear.

Megan 22:10
Imagine like I mean, just like wanting to wear this like outfit to something where it clearly doesn't fit in to what? Like, yeah, like, it's just it's too it's too much for the small town. What?

Marissa 22:23
Yeah, I mean, I think that's Jessica's feeling a little bit too, right. Like she gets there. And it's kind of like this is not quite as much as I was hoping for. Plus, they can't socialize, really, oh, and they're an uncle or like, trying to stick to them like glue, they cannot shake them. And these girls are not used to being kept on the short of a leash. And it's I thought it was pretty clear. Like before I say what I think like what did you think of their aunt and uncle's protectiveness? Like, what did you think that was about?

Megan 22:56
I thought that, obviously, it's small town. I'm not sure why they were so protective of them in this small town where everything seemed really safe. But then also their uncle didn't plan anything for them to do. Yeah. So like, they were just supposed to sit there all day and not do anything. I mean, it's they drove at least an hour from the airport. So I mean, there has, there has to be something within an hour. Yeah, cool. Like I hate. There has to be like, I don't know, something for them to do.

Marissa 23:25
The activities are solely like, you can work at the ice cream shop. Yes, which they do a few times. And you can Oh, you can go to this carnival. And like you'll make friends with the local kids. And we learn that aunt Shirley has been talking up the fact that these they're her beautiful grand nieces are coming to town from California for a long time. And that this has built up a certain resentment in the local girls. And that's what that's what the cold shoulder is all about. And they suspect that it's a while before that's confirmed. It's not till the end of the book. But getting back to the carnival. I guess I just kind of am thinking that it is all about boys. Like it's all about protecting these girls and protecting their reputations. Like that's true. Yeah, like in bridgerton or something where it's like, oh, we can't let you be seen alone with a stranger man at night. You know? Of course this is in broad daylight. So Jessica like schemes to get them as this is how I'm recalling. So correct me if I'm wrong because you read this one recently. But Jessica schemes to like break them away from their aunt and uncle. And then like from a ferris wheel or something. She spots this cute boy who's down by the horses? Yes.

Megan 24:42
This is Alex. That is correct. And then she they both go over to see Alex and then any Sue comes over with Dennis.

Marissa 24:52
Yes. So like, I thought this was so weird. Like it's not just the Annie Sue dislike Jessica Elizabeth and is afraid of them stealing her boyfriend. But when they're going to talk to some other boy and she doesn't want that to happen either she's got to insert herself 

Megan 25:11
She's so cruel. Like later on I like she like, it seems like she's going to physically hurt them, like in a really bad way we'll get there. But like

Marissa 25:21
We'll get there soon. Okay, here's the part where so this boy Alex is a cute older boy. He's like a college boy. I remember other things about him.

Megan 25:30
Well, I just remember he was in college, and I just can't imagine like when you're in college, he was not a freshman. It was uh, it was. It was like a no, it's spring break. So it was

Marissa 25:41
he's in college somewhere in Kansas City, I think.

Meganr 25:42
Yeah, but just to think about as a college student, attract like going out with a 16 year yeah, it's like...

Marissa 25:49
 it's like important to note that the book and the characters find it important to just make the distinction that while he is a technically a carny. He's he's okay. Because he is a college student and like his father owns the horses and they they like go around to carnivals, or he owns the carnivals

Meganr 26:11
the whole carnival!

Marissa 26:12
Yeah, so he's like the king of the king or  the prince of the carnies. So he's okay. But there's this horse whose name is midnight. That is also an important subject here. This is a cute so Dennis walks up to Jessica and asks if this rhinestones on her jumpsuit, are diamonds and any fucking idiot Of course not.

An uncomfortable silence followed. Jessica was trying to decide whether it would be better to let Annie Sue habit or try to think cool and unruffled in front of Alex. He was so cute she thought she decided to let any Sue's comment pass. My name is Annie Sue. The girl told Alex who smiled politely introduced himself to her and Dennis and tried to turn back to the twins to resume their conversation. But there was no stopping any Sue, she wanted to know all about Alex's job. his association with the carnival. Horses at school has interest in horses. She seemed fixated on the subject of horses, and one her lengthy description of her own expertise in the saddle didn't seem to hold anyone's attention. she proceeded to clamor up onto the fence. Then lean forward to pass the Jet Black Stallion tethered by himself near the stable. Hey, Alex cried seeing what she was doing. He jumped over to hold the force pipe bridle. Don't touch me. He says certainly. He's not completely broken yet. He's really not ready to be written or touched by a stranger.

She's just like "I'm gonna touch your horse!"

Megan 27:42
She is there with her boyfriend. Why? Why does she need to obtain Alex to

Marissa 27:47
it seems like she's gathering Intel and also she wants to like prove that she's the best horse girl. And this is a funny thing about how like Elizabeth is interested in horses but Jessica is not really this seems like it's doing some kind of trying to square itself with some stuff that happens in the sweet Valley twins series because there's a references to when they were younger, like things that happen when they're like in middle school.

Megan 28:12
Yeah, it's it's Well, I mean, it's it's all interested in knowing what's to come.

Marissa
Right. So then Alex asks, Jessica if she wants to meet later Oh, we find out that Alex has a twin as well Brad?

Megan 28:27
What are the odds?

Marissa 28:29
Yeah, he's busy with stuff and he's not he's not as quite as into horses he's more of like a he's less of like a working with like salt of the earth like working with your hands kind of guy and more of a thoughtful like studious fellow.

Megan 28:43
Did did the twins meet a lot of other twins in the book?

Marissa Flaxbart 28:47
No, not really, there are some kids that were twins that they were like caring for once? I really struggled to think of any other twins that they've met in the series so far, and it's been 50 bucks. Wow. So they were really excited to meet twins. And it's a cool plot point. Like I was excited for them to meet twins. Yeah. And Jessica as soon as she hears how studious Brad is is sort of like looking at Elizabeth like, Oh, that sounds like your guy. And Elizabeth, of course is like I have a boyfriend. But yeah, you know, Jessica is trying to hook them up with these twins. Carnie twins.

Megan 29:20
Brad asks, or no sorry, Alex, Alex.

Marissa 29:22
Alex asked Jessica to meet him. An easy mistake to make. To meet him later, at 10:30pm to for a horseback riding lesson. And Jessica knows that there's no way her aunt and uncle are going to let her leave the house that late by for any reason. Not Alone to go meet a new boy who's like an older boy. Yeah. And the current you know, last? Yeah. So, gladiators just to be clear, when we are making fun of the carny thing. It's has knowed actual disrespect to real life carnies. It's just ridiculous hat and hilarious how Much of a big deal the book makes out of it. Oh, yeah. Ah, so there's nothing wrong with having a job. Okay, whatever job in Hell no,

Megan 30:09
it just they their aunt and uncle is like we don't think you should be hanging out with carnies?

Marissa 30:14
Yeah. And furthermore, like the an uncle will barely let the girls leave the house by themselves, you know, they want to take them everywhere. Like they suggest like, oh, maybe we can go for a walk. And the aunt and uncle are like, Oh, great. We'll come with you. And the girls are like, what is this world? They're they're feeling very oppressed. Yeah. Just to give you a sense of the stakes of the of the uncle finding out. This is what happens when Jessica says that she was going to go back to the carnival.

I met a nice guy there tonight, and I'm supposed to meet him when the carnival shuts down. You met. And Shirley turned white. Herman, she said weakly clutching her heart, my pills. Mr. Walker jumped up and fished around in a little wooden box on the coffee table. Here you go. He said, bringing her glass of water and handing her a small white tablet. You're at mustn't be excited, he said sternly. Looking at Jessica with this approval. Now, Jessica, what's this about meeting someone at the carnival? That's the killer feature. And with this May, he isn't, I mean, he's not a carny. And surely, honestly, he's a really nice guy. And we weren't going to do anything wrong. I was just going to walk through the carnival and it surely says, I know your uncle and I must seem like old Fuddy duddies compared to your parents. But walkersville isn't sweet Valley. Certain things just aren't accepted here for your own good I have to tell you that it's out of the question for you to go back to that Carnival unescorted at this hour in the pitch dark.

So that's that's what we're working with there. So Jessica, like makes up that she she basically starts pretending that she is really tired. And it's gonna hit the sack at like, you know, 9:30 every night 10 o'clock? pretty early pretty early. Yeah. And is asking Elizabeth to then cover for her. Like I couldn't tell if Elizabeth just like goes to bed to or what does Elizabeth Elizabeth must be staying up later? Because what happens is that surely starts to get really worried about Jessica's tiredness. This is like a Vader like conflict drama for the book is that surely and surely thinks that Jessica might be seriously ill and is going to call their parents and then Jessica Elizabeth are both going to be in big trouble Elizabeth for covering for Jessica and Jessica for speaking out. So Elizabeth, continuously has to make up excuses. Do you remember what excuses she makes up for Jessica's tiredness?

Megan 32:44
 I don't remember her excuses.

Marissa 32:46
What I remember the first one was that  Jessica has had a really hard semester like she's been cheerleading a lot and she was just like, cheerleading. Then Jessica might be depressed. And when surely almost like catches Jessica, not being there comes into the room The girls are sharing. Elizabeth says the Jessica's in the bathroom. And it's like, Listen, if you leave us alone, maybe I can talk to her and she'll open up to me about how she's feeling. At that point, Elizabeth is getting really pissed off.

Megan 33:23
Yeah, rightfully so

Marissa 33:24
this is elaborate. Yeah. And Jessica, meanwhile, is just having these like hour long horse riding lessons. Yes,

Megan 33:33
with Alex. And he just was like, hey, this horse is not broken and wild. Why don't you ride? Which is crazy. I used to ride horses. Like you would never put someone who didn't know how to ride on a horse that's not broken. If you're not if you're worried about like, that's not he says something about Oh, you don't know any bad habits yet. But, you know, any habits at all?

Marissa 34:02
or something? Yeah, like he also that he was exaggerating with Annie Sue, but why? He does not explain that. But Jessica is falling in love with Alex and she's also encouraging Elizabeth to go out with Brad. They really want to go on a double date, but they haven't been able to make that happen yet. And Elizabeth does start seeing Brad Yeah. And there's Let me see if I can find I will even talk about that.

Megan 34:31
He they meet I think in the in the middle of the day in town and they they really bond Oh, he writes poetry. Yeah, really the poetry and like they have a lot in common and they went on a long walk and it was great. And then Elizabeth felt very guilty for not cheating on her boyfriend Jeffrey, but like you know, wanting to be attracted to Brad?

Marissa 35:02
Yeah, this passage I'm going to read kind of elaborates on on some of those things. So Elizabeth is going to meet Brad, but she sees Alex standing by the who she thinks is Alex, standing by the corral. And when she called them Alex, he's like, Oh, no, I'm Brad. So, Alex sends his apologies. And ask Brad if he could come because they were supposed to both be there. I see. I see. Okay.

Our schedules are totally opposite. And he was afraid we'd never get a chance to get together otherwise, we meaning Brad and Elizabeth. Elizabeth smile back. You too sure. Do you look alike? she observed. She blushed and glanced away. What a dumb thing for a twin to say right? People are always saying that to Jessica and me. I have always thought it sounded pretty silly. Well, you're right, Brad said resting his arms against the gate of the corral. We do look alike. He thought for a moment then chuckled. So we sure don't act like the course I'm taking in psychology now at school says that's called compensation. You make up for similarities and appearance by reinforcing differences in character. Really? That's exactly like Jessica and me. Elizabeth claimed. It isn't easy being a twin sometimes isn't. It isn't, Brad agreed with a smile.

Anyway. So they go on and Elizabeth is starting to feel a little nervous like you were saying. He said that he says that he loves writing. Brad tells her,

Sometimes I think I'll be able to capture how beautiful this country is in poetry. But I know that I've never gotten close to Elizabeth and nodded gravely. I feel that way too, she said softly. Brad's eyes fastened on her eyes and she could feel herself reddening. He was so good looking, and so different from his brother. He seemed much shyer, much more withdrawn, and so much more sensitive.

Yeah. And then there's like, they go for these walks. And Elizabeth finds herself thinking that maybe she's into him, she feels guilty about it. And then she like comes home and Jeffrey's called, and she's kind of like, You know what? I like Jeffrey, I don't want to get into anything with this guy. Like, we'll just be friends. So instead of having both twins pursue one of these carnie twins. It's more like Elizabeth just wants to be friends with Brad.

Megan 37:15
Yeah, but she's still like she still has at the beginning. She still is into him. She just, she feels guilty for liking.

Marissa 37:24
Yeah.

Meganr 37:27
They go on that long hike. 

Marissa 37:28
That long hike. Yeah, they go on a long hike. And he like, puts his arm around her or something. And she's just like, trying to figure out how she feels about it. Yeah, relatable. Yeah. So Around this time, I think is when they have the thing at Annie Sue's house. I think she's grandmas. Yes.

Megan 37:50
Yes. I forgot about that. Yeah. They get there and Annie Sue's grandma who is the twins' aunt's friend to get Annie Sue at all the

Marissa 38:03
they're her friends to come over for a big lunch? Yeah. And they've invited the Wakefield twins. It's like the whole thing is supposed to be it'll like welcome them to town. Kind of weird, right? thrilled to be there.

Megan 38:15
For 10 days, I don't know why this would be necessary.

Marissa 38:20
But it's like a social engagement. That also is like, the kind of 1950s idelization of this Kansas town that the book engages in. And when they get their messages where it's like, they It's so sweet. The Grandma, they love her. They think she's so nice. And then there's like a bratty little sister and Mr. Sawyer. It's like, Well, those girls should be here any minute. They're late. I don't know why they're late. And well, we'll have this little one give take you on a tour.

Megan 38:53
Yeah, of the farm. And then so they, the little sister takes them to milk the cows. And that's late like should they have their milk when the cow is clearly temperamental, and the cow could kick them and seriously hurt. Like that. Looked like a cow kick would be very, very bad. That's like this is not an innocent prank, you could end up in the hospital. 

Marissa 39:17
I was surprised and the twins are canny enough that they catch on really quick that this girl was set up to torture them. It helps that while it surely doesn't realize it, these girls know that Annie Sue hates them and so has basically told them flat out that she doesn't like them. She stopped by one day when they were working at the Walker's soda the soda fountain 

Megan 39:50
The soda fountain has burgers and I guess  they had milkshakes burgers and hotdogs but then also they had... They're trained for like 10 minutes. Yeah. on all these all the dishes. Yeah, there are there and then they're just expected to serve. Everybody wants to serve raw meat. don't seem like they have food handler's permit.

(this is as far as the transcript goes)

Super Edition #5: WINTER CARNIVAL [Podcast Episode]

Was this episode all a dream? Listen to find out!

What’s so special about Special Editions? Usually it’s travel to an exotic location, or an old enemy returning to town for Christmas. But WINTER CARNIVAL is the Super Edition that proves all it takes to be Super is a Super-Duper High number of ways that Jessica betrays Elizabeth! With over 200 pages to work with, that’s a lot of betrayal. But you know what they say about Jessica: That’s just Jessica!

Marissa is joined by her cousin, original Sweet Valley Superfan, Erika (Flaxbart!) Poulos.

Super Edition #4: MALIBU SUMMER

Frankie means business!

Jessica and Elizabeth are live-in babysitters, living a 90-minute drive from home. But don’t worry, they still manage to make it a thrilling soap-operatic adventure, replete with double-identities, murders, and deadly rainstorms. Frank Bednarz, Esq. joins Marissa to marvel at this book and congratulate it on its simultaneous climaxes. 

 

Further reading:

CIPHER IN THE SNOW (trigger warning: teen death, bullying, may induce lifelong feelings of misplaced guilt)

In 2019, Bloomberg listed Malibu as the 43rd richest city in America

Can identical twins have different allergies?

Is it dangerous to be in a house by the ocean during a thunderstorm?

Super Edition #3: SPRING BREAK

ou, "Les jumelles américaines ennuient un garçon français"

Relive your totally universal teenage memories of spring breaks in Cannes, France – exploring the topless beaches, returning puppies to countesses, picking up medication for your host mother's patients...you know, all the normal spring break stuff.

Kat Hazelton remembers! And she's back, all the way from the Book 1 Episode, to marvel at the way Sweet Valley has changed, and the ways it's stayed the same.

Follow @sweetvalleydiaries on Instagram!

Get tickets to A Mere Conception

Music in this episode:

À peine défigurée (Ali Daniel)

RC (Requin Chagrin)

Tu connais Babar (Mocke)

Tobruk (via Filmstro)

 

 

Dear Miss Lovelorn...I Mean Marissa [Podcast Bonus Ep]

Meanwhile in a Los Angeles closet, er, recording booth...

While we wait for the haunting to pass (read: until we can re-record the episode recapping Book 29, BITTER RIVALS) we're reading letters from Gladiators like you. Sweet Valley Twins, Thrillers, Special Editions, Sagas, and even audiobooks all get a name drop in this very special episode.

Further listening/reading:

SV Twins in-book announcement on Instagram

OMG THE AUDIOBOOK

Book 29 recap from 2009

 

 

Dear Miss Lovelorn...I Mean Marissa [Podcast Bonus Ep]

Meanwhile in a Los Angeles closet, er, recording booth...

While we wait for the haunting to pass (read: until we can re-record the episode recapping Book 29, BITTER RIVALS) we're reading letters from Gladiators like you. Sweet Valley Twins, Thrillers, Special Editions, Sagas, and even audiobooks all get a name drop in this very special episode.

Further listening/reading:

SV Twins in-book announcement on Instagram

OMG THE AUDIOBOOK

Book 29 recap from 2009

 

 

Super Edition #1: PERFECT SUMMER

Technically summer doesn't start until next week, but here at the Diaries, summer break is in full effect...and it's PERFECT. In this special between-seasons episode Marissa and guest-friend Alex Bishop dig into the series' first SPECIAL EDITION novel. Are you ready to bike a major chunk of the California Coast with nothing more than a couple of saddle bags and a heap of moxie? No? Well, neither were the Wakefield Twins et al, but they did it anyway, and lived to tell the tale (but just bear-ly). 

MARISSA'S NOTES:

• Apologies for missing the obvious "Barry"/"Bear-y" puns during the BOYS section of the show.
• This episode marks the advent of the "COLLINSWATCH" segment.
• I don't think "Seafoodwatch" will have the same staying power, but you never know!