Sweet Valley High #9: Racing Hearts

Roger Barrett is super poor yo. He’s never going to get some hot rich girl like Lila Fowler…or will he? There’s a huge race coming up and the winner gets a scholarship to Sweet Valley College. Years ago a guy who loved racing died and his parents set up the race and fund in his honor. Bruce Patman thinks he has a lock on it and no one else even stands a chance.

The school holds a race and the top three positions get to race in the main Bart event. Lila starts picking on Roger right before the race starts, encouraging him to race. At the last second, he decides to run and has to wear camo pants and regular clothes, but still manages to win. Lila suddenly thinks that he’s super cool and looking kind of cute, so she goes after him.

Elizabeth is the only one who knows that Roger works after school for a real hard ass. He can’t get time off to practice or work with the coach and he also can’t spend any time with Lila because of his job. Lila keeps inviting him to things like a pool party, dinner or just to hang out and he has to keep turning her down. She eventually makes it clear that she won’t be interested in him unless they can spend time together.

Roger’s best friend Olivia also has a thing for him, but she won’t tell him because she’s worried he won’t like her. Liz talks to her dad, who talks to Roger’s boss and he gives him time off for the race. Before he finds out though, he drops out of the race completely. Lila reads him a poem she wrote, but then backs away when he quits. He tells her about his job and she practically runs away in tears.

The race finally happens and Roger surprises everyone by showing up and winning the race. Of course Lila now wants to be his girlfriend, but he remembers how she acted and turns her down. Then he goes to Olivia and tells her that he never realized how much she cared about him. They kiss and decide to date each other.

The B-plot focuses on Jessica, who decides that it’s time to get serious about her future. She keeps seeing lawyers on television and begs her dad for a job at his firm. Of course she meets a guy and falls in love. She keeps lying and making excuses to stay late and be with him because everyone thought she’d find a guy and get distracted. He keeps coming up with reasons not to be seen with her in public. He finally admits that he’s only 15 and she breaks up with him because she couldn’t be seen out with a younger guy. After all, what would people think?