Sweet Valley High #130: Model Flirt

Even though Elizabeth took one look at Todd with Simone and ran away before he could see her in the last book, he's now suddenly realized she was there. As she goes running away, he chases after her until she hides and then finds a way to escape. Elizabeth swears that she will never, ever forgive him for doing something like this, completely forgetting about all the times she did the exact same thing to him.

Todd feels really terrible...at first. He tries to apologize multiple times and finally brings her a big bouquet of flowers. She tells the assistant who met him, through the intercom, that she isn't interested and never wants to see him again. Todd then decides to just go after Simone. She takes him to some fancy nightclub in LA, and he doesn't get home until two am. The next morning, his parents ground him.

When Todd tells Simone what happened, she laughs like it's the funniest thing she ever heard and then convinces him to just sneak out to see her again. Though he does, he gets busted when their picture appears in a tabloid. That breaks Liz's heart all over again, like we care at this point. His parents then decide that he can no longer model and has to give up the job as long as he lives under their roof. Todd then announces that he's moving out and leaves. The only downside is that every time he sees Simone, she makes up an excuse for why she can't see him and ditches him.

Elizabeth spends most of the book moping around. She finally calls Maria and Enid but finds out that they actually started hanging out with each other all the time. They giggle about how they don't have time for her and hang up. Though Maria feels a little bad, Enid points out that she deserves a taste of her own medicine for once. They set each other up on a blind date that winds up with the two guys ignoring them and ditch them both.

Liz goes to Leona to tell her that she and Todd can't make their double date. And yes, this is a continuity error. In the last book, she invited them to a party, but now it's suddenly a double date with Leona and her boyfriend. Leona blows her off because her and her boyfriend are going out to dinner that night and she thinks he might propose, which means she doesn't want any company.

Leona calls the next day to tell her that they spontaneously decided to jet off and go skiing. She now wants Liz to take on a bunch of new work and keep her trip a secret from everyone else. Leona calls back on Monday to tell Liz that she broke her leg skiing and will be gone even longer. She gives her a much longer list of things to do that includes going to editorial meetings and picking up her dry cleaning.

In a case of Single White Female, Liz goes to her apartment and starts imaging herself as Leona. After feeding her cats and going through her mail, she puts on one of her suits and tramps around the apartment like she's Leona. And I thought Margo was the crazy one! Liz then listens to a recording Leona made that has a message to not let Liz dictate this letter. It basically takes her idea for the magazine and sends it off to the editor as Leona's own idea. Liz is heartbroken and talks to multiple people before figuring out a way to get her back. Great.

Jessica cons Liz into doing a twin switch with her the restaurant on her two dates with Cameron and Quentin. They switch every hour until dinner is over. Cameron seems super interested in what she likes doing and begins making comments about twins having a double identity and stuff. Liz thinks he figured it out, which he actually did. He thanks Elizabeth by name for a lovely evening.

After making out with Quentin, Jessica freaks out at the idea of Liz doing the same thing with Cameron. Liz plays it up like he was a great kisser until Jessica breaks down, half in tears and half in a rage. She feels better when Liz tells her the truth and assumes that she can just get Cameron to forgive her. Cameron is actually done with her, I'm sure, and tells her that she's as cold hearted as any supermodel he ever met before.

Though Quentin tells Jessica that he wants to use her in an upcoming shoot, he doesn't seem to be in much of a hurry to do anything more but make out with her a bunch. She sees an opportunity and seizes on it. When Quentin finishes a shoot with Simone and Simone takes off for the night, Jessica opens his camera and exposes the film to the light. Since he needs to get this shot done now, she innocently volunteers her time. Quentin thinks she's amazing, though she learns that modeling takes more work than she thought.

Cameron and Jessica make up, which is more proof that there's something wrong with his guy. He makes it clear that this is her very last chance though. While working in the studio later, Quentin rushes in with some big news. The editorial board loved Jessica's shots so much that they have him approval to use her again. He then grabs her and lays one on her. Cameron is, naturally, hiding nearby and sees the whole thing. He tells her that they're now officially over before storming off, leaving Jessica hopeless about what to do next. It's easy: either decide to be a model or date the flavor of the week!

*Liz being mad at Todd is so ridiculous. She literally just cheated on him with Joey and actually kind of left him for Joey. Plus, she cheated on him in London and pretty much anytime she gets distracted. Even though she never has time for him and never sees him, she assumes that he'll just wait around for her. Yet, when he has no time for her or isn't around, she automatically cheats.

*Liz cannot believe that Leona expects her to water her plants and pick up her dry cleaning. It find that highly more realistic than a teenage intern writing magazine articles.

*Quentin is a professional photographer with multiple cameras at his disposal. He finishes a super important shoot with Simone that he needs to get developed by the next morning. Yet somehow, Jessica exposing one roll of film ruined everything. Are you seriously telling me he only shot one roll?

*A lot of people joked about Jessica sleeping her way to the top in this book, but that story is so creepy to me! Quentin is an adult man who has no problem making out with an underage girl all the time. He has to know her age too because she's a high school intern.

*Maria wears a 40s style dress in pale blue with big army boots and a green scarf wrapped around her head to the Dairi Burger. Naturally, all the guys cat call at her, and Enid points out that she gets that response everywhere she goes. Gag me.

*Even though interracial relationships do happen in Sweet Valley, black Maria has a “thing” for black guys. Enid cons her into the double date by mentioning that the guy has deep and dark ebony skin.

*Enid and Maria take their double date to Bob's Burger Barn, which is – I think – the restaurant in that book where the two girls switch places on the guy. I'm pretty sure when I read that book that I mentioned wanting the restaurant to pop up again.

*Some reviews I read made fun of the idea of Todd being a model, but I can totally see him as a model! He's always described as having killer arms and abs from working out for basketball, and he's 6'3”! Why wouldn't he be a model?

*Enid carries a mini backpack on her date. I fully admit to owning and carrying one back in the day. Then again, I also admit to using a lunchbox as a purse :)