* Photo credit to The Closet *
Look, an African American in Sweet Valley! That brings the number up to, like, three. Which admittedly sounds a lot like my high school alma mater.
These girls—Cheryl Thomas and Annie Whitman (who doesn’t even look like herself)—appear to be middle-aged and at a Saturday barbeque for yuppies. Especially Annie, I can’t even handle it. She looks like someone’s mom.
Annie’s mom Mona, a professional catalog and advertisement model (pff), jet sets off to New York for a weekend and comes back engaged to a photographer named Walter Thomas, whom Annie has never even met. What’s up with all the surprise parental engagements? They’re like rabbits out of a hat. Are all these sixteen-year-olds so self-absorbed that they have no idea who their parents are seeing? I guess that’s not so far-fetched to believe. Anyway, Annie takes it like a champ and learns that the wedding will be in a month and that Walter and his daughter Cheryl will be coming to live with them. But wait! After a significant pause, Annie’s mother tells her daughter that Walter and Cheryl are black…end chapter. Interracial romance in Sweet Valley? Pre-marital living together? DRAMATICS! Oh, God, I can’t wait to see the sensitive way in which Francine will present this information to me.
At first, Annie is startled by this news and worries if she’s prejudiced. Then she runs through a list of all four other non-Caucasian students at SVH and remembers she’s friends with them, so the answer must be no. But she keeps making a big production out of announcing to everyone that her new family members are black. Ugh, and everyone responds like it’s no big deal—but they make a big deal out of it not being a big deal, y’know? Only in Sweet Valley. It’s totes awkward.
To complicate life further for Annie, Tony Esteban, Annie’s ex who was apparently cheating on her, calls and wants to get all up on her again but she needs time to heal. Blah blah. I feel sort of bad for Tony, even though he totally cheated on her, because he’s kissing Annie’s ass and she’s not having it. Well, maybe I’d be the same way, if a dude told me he “needed his freedom” in order to go hump someone else. Well, now Annie’s so stressed that she goes to confession at Church Elizabeth, naturally, and Liz makes her feel better about life and all that shit. (I haven’t yet mentioned that Annie and her fam will be moving right next door to the Wakefields. I won’t even tell you who helps them move in. The Whitman-Thomases are now really living the dream.)
Annie decides to throw Cheryl a welcoming party and goes out of her way to invite “some of the black, Hispanic, and Asian kids at school, hoping that that would make Cheryl feel more at home.” I’m cringing; even Jessica is cringing. Annie acts all weird that Cheryl doesn’t know how to drive, has never been to a football game, and is a lacto-ovo-vegetarian and is thus convinced that Cheryl must hate her. But they get along well enough. Cheryl’s just depressed, man: Her mom died seven years ago and she had to leave New York. Although I really don’t know why Annie and her mom didn’t move to New York, since that’s where Mona and Walter’s careers are. But who would ever want to leave Sweet Valley? And who could resist moving there?
Cheryl is actually pretty friendly, but Annie acts weird and stiff around her. Then the party rolls around and Robin Wilson, Annie’s BFF (since when?), gives Annie shit for not telling everyone that Cheryl’s black and everyone gasps when they see her blackness and blah blah. Annie is killing herself trying to make sure Cheryl fits in and just succeeds in being awkward. Cheryl calls her out on it and Annie cries. But the next day, the girls pretend like nothing happened and Annie vows to include Cheryl in every single thing she’s involved in. I sense another bad-albeit-good-intentioned plan underway.
Cheryl also attends Church Elizabeth in regards to Annie making her feel weird, and the Savior insists that Annie’s just trying to make her feel welcome. Then Cheryl talks to Steven Wakefield, who’s pointlessly home once again because he has no life at college, and he explains to her the art of football and they totally flirt! Cara Walker’s history. Then Annie nominates Cheryl for Pi Beta Alpha (PBA) membership, and Suzanne Hanlon, super snob, asks, “Cheryl’s just a little bit different from us, don’t you think?” Perhaps, Miss Scarlett, perhaps. Suzanne bribes Annie into making all the food for her swim party to get some votes in Cheryl’s favor… It’s sick, really. I’m so over reading this book.
Cheryl has a chat with “Chicana” Rosa Jameson about being “different” in Sweet Valley and Rosa tells her how PBA is for dorks. Cheryl also meets Tony Esteban and finds out that he and Annie used to date, so Cheryl and Annie have a heart-to-heart about boys who suck but Cheryl insists that Annie invite Tony to the swim party or else she won’t go. He shows up and pledges his love for Annie and they get back together. Meanwhile, Suzanne takes all the credit for Annie’s feast at her party, but then Cheryl announces to everyone that Annie made everything and then withdraws her name. Annie flips out and is all, “I was trying to do you a favor!” and Cheryl says, “I’ve got news for you, Annie. I’m black. I don’t want to be a typical, white, California sorority cheerleader like you. And if you don’t like it, too bad.” This is not good.
Steven comforts Cheryl in regards to the party and he makes her life better. Of course! What Wakefield doesn’t? Then Annie gets a phone call that her mom collapsed and is in the hospital. Geez, a lot happens in this story. Mona’s appendix has ruptured but it’s all smooth sailing now. This tense moment opens up a dialogue for Cheryl and Annie and they make some kind of compromise or whatever and Steven and Cheryl fall in love. The end, thank Jeez.
Other Notes:
- I feel sort of annoyed that Jessica has become such a secondary character. I want to hear about her and Sam Woodruff being in love forever until death do them part (eek…). But I suppose that if she was a main character, she’d be pissing me off, so maybe it’s an all right trade-off.
- Even Cheryl comments on how Pleasantville Sweet Valley is: “Sweet Valley sounds like something out of a 1950s beach-party movie—football, cheerleaders, sororities, surfing. I suppose you have a burger joint too?” Do they!
- I can’t believe Enid Rollins is in PBA.
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