Elizabeth was reading the script for "Checkered Houses," her audition was at noon.
"Why do I have to do this Howard? It's my sister, but we hadn't spoken in ten years. Not since our parents died."
"Not bad. Liz, put some more emotion in the voice. You want to see your sister, but are still struggling with the guilt of the accident." The main character's parents died before the story was written, Diane was feeling incredibly guilty she was in Paris when the accident happened. Her sister always blamed Diane for never being there.
"Yeah I know." Elizabeth took a deep breath, imagining herself feeling sick returning to her hometown. Once both read over the script, Elizabeth got ready to leave.
"Break a leg."
"Thanks." Elizabeth felt awful she was missing Lila's party, but she vowed to make it up. Her and Jessica were throwing her a baby shower next month. Elizabeth hoped she could make it, if not she was sending a present from Vancouver.
Once Elizabeth left, Jessica puts on her makeup. She and Elizabeth already packed the car, Lila's gifts were already inside. Once she left the driveway, Jessica was wondering what to wear to the Emmy's. Elizabeth said she wasn't interested in going, she disliked the Hollywood Scene. So she gave her invitation to Jessica, telling her to have a good time.
"This is such an honour." Jessica wiped away a fake tear. "I never thought I'll be standing here, I like to thank my sister, it was her that inspired me..." Jessica rehearsed her speech all the way to the Sweet Valley Country Club. Once she got there, she got the wrapped gifts out of the car and walked inside.
"Jess!" Ellen waved her over. She was drinking out of a punch bowl, the Fowlers spent a fortune for the party.
"Hey El." Jessica put the boxes down. Her and Elizabeth spent a small fortune on their gifts. Lila, she had expensive taste. "Am I early?" LA traffic was a pain, a normal drive would normally take an hour, but since traffic was always congested, it took her two. Luckily it looked like Ellen was the only guest so far. "Where's the guests of honour?" Bruce and Lila weren't here yet.
"Bruce had a last minute meeting with his Japanese investors, and Lila is at the salon with Janet. They'll be here as soon as they can."
"Awesome. Mind passing me a punch?" The event was catered, but no one was manning the punch bowl.
Two hours later, after playing some silly games and eating blue and pink cupcakes, Bruce and Lila walk up to the large balloon with question marks.
"Thanks for coming everyone!" Bruce called. "As you can see, we're here to find out who is going to be. A Patman Prince, or a Fowler Princess."
"Whichever he or she is, they'll be welcomed as Sweet Valley's newest member!" Lila tells her anxious guests. She was shaking in excitement, neither of them knew what the gender was, they hired party planner Sandra (Ferris) Hunter to plan the party. "Bruce, Mom, Dad, Reggie." All four were shaking with nervousness. "Everyone."
Jessica couldn't care less what the gender was, but she could see how nervous Lila and Bruce were. There was two huge air balloons that was going to tie a banner with either a blue or pink ribbon between them.
"Ooo." The audience was enticed by the large balloons, there were a small crew flying both.
Jessica was tempted to bite her nails, but didn't. She was watching in excitement, she was clasping her hands together.
"Three!" Bruce calls out.
"Two!" Mr and Mrs Fowler yell.
"One!" Reggie was in his wheelchair, but squirming in excitement.
Lila gave the signal.
Jessica screamed when she saw the pink ribbon. She took a quick peek at Bruce, he had a twinge of disappointment, but quickly had a big smile when he started hugging his fiancee.
"Congrats Lila!" She hoped she was the godmother. She had lots of plans for the baby.
Lila was flushed in excitement, she didn't care what she had, but was happy that she was having a girl. The Patmans had three boys, Bruce, Roger and Reggie, a girl would shake the Patmans up. She was getting congratulated by everyone, especially Bruce, he couldn't wait to be a dad.
Jessica watched as Lila opened gift after gift, since this was a gender reveal, most of the gifts were housewarming gifts for the new household. Lila's baby shower wasn't till before Christmas.
"This is from Liz and me." It was a beautiful leather bound purple book, Elizabeth and Jessica co wrote the story of Lila's life at SVMS as a Unicorn. Both used a publishing company to make it. As for the second gift, it was a crystal unicorn Elizabeth found at a antique shop.
"I love it." Lila cried when she saw it, how Jessica managed to find a picture of her mom and dad holding baby Lila was a mystery. Her dad had no pictures of Grace while Lila was a child. Her dad refused to say what happened to them. "I remember this!" Lila laughed. Her and the other Unicorns worked at a homeless shelter, it was part of a school project.
Once the party was over, Jessica was talking to both Mary and Kimberly about their own parties.
"We won't know yet. But I hope it's a girl, Jake needs a sister." Mary and Mike were really happy about their pregnancy.
"Our party will be at The Box Tree Café, it's a little formal, so dress up." Kimberly didn't have a gender reveal the last time, she was going all out this time. "It's in three weeks."
"I'll be there." She hoped Elizabeth made it, but she secretly hoped Elizabeth would be busy. She really needed Stella out of the way for her movie role.
As Jessica drove home, she was dying to know if Elizabeth got the role. She hoped so, she, ahem, she meant her sister, got the part. Once she pulled in her private driveway, she had to ask how the audition went.