Sweet Valley Twins #61: Jessica the Nerd

SVMS is launching yet another special program called Science Offers Awesome Rewards! No one really seems to care except for the nerds, but everyone has to take the test and the top scorers get to join. Jessica thinks the test seems pretty easy, though the rest of the Unicorn Club thinks she's crazy. While all of this is going on, Janet develops a crush on Denny Jacobson. She's so into him that she can't even eat because she just wants to stare at him.

They make a big announcement in homeroom about the top scorers and surprise surprise, Jessica made the list. Amy, who won an award at the science fair and loves science, apparently is really bad at standardized testing, and she misses out. She flips her shit, almost bursts into tears, and runs crying down on the hallway.

On the first day of class, the teacher brings a robot in to talk to them. Then, he decides to do an experiment where the twins both stand under a ladder. He climbs on top with two water balloons filled with different amounts of water. Jessica doesn't want to do it, but he says that if she guesses what will happen correctly, he'll give her an A and let her leave early. She guesses wrong, but thinks it was still fun.

The Unicorn Club thinks that she's ruining their reputation because only nerds are good at science. She points out that Denny made SOAR, but Janet says he's the exception that proves the rule. Besides, it's okay for guys to like science but not girls. They promise to help her find a way out.

Just before the group takes off for a field trip, Jessica gets called into the principal's office. She thinks he wants to lecture her on starting a hair spray/mousse fight with Lila, but he actually thinks she cheated. She denies it and offers to take the test again, but he believes her and lets her go. The Unicorns then scream at her because Lila and Janet sent him an anonymous letter saying that she cheated.

Basically, Jessica gets really excited about science, which the club hates. She misses Ellen's birthday because she's on a field trip, and they start avoiding her. Janet finally gives her an ultimatum: quit SOAR or quit the Unicorns. She talks to her teacher and comes up with a new plan. She points out all the things they wouldn't have without science like curling irons and makeup. The other girls agree with her, but Janet tells her she's out of the club.

Mandy comes to Jessica and tells her that Janet is jealous. She really likes Denny and she's jealous that Jessica gets to spend so much time with him. Jessica then goes to Denny and tells him to ask Janet out. Janet then tells Jessica that she can stay in the club. Her dad and brother didn't think that she could program the VCR, and it made her realize that girls are good at some stuff.

Amy still pouts and whines about the club. She gets distracted because she has to create a baton solo for the big game, and she keeps talking about how she might screw things up. Elizabeth and her SOAR friends ask her to come over for a sleepover, but she never shows up and won't even talk to them on the phone. She shows up, does her solo, and is naturally amazing.

Alice apparently bought a ping pong table at a yard sale, and Steven keeps hogging it. Ned refuses to play with him anymore because it hurts his elbow, and Steven makes a big deal out of how girls aren't as good as guys when it comes to sports or science. Cathy winds up beating his ass really bad, and he demands a rematch. She loses the second time, but she admits that she let him win because she felt bad. They finally play again, Cathy wins, and Steven admits that girls are good at some things.

*There's a mention about how Winston only became the class clown after he made it on the Boosters, but it seemed like he was the funny guy before that.

*Elizabeth mentions that the school needed to order new desks because SOAR was a new class. Really, they have money to buy new desks for a two-week class?

*SOAR is for all grades and it only lasts for a few weeks. During those two weeks, everyone gets to skip their other classes and spend all day doing science stuff. Is that really a good idea? They don't have to make up their coursework or anything. Jessica can barely stay on top of her grades when she's actually in class.

*They take multiple field trips too: one to the science museum and one to another place I forgot. This school must have a butt load of money.

*Mandy always dresses "so cool." Her outfit in this one? Black leggings, blue miniskirt, and a black and blue tee with a silk-screened panda on the front. Super cool.

*The class talks about how there's no life on Venus because people landed there and took pictures, and Elizabeth points out that someone might think the same thing if they landed on the North Pole. I tried using this argument with my brother once, and he decimated me, proving that I shouldn't use quotes from a Sweet Valley Twins book.