Not dead, just a little slow
Jul. 26th, 2007 05:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
the_oracleRacing Hearts
June, 1984
Can Roger melt Lila's icy heart?
Love on the run...
Roger Barret has always had a hopeless crush on glamorous, wealthy Lila Fowler. The only attention Lila ever pays to him, though, is to make fun of him in front of her friends. But why shouldn't she, he thinks. After all, he's clumsy and shy and works secretly as a janitor after school.
When Roger wins the qualifying heat for a big race, he becomes a school celebrity overnight. And to his surprise, even Lila starts to chase after him. But Roger knows if he runs in the race finals, he'll lose his job. Will Lila still notice him when he's no longer a star?
I love that the back of the book doesn't even try to convince you that the school would give half a damn about Roger if he didn't run in the big race. Look, right there, it tells you that if he doesn't race, he won't be a 'star'... Of course, anyone at all familiar with Lila, or anyone looking at the cover, will tell you that he hasn't got a chance. Oh, Roger, it was cruel of fate to let you fall for Lila, the richest girl ever, while you are a poor little church mouse. Cru-el!
Anyway. Again, simple: Roger is in loooooooove with Lila. As Lila is a bitch, she takes it upon herself to tease and flirtatiously goad Roger into running in the qualifying race for the Bart, some annual race we never really hear about again, despite just about every other school ritual being repeated as the series goes on. So Roger races and wins by a landslide. Take that, Bruce Patman! Oh yeah, baby. Despite all the bragging Bruce has been doing, Roger spanked that ass but good. But not literally, as that would be awkward, particularly given what'll happen about eight books or so from now. So, Roger wins and everyone falls all over themselves to kiss up to him. Naturally this wave of love is lead by Lila herself, once it becomes obvious what whomever wins the Bart will be supremely popular until, y'know, someone else does something newsworthy. Once Lila flutters her pretty eyelashes in Roger's direction, his only actual friend, Olivia Davidson, wanders off. Because she's in love with Roger, duh!
Thing is, Roger is really, really poor. So poor that instead of working at McDonald's or something, he works as the janitor at the office building where Mr. Wakefield works, and his boss is a real asshat who won't give Roger any time off, not even when he's sick. As a kid I knew this was wrong, but didn't know for sure it was illegal. Now I think every kid knows such a thing, but this was the 80's, and I guess Roger wasn't that quick on the draw. So with this lawbreaking jerk as a boss, Roger can't very well take the time off to practice for the race, let alone run in it. However, the adoration of his peers, and Lila in particular, is too much for Roger, and he can't find a way to break the news to Coach Schultz, who has displayed remarkable restraint in not kicking Roger's ass for not showing up to a single practice with nary an explanation in sight. Given his feelings of inadequacy and his inability to hang out after school, Roger gives Lila the impression that he's now playing hard to get. Jesus, Roger, didn't you think this out before you threw yourself at her? Traditionally girlfriends, be they rich or not, expect to spend time with their boyfriends. Roger never manages to give an inch.
Eventually Roger realizes he has to confess his inability to run, particularly when he runs into Jessica Wakefield while on the job. How? Why? Didn't he learn his lesson with Liz?
Well, that's what the B-story is for. Jessica decides to turn over a new leaf after her disastrous wipe out with Bill. She decides she'll join her father as a lawyer. It never occurs to Jess that her father will stick her at the bottom of the food chain, pride or no pride, and she's bored beyond belief. She can't quit immediately though, because she knows her sister and everyone else will laugh, roll their eyes, and say, "Typical Jessica." Which is proof that there is a little more going on under that fried blond hair than most people think. However, just as Jessica's about to drown at her own pity party, she meets Dennis who works across the hall. He's cute, he's interested in her, and he's incentive enough to stay on at the law firm. Turns out that Dennis won't go out with Jessica, but he's content to make out with her after hours at the office. Which is a bit creepy and insulting once Jessica thinks about it long enough. Still, she's determined to have the world gasp at how gorgeous her new man is, so she devises a plan. Not only will this plan introduce Dennis to her friends, but it will get Lila and Roger together [making Lila happy, momentarily] but it will also then allow her to humiliate Lila when she reveals that Roger is a lowly janitor. Yup, the inevitable happens when Jessica finally runs into Roger at work. Luckily Liz was there, spying on Jessica, so she runs home, runs interference with Lila, and blackmails Jessica into not saying a word. Foolish Liz...
With this hanging over his head, Roger realizes what Elizabeth does not. He has to come clean before someone else beats him to the punch. So he tells Olivia, who promptly calls and tells Elizabeth. The next day Roger goes to tell Coach S. Little side story here, possibly even counting as a C-story. Coach Schultz has a tendency to throw hissy fits at the school board meetings and this time someone takes him seriously when he says he'll quit if they don't give him what he wants. This morphs into him being put out to pasture, being stricken with cancer, and I think there's even a heart condition thrown in for good measure. Anyway, Roger tells Coach that he can't run, why, and is promptly interrupted. Seems Mr. Pendergast called the coach to tell him that Roger could have the time off to run, claiming to be a sports fan. Roger does the happy dance, declares he'll win one forthe Gipper the Coach. Coach sets him straight [he's a drama queen not dying] and Roger runs off to thank Elizabeth. Of course, before he told the coach, he told Lila, and she freaked out. Well, not exactly freaked out, but she did let him know that poor and star-less, he had absolutely no chance with her.
Roger and Olivia scheme a way to really outshine Bruce. Roger lets the rumor that he's dropped out of the race to run it's course and he shows up to a shocked crowd come Saturday. Roger wins, Bruce stumbles but finishes the race anyway, and everyone is happy. Except for Jessica who found out that Dennis wouldn't go out with her because he couldn't drive her anywhere, what with him being a freshly minted 15 and all. Jess freaks out and that's the end of that romance. Too bad she actually really liked the guy, eh?
So the book ends with Jessica readying for a date with a male cheerleader from a rival school, Olivia and Roger together, and Lila alone. End scene, roll the credits, and hit the lights on your way out.
Trivia:
Say wha?:
"I'm serious about this. I never said I was giving up boys. But I've got to think about other things, too. I've just come to realize there's more to life than drive-ins on Saturday nights and beach parties every Sunday afternoon." Jess, p5
"Hey, why do you call him Bugs Bunny, anyway?"
" 'Cause he bugs me." Jess/Lila, p14
For the first time in his school career, he felt like a somebody, and he wanted to take advantage of the attention for as long as possible. It was as if he felt that at any moment it would all disappear. Roger, p51
"Can you trust her?"
"She's my sister. When she gives her word to me, she means it." Roger might want to realize Liz has lost her grasp on reality, p 108
"I'll keep that in mind the next time I see you snuggling up to a ninth grader." Todd, p131
"Crowds bother me. I was content to wait. My patience is unlimited." Olivia channels her inner fortune cookie, p 144
In the grand scheme of things, I rarely think about RH. It's not a bad book, and in fact it's pretty entertaining. I'm a sucker for HS politics and it's not like it's missing anything. Thing is, it's also dull when you compare it to some of the other things that happen over the years. Roger never attains A-list status, and ducks in and out of books throughout the series, while rarely making me care all that much. Nice enough guy, but who in the hell could fall for both Lila Fowler and Olivia Davidson? The two could not be more different if they TRIED.
Also, Jessica's plan to humiliate Lila so that she could take over as the center of the party was just plain cruel. She didn't care what it would do to Roger at all, and didn't seem at all phased as to the thought that it would knock Lila down a peg or two. Granted, Lila's a pain, but still, the girl has yet to have a love interest worth mentioning thus far. If nothing else, Jessica should be allowed to relate to that. She can't, nor can she rise above Dennis being a year younger, even though she likes him. They'll recycle that bit for later use on Lila quite a few books down the line.
One of the standout things in the book is how it's okay for Elizabeth to be so serious about her writing, but Jessica isn't allowed to seem actually serious about acting, even though odds are good that Jessica has a better shot of being a working actress than Elizabeth does as a published author of the novel variety. Jessica's plan for When I Grow Up is ridiculed and Elizabeth's is proof that she's Serious. How is that fair? Now take into consideration the fact that excluding SVU, where it's as if Jessica's never heard of drama, Jessica's been set up to be an aspiring actress since she was twelve at the very latest. Liz has made no secret of her desire to be a writer, but it changes for each series. Sometimes she's Super Journalist, and sometimes she'll be the next great poet making school children groan in protest. This doesn't mean I doubt her love for writing, but since it's rarely a case of wanting to be all these things in her long and varied career and more of her changing her mind, she's just as fickle as Jessica can be. But it's okay, because it's all writing in one way or another, right? Except for her SVU years. Later on they'll comment on this, but for now it's just one of those throw-away items that Jess points out but, gasp, they go right back to doing even though she's pointed out that it hurts her feelings. Sure, she's a drama queen, but it doesn't mean we're not supposed to believe that she's not self-involved enough to have feelings. Right?
June, 1984
Love on the run...
Roger Barret has always had a hopeless crush on glamorous, wealthy Lila Fowler. The only attention Lila ever pays to him, though, is to make fun of him in front of her friends. But why shouldn't she, he thinks. After all, he's clumsy and shy and works secretly as a janitor after school.
When Roger wins the qualifying heat for a big race, he becomes a school celebrity overnight. And to his surprise, even Lila starts to chase after him. But Roger knows if he runs in the race finals, he'll lose his job. Will Lila still notice him when he's no longer a star?
I love that the back of the book doesn't even try to convince you that the school would give half a damn about Roger if he didn't run in the big race. Look, right there, it tells you that if he doesn't race, he won't be a 'star'... Of course, anyone at all familiar with Lila, or anyone looking at the cover, will tell you that he hasn't got a chance. Oh, Roger, it was cruel of fate to let you fall for Lila, the richest girl ever, while you are a poor little church mouse. Cru-el!
Anyway. Again, simple: Roger is in loooooooove with Lila. As Lila is a bitch, she takes it upon herself to tease and flirtatiously goad Roger into running in the qualifying race for the Bart, some annual race we never really hear about again, despite just about every other school ritual being repeated as the series goes on. So Roger races and wins by a landslide. Take that, Bruce Patman! Oh yeah, baby. Despite all the bragging Bruce has been doing, Roger spanked that ass but good. But not literally, as that would be awkward, particularly given what'll happen about eight books or so from now. So, Roger wins and everyone falls all over themselves to kiss up to him. Naturally this wave of love is lead by Lila herself, once it becomes obvious what whomever wins the Bart will be supremely popular until, y'know, someone else does something newsworthy. Once Lila flutters her pretty eyelashes in Roger's direction, his only actual friend, Olivia Davidson, wanders off. Because she's in love with Roger, duh!
Thing is, Roger is really, really poor. So poor that instead of working at McDonald's or something, he works as the janitor at the office building where Mr. Wakefield works, and his boss is a real asshat who won't give Roger any time off, not even when he's sick. As a kid I knew this was wrong, but didn't know for sure it was illegal. Now I think every kid knows such a thing, but this was the 80's, and I guess Roger wasn't that quick on the draw. So with this lawbreaking jerk as a boss, Roger can't very well take the time off to practice for the race, let alone run in it. However, the adoration of his peers, and Lila in particular, is too much for Roger, and he can't find a way to break the news to Coach Schultz, who has displayed remarkable restraint in not kicking Roger's ass for not showing up to a single practice with nary an explanation in sight. Given his feelings of inadequacy and his inability to hang out after school, Roger gives Lila the impression that he's now playing hard to get. Jesus, Roger, didn't you think this out before you threw yourself at her? Traditionally girlfriends, be they rich or not, expect to spend time with their boyfriends. Roger never manages to give an inch.
Eventually Roger realizes he has to confess his inability to run, particularly when he runs into Jessica Wakefield while on the job. How? Why? Didn't he learn his lesson with Liz?
Well, that's what the B-story is for. Jessica decides to turn over a new leaf after her disastrous wipe out with Bill. She decides she'll join her father as a lawyer. It never occurs to Jess that her father will stick her at the bottom of the food chain, pride or no pride, and she's bored beyond belief. She can't quit immediately though, because she knows her sister and everyone else will laugh, roll their eyes, and say, "Typical Jessica." Which is proof that there is a little more going on under that fried blond hair than most people think. However, just as Jessica's about to drown at her own pity party, she meets Dennis who works across the hall. He's cute, he's interested in her, and he's incentive enough to stay on at the law firm. Turns out that Dennis won't go out with Jessica, but he's content to make out with her after hours at the office. Which is a bit creepy and insulting once Jessica thinks about it long enough. Still, she's determined to have the world gasp at how gorgeous her new man is, so she devises a plan. Not only will this plan introduce Dennis to her friends, but it will get Lila and Roger together [making Lila happy, momentarily] but it will also then allow her to humiliate Lila when she reveals that Roger is a lowly janitor. Yup, the inevitable happens when Jessica finally runs into Roger at work. Luckily Liz was there, spying on Jessica, so she runs home, runs interference with Lila, and blackmails Jessica into not saying a word. Foolish Liz...
With this hanging over his head, Roger realizes what Elizabeth does not. He has to come clean before someone else beats him to the punch. So he tells Olivia, who promptly calls and tells Elizabeth. The next day Roger goes to tell Coach S. Little side story here, possibly even counting as a C-story. Coach Schultz has a tendency to throw hissy fits at the school board meetings and this time someone takes him seriously when he says he'll quit if they don't give him what he wants. This morphs into him being put out to pasture, being stricken with cancer, and I think there's even a heart condition thrown in for good measure. Anyway, Roger tells Coach that he can't run, why, and is promptly interrupted. Seems Mr. Pendergast called the coach to tell him that Roger could have the time off to run, claiming to be a sports fan. Roger does the happy dance, declares he'll win one for
Roger and Olivia scheme a way to really outshine Bruce. Roger lets the rumor that he's dropped out of the race to run it's course and he shows up to a shocked crowd come Saturday. Roger wins, Bruce stumbles but finishes the race anyway, and everyone is happy. Except for Jessica who found out that Dennis wouldn't go out with her because he couldn't drive her anywhere, what with him being a freshly minted 15 and all. Jess freaks out and that's the end of that romance. Too bad she actually really liked the guy, eh?
So the book ends with Jessica readying for a date with a male cheerleader from a rival school, Olivia and Roger together, and Lila alone. End scene, roll the credits, and hit the lights on your way out.
Trivia:
- Originally supposed to be Love on the Run, and was even advertised as such in the back of Heartbreaker.
- Cara Walker stays home from school the day it rains because she thinks she's coming down with a cold and doesn't want to aggravate it.
- Mr. Wakefield's office closes at 6PM.
- Lila and Aaron Dallas dated in "junior high", but it didn't work out, although they've remained friends. You'd never know this from any other book in the series, and I wonder if Jessica knows about this dating they did back in Jr. High. Was it during that series, or did I miss it in the SVT series? :P
- Speaking of Aaron, why is he in Bruce's history class? Did he skip a grade, or was he a year older than the twins and I never knew, or is Bruce really bad in history?
- Roger's goal in life is to be a doctor.
- Olivia works at the museum, giving tours and chatting about the artwork.
- Todd is still pissed at Bruce for trying to get in Elizabeth's pants a few books back. I love this.
- Tony Esteban is the track team's long distance runner.
- Mark Riley is the sprinter and track captain.
- How unspoken can the rivalry be between Lila and Jessica, if it's always mentioned when those two clash? Is it in the student handbook?
- Also, why is it never mentioned again that Mr. Wakefield is helping someone sue Mr. Fowler?
- Dennis Creighton goes to El Caro High.
- SVH hasn't won the Bart race since 1956. That winner was Jack Ralston.
- The Bart is actually the Barton Ames Memorial Mile.
- The guys who ran in the qualifying race are: Bruce, Todd, Roger, Tony, Peter Sorley, and Mark Riley. Roger, Bruce, and Tony qualify in that order and go on to run in the Bart.
- Bruce figures he could be the track 'miler', but practice is as the same time as his tennis practice, and we know how much Bruce loves his tennis.
- Olivia and Bruce are the only two who don't seem to make a fuss about Roger's big win. By the way, he ran the mile in 4 minutes and 5.5 seconds. That's in ratty jeans and not snazzy racing gear.
- SVH has a school store, and if you were interested in the warm up suit Roger coveted, it'd run you $30. o_O
- Olivia writes poetry and is the Arts Editor of the Oracle.
- Lila has to work like a fiend to maintain her thinness, but Jessica does not.
- Jess admires her sister for blackmailing her.
- Elizabeth and Jessica now have phone extensions in their rooms, so no more overhearing gossip from the phone in the hall. I wonder if this is when they get their own phone number too.
- Four of the five schools competing in the Bart: SVH, El Caro, Springbrook, and Palisades.
- Kevin Borden from Springbrook is a male cheerleader who hits on Jessica.
- Most of the SVH students aren't so enthused by the Bart race as they are about the dance afterward.
- Liz talked her father into confronting Mr. Pendergast concerning his illegal practices where sick days and the like were concerned.
Say wha?:
"I'm serious about this. I never said I was giving up boys. But I've got to think about other things, too. I've just come to realize there's more to life than drive-ins on Saturday nights and beach parties every Sunday afternoon." Jess, p5
"Hey, why do you call him Bugs Bunny, anyway?"
" 'Cause he bugs me." Jess/Lila, p14
For the first time in his school career, he felt like a somebody, and he wanted to take advantage of the attention for as long as possible. It was as if he felt that at any moment it would all disappear. Roger, p51
"Can you trust her?"
"She's my sister. When she gives her word to me, she means it." Roger might want to realize Liz has lost her grasp on reality, p 108
"I'll keep that in mind the next time I see you snuggling up to a ninth grader." Todd, p131
"Crowds bother me. I was content to wait. My patience is unlimited." Olivia channels her inner fortune cookie, p 144
In the grand scheme of things, I rarely think about RH. It's not a bad book, and in fact it's pretty entertaining. I'm a sucker for HS politics and it's not like it's missing anything. Thing is, it's also dull when you compare it to some of the other things that happen over the years. Roger never attains A-list status, and ducks in and out of books throughout the series, while rarely making me care all that much. Nice enough guy, but who in the hell could fall for both Lila Fowler and Olivia Davidson? The two could not be more different if they TRIED.
Also, Jessica's plan to humiliate Lila so that she could take over as the center of the party was just plain cruel. She didn't care what it would do to Roger at all, and didn't seem at all phased as to the thought that it would knock Lila down a peg or two. Granted, Lila's a pain, but still, the girl has yet to have a love interest worth mentioning thus far. If nothing else, Jessica should be allowed to relate to that. She can't, nor can she rise above Dennis being a year younger, even though she likes him. They'll recycle that bit for later use on Lila quite a few books down the line.
One of the standout things in the book is how it's okay for Elizabeth to be so serious about her writing, but Jessica isn't allowed to seem actually serious about acting, even though odds are good that Jessica has a better shot of being a working actress than Elizabeth does as a published author of the novel variety. Jessica's plan for When I Grow Up is ridiculed and Elizabeth's is proof that she's Serious. How is that fair? Now take into consideration the fact that excluding SVU, where it's as if Jessica's never heard of drama, Jessica's been set up to be an aspiring actress since she was twelve at the very latest. Liz has made no secret of her desire to be a writer, but it changes for each series. Sometimes she's Super Journalist, and sometimes she'll be the next great poet making school children groan in protest. This doesn't mean I doubt her love for writing, but since it's rarely a case of wanting to be all these things in her long and varied career and more of her changing her mind, she's just as fickle as Jessica can be. But it's okay, because it's all writing in one way or another, right? Except for her SVU years. Later on they'll comment on this, but for now it's just one of those throw-away items that Jess points out but, gasp, they go right back to doing even though she's pointed out that it hurts her feelings. Sure, she's a drama queen, but it doesn't mean we're not supposed to believe that she's not self-involved enough to have feelings. Right?
