Sweet Valley Sophomores | 5: Like to Get to Know You

[luxken27]

Title: Like to Get to Know You
Fandom: Sweet Valley High
Universe: Pre-canon (sophomore year)
Genre: Romance
Rating: K+
Word Count: 1,650
Summary: “Remember the first time I saw you?” Tricia asked.

“I’ll never forget,” Steven replied. “When I close my eyes, I can still see exactly the way you looked, splashing your feet in the ocean and trying to catch raindrops on your tongue. While everyone else on the beach ran as fast as they could to get out of the rain, I joined you at the water’s edge…You looked so beautiful that day…”

Links: DW | FF.net | AO3

Written for the "moment" prompt on my 2014 Summer Mini Challenge table.


Before there was Tragically Dead Regina, there was Tragically Dead Tricia...and before she Tragically Died, she lived a tragic life.

The summary quotes are taken from the first chapter of SVH #15 Memories. As Tricia lay dying, she and Steven reminiscence about their first meeting on the beach. This is my take on that meeting.

I've read and re-read the Tricia story arc (and developed a canon conspiracy theory that's spawned yet another fic because obvs that's how my muse rolls these days *facepalm*). Her three personality characteristics are 1) she's tragic, 2) she's saintly, and 3) she's a porcelain doll. I'm not quite sure what the ghosties were going for with her, considering she's quite literally too good to be true (the heavy-handedness is beyond eye-roll inducing - the heart of gold buried inside her trashy/slutty family), but I decided to go with it for this little scene. I've never really played with a 'fragile' character like this, and it definitely has its own challenges. It was incredibly easy to become swept up in the melodrama, so I can definitely see why it all got out of hand in the series, but I did try to temper it, and let Tricia keep her secrets.

We learn in #12 When Love Dies that Tricia's mother died when she was nine, and that's when her family basically went off the rails. There's some heavy hinting that Tricia took her mother's place, so I tried to think of something that two such like personalities would do in order to bond, something simple but special. I decided that they went splashing in the ocean together, and that's what Tricia was doing on the fateful afternoon when Steven finally had the guts to approach her.

Steven seems so in awe of Tricia that I can definitely see him being all tongue-tied and awkward around her, even though he presumably has the same romantic success as his parents and his sisters. He has an overprotective streak a mile long that's beautifully explained by my canon conspiracy theory, and its Tricia's presumed frailty that attracts him the most. Here is someone he can guard and treasure...and keep all to himself, which we know he does because it's the C-plot of #1 Double Love.

While I was writing this, the lyrics to "Like to Get to Know You" were running through the back of my mind, and I realized it was basically the perfect soundtrack for this fic:

"" (Watch on YouTube)

and since these SVH oneshots are basically named after song titles, well... :P

I'm quite pleased with my progress through my SMC table, but I refuse to jinx myself into not finishing it :P Suffice to say, Sweet Valley is eating my brain right now - so snarky_imp, I hope you're enjoying this influx of SV fic! :P