Jessica Against Bruce

Jessica Against Bruce is the 86th book in the Sweet Valley High series. This book shows yet another chapter of the Jessica Wakefield vs. Bruce Patman feud, which had begun way back in Book three, Playing with Fire.

Arrogant Bruce Patman decides that things around school have become a lot boring of late, and so he decides to create a new club for so-called "Real Men". He names the club Club X and that it is only open to the boys. Also joining the club was Ronnie Edwards, Charlie Cashman, Michael Harris and Tad Johnson.

Bruce's chauvinism infuriates Jessica Wakefield who demands that she will become a member of Club X. At first, she, Lila Fowler and Amy Sutton were slated to all join Club X; but the latter chicken out at the last second, and it is only Jessica who joins.

Club X's modus operandi was to create as much chaos at the school as they could, such as gluing the locks on the lockers, posting sexist lists in the Teacher's lounge; flying objectionable flags among other pranks. And timing could not have been worse, because as Club X was causing trouble, five visiting teachers: Mr. Trevor-Jones from Great Britain, Mme. Erlaine from France, Mr. Srinivasen from India, Mrs. Ochiba from Japan and Mrs. Vlasaya from Russia were visiting SVH as a delegation to observe how an American high school was run. The five teachers, being witness to Club X's chaos were more than appalled at the antics (although Mr. Trevor-Jones was a bit more amused by the pranks than annoyed by them and Mrs. Vlasaya didn't quite understand just what was going on. The other three, Mme. Erlaine; Mrs. Ochiba and Mr. Srinivasen WERE more than appalled). Elizabeth Wakefield was one of the student guides (along with Enid Rollins; Todd Wilkins and Penny Ayala), which put her at odds with Jessica and her Club X mates.

Jessica was always the one who committed the pranks that were spun up on a Wheel of Fortune. It was later revealed that Bruce had been rigging the wheel against her as revenge for her joining the club. Jessica, realizing the truth and wanting to get her own revenge against her enemy, removed the magnet under her name, and then placed the magnet under Bruce's name (Bruce, up until then, did not do any of the pranks).

The end of Club X came about when Bruce was slated to play KZZP, an objectionable hard rock radio station that most everyone, especially Mr. Cooper, the principal, as well as Elizabeth herself, hated, during the final day of the Teachers Delegation.

Elizabeth was slated, at the very last minute, to give a speech at the assembly, when the sounds of heavy metal rock blared over the Public Access system, drowning her out. Mr. Collins, angry at the trouble that Club X had caused, along with Mr. Rizzo, another faculty member, dragged a furious Bruce out of the office.

A furious Elizabeth shot Jessica a vicious glare and told her exactly what she thought of her. She then stormed off.

In the end, Club X's members were all given Detention. Bruce had been grounded for two weeks and lost the use of his Porsche (his major status symbol); and Jessica was grounded yet again because of the Club X antics.

Elizabeth, although still furious at Jessica for what she and her mates had done, then decided to impersonate Jessica (at her request) to let her boyfriend, Sam Woodruff, know what had happened.