Pride and Prejudice, the High School Version.

Chapter 14

As Christmas neared, Liz's mood became as gloomy as Jane's. George was spending more time with Bess King and had even stopped hanging out with her over lunch, and the rumors weren't helping.

"I heard she gave him an STI."

"I am not so surprised. She was doing Jimmy Collins and he used to sing like a walking STI."

"That's not it. She was cheating on him with that Charlie guy so her sister dumped his ass and George dumped her."

"Or maybe she just became boring and he moved on, she isn't as pretty as her sister."

"She isn't bad looking though."

"Yes. When you look at her up close, she really is pretty, but from a distance, she looks like any other girl."

Liz gritted her teeth in annoyance, "I swear to God, if I hear one more comment about me, I am going to kill someone," she complained to Charlotte.

"That's what I was telling you the other day. You need to get out of this town and go have fun or you are going to explode."

"I am not going to LA to visit Jimmy for Christmas Charlotte."

"Liz, please, I need you to come with me. My parents would never let me go alone."

"Then you shouldn't."

"It's going to be so much fun. He has an apartment."

"One bedroom."

"We will sleep on the bed and he will take the couch if that's what you are worried about."

"I am more worried about the state of my mind after spending two weeks with Jimmy Collins."

"He isn't that bad."

Liz raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, okay, " Charlotte laughed, "Maybe he is that bad, but Liz, I really like him and I just want to see where it goes. Is that so bad? Besides, he is working with Rosings Records, it's a good chance as any to scout around for a summer internship. LA internships pay well, you could save up something for college."

That caught Liz's attention. She had never thought of it like that.

She shrugged, "Okay Charlotte, I will go with you."

Charlotte gave a squeal and hugged Liz, "Thank you."

Liz didn't feel comfortable leaving Jane on her own over Christmas. Even though Jane went on with her life composedly, Liz could tell by the dark circles under her eyes that she was stressed and hurting. Charlie had gone MIA since leaving, Liz couldn't even trace him on social media.

She decided that the best thing for Jane would be for her to meet up with Charlie again and talk over things. After thinking about it for sometime, Liz finally called her aunt in DC and asked if Jane could visit for Christmas.

Her aunt and uncle ran a convenient store just like her father's but in DC, so it was on a larger scale. They weren't exactly rich, but they were in the upper middle class. Liz loved visiting them over summer and they liked having the Bennet girls at their house. Jane wasn't thrilled by the invitation, but she didn't protest the arrangement either. Liz had talked to her aunt and told her to do all she could to make sure that Jane and Charlie met. Liz didn't have much faith in humanity, but the still empty beach house gave her hope.

It's wasn't the first time in LA for Liz,she had been there in the summer of her eighth grade with her uncle and aunt who loved to travel. But she was excited to see the Hollywood side of LA.

Jimmy's apartment was tiny, and if it wasn't in California, Liz was sure they would have frozen to death because it didn't have any heating. He was however very proud of it when he ushered him in and looked at them so eagerly that Liz was forced to tell him that it looked really nice.

"So, how is work?" Charlotte asked him.

His smile broadened, "It's amazing. I mean, I am only cleaning, but I am sure I am going to be promoted soon."

Liz gave him a confused look, "Is cleaning some kind of music slang that I know nothing about or do you actually clean?"

"Well, I clean the de Bourgh's house, that's my job. But I interact with Katherine de Bourgh on a day to day basis. I even talk to her daughter Anna."

"The one who can't sing for shit?"

"Liz!" Charlotte warned although there was laughter in her eyes.

Anna de Bourgh was a 'singer' who couldn't sing one note live. Her music was nice and catchy and since she had been singing since she was young and had a famous aunt, she was relatively well known.

"I should have you know that Anna sings like a pro. The other morning, she said I would look good with my hair shaved."

"That explains the new look," Liz mumbled under her breath.

Fortunately, Jimmy did not hear her, he was happy going on with his praise, "Usually, they have a celebrity over dinner almost every day and I get to serve the food. Sometimes Anna invites me to sit at the table and eat with them."

"Really? Have you met any celebs?"

"Yes. A lot of them. By the way, that tall guy who stayed at the beach house, can you believe he was Bill Darcy! Anne Darcy's only son and the owner of his dad's plane company?"

"You didn't know?"

"I had no idea. You guys never told me."

His phone began to ring and he picked it up. He went to the bedroom and spoke briefly. Liz looked anywhere but at Charlotte, she didn't want to burst out laughing.

When he came back, he was beaming, "Guess what? That was Anna. She says she is bored and has requested me to bring you guys over for dinner."

"Doesn't she have a celebrity party she could go to or something?"

"Not really. She is sixteen, her mom doesn't allow her out much.She is also not so strong health wise. Well Liz, I hope you brought something other than those skinny jeans to wear."

Liz had brought the dress she had bought for the exchange students dance, but she didn't feel like dressing up.

"No, sorry, just my jeans. Will that be a problem?"

Jimmy looked uncomfortable as he replied, "Well, not exactly a problem. It's just that Katherine expects her dinner guests to dress up."

"Sorry then, I guess I can't go."

"Oh no, you must. Just put on your best jeans. I am sure they will understand."

So while Charlotte labored with her makeup and dress, Liz sat smugly on the couch and texted with Jane back and forth.

After a few incidences of Jimmy cutting himself with a razor, Charlotte's dress not being pink enough and a lecture from Jimmy on celebrity cutlery, they were good to go.