Pride and Prejudice, the High School Version.

Chapter 22

Georgina Darcy was a combination of shy and awkward with a touch of humor, but in a good way. Bill introduced them and left them in the living room and took her uncle, Jake and Charlie for a turn in the stimulator. Liz would have loved to get to know Georgina better, but Carol, as patronizing as ever, wouldn't give her a chance.

"I like your hair," Georgina said to Liz, then ducked her head and pushed a lot of grapes into her mouth, as if scared someone will look at her.

"I don't understand why women go to all the trouble of curling their hair when they could just be natural," Carol complained.

Liz was not someone to take offense easily, so she did not bother correcting Carol and telling her that her hair was naturally curly because she was mixed race. She doubted that Carol would understand it if she tried.

"Are you excited for your flight this afternoon?" Her aunt asked.

Georgina beamed, "Delighted, but a little nervous."

Carol laughed and touched Georgina's nose, "How cute. You are totally going to rock it."

The younger girl pushed away the annoying hand and Liz could tell she hated being treated like a child, "Or I am going to kill myself. It could go either way."

"Don't worry," Liz soothed, "Your brother wouldn't put you up to it if he didn't think you can do it."

"I know," said Georgina,"but Bill is a daredevil like dad was, and I have more of mom's caution."

"Will it help if he is the one directing you from the control room?" Liz asked.

"Yes, a lot, but he would never agree. He would want to watch."

"He can watch on the cameras."

"I don't think he would agree to that."

"I will talk to him."

"Really?"

Carol snorted, "Talk to him? Who do you think you are? Bill plays by his own rules."

Liz rose up defiantly, "No he doesn't. This is his sister's life we are talking about, not a game."

She knocked on the door of the simulator room, her confidence wavering now that she was about to face him.

"Can I talk to you?" She asked.

He stepped out of the room and closed the door behind him, "Is everything okay?"

"Yes. It's just that...I think you should be the one in the control room directing Georgina and not your approach and landing controller."

"Liz..."

"Just hear me out, okay? She is nervous, and she will be more calm with your voice in her ear rather than someone else's voice."

"I have to watch her. It was my dad's earnest wish to see her take off to the skies. He watched me, and now I have to watch her. That's the way he would have wanted it, Georgina and herself, on her own."

"She isn't like you, okay? She doesn't live for the adrenaline. If she is not calm, she could panic and make a mistake, and she will be piloting an old plane, you know machines are not error free."

"She will be fine," he said with finality and moved to open the door.

Liz grabbed his hand,she had one card left to play, it was a risky one, and she wasn't even sure if it was going to work, but she had to try anyway.

"I will sit with you."

"What?"

"In the control room. I will sit with you and we will watch her take to the skies, on the cameras. Alone yes, but with solid backup."

He looked at her hand on his, then lifted up his face to look her in the eye, he groaned, "Fine. I will direct the flight."

"Thank you."

Liz's triumph at having convinced him to sit in the control room instead of being in the crowd outside was so sweet that she gladly sat through the lunch with a smile and deflected all of Carol's insults with happy conversation. Georgina didn't speak much, but Liz could tell the girl was glad to have her brother in the control room.

The atmosphere at the airfield was excited, every member of the staff had come out to witness Georgina's solo flight. Some were even carrying banners with encouraging messages on them. Liz watched the young girl wave to the crowd then walk to the jet before walking inside the building and joining Bill at the controls.

On the camera, Georgina fastened on her seatbelt and adjusted a few things on the numerous control buttons, Bill watched her, his posture calm, but Liz could tell from the way his foot kept on tapping at the floor that he was nervous.

He cleared his throat and adjusted his headphones, "Control room to PE 114, do you read me?"

Whatever Georgina said on the other end made him smile. He leaned forward and spoke into the microphone, "PE 114, everything looks secure, you are cleared for takeoff."

The applause sounded outside as the jet roared to life. Liz felt her adrenaline spike as Georgina took off, she expected to see Bill staring longingly at the door, but that was not the case, he had his eyes deeply fixed on the screen. Liz smiled, he definitely had his priorities right.