A/N: I don't know, I felt like writing a new fic. Don't ask. I still own nothing; Jane Austen is the genius! Please review and enjoy!
Chapter 1
"Elizabeth! Elizabeth! Elizabeth Katherine Bennet!"
A blonde girl of about seventeen trotted through the living room of her house and past a nearly ancient piano. She stopped in about the middle of the room and said, "Lizzy? Where are you?"
"I'm right here," replied a quiet voice. The blonde girl looked around the room, startled, then realized that her sister was under the piano. Squatting on the floor and crawling under the piano, the blonde said, "What are you doing under here, Lizzy?"
"Reading, what does it look like?" Elizabeth Bennet replied without looking away from the book she was reading. She turned the page, her bright blue eyes soaking in the words at a rapid pace.
Her sister turned her head to read the spine of the book. "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader," she read aloud. "The Chronicles of Narnia, Lizzy? Haven't you already read that?"
"Jane, I know you came here for some reason other than to criticize my reading habits," Lizzy said. Despite her sister's snarky comment, a corner of Jane's mouth kicked upwards in a crooked grin.
"Elizabeth, you always either have your nose mile deep in some book or you're heading down to the karate studio to kick someone's ass," Jane commented.
Smirking, Elizabeth dog-eared the page and closed the book, setting it gently on the floor beside her. Tucking a lock of her black hair behind her ear, she said, "What do you really want to talk to me about, Jane?"
Jane reluctantly allowed a broad smile to spread across her beautiful face. Lizzy smiled subconsciously, thinking that it was no wonder her sister was practically stalked by the boys of their high school. "Someone's moving in next door."
"Next door?" Lizzy exclaimed, her blue eyes growing wide as she sat up quickly. She succeeded only in bumping her head on the underside of the piano. Rubbing her head tenderly, she said, "No way. That's house has been empty for years. No one would be able to afford the renovations necessary to make it fit to live in"
"Apparently, someone can," her sister shrugged. Elizabeth thoughtfully wiped her sweaty palms on her denim shorts before wiping the perspiration off of her forehead. "A world-renowned surgeon is moving in, with her husband, three children, and her son's best friend."
"Surgeon?" Lizzy said, her eyes growing wider. Jane chuckled, knowing how eager her sister would be to meet their soon-to-be neighbors. It was Elizabeth's dream to become a surgeon, and she practically worshipped any surgeons she met.
"Yes," Jane nodded. "See? I have a good reason for disturbing your reading."
"I suppose so," her younger sister admitting, somewhat grudgingly. "You're forgiven."
The blonde sister smiled. "Thought so."
"So when are they moving in, Jane?" Elizabeth asked, hugging her knees to her chest. While waiting for her sister to reply, she examined her toes, which she had painted black just the previous week, when she had finished out her sophomore year of high school.
"In two days," Jane said excitedly, clasping her hands together.
"Oh, thank God," Lizzy breathed, leaning her head back against the leg of the piano in relief. "I was afraid I was going to have to suffer through this boredom until August."
"And there's even better news," her sister added, sounding anxious to share what she ahd to say.
"Better than people moving in next door?" Elizabeth said, raising a single skeptical brow at her older sister. "Pray, do enlighten me."
"The Lucases are throwing them a welcome party the day they move in," Jane told her, her smile growing wider.
"And why didn't Charlotte tell me about any of this?" Lizzy demanded, pulling her phone out of her pocket. "I'm going to send her a strongly worded text message."
"I asked her not to," Jane said quickly, closing her sister's phone before she could text Charlotte. "I wanted to tell you myself."
"Well, in that case, I guess Charlotte's off the hook," she said begrudgingly. "But just this once."
"I'm going to go tell Mom, Dad, Lydia, Kitty, and Mary, okay?" Jane said, patting her sister's knee before she carefully climbed out from under the piano.
"Sure," Elizabeth chirped, picking up The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and opening it again. "Go right ahead." As she turned the page, as she had done already so many time that summer, she couldn't help but feel that everything was about to change.
TSTSTSTSTS
Whatever Elizabeth had been expecting when she returned home from the karate studio, it certainly hadn't been for her mother and two of her younger sister to attack her with curlers. "Get away from me!" she shrieked, easily sidestepping her mother and Lydia and Kitty. "What do you all think you're doing?"
"We're trying to curl your hair, Lizzy!" Lydia pouted, slowly advancing with a curling iron again. "If only you'd stay still…"
"Uh-uh," she shook her head. "Why in the world would I curl my hair?"
"Lizzy, don't be so stubborn," Mrs. Bennet scolded her second eldest daughter. "We're going to the Lucases for the welcoming party for the Bingley's and-"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Elizabeth said, holding up her hand defensively. "I still don't get what that has to do with me curling my hair?"
"You should at least look decent, Lizzy, not like you normally do," her mother said. "And must you always paint your nails black? It's far too severe, dear."
Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Mom, I'm going to go get ready on my own. I'll look fine, I promise."
Mrs. Bennet pursed her lips together. "Fine," she snapped. "But make it quick. We don't want to be late."
Elizabeth kept her word and emerged from her room looking fresh. Her hair had been washed and straightened, and she had donned a denim miniskirt and a light blue halter top. "Elizabeth, you look gorgeous," Jane complimented her sister when she climbed into the car.
"Thanks," she said. "You don't clean up too bad yourself."
Jane had succumbed to her mother's wishes and curled her normally straight blonde hair and tied it into a high ponytail. She was wearing a simple pair of jeans and a pink tank top. Jane smiled at her sister. "Thanks."
It only took ten minutes to reach the home of Charlotte Lucas from the Bennet house, but by the time they did arrive, Elizabeth was quite ready to pull her hair out, roots and all. Lydia and Kitty simply would not shut up about Lindsay's Lohan's latest stint in rehab, Mary insisted on ranting on and on about chemistry, though no one was listening to her, her mother was fussing over all five of her daughters, and her father was making sarcastic comments all the way to the Lucas house.
"Thank God," Lizzy breathed, practically jumping out of the car and managing to land softly on the green grass of Charlotte's front yard. Waiting only for Jane, she trotted cheerfully up to the front door, her sister right on her heels. She rang the door bell and waited anxiously for the door to open.
"Lizzy!" Charlotte Lucas cried upon seeing her at the door. Her light brown hair was tied back in the bun and her green eyes sparkled with laughter. "Come on in, I'm so glad you're here."
"Good to see you too, Lottie," Lizzy said. "Nice party."
The music in the living room could be heard from the foyer, thumping through the walls. Lizzy could easily pick out the strain of the "Electric Slide" from where she was standing.
"My mom put it all together," Lottie admitted, sweeping a loose strand of hair off of her forehead. "I think she's hoping I'll hook up with Janice Bingley's son. He's our age, you know."
"What's his name?" Jane asked, sounding interested, as they entered the living room.
"He's just over there," Lottie said, pointing at the far left corner of the room at a redheaded boy. "His name is Charley."
"Charley Bingley," Jane said slowly, staring at him from across the room, captivated.
"Who's the guy standing next to him that looks as if he just swallowed a whole pack of sour Skittles?" Lizzy snorted, indicating the dark haired boy standing next to Charley, if it could be called standing. He was leaning against the wall as if it were the only thing keeping him upright, looking extremely bored.
"That's Charley's best friend, Will Darcy," she replied. "He's living with them. No one really knows why, though."
"Charley Bingley," Jane repeated, still entranced by the redheaded boy.
Rolling her eyes, Lottie grabbed one of Lizzy's hands and of Jane's and started leading them towards Charley. "Come on, I'll introduce you."
Lizzy smiled back at Jane, who merely looked dazed. Lottie brought them in front of the two boys. "Hi, Charlotte," Charley greeted in a friendly manner. Will did nothing to acknowledge their presence.
"Hey, Charley," she said, smiling. "These are my friends, Jane and Elizabeth Bennet."
"Hi, Elizabeth," Charley smiled. "Hi, Jane." His gaze lingered far longer on Jane than it had on Elizabeth. "I'm Charley Bingley." He shook both their hands, before jerking his head at Will and saying, "This is my best friend, Will Darcy."
"Nice to meet you," Lizzy said, in an attempt to make a conversation with the dark-haired boy.
"Charmed, I'm sure," Will said. If he was trying to sound sincere, he was failing miserably.
"Oh, I love this song!" Jane gasped, as "Hips Don't Lie" began to play.
"Come on, then. Let's dance!" Charley said eagerly, leading her by the hand into the mosh pit of people dancing. Lottie surreptitiously snuck off to grab a soda, leaving Elizabeth alone with Will.
How delightful.
"Do you dance, Will?" she asked, trying yet again to strike up a conversation.
"Only if I have to," he grunted. Without another word, he stalked past her and disappeared into the throngs of people.
Elizabeth merely gaped after him in shock. "That ass," she muttered, just as Lottie joined her again.
"Who's the ass?" she asked. "And where's Will?"
"Same person," Lizzy replied. "Will is the ass. I've never seen someone so antisocial in my life."
Lottie shrugged. "Charley's friendly enough for the both of them."
Out of curiosity, Elizabeth scanned the crowd, looking for the ass himself. She spotted him talking to a redheaded girl, who facial expression conveyed that she had recently shoved a stick up her crack. "Who's the redheaded girl?" Lizzy asked Lottie, jerking her head in Will's direction.
"That's Caroline Bingley, Charley's sister," Charlotte replied. "You didn't hear this from me, but she's a real bee-yotch."
"I can believe that," Elizabeth snorted. "Look at her face. She looks constipated."
Lottie laughed, fighting hard to keep from snorting soda out of her nose. After a few moments of watching other people dance, Lottie said, "Do you want to go to my room? I'm kind of sick of this."
Elizabeth nodded, allowing Charlotte to take her by the hand and pull her through the crowds of people. When they passed Will, he was talking to Charley.
"What about Elizabeth?" Charley was saying. Both Lottie and Lizzy froze. In silent agreement, they paused just around the corner, out of sight, but still within earshot of Charley and Will.
"What about her?" Will drawled, sounding bored.
"I left you talking to her," his friend replied. "What'd she say?"
"Not much; I left," Will replied, and Elizabeth could almost imagine him shrugging.
"God, Will, you're such a bastard!" Charley hissed, lowering his voice considerably. "Did you just leave in the middle of the freaking conversation?"
"It doesn't matter," he said. "She's no one. Not ugly, but certainly not good enough for my tastes."
Charley snorted. "One day, Will. One day you will eat your words."
Wordlessly, Charlotte pulled Elizabeth the rest of the way to her room. Elizabeth sat down her bed as Lottie closed the door and joined her. "I can't believe he said that, Lizzy," she told her friend, shaking her head. "You know it's not true, right?"
"Of course I do," Elizabeth said. "Why would I give a flying shit about the opinion of one ass named William Darcy?"