Author's Note:

Hello! Thank you to everyone who left a review. I really appreciate it. I had a question from a reviewer that I'd like to answer: Lizzie's age will be revealed soon. Just stay patient please.

Anyway, that's it for this author note. Oh and whoever recognizes where the last line of this chapter comes from will get a virtual cookie :)

-Chapter Two-

"Jane!"

"Lizzie!"

I squeezed my way through the throng of people crowded around the exit terminal, apologizing as I accidentally stepped on a few feet. I got a couple of evil stares as a reply. Understandable I suppose. I may have a relatively slight frame – I work out most days – but I was still quite heavy. A sixty-six kilo girl stepping on anyone's foot would still hurt.

Especially an overly zealous sixty-six kilo girl.

I could see her just up ahead, her immaculately coiled blonde head bobbing up and down as she made her way toward me. She seemed to be having a much easier time of manoeuvring her way through the crowd. From my vantage point, it looked like the people around her actually went out of their way to make her trek easier.

I attributed that to her looks. From her perfectly round face to her cute little toes, she looked every bit the angel that my mother was so very proud of. Truth be told, I never really saw how she came from my parents. Maybe good looks skipped a generation. It was the only logical explanation.

I was almost able to grasp Jane's hand when I felt something heavy collide with my back. I let out a surprised yelp as I fell.

I know it sounds idiotic but I never realized just how hard the ground was until that very moment. At least if it was grass, it would have helped to cushion my fall somewhat but no, this was concrete – hard, grainy concrete.

Now I'd have to explain the extra cuts and scrapes on my arms to mom. She's always complaining that I have no grace or elegance whatsoever and this would give her even more ammo to hurt my already wounded pride. Great. Couldn't wait to get home now.

To make matters worse, almost everyone saw my disgraceful fall and no one was doing a damn thing to help. I was now completely convinced that chivalry truly was dead.

"Geez, what the heck was that?"

I didn't expect anyone to actually reply so it came as a complete shock when I heard a voice.

"Sorry."

It wasn't just any ordinary voice either. It sounded distinguished and refined. There was a certain roughness to it – something that only a man's voice could have – and yet helped to completely soothe my frazzled nerves.

Until he decided to open his mouth again.

"You're so short I didn't see you. Are you okay?"

Short? I haven't been called short since my pre-growth spurt age. By this point I was standing, dusting off my hands and jeans – I noticed the small hole forming over my right knee – and glaring angrily at the ground.

When I looked up to meet his eyes, I finally understood why he would think my one-hundred and seventy-five centimetre frame was short. Compared to him, I must have looked like a dwarf. He had to be at least one eighty-five and his broad shoulders didn't help to make him look any smaller.

What I noticed the most however, was the way his slightly curled ebony hair fell into his deep, brown eyes. He was a handsome man. In fact, he had to be the most gorgeous man I had ever seen. Too bad his good looks were offset by his haughty attitude.

I mean, the man could have at least lent me a hand. It was his fault that I found myself eating concrete. Even the way he stood slightly irked me. He was fiddling with his jacket – probably checking for his wallet – and seemed disinterested in my welfare. Granted we were strangers but he could have at least shown a little compassion for my plight.

"Well sorry for being so short. I'll be sure to grow a few more centimetres to avoid being stepped on by your humungous feet."

That seemed to get his attention. For the first time since the whole debacle began, he looked at me. If I weren't so incensed at his indifferent behaviour, I probably would have blushed like a pre-pubescent school girl. He really was hot.

Before he could reply with a witty comeback, I turned on my heel and proceeded to ignore him. Ha! Take that.

I could be such a child sometimes.

I hadn't taken more than a few steps forward when I heard another voice. Thankfully, it wasn't the arrogant moron from earlier.

"Lizzie! What happened? You disappeared for a second there."

Jane's pale face appeared in front of me, her bags sitting beside her. She hadn't changed much since the last time I saw her – almost a year ago now – but too be honest, I couldn't picture my sister any other way. She would always be the same calm, gentle Jane who had watched over me when I was younger.

"Nothing, just some idiot knocking me over. Seriously, you'd think he'd have a little more compassion since he was at fault."

"Come on Lizzie, I'm sure it was just an accident. Don't be so angry."

If Jane had a single flaw, it would be her easy acceptance of everybody. She was just too damn nice.

"Well, whatever. I doubt I'd ever see him again." Linking my arm with hers, I grabbed one of her bags as she reached for the other. "So, how have you been? I haven't seen you in ages."

"Not too bad. Studying hard like always. How's everyone at home?"

I sighed. "Do you really need to ask? Mom's being nosy, Kitty and Lidia are being annoying, Mary's being reclusive and dad's just avoiding everybody. All in all, pretty normal."

Jane laughed, no doubt recalling all the idiosyncrasies that made up our family. Not that I could be considered normal in the ordinary sense. My thirst for knowledge has labelled me a bookworm-slash-nerd among my peers. Needless to say, I didn't have many close friends.

"Oh, how I've missed everyone," Jane said as we finally made it to my car. I had to refrain myself from replying sarcastically. It was harder than I thought.

The airport that day was unusually busy so finding a parking spot ended up being a monumental chore and we found ourselves on the outskirts of the parking lot, a good hundred metres away from the terminal. This was definitely not my lucky day.

"Yeah well, let's see how you feel after a few days. You made the right choice in moving away to go to university," I said as I started the engine. Jane always travelled light, so there was ample room in my small car for her bags.

"Lizzie," she replied as she opened the passenger side door, "our family isn't that bad. We've managed to survive this long in that house after all."

She had a point there and I couldn't help but agree as I started the engine and made the long drive home.

As soon as we stepped through the front door, mom's loud, shriek of a voice reverberated throughout the house.

"Jane! Oh, my Jane!"

She came barrelling down the stairs – the second time that morning – and hugged Jane. Mom squeezed her so tight, I thought she would explode. She looked over at me in desperation, pleading with her baby blue eyes to get mom's pudgy arms from around her thin frame. I simply shook my head in reply before grabbing her bags and heading up the stairs.

I'd let her suffer for a few moments.

Mom's overjoyed voice was soon joined by Lidia and Kitty. I could even hear the muted laugh of Mary. I hadn't seen her much in the past few months, except at meals, and I was glad she had finally extracted – for lack of a better word – herself from seclusion long enough to welcome Jane home.

Once I placed all the bags inside Jane's room, I made my way towards the drawing room, where the family had gathered. Dad was sitting on the large armchair – his designated spot since we bought the house several years back – watching his ridiculous wife and younger daughters fawn over his eldest.

He never showed much emotion yet I noticed a slight glimmer in his eye as he observed Jane. He was proud of her, we all were, and was glad she was back. At least he'd have two relatively sane girls in the house now.

"Jane, Jane! We've got the best news ever," Lidia said. She was sitting on the carpeted floor in front of the couch, looking up at Jane through her chocolate coloured bangs.

"Really? What is it?"

Kitty took it upon herself to answer. "Someone finally bought the old house across the street. You know, the haunted one."

"It's not haunted Kitty," I said. I found myself standing behind the couch, over Jane's shoulder and across from my dad. "You really need to stop making up stories."

Kitty pouted. It was cute when she was five but now it just looked stupid. "Well, whatever," she said as she turned back to Jane, "that's not all though. While you guys were at the airport, a moving truck came."

I groaned. The neighbours had just arrived and my crazy family was already bothering them with house visits. Lovely.

"Yeah, and we went over to say hello," Lidia said. I let out another groan. "What's with that weird noise Lizzie? Do you have something in your throat? Anyway, so we went over and the boy was just as handsome as we thought he'd be."

"Yeah. It's a shame he wasn't younger though, right Lidia?" Kitty said. "If he were a few years younger, we would have asked him out right there and then."

I forgot how annoying hormone driven girls were.

"Yes, dear, he was a lovely young man." I didn't realize mom was in the room until that moment. She had remained remarkably quiet throughout the whole exchange – a feat I wasn't aware she was capable of doing. It must have been some sort of new record. "But you and Lizzie will get the chance to see for yourselves tomorrow night."

"Tomorrow night? Why? What's happening tomorrow night?" I asked.

My mom clapped her hands together in glee, something she only did when she was plotting something. I suddenly felt a cold chill run up my spine at the prospect of her meddling.

"I was speaking to the mother earlier and suggested they throw a housewarming party. Of course, it's just an excuse to get Charlie to meet my beautiful Jane." She turned to dad at that point, a huge smile on her face. "Wouldn't they make a wonderful couple dear?"

My dad, always the one to play along simply for the fun of it, nodded his head. "Yes dear, they certainly would."

I groaned again. I seemed to be doing that a lot lately.

What better way to show the world just how ridiculous my family was than to let them lose in a large, social gathering?

I snorted - in my mind of course. I wouldn't want Lidia to think I was the crazy one. There was no better way.

Oh dear, this could only end in tears.