A/N: REALLY SHORT CHAPTER! I wanted the rest of Darcy's "proposal" to be on its own, so I apologize. I'm back from Florida! It was fun. Well then. Er, please read, I guess. And review. And BTW: I put some new funny stuff on my profile! If you want to check it out. ... I usually do REALLY long authors notes, but I have nothing to say. So, um, check out my profile, VOTE on the Most Annoying P&P Character Poll, and review. And then I will love YOU. (Not really.) OH YEAH! I have a new poll on my profile now: Which 3 Harry Potter characters do you think have the most interesting backstories? PLEASE VOTE!
And love me.
Love me.
Love me?
Love me!
I couldn't believe it. Fitzwilliam Darcy, king of the jerks, in love? With me? Me, plain old Elizabeth Bennet. The one person who I truly hated was in love with me. It couldn't be true. This had to be some twisted prank. A sick joke. It was impossible. But when my shocked face looked up into his passionate one, I knew he was serious. This was no joke. Darcy was in love with me.
But how? For one thing, we hated each other. Or so I had thought. For another, we were only eighteen. Is it even possible to be in love at eighteen? Apparently it was, according to Darcy and Jane. I was so confused and caught up in my thoughts, that I almost didn't realize he was talking.
"I know that this might sound weird, someone of my popularity at school liking someone like you, but I can't help it. I also know that we are both technically still teenagers, and that we are too young to probably consider being in love, but somehow I am."
He started pacing in front of the trees. Darcy didn't even notice me staring at him in disbelief.
"I know that your family isn't in a very wealthy financial state, and your sister and mother are completely ridiculous, your friends are unpopular- except for Jane- and I will be the laughingstock of Meryton if I go out with you, but I can't help it. I've struggled too long, almost since we stayed with the Bingleys, to hold in my feelings for you."
Darcy then finally stopped pacing and turned to me, looking confident that I would say yes.
"Elizabeth, Lizzy, I love you so much it's going to kill me if I deny it any longer. I beg you to end my pain and agree to be my girlfriend."
Oh no. He couldn't say that. Anything but that. I had to end this. Now. Darcy might be in love with me, but I still hated him. I was extremely angry and insulted about what he said about me, my friends, and my family. I tried hard not to scream at him as I opened my mouth to refuse him.
"Darcy, I am flattered that you think so highly of me, compared to how terrible you think everyone I associate with is, and I am touched that someone could love me like you describe, while hating everything I represent."
I had been talking to the floor, but I finally looked up at him. He looked so confident, that I knew he didn't sense the irony of what I said. Although Darcy was one of the smartest people in our school, he didn't understand what it was like to fail with girls, I presumed. Well he would have to learn from me.
"I believe that in a case like this, the thing someone in my position should do is accept. But I can't and I won't."
Darcy's face changed immediately. It went from confused, to hurt, to just plain angry. I looked back at the ground, hoping he would leave. He just started pacing again, head bent down in frustration. When he looked back up, his face was bright red with anger and humiliation.
"I might wonder why you rejected me so cruelly, without even an explanation! But I guess you can be even more cruel and not even give me that."
I responded with equal fury, "And I might wonder why you so obviously wanted to offend and insult me while saying you love me. Why you decided to tell me that you liked me against your will. Against your judgement, and even against your character! You are such a jerk! You insulted my family. My friends. Practically everything about me! If that's what being in love involves, then I hope it never happens to me. And what you did to Wickham! You were so jealous of not being Daddy's favorite, weren't you."
Darcy turned even redder than before. "You seem to take an eager interest in his concerns!"
"How could anyone who knows what his misfortunes have been not take an interest in him!" I cried.
Darcy murmered to himself, "His misfortunes." Then yelled sarcastically, "Yes his misfortunes have been great indeed!"
"And all because of you! You were also the one who separated Jane and Charles. Do you admit it?"
He looked at me in surprise, and what looked like slight shame, but that expression was fleeting as he smirked in self-satisfaction. "I admit it! I did everything I could to separate our friends and I'm happy that I succeeded!"
I was furious. I had only suspected Darcy's involvement with them, but now I was sure. And I decided to tell him exactly how I felt.
"I hate you Fitzwilliam Darcy. You might love me, but I will NEVER love you. You can't even ask a girl out without insulting her and all she cares about! You are arrogant, conceited, and have a selfish disdain for the feelings of others. I had not known you a MONTH before I felt you were the LAST person in the world that I could EVER go out with."
He looked at me for a moment, and in that one glance I saw all his emotions. Confusion, hurt, but mostly anger for my injuring his blown up pride.
"Okay then," he said softly. "I'm sorry you think that way. Well, good luck with everything. Goodbye Elizabeth."
With that, he walked away. I sat down on a park bench, pulled Austen onto my lap, and cried.
A/N: Rejection hurts. Isn't Darcy just the smoothest with words? REVIEW! AND VOTE ON MY NEW POLL!