Chapter Thirteen

OK, so if anything positive can be gained from the meal at Netherfield the other night - and let's be honest, not much can - it's that my opinion on Charlotte Bingley is now a lot better than it was originally. I don't usually get things wrong, but I can happily admit that I got dear little miss Bingley wrong; she's genuinely nice, smart, sensitive and funny and she clearly likes Jack a hell of a lot. Charlie's boasting because it's only the third time in my life that I've admitted I was wrong about something; the other two being the moon landing not being real (everyone goes through a stage of questioning the government's every move at 15 don't they?) and the other time was after I insisted that it would be Peggy Mitchell who topped Archie in EastEnders like six years ago, when it was in fact Stacey, and I had to admit I was wrong because there was visual proof via a very dodgy live episode. So, yeah, Charlie boy is fairly happy that I've admitted I had Charlotte all wrong and Jack has now gone on four dates with her, if you count the wedding where they met and last Saturday's sad mess of a night as dates.

So, yeah, it's been a few days and honestly, I'm alright. I had sex with Alice from the meat aisle at the supermarket and we exchanged numbers, though for once she doesn't seem that bothered about maintaining a communication which is good for me because I really don't think I'm in the right frame of mind to be getting into anything serious right now. As for Jennifer, I've heard nothing from her and not bumped into her once since Saturday - granted I've only been leaving the house for work, but she hasn't been there since - and Charlotte seems to have understood that I really do not want to see Darcy anytime soon and has ceased talking about her in my presence. Jack is concerned for me at the moment, he says my behaviour is similar to how it was when Jennifer and I broke up, but I'm in a much more mentally sound frame of mind. Not actually mentally sound, as I'm fairly unhinged on a day to day basis, but I've certainly got more a hold of my faculties than I did the last time. There's nothing to mourn. As for Brianna...well, she's not talking to me either and thought that would've been my dream come true five years ago as it goes now I do feel guilty about it. Not extensively guilty, but there's definite guilt in there. She was getting over me, finally being able to see me as being a friend and then I go and nearly shag her in a toilet cubicle, then reject and ignore her after we're interrupted. I'm a shit person.

"You're not a shit person" Charlie tells me for what must be the five hundredth time this week. It's Tuesday. "You're not a great person, but it's not like you're totally cold, calculating and callous"

"That's true" I say "I am no Darcy"

I've told Charlie everything, mainly because he walked into my bedroom on Sunday night and found me crying - it was a moment of weakness - and I pretty much just spilled every little detail and honestly, I felt a lot better for finally being able to tell someone who I know truly cares about me. Jennifer thinks she does, but she's only fooling herself, and Darcy probably wishes I'd pierced a vein and bled to death. From what I understand from Jack, she and Charlotte are on shaky terms at the moment and I know in some roundabout way she is going to blame that on me. The only downside to telling Charlie everything is that he has spent the last fifty hours watching me like I'm some basket case from the suicide ward. He keeps giving me lots of loving validation which, whilst nice, is really unnecessary and only about 2% of the things he's saying are actually true. I'm like the bare minimum of human decency, I haven't raped and I haven't killed...pretty much everything else I did at some point during my torrid years of teenage rebellion. Once stole a policeman's hat. You don't wanna do that. Luckily, they can't hold 13-years old in the station for that long

"Speaking of which" Jack says as he walks into the living room where Charlie and I have been sitting "Charlotte, Carl, Alex and Victoria are coming round to dinner a week on Friday so I'm going to need you here Eli"

"No Darcy?" I ask

"Nope" Jack replies with a smile "She's apparently visiting her little brother down in London or something so she can't come, although if you ask me I think there may have been a little fibbing involved"

Of course there was, she's avoiding me, and rightly so as I don't think I'd be able to cope around her at the moment. I haven't told Jack everything yet, though Charlie does think I should as Jennifer's never been great with secrets (though, ironically, when it comes to infidelity she's a pro) and my family could find out from someone else if she does spill. Weirdly, I actually trust Darcy to keep quiet.

"So, how's Mum taken the news?" I ask

"She had to sit down" Jack says with a smirk "With a sherry"

"Oh god" Charlie and I exclaim at the same time

"You don't think she'll embarrass herself or any of us do you?" I ask "I mean, I know I wasn't on board with you and Charlotte at first, but now you seem to genuinely like her it'd suck balls if Mum ruined it, hella ironic too considering that she was the one who orchestrated the whole affair?"

"Right what's wrong?" Jack says crossing his arms

"What do you mean what's wrong?" I reply

"'Hella', 'Sucks Balls', Eli we both know you only speak like 20-year old American frat boy when you're nervous, sad about something or feel emasculated" Jack says. He's right to be fair, I was speaking like Justin Bieber when I got my A-Level results "And I'm pretty sure you're neither feeling emasculated or nervous at the moment, so what're you sad about?"

Damn Jack, knowing me so well

"Nothing" I insist

"Charlie?" Jack asks turning his attention to my best friend

"Not my story to tell" Charlie says with a shrug

"Eli" Jack says slowly turning his head to me. "What's going on with you? Ever since Saturday you've been acting strange...er than normal. Is it something to do with Jennifer?"

"What?! No! Don't be so preposterous!" I exclaim

"OK, there's definitely something going on with you" Jack says seriously crossing his arms, I'd stud up in my eagerness to prove there's nothing going on with me which has now only confirmed to Jack that there is something going on with me "Tell me Eli"

"No!"

"Eli..."

"There's nothing wrong"

"Just tell him Elijah" exclaims Charlie. I sigh and sit down, it's not like I didn't know this moment was coming, but still...it's Jack, how can I tell Jack how stupid I was?

"Fine" I say with a sigh and admit defeat. Jack sits down next to me. I take a deep breath "Err, so, last Saturday I, err, I had an argument with Jennifer and some old stuff that's really, really stupid got brought back up and it's just-"

"What old stuff?" Jack asks with his eyes concentrated on me. Kind of intense.

"Just stuff" I say "Look, you know how I was after Jennifer and I broke up. I was a mess, I wasn't exactly rational was I? I did some stupid things"

"You always do stupid things" Jack exclaims "Hell, three months ago I had to persuade not to drive off the roof in a trolley...but this doesn't seem like the usual idiotic things you do, this seems more serious"

"Well, it is, I guess" I tell him. Charlie rests a hand on my shoulder. "OK, look, this only happened one time and I regretted it the second I did and I would never, ever, ever do it again and I never have..."

I take a breath. This is hard. Jack already looks heartbroken.

"But, a few weeks after Jennifer and I broke up" I go on "It was New Year's Day and all of you had gone out, and I was alone, and depressed and I just felt like I needed a release you know...something, something to make it all go away so I-"

"No, no, don't say it" Jack says putting his head in his hands. He takes a breath before looking at me right in the eyes "You promise me you've never done it again after that one time?"

"Promise" I say with a confidant nod and a smile

"OK" he says patting me on the shoulder "Does-does anyone else know?"

"Only Charlie and Jennifer, but they only found out two days ago" I tell him "I never told anyone, I was too embarrassed"

"You could have told me, you know you could" Jack says sounding hurt and now I feel awkward "Eli, all I wanted to do back then was look after you...man, I guess I did a really bad job of it"

"No, you didn't. It was me. All me. You were ace" I tell him "You and Charlie, I mean, you two are essentially the reason I'm alive. When I refused to leave my bed, you brought me food, you kept me company, you were fantastic...I just had one moment of stupid weakness and then I got over it. It woke me up. I knew I needed to move on, get myself together"

Charlie leaves Jack and I to talk for a while, and I tell him everything that happened then and also what went down in that bathroom on Saturday night. Jack, tragically, has taken this news as confirmation that he's not a good brother, which is probably the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard, and by the end of our conversation the tables have turned and it's me comforting him. After I've eventually managed to persuade him that I don't hate him, he's not to blame and that he is the best damn big brother that I could have ever asked for (and really he is) Jack heads off to work giving me a long hug before he goes. I collapse back into the sofa and pass the hours by watching repeats of Friends episodes I must've seen at least twenty times before, that is until Kieran storms in looking angry and worried.

"I'm annoyed" he announces

"So I can see" I answer "You're pacing."

"It helps with the rage" he retorts

"And why are we raging little bro?" I ask

"Dad" he declares

I raise my eyebrows. It's usually Mum.

"What's he done?" I ask

"He doesn't get me" Kieran declares. I laugh a little, he sounds so cliché right now. Marcus, having overheard the commotion, comes in and sits down next to me and we watch as Kieran continues to pace up and down

"What's up?" Marcus asks to me via a whisper

"Dad doesn't understand Kieran" I whisper back

"Who does?" scoffs Marcus. I smirk a little, though feel a little bad as Kieran genuinely looks very upset despite his cliché problem. Teenage boy doesn't see eye to eye with his father, how many times have we seen that before? I went through a stage of not getting along with Dad because we had different opinions. Then I turned 13.

"GUYS, THIS IS SERIOUS" Kieran shouts. Marcus and I look away from one another from fear of laughter "I told Dad I didn't want to go back to school for sixth form, but he won't have it. He says I have to. God, I hope I fail"

"Kieran, if you fail your GCSE's I'm going to smack you around the head" I tell him sternly. Where the hell's he gonna get without any GCSE's?

"No, obviously I don't want to actually fail" he confirms "I just really, really don't want to go back to school"

"Why not? I love school" pipes up Marcus. Kieran looks like he's been punched in the face.

"Yeah, cos you're smart" he says "I'm thick."

"Stop calling yourself thick Kieran, you're not thick" I tell him "Just not academic, that's all. There are different ways of measuring intelligence"

"That may be true, but it doesn't mean he's not gonna find school hard" reasons Marcus looking surprisingly genuinely concerned for our little brother "Kieran, it's your life, if you don't wanna go. Don't."

"Or get yourself expelled" I suggest "I can give you some excellent ideas, the only thing I'll struggle on is getting you caught because Charlie and I were fucking masters of sleuth at that school"

Marcus rolls his eyes. He's jealous of my rebellious spirit.

"Eli, will you talk to dad for me. Please." Kieran says pleadingly as he sits down next to me "It's just, you're clearly his favourite-"

"No I'm not"

"Yes you are" Kieran and Marcus reply at the same time

"Look, Elijah, please just do it" Kieran continues "I know he might still say no, but he's more likely to say yes if he talks to you. He dismisses everything I say because he thinks I'm too young to know what I want"

"What do you want?" I ask him

Marcus looks curious too as we both turn to look at Kieran who smiles and blushes a little bit

"I'm going to be a plumber!" he announces

O...K

Didn't see that one coming

Not gonna lie.

Did not see that coming

"Great" I tell him with a nod and a smile, as does Marcus, and oh my god, if you think you've never seen true happiness before you should see the look on Kieran's face right now.

"Yeah, that's fantastic" Marcus says "And hey, plumbers do actually earn more than you think"

"And I hear it's quite technical and shit" I say, Kieran is beaming so hard right now. It's kind of precious. Stupid little brother being all cute and shit; why can't he be openly aggressive, dickheadish and a menace to society like most sixteen year old boys? Why does he have to be so god damn nice and endearingly dippy. "No way you doing that unless you're like super smart and know what you're doing"

"There's a plumbing course at the college next year" Kieran says excitedly jumping up, evidently Marcus and I have been the first people to not either scoff or brush off Kieran's, admittedly bizarre, life goal "My friends keep laughing at me, but I really, really wanna do it"

"And you're going to!" I exclaim "Kieran, if it's the last thing I ever do I am going to get you on the plumbing course. Not only will it make you happy, but you're good-looking, so you'll be breaking various stereotypes. No one's gonna complain if they have to look at your arse"

"You know Eli, sometimes you take things a bit far" Marcus tells me

"Yeah I'm sensing that" I say patting Kieran on the shoulder and heading out of the living room and towards Dad's study - code name for the guest bedroom which has a book shelf - we're not typically ever really allowed in here, Dad needs to get away from the hustle and bustle of family life just as much as the rest of us do sometimes so I can hardly begrudge him his makeshift study. How he manages to fit all of his train sets in there I will never know.

I knock on the door

"Who's there?" he asks

"Eli" I reply

"Come on in" he says

I open the door and walk inside to find my Dad reading sitting on a chair by the desk, I sit down on the little bed to the side

"I assume you're here to plead young Kieran's case" he says turning a page without even looking down at me

"Yeah" I tell him "Dad, you should've heard him talk about that course earlier, he was so animated, so excited when I told him it wasn't a bad idea"

"You said that to him?" Dad asks suddenly becoming a lot more involved, he seems almost angry

"Yep" I persevere. I do not fear my Dad in any way, shape or form and my ability to debate and stand up for myself is one of the reasons he likes me so much and why we've got such a good relationship "Kieran is really, really passionate about this Dad - and I think he could be good at it too, he's always been able to fix things easily, and it'd make him happy. Surely that's the most important thing"

"Financial security will make him happy" Dad replies "A safe job will make him happy, two holidays a year will make Kieran happy, visiting strangers homes and fixing their sinks may keep him happy day to day but he's going to struggle"

"Dad, Kieran needs to struggle" I tell him "He's lived his whole life this sheltered, pampered little prince, he never had to worry about money growing up like Jack and I had to. He's never had a Christmas where he's not got everything he's ever wanted and more, he doesn't know what it's like to struggle. To struggle like we used to do, I remember, and I know you like to pretend I don't. Jack does too."

Dad slumps, we lost the house when I was four and Jack was six and although Kieran had been born at that point, he was still only a baby and by the time he was two Dad had clawed his riches back.

"So you're saying your brother is spoiled" he asks

"Yes." I say with a determined nod "Kieran, Aiden and even Marcus to an extent are spoiled. Now Dad, I love Kieran more than...well, more than I can comprehend to be honest but he is a spoiled entitled little shit at the best of times, and a downright brat at the worst. So yeah, maybe he does need to struggle, maybe he does need to realize that not everybody lives how we do. He thinks The Jeremy Kyle Show is fiction for fuck sake, it's never occurred to him that people like that are real people. In Kieran land, everyone goes to private school and owns horses. Now come on, is that a good way to spend your life?"

"You raise some good points Elijah" Dad says with a sigh "I have no objections to Kieran doing whatever he wants, as long as he gets his A-Levels. I think that will be a fair enough compromise - don't you?"

"I'll try and sell it to him" I say getting out of the study with a satisfied smile on my face, I'd made a dent in the armour

So, guess which Bennett brother drew the short straw and now has to spend several hours helping a very stressed out and panicked Mum in the kitchen preparing the meal for tonight

Yes, get it in one

Muggings' here.

I don't know why, none of us Bennett lads are exactly great cooks but of all of them I am by far the worst. I set fire to soup once. The kitchen and I just do not see eye to eye when it comes to cooking, and neither do Mum and I which had made for a very trying afternoon so far, the conversation of which has mainly involved:

"Elijah, have you peeled those potatoes?"

"Yes mum"

"Don't lie to me!"

"I'm not lying to you!"

"Do I look like I was born yesterday"

"Not unless you age at the speed of light now"

And then, she hits me around the head with a ladle

So, yeah, that's pretty much been my afternoon so far and it took Mum a disturbingly long time to believe that I'd actually done what she asked and peeled and washed all of the potatoes. I don't see why we couldn't have just bought store frozen roast potatoes like we do every week, but according to Mum the likes of Charlotte, her brothers and Victoria will be used to a more fine dining experience. I've let her go along with this belief thus far, even though judging from the state of the bins in the kitchens at Netherfield they've all essentially been living off takeaway pizza and various types of pot noodle over the six weeks they've been here. Dad has taken all my brothers up to the Rugby Club to watch the local team play, normally I'd find those matches boring as sin but I'm wishing I was there.

"You know" Mum says as she's about to put the chicken in the oven "Maybe, we shouldn't have chicken? Maybe they won't think it's refined enough"

"So? They're coming to our house for dinner" I say finally being able to sit down at the little table. I rest my head in my hands. I'm tired. "It's etiquette or whatever to eat whatever your host puts infront of you isn't it? That's what you always told me when we'd go around to the Roberts' for dinner and they'd put quiche infront of me"

I'd had a bad experience with quiche when I was about seven that swore me off the stuff for life. We were at a school fete in the summer and there was a plate of, what I assumed to be pizza, and I got a very nasty shock when I bit into it and I've been sworn off the stuff ever since.

"Yes, I suppose you're right" she says with a sigh as I raise my eyebrows, Mum never think I'm right "Well, Elijah, thank you for your help this afternoon even if it hasn't been easy"

"You're welcome" I tell her before leaving the kitchen to go and have a shower before everyone else comes back and we need to start getting ready, with the amount of fuss Mum was going to you'd think we were hosting a coronation or something. I check my phone once I reach Jack and I's bedroom, no text or call from Brianna as of yet however Charlie appears to have joined my Dad and brothers up at the Rugby Club, I put my phone down and can't help but feel guilty and frustrated about Brianna. Maybe I should text her first? Or should I just leave her? I don't know what to do, I've never had to worry about getting into contact with Brianna before because she has always just been there, even if I've not wanted her. My chest feeling a little heavy I walk to the shower where I spend most of my time being angsty and contemplating what to do about the predicament I'm currently finding myself in.

Jennifer's back, and really I should try and talk to her at some point too, after all I did tell her I was no longer angry with her and we had kissed. Then there was Alice, the first girl I'd had sex with in months and I've always made it my mission to at least try and take the girl out for a drink afterwards, see if there's anything worth carrying on for and if there is we'd date for a little while. I really did not want to become that one-night stand kind of guy, luckily I know where to find Alice. Then there's Darcy; Darcy who is somehow expected to stay out of my way forever despite the fact that her best friend and my eldest brother are slowly falling for one another. The whole thing is just one big mess at the moment, and then to throw in my worries regarding Kieran and Marcus, who's being too shy about seeing Amy Johnson again, it's a wonder I haven't had some kind of mental breakdown yet.

There had been an awkward moment earlier in the afternoon when I was helping Mum, I spilled some hot water over the scar I'd received after my stupid journey into self harm three years ago, and Mum's maternal instincts must've kicked in because she was over like a shot and put my hand under cold water. She'd noticed the scar, and I'm not entirely convinced that she believed my story of cutting it accidentally on some glass a few years ago and that I'd shown her at the time. She'd said a mother would always remember something like that, but had dropped the matter soon after but I know it's not the last I'll have heard on the subject. Because, as frustrating and insensitive as Mum can be, she's still a Mum and she still cares a hell of a lot and comes across like a wounded lioness whenever any of us are hurt or injured. Granted, sometimes she can be downright cruel - telling me I should stick by Jennifer, even after finding out how she'd treated me - but ultimately when it came down to it she would fight for us and I'm sure if she did find out - which she's not going to - she'd probably change her opinion of Jennifer in a heartbeat.

I start getting dressed in my room, and check my phone to see a message from Brianna asking if we can talk sometime. I text back and tell her that tonight is not a good night as we have people over, but I'll be free tomorrow morning to see her and she texts back that that's fine and I can't help but feel a little relieved and more jovial as I head downstairs into the living room to find Kieran, Marcus and Aiden watching television. I feel bad for Kieran, he and Dad have had another row about his future, and now Dad has outright banned Kieran from ever going to college to do what he wants to do. I suppose Kieran has no one to blame but himself really, he kind of exploded when I told him what Dad had offered as a compromise (which, to be fair, I thought was actually pretty reasonable - Kieran would still get his job, but he'd also have more qualifications). He didn't see it in the same why I did, Kieran argued that it was just Dad's clever way of controlling and manipulating him into doing something he didn't want to do. Kieran knows he won't be able to keep up with the jump from GCSE to A-level, which to be fair is true, and thinks that Dad thinks that if he does go back to sixth form then his head will be turned to greater interests. Dad, of course, didn't see this as a bad thing and then the whole crux of the argument came to the fore; Dad considers plumbers to be thick and common and would rather not have one in the family. Seriously. For all the love I have for my Dad and for how close we are, I do sometimes forget that he is just your average Daily Mail reader which does make me question his intelligence every now and a again. For instance, this exchange last year:

"Oh Christ, Islam's coming!" he'd exclaimed in horror at the dinner table whilst reading the paper. Mum gasped.

Me and my brothers all looked at one another with a mixture of confusion and amusement before I coughed and said, very slowly, "Dad, I don't know how to tell you this...but-but, it's already here"

So yeah, as much as I love my Dad we don't see eye to eye on any social or political matters. When he remarks that Charlie is an "alright gay" and "one of the good ones" you kind of stop even trying to fight against it, he's in his 50's now and very clearly set in his ways and no amount of persuasion, debate or argument from me is going to change it. Of course, this also means my father is extremely classist and considers occupations such as plumbing, being a mechanic or building extremely 'working class' and therefore not what he wants from life. I've wanted to be a lawyer ever since I was a kid, so Dad and I have never really had to have this debate as he's supported me all the way; like he's supported Jack in his endeavour to become a teacher and will support Marcus on the road to being a doctor. Of course, he's OK with 'working class' jobs when we're on our way to bigger things - it's why he doesn't object to me working shifts at the Rugby Club whilst Uni's broken up or why he doesn't mind Jack being a waiter in a restaurant in town - but if we were to take either of those as a career, he'd object to the high heavens about it.

So, Kieran and Dad had a big row and now neither of them are speaking to the other and it's made Kieran very sad and angry because he's terrified of going back to school. I've taken his side in this, mainly because he needs someone too and like I said before, Kieran has this ability to tug on my heart strings like none of my other brothers and it does physically hurt to see him unhappy, especially when he's usually such a cheerful and outgoing kid.

"How we doing boys?" I ask as I sit down next to Kieran

"Fucked off we have to sit through this meal thing" Aiden replies "I don't see why Jack can't just take his bird out for dinner, why do we have to sit through a meal with her stupid relatives"

"Charlotte probably thinks the exact same thing about Jack's stupid relatives" I say hitting him around the head "And I don't want any rudeness from you tonight, this is important to Jack no matter how much he insists that it isn't"

"You can't tell me what to do!" Aiden exclaims. Ah, to be 15 and angry at the world.

"Well, you don't listen to anyone else, and it would be illegal for Dad to smack you if you didn't do what he says" I tell Aiden "Me on the other hand, not so much...this is important to Jack, so buck up"

Aiden doesn't reply, flips the bird at me and sits watching the television in silence and I know that in theory I have won the argument. Aiden listens to very few people, and normally I'm not one of them, but every so often - normally after the threat of physical violence, because if last Christmas Day's arm wrestling contest proved anything it's that I'm the strongest member of this family and have nice the nicest biceps - he'll listen to me and take my advice on board.

"You alright bud?" I ask Kieran

He nods. I don't believe him. Fuck.

"So, err, Marcus...how's Amy?" I ask after a few seconds of silence

"OK, I think, I wanna ask her out again" he says

"Then why don't you?" asks Aiden unsympathetically "Just grow a pair and do it already"

"It's not that easy" Marcus exclaims

"Course it is" replies Aiden "I don't even ask girls these days, I more tell them"

That's concerning.

Marcus and Aiden continue to back and forth for a while until I tell them both to shut up and we all sit in silence until the doorbell rings and we're ushered into the dining room by a rather perplexed looking Dad. Kieran shrugs Dad's arm off him when Dad tries to guide him, I can hear Dad sigh a little and do feel a little bad for him as he's likely got Kieran's best interests at heart and he's just stuck in his ways. Making our way into the living room I find Victoria, Alex and Carl being cornered and spoken at rather than too by Mum whilst Jack and Charlotte are sitting very close together at the table and looking generally very interested in one another. I kind of don't want to save the other three from Mum, but I know I have to do it for Jack so immediately make my way over and say hello to everyone.

"Elijah, will you come and help me dish the food out?" Mum asks after several minutes of chatter between us all. Luckily, I've left Carl, Alex and Victoria in the care of Marcus who is the only family member I actually trust at this point, as much as I love Kieran and occasionally like Aiden. I follow Mum into the kitchen where, to my surprise, I find she has indeed changed the food from chicken to lamb.

"Mum, what's with the lamb" I ask

"I panicked" she says "So, I rushed out to the store and bought some lamb. Lamb has a more refined taste"

"Why does this all matter to you so much?" I ask her "People have come to our house for a meal, it's supposed to be fun and nice and you're sending yourself to insanity more than usual"

"I just want everything to be perfect" she exclaims

"Stop forcing it and it will be" I tell her as I take two plates and head back into the dining room where everyone is sitting. I give Charlotte and Victoria theirs first, because they're our guests and women because apparently I do subconsciously succumb to both gender and societal norms. It takes me about five minutes, but I get everyone's good infront of them before practically dragging Mum into the dining room to sit and eat and everyone digs in.

"Darcy sends her apologies" Charlotte tells my parents "She would have liked to come but her brother needed her down in London"

"I didn't know Miss Williams has a brother" Mum comments

"Oh yes, his name's Jonah" says Charlotte "He's only 17, we asked him if he wanted to move up here with us but he wanted to stay in London with his friends for the summer"

"What about their parents" asks Mum.

Jack coughs and looks uncomfortably at the ground, clearly he knows something we don't judging by how the rest of them look right now.

"Oh they-they died a few years ago" Charlotte murmurs looking red. Well, shit. She's an orphan. Great.

"Oh" says Mum looking down at her food. We all sit in silence for a minute or so until Aiden, ever the king of tact, pipes up "How did they die?"

"AIDEN" the whole Bennet clan, myself included, scream at the same time. Jack looks like he's about to cry. Mum is crying.

"What?" he asks looking genuinely confused

"No, no, it's okays" says a flustered Charlotte "They died in a car crash"

"What kind of-OUCH ELI" screams Aiden once I've given the brat a nice swift kick under the table, we now fall into more of an uncomfortable silence. Mum's looking increasingly unhinged, looking back and forth at everyone evidently trying to come up with some kind of conversation, feeling bad for her I cough and ask Alex: "Have you guys thought about joining the Rugby team? They could do with a few more lads"

"I've given it a little thought" Alex replies "I was quite good at school, and I've not really been doing that much excersize since we moved here. Are you guys on it?"

"I was until a few years ago, Jack too" I tell him "But I decided to give it up when I started Uni, didn't have the time"

"Where do you study" Alex asks me

"Law at York" I reply "Gonna be a lawyer, I hope so anyway, I got the idea because Mum always said I was stubborn and I can earn over £100,000 a year"

"You're so cute" Victoria tells me. I raise my eyebrows and look in confusion at my family, all of whom look equally as confused

"So Jack's going to be a teacher, Elijah is going to be a lawyer and Marcus is going to be a doctor" Mum says proudly "And we have big plans for Aiden as well, he's very intelligent"

Kieran slumps into his chair at the absence of his name and I want to hug him because he looks utterly defeated.

The conversation continues to flow and I move myself next to Kieran to which he smiles at me with appreciation, neither of us talk and listen to the conversation at hand which has been directed to Jack and Charlotte's relationship as well as everyone giving Marcus advice on how to successfully ask Amy Johnson out on a second date.

"You OK?" I murmur to him

"Not really" he mutters back to me. No one's listening to us.

"I'm sorry" I tell him

"Why? You're the only person in the whole world who gets it" says Kieran sadly looking at me

"So, Kieran, what are your plans" Carl asks suddenly, I'm annoyed he's asked but to be fair to the guy he doesn't know the nuance of the situation at hand. "We've heard about everyone else"

"Well, he's just done his GCSE's" Dad says "And he'll be going back to school in September to study his A-Levels, and then Uni, but we're not quite sure on a career yet are we Kieran?"

"No, not yet" Kieran murmurs

"Oh well, you've got loads of time to figure it out" says Charlotte kindly, bless her, she has no idea what she's getting into. I should probably warn her of the many downsides to becoming a member of this family if she's truly serious "I didn't decide for years what I wanted to do"

"Yeah, I guess" Kieran says

"What would be your dream job?" Carl asks

I want this kids hell to end. Now.

"ONE TIME I THOUGHT I WAS ATTRACTED TO CHARLIE" I announce before taking large sip of wine. Everyone's attention falls immediately to me and Mum nearly falls out of her chair "I, err, I was drunk and it was one time and I've slept with nearly 20 girls since...just thought I'd put that out there...so yeah"

"Fascinating" says Charlotte

"Vaguely incestuous" comments Marcus

"Weirdly hot" is Victoria's offering.

I smile, nod and let Jack break the new silence by telling everyone about his gap summer backpacking across Europe two years ago. Dad and Kieran are now involved in a war of glares, Kieran seemingly having not been sufficient enough in his answers, and soon everyone else picks up on the atmosphere but luckily by this point everybody has finished their meals and Mum begins clearing up

"So, what now?" asks Victoria "The night's still young"

"Why don't we go to that club we went to on Saturday?" suggests Carl

"Yeah, that's a good idea!" Jack says sounding relieved of the excuse to finally leave the house, he looks at me "Isn't that good idea Eli?"

"Fantastic" I say "I'll text Charlie and some others and get them to meet us, make a proper night of it, you up for it Marc?"

"Err, yeah, sure" he says "I might text Amy and see if she wants to come"

Everyone cheers and raises their glasses as Marcus turns scarlet red and rushes out of the dining room to go and get his phone. Charlotte, Alex, Victoria and Carl help with the tidying up and well actually manage to have a laugh together as we wash up because Mum broke the dishwasher two days ago (don't ask how, just know that we're now short several spatulas). I've managed to get us about ten tickets into the club because of my various connections, however I'm a bit annoyed that Carl has called Darcy who seems to have mysteriously arrived back from visiting her brother and is now willing to come on a night out. Granted, we'll be in a big group so we can avoid each other and I can drink, but in better news Brianna has agreed to meet us so she and I can have a proper chat about where we stand. I hope I don't break her heart. That would suck.

All through washing up I've been vaguely aware of an escalating row in the next room between Dad and Kieran, same old row but this time it seems particularly vicious.

"YOUR GIVING UP ON YOUR DREAMS" screams Dad all of a sudden. Victoria nearly drops the plate she was holding and Jack immediately begins to apologize to them all. Us Bennet's haven't been at our best tonight

"NO DAD I'M GIVING UP ON YOUR DREAMS" Kieran retorts and I have to admit I cringe a little at the clichéd nature of their argument. I hear Kieran storm upstairs and look at Jack who gestures that I should go upstairs and talk to Kieran which I do because I'm a fucking top brother and I just farted and now if I leave they'll all blame Carl who I've been standing next too. I bypass Dad without so much as a look and head upstairs to Kieran's room

He's sitting on his bed with his head in his hands and tears pouring down his stupid little angelic face. He looks up at me and smiles, I sit next to him and cast an arm around his shoulders

"I'm sorry mate" I say with a sigh "If I could make Dad understand, you know that I'd do it in a heartbeat"

"Yeah" he says with a shrug "Guess I'm just gonna have to deal with being the families failure, that's what Dad just said I am"

"You're not, and you never will be" I tell him firmly "At least not to me, I'll be proud of you whatever you do. Unless it's like you know-unspeakably evil, and as far as I'm aware plumbing doesn't fall under that. Hell, even if it is an evil it's a necessary one"

Kieran chuckles. "Thanks" he says resting his head on my shoulder "You know you're like the only person in this house I can talk to. Seriously. Me and Dad don't get on, Mum blocks out any problems, Jack does care but he never has that much time and as for Marcus and Aiden..."

"Marcus will say the exact same things I'm saying, so will Jack and so will Mum if you get her drunk and sentimental" I tell him "Don't get down about Dad. He'll come around, he always does and if he doesn't then fuck him and you wanna know why?"

"Why?" Kieran asks narrowing his forehead

"Because you, Kieran Bennet, are one of the best people I know" I tell him "You have your faults, as does everyone, but you are kind and funny and god damn endearing, you're gonna make some girl very lucky and you're gonna have a happy life because you deserve it"

"Thanks" he says with a smile on his face

"Hey, there we go" I tell him "Now come on, we're gonna get you into this bar and you're gonna take a leaf out of your heroic big brother's book and drink all your troubles away!"

"Sounds like a plan" he says pulling out the fake I.D. that Charlie and I had had made for him last Christmas, because I figure that we might as well be realistic with the boys, admit they're gonna drink and then act responsibly so we can keep an eye on them...or get drunk with them and face the consequences together. That's brotherhood.

"Eli, you're gonna punch me for saying this" Kieran tells me taking a breath "But I love you"

Gross. Feelings.

"I love you too ya lovely little muppet" I tell him ruffling his hair as he walks past "And we are going to have the night to end all nights"

"Wait a minute" he asks "Were you really attracted to Charlie for a brief second once? Or did you just say that to take some heat off of me?"

"I'm not going to dignify that with a response" I tell him "Decide yourself"

I am king of the mindfuck.

That story was a lie by the way, Charlie's a good-looking dude, but I am strictly a many woman kinda guy.

Author's Note: So Chapter 14 is going to be a little different. We're going to have a chapter from Charlie's point of view, detailing the events of this night through his eyes as well as him overhearing a very interesting conversation involving Darcy. Also, I think it will be really interesting to see Eli from somebody else's point of view and if it works out well I may write more. I think this chapter is quite funny, but I've kind of been bitten by some writing angst bug because I couldn't resist putting in that Kieran breakdown, and he's fast become my favourite Bennet brother (after Eli obviously). I just love that kid, and his relationship with Elijah.

Review Replies:

ObeliskX: Thank you! Everything's changed around a little, really all Some People has in common with P&P now is the basic structure of the plot. The ending I'm planning is quite different

LoveInTheBattlefield: Thank you. This was actually the longest gap between chapters so far, and that may continue as I'm starting University soon though I remain 100% committed to this

MP: I think at this point Elijah genuinely wants nothing to do with Darcy, he actually has more of a reason to hate Darcy now than Elizabeth ever did at this stage in the novel. I wanted to give him a proper reason; Elizabeth originally hates Darcy because of his attitude but I figured Elijah wouldn't hate someone purely for that

aishteru naru: Thank you! Glad you're enjoying it all

WendyWho: Elijah is more of a mess than I think he realizes. He doesn't fall in love often, but when he does he delves in with his whole heart so that's the reason he was such a mess after Jennifer cheated on him. The boy simply loves too much. Poor Brianna indeed, but she's about to bump into happiness...