Longbourn High – Chapter 3

Author's Notes:

Thanks again to everyone who reviewed! I hope you like this chapter!


As happy as she was for her sister's newfound joy, Elizabeth Bennet couldn't help but feel the weight of being the oldest, single sister. With so much of Jane's time being occupied by her new boyfriend, it fell upon Lizzie to pick up several of the tasks that had been abandoned by her sister. By the end of September, Lizzie had become the advisor, chef, and chauffeur for the younger Bennets.

Everyday, after her extracurricular activities were done, Lizzie would track down her sisters and drive them home. At first, the other girls had been upset about having to wait around for an extra hour or two, but they soon saw that there were certain advantages to the delay. For Mary, it gave her an extended amount of time in the school library. For Katie and Lynn, it provided the opportunity to observe the basketball team in action.

One day, when band practice ended early, Lizzie decided to join her sisters in the gym. She had never been very interested in the school's team, but, after hearing about it non-stop for two weeks, her curiosity was starting get the better of her. It didn't take her more than a second to spot her sisters. Lynn and Katie didn't seem to be aware of the fact that they were the only spectators that day. Their voices shouted out various forms of praise, their feet stomped their approval, and their giggles echoed from every point in the room. If they hadn't called to her immediately, Lizzie would have fled to the library until it was time to go.

"Aren't they awesome, Liz?" Lynn squealed as her sister plopped onto the bleacher below them. "Did you see the way Denny nailed that last pass?"

"They've improved since last year, I think," Lizzie raised an eyebrow as one of the boys tripped over his shoelaces.

"He always does that," Katie explained conversationally. "He'll learn one of these days."

"We hope," Lynn finished with a laugh.

To Lizzie's relief, the practice ended shortly after her arrival. She hadn't been sure how much more screaming she could tolerate. It was bad enough when her sisters acted that way at home, but it was nearly unbearable when they did it in public.

It took all of Lizzie's energy to coerce her sisters into leaving. Lynn hoped that Denny would ask her out, if she waited around for him to change, and it didn't take long for her to convince Katie that this was a given.

"Are you trying to ruin my life, Lizzie?" Lynn cried as she struggled to keep up with her sister's strides. "Will it kill you to wait five minutes?"

"Five minutes are nothing," Katie chimed in, gasping from the quick pace.

"Five minutes for you two equals a half hour in regular time," Lizzie said firmly as she started down the hill to her car. She'd barely taken a step when she felt two pairs of arms pulling her back in the direction of the school. "If he wants to ask you out, I'm sure you'll make sure he has plenty of chances tomorrow," she insisted, snapping free of their grasp and continuing on her way.

Mary was waiting by the car when they reached the far end of the student parking lot. From the look on her face, Lizzie could tell there was a problem. Arching an eyebrow, she silently asked her sister what had happened.

"That isn't supposed to look like that, is it?" Mary nodded at one of the car's tires.

Frowning, Lizzie bent over and squinted at the tire. "I think it's flat," she sighed.

"Flat?" Lynn shrieked. "Flat? Oh, God. We're going to die!"

"Die?" Lizzie couldn't help laughing at her sister's hysterics. "I can't say I've ever heard of a flat tire killing someone."

"We can't go anywhere with it like that," Lynn's voice continued to get higher with every word. Katie instinctively reached out and patted her sister's back. "We'll be stranded here forever and-"

"Is something wrong?"

Lizzie spun around in time to watch one of the basketball players approach. He was still covered in sweat and stink, but Lizzie couldn't help noticing that he was one the best-looking boys she'd ever seen.

"You wouldn't happen to know anything about cars, would you?" The words flew out of her mouth before Lizzie had time to think. Behind her, Lynn's shrieking changed into a quiet hissing match with Katie. Apparently, the sight of a cute boy was enough to quell all her fears.

"Not really," the boy confessed. "I have a mechanic on speed dial though."

"It's the tire. It looks flat, maybe," Lizzie said helplessly. She felt like kicking herself. Why couldn't she remember anything from her father's driving lectures?

The boy dropped to his knees and studied the wheel in question. "Do you have a spare?"

"Of course," Lizzie beamed, proud that she knew that much. "I have no clue how to change it though."

"Me neither," he admitted with a shrug.

"Why don't we call Dad?" Mary suggested from her perch on the car's hood. "He should be on his way home now, so he can stop by and change it."

Before she'd finished her comment, Lizzie was already on the phone with their father. After a few nods and muttered comments, she turned back to her sisters. "He'll be here in twenty minutes."

"Twenty?" Lynn moaned, collapsing against the side of the car. "We're going to miss 'Moxie's Point!'"

"Harriet tapes it," Katie reminded her. "We can borrow her copy this weekend."

"It's not the same," Lynn pouted.

"Look at it this way, you'll be able to fast-forward through the commercials," Mary reasoned.

As her sisters began a debate over their favorite advertisements, Lizzie's eyes wandered back to where the boy was still lingering. "I'm sorry," she spoke up quietly. "I don't think I caught your name."

"That's because I didn't give it," the boy said with a grin. "George Wickham."

"Lizzie Bennet," she replied automatically. "And, those are my sisters – Mary, Katie, and Lynn." She pointed to each girl in turn.

"Wow," George's eyebrows shot up at the introduction. "That's unbelievable. Four gorgeous girls in one family."

"Five, actually," Lizzie said, her cheeks flushing, in spite of herself. She knew he was just being nice, but there were some things she had no control over. "My older sister, Jane, isn't here now."

"Five," George whistled softly. "I'd hate to see your house on a Saturday night."

"If you think the lunch lines are bad.." Lizzie laughed.

"I can imagine," George chuckled.

"Are you new here?" Lizzie wondered. She regretted her question the instant it left her mouth. There was something about his expression that made her think this was a touchy subject for him. "I thought I knew everyone and-"

"I just transferred this year," George cut in briskly.

"Oh," Lizzie nodded. "Well, I'm glad to see my memory isn't as bad as I thought."

For a moment, Lizzie feared that the conversation was being taken over by an awkward silence. Luckily, before she could prattle on about something insignificant, George spoke up with a question she found shocking.

"As much as I'd hate to add to the chaos at your house this Saturday, I was wondering if you'd like to do something."

Lizzie froze for a moment, her eyes wider than she would have liked. "Oh, er, what did you have in mind?"

"I don't know," George shrugged casually. "How about a movie?"

Lizzie almost said that she liked movies, but managed to stop herself just in time. "Sounds good," she smiled. "What time?"

"Does seven work for you?"

"Eight would be better."

"Eight it is, then."

"Great. Where should we meet?"

"Why don't I pick you up?" George suggested.

Lizzie agreed that this sounded like the best plan and supplied him with the directions to her house. After carefully writing them down, George offered to stay with the girls until their father arrived, but Lizzie could tell that he was dying to take a shower.

"We'll be fine," she assured him. "I don't think anyone would want to mess with us. Lynn bites and Katie's a hair-puller."

"I'll keep that in mind," George said with a wink before heading back the way he'd come.

As soon as his car had pulled away, with just two honks and a general wave at the girls, Lizzie's sisters broke their silence.

"I can't believe it!"

"Mother will be thrilled!"

"We better keep it from Father though."

"He is so hot!"

"How on earth did Lizzie get a guy that looks like that?"

"Maybe, there's hope for the rest of us."

"Says you. I've always known there was hope for me. My age keeps guys away, not my looks."

"Shut up!"

"Can I borrow your perfume tomorrow, Liz? I wonder if it'll work on Denny."

"Maybe, if it's called 'Miracle.'"

"You're just jealous!"

"Of what?"

"Shut up, both of you. I'm trying to read."

"You, reading?"

"Oh, how shocking!"

The girls continued on like that for ten minutes, until their father finally arrived, but Lizzie barely noticed. She had never been the type of girl to swoon over a boy, but something about this encounter was sticking with her. Maybe, her mother had been right. Maybe, she did want what Jane had. Or, maybe, Charlotte was right. Maybe, she did need a boyfriend. Or, maybe, just maybe, her hair wasn't really that unruly.


One good thing about living in a house with so many sisters was that there was always an example to learn from. After seeing how her parents reacted to Jane's entrance into the dating world, Lizzie decided it would be best if she kept her movie date from them. It was bad enough having to listen to Katie and Lynn's incessant squealing, but her mother's addition would have been so much worse. Unfortunately, Lizzie's decision had to be run by her sisters before she could act on it.

"It's so romantic," Lynn sighed dreamily. "It's like Romeo and Juliet."

"Or, Rose and Jack," Katie chimed in.

"Or-" Lynn started.

"I don't see why you're bothering to hide it," Mary said in a scolding tone. "Mom will find out eventually."

"I know," Lizzie said calmly as she switched lanes. "But, I don't feel like dealing with her yet. It's just one movie. And, it's not like I'm going to marry the guy."

Mary's huff of indignation was enough to assure Lizzie that her sister wouldn't tell.


Saturday night rolled around before Lizzie knew what had happened. Her date with George went as well as she could have imagined. It wasn't exceptional, but it could have been a lot worse. The movie prevented any awkward silences from taking place and even gave them something neutral to talk about afterwards. The evening went so well that it wasn't a shock when George asked about her plans for the following Friday.

Lizzie wasn't surprised to find two of her sisters waiting eagerly on her bed when she returned home. Despite the fact that her body was begging her to go to sleep, Lizzie knew she couldn't get away with keeping the details of her date from them. As expected, Katie and Lynn were a very enthusiastic audience. They squealed, swooned, and laughed at all of the right points. More than once, Lizzie worried that the racket would draw her mother to the scene. Finally, after nearly an hour of girl talk, the younger Bennets decided to leave Lizzie alone. It only took a half dozen yawns, a pair of constantly blinking eyes, and a drooping head to convince them that their sister might need some sleep.

Jane came home shortly after Katie and Lynn had gone to bed. Lizzie was lying under her covers, staring at the ceiling, when her sister tiptoed in. Her body was exhausted, but her mind wouldn't stop spinning. So, after a moment's debate, she sat up and inquired after her sister's evening.

"Oh, goodness, Lizzie!" Jane jumped in surprise, dropping her pajamas in the process. "I thought you were asleep!"

"Sorry," Lizzie shrugged lightly. She leaned back in her pillows as Jane puttered about the room, getting ready for bed.

"So, how'd it go?" Jane asked as she returned from the bathroom.

"It was.." Lizzie considered her answer for a moment. "Nice."

"That didn't sound good," Jane perched on the edge of Lizzie's bed, her eyes flooding with concern.

"No, no, that's not what I meant," Lizzie's head shook repeatedly. "It was just.. I don't know. There wasn't really a spark, you know what I mean."

"Sort of," Jane admitted with a shrug. "Was the movie good, at least?"

"It was funny," Lizzie smiled.

"Good," Jane smiled in return. She patted Lizzie's knee and started to get up. "Well, look at it this way, you made a new friend."

"I'm going out with him again on Friday," Lizzie told her.

"Maybe, it'll be better next time."

"Maybe," Lizzie's voice sounded as doubtful as she felt.

"Oh, before I forget," Jane said as she climbed into her own bed. "Charlie's having a Halloween party and you're invited."

"Great," Lizzie mumbled sleepily. "Remind me in the morning, ok?"

If Jane replied, the response was lost on Lizzie.


To Katie and Lynn's horror, Lizzie refused to skip her afterschool activities that week.

"What's the point of having a boyfriend on the team, if you can't watch him practice?" Lynn moaned on the way to school one day.

"He's not my boyfriend," Lizzie replied firmly.

"Not yet," Katie chimed in. "But, he will be soon, right?"

"It was one date," Lizzie replied, her voice even. "Nothing to write home about."

"But, there's going to be another one," Lynn reminded her. "And, another one after that, I bet, and-"

"Did you finish your Algebra homework, Lynnie?" Jane asked. As the driver that day, she felt it was her responsibility to mediate.

"Doing it now," Lynn's curt response sounded from the back.

Smiling in relief, Lizzie settled back into her seat and enjoyed the silence.


For their second date, George decided that they should go out to eat before catching a movie. While Lizzie wasn't a big fan of the mall's food court, she decided to go along with it. She was in the mood for a cheeseburger and they had the best in town.

The lines in the food court were always long enough to rival the ones at Longbourn and this night was not an exception. Luckily, the crowded atmosphere provided them with plenty of topics to chat about.

"I thought that look went of style years ago," George commented, his eyes fixed on a girl with a fanny pack around her waist.

Lizzie giggled quietly, but immediately felt bad about it. "They're practical, though. Practical never goes out style."

"Practical doesn't have to look like that," George smirked faintly, but, off of Lizzie's expression, decided to redeem himself slightly. "But, I guess, it could be easier to tote around than a purse."

Lizzie was about to reply when she heard someone shouting her name, along with George's. Turning around, she saw Charlie Bingley hurrying over to them.

"Lizzie! George! What a nice surprise!" He grinned at each in turn.

"Hey, Charlie!" Lizzie couldn't help smiling at his enthusiasm.

"Hey, Charlie," George echoed. "What's up?"

"Oh, just the usual," Charlie shrugged good-naturedly. His eyes twinkling, he turned so that he was facing Lizzie directly. "Did Jane tell you about my party?"

"Yes, she did," Lizzie nodded. "You can count me in."

"Great," Charlie's grin widened. "What about you, George? Are you doing anything on the 30th?"

"Not that I know of," George said noncommittally.

"I'm throwing a Halloween party at my house. You should come. Everyone would love to see you again, I'm sure."

"I'll see what I can do," George said neutrally.

"Have you seen Will anywhere?" Charlie wondered, his eyes wandering around the room. "He was supposed to meet me here ten minutes ago."

"It's our turn," George spoke up abruptly. "Cheeseburger, right?"

Lizzie nodded mutely as George marched up to place their orders. Her eyes lingered on his back before joining Charlie's in their search. "There he is," she nodded over to a far corner of the room.

"He's hiding again," Charlie muttered with a sigh. "He must've spotted George."

Lizzie's eyes widened slightly, but, before she had a chance to question him, Charlie had excused himself and was striding over to his friend. Shaking her head slightly, Lizzie set out to find an empty table.

"So, you know Charlie," she commented when George joined her.

"We used to go to school together," George explained. "How do you know him?"

"He's dating my sister," Lizzie replied.

"Ah," George nodded, taking a bite of his burger. "Well, Charlie's a good guy."

"That's what I thought," Lizzie agreed. She bit her lip for a moment, debating how to put it delicately. "Do you know his friend, Will?"

It wasn't exactly what she'd been hoping for, but it did get the point across.

"Yeah," George grunted. "Will and I used to be friends."

"Used to be?" Lizzie's eyebrows rose. It took all of her self-restraint to keep from forcing him to go on.

"Yeah," George glanced up, his eyes briefly linking with hers. "I guess you're wondering why I'm at Longbourn, huh?"

"What?" Lizzie started slightly. "Oh, er, no. I-"

"It's ok," George shrugged. "It's not like I did anything wrong. I didn't flunk out of Pemberley. I didn't vandalize anything or get into any fights or anything to deserve being expelled, really."

"You were expelled?" Lizzie's eyes widened. The thought had occurred to her, but she hadn't really expected the words to come out of his mouth.

"Will's family, they're a big name at Pemberley," George's voice lowered conspiratorially. "His great-grandfather founded the school and they're still its biggest sponsors. What they say goes. So, if they accuse someone of cheating.."

"They didn't!" Lizzie gasped.

"They didn't, he did," George glared off in the direction Charlie had gone. "Will claimed that I cheated off of him during the French final last year. The school's very strict when it comes to that sort of thing."

"What about the tests?" Lizzie asked. "Were they identical?"

"I don't know," George said. "I never saw them, but I'd guess so."

"So, he must've cheated off of you!" Lizzie's eyes narrowed angrily.

"It wouldn't surprise me. Will's the type of guy who thinks he can get whatever he wants, when he wants it," George's head hung sadly. "I'm always so focused when I'm working, he could've been looking over my shoulder the whole time and I wouldn't have noticed."

"I knew he was a bit of a jerk, but this.. I can't believe it," Lizzie's hands shook furiously.

"It was a shock for me too," George confessed. "I never thought he was capable of something like that."

"Well, you're better off without him," Lizzie decided. "Who needs enemies when you have friends like that?"

"That's what I keep telling myself," George grinned sheepishly. "Now, come on. We're going to be late for the movie."

After gobbling down the last of her burger, Lizzie followed him across the mall to the theater. They saw another comedy, but Lizzie didn't find it as light as the one from the previous week.

When George dropped Lizzie off that night, he gave her a quick peck on the lips. She didn't know what she had been expecting, but it didn't feel like much to her. The spark, the joy, the fireworks.. None of it was there.

Lizzie didn't say that though. Instead, she just wished him a good night and said she'd see him in school that week. While she didn't have any real interest in keeping him as a boyfriend, Lizzie didn't want to sever all ties between them. The poor boy needed as many friends as he could get.


Next time on Longbourn High:

Jane and Lizzie go to Charlie's Halloween party and Mrs. Bennet tries to set Lizzie up with a boy named Bill Collins.