Chapter 12

Lizzie opened the door to her bedroom, threw her pocketbook down on the floor, and jumped onto her bed landing face up. This had been a horrible day. She couldn't believe how bad it had become in such a short time. Last night everything had been perfect. Coop had been there with her and all of her fears and doubts just melted away. Being with him was so peaceful and she enjoyed every minute of it. He was the only person that she trusted with anything. She felt like she could tell him anything and he would not repeat it. But then her grandfather had to come and ruin everything. He didn't care about what made her happy, all he cared about was revenge against Coop and his family, and she wasn't going to put up with it anymore. The whole town might be afraid to stand up to Alan Spaulding, but she wasn't.

Lizzie got up, preparing to go take a long hot shower when her cell phone rang. She reached over and grabbed her purse off the floor and dug around until she found it. Finally after digging through everything in there, she found her little compact cell phone.

She looked at the caller ID. It was Coop. She smiled to herself and answered the phone.

" Hello," Lizzie said, sitting back down on her bed and leaning up against the pillows.

" Hey, It's just me." Coop said.

" Where are you? Won't Frank hear you?" Lizzie asked, concerned for Coop's safety. If Frank found out about them, Coop was as good as dead.

" I'm outside Company, and Frank is inside working on some police reports. Don't worry, I'm safe." Coop said, smiling.

" Well, that's good to know." Lizzie said, leaning back a little further, and picking up her stuffed unicorn and holding it against her chest.

" You're probably wondering why I am calling you again, since we just got finished seeing each other about half an hour ago." Coop said.

" I don't mind," Lizzie said, smiling to herself again.

" After what happened at Company earlier this afternoon, I am still worried about you. Are you feeling okay?" Coop asked, concerned about her condition.

Lizzie sat up a little, and said, " Well, I am still a little dizzy, but overall, I feel fine at the moment."

Coop sat down outside the bench, " Has your granddad bothered you anymore about, you know, us?"

" No, I haven't seen him since I got home. I came straight to my room, and right before you called, I was getting ready to take a long hot bath." Lizzie said, putting her unicorn back down on the bed.

" Well, since we didn't get to go on our date the other night, what do you say we try again, say tonight?" Coop asked, waiting for Lizzie's answer.

" You want to go out with me again, even after all my grandfather's threats? You are a brave man, Henry Cooper Bradshaw." Lizzie said, teasing with her voice.

" Very funny. So what do you say?" Coop said, hoping for a positive answer.

" Well, since I don't have any other plans, I guess I could waste a night on you," Lizzie said, teasing again.

Coop laughed, " Well, it's not like I'm begging you," Coop said, trying to be serious.

" Really?" Lizzie said.

" Okay, so maybe I am. Please! What do you say?" Coop asked.

" You know I'm just picking, of course I want to go out tonight. Where are we going?" Lizzie asked, getting excited about her first date with Coop.

" Well, it's your night so it's up to you." Coop said, not knowing he should have never said that.

Alan was walking up the stairs to Lizzie's room to have a serious talk with his granddaughter about being involved with a Cooper boy. He knew that he didn't need to worry about her dating him, they were only friends, but that was to much in itself. He was about to knock on her door when he heard her giggling on the phone, apparently talking to someone. He decided to listen in.

" Well, there is this play going on tonight at the theater in town," Lizzie said, bringing up what it was she wanted to do.

" A play? Come on Lizzie. Plays are for losers. Pick out something fun to do, like going bungee jumping or something," Coop said, trying to get her to change her mind.

" I'm not a loser, and besides the name of the play is Over The Tea Cup and it is my favorite play of all time. I haven't seen it since I was like twelve years old." Lizzie said, trying to prove her point.

" Come on, Lizzie. What about if I just pay you a hundred bucks and we go do something fun. Do you know how many pairs of shoes you could buy with that money?" Coop said, desperately trying to change her mind.

" No." Lizzie said, in a playful voice.

" Lizzie, I am running out of options here," Coop said.

Alan was listening very closely. Apparently Lizzie was going out on a date with someone tonight. Hopefully, whoever it was would take her mind off of Mr. Bradshaw.

He continued listening.

" Well, if you really are that against it, then I guess we can do something else," Lizzie said, in a really said and low-pitched voice.

Coop sighed. She had done it to him again. She had used the sad tone and was making him feel bad. " Look, Lizzie, I said it was your night, and if you want to go to this play, then I'll go," Coop said, finally giving in.

" Really? I didn't think you would say yes." Lizzie said, now in a much happier mood.

" Yes, you did." Coop said, teasing. " Well, I better get off of here and get ready for the big evening," Coop said.

" Yeah, me too. Oh, and Coop? Thank you again. I'll see you at about 6:30 tonight." Lizzie said, setting the time.

" Okay, see you then, bye." Coop said.

" Bye." Lizzie said, smiling to herself, and finally making her way to the bathroom and getting in the shower.

Alan was fuming. Lizzie was going on a date with a Cooper. Had she not heard a word he had told her at Company. This had to stop and it was going to stop right here and right now. There was no way she was going on this date with him tonight, or ever. Alan reached into his pocket and pulled out a key ring. It had the master key to Lizzie's room on it. He felt horrible about what he was going to do. But it was for her own good. He locked Lizzie's door from the outside. Her door didn't have a lock on the inside, so she couldn't get out.

" I am sorry, Elizabeth, that it came to this. If you would have just listened to me, then this wouldn't have had to happen." Alan said, and then walked down the stairs back to his desk in the living room.

Coop walked into Company and was going upstairs to his room, when Frank pulled him aside on the stairs.

" What's up, Frank?" Coop said, trying to be discreet.

" You looked pretty heavy in conversation out there. Were you talking to your waitress girlfriend again?" Frank asked.

" Yeah. We're going out tonight again. I can't get enough of her." Coop said.

" Well, I'm glad she has taken your mind off of Lizzie Spaulding. I'm glad you took my advice and steered clear of her," Frank said.

" Yeah, well, I had better get upstairs and get ready. Don't want to be late." Coop said, running up the stairs to his room.

Lizzie was picking out her clothes for the evening, when she realized her favorite skirt was in the laundry room, downstairs. She needed to get it, so she went over to the door to open it and go downstairs, but it wouldn't open.

" Hey!" Lizzie yelled, banging on the door, but it was no use. The door was locked. She kicked and pounded and screamed for someone to let her out of her room.

Just then she heard her grandfather outside her door. " Elizabeth?" Alan said.

" Granddad, oh thank god you're here. My door is stuck. Can you help me?" Lizzie asked.

" Elizabeth, I'm sorry, but I did this for your own good." Alan said.

" What? You locked me in here? Why?" Lizzie asked.'

" I have already made my feelings about you dating that Cooper boy very clear, and you decided to disobey me anyway. You are not going on this date with him tonight, and that is final." Alan said, demandingly.

" Granddad, this is not fair. It is my decision, not yours." Lizzie said, getting very angry.

" I want you to stay in your room tonight and think about what you need to do to make this up to me," Alan said, before turning and walking back down the stairs.

" Granddad, please, let me out of here. Please!" Lizzie said, she was pounding on the door and she started to cry, " Please," she said again, before bursting into tears.

Alan was back down stairs working on his papers when Alan Michael came in the room.

" Well, son, what is it? Have you got news?" Alan asked, curious about his son's behavior.

" Well, dad, I just signed the divorce papers. Lucy and I are officially divorced," Alan Michael said, handing over a phony set of divorce papers.

" I'm sorry, son." Alan said. " But now you can focus on the family business," Alan said, sitting back down at his desk, preparing to show Alan Michael some figures.

Alan Michael was feeling pretty good with himself right now, knowing he had the upper hand on his father. Alan on the other hand thought he was controlling Alan Michael's life as well.

Lucy was deep in conversation with her father at Company.

" So, Alan Michael is planning on taking down Alan?" Buzz said, trying to get the whole story out of his daughter.

" Yes, but you have to keep quiet about this. Alan can't hear a word of it." Lucy said,

" Oh, believe me, sweetheart, I have been waiting for a long time to see Alan go down. I am not going to risk this opportunity." Buzz said.

Lizzie was pacing around in her room, trying to figure a way out of this place. This was a nightmare. It reminded her of the fairy tale Cinderella. Her grandfather was out of control and she couldn't stand to be around him. She looked around her room for clues of how to get her door unlocked. She was scanning her room when she came across the window. That was the way Coop got in her room and that was the way she was going to get out.

She grabbed her cell phone and dialed Coop's number.

Coop was getting ready to put his dress clothes on when his cell rang. He picked it up and saw that it was Lizzie.

" Hey, What's up?" Coop asked, wondering what she could want.

" There has been a change in plans. Meet me at the Beacon, in the lobby. I will be there in about fifteen minutes. I will explain everything when I get there. See you. Bye." Lizzie said, hanging up before he had a chance to say anything.

It sounded serious, so Coop put on his street clothes and went out the door and headed to the Beacon.

Lizzie grabbed her purse and jacket and climbed out the window. She didn't want to look down because if she did, she wouldn't be able to go through with it. She wasn't going to let her grandfather take away the only happiness that she felt. She was not going to give up Coop no matter what he said. She closed the window so her grandfather would have no idea how she got out.

She climbed slowly down the ladder and finally reached the ground. She turned around and ran off into the black of night, headed towards the Beacon.

Spoilers For Chapter 13

Coop and Lizzie enjoy a evening on the Beacon rooftop

Alan is furious to find Lizzie missing from her room, but can't figure out where she is

Coop is furious to find out how Alan treated Lizzie

Coop and Lizzie fall asleep together, and don't come home at all, leaving Frank, Alan, and Buzz to think the worst

Whitney