ArwenEvenstar83: I'm glad you liked it, 'coz I was kinda scared it might be too dramatic...
Roseofthegate: Writing ch11 was really difficult, because I didn't want to make the characters look 'weird', but I guess it turned out okay! Thank you, and yes - English is crazy! (But Dutch even more, lol)
Next (and last!) update will be on 31 December, if there are no delays. Please be nice and leave a review :)
12. Misunderstandings Make You Understand
"Lizzie,
did you already finished your poster? Where's your partner?" the
voice of Mr Hoffman made her almost jump.
"Eh, William's
absent," Lizzie answered, "And we didn't finish the poster. Can
we give it to you next week, sir?"
"Yes, of course you can,"
he smiled. "But then I really want to have it."
"We've
finished it by then," she promised.
"Fine," was the answer
and he walked to the next table. Lizzie sighed... mathematics was so
boring, she realized once again. She played with her pencil, and
thought of William. Was he ill or was it something else? Maybe he
didn't want to see her, after the incident yesterday. She felt
emberassed when she thought of it, but she didn't regret her hit. He
had deserved it.
She looked aside – Eve was also absent. In the
break, Jesse had told Lizzie she had the chicken pox.
"Unbelievable
that she never had those before," was his remark, and then he had
to leave because his friends had called him, so Lizzie hadn't given
him all Eve's papers – test results they had gotten back. Now she
would bring them to her after school.
The bell rang and everybody
grabbed their gear and went outside. Lizzie was a bit slower than the
rest, so she was the only one left when Mr Hoffman looked up.
"I
forgot to give Kenneth William's test results. Would you please bring
them to William Darcy?"
"Eh, can't you give them to him next
lesson, sir?" Lizzie tried, but Hoffman shook his head.
"No, I
can't, that's next week and I want William to know what he has to
improve, as soon as possible."
"Alright," Lizzie slowly
said, "I'll give them to him. Where does he live?"
"Eh, one
moment," Hoffman looked at a few papers. "Yes, there it is:
Pemperley fifty-eight. Do you know where that is?"
"Yes, near
Stephenson Drive," Lizzie nodded. She put William's papers in her
back, next to Eve's, and she left.
"Bye, Mr Hoffman."
Her
teacher nodded in return.
Lizzie went outside to her bike. A lot
classmates were still at school, but Kenneth was nowhere to find, and
Lizzie didn't know anyone who lived near Pemberley. She decided there
was no other solution: she had to go.
First she drove to
William's house, with a pounding heart. She calmed herself down with
the thought that he probably wouldn't open the door. If he was
ill.
When she entered the street he lived in, she realized his
family had to be very rich: semi-detached houses looked dignified
down at her. She'd never been in this street before, but all the
stories she had heard about it seemed to be right – only the
wealthiest people lived here.
Fifty... Fiifty-two... Fifty-four...
Fifty-six... Fifty-eight! Her heart seemed to explode and Lizzie got
off her bike and she rang at the door. While she waited, she grabbed
the papers of William and Eve, and then someone opened the door. A
young girl looked at her with an interested expression on her
face,
"Hello there," she grinned.
"Hello,
I'm-"
"Eve!" Georgia pointed to the paper, with Eve's name
on it. "Nice to meet you, I'm Georgia."
"Oh, this is a
misunderstanding, you see-"
"No no, no misunderstanding.
William's my brother, you're not at the wrong house. I guess you're
here because of him? What can I do for you?"
Lizzie looked at
Georgia. Actually, it was quite nice William's sister didn't know who
she was, because she didn't want William to know she had been on his
doorstep.
"Eh, I came to bring these papers," Lizzie smiled,
"these are test results of maths."
"Ah, thank you,"
Georgia answered, and then: "Do you wanna come in?"
"Oh, no,
thank you," Lizzie quickly said, "I actually gotta go, I'm
sorry."
"Don't feel sorry," Georgia cheerfully said, "Have
a nice day!"
"Same to you!" Lizzie greeted, and she turned
around.
"Wait!" Georgia suddenly said, and she also stepped
outside, to face Lizzie.
"Do you know a certain Lizzie?" she
curious asked, "She must be in your class."
"Oh, you mean
Lizzie Bennet?" Lizzie asked, feeling just as curious as Georgia
seemed to be. "Yes, I do know her. She's a nice girl.
Why?"
"Nothing... Well, can I tell you secret?" Georgia
looked at her and Lizzie nodded.
"I won't tell anyone,
promise."
"Okay then – do you think there's a tiny chance
Lizzie may like my elder brother?"
Lizzie's mouth fell
open.
"He's in love with her, you know," Georgia continued,
"and I wondered if she was too. He's so sad, the last few weeks.
He's scared to ask her out, I guess. It's not only fear, though –
he's too pride. I know, he's weird, but he can't do anything about
it," she shrugged.
"What d'you mean by pride?" Lizzie
frowned.
"O, he thinks he's too good for her family. Mind, her
family, not Lizzie. He
told me she has a weird family, but he didn't tell me the details.
But what do you think?"
"I think he has no reason to be
scared," Lizzie said in a husky voice, "The only problem is his
pride. There's nothing wrong with her family, and besides, he fell in
love with her, not them!"
"Wise words!" Georgia smiled.
"Anyway, please don't tell anyone about this, okay? William'll kill
me and I guess Lizzie also doesn't want to know about this
conversation."
"Of course."
"I'll tell my brother he
just have to give it a try," Georga decided, "Well, Eve, it was
really nice to meet you."
"The same to you, again," Lizzie
smiled back, and with an awkward feeling, she left.
This
definately had been an illuminating conversation. She still didn't
really know what to do, but now she had all pieces of the puzzle. And
that was at least something. Right?