Hello again! Just a little warning before I unleash this extremely long and unfortunately Jack-free chapter, there is an incredible amount of angst in it. Although! I gave you all a clue as to why Will doesn't like pirates, although you're going to need to go from step A to step D to connect it. So, without further ado, here's my 5th chapter! Well, the bloody disclaimer first, of course...
Disclaimer: Making me tell you all that I don't own Orlando Bloom over and over again is cruel and unusual punishment dispropportionate to my nonexistant crime, if you ask me.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 5.
"Miss Swann! How many times am I going to have to tell you to pay attention?!"
Elizabeth could hear Professor Norrington yelling at her in the back of her mind, but she didn't exactly care. She had been dwelling on Will for the better part of an hour and had not even pretended to take notes or by any means be attentive. It wasn't until she saw a dark, ominous shadow over her noteless notebook that she looked up. Norrington was standing right abover her, glaring. She wished he'd back off.
"Dean Beckett's, Miss Swann. Now," he growled. She merely nodded, too engrossed in the mystery that was Will Turner to even care. She could feel people's eyes on her as she walked out of the classroom. She strode across the grounds to the small administration building, a note from Norrington clenched in her hand.
"I've been sent for Dean Beckett," she said matter-of-factly to the elderly, stern-looking receptionist.The woman nodded, bored, and pointed at a door to Elizabeth's left. A plaque stood on the wall next to it, shiny golden letters proclaiming it as Beckett's office. At first glance, Elizabeth thought Beckett to be a pompous old fool. He had short white hair, tied in a black bow at the nape of his neck, and a perfectly ironed suit on. When he looked up, however, Elizabeth saw that he had an ugly, round face and rather hawklike eyes.
"What?" He asked harshly.
"I've been sent to see you," she replied stiffly, holding out the note. "From Professor Norrington."
He grabbed the note from her hand and read it quickly, smirking as he reached the last sentence.
"Miss... Swann, is it? Sit down," he commanded, taking his own seat behind a mammoth mahagoney desk.
"It says here that you refuse to pay attention," Beckett said in a half-amused tone. Elizabeth merely glared coldly at him.
Screw first impressions; this guy is a jerk, Elizabeth thought to herself.
"Why is that?" the Dean asked dangerously. He reminded Elizabeth of a lion about to pounce on a particularly weak antelope.
"Physics... is not the most entertaining of courses," Elizabeth said through gritted teeth. Beckett's smirk became more pronounced.
"Hmm... Well, I wouldn't expect you to like it," Beckett said nastily. Elizabeth narrowed her eyes.
"What's that supposed to mean?" She hissed.
"Well, to be frank, I don't think people such as yourself should be in classes as advanced as physics at all. I would much rather see you in a more appropriate class, like sewing or cooking," Beckett explained, with an air of someone explianing to a toddler that two plus two equals four.
"Excuse me?! Who do you mean by 'people such as yourself'?!" Elziabeth shrieked.
"Women, of course," Beckett said, rolling his eyes. Elizabeth stood up very quickly.
"Dean Beckett, this is the 21st century! How dare you!" She exclaimed, her voice going up another octave each word. Beckett stood up as well, the smirk still on his face. He walked over to Elizabeth.
"My apologies, Miss Swann. I was joking, of course. Here, I'll solve your little problem for you. Professor Norrington is only teaching the last two classes of the day from now on due to a family obligation. You will have him first period instead of last. All better?" He asked cheekily. Elizabeth could feel her lip curling in scorn. She stood for a moment, too shocked with the way the Dean was treating her to speak.
Dean Beckett, that foul smirk still on his face, put what he obviously thought to be a comforting hand on her shoulder. Before Elizabeth could shake it off, she felt his fingers run over the strap of her bra. He picked up the strip of material snapped it loudly against her back.
"Ow!" She shrieked, appearing scared. Beckett stepped closer to her, so close she could fell his foul, hot breath against her skin.
"You're a pretty one, aren't you?" He whispered. Elizabeth was frozen. Beckett put a hand on her thigh and moved his hand slowly upward. She squeezed her eyes shut, thinking please let this be a nightmare, this isn't real, it can't be real... desperately in her mind, over and over. She felt the hand stop just inches away from forbidden ground. She turned around, terrified. Beckett gave her a cold smile obviously meant to say Tell anyone and you're expelled.
"You are dismissed, Miss Swann," he said, a laugh in his voice. Elizabeth felt close to tears. She ran out of his office, out of the administration building, and to her room. Luckily, no one was there. She sat on her bed, feeling unclean.
"How dare he..." she whispered, feeling more sullied than ever. She knew that all she had to do was go to someone and the Dean would be fired instantly.
But who could I tell? Father is the only person that would have believed me, but obviously I can't tell him... Rachel or Angela wouldn't have the power to override the Dean. Nor any of the Professors. And I don't even have any proof that anything happened. He's just going to get away with it, Elizabeth thought, her eyes widening in horror. She shuddered, a tingle going halfway down her back where Beckett had snapped her bra. She bit her lip, knowing she could tell no one.
He's just going to keep doing this... she realized. And there's nothing I can do about it... I can't risk being expelled. I came here for Father, so I'm going to stay here for Father.
Choking back a sob, Elizabeth got a towel from her closet, deciding that first and foremost she needed a shower.
Half an hour later, Elizabeth emerged from the bathroom, feeling cleaner but sickened nontheless.
"Hey," said a voice. She looked up from the floor to see Rachel walking into the room, setting her books down on the desk.
"You okay?" She asked, concern lacing her voice. Elizabeth rearranged her features into a hasty smile, knowing she could tell no one.
"I'm fine. Just a stomachache. I think that salad I ate for lunch had some bad lettuce or something," she lied. Rachel nodded, though she still looked concerned.
"Maybe you oughta lie down a bit? You look really pale," she told her. Elizabeth nodded, then decided to tell the truth - part of it, anyway.
"Actually, there's something else. I got sent to the Dean's office today, and... he's a bit of a sexist," Elizabeth said, telling her all that she could. Rachel gave her a sympathetic look.
"I know, I got sent there my freshman year, too. He tried to get me to take home ec. But it's not the end of the world. As long as you stay out of trouble, you won't have to see him anymore, right?" She asked kindly. Elizabeth nodded, her spririts lifted. That's true. As long as I don't get sent down there anymore, he can't do that to me again... she thought.
"You're right. I'll just have to be on my best behavior from now on, right?" Elizabeth said, smiling for real this time. Rachel grinned.
"Right! So, what did you get called down there for anyway?"
"Got caught daydreaming in Norrington's class again. Which reminds me, I'm switching from last period with him to-" Elizabeth stopped, feeling something like a small explosion in her stomach.
"To when?" Rachel asked, too preoccupied with her Journalism homework to notice the dread creeping onto Elizabeth's face.
"First," she breathed. Same as Will. How am I going to face him after this afternoon...? she asked herself.
"Well, that's better than last. And hey! That's the same class Will is in. It'll be good to have a friend in you class, right?" Rachel asked, finally looking up. Elizabeth nodded, turning her face quickly. She started running a brush through her long, wet hair.
"I'm gonna go drive a bit. Clear my head," Elizabeth said, an idea popping into her mind. Rachel nodded, once again transfixed by her Journalism homework. Elizabeth grabbed her keys from her bedside table and put on some strappy black flip-flops she had left lying on the floor.
Locating her black Jeep Liberty in the student parking lot was not difficult. Her father had bought it for her on the last of her birthdays that they had had together, her 19th. She turned up the blaring music and backed out of the parking lot quickly, knowing it would take her at least half an hour to get where she was going to.
30 minutes seemed like nothing to Elizabeth. She got out of her Jeep, parked on a thin gravel road. She breathed deeply, feeling better already. Dead leaves crunched beneath her feet as she walked past the rows of headstones. She suddenly felt more at peace with the world then she had for a long time. There was something comforting to her about being surrounded by people who had passed on to a better place.
"Hello, Father," she whispered, standing above a certain headstone. It read:
Weatherby Swann
1946-2007
Devoted husband and loving father
A border of roses crawled around the headstone.
"Mother," Elizabeth breathed. She dipped her head towards the headstone next to her father's, which read:
Jane Swann
1945-1988
Caring wife and loving mother
The same border of roses adorned her mother's headstone. Elizabeth sat on a tree three or four feet away from the headstones, a single tear leaking from her eye. She let it fall. If she couldn't be weak here, where could she be?
Elizabeth didn't know how long she sat there, thinking of her father and mother, the latter having had died in childbirth. Much as her father had told her that it wasn't her fault, Elizabeth still felt the horrible ghost of guilt whenever she thought of her mother. Wiping her face, now shining with tears, with the back of her hand, she stood up in the approaching twilight.
"Elizabeth?"
She turned around, startled, and saw Will walking up to her.
"Will? What are you doing here?" She asked, clearing her throat beforehand. She hoped her face didn't look too tearstreaked.
"Just visiting some friends. Are... Are those your parents?" He asked softly, looking at the two graves in front of them. Elizabeth nodded.
"I'm sorry. Your mother...?"
"Yeah. She died a few minutes after having me. I never knew her," Elizabeth whispered. Will dropped his head.
"I'm sorry."
"Not your fault," Elizabeth shrugged. "So, who were you visiting?" She dared ask. Will looked up.
"Just some friends. They're back a bit, up by the front. I was about to leave but saw you and thought I'd say hi," Will explained. Elizabeth smiled.
"Thanks," she said. They began walking back to the front together.
"Hey, Will?" Elizabeth asked after a few moments of comfortable silence.
"Hmm?" He asked; he sounded as if she had broken his train of thought.
"I hope you don't mind me asking... and you don't have to to answer if you don't want to, of course... but, um, how did your friends die?" Elizabeth asked. It seemed for a moment that Will was not going to answer, but then-
"They were murdered," he said coldly.
"I'm so sorry," she said, shocked. They had arrived at their cars, Elizabeth at her Jeep and Will at his weathered blue Taurus. They both got into their cars after an awkward goodbye. Will left first, backing down the gravel road slowly. Elizabeth followed after him, taking a different route than Will to get back to the Academy.
Elizabeth could tell that their relationship had changed. They now had an unspeakable bond and she knew that niether of them would mention where they had gone that night. Despite the overall melancholy mood they had both been in, Elizabeth was glad she had seen Will there and knew about her mother. She had told none of the rest of her friends that she had died.
Sighing, Elizabeth got out of her Jeep and walked back to her dorm room, feeling oddly uplifted.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Told you it was angsty! And now for my thank-yous to my wonderful, wonderful, wonderful reviewers!
Smithy: I love romance novels, too :D What can I say? I'm a hopeless romantic.
RBDFAN: Hehe of course you're glad! Anyone who's part of my made-up clubs should be glad xD Thanks so much for reviewing!
orlysluv: You'll find out all in good time ;) Hope you picked up my hint in this chapter!
Analinda: Thanks so much! My favorite subject is English, so I thought it would be easy to write it that way for Elizabeth, as well. My favorite teacher this year is also my English teacher, but not in the same way as Gibbs is to Elizabeth. I really wanted to give him a grandfather-like feel. And thanks about to college banter compliment - it really put me in a good mood, because I was actually a little nervous about it before!
Jennibur: Of course everything is going to work out for them! Nothing can keep our favorite ship apart for long xD
Norwegianchick101: Ah, so it's you that's stolen dear Orlando! Haha, invite me over sometime, eh? I'll bring extra bandanas and popcorn:D -drifts off into thought-
LivelyStevens: Mind-reader! Ha, you've foiled my not-so-cleverly disguised to plan to make Elizabeth meet Will's mom. And thanks so much! I've always been a bit unconfident when it comes to my imagery skills; it makes me really happy that the characters are easy to picture!
nikkitan89: Hope you liked this chapter! I decided to update sooner rather than later due to the amount of reviews I got :D
Volume-5: -sighs- Yeah, I know it's annoying... but don't worry, I'll uncover the Will mystery soon enough! Besides, if I tell you all too soon, where am I to go plot-wise? xD I'm really a rather uncreative person. And WOAH I'm funny:D Sorry there was no Jack in this chapter. I wanted to build on an idea I've had n my head for a while. There'll be double the Jack in the next chapter though, I promise!
williz: Don't worry, I won't! I plan to keep you all on your toes -cackles- But yeah, it is something to do with Will's old man. I'm not saying another word, though! That's all you're getting outta me! xD
Nexlei:D Yeah, I thought that bit was cute too. I had fun writing it, and I'm planning to add more cute little scenes like it in future chapters! -cough- party -cough- xD I love it when Jack almost ruins everything. Thanks for reviewing!
Pheonix Feather Queens: WOAH once again I'm astounded that someone said I was creative! And thanks so much for telling your cousin about my story! I hope she likes it as well! xD Thanks for reviewing!
Just so you guys know, I have finals all next week (wah-wah-wah) and I need to study BIG TIME. I dunn wanna go to summer school! So, I might not be able to update for a week or so. Sorry in advance!
Peace!