Wow! I'm kind of blown away by y'all's responses! T&T was kind of just a whim I had after leaving my own ballet class one afternoon, and it's kind of taken on a mind of its own! I'm glad y'all are enjoying it!
Dizzy Lizzie.60: I kind of feel bad for Caroline, always having to be the bad guy. And she rarely gets a saving grace, either. She's an interesting character, for sure!
Kettle Logic: Thank you! I hope it will be!
Guest: My computer autocorrects it and I got tired of fighting it. Sorry!
Jane Do Re Me: Thank you! Probably because I consider myself a mature adult and still call people poopie heads. Hell, my mother does too! So if figured if it's good enough for us, it's good enough for Lizzie.
Anon: Thank you!
Guest: Oh, goodness! Hope your supper's ok!
IrishJessy: Well, Darcy the Dancer is alliterative. It had to happen eventually. J
Lou Darcy: Thank you so much! I don't really have a plan, but every time I leave ballet class I want to write, so I assure you it's going somewhere… We just don't know where.
Avanell: I'm jealous! I never saw ballet much as a kid. Didn't get into it until college, and even now I can't sit through a whole ballet. I have to be the one dancing!
FelinrGrace: Thank you! It's coming. Slowly but surely, it's coming.
Hongkongphooey63: Thank you! Here it is!
Ballet2000: Thank you! I love ballet, and I love P&P, so I just squished them together! Let me know if I do something wrong, because I just started in college and haven't gotten all the terminology down yet.
Jillyshipper: Thank you!
I'm stuck in a room with the two people I hate most in this world.
And Charles. He's there too.
But really, Jane, you owe me sooo much for this. Like, I expect a pony for Christmas.
I'd name it Susan.
Anyway, at least they have a pretty good library. I'm reading Grapes of Wrath right now, and trying to find my happy place.
Fact One: I'm in warm, dry clothes! That's always a plus.
Fact Two: Jane's, like, ten feet away from me. And Jane makes me happy.
Fact Three: I'm sitting next to the fireplace, and I'm all warm and snuggly. Always good.
Fact Four: I'm reading a book I've never read before! Yay!
Happy place= FOUND
Good job, Lizzie! Finding happiness in the face of adversity!
"Eliza, dearest, would you like to stretch with me? We dancers must stretch often to keep up our flexibility, you know." Caroline cooed.
Happy place = LOST
Darn it, Caroline! Don't you know Charlie's the only one in this room whose voice doesn't sound like nails on a chalkboard?
Actually, I've always liked Darcy's voice. It's all smooth and deep and sexy...
FOCUS, LIZZIE!
DARCY IS THE ENEMY!
We're thinking about Caroline and how much we hate her for interrupting our book right now.
But I could use a good stretch.
"Are you talking to me, Caroline? Because my name's Elizabeth. Or Lizzie. But not Eliza." I asked. It's a decent question. Who just renames people on a whim?
"Eliza, Elizabeth, same thing." Caroline yawned.
Oh. I guess Caroline does.
Cool.
"Um, yeah, my calves are a bit tight from rehearsal tonight. I could use a good stretch." I stood up, walking over to the side of the room.
"Where are you going, dearest Eliza?" Caroline asked, dropping straight into a split in the center of the room.
Oh. So we're stretching where everyone can see us. Great.
Why is this a good plan?
They better not look at my butt.
"William, dear, would you care to join us?" Caroline cooed, and I prayed that he'd say no. Cause let's face it, I'd fangirl, and then hate myself for forgetting I hate him, and really it's just a complicated situation. I need to find a new ballet idol, and fast.
"No, thank you, Caroline, I can enjoy the view quite well from here."
OH MY GOD HE'S LOOKING AT OUR BUTTS! I'll hit him. I really will! I'm not afraid!
"Will! How naughty of you! How shall we punish him, Eliza?" Caroline tittered, and I made a face.
By talking like normal people? Seriously, who says that?
"Like this." I replied, and stood up, walking over to Darcy and smacking him upside the back of his head. "Don't look at my butt you perv!"
"You hit me!" Darcy cried, grabbing his head. I blinked.
Yeah. I guess I did.
Oh my god, I hit him.
Shit.
Jane's gonna kill me.
"You ogled me. Blatantly! I was only protecting my dignity. It was necessary." I shrugged, trying to play it off. Inside, I was freaking out.
Oh God, Lizzie. You really did it this time. You're gonna get sued, and disowned, and kicked out of the company, and end up begging on the side of the road. Life is over.
"William, darling, do you want a bag of ice? Some acetaminophen? Really, the class of some people. Were you raised by wolves, Eliza?" Caroline fawned, and I frowned slightly. Sure I pick on my family, but they're off limits to Caroline.
"No." I replied primly. "I was raised by Fanny and Thomas Bennet, two perfectly lovely people who taught me to defend myself whenever my honor was in question. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go check on Jane."
Point Lizzie!
Kind of.
I trudged up the stairs, calf muscles twinging.
I never did get my stretch.
Stupid Darcy.
"Jane, don't hate me, but I kindasortahitDarcy." I blurted, and Jane looked up at me sleepily.
"That's nice, Mama, but can you pass me the purple elephant?"
Woohoo! I'm not disowned cause Jane's gone crazy!
Seriously, though, Jane gets pretty delirious when she's sick. It's kind of great.
In a horrible, poor Jane kind of way.
I may or may not have recordings for blackmail purposes.
It never works though- Jane just get so upset that I give in and then do whatever she wants. So really, it's like reverse blackmail. I think.
Are you following this?
"Oh, honey, I wish we could go home. I just made a fool out of myself in front of everyone, and now Darcy's gonna sue me for damaging his precious head." I groaned, stroking Jane's hair.
"No one will sue the master of the circus! You're perfectly bamboozled."
"Yeah, Jane. I'm pretty bamboozled alright." And I'm the master of the circus! Thanks, Jane!
"Do we need to call a doctor? Miss Bennet's mental capacity seems to be disjointed." Darcy asked, and I jumped as he stepped into the room.
Sneaky little bugger.
"Oh, no, Jane gets like this every time she's sick. She'll be ok." I answered, wiping a cool washcloth across her forehead.
"Ooh! The polar ice caps in my brain go swish!" Jane squealed, and I chuckled to myself.
"They sure do, honey." I soothed. "They sure do."
"I wanted to assure you that I will not sue you. I am not lacking for money, and as your salary in the Longbourn Dance Company is limited, I would not benefit from the time and effort put in to the legal system." Darcy quickly stated, and I nodded.
"I would appreciate that." I replied, and then paused. "Did we just have a civil conversation?"
"I believe we did." Darcy nodded.
Yes! Look at us go! Point for team Lizzie and Darcy!
WAIT! Not like THAT!
By team I mean a purely platonic, sportsy kind of team. DEFINITELY not in romantic sense. Can you imagine me and Darcy together? GROSS!
Also, one of us would end up dead.
Probably him.
Why're you looking at me like that? I can't help it! Have you heard this guy open his mouth?
"I also would like to apologize for my lewd comment. It was very much out of line and you were well within your right to hit me." Darcy continued.
Oh.
Well.
Maybe he would live.
We're actually sounding like…well, colleagues. Not really friends.
But still, pretty impressive considering I clocked him about ten minutes ago!
"Yeah, uh, accepted." I replied. "I do have a pretty great butt. I don't blame you for looking."
Cause do I got da booty?
I DOOOOOOOOO!
Darcy was obviously uncomfortable, and apparently the topic of butts wasn't one he could converse about, because he turned red and spluttered "I think-er, Charlie- that is, um, bye" and left.
All I got out of that is Charlie. Why would he even bring Charles up, unless…
OMG, what if Darcy was mentally comparing me and Charles' butts?
Does that mean Charles and Darcy have a bromance?
What if Charlie's butt is better than mine?
What if they're gay? CRAP! Not that being gay is bad, but it is when the guy you're in love with isn't even interested in your reproductive organs! I'm speaking strictly for Jane, of course. OH MY GOD! Jane fell in love with a gay man! And he's secretly dating my worst enemy! Now how are Jane and Charles gonna get married and have cute little Bingley babies?
Wait, how did I even get here?
Slowdown, Lizzie.
But I'm kind of curious to see Jane's reaction...
"Jane, I think Charlie and Darcy are gay for each other." I declared seriously; just see how she would react.
"No, now how can I eat a pumpernickel?" Jane whined.
Huh. Not that explosive. Or hilarious. Guess maybe she doesn't mind.
Wait, what if she already knows?
What if it's some kind of conspiracy?
What if-
"WHAT?" Caroline screamed, rushing into the room. Apparently this was 'eavesdrop on Lizzie's ramblings' day. "CHARLES AND WILLIAM ARE NOT GAY!"
"That is very true." Charles accepted with a shrug, as he loped after Caroline. "Why are we screaming about it again?"
"Because this… this… THING insinuated to her own sister that you and William were… involved" Caroline bemoaned, and I struggled to keep from cracking up.
"Why?" Charles asked, more amused than anything.
"Because rainbows are the vehicle of the future!" Jane crowed.
Did I mention how much I love sick Jane? She's adorable!
Wait, not that I like her being sick. That's no fun.
But, y'know.
"Of course they are, baby." I smiled. "Really it was just ridiculous ramblings. I was talking to Darcy about butts, and then he said your name, and my imagination ran wild."
"Raised by wolves, really." Caroline huffed. "No class whatsoever."
"You and Will were talking about… butts?"
I could have explained. Really, it made sense in context. But when do I EVER do the thing that makes sense?
"Yes." I declared seriously. "Yes we were." And left it at that.
"Well, Lizzie, if Darcy and I ever do start dating, you'll be the first to know." Charles laughed. Good sport, that guy. "But for right now, I'm pretty sure your sister's more my type."
"You're my buffalo feather too!" Jane lauded. True love, right there.
"Well, I'm rooting for you. Although I kinda do ship you and Darce too. You'd be cute." I added as an afterthought.
"We would, wouldn't we?" Charlie mused. "HEY WILL! YOU WANNA GO OUT WITH ME?"
"IN YOUR DREAMS!" Darcy shouted back from…well, wherever he was hiding.
"BUT I LOOOOOOOOVE YOU!" Charlie yelled, and I couldn't help but laugh at the look on Caroline's face. Darcy entered the room, looking at us all in confusion.
"Yeah, love you too, man. But no." He declared, and walked back out.
"Solves that, I guess." Charles shrugged. "Your sister it is."
Well then.
