CHAPTER 9

ELIZABETH POVS

It's been 4 hours since school ended and 2 hours since my soccer training ended. Today I had slightly sprained my right foot, so it had taken me a little longer to get home and get ready.

There were 20 minutes left before the time she had told me to show up at her house for dinner, but I still hadn't mentioned it to my grandmother, even though we hadn't really said many words since the other day.

Just when I go down the stairs, I see her come through the door: "Hello," she says to me in a rude manner.

''Hello, I must tell you something. Tonight, I'm going to dinner with the Hastings, so I'll be a little late getting home,'' I say, trying to downplay the issue of having dinner with the Hastings. From the look on her face, it doesn't look like she liked the idea one bit.

''With the Hastings? For what? To leave me embarrassed and have them tell it around? Do whatever you want, I don't care in the slightest what you do with your life, but don't even think about making a fool of me. I'm ashamed enough that you're my granddaughter,'' says my grandmother. I'm sick of her. I'm tired of her hurtful words.

''You know what? And I care much less about your opinion of me, good night!'' I shout at her and run away, slamming the door on the way out without even looking at her.

Once I'm outside I take a deep breath for a moment. I hurt my foot a little while running, I shouldn't force it too much, but my grandmother makes me nervous. When I manage to calm down, I calmly head towards Spencer's house.

I knock on the door and Spencer opens it. She looked a little nervous. I guess because of dinner tonight. I don't blame her, I'm nervous too.

"Hello, come in, calm down, they seem serious, but they're really quite friendly," Spencer says with a laugh, although still a little tense.

''Hello, thank you for the invitation tonight,'' I say as we enter. She has a pretty nice house.

Her parents are in the kitchen pouring themselves glasses of wine as we approach.

''Hello, Elizabeth, I'm so glad we can finally meet. "You look just like your mother, my God," says Mr. Hastings surprised. I was still intrigued since Spencer told me that he and my mother had met. I wanted to know more about that. I find it strange when he seems to approach me to hug me, but he thinks about it and doesn't do it. The truth is that I appreciate it.

''Nice to meet you too, darling. I hope you'll excuse us for not introducing ourselves sooner, but we didn't find out who you really were until this morning,'' Verónica tells me affectionately. I don't know why but there's something about her that makes me feel comfortable.

''Also, we are going to have dinner with my other daughter Melissa, but it's going to take a little longer to come. We'll start eating the first dish in the meantime,'' Mr. Hastings tell me. "By the way, do you have any food allergies?" he adds quickly.

''Yes, I have a pineapple allergy,'' I tell him. He looks at me with a smile.

''Like your mother, then. Don't worry, I haven't put any pineapple in anything in case you were also allergic,'' says Mr. Hastings with some melancholy. I already have too much intrigue and since I feel comfortable, I dare to ask him.

''Could I know what relationship you and my mother had?'' I ask him.

''Yes, of course, I'm very sorry I couldn't tell you everything sooner. Your mother and I knew each other since we were babies, because we lived door to door,'' he explained his entire relationship with my mother, saying that they even became boyfriend and girlfriend, but they left it when they started university.

''We broke up because we didn't want to lose our beautiful relationship, although each of us lived on the other side of the country, we had conversations often, we told each other everything important that happened to us. She introduced me to your father by video call and I introduced her to Verónica,'' I was very surprised that they really knew each other so much.

''You and Spencer know each other too. The little moments that you could talk on the phone you had a great time. Even Melissa dared to get into your conversations,'' said Mr. Hastings. I didn't expect that, and I don't think Spencer did either. I remember something about a distant friend I called her when I was little, but I can't imagine it was her.

"Are you telling me that that friend I used to talk to on the weekends when I was little was Elizabeth?" Spencer says, dumbfounded.

''Exactly, you won't remember much, because later due to things in life, we came into less contact with each other, but you had quite long conversations. Your mother, Elizabeth, was very happy that you got along so well, because we knew that you have a hard time with social interactions, but once you felt comfortable you talked more than even Spencer'', says Mr. Hastings smiling.

'I don't remember it well, but I know that I felt understood by you and you made me feel comfortable. Unlike my schoolmates. We had almost the same tastes, always talking about strange details that we had just learned,' I tell Spencer, a little excited at finally 'meeting' that friend, even though we had a bad start.

''I also remember feeling excited to talk to you on the weekends. At school I also felt very alone, the children called me a bookworm and boring, but I could tell you all the stories of all the countries, everything I had learned that week, and you did not hesitate to listen to me at any second. I'm so sorry for not opening up more to you at the beginning and for being rude,'' Spencer tells me, excited to know the truth, but saddened by how she treated me all this time.

''Nothing happens, the important thing is that we have all already met. I don't hold any kind of resentment towards you,'' I say as I decide to put a hand on her shoulder as a sign that I feel comfortable with her. She looks at me surprised and grateful.

"Now that you've talked, I'd like to introduce myself too. I'm Melissa, that sister who was grumpy with Spencer, but who, when you laughed at me, was lenient with you because you also picked on my sister when she was trying to be a picky one,'' Melissa tells me, who, apparently, had been listening to everything and since she wouldn't want to bother until we finished talking, she hasn't spoken until now.

We all laughed at Melissa's comment. The truth is that I remember a little about it and it is just as I would imagine it. She was a little bossy and rude, but she was actually good to me. She tried to give me advice to do better in school and she wouldn't give up.

''Joking aside, I'm glad to see you, even if it's for a sad circumstance. I'm so sorry about what happened. My parents told me this morning. I was five years older than you, so I remember everything better. Your mother was always lovely,' she tells me with a half-sad smile.

''Thank you so much. It's good to see that there are people who remember my family in a beautiful way, not just me,'' I say with a smile. After this, Melissa sits at the table, and we continue eating dinner.

"I'm sorry to ask you, but we only know that your mother and brother died in a car accident, from what Spencer told us, but what happened to your father?" asks Mr. Hastings. I take a deep breath because I don't know how to tell everything.

''I will tell you everything because you deserve to know the whole truth. I'm very sorry that you had to find out two years later, if I had known it was you,'' I say and begin to tell them everything.

''When we stopped talking, which was around 8 or 9 years old if I remember correctly, things started to go wrong financially in my house. I had surgery for appendicitis and, due to a serious infection, I had to stay in the hospital for more than a month. So, the medical bill was pretty big, and my parents had to get more jobs. Meanwhile, I was still recovering and had to take care of my little brother,'' I take a deep breath for a moment.

''They managed to pay a large part of the medical bill after a year and a half or so, but just when everything was going a little better for us, they fired my father from his job. Due to stress, he started drinking and drinking alcohol every night. He always came home drunk. Over time, thanks to the great efforts of my mother, and that someone decided to hire my father again, we got out of that economic hole a little, but my father had become an alcoholic''.

''On New Year's Eve almost two years ago, the four of us went to celebrate somewhere. We had gotten my dad off drinking for a few months, and we were becoming a close family again. That night, however, he fell back into drinking,'' I wiped away a tear. We were getting to the worst part.

''Even though my mother told him a thousand times he wouldn't drive, my father got furious when he was drunk and forced us all to get into the car. My mother faced with this and with no one on the street to ask for help, she couldn't do anything else,'' everyone is looking at me in distress. The worst was still to come.

''It was then that after about five minutes of driving, my father still violent and driving at a high speed, could no longer maintain concentration and we crashed into several cars coming in the opposite direction. Our car, after the impact, was destroyed. My mother and my brother, who were in the most affected part of the accident, died almost instantly, according to the doctors. I don't know if they told me that to console me.'' I could still feel like I was in the car. I would never forget that day.

''I, fortunately or unfortunately, came out of the accident alive, but with several injuries. Due to a major trauma, I was in a coma for 4 months. I had also fractured my right leg, collarbone and left arm, so once I woke up I still had a long time to recover. It wasn't until a year ago that I was physically well that my grandmother wanted to bring me with her to Rosewood. She didn't want anyone to know,'' I say, a little tired of the fact that my grandmother had so few feelings.

''When I woke up from the coma was when I found out that my mother and brother had died. It took me several days to fully accept it. My father, who had not suffered any injuries during the accident, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for the deaths of my mother and brother, and two other people who were in the other cars. They transferred him to the city of Philadelphia, because they accepted him being closer to me, but I have refused to talk to him since that night.'' When I finish speaking, I look up and see that everyone is looking at me without knowing what to say. I completely understand how difficult it was to assimilate. I hadn't done it yet and two years had passed.

"My God, I'm so sorry, Elizabeth. You went through hell, and you didn't have anyone to really help you, because your grandmother isn't being very nice from what I see, is she?'' asks Mr. Hastings. They seem concerned about my well-being, and I don't know how to feel about it right now.

''Well, she wants to act like nothing happened. No one in the city, except you now, knows that I am her granddaughter, because she doesn't want them to know that we are family. She says she's ashamed of me, but I'm already used to the way she is. It's okay,'' I say, trying to downplay my grandmother's behavior.

''I know what she is like. Your mother always had the same problems with her, but you don't believe any of her words, okay? Now that we know everything, you can come to our house whenever you want and call us when you need it,'' says Mr. Hastings very serious and convinced.

''Thank you very much, Mr. Hastings, but I don't want to be any trouble or anything to you. I'm fine the way I am now, I've gotten used to it,'' I tell him, although I'm touched to see someone who cares about me.

''No problem, we are happy for you to join us whenever you can. We are here for whatever you need and please call me Peter, about Mr. Hastings is for those he works with,' he tells me with a laugh. I couldn't imagine how really nice he was. Sometimes appearances can be deceiving.

"Of course, you are invited to this house whenever you want and also call me Veronica, lady, it makes me feel like I'm 60 years old," says Spencer's mother with a motherly smile. That shook my heart a little.

We continue eating and talking for another half hour about my studies and hobbies until we have finished eating and it is getting quite late. I get off the stool to say goodbye and grimace as I put my foot down.

''Is everything okay?'' Verónica asks me.

"Yes, I had a slight sprain training soccer this afternoon, but it will go away in a few days, that's okay," I tell him, downplaying the importance.

After that we finished saying goodbye, they told me to come whenever I want again, and they gave me their numbers. Spencer walks me out.

"Hey, I'm really glad to finally know who you are, and I hope we can start a good friendship again," Spencer tells me, smiling. She looked happy.

"I hope so too," I say excitedly.

''By the way, Emily told us to go with her tomorrow to put up a monument to Alison near the shed where we all spent the last night together and leave everything behind. We would like you to come with us. Are you coming and we'll meet here tomorrow around 10 in the morning?'' Spencer asks me before I leave.

''Okay, perfect. I'm going with you tomorrow. Thank you very much for tonight. Good night,'' we say goodbye and I walk away towards my grandmother's house. She was nervous. Tomorrow would be the first time I would spend time with the girls and be accepted by the group.

Once I enter to the house the phone rings.

''I hope you had a good night. I doubt this happiness will last much longer. Keep your secrets well, while you can, kisses, A''.

Thank you very much again for the reviews. They help me a lot with writing.

This episode was all about dinner because I wanted to do the beginning of Elizabeth's relationship with the Hastings right.

The Hastings in my story are going to be a more united family. Not everything will be the same as the series, although I will try to ensure that much of it is consistent with the series. I want to do them justice.

In the next chapters I will try to make the first season go by faster and his love interest appears ;)

Greetings and have a great day :)