Pride and Prejudice, the High School Version.

Chapter 26

Liz had to admit that Charlie and Jane were good together. They were the kind of couple you rooted for and hoped to meet a few years later, happily married with two or so kids.

By Monday, the news that Charlie Bingley was back in town and that he and Jane were back together had spread throughout the school like wild fire. Since it was the last week of school and everyone was done with their finals, there was little to no learning going on, and the only thing the students cared about was who was going with who to prom.

Charlie was back to being a regular student at Spring Valley high, and Jane was the happy girl at his side. Bill did not come back to school with Charlie. According to Charlie, he was sorting out an issue with Pemberly Enterprises LA office and was to be back in by Wednesday.

"What kind of issues?" Liz asked.

"I believe they are opening a new branch this summer, and he just doesn't want an office like it is in other towns, he wants a factory, like the one in DC."

"Isn't that very expensive?"

"It is, but a factory in California could double up the sales."

Liz couldn't agree more. If there was one thing celebrities loved, it was buying expensive stuff, and aircrafts were really expensive.

When Liz was called to the principal's office from her physics class where she had been reading a book on mechanics, she was as surprised as anyone else. She had never been to the principal's, ever. Liz was the kind of student who just did what she was supposed to do without overdoing it and flew under the radar of most teachers.

She was even more surprised when she found Katherine, Bill's aunt from LA, seated at the principal's desk.

The principal smiled at Liz, "Elizabeth Bennet, Mrs de Bourgh has requested an audience with you. I will leave you two to it."

And he actually left, grinning at Katherine on his way out of the office.

Katherine went through a blue file on the table, her face expressionless, "Please sit down Elizabeth."

Liz perched herself on the seat opposite Katherine, "Er, it's just Liz Mrs de Bourgh."

If Katherine heard her, she didn't acknowledge it, "Good grades, impeccable discipline, real talent and an MIT hopeful, with a really good chance of making it too."

"Is that my file?" Liz asked trying to snatch the file from Katherine, "What are you even doing with that? Is that legal?"

"Quite legal Elizabeth, with the right amount of influence and money."

"So you paid the principal to let you see my file?"

"I made a generous donation to the school, look up the difference, one is a crime and another is a noble act."

"What do you want?"

Katherine flipped a few papers in the file and frowned, "A clean high school record, that's rare. You have never even been to a detention? Wow, just wow. The only negative thing here is a brief relationship with George Wickham, who is a world class criminal. I must say you are much better than I expected."

"What's your problem?"

Katherine raised a manicured eyebrow, "Don't play coy with me young lady, you know why I am here."

"No, I don't."

Katherine tapped on her phone and pushed it towards Liz. Liz grabbed it and looked at pictures of herself, standing opposite Bill on the porch of the beach house. Then photos of Bill shirtless at the pool with herself in the green summer dress she had been wearing on Saturday, she was sitting at his feet. Liz blinked, she had never sat at his feet, but the photoshop was so cleverly done, it looked real.

The title of the article read:

Bill Darcy's new girlfriend in Spring Valley!!

Katherine was looking at her quizzically, "Well?"

"Well what?"

"Are you dating him?"

"What if I am?"

"So you are?"

"No."

"Then you know what to do."

"What?"

"You need to speak up. I will organize an interview for you. You need to say that you are not dating him and will never date him, I will have some cue cards prepared for you."

Liz frowned, "Whoa, hold on right there, why do I need to say that I will never date him?"

"Because you won't, you shouldn't."

"Why?"

"Because I forbid it. As his closest living relative, I believe I have that right."

"I believe his closest living relative is his sister."

"Don't talk to me like that."

Liz folded her hands across her chest and gave Katherine a contemptuous look, "I still don't understand the you forbidding it thing though, unless you have a weird Oedipus complex where you want him yourself,you should get your nose out of his private affairs."

"How dare you! How dare you talk to me like that you insolent good for nothing girl! He cannot date a girl like you. A small town girl with no manners, no class and no money."

"Don't worry, I have brains and God knows he needs someone with brains in his life if all he has is you."

"So you will not do the interview?"

"I will not respond to a rubbish tabloid report."

"What if I told you..." Katherine's voice trailed off as she scrolled through her phone, "that I have MIT's chancellor on my speed dial?"

"I would probably believe you."

Katherine gave her a smug smile, "And what will he say when I tell him that you have spread your legs to celebrities for a few coins?"

"He will probably ask you if I write from between my legs."

"Now, don't talk like a common whore."

"You started it. I get good grades by writing down correct answers, which is achieved through a collaboration between my brain and my hands, so please leave my vagina out of my admission at MIT debate."

"You really are going to give up your future for a man who doesn't even like you?"

"If he doesn't then you shouldn't be so worried. No one knows what the future holds, MIT is not the only college with a school of engineering."

Katherine rose up and violently closed the file, "Fine, have it your way, but let me assure you, if you are dating him, I am going to destroy you."

"I am sure I will not completely disintegrate if I am the girlfriend to the owner of Pemberly Enterprises."

Katherine left the office with one last glare at Liz and a bang of the door. Liz let out a tired sigh after she was gone, and wished she could indeed be dating him just so she could rub it in Katherine's plastic face.