Pomp And Circumstance [COMPLETE]

Chapter Three

Darcy's eyes refused to rest, the rest of the day. Every which way they shifted, they searched each face, double-checking every head of blonde hair, every high-pitched laugh with maniacal under-tones. Every single smug smile. But Gina Wickham had enough sense to stay out of Darcy's way.

Darcy's eyes were tired by the end of the day and so they hung lower than usual, deepening her resting scowl. Her head caught one last glance over her shoulder as she entered her last class of the day, AP Literature with Miss Austin, to check the hallway one last time before turning her back.

She heard Miss Austin announce as she entered "New term, new seating assignments, check the whiteboard for your new spot" and had enough mental clarity to determine which seat in the front row was hers.

She hadn't been present enough to read who would be sitting to her right for the rest of the year and so found out by glancing at the desk next to hers and found a twin-lens camera looking up at her. Darcy looked up and found Eli's head bent over a folded-up paper-back book. He did not look back. Darcy looked away.

That would be the highlight of her social interactions for the week. The lowlight, and the only other social interaction she would have with any of her classmates that week, was the smug expressions of her teammates when her PE teacher announced the end of their volleyball segment and the start of basketball.

Darcy was grinning on the inside when, in the same sentence, her PE teacher named her team captain. The expressions of her teammates turned icy as Darcy stood before them, picking out the best players.

All the while Charlie adjusted to Meriton like fish to water. Darcy would have envied her friend's ability to make friends if she didn't admire it so much. She had watched Charlie do it, time and time again. No matter her situation, no matter her circumstance, there was Charlie with a sweet smile on her face and a helpful manner.

From the stories Darcy heard on the way home from school, Jamie's friend group had welcomed Charlie with opened arms, making room for her at their lunch table during junior lunch.

There Darcy's stomach twisted.

Netherfield had had only one lunch hour. All classes ate together. At Meriton Charter, each grade had a separate lunch period.

Darcy had eaten lunch in the library the first week because she didn't know anyone else. She had eaten lunch in the library the first day of her second week as a precaution against spotting Gina again (the first and last thing she wanted was to go head-to-head against Gina Wickham in a crowded spaced). Now it was where she ate every day.

Heading into English class on the Friday of her second week at Meriton, Darcy's head still checked the hallway one last time (she hadn't spotted Gina again, but she didn't trust her luck, Gina was sure to pop again sometime). Taking her seat, she expected yet another class period of stony silence from Eli.

They had AP statistics together as well as Literature but this was the only class they had to sit together. He had yet to acknowledge that she held ownership over the desk right next to his.

Miss Austin started the class off with a bang, as soon as the second bell rang, and all newcomers were officially late.

"Okay. 19th century American and British literature. We've spent the week talking about the social and economic landscape. We've talked enough about the notable male authors of that time. Now, it's time to talk about the women."

A few of Darcy's more enthusiastic classmates gave a hoot of excitement from the back of the class.

"'Woo' is exactly correct. Since this final term of your senior year, we are going to looking at the birthplace of feminism. No, I'm not talking about the 1920's fight for the right to vote. Nor I'm not talking about the women's movement of the 1970s. It should be pretty obvious to you all what we will be studying. Any guesses before I ruin the surprise."