Chapter
Sixteen
After-words
Homecoming
had ended on a low note as Rebel and Sia screeched through the auditorium
playing a childish game of tag. The younger Bennet girls were the last students
to leave and could be heard laughing throughout the exit hall and giggling with
a group of boys before piling into the back seat of Mrs Bennet’s car.
Mrs Bennet, who had made an appearance to
collect her younger girls, had joined some of the other mothers towards the end
of the evening. At one point, and much to Shiloh and Paige’s chagrin, their
mother could be heard talking up their chances of ‘taking those handsome new
boys to the prom.’
Paige, mortified, turned her head and
decided to go outside for air. Senta was hiding out there under a tree.
“Parties don’t do it for me. I’m so over
socializing. Our younger sisters always make us look like total losers. Besides,
dancing is overrated, even at an arts school.”
Paige thought her middle sister had a
point even if she had a tendency to sound about twenty years older than she
was. Rebel had stumbled outside by now with Sia and was laughing uproariously
and speaking way too loudly.
“Have you seen that new Senior? Darcy
Donovan? What a jerk! I honestly didn’t know where to look! When his friend, who’s actually nice, agreed
to host a party at their house Darcy looked like he was about to throw up! Perhaps
Aussie boys are only hot in movies…”
“Oh, please, Rebel,” Senta added, “there’s
no need to be so descriptive.”
“Yes, stop exaggerating, Rebel”, Sia
added. “Ryan Bingley’s way hotter. Senta, you should stay out here and stop
eating so much ice-cream – it will only make you fatter and then you’ll make me
look worse as your sister. You need to be more social, chillax...”
“Are you serious Rebel? Rys Wickam has just
arrived and you know I think he’s a candidate to take me to the prom...” Rebel
interrupted.
“It’s not open to everyone,” Paige stated
simply.
“Well, I’ve spoken to Mackenzie Bingley
and when she becomes leader of the Praise
& Worshipfuls and votes on the Princesses’ next mixer, they’re going to
open it up to ‘specially invited guests,’ and that’s when my lovely sisters get
to invite me.”
Paige couldn’t believe what she was
hearing or how boy crazy her youngest sisters were. It was embarrassing. She
resigned herself to talking to her parents about their behavior. Perhaps her
father could send them to an etiquette camp where they were sure to learn some
manners.
Paige was so over homecoming by the time she
pulled on her seatbelt. Darcy’s words had stung her beyond the point where she
ever wanted to speak to him again.
“How dare he say I wasn’t good enough for
him? As if I’d want him! A webisode
series does not make a star…”
“Never mind, Paige, at least now you
don’t have to acknowledge him,” Coco said as she piled into the back seat.
They’d promised to drop Coco home as she lived close by.
“I think I can safely say, I’ll never
willingly talk to him again.”
“Much less dance with him,” Shiloh added
as she crawled in.
Mrs Bennet had also been filled in on
the story.
“I wouldn’t talk to him or dance with him
or go out with him even if he begged you to…”
“I think I can safely say Darcy Donovan
is the last boy in the world I would ever
date,” Page assured both her sister and her best friend.
As the girls dozed Mrs Bennet commented
about the Princess mothers to Paige;
“All they wanted to know was where Daddy
plays golf and when I told them Mr Bennet doesn’t play golf, one of them
actually turned their back on me. And as for that rude boy Darcy Donovan – I’d
be quite happy if I never had to see him again.”
“I’m pretty sure you’ll never have to,”
Paige added.
“Well, he was quite rude when I asked him
where Rebel had gone. He just shrugged and turned away. His friend was quite
nice though.”
After dropping Coco home, The Bennet sisters were
relieved to arrive at their own place a short while later. Their house was
modest but welcoming, rustic but warm.
