#nowhere else to fit this one in the queue lol i just love him :')

[polarmoon]

🧡🌻

[albionscastle]

First Impressions 10 - Saturday Night Fever

I was so glad to actually write this chapter it’s not even funny. I started five times and trashed each one but FINALLY! This is the Netherfield Ball chapter and second only to the Pemberley scenes as my favorite in Pride and Prejudice.

There are mentions of anxiety in this chapter.

Also obvs you can picture whatever song you want for the dance, I just had the Bee Gees - More Than A Woman running through my head at the time lol.

FIC MASTERLIST

FIRST IMPRESSIONS 10 SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER

LIZZIE

If she was perfectly honest with herself, Lizzie was kind of looking forward to the wrap party. It was probably the chance of a lifetime - there weren’t likely to be any glam Hollywood parties in her future so she figured that she may as well enjoy this one. Charlie was, naturally, embracing the event wholeheartedly and had even managed to rope her into a trip to the city for new threads. According to him absolutely everything in her closet was too awful to be worn in public.

As usual he was right, Lizzie thought as she looked in the mirror. In a million years she never would have picked out this dress for herself, but she had to admit, it looked fantastic. Charlie had worked his magic with her hair and face and she almost didn’t recognize the smoky eyed woman staring back at her. It was the first time in years that she actually liked what she saw.

“Come on Bennett, time to go show those asholes whats, what!”

Charlie was waiting by her front door, over the top as usual in a silver top hat and makeup that would put Ziggy Stardust to shame. Not for the first time she felt the little tug in her heart, he really was gorgeous. It didn’t happen often, the moment of wishing he wasn’t gay, and she’d even told him about it. Charlie had never laughed at her, or brushed it off. He simply agreed that had life been different they probably would have been meant for one another. She wasn’t in love with him, not in this life, but it have happened very easily and every now and then, it made her a bit sad.

“Get that look off your face woman, I know I look good enough to eat.” Charlie sighed dramatically. “I’m on the prowl tonight and I need my wing woman.”

Lizzie laughed. “Are you sure? I’m likely to frighten all your prospects away with my bitch face.”

“Looking like that darling, they’ll be flocking to you and I’ll be there to ease their broken hearts when you turn them down.”

“Well you certainly have it all figured out don’t you.”

“When don’t I babe?” he winked. “Now get your coat and let’s go before I miss anything.”

The ballroom at the hotel had been completely transformed and Lizzie was almost speechless when they stepped into the lobby. She supposed it wasn’t all that big a deal to the rich and famous but her small town heart was a flutter with excitement at the sight. Gauzy fabric covered the bland beige walls and tables were set with linens and centerpieces fit for royalty. Everywhere she looked there was something gorgeous that she wouldn’t have expected to see, right down to the soft candlelight that was the room’s only illumination.

There was no sign of Brad though and a check of her cell showed no missed messages. Despite her misgivings, she’d still been excited to see him here and he had promised that Jack’s presence wasn’t going to stop him from attending. He was probably just late, she tried to tell herself, knowing it was a lie.

“There you are Lizzie!” she cringed at her mother’s loud voice as her family moved toward her.

“That’s my queue sweets.” Charlie kissed her cheek. “Come find me later.”

“Fucking traitor.” she muttered as he dashed away into the throng of people.

Turning around with a sigh, Lizzie plastered a smile on her face, barely keeping it in place when she saw what Lydia was, or rather wasn’t, wearing. She glanced at Maya who simply shrugged in defeat.

“Hey pumpkin.” her father reached her before the others and his weary look of resignation told him everything she needed to know about the situation. “You look lovely.”

“Thanks Dad, but I can’t believe you let her out of the house dressed like that.” she whispered as he pulled away from the hug.

Ben simply sighed, shunted to the side as Chloe approached, eying Lizzie up and down.

“Do I meet your approval mom?” she snarked.

“You look very nice. Her mother admitted. “You’ll never have Maya’s charm and sweetness but you do look very nice.”

“Gee thanks mom, at least I’m actually wearing clothing.” Lizzie looked pointedly at Lydia who was tapping her foot and looking bored.

“Shut up Liz” she snapped, cracking a piece of gum.

“Stop it both of you! Lizzie leave your sister alone!”

Lizzie bit her tongue, feeling her cheeks go red while Lydia stuck out her tongue behind her mother’s back.

“Lizzie, I was meaning to ask you something.” Maya piped up, quickly gauging the situation.

She took her sister’s arm and let her lead them to where Tom was standing with Jack and Caro. Honestly she would have rather stayed and fought with Lydia.

“Eliza!” Caro practically sneered, looking stunning in a barely there pink dress. “Oh, your whole family is here, how nice.” Her tone implied the exact opposite of her words.

“Actually Mary and Kate aren’t here.” Lizzie murmured, craning her head to look for Brad.

Jack, being his usual pleasant self merely inclined his head in greeting before looking away, dismissing her completely.

Prick, she thought to herself as she tried to seperate from the group, without any luck.

“Lizzie dear,” her mother had her arm, “I promised poor Colin that you would at least dance with him tonight. He’s been quite desolate since he came back you know. I think he hopes you’ll take him back.”

The excitement in Chloe’s eyes at that thought made Lizzie feel ill. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Well ok, her mother arranging things, that she could believe but not the bullshit that Colin had obviously been spewing. How dare he?

“I need a drink.” she snapped, stalking away into the crowd before anyone could stop her.

Fuming all the way to the bar, she ordered a Scotch ready to down the whole thing in one gulp.

“I’ll be taking that Red.” Charlie was there, sliding up next to her and stealing her drink, downing it smoothly before she even had a chance to protest. “You know you can’t drink.” he whispered, smiling at anyone who appeared curious enough to try and listen to what was going on.

“I don’t care.” she huffed, feeling like a scolded child.

“Listen dollface, I know how your mom gets and I guess she got to you. However drinking with your medication will just create a spectacle of you being carried out of here too far out of it to know your own name. And everyone in town will talk about it for years.”

“You don’t know what happened.” But she was conceding that he had a point.

“I’m going to guess she told you to play nice with poor, heartbroken Colin. He’s plying that shit all over town.”

He was right, as fucking usual.

“Listen, I’m not saying that you shouldn’t be upset. Just don’t give anyone the satisfaction of seeing you upset. The best way to stick it to that piece of shit is to pretend that you just aren’t affected at all.”

“I bloody hate you sometimes.”

“You love me and you know it.” Charlie placed a glass of cola in front of her, his arm slung over her shoulder as they perused the room.

Maya was dancing with Tom and Lizzie couldn’t help but smile at the serene look on her sister’s face as she looked up at him. She was clearly in love with him and Lizzie couldn’t have been happier for them. It didn’t matter what anyone else thought.

“What’s the deal with those two anyway?”

“Maya and Tom? What do you mean?”

“Well have they ‘sealed the deal’ so to speak. Seriously she needs to get him in the sack.”

“You know Maya isn’t like that.” Though she was fairly sure they already had, not that Maya had said anything.

“She needs to get like that, when that boy leaves Maya needs to be the only thing on his mind.”

“They are crazy about each other Charlie.”

“Well they hide it well, seriously though, Maya needs to up her game, you’ve seen the women here tonight.”

Lizzie’s brow furrowed as she thought about what Charlie was saying. Maya was admittedly very reserved and even though she knew her sister, Charlie’s observations had her worrying. She had said nothing about Tom beyond this week. He was spending Thanksgiving with them though, surely that counted for something. Charlie was just being a pain in the ass.

She watched him moving through the crowd now, a hit with everyone he came in contact with, male or female. More than once she had wished she could be more like him, so easy with everyone he met. She knew of no-one who disliked him while most people usually thought she was either stuck-up or awkward and boring.

Her eyes danced across the ballroom, Colin was so far nowhere in sight, but there was still no sign of Brad. She should have known better, it wasn’t the first time she’d been stood up. Spotting Jack standing with a group of men she narrowed her eyes. If looks could kill, she laughed bitterly to herself, liking the vision of him laid out on the floor. Yes, shed was irrationally angry and him and no she didn’t care. It didn’t matter what her thoughts were about Brad, it was Jack’s fault that she was standing alone at the bar instead of dancing in a killer dress. It was ALL Jack’s fault.

He chose that moment to look her way, his drink to his lips, long fingers wrapped around his glass, his clothes….well they were perfect for fuck’s sake. She actually had to bite the inside of her cheek to avoid making an embarrassing noise. The bastard had no business looking as good as he did, just as her body had no business betraying her the way it was. She would be damned if she gave him anything, despite her trembling knees. She refused to look away as she threw back her now flat soda, enjoying the surprise in his eyes. Enjoying it so much that she didn’t notice Colin coming up beside her. Too late she realized he was there, only when she smelled his cologne and almost dropped her glass. Remembering Charlie’s advice and her own determination, she forced herself into turning, her best ‘bitch face’ firmly in place.

“What do you want Colin?”

“I was promised a dance.” his eyes slide over her from head to toe and she barely repressed a shudder.

“Then why come to me? My mother promised you a dance, so go ask her.”

There was anger sparking in his eyes and she fought back the familiar fear. She knew what he was capable of when he was angered, but she still wasn’t going to give in.

“I was promised a dance with you.” he smiled, his eyes cold like a snake’s.

“This isn’t the middle ages, my mother doesn’t decide who I dance with.”

“Everyone is watching, you don’t want to make a scene do you?”

Lizzie shrugged.

“I’m not causing a scene and I don’t care who’s watching.”

His smile never faltered as his fingers wrapped around her wrist, tightly. Lizzie resisted the urge to yank herself out of his grasp. The point was to not give him the satisfaction of a response. Instead, fighting the bile rising in her throat she looked pointedly down at his had and then up at his face, staring him down she put her hand over his, pulling it off her arm and taking a step back.

“Good night Colin.” she said firmly, turning on her heel and walking away.

She managed to hold her breath until she was out of sight of the ballroom, making her way quickly to the ladies room. Locking herself in a stall she collapsed against the cool metal door, breath coming in ragged gasps, legs feeling like jelly. She couldn’t believe what she had just done. Before if she had even looked at him in a way he didn’t like he would have made her pay, but now….. She laughed, feeling lightheaded. There was nothing he could do to her, he was completely powerless. Colin Ryan couldn’t hurt, control or scare her anymore except in her own mind, and only if she allowed.

Taking a few minutes to compose herself, Lizzie still felt giddy. The power was all hers and she was determined to go and have a good time, everyone else could be damned. She was still shaking and though she wanted to her body wouldn’t move out of the bathroom. A million thoughts ran through her head and right in the middle was a vision of all those people, crowding around her, closing in, blocking any chance for escape. It only took an instant to realize what was happening and what she needed to do before she had a full-blown panic attack in a hotel toilet.

Closing her eyes she pulled in a deep breath, holding it for the count of three before slowly letting out again. A few repetitions later and the dizziness subsided, along with the trembling, enough for her to be able to swallow a pill. Looking at herself in the mirror she saw wide, frightened eyes and knew that Colin had still managed to get to her.

“Pull yourself together.” she muttered to her reflection. “You are better than this, you are stronger. Don’t let the bastards drag you down.”

She repeated the mantra sternly, over and over until her heartbeat slowed and her legs felt strong beneath her again.

“Right, that’s the end of that. We go out there, we dance, we have fun and we go home. Nothing more to it.”

A much more poised Lizzie emerged from the bathroom and headed back to the ballroom. One more deep breath and she stepped into the throng searching for Charlie, or Maya, neither of them in sight. Turning to go in the opposite direction, she almost collided with Jack.

“Ammm Elizabeth, I was wonderin, would ye care tae dance? Wi me, I mean.”

JACK

The surprise that Jack felt matched the surprise on Elizabeth’s face when they both realised she had said yes. To dancing. With him. A little flustered he was able to at least offer his arm to lead his startled partner out onto the dancefloor. All he could do was gulp, avoiding her eyes as he stiffly slid his hand to the small of her back, taking her other hand and hoping that she didn’t notice his trembling fingers.

As they rocked like two gawky teens with a balloon stuck between them jack couldn’t stop his thoughts from running wild. He’d been in a state from the moment Elizabeth had walked in and slipped off her coat. In his wildest dreams he’d never imagined her in that dress. The gold sequined number had been designed to turn her into a goddess, complete with plunging neckline and a hemline that made his mouth run dry. He’d fought his attraction to the woman from day one but the surge of lust that ran through his body at the sight of her nearly did him in. As it was he was barely able to manage a nod, afraid that the croak in his voice would give away what was happening in his trousers.

In another life maybe.

Distracted and barely paying attention to the conversation around him his eyes had followed her, seeing her obvious embarrassment with her family. When he’d seen her at the bar with a drink he’d almost gone over but Charlie had beaten him to it. A few Google searches had informed him that Elizabeth’s medication and alcohol did not mix and he was glad she hadn’t drunk it.

His mind had wandered at that point as he imagined himself walking over there, welcomed by a cheeky, secret glint in her eyes. Running with it he pictured them laughing as he led her through the lobby and into a dark, quiet corner. In his fantasy she moaned when he kissed her, pulling him against her as she leaned back against the wall. She chuckled low in her throat when his hand slid up her thigh, hitching her leg over his hip as he ground against her. He could hear her voice in his ear, a breathless sigh of want and promise as he in turned whispered all the things he wanted to do to her when they were alone.

Jerked out of his dream world by a question he hadn’t even noticed he saw Elizabeth watching him from across the room and his cheeks reddened. If she’d had any idea what he’d been thinking she would have no doubt slapped him so hard his head would spin.

He didn’t see Colin approach until it was too late to do anything that wouldn’t cause a scene. Despite himself, jack felt a surge of pride as he watched her stand her ground, the look on Colin’s face priceless as she left him with her head held high. He shouldn’t have cared, shouldn’t have wanted. But he did and his feet seemed to move of their own accord to the entrance of the ballroom in time to see Elizabeth disappear into the loo. Colin was nowhere to be seen, but Jack wouldn’t have put it past him to follower in there so he placed himself within view of the door, just in case.

It was the deer in headlights look when she came out that prompted to move towards her, no plan at all in his mind. Now here they were. All silence and bungling, each of them looking anywhere but at the other. Jack didn’t know what to say that wouldn’t embarrass her and he was far too well aware of his previous inappropriate thoughts. What could he say?

“Awkward silence much?” he heard her remark quietly.

“Do ye prefer tae talk while dancin then?”

A chuckle.

“Generally, yes. Even if its just to comment on the sucky song. It’s only polite.”

“I confess I never really thought about it tae be honest.”

“Perhaps it’s time you did.” Elizabeth said archly as the song ended.

Taking the chance, Jack grinned, the next song starting before she could make an escape.

“Then I’ll say I quite like this one.”

“Bee Gees? Well at least you have some taste.”

“Saturday Night Fever was a cinematic masterpiece.”

“Never saw it.”

There was a hint of steel in her voice, a challenge and he vaguely remembered the party in the summer, the inference that Elizabeth had at least once loved to dance. Without a second thought he moved, spinning her out to the end of his arm before tugging her back, a moment spent flush against each other before he dipped her down almost to the floor.

She was looking at him now, her eyes wide with surprise as she followed his lead perfectly.

“Channeling your inner Tony Manero?” she questioned as they came together.

“Everything but the strut lass, and I thought ye said ye’d never seen it.” he laughed as he spun her again.

They were silent for a moment, their steps in perfect sync. The woman could dance, that was for sure. He got the feeling that it wasn’t something she did often and he felt a momentary spike of malicious satisfaction that Wick probably hadn’t had this opportunity.

“I understand ye all haf been seein a lot of Bradley Wick.” he knew he’d put his foot in it the moment the words left his mouth. The flash in her eyes confirmed what he had feared.

“He’s been helping my parents with the house, he needed the extra money. They are quite fond of him.”

“Aye, Wick has a talent of makin himself useful when it suits him, it doesna stay that way though.”

Spin out, tug in, her body against his, an angry spark in her eye. He was up for the challenge.

“I’m sure that the loss of your friendship has shaped your opinion of that. Do you think that just because you couldn’t be friendly that he can’t make friends at all?”

“He’s always been able tae make friends luv, he’s jus no good at keepin em.”

“Hmmm.” she appeared to be thinking as they moved. “I’m assuming something serious happened between you?”

“Ye assume correctly.” but he would be damned if he told her what.

“And it had nothing to with, oh say, jealousy or pride?”

He felt his eyes narrow, not at all comfortable with the direction this was taking.

“Why are ye askin?”

Elizabeth shrugged, spinning under his arm and around his back. He felt her hand across his waist like fire, her cold challenge sparking something in him.

“I’m just trying to understand you, I hear so many different things about you, almost like you’re two people.”

“Maybe ye should jus come straight tae the source.”

“Where’s the fun in that? You would only show me what you wanted me to see and I far prefer the truth.”

The truth? Did she really want to know the real man? The one who drank too much and had at one point gone through women like socks, the one who still thought she was no good for him despite how much he wanted her.?

“Now is probably no the best time tae be attemptin tae sketch my character.”

The song was ending, his hopes that the dance would turn into more fading by the note. She was baiting him and he couldn’t help but respond. He couldn’t help himself around her, she met him challenge for challenge and he wasn’t sure he would be the one to come out on top. He wasn’t sure who was the conqueror anymore.

“If I don’t do it now I’ll never get another chance.”

Her words hit him hard hard. After tonight there was no reason for him to stay in town so she was right. He was going home, never to return. Why was it bothering him so much?

The final notes of the song, Jack dipped Elizabeth down, never taking his eyes from hers, noticing the way her pupils dilated and her breath hitched. He allowed a smile to spread across his face. They stayed that way as the music changed, Jack slowly easing back until she was pressed against him again, so close he could feel her ragged breath on his neck while his heart hammered in his chest. Apparently neither of them wanted to be the first to break eye contact, to admit weakness of any kind to the other.

I certainly wouldn’t wan tae leave ye wantin Elizabeth, but in this regard I’m afraid ye’ll jus be disappointed.” Her eyes flared, lips parted to respond. ‘Unless….” he murmured as he started to move his hand on her back, pulling her closer.

“Lizzie! My dear look at you, I haven’t seen you dance for an age.” Mr Lucas had pushed through the crowd, breaking the spell with his booming voice.

Elizabeth took a step back, the familiar mask of indifference settling over her features.

He already missed her. Damn it!

Lucas clapped him on the shoulder, oblivious to the tension he’d inadvertently dissipated.

“Should have known such a handsome young man could bring our Lizzie out of her shell again. I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot more of it when a certain wedding takes place.”

The appalled look on Elizabeth’s face and the direction of Lucas’ gaze was enough for Jack to figure out what was being inferred. Maya sat, looking down demurely as Tom leaning in, speaking into her ear.

Was that what everyone was thinking and expecting? He turned back to Elizabeth, only to see the back of her head as she walked away. Jack wracked his brain, trying to figure out how there was a wedding expected. Tom was obviously enamored with Maya but he did have a habit falling in and out of ‘love’ with remarkable swiftness. Grudgingly he admitted that Tom seemed somewhat different this time, but surely things hadn’t gone that far.

He was angry suddenly, or perhaps not so suddenly. The conversation with Elizabeth had stirred his unrest, knowing that she was friendly with Wick just rubbed him the wrong way. Knowing that there was gossip, that he was being judged based on whatever the bastard had decided to say about him. He was pissed that she had essentially confirmed that Wick was yet again running his mouth. It wasn’t her fault, many a woman had fallen for his lies, he just didn’t want it to be her, surely her attempt to talk to him had been her not accepting Wick at face value.

With a sigh he downed another glass of whiskey. Everything was completely fucked up and tonight was just it.

He was done.

LIZZIE

The frigid outside air was a blessing against her burning cheeks. She gulped in a few deep breaths, trying to calm her hammering heart. That, that had been unexpected. Anger mingled with desire and her brain, as well as her body was on fire.

From a dance.

A dance that included an argument. Lizzie had no idea what the hell was going on with her. She couldn’t stand the man, hadn’t wanted to dance with him. The only reason that she’d even agreed was because Colin had her so befuddled. Her hackles had been up and she was furious at the way her body had betrayed her the moment Jack’s hand settled on her back.

That was why she tried to bait him, started a fight to distract herself from everything she was feeling. Especially when that song came on, one of her favorites and Jack had pulled out the moves. Excluding everything else the man was good and a long forgotten excitement had begun to swell. Once, before Colin, she had loved to dance. Charlie had convinced her to take lessons with him when they were in high school and it had been love. All through college they had taken every chance they could to seek out Chicago’s speakeasies and dance the night away. Colin’s jealousy had ended that.

Tonight, with Jack, the excitement had come flooding back and she hated that it was with him. As much as she was pissed at the direction her thoughts had taken when he’d dipped her down with such smooth skill. The clean smell of him, his warmth through the crisp cotton of his shirt, the strength in the way he’d held her, they had all combined in her head. In that moment her imagination had run wild and all she could see was him, shirt and hair all rumpled as he pressed her against a wall, hands and lips roaming.

The realization had shocked her to the core, not so much the attraction - she’d already admitted to that. It was the knowledge that in that moment she wanted to lift her head those few inches closer, press her mouth against his and see what happened. Her body was completely betraying her, ignoring everything that she knew about the kind of man he was.

The argument had served its purpose, reminded her why she hated him. His casual dismissal of Brad infuriated her, the fact that despite that she was still attracted to him made her even angrier with herself.

Mr Lucas’ interruption couldn’t have come at a worse moment. The look on Jack’s face had effectively cleared her head, telling her everything she needed to know about his thoughts. She’d had to walk away before she called him out in public for being such an ass.

“Nice job out there twinkle toes.”

Lizzie managed a smile as Charlie wrapped his arms around her.

“Pity about the partner though.”

“I don’t know, he looked like he knew what he was doing.”

“Yeah he always knows exactly what he’s doing.” she said bitterly.

“What is it with him anyway? I mean I know he’s been around a lot, I thought there was….you know.”

Ew, god no Charlie! Trust me he hates me as much as I loathe him.”

“Coulda fooled me.” he muttered, side eyeing her.

“I told you what he did to Brad and you’ve seen the way he acts around here.”

“Ok I agree that the whole Brad thing was a bit low, but also normal for a cutthroat world like that. But come on Liz, let’s face it, he’s cute and all but only a fool would turn down all that Jack has to offer.”

“Consider me a fool then, besides you know I don’t care about all that crap. I don’t give a shit what he does for a living or how much he makes doing it - a jerk is a jerk.”

“Real shame the jerk is so hot though.”

“Yup, that’s a hard truth.”

“Come on, let’s go back in there and have some fun, fuck the rest of them.”

Charlie had a way of making her feel better and of putting things in perspective. He was blunt and pragmatic, funny and comforting, everything she needed to see things more clearly. She would have been lost without him.

Halfway through their dinner, after a few hours of dancing, someone grabbed Charlie’s attention and he was off again leaving her alone at the table. She could see Maya sitting with Tom a few tables over, a smile on her face as they talked some of his friends. Her mother and father sat with the Lucas’ and some other people they knew from town, Chloe’s voice carrying as she talked of her various maladies.

“Enjoying the party Eliza?”

Lizzie almost cringed as Caro sat down beside her, her perfume wafting, boobs spilling out of her dress.

“It’s been okay so far.” she shrugged nonchalantly.

“Listen, I hear that you’ve been getting quite friendly with Brad Wick.”

“And?”

“Well I should warn you that he’s not exactly a great guy.”

“Really?” Lizzie tried her best to sound bored. “How so?”

“I don’t know the particulars, but I do know something nasty went down between him and Jack and Jack was in no way to blame. But honestly, considering he grew up in a home, what else can you expect?”

“I assume you got your information from Jack?”

“Not entirely, there are some rumors swirling, but Eliza I wouldn’t trust him.”

Anger flared again, what the fuck was it with these people? Why did they find it so easy to try and ruin the lives of others? What made them think they were supposedly so much better than everyone else?

“Well Caro, it really isn’t any of your business. Besides it sounds like the only thing he’s done wrong in your eyes is grow up rough, and he already told me all about that.”

Lizzie saw the woman stiffen, obviously surprised at her audacity.

“I’m sorry, I was just trying to help.”

“I don’t need your kind of help, I’m a big girl and I make my own decisions about people.”

Caro didn’t say another word, just stood up and left. Lizzie let go an exasperated breath, suddenly tired and wanting to go home.

“Are you ok?” Maya was beside her looking concerned.

“I’m fine, I’ve just had enough of these people.”

“I saw Caro over here, what was that about?”

“She wanted to ‘warn’ me about Brad, I told her to fuck off.”

“Lizzie…” Maya started cautiously, “ I asked Tom about him and he said that Brad wasn’t a good guy.”

“Oh Maya, not you too. Besides has Tom even really met him, outside being on set?”

“No, I don’t think so.”

“Then he’s getting all his information from Jack, who has a very personal problem with him!”

“I didn’t even think that you liked him like that.”

“I don't. I just….I just hate the way that they all act like he’s done something wrong without having any proof. It’s not fair Maya.”

Maya sighed, obviously torn between her support of her sister and her affection for Tom. Lizzie hated that she had put her sister in the middle of it.

“It’s ok, I’ll be fine. I think Colin just got me all worked up.”

“Speaking of which….”

Lizzie followed Maya’s gaze to where Colin stood behind Jack’s seat, tapping him on the shoulder.

“That’s not going to end well.” From the stony look on Jack’s face as he turned, it hadn’t even begun well. Despite everything, she was sort of rooting for Jack to put Colin firmly in his place. The man was a born sycophant and Jack was the biggest fish in the room, it would give her a perverse satisfaction to see him firmly put in his place by the younger man.

“Colin has forgiven Lizzie for everything, she just had cold feet. Honestly I wouldn’t be surprised if the wedding is back on in a few months.”

Lizzie’s head turned in horror at the sound of her mother’s voice as it carried across the tables.

“Between that and Maya, both the girls will be very well off indeed and set up to help Lydia too. Everything is working out exactly as I had hoped.”

Both girls had burning cheeks, Lizzie could see both Jack and Tom staring, Colin looking smug. She felt sick, she had to leave. Out of her chair, she managed two steps before her father came into her line of sight making a beeline for the dancefloor. Lydia was there with some kid from school, grinding against him while his hands roamed all over her. Ben walked straight over, grabbing her sister’s arm and leading her away while she cussed up a storm.

The humiliation was complete. She was done.

“I’m going home.” she hugged Maya. “Go back to Tom and act like nothing happened ok.”

Maya nodded, walking away.

Lizzie kept her head held high as she stalked out, grabbing her coat. She walked home despite the cold, refusing the offer of an Uber. Once locked inside she quickly stripped off her dress and jewelry, leaving everything in a pile on the floor. Her makeup was washed off as she stared blankly into the mirror, trying to hold it together. It wasn’t until after she climbed into bed, pulling the covers up around her head that she finally broke down and cried herself to sleep.

JACK

Jack honestly couldn’t believe what had just happened. Seriously couldn’t even begin to fathom how the night had taken such a turn. What an absolute clusterfuck. After the dance with Elizabeth everything had gone downhill so quickly, he’d been so distracted by what Lucas had said that he hadn’t seen the impending disaster unfolding.If he hadn’t so busy watching Tom and Maya, he would have seen Caro pounce on Elizabeth before she came stomping back to the table calling her a stuck up bitch. Then he’d been listening to her go on and on that he hadn’t even realized that Colin Ryan was right behind him until the creepy cunt was tapping him on the shoulder and going on about how he worked for Ann De Bourgh's L.A office and was hoping Jack would consider him for his U.S publicity.

The sheer nerve of the man had Jack in shock and he’d barely managed to shoot the man down with any politeness at all. That he would even consider asking him, given his history with Elizabeth and the current situation spoke to the audacity of the man. Then he heard the mother’s voice and saw the smug look on Colin’s face. It was then that he looked over at Elizabeth where she sat with Maya, hating the look of humiliation he saw on both their faces. He knew every word was bullshit, but he couldn’t believe how tone deaf Chloe Bennett was to her daughter’s feelings. Or how determined she apparently was to get her daughters ahead in the world.

He saw Elizabeth get up to leave and he took a step toward her, watching her falter as her father practically dragged Lydia off the dance floor. While he couldn’t blame the man for trying to protect his underage daughter, his method caused a scene that could have been avoided. The whole thing could have been avoided if the girl had any discipline at all, she wasn’t an idiot but she was very much out of control. He could almost feel the embarrassment that Elizabeth was experiencing, it was radiating from her and he was more than a little chuffed with the way she kept her head held up as she left.

He wanted to follow her, but he knew he couldn’t, not after everything that had happened. He was probably the last person she would accept comfort from right now. Still he struggled, hating himself as he watched her go, the haunted look on her face something he wasn’t soon going to forget.

“I suppose things didn’t get too out of hand tonight.” Caro sneered sarcastically. “I mean most of the natives have behaved themselves, except for the Bennets. God what a nightmare those people are.”

Jack merely grunted, unwilling to give her satisfaction of agreeing. Apart from the behavior of those three the night had been a surprising success, not that he really gave a shit.

He was expected to remain, so he did, keeping a close eye on things. Lydia spent the rest of the night sulking in a chair beside her father. Chloe Bennet quieted down, thankfully, but her earlier words still rang in his ears. Tom and Maya were inseparable as always and he took special notice of them. They looked happy enough, but she had withdrawn, he smile not quite reaching her eyes. He wondered if Maya was being pushed toward Tom by her mother. Sure she liked him but to his eyes not nearly as much as Chloe seemed to be implying. The question was, how far would she allow herself to be pushed and how much would that damage Tom?

Biding his time he waited until the party wound down before returning to the suite to wait for his friend. Tom walked in, on a cloud, Caro following behind him looking disapproving. That was fine, he thought, he could use her help for this.

“After Thanksgiving Maya and are going to take off for a few days, maybe up to Michigan.” Tom was prattling on and Jack knew he had to step in now.

“Don’t ye have those auditions next week?”

“I’m sure I can reschedule.” “And if ye canna? What will ye do then? That's no a professional way tae act.”

“There’ll be other roles, Jack.” Tom looked crestfallen that his mate wasn’t as happy for him as he would have liked.

“Ye know as well as I do that's no true.”

“Well I don’t care, Jack. I’m happy.”

“And ye were happy wi Sandra, and then mel, until ye weren’t.”

“It’s different with Maya.”

Caro snorted, rolling her eyes and Jack leveled her with a glare.

“Ye always say tha, mate. Ye fall in an out o love all the time. It’s no worth risking yer career fer.”

Jack saw the first flicker of doubt on Tom’s face and he knew he was getting through to him. Swallowing his conscience he kept at it. He didn’t want his friend to get hurt.

“Look Tom, I donna doubt that ye care abou the girl, an she’s lovely, but ye barely know her.”

“It’s been three months!”

“And after four months with Mel it was over remember?”

“Because Mel only wanted one thing, Caro. You know she was only using me to get an inside track on roles.”

“And Maya’s mum is pushin her at ye fer fame and money too. Ye heard her tonight.”

The trap was sprung and Tom had walked right into it. His face told the whole story, anger, doubt and hurt.

“Maya’s not like that.”

“I’m no sayin she is.” Jack admitted truthfully. “Maya’s a nice, sweet girl but how vested is she in this and how much of it is her mum’s manipulation?”

“It’s….I’m….she’s….” Tom was yammering and though Jack was feeling guilty he squashed it quickly. He was doing the right thing and Tom would see that in the long run.

“God, what am I going to do?” Tom sighed, sinking into a chair.

“I can get us all on a flight to London by 7am.” Caro piped up.

“That would mean leaving now.” Tom looked shocked. “That’s a low route to take.”

“Do ye wan tae drag it out? Sit at a dinner table with the whole family knowing ye’re goin tae break it off?”

“No, I suppose not, but Maya deserves better than a disappearing act.”

“Then text her, send an email, but draggin it out is only goin tae complicate things. A clean break is best, no harm no foul.”

Silence. With a nod Jack indicated to Caro that she should book the flight and then he went to pack.

There was a feeling relief knowing he was leaving this place behind him and returning to the familiar. He had a break until January before he was expected at a job in Italy and then in L.A for February and March. Spending most of that time at home in Scotland seemed like the best idea to get his head straight. A picture of Elizabeth presented itself in his thoughts and he tried to shake it away. He would soon forget that she had ever existed, or at the very least she would just be the memory of a pretty girl he’d failed to shag.

Tom didn’t say a word to anyone, not as they packed or as the car drove them to O’Hare. He looked miserable but resigned and Jack was sure that he would be back to his old self in no time. The boy always bounced back quickly and this time would be no different. Maya would be fine too, he was sure of that. She would be hurt at the way they had left yes, but with them gone her mum would stop pushing her and she could just get on with her life. Every time his thoughts turned to Elizabeth he pushed them away, what she did now was none of his concern, whether it be with Wick, or Colin, or no-one.

The bile rose in his throat and he swallowed against it, turning to look out the window. As the plane sped down the runway and began to ascend he thought about London and all the reasons he had to never come back here. And as the plane rose higher, the Chicago skyline receding from view, he pulled down the shade and closed his eyes, willing himself not to dream of a woman that he would never see again.

[zelos-official-armrest]

Promised Warsaw Boom fanaccount

Ok, where do I start? Was this an experience! It was my second B.A.P concert and boy am I happy. B.A.P truly are amazing! It was my first time travelling all alone AND to a country so far away from home so I was pretty nervous at first. Besides B.A.P I met many nice Babyz so shoutout to you guys! I’ll put the long overview under “read more” so if you don’t want to, you don’t have to scroll through all of this.

I’m not gonna put much about my travel down here, but I’ll mention that the traffic was really busy on Friday so I struggled for 3 hours to get to my hotel using the public transportation. I was so tired afterwards so no sightseeing which I had previously planned to do. At 5 pm on a day before the concert there were already about 10 people queuing outside the venue.

Me and @mingyubabe had decided to queue together and so we left for the venue a bit before midnight. I’d say there were around 40-50 people there when we arrived. Here’s a blurry picture.

Some Babyz had a leftover heat blanket? (Idk how they’re called) and they gave it to us so we wouldn’t get too cold at night. Thank you a lot! We had to sit there until 6 am to get our first numbers. In the end, the fact that we queued for so long, didn’t almost matter because as it came out, the fanstaff had an unoffical list where they wrote down names and this had begun already on Thursday?! (Found sth on twitter about 2 Spanish babyz arriving then and bombarding staff with their calls, like wut?) Since we didn’t know anything about the list and I don’t think they ever announced it anywhere, we got our names written down like 5 am in the morning, so my number was 110.

Next check-ups were at 13 and 17. By that time I had gone back and fourth my hotels (had to switch because the concert day was sold out in my first one). At 4 pm fans had planned a flash mob and I heard from someone that B.A.P was going to watch it. So everyone gathered under the balcony and we started waiting and chanting. Then someone came out and everybody screamed. Well, that was just some random dude (probably staff) and then everyone laughed. This happened like at least 10 times, in the end I got kinda tired of it because fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice... One cameraman had the time of his life though, haha. Probably went back home and boasted that he just made 1500 fangirls scream.

And then finally our boys came out and there was actual thunder and lightning, lol. I was like WOAH, omg, this is great! At that point my day had already been made. I got a picture of them with my OWN PHONE (yeii, my first pic of them). Dae looks like he’s looking straight to the camera. If you’re wondering where’s Jongup then look really closely between Himchan and Zelo. That tiny strand of hair sticking out is him.

They were filming an waving and sending hearts our way. Youngjae was being his sassy self in the end.

Now a bit off the course. Since you know, this year they had a dress code for the concert so I’ll post a pic of my outfit for it. I tried to fit several styles (rose, casual, maybe sexy&special too, idk if I can classify as this) but the main thing were these bunny ears with LED lights that I made all by myself (White parts are hand-painted with acrylics, I also sewed, glued and messed with electronics). Worked really hard to make them and I’m pleasantly surprised they survived the concert after all the water fights and jumping.

The concert itself was wonderful. I’m not able to compare it to last years one in Helsinki because the circumstances are different. That one was my first ever B.A.P concert so it certainly left a huge impact. I really loved the solo performances that time. But I can’t say this concert was any less. I’d say this time there was certainly more fan interaction.

As everyone already knows the concert started with DJ B.Shoo hyping up the crowd. I think I’m not gonna talk about all the performances, but maybe just point out some. The remix parts were nice as always, Youngjae was the one picking a lucky fan this time and then they drank beer. The water gun fight was crazy, I was soaking and my makeup was getting kinda smudged (at some point 4 of them were just pouring water everywhere. I think I accidentally swallowed a drop from Youngjae’s, but the main evil was Himchan. He’s responsible for ruining makeups, lol). Zelo’s solo song in English was adorable, Jongup and Daehyun did really well with theirs too. We got butt wiggles from Zelo and Daehyun and Yongguk lift his shirt. If I remember correctly, someone kicked someones butt and Dae gave a backhug to Jongup? We started using our whistles for fanchants when One Shot came on. Their performances are really powerful and their moves are so smooth. They still sound like they eat CD-s and dance effortlessly. The concert was sold out and I think B.A.P were really amazed. They thanked the crowd and promised to come back to Poland next year.

I had a VIP ticket which meant guaranteed high5. Our high five took place right in front of the stage, like, we were just waiting and then we see the members in front of us. I was surprised because I thought we would go to another room to do this. The picture is very blurry because my phone didn’t want to focus but you’ll get the gist of it.

Everyone had such loving smiles and soft hands and they told me thank you when I high fived them, so I answered the same (I had planned to tell something else, but it would’ve been awkward if they said thank you and I’d say sth out of topic). Yongguk and Daehyun were the most memorable for me, Daehyun slid his hand a bit while high-fiving, so the fingers kinda linked a bit. Even Jongup, whom I though would be a bit in his own thoughts or sth, was really into it. For some reason though, Himchan was either tired or thinking of sth else, so he didn’t really pay attention. While other members had their hands up, he had his down, so at first I was searching for it.

But in the end, I could high five all of them and that’s all that matters. I was really happy, the concert was great and I had so much positive experiences. Now I’m on a high for some time.

Now on another note, I was heading back home on Sunday and I met B.A.P at the airport. I didn’t take any pictures because I didn’t think it would’ve been appropriate. They got even less sleep from last night and their flight was departing soon, so it’s up to you if you believe me or you don’t. To be honest, I was actually hoping to see them there, because I had a small present for Yongguk, but gifts weren’t allowed at the venue this time. I still took it with me should there come a chance like this. So... my flight was at 11 o’clock but I saw that planes to Budapest were leaving either at 10:30 or 10:50. I waited a bit near the corresponding gates. Then I saw a suspicious looking man in a mask standing at the McDonalds. I thought to myself, could this be one of them. My suspicions were cleared when a person in a black coat with huge red text on the back of it appeared. “Death by Rock&Roll” it said. Jongup, Youngjae (the suspicious masked man), Daehyun and Zelo sat at McDonalds near gate 36. I wanted to confirm so I got a little sneak peak from the other side. When I got back, there was a shop at the corner and VOILA! Wild Himchan appeared. He was shopping there with the pretty stylist lady. They came out and I said hi to them. The stylist lady smiled but I don’t think I got any reaction from Channie.

There wasn’t much time left to board the plane and I still hadn’t seen Yongguk. I decided I had to at least hand the present to some of the members then. Dae, Jae and Zelo left McDonalds so I walked after them. They were going to a different gate than I assumed. As I was walking, someone passed by me on the right side and it was Jongup. He went to Daehyun and they turned around, Dae put his hand around Up’s shoulder and they walked by me without noticing. I guess they headed to the bathroom. So there I was, standing real close to the other members with Yongguk nowhere to be found. Zelo seemed pretty lively and in a good mood so I decided I’ll ask him to give this present to Bang. As I was getting ready to talk, I looked slightly left and on the chairs opposite of Zelo, there he was. Damn he’s good at playing hide and seek, haha. I was standing 1 meter away from Yongguk and as I was about to hand him the present, their manager turned around and was like woah, what are you trying to do here. I told him I had a present for Yongguk, so he took it and handed it to him. I stepped a bit further from the manager. Yongguk was really surprised, he was like, where did this come from?! So he looked behind and saw me standing there. He realized I gave it and nodded and smiled and put it in his bag. I answered with the same and rushed away. I was so so happy. He is so precious. I’m very glad there weren’t any other fangirls crowding them at that moment, which gave it a bigger meaning for me.

Since I didn’t take photos, you’ll get these not-very-good doodles from me.

And this is it. I almost missed my plane, but I will never forget this. I was incredibly lucky yet again. #ForeverWithBAP

[itdisneymatter]

Day 17 - Universal & Islands

TLDR: Universal & Islands for the last time to catch up of rides we'd missed including ET & The Mummy. We also hit some rides for a second & even third time, but just the ones we really liked. Hit the cinema once the parks were done to see Despicable Me, which was amazing. One last ride before we left. then headed to Wonderworks to spend the rest of our evening.

So our last day at Universal and Islands today, and although weve done the parks a few times now, we wanted to get one last look before our holiday comes to an end on Friday and we return to reality. Today we were going the opposite way from last time, starting with Universal ang getting in some of the rides we'd missed then taking the Hogwarts Express to Islands then and finishing up with a few rides there. As we kept missing the opportunity to see Despicable Me 3 in the cinema (and we did really want to see it here), we pre-booked tickets at Citywalk for an afternoon showing, when we should be finished or just about with the parks.

So, Universal. Right as we entered the park and before we got on any rides, we seen the Mystery Machine and more importantly Doc Brown's Delorean, with Doc Brown ready and waiting for a photo op. We couldn't let that one go by so just had to take a quick photo with him before he sent us on our way and said he would 'See us in the future'. Chortle.

Be Gooood!

We then kicked off with a nice wee classic - ET. A great family ride where you go back with ET to his home planet and try to save his family and friends. They all loved it especially when ET called out their names at the end. And with all of us feeling quite good Patrick’s goes and lays down his fact of the day:

ET was originally meant to be a horror movie.

Hmmm, I dunno I mean he looks creepy enough already don’t you think, or is that just me? :P

Patrick, Robert & I then went on to ride The Mummy. Patrick's not one for roller coasters but I convinced him to join us as he'd been on this one before. It was more scary that an actual roller coaster and had some pretty convincing scares in it. The boys loved it and Patrick realised he was worrying about nothing (hopefully that will keep until The Hulk later on).

You're a wizard, Patrick.

The last area of Universal for us approached, Diagon Alley. We were going to go on Escape From Gringotts but the wait time was too long to comfortably allow us to make the remaining rides and get to the cinema so we gave it a pass. Patrick had expressed an interest in getting Robes (like from Hogwarts), and after being in a few notable shops including Borgin & Burkes & the Weasley brothers shop - Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes we went  into the shop which sells the school attire. He got fitted for his Robe and picked up a Prefect badge (which I shamefully laughed at a little), and he was one happy, if now penniless little boy. The Robe was amazing quality and he was asked if he wanted to wear it around the park (which people actually do) though in the kinds of heat we had today it would be volunteering for torture.

Train from Platform 9 3/4 over to Hogsmeade next. The train station had all sorts of cool effects and props and the ride from one park to another is different the opposite way so we were looking forward to doing this trip for the first time this trip. Off the train we then headed to a family favourite (for the 3rd time), Harry Potter & The Forbidden Journey. Grace's first time she was hesitant but if we could, I bet she do this one all day long if we let her now. Great to get one final try of this awesome attraction. Patrick also popped up with a bonus Fun Fact which I need to cinlude as its quite a quirky one:

JK Rowling put the Potions room in the Dungeon of Hogwarts because chemistry was her least favourite subject at school.

Before we left Hogsmeade, we headed to the Hogs Head to get a round of Butterbeers (we'll you just have to, right?). First time we'd been in the bar and it was a lot quieter that the queues outside so that's a wee tip we'll need to remember. And Butterbeers in hand, we headed off over the bridge and into Jurassic Park land. Goodbye Harry Potter, until next time! :)

Its soooo FLUFFY!!!

One of the last things we really had to get ticked off today was to do Reign of King Kong again. This new ride, open recently has high wait times but the ride is awesome. And it appears it has a number of alternate experiences attached to it, which made doing it again for a second time all the more worth it. Time was running but we managed to squeeze in the amazing Spiderman just before heading off to the cinema. I did see Rogue and Storm from the X-Men for a photo op after the ride, which I really wanted but we needed some time to get to the Cinema so just couldn't do it :( It was just as well though as the grey clouds rolled in and it started raining just as we were getting into the Cinema (Citywalk between the two parks also houses a huge cinema, which was idea for us today). We grabbed some snacks and went into the very quiet screen playing Despicable Me 3. No spoilers here, just to say the movie was really funny and just more of the same from Gru, Lucy, the girls and the Minions. We all loved it and glad we made the decision to go see it.

Before we left the parks for good, there was one last ride that Robert wanted to have another shot at - The Hulk! We hopped back into the park (with the rain now nowhere to be seen), and me and Ro (but unfortunately no Patrick) headed to the huge green roller coaster at the front of the park. Its a great ride and probably one of the best roller coasters I’ve been on, so I was pleased to get another shot at it. And so was Robert, his wee face was beaming from ear to ear. Picked up copious amounts of chocolate frogs from the gift shop (for gifts, not me) before we headed off to the car. Universal & Islands: DONE!

Now it was still relatively early in the evening and one thing Grace hadn't shut up about since we arrived was Wonderworks or The Upside Down house as she (and probably everyone else), calls it. It was right across from our hotel, so dropped off the car, got a quick change of clothes and walked down. Wonderworks is a big house (upside down, of course), with multiple levels filled with fascinating games, inventions and challenges - a mini science center if you’d like. Outside was a guy holding a parrot and another guy holding a baby alligator, and as cool as birds are (of the flying variety ;), the alligator won and got our full attention. To my surprise all of them wanted to hold it, which they were allowed to, and as we let Patrick do this years ago, we though it would be good to get another photo several years on.

Lay me down on a bed of nails... literally!

As we were paying for admission into Wonderworks, Ann was asked for ID. She didnt really carry any or had done this whole holiday so we didn't know what to do. She was asked again if she had any form of identification, and was told even her Facebook profile picture would do - to which we both laughed at (Ill need to try that the next time Im in town and I’m asked for ID, LOL). Once we were through the gates, there were all manner of things to keep them occupied including laser beams, a bubble lab, basketball and football, reaction tests, photo ops and lots of other games and brain teasers to keep them entertained. They had a bed of nails, which Robert & I tried which really wasn't all that bad, though Grace was controlling mine and she can have a dark and twisted mind at times. The had an astronaut training simulator and a 360 roller coaster simulator and Patrick went on both without issues (which was crazy as he had been adamant he wasn't riding any coasters esp ones that had loops). We all go to experience a 4DX film (which was Graces favourite from last time), this time it was fast ride over the Great Wall of China which was a little different to before but was still fairly enjoyable. We also all played a game of laser tag and as its a shooting game and I’m not competitive in any way, I kept the scores :P

Gerry: 2005

Robert: 605

Ann: 585

Patrick: 455 

Gracie: 65

Brilliant way to round off the day and everyone thoroughly enjoyed something a little bit slower paced. Home and in bed, for tomorrows second trip to Animal Kingdom!!!