Thursday, August 8, 2013

THE HOTNESS: A Modern Teen Pride and Prejudice (chapter thirty-one)



Chapter Thirty-one
Another hottie
    Paige smiled, determined to enjoy herself as Rys Wickam arrived and walked straight over to her. By this time, Shiloh had been offered a drink by the host himself.
   Ryan Bingley smiled widely when he noticed Shiloh arrive. This was his chance to ask her out properly, but he wanted to play it cool. He knew it was important to get it right.
    Mackenzie rapped on her glass with a spoon. “Attention guests, it’s time to change into your formal attire.”
    Paige looked exasperated but relieved as she went into the bathroom to put her new shimmery ice blue summer dress on. All of these costume changes were ridiculous but she’d promised her sister she’d enjoy herself and she had to admit the Bingley mansion was some kind of fun.
    Ryan contemplated how to speak to Shiloh, again. He’d considered taking notes from his much cooler friend, Darcy, who always had girls ringing him at all hours of the day and night.  But Darcy had jumped the fence to go and get changed at Mackenzie’s insistence. He seemed to be under the thumb there. Ryan knew Darcy and Mackenzie would never be a real couple. He just hoped Mackenzie realized that. Of course Mackenzie was getting fame (being attached to Darcy on the web had doubled her Twitter followers in just a few days) in return but Ryan was concerned Mackenzie had deeper reasons for offering to be Darcy’s pretend girlfriend for a month – the month that would incorporate the school debate class trip to Oxford for an entire week. Of course, only those rich enough or smart enough could go. Just the winners of the district competition would be paid for outright, the rest would have to raise the funds. 
    Still, he wanted to enjoy himself tonight. If he could just convince Shiloh to dance with him to his favorite rap song, that would be a start. Then he noticed Amadeus was jumping up and down, out of time to the music, very enthusiastically.
    Paige was left to smile and chat and even dance with Rys, who’d arrived with two girls on his arms but only had eyes for one – Paige.
    Come to think of it, Rys’s entrance was when Darcy had left.
    Wednesday and I were decorating cupcakes in between dancing when we noticed this.  I think Wednesday is going to re-claim being the narrator of this story soon, although she says I’ve done such a good job she’ll only take over when I’m ready… We stood in a corner like freshman wallflowers but at least our feet tapped in time to the music.
    We noticed everything as Mackenzie brought us over a plate of food and told us how good we were being (like pets!) Wednesday giggled after she left when I told her all about her ‘arrangement’ with Darcy.
    “I’m not surprised,” Wednesday said. “All along he’s been into Paige but she won’t give him the time of day. Hello. Strategy. Men are so clueless.”

    “Agreed,” I replied tapping those words into my cell under the glittery rhinestone shimmer that stated my name: HONEY WOODHOUSE. The ‘grown up’ conversation continued…