P&P

Chapter Nine

"How do you feel about these napkins?" Charlie asked Jane. It was her second to last day at Netherfield until she got to return home. Meanwhile, Charlie was in full party-planner mode. From the way it was going, you'd think Charlie was throwing a graceful dinner party where everyone wore white and anything crazy happening would be an absolute embarrassment.

"They're beautiful, Charlie." Jane told him. "But don't you think you're taking this party a little too seriously?"

"Of course not! I'm inviting everyone in town, after all. It has to be perfect." I wondered if Charlie was more than a little stressed over this party. Why did Lydia have to remind him about it, anyway? I always dreaded parties. But maybe since this wouldn't be like the usual parties we went to, it would be better.

Maybe.

"You know," I began to Charlie. "I think when Lydia suggested you throw a party, she meant more of a full on kegger-frat-boy rager. But I do like the angle you're going with much better than hers."

"Well thank you, Lizzie." He told me. "Now do you like these napkins as well?"

"They're good napkins." I told him, trying to hide my smile.

"Stop worrying about the goddamn napkins." A voice from down the hall said. It sounded like Darcy. He finally came in, stacks of CDs in both hands. "You are not having a harder time planning this party than I am. Every DJ I've interviewed has no idea what real music is."

"Or maybe it's the other way around." I whispered to Jane, who swatted my arm and told me to be nice. I rolled my eyes.

"You know, Darcy," Charlie began, full of spunk. "The napkins aren't the only thing I have to worry about! I also have to make the guest list, send out the invitations, hire a caterer, find a decorator, and much, much more and the party is this weekend!" And then Charlie screamed, which echoed a roar around the house. The tension of the situation had me dreading whatever would come next.

"Caroline!" Darcy called after a full thirty seconds of them glaring back and forth at each other. He turned down the hallway he came from and yelled, "Your brother is having a meltdown!"

"You know if you need help, you can always ask me." Jane offered. I thought it was sweet of her, considering Charlie seemed to be in the middle of a melodramatic breakdown.

"I'm alright." Charlie breathed, although he wasn't very convincing. It looked like the two words were taking a lot of effort to say. "I just...I just want things to go well." He smiled warily at Jane, and she smiled back at him. But for whatever reason, I thought I saw something else in Charlie.

Something that had nothing to do with the party.

When I got home, Charlotte was waiting outside the house, presumably for me. She was sitting at my front steps looking down at her sandals, shaking her left foot impatiently. It was a habit of hers. I sat down next to her and she gave me a knowing smile.

"Why do you always give me that look?" I asked her, raising an eyebrow. She said nothing as she continued to look at me. "You look like I did something incredibly devious, which is Lydia's forte; not mine."

"You did do something incredibly devious." Charlotte said, her smirk growing wider. "And so unlike you. One might even call it childish, but I do get the motive behind it."

"Okay, enough. What did I do?"

"You spread rumors about Darcy."

"I did no such thing!" I said in a fake-dramatic gasp.