Lizzie Bennet Diaries one-shots

Rumour Mill

What exactly happened with Brent and Lydia, back in ninth grade?

~~~

Chittering as always, Mrs Bennet asked her daughters how their day was.
"Fine," Lydia said, pricking in her food but not eating anything.
"How was school?"
"My school was fun," Jane said before Lydia or Lizzie could answer, "We are playing with texture and shape, I get to use all these crazy materials for the Medusa project."
"You are lucky you're in college," Lizzie said.
"It's only one more year," Jane tried to encourage her.
"Thank goodness," Lizzie said, glaring at Lydia. Lydia didn't respond.
"How is Brent doing?" Mrs Bennet asked Lydia.
"He's fine."
"Just fine?"
"We broke up."
"That's not what I heard-" Lizzie said. Jane shot her an angry glance.
"Well, you heard wrong."
"Did he break up with you because-"
"I broke up with him, because he was being an ass."
"Lydia, mind your language," Mr Bennet glanced over the corner of his newspaper.
"I can say whatever I want when a guy I thought I could trust tells the entire school I'm slut!" Lydia bites across the table. "I'm not hungry," she announced, and she left without saying another word. They could hear the door of her bedroom slam.

A while later, Lizzie knocked on the door of Lydia's bedroom.
A mumbled answer came from inside, Lizzie decided to take it as a yes.
"I brought your food."
"I already said, I'm not hungry."
Lydia was lying on her bed, hiding under the blankets and facing the wall.
Lizzie tentatively sat down beside her. "You will need to eat something."
Lydia shot up: "How often do I need to tell you I am not hungry?!"
Lizzie sighed. "I'll leave it here in case you get hungry later tonight."

"Lizzie? Are you still awake?" Lydia walked into the living room, wearing nothing but her pyjamas.
Lizzie paused her film. "I didn't wake you up, did I?"
"No, I couldn't sleep." Lydia curled up on the couch beside Lizzie. "What are we watching?"
"Legally Blonde."
"Great! Turn it back on."

A while later, Lizzie heard soft crying coming from next to her.
She pulled her sister a little closer to her and put the film on mute.
"Do you want to tell me what happened?" she said after a while.
"No," Lydia said.
Lizzie resisted the urge to question any further, but she didn't turn the sound back on.
"We went on a date last Wednesday."
"I thought you were with Harriet-"
"-I lied, OK," Lydia cut off Lizzie.
Lizzie nodded. It took a while before Lydia continued speaking: "So we were at his place, his folks weren't home, and he wanted to- do things. So I told him I didn't want that. He got angry, so I left. When I arrived at school the next day- Well, you know. Today was even worse than yesterday. Everybody knows."
Lydia curled up to Lizzie: "I don't wanna go to school tomorrow."
Lizzie slowly rubbed over her sister's back. "You will have to go to school eventually."
"Just not tomorrow. Please. I'll go again after the weekend."
Lizzie nodded. "I'll tell the school you're ill."
"Thank you." Lydia burrowed her head in Lizzie's shoulder. "I'm scared."
"It won't be all bad. I will be there. And you have Harriet and-"
Lydia scoffed but softened her expression right after. "At least I have you. Do you have to graduate so soon?"
Lizzie laughed. "By the time I'm gone, everyone will have forgotten those stupid rumours."
"You think so?"
"I know so."
Lydia moved away from Lizzie, grabbed the remote, and turned the tv back on. The signal was clear: this conversation was over.
But to Lizzie, it wasn't. She kept looking at her sister, who was watching the screen with dark eyes. She felt helpless, watching her sister suffer and there was nothing she could do about it.
"Lydia?" she asked softly.
Lydia glared at Lizzie, but she did pause the film. "What?!"
"You- you don't have to do anything you're not comfortable with. You know that, right?"
Lydia looked away. "I know, nerd. That's how I got into this situation in the first place. If I'd just let him-"
"No," Lizzie interrupted her, "Don't finish that sentence. This is not your fault, Lydia. You did the right thing."
Lydia smiled bitterly. "Thanks, sis. Can we please stop talking about this and go watch the film now?"