Free One Word From You: A Pride and Prejudice Adaptation by Natalie Penna

direction.
     
    Whatever they were talking about, I had forgotten it. The only thing on my mind had been avoiding Wyatt. That was a serious use of my time and energy. Everything else came second to it. I shrugged at the others. Thankfully, Chrissy was happy to remind me, “We're going to Jenny's house tonight. Remember? Her Mum said we should celebrate her getting better.”
     
    Ah, that.
     
    It was a Friday night, and the school had permitted it seeing as it was their inability to control the students that had led to Jenny's hospitalisation in the first place. I did want to go, because it meant that I could get away from Wyatt for the night. Dinner away from the school was always appealing, no matter where else it might be.
     
    “ We should go and get ready. Sorry again that I bumped into you, Sir,” I said.
     
    “ Call me Gideon. Sir makes me sound old.”
     
    “ Do you want to come, too?” Lisa asked, “It'd be way more fun if you were there.”
     
    “ Lis'! You can't invite people to someone else's party,” I told her.
     
    Jenny smiled politely, “You'd be welcome if you'd like to come along. It might be good for you to meet some of the parents and things, don't you think?”
     
    “ Well, if you don't mind,” Gideon said.
     
    “ Don't mind what?” Wyatt asked as he joined us.
     
    I didn't do anything to hide my groan. He had to know how much he annoyed me. If he hadn't seen it already, then he was totally delusional. Well... Wyatt was, actually. Whatever. I didn't want him to go. Gideon seemed like he was good fun. But my sort-of brother would suck all the amusement out of the evening.
     
    So I wanted to crawl into a hole and die when Jenny offered, “Would you like to come along, Mr. Collins? It's a party at my mother's house. Mr. Wilson's going to be joining us.”
     
    “ Then, perhaps I should,” Wyatt puffed out his chest like a self-important peacock, “Elisa should have a chaperone.”
     
    “ I don't need one,” I snarled at him, “It's just my friends and their parents.”
     
    “ And Gideon,” Wyatt corrected, “Don't worry about it being inconvenient to me. I think it'll be a good way to spend the evening. And I can keep an eye on you while we're enjoying ourselves.”
     
    Yes, that was what I was afraid of.
     
    “ Mum's going to send a car for us all at six. They're going to pick us up at the entrance.”
     
    Wyatt bowed his head a little to Jenny, “I'll look forward to seeing you all there.”
     
    “ So will I,” Gideon winked at me, and smirked just enough that the corner of his mouth twitched upwards. At least he understood the anguish I felt at having to spend an evening with Wyatt. He nudged me gently with his elbow and whispered, “I'll do my best to rescue you.”
     
    The man was trying to give me a heart attack, I was certain.
     
    Gideon took Wyatt with him when he left. The man didn't object. No doubt he was already forming a plan in his head that involved somehow endearing himself to everyone at the party, whether they wanted his company or not. So long as he didn't actually stick to me for the entire night, I could cope with that. Though I knew I'd be totally humiliated if anyone realised we had some kind of familial connection.
     
    “ So,” Jenny said when they were gone, “What did we just interrupt?”
     
    “ We interrupted something?” Meg asked, as ignorant of the atmosphere as ever.
     
    “ I knocked him over. Nothing thrilling.”
     
    Lisa fanned herself with her hand, “Gideon is so hot, isn't he? What do you think he'll wear?”
     
    “ Oh my God, what are we going to wear?!” Chrissy exclaimed.
     
    “ It's a party, not a wedding,” I said, “You'll find something. Come on, you brought half a department store along with you.”
     
    Chrissy and Lisa had never quite managed to understand packing light. To them, that meant bringing things made of thin fabric. I linked arms with Jenny, and let the two idiots run ahead to our dorm