Pomp And Circumstance [COMPLETE]

Chapter Five

Halfway through her third week at Meriton Charter and Darcy had made the library her home base. It was where she ate lunch and it was where she spent her free period. The librarians knew her and returned her tight-lipped head nod with the same warmth and cordiality that Darcy showed them: next to none. Nothing but stiff necks and cool tempers as far as the eye could see.

It was a welcomed retreat from the noise and chaos of the lunchroom, especially considering that the only person who shared her lunch period was Eli Bennett and he looked as welcoming as Darcy did on a day-to-day basis.

As much as Darcy was dying for the salutatorian spot, so much her stomach hurt thinking about it, there was only so much homework and studying she could get done. Her usual after-school activities had been shut down with Netherfield and Darcy hadn't heard from a single one of her teammates or anyone she had considered a friend at Netherfield since she had transferred to Meriton, leaving her weekends empty.

With her free period a daily occurrence and lunchtime an equally optimal time to work, Darcy found herself bored the Wednesday of her third week into her stay at Meriton. All homework done, all studying up to date, Darcy had nothing to do.

And so she worked.

Darcy's family ran a high-end art gallery in South Boston. They had for generations. Darcy's mother had been in charge before her death and her Aunt Lois (her mother's best friend) had taken over that position from her as well as her position as mother to Darcy and George when she died.

After her mother's passing, Darcy's father was unable, physically and emotionally, to step up to the task. At both the gallery and with Darcy and George.

Darcy worked at the gallery as often as she could. It wasn't nearly as much as she wanted as she had a standing agreement with her Aunt Lois that her school work came first, that it was only once Darcy's studies were all taken care of that she could focus on tasks for the gallery.

For the first time that year, Darcy finally had the time.

She leaned forward in her hard plastic school regulation chair and dove into gallery emails head-first, visiting the website, checking for bugs, glitches, anything Lois might have missed or not known how to fix.

Darcy was deep into the applications for a future exhibit when a scent wafted her way. Her spine straightened without Darcy's permission. Her eyes went wide to take in all of her surroundings at once. Her work for the gallery was forgotten, downgraded, and kicked off the priority list at the familiar scent.

Darcy had once found it sweet, bright, fresh. Now it clogged up her nostrils, it made her stomach turn. She had to swallow hard to keep her lunch where it belonged.

That scent meant only one thing. Darcy looked to her right and found Gina leaning against a bookshelf, her arms folded across her chest, her Cheshire cat smile out to play.

"Darcy, alone in a library. How absolutely predictable."

Without an invitation, Gina approached Darcy's table, going so far as to follow its curve to stand on the opposite side facing Darcy, a table's distance between them for safety.

They were hidden from view. Darcy had chosen the furthest table in the furthest corner of Meriton's small library. She sat with her back to the room and hadn't seen Gina approach. Darcy would have to chastise herself for that later.

"What do you want, Wickham?"

"Wickham?"

With a hollow laugh, Gina flicked her hair over her shoulder so her long dark blonde waves fell perfectly down her back. The move seemed effortless, easy, natural. But that was Gina's game. Everything she did was to seem effortless, accidental almost, the most natural it could be. It was an effective disguise for the countless cogs spinning in her head, moving constantly, taking in everything, and factoring it into the master plan she was working on in her head.