Hate At First Sight

Chapter 1: The Announcement

It is a truth universally acknowledged that your day is going to suck when you are woken up by your little sister at the crack of dawn.

"Wake up Eliza! You will never guess what has happened!" Yells my younger sister excitedly. I wish I could say that I wasn't rudely awoken like this often, but I would be lying.

"What do you WANT Lydia?" I ask, still mostly asleep, "and why couldn't it wait til I was already awake?"

"Mom told me to come wake you up. She's called a family meeting."

I roll over and look at the time on my phone, it reads 6:00.

"Why is mom calling a family meeting at 6 o'clock in the freakin morning?" I roll over and bury my face in my pillow, determined that I was not going to get up.

Lydia insisting on being a thorn in my side, grabs my blanket and pulls it off me, leaving me cold and angry.

"Lydia give me back my blanket or I will personally ensure that you do not live past the age of 16!" I threaten.

"MOM! ELIZA WONT GET UP!" Lydia yells. "AND SHE IS THREATENING ME!"

From downstairs I hear "Elizabeth Bennet get out of bed and come down here this instant or so help me I will come get you myself!"

Grumbling I roll out of bed, "OK IM COMING, GIVE ME A MINUTE!"

Lydia, having achieved her purpose, skips out of my room.

I swear, I dont know how that girl has so much energy so early in the morning. With this thought I drag myself to the bathroom I share with my sisters, Jane is already impeccably dressed, as always, and is fixing her hair.

"Do you know what this supposed family meeting is about? Mom never calls family meetings, especially not this early in the morning" I ask as I brush through my tangled brown hair.

"Lydia said something about a new neighbor, and you know how Mom gets about new people." she replies, finishing her hair. Jane is about as perfect as someone can be, she is pretty much a saint, but she would never agree to that, she is too humble.

While I look about as plain as you can, with my dull brown hair and hazel eyes, Jane is beautiful. She has shiny blond hair and striking blue eyes, and to top it all off, she is the sweetest person you will ever meet. Jane attracts people to herself with her happy, open personality while I tend to rub people the wrong way with my sarcastic and abrasive one.

Half an hour later, finally fully awake and presentable, I go downstairs to join the rest of my family in the living room. I squeeze myself onto the couch between Mary and Jane.

"Now that everyone has joined us" my mom says looking pointedly at me, "I can tell you why I have called this meeting."

"Yes, please do dear, the suspense is killing me." My dad comments sarcastically.

If you have ever met my father you know that he is the reason that I am as sarcastic and witty as I am. My mom on the other hand, tends to be on the denser side.

"Yes well you will never believe who moved into the neighborhood!" She pauses for dramatic effect. "A Mr.Bingley! Apparently he opened a new club in downtown and decided to move here to oversee it!"

I decide that I don't want to know how my mom knows all of this, I knew if I did ask I would regret it.

"What exactly does this have to do with us?" I ask.

"He is rich and single! He would be perfect for one of you!" My mom replies.

She can't possibly be serious!

"And I have invited him, his sister, and a friend of his, who is going to stay with them, to dinner!"

Nope, she is completely serious.

"Why would you do that? This isn't freakin Victorian England, this is Los Angeles!" I exclaim. Knowing my mom, she will stop at nothing to bring about her desired outcome.

"Unfortunately my dear she has already asked, and they have accepted." My father adds in a completely serious tone.

I know he finds all of this hilarious, he loves to watch my mom make a fool of herself.

"When is this dinner?" Jane asks stopping me from saying something I will regret.

"Tonight! And I expect you all to be there, no excuses!" All of my sisters nod. My mom looks pointedly at me, "Eliza?"

"Fine, I'll be there." I reply in a resigned tone. Then an idea comes to mind. "On one condition" I add.

"What is it?" My mom asks.

"I will go and not complain, ONLY, if Charlotte can also come."

Charlotte is my best friend, and she is very well acquainted with my mom's crazy schemes.

"Yes, well, I suppose Charlotte can come, but I will hold you to that promise Eliza." She narrows her eyes at me.

"Cross my heart", I reply and smile sweetly.

With this the conversation comes to an end. I take this chance to escape, using the excuse that I have to get to work. I don't really have to be at work for half an hour, but they don't know that.

Besides, if I leave now I can walk and not have to wait for the bus.

I love to walk, it is my favorite thing to do, besides reading, and luckily because we live in L.A. the weather is always perfect for walking. My younger sisters don't understand why I like to walk, Kitty and Lydia would rather have someone chauffer them around, and Mary is too involved with her books and the old piano to "waste time doing something so pointless."

As I walk to the small bookstore that I work in I wonder what will come of this dinner my mother has cooked up.

Little did I know that this day would change my life.