Pride's Prejudice (4 page)

STOMPED-ON

"Stupid
men are the only ones worth knowing, after all."

~Elizabeth
Bennet, Pride & Prejudice

Beth
struggled through the door of room 204 with her back pack, guitar case, music
bag, and grocery sacks.  As she unloaded her spoils from the Piggy Wiggly
,
she laughed quietly.  Anyone checking the contents of her bags
would've assumed she was suffering from one of two things:  a horrible
breakup or PMS.  It was the latter.  Out of the bags came a
gallon-sized jug of cheesy balls, a jar of peanut butter, milk chocolate chips,
a two-liter of Dr. Pepper, pink-frosted sugar cookies from the bakery, a bag of
shoestring potato chips, two half-gallons of ice cream (Marshmallow Madness and
Cherub Chocolate Chunk), and a can of whipped cream to replace the one she'd
polished off at breakfast the other morning. 
Maybe I should've gotten
diet soda,
she despaired, looking at the buffet of calories before
her. 
Oh well.  It's only once every twenty-eight days.

As
Beth deposited the ice cream in the freezer and set the whipped cream in the
door of the fridge, a knock sounded at the door.  Just before opening it,
she had one of those uncanny insights into the future that whisper across the
mind now and again.  Like when you hear the opening strains of a song in
your head, and the next second the radio plays the tune.  Only, it wasn't
quite so pleasantly surprising.  The name Colton blinked in her head, and
the next instant he stood in her doorway - freakishly tall, leaning casually
against the frame in his Wranglers and boots.  He'd even decked out in a
cowboy hat and bolo necktie.  His western-style shirt had an embroidered
design of a rodeo king roping a girl in a miniskirt.  Beth cocked her head
to the side, scowling.  Surely not.

"Miss
Pride," Colton drawled.  "Fancy seein' you here."

"Wonder
of wonders, considering I live here," Beth answered dryly.

Colton
just chuckled.  "I like you, Beth.  You're humorous."

Beth
smiled placidly.  "So, Colton.  How can I help you?" 
The sooner he got to the point of his visit, the better.  Beth had
hormonal binging to attend to.

"Well,
I'm visitin' my Aunt and Uncle Cartwright for the weekend."

"I
figured."  'Aunt and Uncle Cartwright' were Longbourn's RAs. 
Every visit was exactly the same.  The Cartwrights would invite the most
tempting array of Longbourn residents to their apartment for dessert, and
Colton would pick his favorite.

"Auntie
Cartwright mentioned some to-do you got goin' on tomorrow night."

Oh,
no. 
No.

"I
was hoping you'd give me the first turn at the dance."

Beth
closed her eyes, wishing she could make him disappear.  All the dorms held
a stomp in their commons area each semester.  It was just a casual
get-together with dancing and food, and dorm residents were allowed to invite
one guest.  How untimely that Colton's bi-annual visit happened to
coincide with the occasion.  Beth supposed she should be grateful he
didn't have any horse goo on his boots this time.  Apparently his
dessert-du-jour was Beth.

"Um,"
she began, clearing her throat, "I think I'm coming down with something,
actually."  Colton didn't need to know that her malady was womanhood.

Colton
peeked over Beth's head into the apartment, his eyes zeroing in on the junk
food littering the counter.

"Now
don't you go ruinin' that pretty little figure.  Your hips are just
perfect for birthing."

Beth
couldn't contain a shocked burst of laughter.  Then she pinched the bridge
of her nose.  Was it too early to play the lesbian card?  Or the
highly contagious and suspicious rash excuse?  Colton was nothing if not
determined.  She had seen it countless times.  The only thing that
rescued a Longbourn girl from Colton's affection was graduation.

Beth
thought for a moment.  One dance wouldn't kill her.  The only way to
avoid him completely was to stay home, and she really didn't want to skip the
stomp altogether.

"We'll
see how I'm feeling, okay?"

"'Atta
girl, Beth."  He made a noise that he probably used often to get a horse
going, tipped his hat, and strutted off down the hall.

Why
me?
Beth thought desperately, seizing the cheesy balls from the counter.

One
junk food fest, a sappy romantic movie, and Tylenol PM-induced sleep later, and
Beth awoke to face her Friday.  Classes were over by one-thirty, and so
she spent the rest of the afternoon sharing her MSG-riddled plunder with Jenna,
practicing her guitar, and listening to Jenna gush about Les Bradford.  He
had called her at least once a day since the movie date, and Jenna had invited
him to the stomp.

Beth's
lazy strumming cut off abruptly as she pinned Jenna with her eyes. 
"Tell me he's not bringing
him
."

"Not
that I know of," Jenna qualified.  "I invited his sister,
though."

"But
you're only allowed one guest, Jenna."

"Yes,
but I know you haven't asked anyone, so I'm making up for you."

Beth
glared at Jenna.  She had considered asking Brandon, but she was fairly
certain he would read too much into the invitation.  And Beth didn't
believe in leading people on.

"Well,"
Beth grumbled, "at least you didn't ask Les to bring a friend for
me.  That's progress."

"True. 
I did consider it though…….briefly," she added hastily, noting Beth's
expression.

The
girls made quesadillas and tomato soup for dinner, then joined in the bathroom
to get ready for the stomp.  When Jenna suggested an outfit this time,
Beth agreed.  The last time she'd refused Jenna, the consequences had been
disastrous.

Thirty
minutes later, Beth followed Jenna down two flights of stairs into the
Longbourn commons area.  The florescent lights that spanned the ceiling
had been extinguished and hung with strobe lights and miniature disco
balls.  The shabby couches that usually sat in the center of the room had
been pushed against the walls to make room for dancing.  A refreshment
table against the far wall beckoned dancers with popcorn, pretzels, punch, and
cookies.  The music was loud but not deafening.  The girls had only
touched down from the bottom step when Les materialized and swept Jenna into a
twirling hug.  Beth watched them, unable to stop a smile spreading across
her face.  At the same time, a ghostly sadness tugged at her heart. 
She and Jenna had been friends long before either of them thought about boys,
and Beth couldn't help feeling a bit empty over the whole thing.  As if he
sensed her thoughts, Les set Jenna down carefully and squeezed Beth in a
crushing (if less affectionate) hug of her own.

"Beth,
you look amazing!" he said jovially.

"Thanks,
Les.  You're kind of obligated to say that, though - being the best
friend's boyfriend and all."

"Yeah,"
he agreed simply, "but I
mean
it.  And it will probably get me
some brownie points, too." He spoke only to Beth, and she smiled in
response, noting that he hadn't refuted the 'boyfriend' appellation.  Beth
patted him affectionately on the cheek and shooed him away when a slow song
began and he looked longingly toward Jenna.

Beth
strolled the parameter of the commons, coming up short when she saw William
Darcy staring at her from the far side of the room.  The redhead from the
quad was dripping off his arm again, and once again, he seemed oblivious to her
attentions.  What was he doing here?  Jenna said she
hadn't
invited him.  Beth turned away, angry, and saw Colton descending the
stairs.  Was he actually wearing a plaid western shirt and a belt buckle
bigger than his face?  As he entered the room his hat was knocked off by
the low ceiling that bordered the commons.  When he bent to pick it up,
Beth seized the opportunity, ducking onto the sidelined couch next to Leah from
201.

"Hey,
Leah!"  Beth hissed in greeting as she tried to disappear into the
couch.

"Playing
hard to get?" Leah inquired slyly.

"More
like keep away."

Leah
laughed softly.  Beth had met her freshman year when they'd ended up in
the same Courtship and Marriage class.  Leah was twenty-six and a senior,
with muted blue eyes that bulged slightly behind her glasses, and slack,
mouse-colored hair.  Leah was generally considered to be an overage
eternal college student who had lost her bloom, but Beth loved her sense of
humor - dry and understated.  She'd often wished she had more time to
spend with Leah, and from the looks of Jenna swaying in Les's arms, she was
about to get it.

"Well,
I hope you're stocked with evasive maneuvers, because I don't think Colton's
giving up."

Beth
sighed.  "Where did he find determination like that?  He could
bottle it and make a killing off the profit.  Seriously!"

Leah
smiled.  "I don't think he's that bad," she said
contemplatively.  "I know he comes on a little strong, but I'm sure
he means well."

"Leah. 
He told me that I have good birthing hips."

Leah
snorted.  "It could've been worse.  He could've said you had
good breasts for milking."

Leave
it to Leah to spin the positive.  The girls laughed together, then took turns
dissecting the couples on the floor, voicing over their sweet nothings. 
Beth was having so much fun that she completely forgot about Colton. 
Unfortunate, as he had just zeroed in on her location.

"There
you are, you wily little cy-ote," he chided.

She
grimaced as she looked up at him, almost breaking her neck in the
process.  Were there such things as steroids that made a person
tall?  Beth was about to throw her lesbian card, hoping Leah wouldn't mind
playing along, when Colton yanked her up from the couch and prodded her onto
the dance floor.

If he
were merely a bad dancer, the experience might not have been quite as
painful.  But Colton was a bad dancer who thought he was Fred
Astaire.  This, combined with his height and his blatant lack of consideration
for others, and Beth knew she would be waking up in pain tomorrow.

~:~

William
looked on as Beth was thrown miserably around the makeshift dance floor. 
Her partner really was clueless - kind of like Kara.  William hadn't
responded to a single thing she'd said in the last ten minutes.  He wished
she'd let go of his arm.  His only motivation for not shrugging her off
was the hope of a reaction from Beth.  Her eyes had darted over curiously
during the quad movie, and the look she'd given William earlier tonight proved
that she'd noticed Kara's lack of respect for personal space.  Could she
possibly be jealous?  Not likely.  But William realized that he liked
the idea.

When
the first song of Beth's torture ended she tried to graciously disentangle
herself, but the hick was having none of it.  He retained her for a second
dance, and then a third.  By the beginning of the fourth song, she tried
to full on sprint for the stairway, but the redneck simply clapped a hand on
her shoulder and pulled her back.

Time
for an intervention,
William thought, separating himself from
Kara.  He squared his shoulders, stepped forward and tapped Texas on the
shoulder.

"Mind
if I cut in?"

Instead
of posturing as William had expected, Texas threw his head back in
laughter.  "Another bull in the pasture, eh?  I don't mind a
little competition.  I'll be back, darlin'.  My mouth's drier than a
desert cactus at high noon."  He pinched her cheek affectionately,
then veered toward the refreshments.  Beth rubbed her cheek, and when her
hand dropped, William saw a red mark.  He swallowed his anger and held out
a hand to her.  She regarded him for a moment, deliberating.

"Out
of cash?" she asked in what was clearly meant to be an icy tone.  But
it was hollow.  All of her bravado had leaked away.  William just
looked at her, his hand still outstretched.

She
sighed dramatically, then put her hand in his and stepped closer to him.

"You're
welcome, by the way," William said a moment later.

Beth's
eyes were the color of black olives, and the dim lighting made them seem large
and innocent - like a puppy's.  Her hair had been pulled back at the sides
and hung free in the back.  She wore a fitted red top and a denim skirt
that ended just below her knee.  Her legs were sheathed in knee-high boots
that accentuated their…….well, legginess.  As William scrutinized her, he
noted an unnatural looking slit in her skirt that ran up to mid-thigh.  He
raised an eyebrow.

"Colton,"
Beth explained, miffed.  "This skirt's a little narrow for swing
dancing."

William
nodded, trying and failing to conceal a smile.  "He improved
it."

Beth
pinned him with a cold look and then rolled her eyes.  Her beautiful,
dark, bright eyes.  Could eyes be dark and bright at the same time? 
One of the things William had noticed about Beth was that she wore very little
makeup.  With her stop-and-stare eyes and creamy fair skin, she didn't
need to.