(Second Part of our story
– two years later)
Chapter
Forty-seven
The
beginning of another…
Time passed, as it generally does.
Paige and Shiloh were now grown-ups (sort of). I was almost
a junior, along with Honey – we ruled the
school and took extension classes in acting at UCLA (on weekends). But enough
about us – you’ll hear about us in Popular (our next novel). Now, it’s all
about them…
This is where the Bennet family were at:
The financial crisis had hit the family
hard.
Shiloh had elected not to go to college but
instead took a job as a nanny during the week and worked as a waitress at a
local diner on Saturdays. This kept Shiloh very busy. She hadn’t met anyone to compare
with Ryan for two years but she put him out of her mind, convinced he was not
the man she thought he was.
As for Paige – though she’d won a new scholarship
to study at UCLA, money was tight and she worked hard and dated little. Paige
hadn’t met anyone to compare with Darcy, unfortunately. She was convinced Darcy
really was everything she thought he was. And more. She’d tried to forget him,
really she had.
But she hadn’t.
In her second year studying International
Relations, Paige had won a debate scholarship to go to the International University
Debate Finals at Oxford University in England. This was held for a week over
summer. Her college was paying for everything for herself and the team, but she
was doing shifts at the restaurant with Shiloh, to pay for extras.
Both girls were less happy than they
seemed, but always hopeful. Their younger sisters had mellowed a little, but
were still dangerously addicted to social networking. Senta, their middle
sister, was counseling them. She hoped to become a psychologist one day.
“I wish you could come with me,” Paige said
to Shiloh after bussing her final table.
“Knowing you are going on an amazing trip is
enough. Besides, I like to stay close to home to help Mom and Dad. But, you
have to tell me everything when you return… “
“Of course,” Paige said.
Her friend Coco was at summer school and
hanging out with Amadeus in London. They were both on music scholarships, so at
least Paige wouldn’t be totally friendless.
The day Paige was due to leave, Mr and
Mrs Bennet almost started crying until Paige hushed them and said she’d see
them in a fortnight, along with Shiloh. Tthe competition only ran for a week,
but Paige wanted some days to sight see with Coco who would be there too. It
was all planned.
Mrs Bennet shook her head, “Oh, I just know
you’ll meet someone over there and fall in love and leave me.”
“Mom, chillax. I’m only eighteen. I’m going
to England for a debate, not a bad romance!”
“That’s what you think. Oh, I don’t know
Paige, when you were all younger I only wanted to see my girls happily married, and I still want that, but there is
so much out there in the world for you to see, so much to do. Do you know, you
are the first girl in our family to go to college and the first one to have a passport
– I’m so proud of you, Paige. You get to see the things I haven’t.”
“Oh Mom, don’t cry, you could always come
visit me.”
“Oh,
Paige, I have your sisters to consider. We didn’t all win the trip, it’s just
too expensive.”
Mrs Bennet hugged Paige at LAX. Shiloh gave
her a locket with their photographs which Paige wore close.
Mr Bennet hugged his daughter again, but was
a man of few words.
“Remember
how much we love you,” she whispered into Paige’s ear. Besides, those were the
best ones.
