“Your friend Lydia is being sick on Mr Oglevie’s shoes,” she says, pointing. I look over and there she is. Oh, Lydia.

Jane and I look at each other for a second and then take off at a run. It’s clear I’m about to spend more time in a bathroom. At least Lydia puking is more pleasant than listening to Darcy Pemberley.

*

I don’t know how I let Jane talk me into this party.

First of all, I’m about to be third-wheeled. Lydia has come too, so in theory it should be fine. But Lydia will be having more fun with total strangers five seconds into the party than I could in a year.

Which leaves me with Jane and Bing. And while they’re both lovely, their ability to focus on anyone else is severely limited. They have been known to spend thirty minutes staring into each other’s eyes. Thirty. Minutes. Without saying a word! Love is great and everything but I like to think it wouldn’t make me into a gooey-eyed idiot.

Second of all, this party is at Darcy Pemberley’s. My sworn enemy. Though I haven’t actually told her that. In the months since the Fall Formal, I’ve spent a LOT more time with Darcy than I expected while storming out of that bathroom. Our best friends are dating and incapable of spending five minutes apart. Darcy and I have been polite. Civil. But still. I hate her with every fibre of my being.

But it’s Jane. And we’re celebrating. She just got accepted early decision at Meryton College. Her mother works there, so Jane gets free tuition – but she had to get in first.

We pull up to Darcy’s house, and holy crap this girl is loaded. I stare out at a towering castle-like structure that belongs in the English countryside. This is Connecticut for goodness’ sake!

I hear a door open and come back to myself. Lydia is already off like a shot for the house, and Bing is coming around to open Jane’s door. It’s cute. I try not to hurl.

“Where’s the moat? And the drawbridge? Really, as far as castles go, this is very disappointing.”

Jane laughs half-heartedly.

“Hey. That was funny. Because this house could eat both our houses for breakfast, and I’m calling it disappointing. And explaining jokes always makes them funnier.”

Jane chuckles. “Sorry, Lizzie. I’m just distracted.”

“What’s up?”

She checks where Bing is. He’s been waylaid by some of his lacrosse buddies who’ve just pulled up in an open-air Jeep. They clearly think it’s the coolest car of all time but there are about twelve of them so the vibe is a bit more clown car than The Fast and the Furious.

“Bing found out he got into Stanford.”

“Oh.”

“So … you know. We’ll be on opposite sides of the country next year.”

“I’m sorry, Jane.”

She sniffs.

“Come on, it’s still months away! That’s Future Jane’s problem.”

“Ha.”

“Let’s just go have fun. Drink some terrible beer. Dance. If I’m lucky, maybe Lydia will get wasted and trash Darcy’s house!”