Disgrace

Jenny was quite surprised by Jason's revelation as she looked at his side profile, but was happy as well. She would have felt quite guilty if she was the reason that they had been separated from the rest, but for their relationship this was indeed the better outcome. Elizabeth got to witness Nick chosing her over and over again. As well as making her place in his life known in front of everyone. Even made them rely on each other for group projects and allowed them to arrive and leave school with just each other, because of the differences in the time tables between the classes. It was like the honeymoon period of a relationship, the time when you are supposed to not disturb the newly formed couple. It had clearly done them well.

Aside from that, Jenny got to see Jason caring about the wellbeing of his friends in his own way. She was used to seeing his harsher side towards his friends, making her wonder why they stuck by him over all these years, but this showed that he thought more about their needs than she had realized up till now. It was because he knew them so well, that he was able to determine what it was that they would need, which wasn't always what they thought they wanted. Helping them when they didn't even know they needed it.

Then again male friendships were quite a particular thing, so maybe that harhsness is part of it all as well. "I see. You have done well. You are a good friend" "hm.." Jason said in agreement. Suddenly he turned around to face her and said "How come you make it sound like it was an uncertainty?" At this moment the past interactions between Jason and the other guys flashed before her eyes, their eyes filled with fear and the beatings they had suffered. With a slight twitch at the side of her eye and a forced, awkward smile on her face, she said "Yeah..I wonder about that too.." Jason let out the laugh he had been hiding, making it clear he was simply teasing Jenny. She laughed along after her initial startledness faded and let herself fall against his chest with a soft sigh. Jason responded by wrapping his arm around her.

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The remaining weeks of the term went by peacefully and the group was preparing for another week of exams, as well as the summer vacation that would follow. In these weeks Elizabeth had returned to her normal self, leaving no topic untouched and even throwing the occasional word of insult. She had regained her confident attitude and posture, reigning over the halls of Mountforth High once more. Striding the halls with Nick's arm around her and her friends surrounding her, gave her the shield she needed to retire the perfect bitch and reveal the uncaring queen. Regardless of what insult was thrown her way, she struck back without mercy and let the harsh words slide off her like it was nothing. No longer caring about the opinion of others gave her a sense of freedom. Where she once used to use her harsh words to crush others and lift herself up, she kept them now only as a form of self defense. If you did not strike her, she wouldn't strike back. But if you did, or had a bad word to say about her friends, boy would you come to regret it.

A lot of students had gotten used to her loss in confidence after her fight with Jason, and some of them had used her behavior in that period in time to look down on her. These were often the same students that looked down on Jenny for not having a wealthy background, feeling she was unworthy of Jason's affections and the title of the future Mrs Westwood. Little did they count on Elizabeth regaining her feisty edge along with a strong sense of protectiveness, especially of Jenny. Something that was not expected by anyone, including Jenny herself. She hadn't found out that Elizabeth was protecting her behind her back, until a girl came running to her in panic. She dropped herself to the floor and begged her for forgiveness. "Please, I'm sorry. Make her stop already. I beg of you. I promise I won't even think of doing something like that ever again."

Jenny was quite surprised and had no idea what or who this was about, but Jason had a clue. Elizabeth had put up so many walls and thorns around herself in the past, caring about no one but herself and Jason, that everyone was shocked to see this oddly gentle and protective side of her of a former enemy. Her change of behavior had been noticed by students and teachers alike. Jason had recently been made aware of Elizabeth defending Jenny against a teacher. This particular teacher had been running his mouth about Jenny's testscores of last term. He was saying that she must have been cheating for her to score this high with her background and that her attending this school was a disgrace of the school's reputation. How he didn't understand why the Westwood's would chose someone from such a low upbringing as the bethrothed of their only son.

This was a very old fashioned man, who had been teaching at Mountforth High for many decades. He had been against the school opening up to students of other classes with the introduction of the scholarships and had always been one to give these students a tough time. But now the student he disliked, was affiliated with the most powerful family in the school, so he couldn't do anything. All he could do was vent his frustrations and badmouth her behind her back. Even if it didn't have any foundation. Elizabeth had been in the teacher's lounge for something else when she had heard him say this, silencing them all immediately by threathening to have his teaching license revoked and saying that he was the real disgrace for talking about a student like that without any evidence.

Of course when Jason caught wind of this, he informed his mother of the actions of this teacher, now and in the past. Susan wanted to have him dismissed from his post based on real grounds and not because she had used her authority to do so, so she questioned the current scholarship students to see if he had indeed been treating them unfairly. She had gathered the evidence she needed in two days time and that very week that teacher had been let go, with no severance pay and a bad reputation among the elite schools. Forcing him to choose between two evils. He could either give up teaching as a career, rendering his teaching license useless or teach at a place that would hurt him and his pride, namely a public school!

Considering the gender in the girl's pleas, he was fairly certain this had something to do with Elizabeth as well. For now however, he listened alongside Jenny in silence, curious what it was about this time around.