Chapter 3: The Plan

   Lizzy rummaged through her closet, looking for a dress that would make her seem less appealing.

                ‘Wow, this is harder than I thought! It’s too bad I have such good taste.’ She rummaged through her closet, her drawers, her entire room, until she had nowhere else to look.

                “Damn. I’m just too fashionable.” She shook her head and picked up her cell phone. She began texting Skye. “Hey, come over, I need your help with something.” Skye texted back almost immediately.

                “Yo girl, be there in a minute. Gotta squash a problem first.”  Lizzy giggled to herself. Skye was always “squashing a problem” one way or another. She stood up and brushed herself off. She crossed her room and spread open the silk curtains to reveal a balcony. She leaned on the white banister and let the warm air whip through her hair. She could smell the freshly cut grass and hear the lapping water of the swimming pool below. She let out a deep breath. She had no idea what she was going to do. The plan was forming in her head, but she needed Skye’s level-headed guidance to help her plot and carry it out more thoroughly. There was a knock at her door.

                “Miss,” a maid was standing in the doorway.

                “Yes? What is it?” she asked. The maid gave a short bow before she replied.

                “Um, Miss Nielson is, OH!” she fell to the ground as Skye shoved her aside and entered the room. The maid quickly got up and closed the door as she exited.

                “What do want?” she said, wiping her hands with a handkerchief and then stuffing it in her pocket.
                “My mom is forcing me to meet James Wilson-“Skye cut her off.

                “You mean the son of the CEO of the Sol Trading Company? Heard that dude’s loaded.” She said with a nod. “So what’s so bad about that?”  

                “What do you mean what’s so bad about that?!” Lizzy began frantically pacing around her room. “She is marrying me off to a rich guy so the family looks good and I don’t make her look stupid! I’m like merchandise to her, to give away or sell to the highest bidder!”

                “Look, Lizzy, our parents are important people in society,” she thought for a moment. “Okay, your parents are. My dad is more of a, well, might I say, “staple” more or less, but anyway,” she continued. “This is only to be expected of us. We grow up prim and proper, listen to what our parents say, go to the schools our parents want us to go to, and marry who our parents want us to marry. That’s how it’s been for people like us, and that’s how it’s going to be, and we can’t do anything about it.”

                “That’s not what I want! I want to decide my own fate! I want to do what I want to do! I don’t need my parents telling me what to do with my life.”

                “So, what are you going to do about it?” she asked, taking a seat at the end of Lizzy’s bed. She plopped down beside Skye, and put her arm around her.

                “That’s where you come in, my dear.” She said with a smile. Skye rolled her eyes.

                “What’s your big plan, genius?” she asked, crossing her arms and shaking Lizzy off of her.

                “Well, my mother said I just had to meet him, there isn’t anything set in stone right now,”

                “Well Lizzy, usually when a parent says ‘meet’ they mean ‘you are going to’-“ Lizzy cut her off. So I thought that maybe you could help me, you know, make me look unappealing to him, so that maybe he thinks I’m too ugly or weird to marry? Please?” she clasped her hands and fluttered her eyelashes.

                “You’re too pretty to be considered ugly; don’t you have any ugly clothes? A past shopping mistake?” Hee Sun shook her head.

                “No, I’ve already looked.” Skye scratched her head. Then, it hit her.

                “Well then, we will have to make one!” she ran into Lizzy’s closet and began rummaging through the clothes. She kept throwing articles of clothing out of the closet, making it seem like Hee Sun’s closet was vomiting. “A-Ha!” she exclaimed. She came out of the closet with a neon green pair of pants, black leggings, and a pink turtleneck.

                “What are you doing with those?” Lizzy gave Skye a look as she stepped over the piles of clothes now strewn about the floor.

                “You got a pair of scissors?” Hee Sun smiled and ran to her desk drawer.

                “Ma’am, Mr. Wilson’s personal assistant is on the phone for you.” An assistant handed Brenda Song the telephone. She put down her paperwork and took the phone.

                “Hello, this is Mrs. Song,” she placed the phone on her shoulder as she began to file her paperwork for that day. “Oh, a delay? When do you think he will be back in Korea?   Another month or two? Oh, alright then. I hope he is in good health. Thank you for calling, alright, goodbye.” She hung up the phone and went back to filing her paperwork. She pushed the call button on her receiver.

                “Yes ma’am?” the clerk downstairs answered.

                “Tell Becky to come to my office please.”

                “Yes ma’am, right away.” The clerk hung up the receiver.

                “You may go,” she waved her hand as she dismissed the assistant. They bowed and left the room as Becky entered.

                “Yes, ma’am?” she stood in front of the desk, awaiting her order.

                “It seems that Mr. Wilson will be staying in New York for another month or so, it seems his business trip was extended. I need you to keep up with Lizzy until then, update me if she decides to pull any crap. I don’t want her to ruin this.”

                “Yes ma’am.” Becky bowed and began to leave.

                “Becky!” Brenda Song called her back to the desk.

                “Yes ma’am?”

                “I have a feeling she is planning something, I need you to figure out what that is and put a stop to it.” She looked up at Becky. “Do you understand?”

                “Yes ma’am.” Becky bowed.

                “Now you may leave.” She waved her off, and Becky left the room. She shook her head as she slammed the paperwork down onto her desk.

                Meanwhile, Becky made her way up to Lizzy’s room. As she pushed the door open, a horrendous sight met her eyes.

                Clothes were strewn all over the floor, and Lizzy was dressed in the most hideous outfit she had ever seen, as Skye was snipping away hanging pieces of cloth and loose pieces of threads.

                ‘Maybe this is a new fad,’ she thought to herself. She shook off the thought and knocked on the door. The startled girls jumped and looked at her.

                “Ahem.” Becky cleared her throat. “What in the world do you think you two are doing?” she entered the room, stepping over the clothes as she made her way in.

                “Miss Smarts here decided that she needed a hideous outfit to turn off the guy her Ma is trying to set her up with.” Skye pointed at Lizzy with the scissors. Becky shook her head.

                “That is one of the worst ideas I have ever heard of in my entire life.” She stated, raising her eyebrows as Lizzy frowned.

                “How come?” she asked, cocking her head to the side.

                “Because your mother has already set up the marriage with James Wilson's parents. When she told you that you were meeting him, it wasn’t really a suggestion of marriage, it was rather a way of telling you that you were now engaged.” Skye threw down her scissors.

                “I tried tellin’ you honey,” she stated as she lifted herself off her knees. Lizzy stomped her foot.

                “It’s not FAIR Becky!” she picked up her footrest, and threw it across the room. Luckily, it missed anything breakable, but landed with a large THUD! next to her closet.

                “Throwing a tantrum won’t help you, you know.” She stated as she went over and picked up the fallen furniture. “Besides, I have good news for you.” Hee Sun turned her head.

                “Like what?” she asked, Skye stopped picking up clothes to listen.

                “Mr. Wilson had his business trip extended by about a month, maybe two. I don’t know what you’re planning, but keep it under wraps and make sure it works, if not, you’ll have hell to pay when you mother finds out. You might have problems anyway, she asked me to keep an eye on you, and if you pull any crap, I’m sure she’ll have you privately tutored until you’re married off.” Hee Sun puckered her lips, lost in thought.

                “What is it, girl?” Skye dropped her clothes and walked up to Hee Sun.

                “Call Yasmin and Gina, we need to have a meeting about my 18^th birthday.” Skye nodded and walked out into the hallway.

                “Becky, could you get someone in here to organize this?” she signaled to the room.

                “I suppose.” Becky looked around and feared for the next maid who stepped into the room.

                “We will be in the pool house if you need me.” She bowed and left the room.

                “Yes ma’am.” She sighed as she looked at the mess before her, and called in a maid.

                Gina and Yasmin arrived shortly after Skye and Lizzy sat at the table in the pool house.

                “So, what is the big emergency?” asked Yasmin, as she wiped paint off her face with a moist towellete.

                “Yea, I had to cut my harp lesson short, I have a recital in two weeks! This better be important!” Gina slammed down her music folder on the white wicker table and took a seat next to Yuna.

                “Aw, get your panties out of a bunch, Gina, we all know you’d blow anybody outta the water the way you play.” Skye made her way to her chair next to Lizzy’s and propped her feet up on the arm of the chair. “Lizzy’s gettin’ hitched.” She blurted out.

                 “What?” Gina almost fell out of her chair, but caught herself on the arm.

                “Well, um, congratulations I guess.” said Yasmin, wringing her hands.

                “So, what do you plan on doing about it?” Gina asked, leaning back, putting her heels on the table.

                “Well, my meeting with him has been postponed, because his business trip was extended, I have one month, possibly two before everything is absolutely finalized and the wedding plans begin.”

                “So? What, is, your, PLAN?” asked Skye, becoming impatient.

                “Well, my 18^th birthday is coming up next week, and we need to start planning.”

                “So, we’re just planning your birthday party?” asked Yasmin, scratching her head in puzzlement.

                “No, at the party, I am going to introduce my new boyfriend.” The girls’ jaws dropped in awe.

                “BOYFRIEND? Since when?” asked Gina in disbelief.

                “That’s the thing; I need your help getting him.” Skye slapped herself in the face.

                “I knew this plan was half baked! How do you expect us to get you a boyfriend? Nobody wants to date you cuz you’re a bitch, no offense,” she added as Lizzy looked up at her with puppy dog eyes. “And if they do, your standards are so high that ain’t nobody got a chance!” Lizzy smiled.

                “Well, remember yesterday when we came into school?” Skye shrugged.

                “I suppose so, why?”

                “Well, I saw a new boy. I thought he was kinda cute.” Yasmin and Gina leaned forward in earnest.

                “Go on,” Skye urged.

                “He was about 5’7, medium build, scruffy hair, I think he had a midget with him.” She puckered her mouth while she looked at the ceiling, thinking hard about what she remembered about him.

                “HA! I think I know who you’re talking about!” cried Yasmin.

                “Really? Who is he?” she shook Yasmin excitedly, as Yasmin playfully shoved her off.

                “His name is Eli Smith. I heard he’s the new transfer student. Other than that, I really don’t know.”

                “Hmmmm…” Lizzy got up, and paced around the pool house. She looked up, and snapped her fingers.

                “Yasmin, you get more information on him,”

                “okay!”

                “Gina, you work with Yasmin, find out about his friends, and bring them here,” Gin nodded.

                “Whatever you say.” She said as she leafed through her sheet music.

                “Skye,” she turned and smiled at her best friend.

                “Yes, my dear?” she responded, placing her hands on Lizzy’s shoulders.

                “Bring him to me, I don’t care how, just as long as he’s in one piece.” An evil grin spread across Skye’s face.

                “With pleasure.”

END OF CHAPTER 3