"Go get 'em, Bennet."
                          
	Elizabeth saluted and spun on her heel. She got a few weird looks from other workers as she bounded to the elevator and made her way onto the streets of Los Angeles. 
                          
	The sweltering heat of the city would have struck Elizabeth down if not for the excitement of exploring somewhere new. The feeling of sweat on her forehead made her feel empowered as strode through the crowds on the sidewalk.
                          
	Sounds of synchronized chanting echoed from nearby. Elizabeth turned her head and spotted what she was looking for. In front of a tall building was a large group of people wearing green shirts and holding up cardboard signs. A leader, who stood in the middle of them, yelled into a megaphone, prompting the protesters around him to repeat after him. Elizabeth had done her research. This protest was taking place in front of the offices of a large energy conglomerate known for its extensive use of coal.
                          
	Elizabeth stood up on a raised brick planter attached to a building near the protest and took out her camera. The camera was a gift for her 18th birthday from her entire family, who had pooled together to get her not just the camera, but different lenses also. Elizabeth clicked the camera lens into place and turned the camera on. She zoomed in and took many photos of the protesters in front of the building, doing her best to get a dynamic and journalistic shot. She was so wrapped up in taking pictures that she didn't notice someone approaching her. 
                          
	A short haired woman in a green shirt tapped on her shoulder.Elizabeth looked down at her. The woman's tan skin indicated a lot of time in the sun, and if Lizzie looked closely, she could notice that she had a prominent tan line on her arms from the t-shirt she wore. 
                          
The woman's face was painted in annoyance."Why are you taking pictures of us?"
                          
Elizabeth looked at her and lowered her camera. "Oh, I'm sorry." Elizabeth quickly put her camera back into her backpack. She held out a hand towards the woman. "I'm Lizzie Bennet, an environmental journalist. I was hoping to do an article about your protest."
                          
The protester's face softened and she took Lizzie's hand. "Oh, I'm sorry. A lot of the people we confront end up not being too nice," she said, "I'm Jaya."
                          
"It's nice to meet you."
                          
Jaya smiled. "You too." Jaya motioned over to the rest of her protest group. "If you'd like, you can come over and talk with us. We're more than happy to educate people about our cause."
                          
Elizabeth smiled and followed Jaya towards the protest. For the next hour, Lizzie interviewed several of the protesters and recorded their answers on her phone. Most of them were young adults.They explained how the company owned many coal power plants throughout the country, the dangers of coal pollution, and the company's contribution to global warming.
                          
The leader of the protest group was named Ryan. He had long hair that he kept in a top knot on his head and a trimmed beard. He explained to her how the protest group got organized, and how they now protest every Monday morning. He gave her his contact info in case she wanted to join the group and got bummed out when she explained that she was just visiting.
                          
Once Elizabeth left the protest, she wandered around the streets of the city. She hadn't looked into any more leads, instead wanting to get a feel for the city she'd be working in before she went looking. Though she was there to work, she wanted to enjoy herself also. Lizzie passed street performers, small shops, huge buildings, and many palm trees. It wasn't until her stomach growled that she realized that she had no idea where she was, and that she was very, very hungry. 
                          
Once Elizabeth had gotten a quick bite to eat, she set her phone's GPS to Charlotte's office address and followed it back. The long, sweaty walk back opened Elizabeth's eyes to just how lost she had gotten. The streets winded in front of her until she thought she would never get back. Right when she began to think her GPS might be tricking her, her eyes landed on a familiar building in the distance. 
                          
She relished how the air conditioning of the building cooled her sticky skin. She resisted the temptation to lay down on the tile floor of the lobby and instead hopped on an elevator. 
                          
When she got up to the offices of Attorney DeBourgh, Elizabeth hoped that she would be able to sneak in without notice. Many people didn't pay her any mind, but she was halfway to Charlotte's desk when a shrill, feminine voice cried out.
                          
"Is that the Elizabeth Bennet you were speaking of?" 
                          
Elizabeth turned towards the voice. Standing a few feet away, staring at her, was Catherine De Bourgh. Next to her stood Liam Collins. 
                          
"Yes ma'am," he said. 
                          
Elizabeth stood up straight and looked at the imposing woman.
                          
Catherine De Bourgh looked Lizzie up and down with a frown on her face. She then turned to Liam and whispered something in his ear, which he responded to by nodding. 
                          
Mrs. De Bourgh frowned. "I will be holding dinner in a couple days at my home, I expect you to be there."
                          
Elizabeth nodded her head. "Yes ma'am."
                          
Catherine De Bourgh spun around without another word and walked back to her office.
                          
Elizabeth took a deep breath and scurried over to Charlotte's desk. Lizzie leaned over Charlotte's desk, eyes wide. "Is that normal, or did I just make it onto De Bourgh's hit list?"
                          
"She did that to me too, I think it's an intimidation tactic," she replied, "Though you should take this dinner seriously and dress nice, she'll tear you apart if you're not careful."
                          
Elizabeth groaned.
                          
Liam Collins rushed over to the two women, holding a thick binder. He thrusted it forward at Elizabeth.
                          
Lizzie stared at the binder. "What's this?"
                          
"It's everything you need to know before going to Mrs. De Bourgh's house," he said, "It's broken up into sections. There's a dress code, manners code, and a list of things that you should never bring up in front of her."
                          
The binder was heavy and bulky in Lizzie's arms. "This could be a textbook," said Lizzie, flipping through the pages. 
                          
Collins smiled at this comment. "She's a very sophisticated woman, and I guarantee that after reading this, you'll agree that all of society should hold themselves to her standards."
                          
Lizzie stared at the binder. 
                          
"Already awestruck, I see." He patted her on the shoulder. "I'm going to get back to work." Liam Collins nodded towards Charlotte and walked away.