Helpless (Book 1)

Chapter Six

"WHERE THE ABSOLUTE hell have you been!" Angelica shrieks with a hiss through her clenched teeth as Laurens and I carry our trays toward a long, wooden table. Angelica stands from her seat, both hands gripping the edge of the table tightly, so tight her knuckles turn white, with wild eyes. Eliza sits on the right side of her elder sister, rolling her eyes as she chews on a cheese stick while scrolling lazily through her phone. Peggy sits on the left side of Angelica, across from Laurens, while scooping up forkfuls of lettuce, watching the intense scene between Angelica and I play out. Peggy arches both eyebrows with mere curiosity as she chews her lunch, her lettuce crunching between her teeth. "I have been looking everywhere for you, Alexander! I thought you were kidnapped or something and I almost called the freaking FBI! You're lucky I didn't do that! So. Tell me, Alexander! Where. Have. You. Been?!" 

 "I-I um...I uh..." I stare at her with wide, fearful eyes as she pins me to my seat on the bench across from the three. I would scoot over to Laurens for comfort and moral support but...her eyes are literally on fire and it's terrifying me. I swallow hard. "I um...I was just er...I um...they found me..."

 Silence. Angelica tilts her head a little, her brows knitted together as she takes in the information that I have just said to her. Peggy glances at Eliza, who shrugs, before glancing back at me. I lock my violet eyes with her warm brown ones and nod slowly. As it clicks together, Peggy's eyes widen. 

 "Oh my God," Peggy gasps. I duck my chin down, feeling a little ashamed and humiliated. 

 "What?" Angelica says, oblivious. "What is it?"

 "Did you...?" Eliza says, swallowing. Laurens nods for me, wrapping a strong arm around my shoulders comfortingly, squeezing my shoulder as I try to avoid the Sister's shocked stare. 

 "Yeah, he did," Laurens answers for me. "It wasn't pretty." 

 "What'd you do?!" Peggy wonders, but a small grin appears on her face as she rests her elbow on the table behind her lunch tray and rests her chin in her palm, suddenly intrigued. 

 "I um..." I say, glancing up at Laurens as I scratch the back of my neck. Laurens nods, flashing a small reassuring smile on his face before I turn my attention back to the Sisters. "I uh...I may have punched the living daylights out of Thomas Jefferson..." 

 "What?!" Angelica shrieks, her eyes blown wide. "You what?!" 

 "I," I say slowly and clearly. I keep my eyes locked with hers, showing her I'm being serious. I point at my chest. "Punched." I make a punching motion with my fists. "Thomas Jefferson in the face." I make a motion with my fist toward my face, to demonstrate what I did. 

 "Woah!" Peggy says. She looks toward her elder sister. "Can we keep him, Ange?!" 

 Angelica just gawks at me, her mouth hanging open down toward her collarbone, her eyes wide as a volleyball. She still stands up from her seat on the bench across from Laurens and I. She blinks and sits down, stunned.

 "Wow," is all she says. She blinks again, shock finally taking over her. "Wow." 

Another blink. 

"Wow." 

Another blink. 

"Wow." 

 "You seriously punched Jefferson in the face?" Eliza asks, a small grin appearing on her face. I nod, licking my puckered lips.