Maria's Plan For Dying Girls || Meggy

🔆prologue ~ chapitre un🔆

Eleven years ago...

I sat on the swing with my hands wrapped around the rusted metal of the chains. I kicked my feet gently off the ground, but the wind seem to push me anyway. Peggy sat still on her swing next to me, looking down on the ground.

"What's wrong?" I ask as I pull out my red lollipops from my lips.

"I miss my mommy and daddy," she sighs.

I pause for a moment, trying to think of the correct thing to say.

"I'm sorry."

"I'm glad I can stay with you now." She looks up at me and smiles.

"My mommy's sick. She's going to die too," I inform her, kicking my legs rapidly on the mulch below me.

"Oh," she says, "I wish my mommy and daddy didn't die."

"They got burned?" I confirmed, "In the fire?"

"Yep," she nods.

"Where are your sisters?" I ask, knowing she had two elder sisters. Why are they not here then? Why did my dying mommy and I have to take care of her when her sisters could?

"I don't know. With other people."

"Okay," I pause again. "I'm sorry. What are their names?"

"Angelica and Eliza."

"And you're Peggy."

"Yep."

"Yep," I repeated. I craned my head slightly to the side to get a better look at three oncoming figures. As they came into view, I recognized them as Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and Aaron Burr from my kindergarten class. They always steal my lollipops at school and stick gum in my hair. At least Thomas does. James and Aaron just watch.

"Who are those boys on the slides?" Peggy asked.

"Bullies," I bluntly answer, looking away at the boys.

"Okay, but who are they?" She asks again.

"Mean bullies. Thomas, James, and Aaron."

She observes them for a quiet moment. "They look nice."

"They are not!" I correct her.

"Have you tried being nice to them and talking to them?" She asks and I look at her like she was crazy.

"What?"

"My sister Angelica says the only way to get people to be nice to you is to be nice to them."

"Hmm," I ponder this idea for a moment. "Let's try it."

"Okay."

I confidently walk up to the three of them and their heads all snap in my direction in unison.

"Hi," I whimper.

"Hi, Maria," James smiles but Thomas shoots a dirty look at him.

"What are you doing here?" Thomas huffs, standing level to me. He is much taller than me, but it could just be his hair.

"Talking. To you."

"Why don't you go kiss and hug some boys, huh?" Thomas snarls, standing closer to me. "That's all you do anyway. You have cooties." He looks behind me and notices Peggy.

"Who is this?" He asks intimidatingly, "Are you kissing her too?"

"I don't-" I whimper under my breath.

"You don't what, Maria?" He growls.

"I- I don't kiss girls."

"Say it louder."

"I don't kiss girls!"

Aaron and James watch in fear as I scream this at the top of my lungs.

"I don't kiss girls, okay?"

"Whatever you say," He shrugs and turns his back. "You're just like your dying mom. You're what my middle school friend calls a slut."

Slut.

I have no idea what that word means but it holds so much venom. Thomas and his posse walk off of the playground, and I hadn't even noticed there were warm tears spilling down my cheeks. I wait until they vanish from few until I let the disheartening sobs shed. Endless streams of tears. Suddenly, a warm pair of arms wrap around my torso.
I turn around and see Peggy. I cocoon my head into her shoulder as I cry. I wrap my arms around her neck and we could've been there for hours as I sob into her bright yellow rain jacket.

"I don't know what it means," she finally speaks, "but you're not a slut, Maria."

"I don't know what it means either," I choke out, "but what if I am? What if I will be?"

"Then I'll make sure you won't."

I look up into her light brown eyes.

"Are you saying you'll be my best friend forever, Peggy?"

"Sure!" She beams as she wraps her arms tighter around me. I lean into her chest and we fit like a puzzle. I want to stay like this forever.

"It's getting dark. I should get home for dinner," Peggy says, but then a look of disappointment crosses her face. "Wait."

"You're having dinner with us. Like we will everyday for the rest of our lives," I tell her.

"How long is the rest of our lives?" She asks.

"Hopefully forever."

a/n:

it's ya boi dan

welcome kiddos to the new meggy fan fic! this chapter is shorter than usual but this is just the prologue. all the other chapters will be over 1000+ words. i love you guys! pls comment and vote!