Secrets of a Schuyler Sister {Angelica Schuyler}

5

Lafayette was silent and black-faced throughout the entirety of lunchtime. Angelica found herself feeling more and more guilty each time she glanced at his face. Alexander was just as quiet.

"Okay ..." Eliza stole an awkward glance around the table at us. "Is everything alright with you guys? Did somebody die and you didn't tell me?"

Hercules snickered then. Angelica's eyes grew sharp. She kicked him under the table and he yelped in surprise, before scowling.

"Alex," Eliza said, ignoring Hercules's whimpers. She put a hand on Alexander's arm.

He flinched away.

Angelica turned to him, her senses snapping back like a bullet. The table had grown into a grave silence with this one motion. A flicker of realisation crossed Alexander's face, of what he had just done. He turned back to Eliza. Hurt flashed across her face and caused it to crumple.

"Okay ..." she whispered, pulling her hands back into her lap. "If that's how it is."

Alexander turned to face her, "Eliza -"

"It's fine," she was on her feet then, plastic chair screeching. She walked across the courtyard towards the school, moving at a faster pace than ever. The table watched her, and Angelica instantly got to her feet.

"Angelica," Alexander started.

"I told you not to let anything on," she said coldly. Tears bit her eyes. "How could you be so stupid!"

"It was an accident, I wasn't thinking straight," Alexander's eyes were pleading, as if he was ridiculing at his own actions.

He should be pleading.

Angelica set her eyes on him, cold and daring. She needed him to know there would be no excuses with her. She turned and left the table, hurrying after her Sister in hopes of explaining the first made-up lie that popped into her head, that being the reason why everyone was acting so strangely. She could say Lafayette was taking special allergy pills with silent, black-faced side effects. And that Alexander was just an idiot.

Angelica opened the big double doors and stared into the dim, empty hallway. There was no sign of Eliza.

She walked on, for another half mile. Into the Literature block. Into the Sciences block. Eliza was still nowhere to be found.

"Well, shit," Angelica let out a sigh, collapsing back against the wall behind her. She felt tears welling up and hated at how stupid she must look, standing alone crying in an empty hallway.

"Well, well."

Without warning, there was a Low voice at Angelica's side. She jerked around, her heart leaping up at the sudden movement. She turned wide-eyed towards the silhouette of an Afro beside her.

"Angelica Schuyler in tears? What'd I miss, beautiful?"

:::

"For Crap's sake, Jefferson," Angelica exclaimed, stepping away from him. "Don't scare me like that!"

He chuckled, amused, and stepped into the light next to her.

"Now, tell me," he said, placing his hands timidly together. "What's a pretty girl like you doing in the hallways, all by herself?"

Angelica sighed, "Nothing," she said quietly. "Looking for her Sister."

"Which one?"

"Eliza."

He chuckled again, "Ah. Hamilton's Girlfriend."

Angelica's heart sank at the statement, as if she was being dragged back down to reality. Although she was mad at Alexander for shunning Eliza, it still hurt to be reminded, that he was hers anyways. That those kisses didn't really matter, in the long term.

"Something on your mind, princess?" Thomas asked, snapping her back to reality.

"I'm fine," Angelica said. She turned to leave but stopped halfway, not feeling hungry or in the mood to be in anyone's company. She didn't want to go back to the courtyard. She just wanted to be alone.

"Can you leave, please?" She said, resigned, towards the boy next to her. "I'd like to have some privacy."

Thomas scoffed, "Leave you? It's not your hallway, princess. Sorry to burst your bubble."

Angelica scowled. She sank down onto the bench beneath her and relaxed her legs. She closed her eyes.

"Fine. Be that way," she said, but was too exhausted to say more. She did wish Thomas would leave though.

A Long moment of silence passed. Angelica thought that, when Thomas moved at last, he would leave. But there was a soft thud of his butt filling the spot next to her, and then his shoulder was grazing hers.

Angelica jerked at the touch, surprised. She stared at him and felt that if she hadn't jumped out of the way so quickly, his Afro would have poked her in the eyes.

"Jefferson," Angelica said. "What are you doing?"

He grinned, "Sitting down. What does it look like I'm doing?"

"It looks like your being a git and trying to take up my personal space," Angelica shot back, defensive.

Thomas rolled his eyes, prissily, "Angie, stop complaining. I'm offering you company here, so you don't feel like a loser sitting here by yourself -" Angelica glared at him "- so really, you should thank me."

"Thank you?" Angelica shouted.

"Your welcome," Thomas smiled with his teeth, and the whites flashed. Angelica's glare deepened. She looked away, suddenly intent on ignoring him.

Two minutes of silence and ignoring passed. Angelica expected Thomas to make another remark, try to irritate her once more, but he simply sat there, seeming content just being in her presence. Angelica waited longer, waited for him to leave, but he stayed. Until eventually, she became grateful he was there.

"You snake," she hissed.

"Patience is a virtue," Thomas said, sounding for once not so sleezy. They sat there in silence, for the rest of Lunch until the bell rang and their time alone was over.

:::

Angelica felt oddly content about her little sit in with Thomas Jefferson. Which was seriously, seriously odd. The entire school knew Jefferson to be a timeless, suave flirt, who tried any girl he could get his hands on. But Angelica saw a different side to him today.

And it changed her perspective, entirely.