And Peggy

68

Monday:

School didn't seem right without my best friend. I needed her here to make jokes with me. I needed her here so I could see her smile. I needed her here to get me through the day. I couldn't survive high school on my own! Angelica would be graduating this year. Eliza, John, and Alex the next year. I mean I'd have Theo, but I needed Sally. But wait, Maria. She was graduating this year. She'd be leaving me. Great! I walked down the hall to the cafeteria and waited for my friends.

"Hey, babes, how are you doing?" Mar asked sitting next to me.

"I just want to talk to her. I can't believe she gone; and without a moment's notice!"

"Well, maybe it's for the better."

"How? It's all my fault this happened to her! I guess I deserve this. It's just I don't know how I can live without her!"

"Well, you have other great friends here. And your sisters. And me." She kissed my cheek. "Now cheer up okay?"

I smiled. "Alright."

The whole day people made jokes about it whenever I passed them in the halls. They said things like "You know, it's no wonder Sally is a slut! After all her best friend is one! Oh and her best friend's girlfriend too!" I couldn't take it! None of us were! What was it with people and starting rumors? They are never true! Well sometimes, but that doesn't matter! I dreaded seventh period. I didn't want to hear what fucking Levi Weeks had to say about my best friend. Of course, seventh period came along. I sat in my sit trying not to get noticed.

"Where's your friend?" Levi joked as he walked up to me.

"Leave me alone."

"C'mon! You can tell me!"

"Oh don't act like you don't know already you bitch!"

"Hey! Calm down there, Pegs." He laughed putting his hands up.

"Don't call me that!"

"Just tell me what happened, Pegs." He said leaning closer to me.

"Leave her alone!" Alex shouted from the doorway.

"What are you gonna do to me, shorty." Levi asked turning to Alex.

"Listen here you little prick, I may be short but I can and will fucking murder you!"

"Bet!" Levi laughs as he sits down.

I looked to Alex and smiled. He really was like my big brother. After class, I rushed to my locker avoiding Levi Weeks. Unfortunately, I failed.

"So what happened to Sally?" He asked leaning on the locker next to mine.

"Can you like not leave me alone? Is that such an impossible thing to do?"

"Well I mean how can I leave someone as hot as you alone?" He said coming closer to me. "To bad you're a faithful girlfriend, but I mean I wouldn't cheat on her either, she's pretty fucking hot too."

"Can you stop hitting on me and my girlfriend?" I said pushing him away from me.

"After you tell me what happened to Sally."

"Get away from her!"

Alex.

"Oh yeah, shorty? What are you going to do about it?"

Then Alex punched him. Soon that one punch turned into a full out fight between the boys in the middle of the hallway. Holy shit! Alex was winning I guess. Can anyone really win though?

Then Maria walked up to me. "What is everyone staring at?" Just then she turned her head and dropped her books. Her hands started shaking and she looked confused and scared. A panic attack.

"Mar. Mar, are you alright?"

"N-no." She said not moving.

"Sh. It's fine. You'll be fine. Everything is alright." I said hugging her. She looked like she was about to cry.

"Alexander!" A voice said sternly. It was Mr. Washington. Alex was too caught up in fighting to notice until, "Son!"

Alex stopped and slowly turned around his hand still in a fist. "Oh uh hey, Dad." He said with a nervous grin.

"And just what do you think you're doing?"

"Fighting."

"Why?"

"Because he was harassing my little sister!" He said moving his arm in my direction.

"Sister?"

"Peggy."

Mr. Washington glanced to me then to Alex. "I see." He walked up to Levi who now had a black eye and was bleeding. "As for you, Mr. Weeks, are you alright?"

"I'll get by." He shrugged getting up.

"Both of you have detention. Alexander, I will see you after school tomorrow as well."

"You'll fucking see me at home!" Alex laughed.

"Young man, watch your mouth." He said before walking away.

"You're just fucking lucky I love you and your sister." Alex said pointing to me before walking down the hall. He loved me?

Maria still stood there shaking and breathing heavy. "Mar, are you going to be okay? Do you need to go to the nurse?"

"I think I'll be fine." She said picking up her books. "Thank you though." She smiled at me before walking down the hall. I just hoped she really was okay.