Ladybug//Marliza//COMPLETED

6//Eliza Stands Up for Maria

"Okay, um, wow. This is amazing," Eliza said, shoveling fried rice into her mouth. Maria smiled. "Told you so."

Eliza threw away their takeout containers once they were done. 8 pm.

Maria started scrolling through Pixchat on her phone. When she looked at her latest post and the comments below it, she winced and dropped her phone on the table.

"What's wrong?" Eliza asked, rushing over. She picked up Maria's phone.

Anonymous: slut

Anonymous2: no one likes you

Anonymous: why do you even try

Eliza gritted her teeth angrily. Using pre-generated usernames. Unfortunately, whoever did this was smart.

cinnamon_roll_schuyler: f*** off. Nobody cares about your opinion. You're rude insecure idiots.

"Maria, these things aren't true. You're not a slut, and you keep trying because you're worth it."

Maria's eyes filled with tears. "But they're right. No one likes me."

It took Eliza a full minute to muster up the courage to speak. "I like you."

"Excuse me, what?" Angelica almost shouted in her sister's face.

"Angie, stop."

"I barely even know you anymore, Liza. Inviting people back to your dorm? Eating fried rice? Liking sluts?"

"STOP CALLING HER A SLUT!" Eliza screamed suddenly.

Angelica was silent.

"She is not one," Eliza said. "She's a good person and all of you just refuse to give her a chance."

"But still, Eliza. She had a boyfriend."

"Had."

"Eliza, I hate to say this, but....you know Dad. He'll never approve of this. I'm sorry. If you keep socializing with Maria, we'll take you out of college."

"First of all, Angelia Renée Schuyler, you can't tell me what to do. I'm eighteen. I'm not Eliza, middle sister that everyone is in charge of anymore. Dad can deal with me. And second of all, I don't care."

Eliza stormed away, leaving Angelica staring after her, dumbfounded.

That night, as Eliza lay in her bed, she cried silent tears. So much had happened in just a few hours. Was this how the rest of college was going to be?

Through the quiet darkness, she suddenly heard a gasp of fright. Without even thinking, she raced to Maria's room.

The young woman was sitting up straight in bed. Her eyes were wide open as she stared into nothing.

"Maria? Are you okay?" Eliza whispered. They hadn't spoken since the confession.

"James," Maria breathed. "He just walked in."

"No, Maria, no, he didn't. You were just having a bad dream," Eliza comforted her, sitting down on the side of the bed.

"No!" Maria cried out suddenly. "Go, Eliza, he'll hurt you!"

"Maria, there's nobody here. You're having a nightmare."

After sitting with Maria comforting her for a few more minutes, Maria lay down again. Eliza got up to leave.

"No..." she heard.

Eliza turned around to see Maria looking at her with imploring eyes. "Stay."

"Maria..."

"Please?"

How could Eliza say no to that?

Wow that's the most original chapter title ever

Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed

ED :)