Stories Undone, Scars Unseen // Hamilton College AU

Maria (22)

I'm feelin' twenty-two!!!! Gossip sesh with all of the girls: the Schuylers, Maria, Jenna, Cecil. Enjoy!!! -C

    "What the heck?" I murmur, looking at the small pamphlet James bestowed upon me. My James. The other one can be J. Mads for me. Because, right now, my important James is not Mads.

    The Fall Ball. There are singers... All kinds of people performing. There is to be a couple's dance. There is fancy schmancy food, the kind I used to try and steal off the trays at the bakery back home. Best part? It's a legitimate ball. You're supposed to dress up to the nines... I wonder if I can get the others to wear masks and make it a masquerade. That always brings all sorts of drama.

    The Schuylers had gathered all of us females in the group, and I think we're actually going to plan this out. Some of us actually have landed dates. Me and James, Jenna and Aaron... And Alex and Eliza. I'm not sure how I feel about that.

"How exciting!" Cecilia squeaks. She is still following Ang around, and is helping us prepare.

Peggy nods in agreement, looking down at the pamphlet again. "This is going to be epic. Only problem is that I'm not gonna get a date... Think John might go with me if I asked or something? I'm not third-wheeling with Eliza."

"He probably would. I don't know that he likes anyone but you two are close enough..." Angelica says.

The youngest Schuyler pauses, thinking. "I would ask Aaron, but apparently, he's taken..." She winks at Jenna.

Jenna smiles smugly. "He's mine. And good thing too." She glances warily over at me.

I scoff. "What's that supposed to mean, Jenna?"

Her eyes soften. "I'm happy for you..."

"You certainly don't sound happy," I fire back. The others have gotten a lot quieter. They probably don't want to get caught in the middle of this... Or, they agree with Jenna.

Jenna shares a glance with Peggy. Then Eliza. Then Angelica.

"Must be the caffeine wearing off!" Eliza chirps.

I roll my eyes, letting my roommate change the subject slightly. I turn to Cecilia and Angelica. "You two trying to get dates? I know you're still in high school, but I'm sure you'd be allowed to come if you could get a college student."

Cecilia looks over at Angelica incredulously. Then they both start laughing.

Peggy reaches over and pats my hand. "They are what you call... I actually don't know the word. They don't want dates... Even though Ang got asked out by like fifty people."

Cecil smiles at her. "I told Angel that 'if no one asks her' then I would go with her. Then we both got really excited and planned out where we'd set up our observation station so we c-"

"Shh!" Angelica covers her mouth. "They can't know yet!"

"That's my sister for you," Peggy jokingly explains. "She gets asked out by Thomas, who's actually pretty cool, and someone else. John Church or something like that. And I have to go crawling to John to ask him to ask me out."

"I'm sure he'll be happy to," Eliza smiles. "Ok but can you believe it?! Alex didn't even know about the fall ball!"

"They're boys," I reply dismissively, winking at her.

She gets her girl-in-paradise look about her again. "He was so formal about it too..."

Her younger sister pretends to barf. I just smile wistfully at her, thinking about how nice it'd be if someone was that excited about me asking them out. To see Eliza's face when you completely surprise her and get that wave of butterflies. Those sparks. Instead, I had James bluntly asking me out, acting as if it was a chore. I didn't want to be a household chore... I wanted to be the butterflies.