And Peggy

Part 32

Peggy looked up at her sister. Angelica's features were worrisome, her normal beauty replaced by nothing but sheer fear and worry. Sure, she still look beautiful, but it was hard to look at that when all you wanted to do was hug her and tell her it was going to be okay. But Peggy couldn't do that, for she did not know if everything would be okay. 

They looked everywhere for their friends, Alex, and Eliza, and Peggy was sure that Lafayette was coming over, though his car wasn't in the driveway. Sometimes he walked. So Peggy and Angelica's Most Wanted list had an undetermined number of people.

Every room has been searched. Every bed looked under. Every closet door opened. The basement was checked, and they look in the garage, in Alex and Eliza's apartment, the outdoors, and Peggy subconsciously checked in the pool, for she remembered her experience. But they were no where to be found, and on Christmas Eve, of all days.

Their parents were unreachable. Both of them on an important business trip, they were in meetings or something of some sort. The authorities were on their way, but in the mean time, the two sat inside on a couch that faced the door.  They were silent.

"Angelica," Peggy whispered. Angelica glanced at Peggy, and says in the same tone, "Yes?"

Peggy took a deep breath, and was scared on what her sister's reaction was going to be when she said the words. "I know you love Alex." 

Angelica froze, her hand on her knee, and she stopped breathing. "What-" She asked, breathlessly.

"I'm surprised Eliza hadn't figured it out. The way you look at him," Peggy struggled.

"I don't love Alex. I don't know what you're talking about." Angelica argued, still not breathing, not moving.

"Angelica, we've never been close. You're the older sister, you're in charge of yelling at me and it's your job to get annoyed with me. So I've never considered you one of my," Peggy sighed, "best friends. Eliza was always that for me." 

Angelica was hurt, but tried not to show it. She knew that she liked Eliza more than Peggy. She knew she favored Eliza. She knew her best friend was Eliza and Peggy was just someone she was forced to love. 

But she didn't want it to be like that- just, Peggy annoyed her. Both of her sisters slept with Alex, both of her sisters  had some sort of known relationship with the person she loves, and she got nothing. A couple of late-night texts and one heated kiss in her room while Eliza was getting snacks. Nothing more than that, but Angelica had somehow fallen in love with him.

Peggy didn't even love him- did she? She loved him in a brother sort of way, but not romantically. Right? Peggy loves Lafayette, Lafayette loves Peggy. End of story. Or was there more?

"Angelica, I want you to be my best friend. I really want that with you. And the way to do that, is to share things with me. Things you can't share with your favorite sister." Peggy croaked.

Angelica's mind swirled, thinking of all the possible ways she could speak to Peggy, until something came out. Something she never said aloud.

"I love Alex, Peggy." She whispered.

Peggy stiffened next to her, but then put her hand over her sister's. "Angelica," She started. "Can I give you some advice?" Angelica turned to her, tears rimming her eyes.

"Tell her the truth. If you do that, you'll feel better. Sure, you'll always feel that way about him, but, you know what?" Peggy paused, and put both of her hands over her sister's. 

"Eliza will forgive you. That's what Eliza does. She forgives." Peggy's words hung in the air.

Angelica let out a sob and rested her head on her sister's shoulder.

---

I just realized before this I never really played off of the whole Angelica/Ham thing, and also the John/Ham thing, so expect a lot of that.

I'm sorry for leaving you like this. But that was so much fun to write.

Also, I should be writing about eight different reading responses to eight different articles I haven't read, but I'm writing this instead.

Perhaps I should submit this to my teacher.

Wonder what she'll say,