Stories Undone, Scars Unseen // Hamilton College AU

Eliza (9)

I find my bottom lip between my teeth, my eyes caught in his. Jeez, those eyes. He could hold me in place with just his eyes.

John clears his throat. "I feel like I come in second place for brightest thing in the room, personally. Then maybe Maria, then you Alex. Sorry, but y'know. I'm kinda blinding."

"That's what you were saying last night." The other girl winks at him. Then, she pauses. "I don't want the bronze medal. If anything, I'm silver, and you get bronze. Compliments your skin tone, Jacky."

"I'm not commenting on Jacky, but I agree that bronze probably looks better than silver. You can take second place."

She grins. "I'll dethrone you later, Elizabeth."

That broke the spell. I turn and glare at her, then go sit on my bed and pout.

"Dirty play, Maria," John clucks his tongue, then comes to sit by me, first asking permission.

"You're literally so weird," I say. "Yes, you can sit on my bed."

"Whoa," singsongs Alex.

John quickly turns to Alex and winks flirtatiously as he sits beside me. Alex pretends to clutch at his heart before blowing John a kiss. John catches it dramatically and presses it to his cheek, fluttering his eyelids.

I double over in a gag. "Get a room you two. Though John, I'd suggest getting one with Maria first from the way she's looking at you."

"Do you remember last night?" Maria blurts, reemerging out of the cushions and giving us a wide-eyed, innocent looks. She bites her bottom lip.

I shake my head. "No. Angelica does. She has a video of John too."

John cries out. "What? Come on! Nooooo!"

"Why, do you remember?" Alex asks, looking just as confused as Maria.

She plasters a smile on her face, and she shakes her head. "No. Of course not."

"I'm so weird drunk! I don't even know what I did, but last time this happened, the video went viral for a week!" John protests, snatching my pillow and planting it in front of his face.

Maria laughs slightly. "From what I do remember, you started petting a wall. Not sure beyond that. But definitely got that memory."

John lets out a muffled shriek as I break out in laughter. Alex presses his hand against his mouth, giggling quietly.

He rips the pillow away. "Changing the subject! School is starting really soon, and I have Professor Washington for two classes! Y'all jealous yet?"

"Y'all?" That really sets off Maria. "Where are you from?"

John suddenly looks uncomfortable. "Anywhere and everywhere."

"No, seriously. Where'd you grow up?" There's a silent argument between the two of them. Maria's eyes get slightly harder and more determined, but the way she kneads her lip between her teeth anxiously tell a different story.

"Some place in South Carolina." That's all he's willing to say, it appears.

Maria nods. "I've been in New York for my entire life."

"Cool," he quickly responds.

She tilts her head a little, letting her hair finally fall from the eye she always keeps covered. "Anyway, Washington. I think I have him in at least two classes."

"Yo, that's great! What class?" Laurens asks.

She shrugs a little half-heartedly. "English, reading and writing."