SWIM (LAMS AU)

The Devil's Holiday Pt. 2

     "Oh no. Oh no," Laurens muttered.
  
     "You know him?" Peggy asked, filling 2 red solo cups with some amber substance.
 
     "He hates me."

     "Oh no," Peggy agreed, and she felt some unnamed horror rise in her throat.  She hadn't seen John in a long time, but he was her friend, and if Jefferson really hated him... "How do you know?"

      "Well..., I mean he's in my class. And he looked like, right at me, and," John looked at her helplessly, "I just know, ok?"

       Peggy squinted at him. Was he serious? "Uh, John,  looking at somebody isn't a sign of hatred. You don't even know him."

      John cast a look back at Jefferson. "He's the devil," he said in a low voice.

     Peggy finished her alcohol in one gulp. What had happened to John while she was in London?  He'd always been dramatic,  but this was ridiculous. "Yeah, he's dressed up as one. And you're dressed up as Princess Jasmine? Can you, like,  fill me in on anything?"

     "No," John said, holding up one hand to cut her off, "You don't understand.  He's the devil. And he's talking to Alexander," he looked at her frantically, "I have to go save him!"

     "What the hell..." Peggy said to herself.  Then she noticed the empty cup beside her, and remembered  with a jolt, what alcohol does to John Laurens.

...

      It wasn't every day that Eliza Schuyler found herself talking to a cute boy - and at that moment she was talking to two. She would have considered them if she didn't have her eye on someone else.

      Someone who was taken.  Someone who could never love her back.

      "Eliza, darling,  where's your lovely sister?" Thomas was asking.  Eliza shivered. She never trusted the man, he always seemed very manipulative, and she couldn't douse her suspicion about why he had invited them.

      "Angie or Peggy?" she asked, trying to keep her voice monotone.  It was one reason she didn't like Jefferson; while he treated Eliza and her sister like royalty, he never said so much as a word to Peggy.  He acted as if she didn't exist.

     "Angelica."

     Eliza shrugged.  Parties weren't her older sisters forte. She was probably panicking in the bathroom.  Jefferson smiled at her and fell silent,  something that the pigtailed boy couldn't seem to do.

     "Oh wow,  Thomas,  this party is amazing, and I've only been here for ten minutes. At least I think it's amazing,  I've never been to a party before.  Anyway,  who are you voting for in this year's election? I think you're old enough to vote. Im not, but it's always good to be prepared so i wrote some essays on the pros and cons of each candidate. Oh god, I should have brought them!  Im sorry,  Im so unprepared.  All I brought was myself and John.  Speaking of which, where is he? Oh! There he is,  he's pushing his way through the crowd angrily.  Come here John!"

     Eliza turned her attention to a familiar boy who was now standing stock still,  staring furiously at Thomas Jefferson.  One of Alexander's arms was wrapped around his waist, and the immigrant seemed oblivious to his friend's anger.

     Eliza hated Jefferson's parties.

     "So, what are you doing over here John? Last tome i saw you you were talking to a pirate or something."

     Peggy,  Eliza realized,  it's Peggy's old friend.

    "I came to save you!" he declared. Jefferson raised one eyebrow and Eliza grimaced. From what she remembered, John was a nice boy.

    "Oh John," Hamilton said, apparently under the illusion that it was all a joke. John reached back and snatched a plastic sword from the belt of a knight, twirling out of Alexander's grasp. He leveled the blade at Jefferson.

    "I challenge you to a duel!" he cried. A few party members looked over at the scene, snickering. Eliza looked over at her younger sister who had her hands clapped over her mouth in horror. 

    "Peggy," she hissed, "What did you do?"

    "I accidentally gave him alcohol, I forgot that he can't handle it!" Peggy whispered frantically. She buried her face in her hands and started sobbing uncontrollably. Did Eliza mention that she hated Jefferson's parties?

    "A duel?" Jefferson was saying, "Very interesting... A duel for what?"

    "Him," John declared,  pointing at Hamilton,  "let's fight for Alexander."

     Alexander laughed nervously.

     Jefferson contemplated for a moment,  his calculating eyes taking in John Laurens.  Eliza silently prayed that he'd let it go,  that John would be allowed to-

    "You're on," Jefferson smirked,and he whirled around,  dislodging a formidable rapier from it's spot above the fireplace.  The guests let out a collective gasp as Laurens raised his puny plastic blade.

      "John?" Alex whispered, and the two weapons met with a CRASH. John was thrown back a few feet,  colliding with Hamilton, but he was back on his feet quickly,  meeting each strike.  The two of them danced between party guests,  Laurens dueling furiously,  Jefferson-  who was winning-  maintaining his apathetic air. Hamilton was standing stock still with confusion,  Peggy was watching Eliza with horror,  Angie was nowhere to be seen. If only Madison were around,  he usually put a damper on Jefferson's irrationality.

     Oh, Christ.  Eliza was going to have to stop this.

     She looked around for some kind of weapon,  and decided on the trident of some mermaid near the drinks table who was watching the battle.  She didn't even notice Eliza running over and grabbing it.

     When she turned her attention back to Laurens and Jefferson the plastic sword was almost destroyed. What was the kid thinking? Gathering courage,  she jumped into the battle, her trident meeting Jefferson's sword,  noses inches apart.

       "Enough" she growled. Jefferson's unreadable eyes bore into her, as if testing her will. She stood strong.
       "For you, of course," Thomas said finally. Smoothly, he chuckled and strolled away,  pausing to whisper something in John's ear. The boy turned pale as Jefferson dismissed the dispersing crowd. And even as Jefferson climbed his grand staircase and Hamilton helped Laurens out of the house, Eliza couldn't shake the feeling that that wasn't the last she'd be seeing of the pair.

     And if they had made an enemy of Jefferson,  they didn't stand a chance.