Secrets of a Schuyler Sister {Angelica Schuyler}

11

A/N
Guys, don't worry! Thomas is back in this chapter.

The love triangle is STILL going.

:::

"Love doesn't discriminate between the sinners and the saints.  It takes and it takes and it takes, and we keep loving anyway."
- (Guess what).

:::

Weeks by weeks passed, flitting by quicker than a deer out of a car's way. Thomas simply ignored Angelica now, which she couldn't say didn't hurt. She had liked Thomas for a while, and everyone knew now that he had liked her. But maybe liking wasn't enough. Maybe — he had hoped to get serious with her.

And now he was just fed up with chasing his tail.

It struck Angelica raw, to think that maybe she was just that heartless. But at the same time, she was Glad that she was now on speaking terms with Alexander again. Although they found themselves going numb and silent every time Eliza came into the picture.

The two of them would be having a conversation, and then out of nowhere Eliza would come bouncing in and she'd hook an arm around Alexander's waist. And then they would be fighting to keep out the awkward silence.

"Oh — hey, Maria! Wait up!" Eliza called across the hallway to her Friend, the week before the Winter Dance. She unhooked her arm from Alexander's waist and kissed his cheek. "That's my ride to Physics. Catch you at lunch?"

"Yeah. Definitely," Alexander said, his voice so strained it was definitely awkward.

"Great," Eliza smiled and her eyes lit up like stars. She averted her smile towards Angelica and waved at the both of them. "See you guys."

"See you, junior," Angelica called, waving back.

As soon as Eliza was out of sight, Angelica's smile dropped. She turned to look at Alexander and found that his gaze was already locked intensely on her.

"We have to do something," Angelica said, all serious. "And I mean it this time. I know we have feelings for each other — but we can't just keep stealing kisses while you're with Liza."

"You're right," Alexander said.

"It's not fair to her!" Angelica found tears threatening at the backs of her eyes as she said this. "I know my Sister like I know my own freaking mind, and God help me, I've never known anyone as trusting or as kind as her. And what if —" Angelica found that her hands were shaking "— what if she ..."

"Hey, hey, hey — easy now," Alexander reached out and grabbed hold of both her hands, to stop them from shaking. He tucked them both into a steel grip. "Take it easy, okay? We will tell her. Don't worry."

Angelica didn't answer. Just stared at him through a black cloud of worry.

"It's going to be okay," he said, softer, reassuring. His grip loosened slightly on her hands, his thumbs drawing unconscious circles on her skin.

Angelica had to pull away, before she could fall into it.

"Alex," she said, her voice contorted into warning and accusing and longing. "Not here."

He didn't look at her, "Right, right. Sorry," he reached up and pressed his hands to his face, smoothing back his dark hair. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Angelica whispered. "Let's just go to class now."

"Yeah, sure."

Alexander pushed his locker door shut, and they headed down the hall, walking at least five feet away from each other while trying (and failing) not to catch the other's eye. When they locked gazes for the third time in the past five minutes, Angelica had to crack a smile. Alexander cracked one back.