"un deux trois quatre cinq six sept huit neuf." eliza sang the next morning.
it was her birthday today, she knew that tonight would probably go out of whack and she didn't want anyone to be there that shouldn't be, like the guys that beat her and alexander up.
she was having a party tonight and she was inviting alex, angelica, peggy, washington, nathaniel, laffy, herc, maria and of course, laurens. since it was in the schuyler mansion and there was a lot of room, eliza said to invite who ever else anyone wanted. alex was really surprised when he heard that she was inviting nathaniel, but eliza said she thought he was nice, so alex just shrugged it off.
peggy and john were already in tact again and all lovey dovey all over each other, you know, after eliza figured out they were going out for years instead of months.
angelica and lafayette are still the most adorable couple out of the group, and hercules is still complaining about being all alone, alex said "he don't need anyone", but he ignored.
eliza didn't like birthdays. she felt she was just one more step towards the grave before she was fully in. she didn't want the day to come where angie died, or peggy, or alex, or anyone died before herself. that was one thing she actually liked about birthdays, one more step into the grave, one more heartbreak gone away.
eliza got up and dressed, she put on a knee-length blue dress, black tights, and sandals, along with her mom's necklace that was hanging on her bulletin board. she clipped it on and smiled, she put on some basic make up, brushed her hair and left the room, still humming to herself.
eliza decided for some toast for breakfast, until she noticed the time.
11:45
eliza gathered her stuff, and ran out the door.
–
nathaniel was shocked when he saw the text that invited him to eliza's party, he was shocked, but knew this was the perfect opportunity to ruin their relationship. he just needed a plan.
it was extremely hot in nyc, even if it is as late as august, it's either really cold or really hot. nathaniel put on some shorts, a short sleeve shirt and some sneakers, nothing too fancy.
the party- or "sabotage" started at 6, so he had plenty of time to plan out. he knew that it was a bit cruel of him to do this to eliza on her birthday, but he just glossed over that. he knew exactly what he was going to do, he mapped out the schuyler mansion, since he knew it pretty well because of how famous it is there's a lot of pictures of it online.
he knew that since it was pretty hot people would maybe spend time outside or by the pool, he planned for him to be by the pool, as alexander was there at a given time, then he'd call eliza over to chat and then alex would kiss a random girl and eliza would see.
obviously, alex isn't going to go on this on his own will, someone will have to kiss him. nathaniel sat for moments thinking of who to make kiss alexander, until he had the perfect idea who, and she was already invited.
nathan took out out his phone and dialed the number.
"hey, mariah." nathaniel said into the phone.
"what do you want?" she responded, clearly annoyed.
"i need you to help me sabotage alex and eliza's relationship." nathaniel said in a high pitch tone.
"and why would i do that?" she asked.
"because, you know how hard it is to love someone, and them not love you back." nathan said in a more serious tone.
"f-fine. what do you want me to do?" she stuttered.
"find alexander, drag him near the pool about mid-way through the party. then once you see me out near the pool, with eliza, don't stop until she sees. got it?" he demanded.
"o-okay.." she said softly then hung up the phone.
phase one, complete.
–
it was 5:10 and eliza just started getting ready. she put on another dress, a half way button-up light blue dress with a bow that wraps around the middle. she wore white sandals, and put her hair back with a blue bow, and of course, her mothers locket:
eliza only did her face and lips, she added a nude color, some concealer and called it a day.
–
it was about 5:50 when guests started to arrive. obviously, the sisters were there first, but the first one after them (obviously) was surprisingly, nathaniel and maria. no one knew why they showed up together but they just ignored it and eliza greeted them sweetly.
next, alex showed up, then lafayette, laurens, and hercules, then finally, washington.
"glad you could make it, dad." eliza smiled and hugged washington. she called him dad because she didn't have one, and she thought of him as a dad, besides he was her godfather.
"good to see you mr. washington." alex greeted politely.
"good to see you too, son." washington smiled and shook his hand.
"d-don't call me son." alex stuttered and flushed.
nathaniel and maria were whispering about something in the corner as peggy and laurens were pretty obviously flirting based on the constant giggles and blushes that came from them. lafayette and angelica were talking about probably their whole lives and that means they were planning their fourth baby's due date by now.
alexander and washington were talking about politics and "what's happened lately on the news!" and alex's job issues, along with eliza's yale issues.
eliza was in the kitchen, cooking and making all the foods and servings and drinks, she worked hard for this party and had exactly 5 drinks, because there was no way she was drinking that night unless alex pretty much forced her too.
"you're working hard." a voice said behind eliza. it was about 7:45 and already dark out.
"nathaniel! god, you scared me!" she giggled and turned back around to her food.
"how's it going? i mean, you should join the party! come on. it's yours after all." nathaniel said in a 'duh' tone.
"yeah, i know. b-but i'd rather stay in here." eliza sighed.
"come on, eliza." nathaniel dragged eliza and led her out to the porch where the pool was.
"it's cold out here." eliza said, rubbing her shoulders.
"could be worse." nathaniel shrugged.
the first thing she noticed was maria and alexander talking near a bush in the corner, eliza kept glancing at them and had no idea how this was going to turn out.
eliza kept randomly nodded at nathaniel's small talk from aside the pool.
"pretty locket." nathaniel said, which made eliza snap out her daze.
"w-what? o-oh, thanks." she said, taking hold of her locket.
"what's inside?" nathaniel asked curiously.
eliza opened the locket and the picture of the girls and their mother was there.
"your mom?" he asked.
"y-yeah.. she died a year ago." eliza said softly, but shook it off, turning back to change the subject before she was caught off guard of the most, random thing, no, most terrifying thing she's ever witnessed.
alexander's lips were on maria's and they both looked a bit dumbstruck, but alex wasn't pulling away, he was kissing back in fact.
eliza dropped the locket, and it sank to the bottom of the pool with a splash, she also let out a terrifying and heart wrenching scream that finally made the two separate.
–
alexander had been sitting down, just getting done with a long conversation with washington, he was fiddling with his thumbs, as he stared into space, until someone snapped him out of it.
"hey, crazy boy." a girl giggled from behind him, he turned around to see maria standing there.
"oh, hey maria." alex groaned.
"come on, have some fun." maria laughed and dragged alexander outside.
she dragged him to the corner of the pool near some nicely trimmed hedges. he noticed maria looking over behind him a couple times, like waiting for a signal, but he shook it off quickly.
the same concept happened, alex wasn't paying any attention to what maria was saying.. until he felt his lips on hers, he didn't know what do to and knew he couldn't stop it, he just went along with it, that was the worst part, he kissed back. he stayed there with her for a couple seconds before he figured out someone most of noticed, with the sound of a heart wrenching scream that made everything go silent, and a small splash in the pool.
he turned around and saw eliza running away, her sandals making hard hits on the bricks as she ran, her hair swaying side to side as tears ran down her face.
–
eliza ran, she didn't stop at all, she tripped once on the bricks; but didn't think much of it, she ran into her room and started balling her eyes out, hoping no one noticed.
she didn't know what else to do, so she counted, it was the only thing that could relax here but strangely enough, it wasn't enough.
"un - de - deux tr - trois quatre cinq s-s-six sept hu-huit-" she lost at eight, she kept balling and couldn't stop.
she sat there, sobbing into her pillow. she figured no one noticed because no one followed her up. until, she let out another heart wrenching scream.
she figured someone heard that because she heard footsteps, the door squeaking open, then squeaking shut, and arms wrapped around her.
"what happened, love?" she heard john whisper.
peggy was there too, she could tell. she was stroking her arm, and she knew mainly from touch, she could identify her sister's touch anywhere, and she knew that was peggy.
"i- it was alex... h-he k-k-kissed ma-ma mariah." she sobbed more into her pillow as john's eyes widened.
eliza felt a burn in her legs as she looked down she saw her knees were bleeding fast down to her ankles from her falling on the bricks.
"ill go get towels." john whispered and left quietly, as eliza immediately fell into peggy's arms.
peggy sat there cradling eliza as she stroked her hair and sang to her songs and lullabies until john came back.
the door squeaked open again and john came running in after closing it.
"this might hurt." john warned and eliza nodded in understandment. she didn't care, nothing could hurt more then the pain she was already feeling.
john dabbed the towel onto her knees and eliza let out a wince.
"i know, it hurts." peggy whisper-sang into her ear.
john dabbed some more until he finally cleared it all up, he damped it again, then dried it with another towel. all three towels were bloody and stained with different variations of red.
eliza looked down at her knees, they were pink, blue, and brown. they were bruised badly and there were still tinier bruises up and down her legs from the guys that beat her up. she also still had a scar on her face from it.
"now, it's ready for someone else to have bloody knees." john threatened and cracked his knuckles.
"n-no.. don't i don't want anyone getting hurt." eliza choked. eliza was full on choking on her tears so much she could barely breath.
"ok-okay. i wont. but atleast let me talk to him." he begged, eliza shook her head in protest.
"i don't want your friendship to be ruined because of me." eliza cried.
"don't think like that, bets." peggy cried. she was crying too, maybe more than eliza was, she hated it when her sisters cried, absolutely despised it.
peggy held her sister tightly.
"don't worry, bets, i won't. okay?" he smiled heartedly at her and she smiled back.
"thank you." she mumbled.
"ill talk to him." peggy said, eliza nodded a smudge and john looked offended, yet glad in a way.
eliza kept crying, her heart pretty much- no- was shattered into a million pieces.
and alexander was still downstairs.
–
oOOOOOO ;)
GUYS iM SO PISSED RN!
i WROTE OVER 2000 WORDS AND HALF OF IT DELETED I M SIDMDISM I HAD TO RE WRITE HALF OF THE STORY! okay that's a lie
BUT I HAD TO REWRITE OVER 500 WORDS I WSKDKEKDK.
anyways, I didn't write much today because I was kind of sick but I also had a piano recital aND I WORE A PEGGY HAIRSTYLE IT FELT AWESOME.
john/peggy fluff, HUGE STUFF/MOMENT either in the 11th chapter (onze) or next chapter, so look out for that:):)
i love YOU GUYS. SO MUCH and i Hope YOU likeD THIS XHAPTER IT TORMENTED ME SO MUCH WRITING THIS I AM JUST SO HEARTBROKEN FROM IT MY BABY DOESNT DESERVE THIS!
anyways, marIA IS EXTREMELY INNOCENT HERE, BUT HER AND PEGGY DO GET IN A HUGE FIGHT, please don't blame it on maria she was kind of forced to do this in a way. so yeah,
don't blame her.
love u GUYS sO MUXH 💕💕
xx, emma