"So, we have a younger brother?" Eliza stared at her sister.
"Well, he's older than Peggy," Angelica still seemed frazzled.
"But he's our half brother?"
Angelica sighed. "We've been over this fifty times Eliza, yes, he's not mom's son."
"Are you gonna tell Dad?" Eliza asked. "Or Peggy?"
"Peggy, yes, Dad, I'm still debating."
"Angie, we should tell him,"
"Eliza, I'll be the judge of that."
"This is not something that only you get to decide, Angelica, it affects all of us,"
"Well, it doesn't matter because right now we are too far from home to care."
"Don't shut me out on this, like you did when Mom die - "
"When's the promise wedding?" Angelica interrupted. She knew her sister too well.
Eliza's eyes lit up. "We're thinking of having it at the college, just us and friends,"
"Who's the maid of honor?" Angelica smirked.
"Is that even a question? You!" Eliza playfully punched her sister on the arm.
"Hold on, Peggy owes me twenty bucks," Angie said, taking out her phone.
"Peggy will be the flower girl, and Laf the ring bearer," Eliza went on. "And, of course, Alex insisted on John being his best man."
Angelica's cheeks colored slightly. "And Maria's one of your bridesmaids?"
"And Herc will be one of Alex's groomsmen," Eliza finished.
"Seems small."
Eliza shrugged. "I mean, the real thing will have more people, obviously, but this one should be small."
"Not even Dad?"
Eliza's eyes darkened. "No."
Angelica let it drop. "How were the Washingtons?"
"The nicest people!" Eliza gushed. "And how was the night at John's?" Eliza teased her blushing sister.
"Shut up! It wasn't like that!"
"When will you stop breaking that poor boy's heart and tell him you love him?"
"Eliza, it's too late," Angelica looked sadly at her phone. "I friendzoned him, remember?"
"SO YOU DO LIKE HIM!!!!!"
"Hush, Elizabeth!" Angie frantically quieted her sister.
"Oh my god, I can't believe my sister finally found a guy!" Eliza looked amazed almost.
"Hey, what about Thomas?"
Eliza rolled her eyes. "You mean the guy who left you cuz he was gay? Yeah, you guys were meant to be."
"I have no chance. He probably extinguished all his feelings for me already,"
"There's always a chance, dear," Eliza booped her sister's nose. "Always."
oOo
John's POV
"So you're getting married?" John looked at his best friend.
"Well, eventually, but, she sealed the deal," Alex almost seemed... regretful?
"What's with the face?" John turned towards him.
"I mean, we're young, and I wonder if it's too early,"
"Alex, if you regret this now, it's a bit too la - "
"I know I know," Alex talked over John. "But still, are we really meant to be be?"
"If you think it is, it is,"
"Hey, John, would you do me the honor of being my best man?"
John rolled his eyes, "I thought you'd never ask. How're George and Martha?"
"The same," Alex met John's eyes. "They told me about Audrey and Henry, so I thought he'd be here..." Alex trailed off.
John clenched his fist. "I don't think we need to worry about him."
"John, what did you do?" There was a hint of fear laced behind Alexander's voice.
"He was gonna hurt Angie," John whispered. "So I reacted."
Alex flinched, but he knew better than to pursue the topic. "Angie, huh? How was that?"
"Whaddya mean?"
"I mean, she stayed the night at your place and you can't tell me that's purely plato - "
"ALEX I SWEAR TO GOD IF YOU DON'T SHUT UP RIGHT NOW!"
Alex laughed. "Okay jeez, if you're gonna be a baby about it."
"Besides, she rejected me, remember?"
"That was then. This is now, give her a chance,"
John sighed. "Yeah, no, I rather like our friendship, thanks."
"You mean your relationship where you're both silently pining for each other," Alex raised an eyebrow.
"That's not true,"
"Is too."
"Is not."
"Is too."
John threw a pillow at Alex as the sisters came out to their room.
"What're you guys arguing about?" Eliza asked.
"Nothing!" the boys said at the same time.
Angelica rolled her eyes. "Uh huh."
"Well, our flight doesn't leave till tomorrow, so I was thinking we should go out!" Eliza exclaimed.
"Like, to a bar? Cuz then I'm in," John said.
"I'm down," Alex agreed.
Angelica hesitated slightly before relenting. "We could all use a drink/"
"Try the bar across from that hotel!" Aurora shouted.
"AURORA, YOU'RE UNDERAGE!" John yelled.
"Uh, it's, uh, my friend's favorite place?"
"Nice try Rory. You're grounded now,"
"DARN IT!"
"Language!" chided Audrey.
"I DIDN'T EVEN FU-"
"LANGUAGE!" chorused the twins, plugging Audrey's ears.
"Let's goooooooo!" Eliza pushed the three out the door.
oOo
"Oh well, Aurora certainly knows her bars," Alex laughed. John shot Alex a look.
"Eliza, go get us drinks," Angelica pushed her sister towards the bartender.
"I'm going with her!" Alex grabbed his fiancee's arm and pulled her away.
"I honestly ship it so hard," John giggled.
Angelica's eyes widened. He giggled. He was so freaking adorable.
"Who doesn't?"
"So, how'd Eliza take the news?"
"She wants to see Philip so she booked a hotel near him for the night."
"Will you go with her?"
"Nah, enough drama for one week," Angelica looked John in the eye. "How's your dad?"
"Still dead to me," John didn't meet Angie's eyes.
"You can talk about i - "
"I'd rather not," John said coldly then immediately regretted it. "Shoot, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say it like that."
"We're ba-ack!" Eliza pushed a drink toward the pair. "What happened here?"
"Nothing," Angelica took her drink.
"Nothing at all," John also took a glass.
Alex looked doubtfully at them. "You sure?"
"Alex, just take your drink,"
"If you say so."
oOo
A good few drinks later, the entire squad was pretty drunk, all except for John, who was only mildly intoxicated, due to a higher alcohol tolerance.
"Okay, but seriously, you guys, last drink," Alex's voice slurred heavily.
"But we've barely had anything!" Eliza giggled.
Angelica just kept smiling rather widely. "Let's go get more!" Angie whisked her sister away.
Alex leaned over to John. "So, you're bi, right?"
"Yes. Alex, you know this," John felt almost uncomfortable with the distance between him and his best friend. Almost.
"So you wouldn't mind if I did this," Alex leaned over and kissed John.
What the heck, Alex?!
John pulled back faster than he could say no to him. Then he turned to see the sisters. Eliza was still giggling like heck but he could see Angelica's face through the crowd. She was just... disappointed.
"It's not what it looks like!" he was facing Eliza but his voice was directed towards Angie.
"I-I think we need to leave," Angelica turned, grabbed her sister and her future brother-in-law and hailed a cab.
"Angie, please, just hear me out, that would be enough," Angelica put the couple in the cab and gave the driver an address before facing John.
"Give me one good reason why you just tried to ruin my sister's relationship,"
John faltered. "It wasn't me! Please, you gotta believe me!"
"John, he's about to get married, he made a commitment!" Angelica shrieked.
"I know that's why I pushed him away!"
Angelica quieted. "You did?"
John couldn't answer because that was when a car started barreling towards Angelica who wasn't fast enough to react. But John was.
Time slowed down for him.
You can save her, John.
So why are you hesitating still?
Hurry up, or else there will be no more Angelica.
But you can't leave your siblings.
But you can't kill her!
Will you throw away your shot?
How can you even debate this?
John knew what he had to do. The car wouldn't stop but he could move.
"WAIT!"
Jonathan Laurens was admitted into the Washington Hospital at 1:19 am.
*Evil Laugh*
- Angelicaa, Eliza!