Angelica's POV
Angelica finished putting on her dress. The real graduation was already over and they all had their diplomas.
While it was super boring to watch everyone in their graduation uniforms walk up and get the paper, Angelica had withstood it.
Now it was time for the after party.
Her hair was down, flowing freely, and she had the lightest amount of makeup on. Her dress was... sleeveless.
And she had chosen it.
She couldn't wait for John to see it. How far they had come. From the lovesick kids they were to the even more lovesick couple.
Now, the after party would be the true test of the night. Every time they got drunk, something went terribly wrong.
"Angie, you done?" John was growing ever the more impatient.
"One second." Angelica came out, making her big entrance.
John and Angie stared at each other for a good twenty seconds before breaking into huge smiles.
"Dang."
"That's all I get?" Angelica teased.
"No, you deserve the world and more," John replied. "Also, don't I get a compliment?"
"Not today!"
"Awwwww!" Eliza came out behind them with Alex in tow.
"Get married already!" Herc called.
"But remember to wait till marriage!" Maria added as both couples blushed hard.
"Oui, but où est Peggy?" Laf looked slightly out of it, his eyes darting around furiously.
"She said she'd be here soon." Angelica looked at her phone.
"I'm here!"
And then Peggy made her entrance.
Eliza gasped slightly.
Peggy, the sweet, innocent little sister, in a shockingly short dress.
Peggy, who tried to wear bows with everything, in a no shoulder, tiny dress.
Peggy, who never wore makeup ("It makes you look weird sometimes!"), wearing perfectly applied, heavy makeup.
And the final blow; Peggy, who wore yellow, always and forever, wearing purple.
"You look nice, Peggy!" John awkwardly tried to defuse the tension, even though he disliked her new look as much as everyone else. But he had always had a soft spot for the girl he considered his younger sister, and he didn't want to make her feel awkward.
Peggy self-consciously tugged down her dress until she remembered everyone was watching. "I wanted a change," she replied.
Even her voice, which used to be bubbly and bright, had been changed to a deeper, flirty voice.
Flirty?
Laf smiled at Peggy, though everyone could see his eyes crinkling in confusion. "Violette, mon ami?"
Peggy smiled flirtatiously at Laf. "I needed a change - yellow was too... childish."
Eliza stepped forward. "OKAY, WHAT IS GOI - "
Alex grabbed her hand. "What is going on with the lack of Peeps in this room, right? Yup, 'Liza, let's get some more! Yum, Peeps! Those high in sugar, great, Peeps!" He dragged a fuming Eliza out of the room.
Angelica tried a more delicate approach. "But last week you said - "
Peggy interrupted her quickly. "Like I said, needed a change. Now, are we going to grad?"
A knock suddenly sounded on the door. Adrienne, Laf's student in French, stepped shyly through.
"Is Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier de Lafayette, Marquis de Lafayette here?" The French girl asked, running through his entire name really fast.
Hercules could barely hold back a snigger. "Yeah, Marie is here!"
Laf smiled at Adrienne. "Reviens plus tard, problèmes de copine."
Peggy stiffened and moved closer to Laf. "Copine means girlfriend, does it not?" Her voice was icy.
So that's what this is about, Angelica thought.
Adrienne smiled at Peggy. "Bonjour, Peggy. Laf a beaucoup parlé de vous! C'est un gardien!"
Peggy refused to meet her eyes. "Au revoir, Adria."
Laf lifted his eyes to Peggy's, obviously confused about her behavior. "À plus tard, Adrienne," he emphasized her name.
"Peggy, could you come with me?" Angelica unexpectedly spoke.
Peggy rolled her eyes. "'Kay."
Angelica pulled Peggy away from the rest of the group. "So, Peggy! Care to tell me, your older sister who you trust with all your deepest and darkest secrets, yeah her! Tell me what this is about?"
"It's nothing! I just needed a change, that's all!" Peggy defended.
"Yeah, and that 'change' has nothing to do with Adrienne?" Angelica suspiciously surveyed Peggy's innocent expression. The makeup took away any of Peggy's usual innocence, though.
"I'm an adult Angelica, I can do as I please! Also, I was thinking of changing my name to Pearl? One of Margaret's meaning, you know. Peggy's too childish," Peggy nervously played with her straightened hair. She looked good, no doubt it. But she also looked nothing like herself.
Angelica's mouth dropped open. "Okay, Peggy, what's the real deal here? All this because you're jealous? That's weird, even for you. What is it about Laf that made you change everything about yourself in an attempt to get him?"
Peggy's eyes started to moisten, then she started to fan herself. "I changed the way I look because I wanted to! Nothing else!"
Angelica opened her mouth to reply when Laf stepped in nervously. "Salut, Angie. May I talk to Peggy?"
"Pearl," Peg - Pearl replied.
Laf's jaw visibly tightened. "... Pearl."
Angelica nodded at Laf and walked away.
Lafayette's POV
Was it him? Was he the reason Pegg - Pearl changed?
"Pourquoi?" Laf asked softly. "Qu'est-ce que j'ai fait?"
Peggy shook her head. "I needed a change," she repeated mechanically.
"Oui? And what if je n'aime pas? What if I don't like it?" Laf started to get angry.
"I didn't do it for you," Peggy argued feebly.
"And you didn't have to at all."
"I - I wanted to!" Peggy was barely even trying to argue now.
"So you can look me in the eye and tell me that you like this change?"
Peggy shamefully lowered her eyes. "I like the change," she whispered.
"No, you don't. And that's okay."
"No, it's not! I'm not pretty, or smart, or as amazing as Adri - I mean.. " Peggy trailed off, the damage already done.
"Peggy, listen. You don't have to be anything or like anyone for me to like you. You don't need to change yourself for me. In fact, please don't. Je t'adore. And that's enough. Would that be enough?"
"Yes! I mean, if you like me for me and nothing else, that's all that I've wanted for longer than you can possibly know,"
"FREAKING LISTEN TO THE FRENCH GUY, PEGGY! ALSO, LISTEN TO YOUR AMAZING SISTER, THE ONLY AND ONLY ELIZA, AND KNOW THAT SHE IS AMAZIN - I MEAN, YOU ARE AMAZING!" Eliza barged into the conversation, looking annoyed.
"Eliza!" Angelica sighed.
"YOU HAVE TEN MINUTES TO WIPE OFF THE GUNK FROM YOUR FACE AND PUT ON A YELLOW DRESS!"
"Uh, aye aye, 'Liza," Peggy rushed off to her dorm.
Eliza put her hands on her hips. "That's what I like to hear! Maybe you could also call me Your Hotness, Eliza. I'd like that. Alex?"
"Er, maybe one day?" Alex shrugged.
"I WANT TO BE CALLED THAT!" Eliza screamed, then reached for a Peep. "Yum. I think the baby likes Peeps!"
Alex sighed. "Your Hotness, Eliza, would you please not eat Peeps?"
"Say, promise you won't be like this?" John whispered to Angelica.
"It might just run in the family,"
Eliza squealed really high. "They're married with a baby too? Oh, right! I remember the marriage. It was at an ice skating rink, right?"
"ELIZA, NO!" both Angie and John scolded.
Eliza started to cry. "I don't understand why you're so mean to me! All I ever - hic - did was ship you - hic - why are you like this?"
"Elizabeth Schuyler you have five minutes to stop the act and get ready." Angelica was just about done.
"It isn't an act," Alex whispered to Angelica. "It's all real. And it's worse in the night."
Angelica banged her head against the wall. "Remind me to never get pregnant."
Peggy appeared again, with no makeup, a yellow dress, and she had quickly wet and dried her hair so it was curly again.
"Are we ready? Good, let's go." Maria took charge.
John leaned into Angie's ear. "Let's ditch this trainwreck. Also, wouldn't we look cute on a wedding cake together? Additionally, I have a surprise." John didn't give Angelica any time to reply to his perplexing comment.
"Thank God, because I refuse to spend the entire night telling my sister to not drink." Angelica rolled her eyes and followed John behind the courtyard.
"So, what's up?" Angie asked, looking confused.
"Hey, what's your last name, again?" John asked, smiling slightly.
"You know this, John! Schuyler,"
"Ever thought about changing it?" John bent down to one knee and took out a small box.
"Oh. My. God." Angelica gasped.
"Angelica Schuyler, we have been through a lot. I mean, I nearly died! But together, and I know this sounds cheesy, but together we got through it. Will you make the happiest man alive? Will you marry me?"
"No."
John's face completely crumpled.
"I'M JUST KIDDING, OF COURSE, YES!"
John sighed in relief. "What kind of joke was that?" He slipped the ring onto Angelica's finger.
"My kind of joke. And you're gonna have to get used to it," Angie smirked.
"Tough deal, but if I get an amazing girl out of it, it's worth it."
Angelica laughed. "That look on your face! Why would I say no? Omigod, Eliza's gonna flip!"
John chuckled. "Hey, remember my speech? We'll get through it together. Well, maybe not the pregnant lady rage/excitement."
"Alright, then, let's go!"
AWWWW
AWWWWWWWW
AWWWWWWWWWW
OKAY
Dresses!
Angelica and Eliza's
Maria and Peggy
Peggy's Real Dress
Theo's (The Baby's) Dress
Hope you enjoyed!
- Angelicaaaaaaaaaa and Elizaaaaaa