eliza did everything in her power to stop the raging thoughts in her mind, she looked normal, she sounded normal, she didn't act normal though. she acted like someone that wasn't normal, or atleast unnormal eliza because it's really obvious when she's scared or sad.

she let the love of her life get beaten up and she didn't do anything about it, the raging thoughts on what could and what could've happened kept pounding in her mind

he could've lost a leg
he could be hurt more
anyone could be hurt
he could've broken an arm or leg
he could've... died

for being eliza's most thought of phrase of the day, it sure did come out slow. he could've died and it would've been all her fault. sure she didn't know about the guys beating him up but she told him their names, she got him involved, she didn't refuse him to let him beat them up. that was definitely on her side.

she heard a soft ding dong and heard peggy opening the door, peggy isn't sick anymore and she just got over it a few days ago, she had pneumonia and felt terrible half of the time, she's better but still doesn't go to school.

"liza, alex is here." peggy said smiling. she half-smiled back, and nodded. she saw alex walk in and moved to the other end of the couch.

alex sat down and wrapped her arms around eliza as she softly cried into his chest, she stroked her hair and  whispered soft nothings into her ear, even if they were called soft nothings, they meant everything to her. she smiled, and blushed.

"eliza i know what you're thinking, but it's okay. i'm fine. please, don't worry about me." he said and smiled. she took his hands in hers.

"i know, hun. but i'm your girlfriend it's my job to worry about you." she said looking at him with big eyes.

"you're so adorable, but i'm your boyfriend it's my job to make you feel safe and to make you safe." alex confirmed and smiled at her, sweetly.

"i love you so much." she smiled and nuzzled into her chest. "hey, al?" she asked and he grinned.

"mm-hmm?" he says and smiles at her.

"i- i got a scholarship, to yale." she said and looked up at him and his smile dropped.

she was going to tell him soon. she only got the message yesterday, so she didn't wait forever, obviously she knew that would just make it worse. alex also knew how she was extremely smart, and he actually was going to tell him sooner or later.

"t-that's fantastic, eliza! how long have you known?" he asks a bit more tense.

"since yesterday." she said and smiled, he sighed and hugged her. "s-so you aren't... mad?" she stuttered.

"no! eliza, i just don't know how im going to live so far away from you..." alex said sadly.

"i don't have to take it alex-" she started but got cut off.

"eliza this is a once in a lifetime opportunity! getting a scholarship to yale is not an everyday thing it happens to very few people!!" alex pleaded.

"i- i don't know, who's going to take care of peggy?" eliza said concerned.

"laurens has her covered, trust me." he laughed and she looked at him weirdly.

"h-her and john?!" she laughed and he nodded. "aw." she squealed and he laughed.

"eliza, i want you to go, yale is only a few hours from here, you can visit on holidays, you know you can, love." he said softly and she smiled sweetly as he stroked her cheek and she took the hand.

"i love you, alex." she smiled.

"i love you, too. does peggy know? or angelica...?" he asked, biting his lip.

"um... angie knows, peggy doesn't." eliza sighed.

"she'll be away. this summer." he said and looked down at her.

"no, mariah has this stupid family reunion thing." she sighs.

"she'll be with john, it'll be fine." he smiled.

"i need to tell her." eliza sighed.

"go. tell her." he smiled sweetly as she sat up and stretched.
–

"peggles?" eliza whispered and knocked on her door.

"come in, bets!" she giggled.

eliza slowly entered, and peggy automatically knew something was up.

"what's wrong?" she said with big eyes.

"u-um... i got a scholarship.... to yale." eliza said and half-smiled , half-frowned.

"w-what? when were you planning on telling me eliza?!" she never called eliza by her name, she always called her betsey or bets. that was it.

"i just got the message yesterday, pegs. i just told alexander. angelica already knew. she found out with me." she sighed.

"oh, bets." she cried and hugged her tight.

"i don't have to accept it." eliza said genuinely. she responded with the same thing alexander did, almost the exact same words "once in a lifetime...not everyday..." blah blah blah.

eliza smiled and hugged her again. "i love you, marge." she smiled at her.

"i love you too, sis." she smiled.

"i heard about you and john." eliza smirked and peggy rolled her eyes and started laughing, throwing her head into her pillow.

"w-well, it happened about a week ago. we both have had a crush on each other for like ever though." she giggled.

"you guys are so adorable." eliza smiled and squeaked.

"i KNOW right?!" she joked in a really high pitched voice and started laughing again.

"ha ha, lets go." she smiled and led peggy downstairs.
–

john sat down with lafayette and angelica, they were being all cutesy couple-y like. he rolled his eyes and surprisingly, took a bite of his roll.

"can you go be all cutesy in another room, im eating." he groaned and they looked shocked.

"sorry, mon ami." lafayette apologized and led angie to the next room.

john couldn't bare to see romance with troubles of his home.

he was in love with peggy.

guess all the guys would get a schuyler sister. except herc.

lafayette had angelica and alexander had eliza. peggy was the most beautiful one in his opinion but he didn't say that or lafayette and alexander would individually have a one on one with him.

he ate his pasta and rolls and drank his tea until he heard a ding from his phone.

john's phone
7:32
from: peggy (contact name: pegs ❤️)

pegs ❤️: hey :) could we meet up soon?

john smiled to himself and instantly texted back.

you: yeah, i would very much like that. :) tomorrow 9:45???

pegs ❤️: sounds good to me, see you dereeee johnny boy !!

john smiled and turned off his phone. he finished his plate and went upstairs to get dressed and into pajamas.

he was staying at lafayette's over the week because it was closer to work. and lafayette being as kind as he his, lent john an offer to stay at his place and john happily said yes.

he looked at the clock.

10:45

it had been a couple hours since the text and he was on his computer and taking phone calls through it all. he decided it was time to go to bed, so he turned off the lights and turned on his phone to text one more thing:

you: gn peggles 💕

peggles: goodnight johnny ❤️

he smiled himself to sleep that night
–

john waited at the coffee shop for peggy, he was early so didn't expect her to be there yet but it was currently 10:14, and peggy still wasn't there, he still waited until he saw a brown haired figure in a dress run in.

"hey, im sorry im late, betsey got me stuck in traffic and stuff, im sorry john." she apologized and took his hand, he immediately smiled.

"don't worry about it, you're fine." john smiled.

"hello, what would you like today?" the waiter asked kindly.

"ill take a diet coke." peggy smiled and the waitress nodded.

"ill just have a beer." laurens smiled.

"we're at a coffee shop and you get a beer? it's 10 in the morning!" she said and giggled.

"whatever." he scoffed and smiled.

ten minutes later their food arrived since there wasn't that many people, a lot of service, and a small plate, it came quick.

peggy ordered an omelet with sausage and john ordered a scone and pancakes.

what they both automatically noticed was that the food was actually pretty... dry and didn't taste good, also john's syrup was cold. they called the waiter over, they got a new one and she was a bit curt. so they didn't bother to talk to her again, since she wouldn't do anything about it.

peggy looked around and bit her lip. "this kind of sucks." peggy said sternly, and john looked sad.

"o-oh... sorry." john said and peggy got up and walked off, without any explanation just a walk off and 'whatever'.

john ran out to find her, but she was no where to be found. he looked around, and turned a corner where he saw her sitting in an alley, picking at rocks on the ground.

"hey, w-what happened.. did i do something?" john asked scared as he crouched near her.

"n-no. b-but i was just a - uh... bit nervous." peggy but her lip and blushed.

"why?" john laughed.

"b-because i- i actually really like you, john...." she said nervously, he stared at her in shock.

"s- sorry-" she started but got cut off pretty quickly by john.

"no, peggy don't apologize... i like you too." he smiled brightly and sat beside her, then the most unexpected yet so expected happened.

peggy's lips were on john's, and they felt instant compassion and a pure, yet huge quantity of love.

"peggy?" he whispered after the heated kiss.

"y-yeah?" she was ready, he was going to say that whole, 'i love you... but as a friend' it's happened to her many times, she's known for being the outcast and leaving her sisters to shine in school, or out in the open.

"will you be my girl-" he didn't get to finish his sentence before peggy's lips were on his. "is that a yes or a no?" he said sarcastically, but he actually wasn't lying at the same time.

"yes." she smiled and kissed him again.
–

alex pet eliza's hair as her head slept in his lap. he was doing work on his laptop and writing up e-mails as eliza slept. he tried his hardest to keep quiet.

he didn't know when eliza was going to leave for yale, or if she was going to even accept the offer, well actually, he knew she would, him and peggy both said that they were fine, and angelica probably did too, knowing her. but how in the world was he going to have to be over 500 miles from his favorite person.

would he have to move on? he didn't want too.
would they do long distance? everyone knows those don't work out.
what if she declined the offer?
it would be his fault.

eliza squirmed and tossed before he heard a screeching yell and held eliza tighter than possible.

"what happened love?" he said calming her down.

"n-n-nigh-nightmare... y-y-you.... p-p-peg..peggy... a-a-and... an-angi-angelica." she cried out.

"deep breaths, mi amour. deep breaths." he said taking deep breaths in and out with her.

"o-one g-g-guy... h-he... h-he torture-tortured y-you ri-right in fr-front of m-me... t-then t-tortured m-m-me..." she sobbed as she was held in alex's arms.

"it's just a dream. it's not real, love. i know you're scared, but i'm alive. and peggy and angelica are upstairs." alex calmed her down.

"w-when did she get home??" she asked, less stuttery this time.

"about right after you fell asleep so an hour ago." he finished when his phone dinged.

alexander's phone
4:24
from: nathaniel (contact name: nathaniel.)

nathaniel.: i came to the hospital the other day when i heard what happened, hope ur good but ur gf probably told u lmao, she's kind of a bit whiny. am i right? nyway hmu

you: first of all, don't call eliza whiny, she told me, but she didn't keep the subject up for long. also, i really hope you stop being so insensitive. she was scared. i was crying too even worse than she was probably when i figured out she was in the hospital. so no you aren't right. second of all, i won't hyu because you don't deserve to be talked too by me, and i really don't want to be talked to by you, okay? bye.

nathaniel.: whatever dude, just tryna be supportive for my friend guess i shouldn't have come.

you: "supportive"? what kind of 'support' is talking trash about my girlfriend who i really love a lot?! very "supportive"!

nathaniel: her sisters took a go at me. what are their names?

you: peggy and angelica. now leave me alone. bye.

nathaniel.: no, man i won't bc you're MY friend still, k, man? god.

you: eliza, peggy and angelica are three of the most important people in my life along with john, laff, and herc and you tottallyy discriminated them all that day. ESPECIALLY eliza. she told me everything you said about her, along with angelica. so shut up.

alex turned off his phone, steaming with anger.

"what is it, love?" eliza asked, worriedly.

"nothing. j-just nathaniel." he smiled and she frowned and looked down.

"i don't think he really likes me... is it something i said or did...?" she looks scared and is biting her lip.

"no, hun. you're not his favorite, but you're my favorite. so why does it matter?" he said smiling.

"well, i want to get along with your friends." she said.

"he is not my friend. besides, you're friends with laff, and john, and herc." he said smiling.

"y-yeah.... but what did i do to make him hate me?" she frowned again.

"i don't know, love. but whatever it was, it's stupid." he laughed and kissed her head.

everything was good in that time.
eliza's thoughts weren't there.
none of them were.
her stress was gone.
she was just in his arms,
smiling,
loving,
grinning,
and laughing.
–

whoop i finished chapter 5!!! are you guys happy? i am.

so, im going to make up instagrams and make manips for them for each character. so yeah in the next chapter or so(prolly not) will be the chapter of me showing off the pages, idk it'll be fun and YE aH :)

<3 u guys!! hope you enjoyed this chapter of fun and fluff even though there was some drama, but every chapters going to be like that lmao sorry. BUT GUYS I SHIP JANTHONY SO MUCH I H A D TO MAKE PEGGY AND LAURENS A THING I JUST HAD TOO <3 ANYWAYS ILY GUYS!

xx, emma