Chapter 3- John
John, being a semi-recent college graduate, was still neck-deep in student loans, and thus not rich enough to afford many clothes. Unfortunately, today, he seemed to have more clothes than ever before.
After five hours of sleep, four cups of coffee, and three hours of sorting through his closet, John made two phone calls. First, he called Eliza Schuyler. She answered the phone, snarled out an unintelligible threat, and then promptly hung up on him. John sighed, knowing he should have known better than to contact the middle Schuyler sister before giving her coffee. He called her younger sister instead, knowing that Peggy was slightly easier to reason with in the morning.
"Hello?" Peggy's voice lifted John's spirits immediately. She would give him shit about this, sure, but she would also help him, and he desperately needed help.
"Hey, Peg!" John exhaled, pouring himself another cup of coffee. "I have a date today..." he trailed off, and Peggy laughed delightedly.
"With Alexander Hamilton!" She cried. "Of course! You guys were making some serious bedroom eyes at each other yesterday."
"We weren't- I didn't-" John objected. "Well, yes, it's with him." He could hear Peggy clapping her hands. "Could you maybe get Eliza up and come help me?" John pleaded. "I have way too many clothes, and somehow I have nothing to wear!" Peggy's giggles turned into maniacal cackles, and she hung up on him. John frowned at his phone. Was there a note taped to his forehead that said "Schuyler sisters- please ignore this man?"
Luckily for him, his phone buzzed a second later.
from peg-leg: be there soon! make eliza coffee though she's not really awake
to peg-leg: thank god
to peg-leg: literally are you god
from peg-leg: go away i'm driving
Minutes later, a loud knock sounded on John's door. He hopped up, narrowly avoiding tripping over a pile of clothes. He made his way to the door, pulling it open. Eliza Schuyler fell into his arms, yawning widely.
"Sorry about her," Peggy said cheerfully, stepping daintily past them and into John's kitchen. "I got her Starbucks on the way here, but she's only had three shots." John scooped Eliza into his arms, settling her down on his couch. She immediately snuggled into the cushions, accepting the mug of coffee her younger sister brought her.
"So, loverboy," Peggy smiled wickedly, flashing pearly teeth at John. "Tell me all about this date."
"You would've known about this if you didn't take your break at rush hour yesterday," John informed her, sitting on the floor by Eliza's head. Peggy raised an eyebrow, sitting at her sister's feet. "He came in, and asked me to date him seconds after introducing himself." Peggy gasped, and he held up a hand to stop her. "His ex was coming around the corner, and he didn't want her to talk to him, so he asked me to pretend to date him so she'd leave him alone." Peggy nodded, pacified. Eliza lifted her head, holding out her empty mug to no one in particular. Her sister got up quickly to refill it, then settled down at her feet again, motioning for John to continue the story.
"His ex came in, accompanied by..." John trailed off for dramatic effect, and Eliza sat up, cradling her mug against her chest. "My father." John sighed, and Eliza actually gasped. Peggy shot her older sister an incredulous look, and John rolled his eyes at the pair, continuing. "He and Alexander got into a fight, over Alexander's debt plan and my father's general assholeness. Then Alexander punched him, and his security guard immediately took him away."
"And Jefferson got a picture!" Eliza reminded him. Peggy frowned at her sister.
"How do you know about that?" John and Peggy asked simultaneously.
"Angelica is Washington's press secretary, remember?" Eliza reminded them. "Jefferson approached the President with the picture, trying to get Hamilton removed from office."
"Are you serious?" Peggy snapped. "I thought I deleted that picture from his phone!" Eliza shrugged, gulping down the last of her coffee.
"It didn't work," Eliza said. "According to Angelica, Washington just sighed and told Jefferson to quit his bickering." John sighed in relief. It would be incredibly awkward if he met up with Alexander only to find out that the other man lost his job over him.
"So anyways," John continued, getting back to his story. "Alexander put his number on my arm before he left, and then I texted him later."
"Why is it still there?" Peggy pointed out, tapping his arm. It was faded a little, but the numbers were definitely still there, in handwriting that was possibly worse than John's (an incredible feat).
"He used permanent marker," John groaned. Peggy cracked up, and Eliza sent him an apologetic look.
"So why are we here?" Eliza asked. "Not that I don't love your tiny-ass apartment, but I seem to have missed the first part of the conversation."
"Because you threatened to dismember me," John pointed out. "And then hung up on me."
"Sorry!" Eliza exclaimed, seemingly back to her sweet self now that she'd consumed ridiculous amounts of caffeine.
"Ah, Eliza," John grinned. "Best of platonic wives and best of women- after coffee, of course. I need some help picking out what to wear, I have to be there in- oh."
"Oh?" Peggy prodded. "One o'clock? Oh what?"
"Oh, shit," John answered, voice laced with panic. "I have to be there in an hour!" The Schuyler sisters exchanged a look over his head.
"John, go take a shower," Peggy commanded. "We'll pick out some clothes, and then we have to go cover your stupid shift for you." John threw his arms around both of them at once, only for them to shoo him off.
Despite Peggy driving him there (at a minimum of ten miles over the speed limit), by the time John reached the Starbucks, Alexander was already visible through the window, typing furiously on a laptop. "Shit shit shit, am I late?" John exclaimed, glancing at the clock.
"You're ten minutes early," Peggy rolled her eyes. "Now get out of my car, or Eliza and I will be late." John pressed a kiss to each of their cheeks, then jumped out of the car. Peggy sped away, Eliza waving out the window.
