Chapter 20

Peggy's POV

It's almost Christmas, thank gosh. Then I can be out of this class for two weeks. I thought as I sat in my least favorite class, Biology. I felt a buzz from my phone and realized someone texted me. I wanted to look at it but this teacher, Mrs. Brown, was really strict. But I'm a really good student, and it's not like she can make me do anything embarrassing in front of the class because she just wasn't allowed. My mom has specifically told the school, who approved this, that I should not be forced to say things in front of the class because of my anxiety. I know that if Mrs. Brown did make her, Angelica would get really mad. So mad that she would grab Eliza and run out of the school to come to get me to spend the rest of the day with her or something. I decided to take the chance and looked at my phone. John texted me and I got a flutter of butterflies in my stomach.

Hey Peggy, I miss you so much. Do you want to hang out after school?

I quickly type a reply that reads, Yeah sure, see you then. I love you! 3

I love you too Pegs!3

"Miss Schuyler?"

Shoot

"Yes ma'am," I said and my thought started to close.

"Who were you texting?" Asked Mrs. Brown.

Ugh, I'm so stupid sometimes. "Um, just John," I say looking at my hands.

"Oh John Laurens, he was never very polite. He's a mean boy, he probably treats you very terribly." At this I got mad I wanted to shout at her, to tell her that she was wrong and she was just being stupid.

But I held my tongue and instead said, "no ma'am, he treats me really good."

"Hmmm." She said, not believing me. "I bet that's where that bruise on your arm came from."
"That's actually from when my sister Eliza was chasing me around the house." That was true, but we weren't fighting she was just tickling me. She said she was really sorry and didn't mean to chase her into a wall.

"Oh well then come here and read your text messages." She said, and Miria gasped. She knew I wasn't supposed to talk in front of the class like this. I grabbed my phone and slowly walked to the front of the class, in front of all of the desks.

"Um, okay." My voice broke and my throat tightened more. I began to silently cry, awe crap NOT AGAIN. I felt a panic attack coming on but I started to read. "So… John texted me… and he said… ummm… uh… that he missed me and do you want to hang out after school… and um… and I said… I said…" I started to hyperventilate, then to fall and then everything went black.

Angelica's POV

I was sitting in class when I got called to the office. I have no idea what's going on and I hope nothing bad has happened. I walked into the office and the nice women at the front desk says, "Miss Schuyler?"

"Yes, ma'am?" I say, apprehensively.

"Your little sister, Peggy fainted at school due to a panic attack today. Your mom thought you would want to know and that you and Elizabeth can go down to see her." She must have seen my extremely worried look and said, "Don't worry Angelica, she's okay."
"Okay, thank you. Do you need me to get Eliza?" I ask, trying to stay calm.

"If you would like, yes please." She says and I run out the door to Eliza's class. It's fourth period, two before lunch so she is in Geometry. I sprint down the halls to the class and open the door slowly.

Everyone turned to stare at me and I said, "I'm sorry to disrupt the lesson but I need Eliza."
She gets up silently to follow me to the car and once were in the hall she said, "Is everything okay?"

She looked really worried so I said, "It's Peggy, she fainted at school. But she's okay." I'm hoping this helped her a little and she seemed a little reassured, but little tears sprang up in her eyes.

"Don't worry Liza," I say.

"I hope she's really okay," says Eliza as we walked out the front doors. "Please don't kill anyone Ange."

"No promises," I say because once I see that Peggy is okay, I'm gonna figure out just why my little baby sister had a panic attack.

When we pulled into the school we jumped out of my car and ran inside. When we got into the office they told us she was in the nurse's office, so we went there. We burst through the door to see Peggy saying down on the couch and Miria sitting in a chair next to her.

"Peggy!" I exclaimed running over to her and taking her in my arms. "Awe Pegs are you alright?"
"I'm okay," she said and I could have sworn that she sounded weak. Well, I guess she should of she just fainted. Eliza ran over to the other side and hugged Peggy too.

We sat there for a minute then I asked "Okay, so what happened?"

Miria answered, "Well, John texted her in class and she looked at it." I looked at Peggy, playfully raising my eyebrows.

"Sorry," she said.

"It's okay Pegs," I say hugging her tighter.

"I guess Mrs. Brown saw her, called her out, and made her read her text messages in front of the class." Said Miria.

"But she's not supposed to," said Eliza, who looked really concerned. "Maybe she just forgot."

"Or she didn't care, either way, I'm angry," I say my face turning red out of anger.

"Ange," Peggy said. "Please don't kill anyone."

"Why do Y'all think I'm gonna kill someone," I say with a smile.

"Well… have you met yourself?" Said Peggy. Miria and Eliza laughed and Peggy and I cracked smiles.

"Alright well, I'm glad you okay because I was very worried." I say, "and Eliza was crying."
"Yeah," said Eliza.

"I've got a question." Said Peggy.

"What is it Pegs," said Eliza.

"Can I spend the day with Y'all?"
"Why not," I say. "Miria you want to come too, for Peggy's sake so that she can get the most support." We could give Peggy loads of support, way more than enough, but I think that she would love it if Miria could come and we all love Miria anyways. She is like our fourth sister.

"Yes please!" She replied excitedly.

"Okay, we'll have to get your work," I said, and I was going to say something else but I was going to say something else when someone opened the door and rushed in.

"Hi momma," said Peggy. I moved over on the couch so our mom, who rushed in to sit were I was sitting, could sit there.

"Awe Peggy my sweet baby, is everything okay?" The Schuyler's mom asked, enveloping Peggy in a hug.

"I'm okay now," said Peggy, melting into her mother's hug.

"Miria called and told me the whole story, by the way, thanks Miria." She said.

"No problem Mrs. Cathrine," said Miria with a small smile.

"Momma?" I asked.

"Yes, Angie?"

"Can Pegs and Miria come and hang out with us for the rest of the day, given our predicament?" I ask, apprehensive about what she's going to say.

"Hmmm," mom replies. "I guess. Are you going to get your work and leave or are you just going to eat lunch at school? Do I need to call Y'all out of school or anything?"

"I think we'll probably eat at school and leave to go somewhere. Anyone know where?" I ask because I want to leave but I don't have a clue where to go.

"We could go bowling," suggests Miria.

"I like that idea!" Says Peggy with a smile. I smile at her because I'm happy that she was smiling.

"Me too!" Eliza and I say at the same time. We all giggle and my mom smiles at us.

"Okay then I guess it's settled," she says. "I'll call the school and check you out so you can leave after lunch with Angelica. I'll also call your mom Miria."

"Thank you!" Says Miria with a huge grin on her face.

"Your welcome! Bye girls I love you!" Mom said.

"Bye, we love you too!" We reply as she walks out the door.

"Well, what are we eating for? Let's go get pizza!" I say.

Everyone says "yay!" and we walk out the door.