The limo ride to school was mostly silent, except for a comment every now and then from Lafayette and Hercules.

"Ha ha," Peggy poked her tongue out at the Frenchman. "You're real funny, baguette."

She pinched his arm next to her and he leaned away, faking trauma.

"Ahh! Nails!" He cried, and the group laughed.

Angelica laughed with them. Or at least, as much as she could without locking eyes with Alexander. She found that a majority of the ride there he was studying her, his expression unfathomable.

Thomas always caught him looking.

Angelica wasn't sure whether it was for show, or an act of possessiveness, but as they began to reach the school, Thomas's hand suddenly slipped into hers.

This shocked Angelica.

She swerved to look down at their hands, and then up at him. He was watching her softly, smirking.

"Smile," he said. His thumb slid smoothly down the line of her palm, shocking her into further silence. "It's a dance."

She didn't have the instincts to push him away. All she could do was sit there, stunned, watching him with silent eyes. She couldn't look at Alexander.

In the end, she found that she didn't have to. Once her hand slipped into Thomas's, it glued there, and didn't come out until they had reached the Main Hall.

:::

Peggy gasped, "Guys! EVERYBODY SHUT UP FOR A SECOND!"

The group instantly stopped chatting in that moment, turning to the direction Peggy was faced towards. It was the Main Hall — only more colourful, and decorated like a birthday cake. Blue and white streamers hung from lamps and mini chandeliers, while colourful lights scanned and circled the room, like a siren. Students were standing, girls in colourful dresses and boys in tuxedoes, at the snacks table on the side of the room, talking and drinking punch. Nobody was on the dance floor at the moment.

Peggy seemed to want to change that.

"Wow," Eliza said, smiling.

Hercules wolf-whistled.

"Guys, isn't this place amazing?" Peggy exclaimed, bouncing like a little kid. She grabbed Lafayette's hand. "Come on! Let's dance."

He stared at her, "Moi?"

"Yes, you! You French retard," she poked her tongue out at him, still tugging hard on his sleeve, but he wasn't moving. Her eyes drooped, hush-puppy style. "Pleeeeaaase?"

Angelica couldn't help but laugh at this.

"You heard the woman," she said, giving Lafayette a mock-serious stare. "Go dance with her!"

"Yeah, baguette," Hercules said, and shoved the Frenchman forward so that he nearly collided with Peggy. Lafayette skidded to a stop and turned wide eyes on the lot of them.

"Ees this a joke?" He exclaimed, looking utterly betrayed. Everybody was laughing now. Even Thomas was looking on, an amused smirk on his face.

In the end Lafayette gave up, and allowed her to drag him onto the dance floor. Peggy bounced into the middle, and snapped her fingers at the DJ across the room.

"Hey!" She shouted, hands cupped. People turned to stare at her. "Let's get this party started!"

The DJ gave her a thumbs up, and pushed on a funky, 2018 song. Peggy started swaying her hips and shaking out her hair. As more students caught onto the music, more of them were dancing, until pretty soon more than half of the Grade was waving and swaying to the electric beat.

The group of friends watched the jumping, twisting crowd, and only a moment later did John and Hercules join in, dragging Aaron with them.

Angelica felt her hand, still locked tightly in Thomas's, being lifted up so that her elbow was in a right angle.

Her gaze flicked down to their hands, and then up at Thomas's face.

He was grinning, "Care to dance?"

Angelica felt her insides go numb. She wanted to look at Alexander, but willed herself not to. He gave her his word.

This should be okay.

"Sure," she said. "Let's do it."

She reached out and grasped onto Thomas's extended hand.

She couldn't help herself.

She stole a glance at Alexander, so fast she hoped Thomas missed it. Alexander wasn't looking at them. His hand was running through his hair as he stared firmly off in the opposite direction, as if willing himself to be calm and controlled. In fact, anyone else would have thought he was calm and controlled.

But not Angelica. She could see through it. It was his left hand that was the dead giveaway - it was clenched and hiding in his pocket.

But Angelica wasn't the only one to notice.

"Alex," Eliza's soft voice snapped Alexander's attention towards. She was looking up at him, wary and confused. Her hand threaded into his. "Are you okay?"

"Hm? Yeah. I'm fine."

"Smile," Eliza smiled at him as an example, eyes lit up. "It's a dance! Have fun!"

"Something bothering you, Hamilton?" Thomas's voice was smug as he eyed Alexander. Angelica turned to her date, shocked.

What?

Alexander's expression went stony at this remark. He glowered hard at Thomas, eyes reeling. But at the last second, the look cut off entirely, as if he remembered something. His gaze flickered in Angelica's direction, and their eyes met.

"Let's get a drink," Eliza suggested to her Boyfriend, oblivious to the edge in Thomas's voice. "That should cheer you up."

"Sure," Alexander said. He tore his gaze away from Angelica, and smiled at the second Schuyler Sister. "I could use a drink."

Eliza shot her Sister a look that said I'll take take care of this. You go have fun, before she had dragged her boyfriend off to the snacks table.

Angelica looked on after them. Grateful. Confused. Frustrated. Torn.

Thank you, Alexander.

Thomas was the one to awake her from her thoughts.

"So?" He grinned. "Dance?"

"Sure," she said, but she wasn't so sure.

:::

Angelica and Thomas danced to the hot beat for about an hour. Somewhere along the way, they found Peggy and the guys, and blended into a group of dancers among themselves, until they were all so exhausted and their feet felt like they would break.

"Let's ... stop ..." Angelica suggested, falling against Thomas tiredly.

"Huuuh. Fine," Thomas exaggerated sulk, stopping halfway through his dance. He slid a hand around Angelica's back, trying to keep her upright. He grinned at his date. "Let's get something to drink."

"Finally!" Angelica began to move to the side of the party, longing for a stool to sit on. "Peggy, you want something?"

"Don't bother!"

"You sure?"

"Yes!"

"You've been dancing for ages."

"Shhh shh!" Peggy waved her hands in her older Sister's face, as if trying to get lost in the music. It actually looked hilarious. "Bye now!"

Angelica chuckled, "Okay."

She headed for the drinks table, Thomas in tow. He reached the punch bowl first, and so poured the two of them cups.

"Thank you," she said.

He smiled back, "Cheers." They clinked glasses (or plastic cups), and took their swigs.

As Angelica was downing back the rest of her punch, it was then that she caught sight of Eliza and Alexander, making their way towards them. Alexander's face was taut with a smile that couldn't be real. He walked closely behind Eliza, avoiding Angelica's gaze.

Which, she guessed was for the best anyways.

"Hey," Eliza smiled brightly at the couple in front of her. "Enjoying the party?"

Angelica's eyes fell into a look of mock exhaustion. "I can't dance anymore. My feet ache like I'm stepping on pineapples."

"Pineapples?" Thomas smirked at her.

"Rocks! I don't know!" Angelica snapped defensively, but had to smile with him. "Something pointy."

"And pineapples are the first thing you think of?" Eliza said, eying her Sister with mock criticism.

Angelica glowered at all of them, "They are pointy. Like crowns. Of course I think of pineapples."

Eliza and Thomas turned to each other and exchanged funny glances. It took Angelica a moment to respond to this, because this was the first time she had ever seen anyone from her social circle being this comfortable with Thomas Jefferson.

Of all people, Eliza was the first to get along with Thomas Jefferson.

Angelica didn't know whether to be surprised or relieved. Mostly, she was both.

"Shut up," she grumbled finally, falling back into the moment. She reached across the table and shoved her Sister and her date. Eliza laughed loudly, which Angelica replied to with a cheeky grin. But instead of joining in, Thomas grabbed hold of Angelica's hand and drew her in towards him.

Her breath caught in her throat as she found herself staring into his eyes. His gaze was amused, but filled with light. Happy, even.

"You want to know what else is pointy?" He said suggestively. His hand that had been around her wrist jumped to her lower back, pushing her forwards so that the tips of their noses were brushing.

Angelica felt herself go stiff with the effort of keeping a straight face.

"Hey."

Alexander's voice was loud and sharp, like a knife. The air around them turned stiff and silent, as Thomas slowly turned to look him in the eyes. Alexander's gaze filled with hate, only for Thomas. Even Eliza seemed shocked at his speaking.

"Watch it," Alexander said through gritted teeth.

"I'm sorry — since when do you have a say in anything?" Thomas snapped back, looking fierce. His hand stayed firm on Angelica's lower back, leaving soft tingles up her spine where his skin touched her.

"Since before you got here," Alexander growled. "Now hands off."

"Alex," Angelica said, staring hard at him. His gaze flickered to her at the sound of her voice. And for just a second, his eyes softened, melting like chocolate.

Thomas had stepped between them before the look could go on further.

"Quit making puppy eyes at my date," Thomas said forcefully, eyes flashing.

There was a pinch of frozen silence at this. Angelica and Alexander seemed to go into shock at the same time. It was said so bluntly—while Eliza was there.

Angelica's gaze darted to her Sister, but it didn't seem to have registered yet. So Angelica grabbed the moment.

"Thomas, stop it," she said loudly, grabbing his arm. She forced a smile as she looked at him, but her eyes said something different. "That's not funny."

"Screw you, Jefferson," Alexander said, cheeks heated but voice unreadable.

"Screw yourself," Thomas shot back. "Let Angelica do whatever the hell she wants."

"I didn't say I was going to stop her," Alexander took a step forwards, beginning to shout. Thomas met him in the middle, so that they were toe-to-toe.

"Then what were you going to do?" Thomas deadpanned.

The tension in the air was explosive. Angelica's eyes were starting to run wild with panic. She reached out and grabbed Thomas's arm, hugging it towards her in an attempt to pull him away from the ghost of a fight. She looked across and saw Eliza doing the same to Alexander.

"Stop it," Angelica whispered to Thomas.

"Stop what, princess?" He asked, loud and clear.

"We've been here before," her teeth grit like magnets. "It doesn't end pretty."

Thomas scoffed, "Not for him, it doesn't."

Alexander heard this, as he was probably meant to. His eyes flashed, blazing daggers. He tried to jerk out of Eliza's grasp.

"You want to repeat that?" He shouted. "You want to see how this really ends?"

"Alexander," Eliza said.

"Alexander, cut it out," Angelica snapped, warningly. But even she heard the fear in her own voice, for both of them.

You promised, she thought bitingly. You gave me your word.

It was as if Alexander had heard her thoughts. He stopped resisting Eliza, but his eyes didn't leave Thomas.

"What is going on with you?" Eliza exclaimed, staring up at her boyfriend with a rainbow of emotions. Her eyes reflected shock and confusion and everything else. Alexander didn't meet her gaze.

Silence passed between the couple, like falling grenades. Angelica's fingers bit into Thomas's arm, willing him to stay silent. She could never be sure what was coming out of his mouth next. Her blood ran cold with the fear that he would make another insensitive comment about her and Alexander—that he would give them all away.

But to her surprise, he stayed silent.

"Come," Eliza said to Alex, and took him firmly by the hand. "We need to talk." She turned to her sister, a half-hearted, almost apologetic smile on her face.

"We'll see you later, okay?"

"Okay," Angelica replied. And then they were off, Eliza dragging Alexander by the hand through a crowd of people, to a quiet corner to talk.

Angelica turned back to Thomas and found him downing the rest of his drink.

"What was that for?" She demanded. Her hands were firm on her hips. "There was no need to aggravate him."

Thomas scoffed, pulling his drink slightly from his lips, "He aggravates himself. He's a fool like that."

"You still didn't have to start it."

Thomas didn't answer, but he seemed to be annoyed with her. Another moment of silence passed, and he didn't look her in the eye.

She sighed, "Look, I don't want to fight—"

"Me neither—"

"—but you can't just keep... attacking people when you feel like it," Angelica said, eyes soft. Her voice had melted somewhere along the way, and now she reached out for his hand on the table. "Please. Behave."

Thomas turned and looked at her through longing eyes, "...He started it."

"Then you end it," she paused. "And not in the same way it started. But in the responsible... sensible... mature way that I know you are capable of."

Their gazes were locked like a rainbow now, faces a few of inches apart. Thomas's face drew into cynical smile.

"You trust me too much, princess," He said mockingly, but there was a hint of realism in his tone, a spark of curiosity in his eyes.

A smile graced Angelica's face, "Maybe."

Something seemed to wash over Thomas's expression. Gratitude and compassion and... love.

She didn't even know what was happening before Thomas had leaned closer and their lips had touched.

Sweetly.

Angelica felt her eyes widen, but his lips were warm and like a magnet to hers. She found her eyes falling closed and felt his hands wrap around her back, seeping into her black ringed hair. She reached up to his face and pressed him closer towards her, slowly melting into one as the rest of the world fell away.

She thought that she did love Thomas.

Is this really impossible? She wondered, as their lips and mouths synced to the beat of an invisible melody, a muted painting. A colourful night sky.

Is it really that hard to imagine a life with Thomas Jefferson?