Chapter Text
Happy Halloween
By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes
// Macbeth//
Theodosia has narrowed her eyes and holds the red cup like its going to save her life. The bad music is thumbing in her head, and the room smells like sweat and something different she can't quiet pinpoint.
After Frances dragged her to the Halloween-Party and abandoned her not too long ago, Theodosias was staying between laughing and talking Teenagers, most of them much cooler then her. Her anxiety set in and made it impossibly to relax into this. After walking trough the whole house twice, she finally found the place that saved her life: an empty couch! She sat instantly down, fingers chained around the cup in her hands like its an anchor and she is about to drown.
She doesn't likes parties. Not at all, and alone the idea that her father could find out where she is gives her stomachs. Lying to him is an awful thing. He is always worried about her and she doesn't like to be dishonest, especially since he is the only family she has left.
She presses the thought away, when someone falls onto the other side of the couch and gets their phone out. The person looks up. They are wearing a Frankenstein-masc and long coat, balancing a cup in hand that is definitely alcoholic. Theodosia narrows her eyes, when the phone disappears in the pocket again and they rip the masc from their face. She tries not to groan at the sight of Philip Hamilton, putting the masc next to him and stroking sweaty curls from his face. He looks back. “You don't like it here either, hu?” He asks.
Theodosia leans annoyed back. Okay, so the most obnoxious boy in the world wants to talk with her. She has mercy, because he is obviously stuck here too, even though she isn't sure who would drag him to a party like this. She somehow assumed her classmate would spend all his weekends on events like this anyway. “Is it that obviously?” She asks.
“For someone in the same situation? Yes, it is... how did you end up here? You don't hang around in places like this a lot, do you? I haven't seen you before on any, I mean.” Philip says, which is commented with an huff and glance by the other teen.
“I could ask you the same thing.” She makes a pause. “Frances dragged me here, against my much better judgment. When I find her, I am going to leave.”
“After you find her? Don't take it personal, but you aren't exactly searching.” Philip teases with a grin and the redness fades from his face, after being stuck under the masc for so long.
Theodosia is dressed up as a witch, a costume chosen by Frances as well. “Who dragged you here?”
“I play watchdog for my little sister. She once went on a date with one of Thomas Jeffersons sons. Since then, my dad wants me to constantly be her babysitter, which would be much easier if she wouldn't do what she wants anyway.” Philip says and a small grin slips onto his lips. Its almost proud.
“Oh, how sweet. I see, you're really committed to the job," Theodosia says, after letting her eyes wander around the room without finding Angie Hamilton anywhere. Philip snorts amused and Theodosia wonders since when it is so easy to talk to him, without Philip insulting half the school, including herself.
“Of course I am. She is my little sister, so when I take always care of her, she will never learn making own decisions. Its like... you wouldn't learn anything if your dad was around all the time, would you?” Theodosia raises a brow at his explanation and has to hide a smile, which then disappears as he continues talking anyway. “Talking about which, how did you manage to make him allow you, to come here?” Theodosia bites her lip and looks away.
“My father allowed me to go out.” She says dry and adds quickly: “I just might have forgotten to mention the party.”
Philip grins and nips on his drink, with a strange satisfaction, that this girl is at least able to break rules, and he isn't such a disgrace after all. She normally isn't a rule breaker, not at all. But her father would not in a million years let her go to some party, especially when he doesn't know the kids that throw it. And Aaron Burr doesn't knows any children, that's just a fact. “Ah, so you lied to him? I can tell, from personal experience, that parents aren't pleased by that a lot.” Philip says in his smartass-voice. Its the voice that could make Theodosia throw up, because its the same voice he uses in classes to show the teachers their mistakes and to give an confident answer, after students tried to do the same and failed. She hates this voice.
“I wouldn't say lied. I stretched the truth, that wont kill him.” Theodosia looks into her cup. Philip argues:
“Thats just a nicer word for lying, but keep telling that yourself. I wont rat you out.” He promises with a wink.
“Little witch. Does the costume has a meaning? Planning on casting a spell onto someone?” The teen huffs lightly and looks the Hamilton back into his eyes, not wanting to get flustered by his typicsl flirting. “If you're not careful I'll cast a spell onto you.” She deadpans. She grins nearly satisfied, seeing the surprised look on his face. She did not prepare for Philip to lean towards to her thought, so their faces are only inches away from each other and say in smug voice, with his typical prince-charming smile: “I think you already casted a spell onto me, Burr.”
She feels the blood creep onto her cheeks and Philips smell of deo and parchment into her nose. She even feels his breath on her face and leans instantly back, hoping the boy wont see her flustered expression. She takes a deep breath and pulls herself together again, which isn't hard anymore. She used it as method to calm down, after her mother died and Theodosia was struggling with anxiety, even more then before. Alone that she has to think about it yet makes her stomach knot together.
Philip gets up with a small yawn. The room gets really stuffy. “I go outside, its hot in here. You want to join in?” He asks polite and Theodosia doesn't think much about it, before getting up as well. They make their way trough the people.
“I hope you're not a creep, when I go outside with you,” Theodosia says when Philip opens the door that leads into the backyard.
“But I am creepy!” He says whiny and a bit dramatic. “I have skulls, and weapons and a picture of myself that gets older, while I stay young and pretty, all in the attic.” He says with a grin and sits down, leaning his back against the facade. It calms him down a bit and he dims his voice, stroking the curls from his face once again. He forgot to make a bun.
“Poor George, hu? When his dad comes home, hell will break lose. I think someone lit the couch on fire.” Philip says and Theodosia stands a bit awkward in front of him, shuddering in the december air. She doesn't want to sit down onto the wet floor, so she finally just leans her back against the wall.
“This guy has only to blame himself. What would you expect, inviting a bunch of unchaperoned teens into your house?” House is putting it modest, since the building is more a mansion, with huge garden. Nothing compared to Mount Vernom of course, but no building Philip ever saw can be compared to Washingtons house, so that's not a fair comparison.
“Of course, but I don't want this guy to be grounded until college. And you would do something like this too, when you get taught at home and never meet any other teens. At least he has fun and is a bit tipsy.” Philip says and Theodosia doesn't answers anymore, since she doesn't even knows this George-Guy. From what Philip tells, he throws the party and he seems to know him, but Philip Hamilton is friends with anyone.
“Also, he has no siblings in America. Living alone with his father, and being grounded too, must be hell. They have an library in the basement, but not being allowed to go out for weeks? No way, I would lose my mind. You should understand, you don't have siblings right?” Theodosia shakes her head about this. She is her fathers only daughter and only child in general. No siblings, no half-siblings and no hidden cousin that will ever give her a lot of money.
“That must be cool, never to be alone in the house.” She says, thinking of how big and empty hers is a lot. Her father works a lot, mostly when she is in school, but when her mother was still alive, the house never seemed so huge. Its the space that no one uses anymore, and the dust that stays in places it never did before. Hard to believe that she is already gone since nearly three years.
This is the third Halloween without her mother. She spent the first at home, not even aware that it was Halloween. She just laid curled together on the couch, until Frances came in and put a scary movie onto the TV. They mostly ignored and just laid snuggling on the couch, eating chips. The second year, Frances asked her to join her at a party, but she dismissed her and gave out candy instead. Those special days, linked to special memories with her mother, like Halloween, the birthdays or Christmas, are the hardest. On the first Christmas, Theodosia went into the kitchen to make coffee for her parents, like she did since she was eight years old, and when she came into her fathers office, she stopped in the door and just ran into her own room again. He sat crying at his table, face buried in his hands. That was the worst Christmas she ever had.
“-Burr? Hey, are you still there?” Philips voice drags Theodosia back into reality. She looks at the boy, who got up and laid a sinewy hand onto her shoulder. She raises a brow, since everything looks blurred. “Yes, I'm fine.” She brings out, but her voice is raspy and Philip doesn't look convinced. He doesn't take his hand away.
“You cry. Do you want me to search for Frances?” Theodosias hand goes instantly to her face, and she feels the wet skin. She looks embarrassed down and at the black make-up that sticks to her fingertips. She slowly shakes her head and still can't believe she started crying! And that in front of Philip Hamilton, great. He'll never let her forget about that, at least when he remembers anything tomorrow. He looks drunk.
“No. No I will just go home, its already late and I had a long day and-”
“Okay, I get our coats.” Philip says and finally takes his hand from her shoulder. The warmth disappears instantly from her skin there.
“Wait, what do you mean our coats?”
"If you think I'll let you walk home alone, three miles in the darkness, you think worse of me then I guessed.” Philip claims and they stare at each other for a while. Theodosia ponders if he's serious, while Philip wrinkles his forehead and shudders from the cold. She sees the goosebumps on his naked arms.
“The only creep I should be scared of is you, or my father when I come home too late again.” She says and Philip huffs lightly, before turning to the door. He feels a bit offend by her statement. “And I want to go, can as well bring you home first. I think Susan lives in the same neighborhood anyway. So wait here.” He orders and goes inside.
Theodosia has no chance to tell him, that he isn't allowed to command her around, since he is already inside. She meanwhile tries to remember if she ever heard about a Susan Hamilton, or if she is one of Philips girlfriends, which he changes like Hogwarts their teachers in Defense Against The Dark Arts. Or even more often. Not that Theodosia ever thought about any of Philip Hamiltons girlfriends, because they all look the same in her eyes and have all names that sound like Britney, Brooke, Stacy or names like this. White upper-class, mostly in the cheerleader-team or making some other sport. He keeps them for a while and then gets rid of them just as fast.
Theodosia would call him a fuckboy if she ever talked with Frances about him (what they aren't doing), while Frances would probably just say he is slutty and cheap. She isn't exactly wrong, Theodosia thinks.
The door opens again and some girl comes outside. Her curled hair is dyed in a dark red and she wears a leather-jacket over the vampire costume (both red and black as well.) She also got a walking cane with silver skull on the handle, and the wood is painted (oh wonder) red. She is pretty and a bit small, but got curves. Theodosias breaths hitches when she sees that the purple and yellow marks in her face aren't make-up, but look far too real.
“Hi! Are you the individual we shall bring home, before thy father finds out the maid is missing?” She asks, her voice strange and the words spoken old and rusty. She takes Theodosias hand and kisses the knuckles, before bursting out laughing. Philip pulls her back. “Don't take her serious, she is drunk and a bit insane.” He says to Theodosia and the vampire holds giggling onto Angelicas arm.
Theodosia takes a deep breath, still a bit shocked that this total stranger just confused her. “Theodosia, those are my sister Angelica Hamilton, and my good friend Susan Reynolds. Aka, the girls I babysit tonight, so they don't get into trouble.”
A “good friend?” Theodosia is sure that she saw Susan before, so Philip is probably right about the neighborhood, but it doesn't makes her feel any better.
They walk away from the house, the two girls still linked to each other and Philip with the hands deep in his pockets. “I really don't wanted to drag you away from the party.” Theodosia says after a while of silence.
Angelica glances lightly over at her, but Susan already answers with her strong voice, that sounds even more confident then Philips: “Eaker showed up not five minutes ago, so we wanted to go anyway. Not like you can have any fun with this asshole around.”
Theodosia raises her brows and Angelica lays her hand onto Susans upper arm, as if to calm her down. She doesn't feel really well around those strangers, but they have a lot of way ahead, so she hopes she isn't acting too awkward.
“Right, Eaker can kill down every party. He and Pip are always bragging like an old couple in their divorce.” Angelica claims and Philip makes an grimace. Theodosia has to giggle, but doesn't dare to ask who this guy is. He doesn't seem too nice, but so does Philip Hamilton, or his family in general.
“I just have some pity for George. He has to clean up the whole house himself, and Monsieur Lafayette might kill him, when he comes home from his trip and finds the house in ruins.” Susan says. Philip nods in agreement. They are friends since he can think. His father and Monsieur Lafayette always spent a lot of time around the same people, and Miss Martha was watching the Hamilton kids and Lafayettes son as well, when they were younger. George Washington de Lafayette and Philip Hamilton nearly grew up like brothers, and when Philip met Susan than a few years later, at the divorce of her parents where Alexander was called as witness, George liked her too of course.
“Oh, where is his trip?” Theodosia asks interested and all three teens answer at the same time: “France.”
Theodosia giggles lightly at the trio. Angelica has still her arm looped around Susans and Philip tumbles a bit, being more tipsy then any of them thought- They are chaotic and it makes Theodosia feel warm, to see how close they seem to be. She hasn't seen Philip in a light like this, quiet and thoughtful looking at the yellow clouds on the black sky. He is nearly sympathic that way.
Oh, what a night