Chapter Text
One more class, Peggy thought as she sat at her table in Mrs. Fry’s class. One more day till the long weekend.
She pulled her stuff out of her bag and waited for Angie to show up. Angie was the one thing that made this drag of a class bearable. Her near constant smile always brightened Peggy’s day, and her running commentary on the class always left them giggling. It was a wonder Mrs. Fry hadn’t separated them for it.
A few kids filed in before Angie, as usual. Peggy only looked up from scanning last night’s reading when she heard a sniffle. Angie was crying, or at least she had been, if her puffy eyes were anything to go by. She slumped down in her chair and sighed. Peggy rubbed her shoulder gently.
“You alright?”
Angie shook her head.
“Do you wanna talk?”
Angie nodded. Peggy caught Mrs. Fry’s eye and motioned to the door. The woman glanced at Angie and her expression softened. She nodded and Peggy led Angie out to the bathroom.
The other girls waiting to use the stalls cleared out when they saw the look on Angie’s face. When they were alone together, Angie buried her face in Peggy’s shoulder and let out a sob. Peggy patted her back and let her cry until she faded to just shaky breaths.
“What happened?”
“Mom n’ Dad are mad at me.” Angie mumbled, her response muffled by Peggy’s shirt. Her voice wobbled, threatening to crack again. She had often told Peggy about how her parents got mad at her, but rarely enough to cry.
“Why are they mad?”
Angie looked up and shook her head.
“If I told you, you’d hate me. Like they do.”
“I would never.” Peggy declared, worry churning her stomach.
Angie took a deep breath. Then another.
“They found out, English. That I’m gay.” She didn’t meet Peggy’s eyes.
Peggy let out a soft “Oh,” as all of Angie’s parents’ offhand comments rushed back to her. She held Angie tighter and her heart wrenched.
"Angie, I’m so sorry. How?”
“They caught me watching Orange is the New Black. It was one of the sex scenes, English. They thought I was watching porn.”
"Oh my god. I’m sorry.”
Angie hid her face in Peggy’s shoulder again. “They cancelled our Netflix.”
Peggy sighed and rubbed Angie’s back. Then an idea occurred to her.
“Are you grounded?” She asked, unable to stop the grin tugging at the corners of her mouth.
“Somehow, no. Why?”
“Text your parents right now, tell them you’re invited to the beach with us for the weekend.”
“Won’t your parents mind?” Angie asked as she pulled out her phone.
Peggy shook her head. “They’re always asking me if I want to bring anyone on these trips. They’ll be thrilled to bring you along.”
Angie typed into her phone quickly, then smiled at her mother’s prompt response.
“She said sure.”
When the bell rang, Peggy walked Angie to her locker. Angie’s mood had changed completely, she was back to her bubbly self, talking Peggy’s ear off about the weekend. Her smile was back, as bright as ever. That smile alone brought a smile to Peggy’s face. When she’d stuffed her things into her backpack and slammed her locker, Peggy spoke up.
“So, I was thinking I’d drive you home so you could pack?”
Angie nodded as they took off for Peggy’s locker, on the other side of the school.
“Yeah. Your parents will be driving to the beach, right?”
“Of course.”
They didn’t talk much for a bit, just walked quickly, with their shoulders brushing. Angie leaned against the wall while Peggy knelt at her locker.
“You have no idea how much this means to me, English. I was expecting to have a hell of a weekend, and you swooped in and saved me.”
Peggy shut her locker and stood. She pulled Angie into a hug. “What else are friends for?” Angie shrugged and Peggy let her go. “Now come on, let’s get to the car.”
As soon as they were buckled, Angie had her phone plugged into the speakers. She cranked it up when “Shut up And Dance” started playing. They yelled along to the music until Peggy turned onto Angie’s street.
“I really don't wanna talk to her,” Angie groaned as they pulled into the driveway. Her frown seemed to deepen with each step they took to the front door. Peggy knocked on the door and was greeted by a tight hug from Mrs. Martinelli.
“Oh, Peggy, good to see you!” She said warmly as Angie slipped by with hardly a greeting.
“You too, Mrs. Martinelli.”
“So you and Angie are going to the beach, huh? Doing anything special?”
Peggy shrugged. “Probably just lay out by the pool for most of it.”
“The pool?” Mrs. Martinelli scoffed.
Peggy nodded good-naturedly. “There’s less screaming children at the pool.”
That got a laugh out of the woman. “I’m sure there’s also plenty of boys there too!” Peggy cringed at how she emphasized the word boys, loud enough for Angie to hear in her room.
“I don’t know about that.” Peggy said, before she realized she was gritting her teeth. Mrs. Martinelli looked like she was about to say something when Angie rushed out of her room with a bag over her shoulder and yanked Peggy to the door.
The smile was back on Mrs. Martinelli’s face when she called after them, “Have fun, you two! Don’t get into any trouble! Love you, Angie!”
“Love you too, Mom!” Angie yelled as she slammed the car door. Then she turned to Peggy with a glare. “That was stupid, English.”
“What?” Peggy asked as she buckled her seatbelt.
“The thing you said about boys. I’m pretty sure she thinks we’re a thing now.”
Peggy scoffed. “Her and half our school. Angie, I promise, it’ll be okay.”
Angie shook her head, but she was grinning.
“She thinks I won't be watching the show.”
“If you want to spend the weekend watching a tv show, that’s how I want to spend it, too.”
Angie nodded as she turned on her music. “Thanks, English.”
They sat close together in the back seat of the Carter’s minivan, watching the show off Peggy’s phone, with a pair of earbuds between them. The only time they stopped watching was when they got to the house and unpacked the car. As soon as they finished, Peggy pulled up Netflix on the tv in their room, and they sat through the series without stopping, fueled by Dr. Pepper and coffee. They both crashed hard when the last episode ended.
Peggy woke up first and glanced at the clock. Eleven A.M. She gently lifted Angie’s head off her legs and shuffled out to the kitchen to make herself cereal. When she finished, she rinsed out her bowl and went to see if Angie had woken up. She was still sleeping, so Peggy quietly put on a swimsuit and walked out to the pool.
As she’d expected, the small screaming children could be heard playing on the beach. Peggy smiled to herself and sat on the edge of the pool, dangling her feet into the water. After a while, Angie came to sit by her.
“Thanks, English. For watching with me.” She said, nudging Peggy’s shoulder with her own.
Peggy leaned into her and grinned. “Of course, Angie.”
“And you’re okay with me?”
Peggy wrapped an arm around Angie’s shoulder and squeezed. “Sure I am. It’d be awfully hypocritical of me if I weren’t.”
Angie laughed. “Look at you, bringing out those SAT words," She teased. "Tell me Peggy, why would it be hypocritical?”
Peggy blushed. “It’s just that we’re such good friends,” She thought she saw a little disappointment in Angie’s face, and her words came tumbling out faster than she could think. “And I’m pretty sure I’m bi.”
It wasn’t how she’d meant to come out to her best friend, but there was no way to take it back now. Angie looked at her with a mixture of surprise and confusion.
“Well, huh.” Was all she had to say before she started giggling.
“What?” Peggy asked, poking Angie’s side.
“It’s just, how bad do you think the rumors about us will get? Like, if we came out?”
She meant it as a joke, but Peggy seriously thought about it. “I don’t think I’d mind those rumors being true.” She decided. Out loud. She blushed and looked at Angie, worried she’d said the wrong thing. Peggy saw nothing but Angie’s smile lighting up her face.
“That sounds good to me, English.”
