Abandoned

Chapter 46

Alex got permission to go over to the Schuyler house after school that day. Angelica really needed his support to tell her parents. As soon as they got home, Eliza was about to take Alex up to her room when Angelica stopped her. 

"You go up with Pegs. Alex and I need to talk to mom."

Eliza raised a brow before taking her younger sibling upstairs. Angelica turned around when she heard a small cough from Pegs but didn't say anything when they gave her a smile.

 Peggy rushed upstairs ahead of Eliza, covering their hand from sight. Angelica pushed it from her mind before turning to her mom. 

"Mom, can we talk? It's important and I need to tell you something..."

Mrs. Schuyler put down her keys and turned around. "Sure thing. What's up, Angel?" Angelica went and sat on the couch. Alex followed her.

 "You should probably take a seat, Mrs. Schuyler." Alex said.

Worried, Mrs. Schuyler say across from the two teens. She started looking between them suspiciously.

 "Is there something going on between you two that I need to know about?" Angelica quickly shook her head blushing. "No! He's here for-moral support, I guess..." 

Mrs. Schuyler's features relaxed at that. "Thank God." She breathed. "Then what is it?"

Alex noticed how Angelica fidgeted with her sleeves before she blurted out, "I cut myself." Mrs. Schuyler's eyes widened and she let out a gasp.

 "Oh my god...May I see them?" She asked. Angelica hugged herself before walking slowly towards her mom. 

She pulled up her sleeves and Alex could see red lines etched into her skin. Some were bigger or deeper than others. But they were everywhere.

"Why'd you do this?" Mrs. Schuyler asked, gingerly holding Angelica's arms in her hands, inspecting them. 

"It helped me feel grounded in reality after Thomas died. It made me feel something when I was numb."

Mrs. Schuyler dropped Angelica's arms and held the girl instead. Angelica started crying on her mother's shoulder.

 "I miss him." Mrs. Schuyler had tears running down her face as she ran her fingers trough her daughter's hair. "I know you do. I'm glad you told me."

"I wasn't going to..." 

Angelica said quietly. "Really? Then why did you?" Mrs. Schuyler asked in the same tone. "Alex told me to. He encouraged me. That's why he's here..."

Alex shifted uncomfortably and started playing with the hem of his skirt. Then Mrs. Schuyler pulled away from Angelica and kissed her on the head before opening her arms towards Alex. 

He hesitates at first before running to her and accepting the motherly love. "Thank you Alexander. Guess what? We're signing adoption papers soon, isn't that exciting?" 

Angelica stopped crying. "R-Really?! That's really great news!" Angelica went and stole Alex from her mom, hugging him tightly.

"I'm so happy! You're going to be my official brother! You're going to be a Schuyler!" Alex smiled. "I'm going to be a Schuyler!" 

Angelica squeezed him until he was squealing and giggling. "I love you too, Angie." Soon she let him go and they both said their thanks to their mom before going upstairs to join their other siblings in Eliza's room.

Only Eliza was in there. "Hey, where's Pegs?" 

Alex asked as he sat next to Eliza. "Oh they went to the bathroom coughing. Said they were going to go find cough medicine." Alex and Angelica nodded before sitting back and relaxing.

Soon Pegs came back into the room and the siblings joked around until Alex had to go back to the bathroom. 

As he was passing the trash can he noticed a used pad. Now that wasn't unusual, as there were 4 people in the Schuyler home who could've been on their period but it was the blood that was strange.

Alex saw what period blood looked like and what was on that pad didn't look like period blood. 

Of course he didn't take it out but he was freaked out. Obviously someone was trying to cover something up. The only person who had been in there had been...

"PEGS!" Alex heard someone shout from Eliza's room.