Our Shot (LAMS school au)

Chapter 1: A Scholarship To National Academy

Alex's POV:

Once I stood alone on the sidewalk, I breathed in the fresh air. It was a nice contrast to the bus fumes I had been forced to breath for the past six hours. I suddenly forget all of my complaints, however, when I looked up at the impressive brick building before me, several stories high, and I couldn't help but think that we had nothing like this on Nevis.

I attempted to stuff the several textbooks I was holding (I was getting some light reading done on the bus) into my book-bag, but it was already brimming with papers, my laptop, and even more books. I sighed; I would have to walk with them up to my dorm. Speaking of that...

I had no clue where I was supposed to go. I was so excited to get here I hadn't really been thinking ahead.

I looked down at my hand. 29; I had written it in permanent marker so I wouldn't forget. I also had three names written below it; my other three roommates, I supposed.

Aaron Burr

Thomas Jefferson

James Madison

I furrowed my brows, knowing this wouldn't help me, but I had been in such a rush to leave...

The office! Obviously I could go and ask someone there, right? It's right over...
I didn't know where that is either. I sighed, apparently a bit loud because I had attracted some new attention.

"Freshman?" A voice asked me from behind; a girl's voice.

I whipped around, slightly startled. She was tall, with dark, curly hair. I subconsciously combed some of my hair back so it wasn't so messy. The girl smiled, and I suddenly remembered then that she had asked me a question.

"No," I replied, brows slightly furrowed, "I'm going into third year. I'm not sure what the word is here..."

"Junior," she supplied, frowning slightly, "are you foreign or something?"

"From the Caribbean. On a scholarship, you see."

She raised her eyebrows. "A scholarship to National Academy? I heard there was going to be a new Junior... what's your name?"

"Alexander Hamilton, but call me Alex, please."

She nodded. "Reynolds. Maria Reynolds." She said, mocking a curtsy, and we both smiled.

Her's was captivating. "It's a pleasure," I replied sincerely, "And are you a Junior as well?"

She shook her head. "Senior," she replied smoothly.

Seeing my confused expression, she continued. "Fourth year."

"Ah."

"So can I help you with something? You look a bit lost."

"Um, yes," I rubbed the back of my neck, slightly embarrassed, "I'm not sure how to find my dorm."

I looked down at the smudged writing on my hand. "You wouldn't happen to know an... Aaron Snurr, would you?"

She laughed a bit, but, to my relief, nodded. "Aaron Burr is a friend of my- boyfriend's," she said the last part quickly.

My face fell slightly. "Boyfriend?" I asked, and she nodded, not noticing my change of tone.

Hey, don't judge me, I said she was pretty and you've only known me for like, two pages.

"I know he's in the boys wing, obviously, but I have no idea which dorm is Burr's."

I looked back down at the small list of names. "What about... Thomas Jefferson?" I asked in a monotone, and she nodded.

"I know which dorm that is," she said, looking down at her shoes, "I've... um... I've been."

"Can you show me where it is?" I asked quickly, trying to end the silence that followed.

"Uh..." she started, rubbing her opposite elbow subconsciously, when an arm wrapped itself around her shoulder.

It was a young man, looking as though he could be long out of high school by now. As he moved his arm lower to rest on Maria's waist she flinched; as though she thought he was about to-

"Hi James," she smiled up at him.

"Hey babe," he answered, pecking her check, and then he turned to face me.

I didn't particularly like the way he was looking at me. "Is this our new brainiac Junior?" He asked, and I forced a smile.

"That's me," I answered, feigning cheerfulness, "Maria was about to show me where my new dorm is, she say's she's been there."

Maria grimaced, and I furrowed my brows, curious as to whether or not I had said something wrong. Now it was 'James' turn to force a smile. He hid his contempt for me well, but I saw it, although I wasn't sure why it was there.

"Did she? Well, what's your dorm number, little boy?"

"29," I answered through gritted teeth, "With a certain Jefferson, Madison, and Burr."

He nodded, and beckoned for me more to follow him as he turned, ushering Maria with him, who stayed silent.

As they walked I heard him saying something quietly to her, and she nodded before looking back down at her shoes again as she walked with him.

We crossed through what I guessed was the commons, and over to the west side of the large campus. West Dorm, a large sign read over a doorway. James pulled the door open for himself and Maria, the latter smiling apologetically back at me when her boyfriend let the door fall back and almost break my nose.

I narrowed my eyes at his back, but continued to follow him through the hallways that smelt somewhat like strawberries. "Down this hallway, take a left until you get to 29," James said in a monotone, but I could see a shadow of a smirk forming on his lips.

Before I could respond, he left, pulling Maria with him. She whispered something urgently to him, something to which he looked back briefly at me, now smirking, and said "It'll be fine."

And then they had turned the hallway and left. One sketchy guy, I thought to myself, and, with suspicion growing by the footstep, attempted to find room 29 using the instructions he had given me.

Here it is! I thought rather excitedly as I came upon it, at least two hallways down from where James had told me it was. I decided to forgo knocking, my first mistake, and put my hand to the doorknob. It wasn't locked, so I opened the door. I felt my face go red a second later.

This definitely wasn't my room. There were two girls, a blonde and a brunette, talking on their beds, one only half dressed. When she laid eyes on me, standing in their doorway, she yelled, attempting to cover her leopard print bra with her hands. The other one advanced to close the door, but I beat her to it, slamming it in my own face, eyes still wide.

"You didn't lock the door?" I heard muffled yelling from inside, "Do you know many creeps are at this school?"

I'm not a creep, I thought angrily, I was just... led here by that bastard James! What the hell!

Not to self: never trust older, sketchy guys here who may or may not be abusing their girlfriends. Easy enough.

"Get out of here, Aaron, and never even look at me again or I swear I'll report you to services!" I heard more muffled yelling before a door opened a few rooms down and a guy stumbled out, probably pushed through the doorway.

What the... Coincidentally, he was also missing a shirt. It had been thrown out the door with him and was laying on the floor, beside a jacket. Did no one wear shirts in the dorms?

"Come on, Theo!" He cried, setting his forehead against the door and knocking a few times.

"Don't call me Theo!" The girl shot back angrily through the door, and I heard loud footsteps disappearing inside before the boy sighed. He didn't seem to notice me standing a few yards away, still dumbstruck, and picked his shirt off the floor and pulled it on, along with his blue varsity jacket. On the back in large, white letters, I read; Burr.

"Pardon me!" I exclaimed, as he whipped around, startled, "Are you Aaron Burr?"