Our Shot (LAMS school au)

Chapter 8: I Know Him

Wait, I thought, staring at the boy in front of me, I know this guy, he looks so familiar. But he's the new scholarship student... WAIT!

"I remember you!" I exclaimed suddenly, startling the other three in the room who had just stayed a conversation, "from the library!"

Alexander's eyes widened a bit, as if he didn't want me to share what I had suddenly remembered, but I couldn't remember much. I went into the library with Laf and Herc, and I saw him sitting there, with-

"Jefferson?" I asked suddenly, "And Madison? You're friends with them?"

Alex put his hands on his face to think, Laf, Herc, and me looking at him incredulously. "No," he admitted, the sound muffled through his fingers, "I was assigned to their dorm first. They kicked me out; or, rather, I left. I was sitting outside student services when I came upon you guys," he gestured to the other two guys, "I lied, I'm sorry."

Me, being the embarrassingly gay gent that I was, reached up slowly and began to pull his hands down from over his face. Him, obviously disliking the sudden contact, pulled his hands quickly to his sides. We stood there, simply staring at each other until Herc broke the silence. "Hey man, don't worry about it; everyone stumbles across those guys at some point. He's a homophobe."

"He told me he wasn't a homophobe," Alexander supplied, "but he certainly doesn't seem to have a good view about- you guys."

I cringed a bit. That was an understatement; I couldn't count all the times last year Tom had cornered me and scorned me for being the way I was, especially-

"Zat man is a born hippocrite," Laf began, sighing, and Herc and I nodded in agreement.

"Do you know something I don't?" Alexander interjected timidly, and I scoffed softly, taking a seat on my chair as he took one on my bunk.

"It's none of your business," I snapped.

There was a moment of sickening silence, and I instantly regretted being so bitter to this boy.

"Sorry," I added quickly and quietly, "It's just that I don't like to talk about him."

Luckily Alexander took it upon himself to change the subject, the atmosphere in the room becoming increasingly somber. "So what are you working on?" He asked me, gesturing to the laptop I was now staring at dejectedly.

I suddenly perked up a bit, opening the screen up to the document he was previously working on. Show him your work, the inside voice told me, but the other voice knew he really wouldn't care. He was probably just asking to pass time. "It's for Mr. Washington and the debate club," I answered.

He seemed to think about something for a split second, but asked, "How can I join?" almost instantly.

I jumped at his sudden interest. "I can take you tomorrow, if you want; I'm finishing up early work right now, but we'll be assigned topics and opponents tomorrow because it's the first day and I can introduce you to Mr. Washington! Oh he'll love you, he-"

"Woah!" He paused me, and heard Hercules snicker a bit in the background, "that sounds great, Laurens."

Rushing to die down the red I felt rising in my face, I stuck out my hand across to him. "It's John," I insisted, "We're roomies now, Alexander."

He hesitated in nodding, but shook my hand.

"John," he confirmed.

A/N OKAY GUYS i know this is minor but these chapters r way to short if I keep going like this imma have 3792738 chapters, so i'm conjoining them in several larger chapters. so if you come back and are confused af, just go through and find your place, I guess. I'll probably be combining ever four chapters, tho.
Thanks for reading, I love you all!

-Daryn 🏳️‍🌈🇺🇸